Sharon Borthwick

Posted on August 15, 2020 by Elaine Spires

Today’s interview is with the dynamic Sharon Borthwick of Borthwick Performing Arts and Borthwick Casting. Sharon spoke to me from her smart studios at the Business and Technical Park in Rainham Road South. For those of you who are old enough to remember that’s the old Rhone-Poulenc site – or if you’re even older like me May and Baker’s! Borthwick Casting is a talent agency for children and supporting artists and Borthwick Performing Arts trains young people in all the theatre disciplines. The studios are smart and airy and Sharon’s office is beautifully decorated with the headshots of all the … Read the rest »

One Month Today!!!

Posted on July 21, 2020 by Elaine Spires

Woo hoo! Just one month to go! Thirty-one short, passing-very-fast days away. How exciting!

What?

“A month to go until what?” I hear you asking.

You mean you haven’t heard?

The Banjo Book Two is out on Kindle on 21st August. And you can pre-order your copy on this link:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Banjo-Book-Two-Elaine-Spires-ebook/dp/B08CDVT7BQ/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=The+Banjo+Book+Two&qid=1595322154&s=digital-text&sr=1-1

And I am very happy about that, I can tell you. After taking four years to write the sequel to The Banjo Book One – it was supposed to only take eighteen months but life got in the way – will finally be available.

Please look for news of … Read the rest »

Dagenham People

Posted on December 29, 2019 by Elaine Spires

There’s been a bit of a flurry in sales of The Banjo lately. This was helped by the talk I gave at Dagenham Library on 6th December – and greatly enjoyed! – followed by a posting on the Memories of Dagenham Facebook Page by someone who’d got a copy for Christmas. Long story short – a rise in sales of Kindle copies and also paperbacks.

Now, as I’ve mentioned before, I encountered huge difficulties in trying to sell paperback copies of my books through Amazon. We now think it’s because I work from an iPad and it distorts the cover … Read the rest »

Paperback Writer!

Posted on June 14, 2019 by Elaine Spires

Good morning! I am trying to stay upbeat and positive today in spite of the weather. Now, oddly for someone who’s lived so much of her life in hot climates, I don’t like very hot weather. But I’m getting a bit tired of putting the heating on in the second week of June! But the house has felt so damp and cool the last few nights that I’ve had no option. I’ve been doing the hokey cokey with the washing. It’s been in – out – in – out because of the sudden downpours and so shaken all about with … Read the rest »

Toasting With Lemsip

Posted on January 1, 2018 by Elaine Spires

Happy New Year!

Goodness me, it’s been a while since I put fingertips to keyboard and posted something for you. Sincere apologies! But there are two fundamental reasons for my extended silence.

The first, it’s all been bad news really and nobody wants to read about other people’s problems; most have enough with their own without having to listen to mine. 2017 was a tough old year – three hurricanes, the sale of Avocado Cottage falling through four times, banging my head against a brick wall against so many people and things in both Antigua and UK, finding myself with … Read the rest »

Ev’ry Little Ting

Posted on February 4, 2017 by Elaine Spires

It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster week; certainly one that’s sped by. I mean, how can today be 4th February 2017? What happened to January? And Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday?

I psyched myself up for my dentist’s visit on Wednesday morning but I needn’t have worried. I didn’t feel a thing and recovered amazingly well – no bleeding, no pain once the anaesthetic wore off, no need to take any painkillers. Magic! And I know that this speedy recovery is down to my little yellow pills. 🙂

I’m suffering with severe writer’s block. It’s not been … Read the rest »

My Inner Fanny Craddock

Posted on January 13, 2017 by Elaine Spires

A couple of days ago I took the decision to cook as many of my meals as possible from scratch, thus avoiding additives, nasty chemicals and hidden sugar. I have to say, I’m really enjoying the planning, shopping, chopping, peeling and other prep, and not least of all, the eating! I’m following recipes by the wonderful Eat2Win website and have so far made avocado eggs, overnight oats and lime and coriander chicken with 50-50 mash (and have portions of it in the freezer, too). Want to see?
Overnight Oats. Avocadoeggs and Lime and Coriander Chicken with 50-50 Mash Overnight Oats.

They all tasted much better than they looked. Delicious!! Tomorrow I’m … Read the rest »

Hello, Australia! Hello, World!

Posted on December 6, 2016 by Elaine Spires

What a brilliant surprise earlier today…… A lovely lady – SB – contacted me after seeing my I Feel GOOD post – all the way from…….Australia!! Isn’t it amazing? I’m sitting in Avocado Cottage, Antigua, West Indies, posting a blog about my wonderful Little Yellow Pills and how much good they’re doing me and she’s reading all about it more than eleven thousand miles away! The wonders of technology never fail to amaze me. And I’m delighted she wants to deal with her oxidative stress and get really well again. Oxidative stress is the cause of more than two hundred … Read the rest »

The Journal of Elaine Spires

Novelist, playwright and actress

Tag Archives: The Banjo (Book Two)