Vibrant Imaginative People

December 2021, Issue No. 5

Your VIP Newsletter from Soulla's Writing Room

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Hello my VIP

I hope you're well and looking forward to the holidays and festive celebrations.

Things have been progressing on the book-news front and I can happily share that I’ve completed a fourth round of edits and rewrites on The Village House.

I’m one step closer to passing the manuscript on to my beta readers.

And for those of you who might not know what a beta reader is: a beta reader is someone who reads the story from start to finish, prior to the story being sent out to publishers. This is an important part of the writing to publishing journey. It highlights any aspect which doesn’t quite read or sit right with the reader or within the story, as well as any glaring spelling mistakes, plot holes or anomalies.

Once feedback is received from my beta readers, I read through and analyse the comments and action those which I deem justifiable, and a final round of edits follows before I send the story to my publisher and the editing team there.

Being a beta reader is a great honour and it means you get to read the book before anyone else. Your name will be included in the acknowledgements section of the book as a thank you for your time.

So to show my gratitude to you for being a part of my VIP community here I’d like to offer three of you a beta reader draft of The Village House in February 2022. So if you’d like to read an advance manuscript, please let me know. 

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Happiness is all around

I've been thinking a lot about happiness recently and what it means to be happy so jumped at the chance of visiting the On Happiness Exhibition at The Wellcome Collection in Euston, London.

If you get a chance to get there it’s well worth a visit. I browsed the two parts of the exhibition  ̶  Joy and Tranquillity  ̶  with my sister and my cousin who was visiting from New York. One of my favourite parts in Joy was the exhibit from Octavia Butler who shared her view on writing and which resonated with me deeply.

In my writing I always endeavour to connect with my readers on a level which they can relate and will keep the themes of the story in their minds for a long time: love, relationships, life, lies, truth, passion, courage, pain, hope and always happiness.

What stands out for you after reading one of my books?

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Be Big, Buy Small

This Christmas (and all year long to be honest) I like to support those of you who are running your own businesses – artists, writers, bakers, knitters, entrepreneurs of all shapes and sizes and so I urge you to think about buying local whenever you can and be big, buy small.

I took part in our Winter Fair organised by my local community last weekend which created a beautiful festive vibe along our high street and attracted a lot of attention.

Meeting new people in my area was a lot of fun and it’s amazing to see and feel their enthusiasm. Honestly, their support makes all the difference to me. We created a festive story board together and talked books and education, writing and all things Finchley Central past, present and future. I am blessed to live in a place which prides itself on the spirit of community and working together to make tomorrow better for everyone.

What makes where you live special?

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Authorpreneurs need love too

Don’t forget that most writers are self-published which means they rely on you to buy their books and spread the word; they don’t have a big publisher pushing their books for them.

This is how you can help ̶

·        post pictures of their books,

·        add reviews to online sites like Amazon and Goodreads,

·        tell your friends about the book,

·        share your favourite line from the book on your posts

·        message the author,

·        repost the author’s posts across social media,

·        buy the book as a gift for family and friends

·        ask for the book in your library

Honestly, I am always so happy when I see one of my books being pushed by you. I actually do whoop with joy and do a little happy dance.

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Christmas and Holiday Vibes

I finally put up and decorated my tree last weekend and my little Eleni helped me. She’s just old enough to get excited and she loved playing with the strings of beads and dancing around with them. The cutest ever!

We always have a real tree and the smell of pine not only brings that Christmassy feel to my home but it also reminds me of the beautiful Troodos Mountains in Cyprus which at this time of year are covered in snow.

What smells do you like at Christmas and where do they take you? I’d love to hear your stories.

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VIP Member Spotlight

And this brings me nicely to this month’s VIP Member Spotlight which, for many of us, myself included, will feel like it’s coming at the right time as 2021 ends and we look to the new year with renewed hope, big plans and armed with new year's resolutions.

One Life Coaching is Vicki Powell's business; inspirational, supportive and understanding of the challenges which we, as women, face on a daily basis.

“I came across coaching at a point in my life where I was tired, burnt out and just been diagnosed with a chronic health condition. Coaching really helped me get back in touch with who I am and understand what I need to live a fulfilled life (time with friends and family, a good coffee and dog walks if you wondered!!). Coaching always focuses on what the person wants to bring to a session and as qualified coach I love working with women who have a real zest for life and want to explore how to help them choose and live the best life that they can.

This can be through exploring how to live a life where you understand and align with your own values and strengths, reconnect with yourself, stop listening to that ‘inner critic’ and learn to strengthen and listen to your own inner voice. In sessions I provide a safe and confidential space to explore the beliefs and barriers that could hinder you, and then search for the options available for moving forward.

I am passionate about supporting women and write a newsletter with tips and thoughts on how coaching can help us all to navigate life. You can sign up via my website https://onelifecoaching.co/ or you can also contact me via the website.

I also work for the NHS as an Occupational Therapist and in the New Year plan to merge my love of both roles to run a group coaching course to help women who are struggling to manage their energy and fatigue levels to respond to the pressures of daily life.

If any of this resonates with you, do contact me, I would love to chat and see if I can help you.”

Wishing you a peaceful Christmas,

With love, Vicki

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UNTIL NEXT TIME

So that brings our catch up to an end and 2021 almost to a close. Thank you so much for reading, for inspiring me and for sharing with your friends. You have all been wonderfully supportive and I couldn't have done so much, including this newsletter, without you.

Please drop me a line, message me, text me... I really do get a tremendous amount of joy hearing from you... and if you'd like to be on the VIP Member Spotlight let me know.

Stay safe, stay well and stay in contact.

Happy Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and your families and I wish you well and continued joy, good health and much success in 2022.

Can't wait to see what 2022 brings!

With much love always

Jingle bells and mince pies!

Soulla xxx

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