Vibrant Imaginative People
September 2023, Issue No.20
Your VIP Newsletter from Soulla's Writing Room
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Hello my VIP. How are you?
Summer has come, then gone, then come back again here in the UK and I am back in my summer dresses and flip flops... and it's just a bit too hot for me!
My energy levels and health dipped to an all-time low at the end of August, but I can happily say I am well and energised again after spending three whole days in bed. It was a horrible time. I was in Markyate, Bedfordshire, house-sitting in the absence of a friend who is travelling around Sri Lanka, and I couldn’t do a thing. The only consolation was being away from home because had I been at home, I know that I would have rested less, been tempted to do household chores, and probably at least doubled my recovery time.
I really do need to learn to listen to my body before it's too late. How good are you in listening to your body? What tell-tale signs do you pick up on which tell you to slow down or rest?
On the third night, after spending all day on-and off sleeping, and not eating, I really wanted to see the Full Blue Moon that everyone was getting excited about. So I wrapped up and forced myself to walk to the little supermarket under the pretext I wanted chocolate! Alan can never say no to me... so off we went.
The moon couldn't be seen anywhere and I felt so disappointed. I stuffed the three chocolate bars into Alan's jacket pocket (I was wearing it over my summer dress!) and walked out of the shop. As I looked up, straight ahead of me, high above the rooftops, the moon was looking down at me, bright and round and clear. My heart leapt with such joy.
The following day, I woke up hungry and had breakfast for the first time in three days... I didn't eat a lot but I could taste my tea! Oh, how wonderful that cup of tea was!
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A Palette of Magpies Book Release!
Doreen S., the winner of the recent competition to guess the colour of my new book cover has been in touch to tell me how happy she is to have won. She told me that on the day she guessed the colour she had woken up early and had watched the sun rise from her balcony in Portugal. ‘The yellow glow was beautiful,’ she wrote, and I just love how the dawn of a new day inspired her guess. And this brings me to my next piece of news…
My publisher has announced the pre-order link and release date for A Palette of Magpies and I am thrilled. I am excited. I am nervous (every author will tell you how nerve wracking it is to be releasing a new book, it doesn’t matter how many times you’ve done it already)
So, please mark 28th October, 2023 in your diaries and please place your orders here.
I am so in love with my book cover and hope you are as excited about reading it as I have been writing it. The idea began back in 2020, during the weeks of the first lockdown and I signed up to a Curtis Brown Creative writing prompt course. The postcards landing on the mat evolved directly from a line given in one of the weekly prompt emails. Truly happy that something so beautiful came out of that dark time... I know how many people struggled to be inspired to create during that time when the world seemed to stop.
BOOK BLURB (UNCUT):
Life’s lessons bring a community together heralding change, acceptance and forgiveness on the journey to happiness.
When Judith, a retired art teacher, returns to her childhood home in the Cotswolds, her twilight years claustrophobically loom monotonously in front of her.
Out of the blue postcards of magpies land on Judith’s doormat, each hand-painted image, in turn, portraying a line from the well-remembered magpie nursery rhyme. And so, a little apprehensively, she is carried on a journey of rediscovery, unlikely connections, and renewed hope. Maybe the village is not so sleepy after all. And with her closest friend, Louise, encouraging her to pick up her art, and life again, she is enticed out of the doldrums of retirement.
Nudged by the arrival of each postcard Judith reconnects with her inner compassion interprets them as a sign to seek out those in the village who most need her help and, to face her past. She builds new friendships and discovers, with a bubbling excitement, passion and purpose and relaxes into her new role as an unlikely confidant to many. Her retirement, she realises, isn’t the end but the start of something new.
But who is sending the cards and when will they reveal themselves, if at all, and when she strikes up a romance with a long-forgotten school friend will she too, at last, find happiness. Afterall, that’s what we all want in life, isn’t it?
Relax into a world of laughter, romance, unexpected friendships and a host of life’s highs and lows along the way.
I hope you love it!
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Do you have time to read my next draft?
With the third book in my three-book signing complete after countless rounds of editing and rewrites I am asking for five people who love reading to be a beta reader for The Magic of Miramare.
The book is set in the beautiful island of Kefalonia and follows three women, Stella, Eliana and Melody, as they befriend each other and relax into their holiday. They navigate what love really means and how it shows up in their relationships. They discuss their own experiences, sharing confidences and working out what they should each do to be happy in love.
With beautiful scenery, sea on one side and mountains on the other, blue skies Greek festivals full of music, and the magic of Miramare at play, what will they each decide? And how does Prodromos, the kind hotel-owner, play a part in their story.
Can the Magic of Miramare help them? Is love always the answer?
If you would like to join my beta-reader team please let me know. Ideally I would like your feedback 9I will expand on this in an email) by the end of September/beginning of October, 2023.
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Spanish Towns and Beautiful Places
The Mediterranean cruise was a lot of fun though not as relaxing as I had hoped. We seemed to spend a lot of time checking and rushing about which was exhausting in the tail-end heat of the French and Spanish heatwave in July and August. I can't cope with the heat like I used to and ordinarily would not have chosen to be away at this time of year but having to accommodate twelve family members restricted our choices.
Having said that, I focused on the positives and there were a lot!
The ship was stunning, all gleaming chrome and beautiful decor with a huge choice of dining and wonderful entertainment. It was quite incredible how such a huge vessel, with 18 decks, could float!
I absolutely loved the Spanish towns and resorts we visited, and I would love to go back and explore more freely – the buildings, the food, the beautiful palm trees, and endless blue skies were absolutely incredible. We visited some amazing places, and my highlights include:
La Coruna: St James’ Festival Day and a walk up to the oldest lighthouse.
Valencia: The Silk Exchange World Heritage Site (which I absolutely loved with its pretty courtyard garden and unimposing atmosphere of the building despite its incredibly intricate design) and a wander around Valencia Cathedral where I saw the Holy Grail.
Marseille, Cassis: The best day with lots of walking off the beaten path with Alan, I did some writing, I dipped my toes in the crystal-clear waters, and we ate an ice cream as fast as we could racing against the sun melting it over our fingers.
Seville, Cadiz: Walked to the top of the Cathedral 18th C El Nueva, the vistas across the town from the open viewpoints were stunning, and we visited an ancient amphitheatre site and bought some beautiful Moroccan pottery.
All in all, I made lots of memories! Would I cruise again? I don't think so... I love the freedom to wander and explore, to let time pass by without having to worry about being somewhere at a certain time... but some aspects were stunning and I will always treasure being with my family, and especially my mum and dad.
How was your summer? Did you get away or are you planning a holiday later in the year?
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VIP Member Spotlight
I was stumped with who or what to feature as my VIP Member Spotlight and then my friend said to me, ‘Why don’t you do your own business? You work so hard helping other writers, you deserve the spot.’ So here I am, Soulla Christodoulou, Owner of Writing for Life.
So, for those of you who might need a nudge or a little helping hand in either starting or finishing your writing project, whatever it may be, I am here to help you. From a Masterclass Programme to a Writing Mentorship Support Programme, to one-off sessions to full developmental editing, I can help you.
Nothing speaks quite as loudly as the client testimonials I have received over the years from those writers I have worked with, many of whom are still clients, and have become friends too, as we work on new ideas and projects together.
Have you always wanted to write? Do you have an idea but not sure where or how to begin? Perhaps you have a few hundred words and are doubting whether you have enough to make a great story. Wherever you’re at, give me a call, message me, email me. All it takes is the first step and you could be writing the industry’s next best seller. Let's talk!
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It's a beautiful day...
and my mum is coming over for a natter later... blessed to have her in my life and I hope that you're doing something special today as the sun shines down on us all. Stay hydrated and cool or if you're on the other side of the world hope you're keeping warm.
Let me know what you're up to. Let me know how you are and I will be in touch again in October!
With lots of love and more sunny days,
Soulla xxx
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