Back to school, my darlings!

Today I have sister Wild Rose Press author, the very British Rachel Brimble on my blog. Welcome to the south, Rachel.

Hi Lilly,

Until this last school holiday I always thought I was pretty good at time management…but how very wrong I was! Oh, lordy, lordy! Six long weeks of barely typing a word and when I did, it wasn’t very good – not a great recipe for producing something polished enough to submit to my agent come the Autumn.

I’m mum to two young daughters of thirteen and eleven – the age where I stupidly assumed they would be out with their friends playing in the sunshine. Remember when we did that? Yes? Well, as other writer mums out there reading this undoubtedly already know, such nonsense is laughable. I soon discovered kids don’t need to go out with friends when they have virtual ones all over the internet and TV, arrghh!!

Alas, the holidays are over and my little darlings are back to school so I am feverishly writing once more, hoping to finish a novella and another novel by the time they break up for Christmas…she says. The interruptions were mammoth this summer. The moaning and fighting worse than ever or maybe it was just my own frustration and naïve expectations that caused me to drink far too much wine and break out in hives.

Anyway, onwards and upwards! We are into September now and don’t have to think about the summer holidays again for another ten months….but of course, Christmas is just around the corner! ;)

Rachel’s latest release is “Love’s Debt”, available now from The Wild Rose Press.

Here’s the blurb & excerpt:

To keep herself from the depths of poverty, Milly Shepherd needs to be appointed manager of the Red Lion Tavern.  The elderly owner is in failing health and has promised her the job permanently if no one more suitable applies.  Milly will fight with her entire being to make the job her own.

Joseph Jacobs needs to supplement his income to pay off his father’s creditors and save him from debtor’s prison.  Though the job as manager of the local tavern looks promising, Milly is favored by both the owner and customers.  Instead, Joseph swallows his pride and agrees to tend bar.

As they work together, their attraction grows, their goals cross, and both Millie and Joseph find they must face their fears …the question is whether they face them alone or together?

Excerpt:

Joseph Jacobs closed the tavern door behind him and paused a moment to take in his surroundings. As a man used to looking over his shoulder and sensing trouble, experience taught him to be aware of others before they became aware of you. He narrowed his gaze. The meager number of patrons at the tables surprised him at an hour when he expected the bar to be fairly busy. He glanced at the clock; maybe it wasn’t time for the workers yet. He shifted his gaze to the woman standing beneath the clock and his heart kicked. Her green-gold eyes held him where he stood. She stared and Joseph swallowed, willing some words to come forth from his frozen tongue or at least a smile to curve his paralyzed lips.
She lifted her eyebrows and slowly pulled a cloth from her shoulders. Her hair was a mass of fire-tipped curls around her oval face, her skin creamy-white and her parted lips, a soft delicate pink. Joseph cleared his throat and belatedly removed his hat. “Good evening, miss.”
Her smile slipped easily into place. “Good evening to you, sir.” Her voice was smooth, clear and full of confidence. “Are you looking to quench your thirst or just planning on soaking up the atmosphere?”
Joseph inhaled a long breath through flared nostrils as if trying to smell her. Something told him she’d smell of lavender…or maybe musk. Something to throw a man off guard, to lower his defenses.   He stepped forward. “Neither. I am looking for the landlord. Would you happen to know if he’s available?” Her gaze lingered on his a moment longer before she looked to the four glasses at the table beside her. She grasped them expertly between her fingers and carried them behind the bar without answering his question.   Joseph couldn’t take his gaze from the natural sway of her hips beneath the deep burgundy dress she wore, the bustle a little too prominent for the current fashion showing her lack of money to afford better. Why else would a woman with the features of an artist’s model be working in a tavern unless necessity demanded it?
Buy Link:

http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=176_138&products_id=4967

Rachel’s Links:

http://www.rachelbrimble.com/
http://rachelbrimble.blogspot.co.uk/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rachel-Brimble/181873201887441
https://twitter.com/RachelBrimble

September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

Nearly every cancer has a color and a month. Or at least, the BIG cancers do. October and the color pink represent breast cancer. September and teal belong to ovarian cancer.

Ovarian cancer is a silent killer. Sometimes, the symptoms are so subtle, women ignore them. What's a little bloating and abdominal cramping to a busy woman? And if the pap smear was normal, then there isn't a problem. Right? Wrong. Neither a routine pelvic exam nor pap smear will reveal ovarian cancer. And unless a woman is honest about all her symptoms, the doctor may not think to do an ultrasound-a test that can show ovarian cancer.

There's no chart or studies that can show if a woman is at risk for ovarian cancer. That's why it's so important for women to pay attention to their bodies. Know what's normal and what isn't. Discuss changes with your doctor, and know the warning signs and symptoms of gynecologic cancer. If you're concerned and your doctor brushes off those concerns, be aggressive. Or seek a second opinion.

If you have unusual vaginal bleeding or bleeding after intercourse, see a doctor. If you have abdominal pains and bloating that's unexplained or different that last longer than two weeks, see a doctor. These symptoms can be due to something other than cancer, but the only way to know for sure is to see a doctor and have some tests.

Check out this website for important information on ovarian cancer. And see your doctor if you're concerned.
http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/gynecologic/basic_info/symptoms.htm

If you have ovarian cancer or know someone who does, support the research. Support the fight to stomp out all cancers. Tonight, celebrities will be joining the fight to Stand Up to Cancer.

http://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/stand-up-to-cancer/379054

My local writing chapter is also raising money for the fight. Donate to Ovarian Cancer research at Duke University Medical Center and get a free book. https://www.facebook.com/notes/virginia-kantra/donate-to-ovarian-cancer-research-get-a-free-e-book/10151025989207181

But most importantly, if you are a woman and you have some or all of your female parts, make an appointment to see your doctor if you are having ANY unusual gynecologic symptoms. Don't assume it's normal if it isn't normal for you.