Just Do It!

Posted on January 25, 2016 by Elaine Spires

On Saturday I went to the Authors and Bloggers Meet Up at the Bacchus Bar in Birmingham. (Being writers we had to meet up somewhere alliterative!) This is the fourth or fifth such get-together I’ve attended and to be honest, I was debating whether or not to go. I’m ‘between-novels’ at the moment; my last one came out 14 months ago and it will be 3 months before the next one – The Banjo – will be ready. And, after all, I’d been to all the others, hadn’t I? I’d enjoyed them and found them worthwhile, but, in my conceited … Read the rest »

Get In The Queue!

Posted on January 18, 2016 by Elaine Spires

Following the trial of the Hatton Garden Pensioners, newspaper headlines have been keen to find the one that got away. ‘Police Looking for Pensioner with £10m of Jewels.’
Well, aren’t we all, love? They can get in the queue! What a catch this man, known as Basil, is, isn’t he? Yet he’s in a very strange position – he can’t advertise his wealth for fear of the police finding him, so he probably won’t be surrounded by (usually) younger women who suddenly find him attractive.

Still hard to feel sorry for Basil, though.
The papers, TV and social media have … Read the rest »

Double Dose of Willie S and a Dash of Loose Women

Posted on January 12, 2016 by Elaine Spires

Last week was a busy one and an enjoyably busy one at that.

The week started off with a dose of Shakespeare in the form of The Winter’s Tale at the pictures. I went along to see the film of the Kenneth Branagh Theatre live performance – http://www.branaghtheatre.com/the-winters-tale/ – with the man himself taking the role of Leontes and Dame Judi as Paulina, which is part of his Plays at the Garrick season. And very enjoyable it was, too. It took a little while to start, much to my chagrin, having rushed and huffed and puffed to get there. How … Read the rest »

Raising a Glass

Posted on December 31, 2015 by Elaine Spires

So, today is 31st December; here we are at the end of our journey through 2015. It’s the day we reflect on the past and make promises to ourselves and others about the future. I know myself well-enough not to make resolutions; I have learned from bitter experience that it’s just giving myself another reason to beat myself up for being a failure, having no will-power, being useless and worthless in the first few weeks of the incoming year. I do, though, send love and best wishes to all those who are making resolutions today.

For me 2015 was a … Read the rest »

Very Christmas

Posted on December 28, 2015 by Elaine Spires

Well, as Christmases go, it was awesome. Great. Brilliant. Magic. Sick. It was a Very Christmas!
And I can’t believe it’s all over after the weeks of preparation and looking forward to it. Although, I leave the tree up until 2nd or 3rd January and I burn candles all through the winter as I love candlelight, so it still seems very Christmassy in my little living-room.
Although I’ve spent most of my life in warm climates, surrounded by sunshine, the run-up to Christmas in UK is my favourite time of year. I enjoy the dark evenings and seeing all the … Read the rest »

Glogg! Glogg! Glogg!

Posted on December 15, 2015 by Elaine Spires

Hej!
Yes, I’ve gone all Swedish. Just back from four fabulous days in Stockholm with the Daughter and the Sister and what a time we had! We all fell in love with the city, its buildings, its culture, its people, its food, its drink – especially the glogg, the mulled Christmas wine, its sights and sounds, well, just about everything about it, really.

And the fact that we didn’t stop laughing from the moment we got to Gatwick

added to our enjoyment.

We stayed at the Mornington Hotel on Nybrogata, http://www.mornington.se/Mornington—Stockholm—EN/Home.aspx which the Daughter just chose at random, but what … Read the rest »

Battle of Britain Show – Dancing Years and Wartime Fears

Posted on December 7, 2015 by Elaine Spires

What a night it was! On Saturday, 5th December, I was honoured to be a part of the 50th birthday celebrations for my friend Pete Hewitt: Battle of Britain Show, a PHEW Production. Simple words really can’t do justice to the fabulous evening that it was, one that had been two years in the planning.

Although it was Pete’s milestone birthday he wanted it to be a tribute to his mum, the inimitable, lovely, talented, kind, Christian woman I was proud to call my friend – Jean Hewitt. And so, based on the stories he grew up hearing from his … Read the rest »

Freebie, Foyles and Freaking Out

Posted on December 4, 2015 by Elaine Spires

I know it’s been a while! Sorry! I have actually been writing. I’ve got on amazingly with THE BANJO. It isn’t finished but it’s coming along nicely. And so many other things have been happening, too. I wake up and ten minutes later The One Show is on.

Last Sunday I went to Birmingham to a Writers and Bloggers Meet Up, organised by the wonderful Kim Nash. It was great to meet so many people that I only ‘know’ from this blog, Twitter or Facebook. I was especially thrilled to meet Barbara Copperthwaite as I’m reading her second book, Flowers … Read the rest »

Louise Douglas

Posted on November 27, 2015 by Elaine Spires

It’s a very busy time for Louise Douglas following the recent launch of her latest book, The Secret by the Lake. How exciting! What’s even more exciting is that she’s joining us to tell us all about her Hot Holidays!

But first, here’s something about The Secret by the Lake:

A FAMILY TRAGEDY : Amy’s always felt like something’s been missing in her life. When a tragedy forces the family she works for as a nanny to retreat to a small lakeside cottage, she realises she cannot leave them now.

A SISTER’S SECRET:  But Amy finds something unsettling about the … Read the rest »

Gorgeous George and the Girls from See Saw Lane

Posted on November 13, 2015 by Elaine Spires

Wednesday is usually Rubbish TV Night of the Week for me. It’s the night when I watch another episode of The Wire. I only came to The Wire quite recently and am halfway through Series 3 at the moment (or Season 3 as the Americans call it.) So it has been with great joy that I’ve started watching Cuffs on BBC1 at 8pm on Wednesdays. It’s like The Bill, but brought up to date and set in Brighton. It’s a bit PC – Ha Ha! Didn’t intend that pun but it’s actually quite funny. I crack myself up sometimes -and … Read the rest »

The Journal of Elaine Spires

Novelist, playwright and actress

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