Costa Women Blogs

You may have heard talk recently of a new “video interview” trend, we are calling Handbags and Shoes. (it’s a long story how we got that title so you will just have to watch all the videos from the beginning!) The technology to create these live, recordable, video chats was launched by the teams at Google and YouTube back in November 2012, but it’s only in the last 5 months that they have become more user friendly and reached the boundaries of us “social media curtain-twitchers” (me and Ali) Never afraid to take on a challenge, or rather too nosy to miss out, on 18th February 2014 Ali and I trialed the idea of a Costa Women Google+ Hangout On Air, before looking for willing volunteers.  The first few, as you will see, are a little on the home-made style as we get to grips with the technology, but now we are rocking it BIG TIME 🙂 “Handbags and Shoes” are a perfect medium to share information about yourself and your aspirations in a friendly way, for all to see. We try to keep them short, around 15 minutes, but as you will see we can get carried away! They are broadcast live on Google+ and also saved on YouTube for later viewing. If you would like to take part on a one-to-one basis or as group topic, please get in touch with me via email: fiona@fionacatchpowle.com The full back-catalgoue of Handbags can viewed on my Youtube channel here https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTEptizcnqsjykytEKLm-Bw (please click subscribe to get updates when new Hangouts are posted) If you would like to know a little more in general about Google+ Hangouts On Air and how to get set-up for the broadcast check out the blog on my website http://fionacatchpowle.com/beginners-guide-hoa-guest

How can a cancer that was spreading and needed urgent surgery simply disappear within four weeks without ANY conventional treatment? In early 2006 I was diagnosed with cancer of the endometrium (womb). It was a like a bolt out of the blue. The doctors scheduled me for surgery at the end of the month and told me that if I followed their recommendations for conventional treatment which was total hysterectomy and lymphadenectomy I would stand a good chance of living at least five years! Fortunately for me, having practiced and trained people in clinical hypnosis, NLP, Time Line Therapy™ and energy healing- including cancer counselling for many years; I was able to manage to keep reasonably calm so that I could think clearly. I raised my concerns and many questions  with my medical advisers, but their answers and my own research into the treatments recommended only raised more concerns. I decided to live a lot more than five years and chose to treat myself. I felt that anything I could do to heal myself had to be far more beneficial to me than the treatment I was under such pressure to have. Besides, for years I have been telling my clients and participants at my workshops & retreats that we can change anything we want by taking full responsibility for the outcome including our health and healing. I was called upon to act on what I have been teaching for years. I received letters every month from the hospital stating that my life was at risk if I fail to succumb to the conventional treatment. They even arranged a meeting with the leading consultant to talk me into having the treatment. He too was unable to provide any reasonable answers to my questions. I told the doctors that I was going to treat and heal myself and their response was that they did not know of anyone who had ever done that and that I was risking my life. At the time I did not have a clue as to what or how I could do to heal myself; but I just believed and was certain I would. That became my mission from then on. It was my life that was at stake. I set about addressing the issue of cancer at all levels of my being- the mind, the body and the spirit and not just the body. I chose not to tell my family, especially my son who is also my best friend. I needed to focus all my attention on my healing and could not afford having also to deal with fear, sadness it would cause my loved ones. To make matters worse my mortgage lender reduced the period of my mortgage from seventeen years to five years as they considered I was a risk thereby increasing and making my monthly repayments sky high. I had stopped working months before as I was unwell, so that was another challenge I had to contend with. I had to dig up even deeper for strength to stay focus on my healing. I applied several processes including self-hypnosis, guided imagery various healing process and a lot of NLP (Neuro Linguistics) as well as doing a lot of Chi-lel qigong,   dietary changes and lots and lots of prqyers. Gradually one by one my symptoms began to weaken and disappear. In late September 2006 my son found one of the letters sent by the hospital reminding me that I would die without the treatment and that I should not ignore the letter. My son persuaded me to see an independent expert. I was convinced that the cancer had receded because the symptoms had all stopped. However, following extensive tests the specialist informed me that the cancer was not only present but had spread and that I needed urgent treatment and referred me back to the hospital immediately. Within four weeks of the second diagnosis, I had major surgery – a total hysterectomy and lymphadenectomy. I was told that that the biopsies of the matter removed would indicate what chemotherapy/radiotherapy I was going to need despite my refusal to have them.  Although I was to start drug treatment the following week I heard absolutely nothing from the hospital, medical advisers or my own doctor for more than three weeks. At my insistence they finally saw me and told me that they had tested the matter surgically removed (including sixteen lymph nodes removed as a precaution) over and over again and had compared with the previous test results but they failed to find ANY RESIDUE OF CANCER! Can a cancer that was spreading and needed urgent attention simply disappear within four weeks without ANY conventional treatment? No one was more amazed than I was at the news. I was unable to speak or ask any questions at the time. The reason for this was the fact that in my healing programme I had included a guided visualization of my final outcome; which was that the consultant telling me that I was free from cancer. Therefore, at the time I was not sure whether I was relating to the programme or if I had actually heard the doctor telling me that they could not find any residue of cancer. Over the next couple of years I sought scientific explanations from my medical experts as to why the cancer had disappeared and I was treated in a dismissive way. I was told that surgery was the cure! The doctors could not explain to me why the matter surgically removed by them failed to indicate any residue of cancer without being treated with so much as an Asprin by them! As for his reply, I am still waiting… This was my motivation to document my experience in my book: Why Did The Cancer Disappear? My intention of sharing my experience both in the book and with you all is to raise awareness of taking responsibility for our health and well being, in preventing illness and fully participating in our treatment if we should fall ill. Most of us simply give in due to shock of hearing the news and put ourselves entirely at the mercy of our doctors. The temptation to just resign your self to it is very strong (and I should know) but refuse to give in to fear and chose to live and address any issues at all levels mind-body-spirit. We are whole beings, not just a body and should be treated as whole. Ultimately the responsibility for our healing is ours with or without help from others. With hindsight, the cancer was a gift from which I learned so much about myself. I was compelled to look at deeply embedded issues that I had not resolved either because I was unaware of them or were too painful to address them, but I have already decided to learn what I need to learn without the need to create an illness to do so. Another important lesson for me was, I can now appreciate what my clients with cancer must go through. My mission now is to help people prevent illness and promote health and well being and my workshops are designed to offer you the life tools, strategies and the knowledge to do just that. I welcome you to visit my website: www.dynamic-perceptions.com for details of workshops and retreats I run in Marbella and Nerja Marion Dias BSc (Honours) Clinical Hypnosis Master Practitioner & Certified Trainer NLP, Hypnosis and Time Line Therapy™ Energy Healing Author: Why Did The Cancer Disappear Available from Amazon.  Paperback ISBN: 978-0-9571835-0-6 Kindle E-Book: 978-0-9571835-1-3

What is the 5×50 challenge?   Meet Françoise Sandrine Rajewski who talks to Fiona about 5×50 and living in Spain – watch here   If your internet speed is slow, have a read of some of Frans story too here   What is the 5×50 challenge? Meet Fran who talks to Fiona about 5×50 and living in Spain – watch herewww.youtube.com/embed/A_Mp0EYNkrE If your internet speed is slow, have a read of some of Frans story too here 1. Where are you from Fran and how did you choose where you now live in Spain?  Hi everyone, I am Fran, French native and married to a Belgian. I have lived in 5 countries (France, Poland, England, Ireland and Belgium) before decided with my better half that life could be better where the sun shines more than 30 days a year…and that’s why we made the move to Spain in June 2007. Being both Spanish-English-French speakers did influence our choice of country; not too far from family, affordable as first property buyers and definitively in the heart of nature. We had first decided to buy a property to reform and operate as a rural gastro B&B but soon changed our minds. In order to raise the funds we needed for this huge project, we started our translator careers and have never looked back since. Our home has become the summer property of family and friends.  Jaén is the province, surrounded by olive trees and within 10 kms of a lake, we have settled on top of a mountain, enjoying what nature has best to offer.  2. 50 x 50 – tell us more about the project and why you decided to get involved?  Having been overweight since age 6, my 20’s saw me partying a lot, dancing a lot and whilst “round”, I somewhat kept my weight in check. Then came my 30’s with a job more and more sedentary life, friends becoming more foodies and cheffies than party animals and my Frenchness took over when cheese was around.  Two years ago came the critical point where enough was enough. So I thought I’d get back in touch Dr Ian Campbell (consultant on The Biggest Loser) for whom I had been an au-pair. He sent me to a website and word of mouth led me to discover this “Move to be healthier” challenge.  More determined than ever, I joined the Nutracheck team who spotted my 5×50 core team as being in Spain. We got in touch and soon I was asked to become a 5er – motivator for 5×50 – for Andalusia. Being a translator and very much into charity work since my teens, I offered to seek out colleagues to help the challenge cross borders by being localized in different languages.  We now have a virtual team spread over 3 continents with each member setting its own challenges. In a matter of years, I went from couch potato to determined to become fitter. What I am the most proud of is when I see one person deciding too to make that life change for themselves! What a reward!  And as for the challenge, easy peasy. You commit to do every day for 50 days 5 kms, or 30 mins equivalent (swimming, jumping, horse riding, etc.). And don’t panic if you don’t, we know how life can come in the way of things. You can have a really good day and do 10 kms and have a bad day and do nothing. As long as you consider every day a new day and you do it for you! Do it at home, with friends, indoors, outdoors.  Just sign up on www.5×50.org and register to the 2014 challenge. And if you think we are the coolest team to be part of we’d welcome you with open arms in ‘5×50 Andalusia and beyond’. Check out our team on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/5x50LasSalinasand come and join the fun. This year, we will post daily yoga poses, daily healthy recipes, daily motivational quotes, events and much more.  Or follow us on @5x50Andalucia not to miss anything.  3. Which charities are you supporting and why? In 2014, we are more than happy to keep on fundraising for Cudeca (www.cudeca.org). But what is Cudeca all about?  Cudeca’s purpose is “to change the process of dying to a process of living. Although we cannot add days to life, in Cudeca we try to add quality of life to days through our “special kind of caring””. Amongst their essential values, we can note  “Excellency – taking special care of the patient who suffers from cancer or other advanced or terminal disease, and their family, always being faithful to the philosophy of palliative care.  Solidarity – engagement with social needs in the framework of the charity mission.  Respect and integrity in the relationship with people and institutions (patients, family, volunteers, suppliers, collaborators, donors, sponsors, public or private supporters, etc.) We would also like to present a new team charity Acompalia. “Why support Acompalia?” Whether expats or Spanish residents of Granada/Jaén, we’re all part of an ageing population. Over the next few years, palliative or hospice care – specialised care for terminally ill patients – is going to become an increasingly important issue for our loved ones, and eventually for many of us as well.  Research shows that:  1) Most people want the choice to die at home or in sympathetic surroundings, with their families at hand.  2) They want effective pain relief and appropriate but non-intrusive medical care.  3) Patients want their loved ones to feel supported – emotionally and practically – during and after the patient’s last days.  One important service offered is the Acompalia Telephone Helpline.  “When a loved one is diagnosed with cancer or another terminal illness, they and their family members can take comfort from talking to someone who really understands their situation. To address this need, we have now set up the Acompalia Telephone Helpline, staffed by trained and caring volunteers. Patients and families can talk through their feelings, and get the (non-medical) emotional and practical support they need at each stage. The Helpline is currently open from 10.00 am to 2.00 pm Tuesdays and Thursdays, on 634 302 225”. Why those two?  Well Mum and Dad are 3 time cancer survivors but many have not had this luck. Being a translator, I dedicate some of my time to helping expats with their medical appointments as I feel it is hard enough to be unwell, one should not have the stress to have to worry about the language barrier or the quality of the care.  By getting united with those two great charities, we just try and do our best to make a difference on the care front. But by joining 5×50 and our team, you are also more than welcome to fundraise for your own charity by having a page, co-organizing a sporting event, having a stall at a market, setting up a tombola, etc. 4. How can we find out more and get involved?  So dust out those trainers, shame your friend into joining you but above all sign in onwww.5×50.org and register to the 2014 challenge. And if you think we are the coolest team to be part of, we’ll welcome you with open arms in 5×50 Andalusia and beyond. Check out our team on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/5x50LasSalinas and come and join the fun.  This year, we will post daily yoga poses, daily healthy recipes, daily motivational quotes, events and much more. Or follow us on @5x50Andalucia not to miss anything. Challenge starts on March 30th and runs till May 19th, so what are you waiting for?

Good morning Paul, welcome to Authors’ Corner. Thank you for the invitation, Joan.You have a lot of successful novels, a collection of poetry, screen plays and film scripts to your credit.  Why and when did you decide to become a writer?I believe many of us are shaped as writers as we grow up. Work, and the environment in which we live, probably help define why we all become writers of some kind. I’ve written poetry since my early teens but moved into writing novels in 1994 when I finished 6 years of study with the Open University. One Sunday morning I woke up with no assignment to work on as I’d finally accomplished my degree. My wife suggested I should start work on the novel I’d been threatening to write all my life. So, like the down-trodden disciplined husband I am, I complied and sat down to write ‘The Fragile Peace’. It was published two years later and I’ve been scribing away ever since.  I see that you used to be a detective with the Cumbria Police Department.  In BELL, BOOK & CANDLE is the detective, Boyd, based on your personal experiences?I was a police officer for 33 years.  I began walking the beat before becoming a police motor cyclist and then a motorway patrol officer in the Lake District. Eventually I moved into the finer arts of criminal investigation at local level and began climbing the career ladder. As time went by I worked with a regional perspective in mind before specialising in counter espionage and counter terrorism at the national and international level. I was always a Cumbrian officer but I worked with numerous police forces and agencies including the Metropolitan police anti-terrorist branch, the Security Service, and others. My stories are not based on true personal experiences as I am still subject to the Official Secrets Act and I am very well aware of the often fine line between truth and fiction. I’m afraid I have no secrets to divulge in the fiction that I write so the spies out there are going to be awfully disappointed. That said, when a doctor or surgeon writes a medical thriller they might use their background and knowledge to populate their story. Similarly, when a lawyer, barrister, teacher or scientist writes fiction then they too often use their experiences and professional knowledge to give authenticity to a tale. It’s completely correct to state that I use my background to give credence to the stories I write and you will find that is quite common amongst writers of my ilk. Does this same detective reappear in other books?  Or do you invent a new detective for each story? The Boyd series is a stand-alone quadrilogy about a detective based in Cumbria who joins the police as a young man and works his way into the nation’s Special Crime Unit. Here, he works with various intelligence agencies and counter terrorist organisations.  Boyd doesn’t always win – he’s a realist – but followers of the series will also be familiar with Boyd’s wife (Meg) and his elderly boss (Commander Herbert). The books are not just about a lone stereotypical male detective who always wins. They also bring to bear his second in command, Anthea, and an MI5 officer of equal standing called Antonia, as well as an ever-changing group of characters that populate the stories. So, the main characters are omnipresent, the supporting characters are constantly evolving, and each tale has a totally different background. The series is defined more adequately on my blogsite at http://paulanthonys.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/the-boyd-series.html But I also feature a trilogy – soon to be a quadrilogy – about a south coast detective called Davies King. Davies works between Southampton and Brighton from a place called Crillsea. He is head of detectives in the area. A widower, Davies is also a chess-master who shuns his office and runs his police operation from the Anchor pub down at the harbor.  He runs a network of criminal informants and professional contacts that range from the head of MI6, to the head of the Flying Squad via a market trader who has a finger in every pie ever baked. Again, the main character – Davies King – is surrounded by a selection of interesting characters. His best friends include a bomb disposal officer, a time-served detective from the RUC, and a female detective inspector, the chief constable, an elderly female administration officer, and a bunch of locals in the Anchor – some of whom have dubious backgrounds. Davies flies by the seat of his pants and gets involved in all manner of occurrences – from plain and simple murder to attacks on the nation’s infrastructure to international chases involving megalomaniacs. This series is much newer than the Boyd series and represents my current workload. I’d class this series as ‘thrillers’. The series is explained here.http://paulanthonys.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/the-davies-king-series.html How would you categorise your books – crime fiction or thrillers? That’s probably one of the best questions I’ve been asked over the years. Your unspoken observations are spot on. I certainly don’t write ‘True Crime’ for reasons previously explained – and the fact that the administration of justice, practice, procedure and technology relative to ‘criminal investigation’ changes so often that it makes ‘True Crime’ a difficult genre to constantly master if you are planning to write multiple novels in that area.  Neither do I write ‘crime fiction’ in the strict genre of ‘murder/mystery’. I’ve been described on a number of occasions as a ‘multi genre’ writer in that I blend a mixture of history, crime, and adventure – sometimes a twist of romance – into the same work to deliver something unique to the reader. I would argue that much of my police work involved delving into the history of events. Murders usually involve a personal history of some kind. Terrorism and espionage have historic bases that can be quite complex and deeply rooted. For me, the most important part of the work is the characters and the relationships between them. They make the plot work. All I do is provide a unique realistic background to each book. I’d probably suggest my novels are more ‘thriller’ than ‘crime fiction’ and would plump for ‘crime thriller’ if I really had to choose a genre slot. A lot of your work has a historical background.  Which appeals to you most, writing about history or writing detective fiction?I enjoy reading and researching history but take much more enjoyment from crafting and writing fiction. Tell us about your working day?  Does your schedule vary when you are writing or do you keep to a strict routine?I don’t really have a schedule as far as writing goes. For example, I usually have a mug of coffee in the morning when I’m promoting my work on social media. Then I do the same again in the afternoon or early evening. I have accounts across multiple social media platforms and websites and tend to service them on a regular basis for between one and two hours a day depending on the day of the week and what else is going on in my life.  Two days a week I don’t use social media at all. I write something every day – usually an article, poem or short story for one of my website partners (it’s part of my promotional activity) but when I’m writing a book or script I go into lockdown. By that I mean I write for as long as it takes – whatever it takes. I often write well into the night but my main writing is always done whilst on holiday. Beside the pool you’ll find me crafting stories, creating, destroying, recreating, carving out characters and describing their various traits as we build the story around them. The work is completed when we return to England. I’m very lucky in that my wife is an avid reader across many different genres and an editor of substantial experience. She is my sounding board but I also have two other editors who dissect the work for me. If the plot doesn’t work, we don’t use it. This philosophy works for me and proves the team. You are obviously a very active blogger, Paul – does the time spent on social networking detract from your time to write?I particularly use twitter, linkedin and facebook to promote my work every day and regularly service other social media accounts across the internet. I write articles for broowaha and the linkedin pulse magazine, as well as a few more online sites. I’ll also occasionally deliver a blog about a specific subject that interests me and I enjoy hosting other authors on my site just like you do. Delivering such writing achieves two things – one, it keeps my mind and writing skills honed, and two, it allows those reading my work to decide whether or not they are interested in the content and whether they might try one of my books. I believe in using my writing abilities to promote myself as a writer and author so I don’t really have a problem with working on social media. For me, it’s part of the writing challenge. I enjoy facebook particularly because it works very well for me and I can mix business with pleasure. Indeed, I decided long ago to be a truly independent publisher and author so I write when it suits me and market in a manner I enjoy. Securing a work-life balance is important even in retirement.In the present climate, an author has to spend as much time marketing their books as writing them.  It sounds as though you have found a balance that works for you.I use my writing style and abilities as a promotional marketing tool by writing across multiple social media platforms and websites. I don’t have a problem with either element. Over the years I’ve noticed how numerous sites have moved from being ‘book recommendation’ sites to ‘event notification’ sites. I’ve retired from many such groups because they no longer function correctly for semi-professional committed writers like myself and are more useful for those seeking short term marketing opportunities. It is far too easy to get bogged down in such groups and forget what your real objective is. A long term commitment – over many years – relative to writing and consistent marketing is my preferred and proven strategy.   Which particular marketing tools have you found the most useful for your books? I’ve tried many website providers over the years but prefer ‘blogger’. It’s easy to use and allows me to share my work with numerous other social media platforms – and the work of all my fellow authors on the site – to a wide audience that enjoys reading.  Being able to ‘share’ content with multiple social media sites in an efficient and speedy manner is crucial in marketing in the digital age.What are you working on at the moment? I crafted and plotted ‘Breakwater’ at the end of last year. I bedded it down as is my usual practice – for a couple of months – and will very shortly bring it out of mothballs, dust it down, and write it from start to finish with a fresh mind before handing it to my editors. The work is #4 in the Davies King series and is set on the south coast of England. Ironically, the work begins near Barcelona in Spain just before the Second World War and unravels through time before exploding into a murder or two on the desk of Davies King – and there’s quite a bit of mysterious political intrigue in this one. I enjoyed crafting it and developing the plot but I shall shortly treat myself by writing it properly. So where can readers find out more about you and your books, Paul?  My blogsite and a list of my books can be found at http://paulanthonys.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/the-paul-anthony-book-shop.html I’m on twitter @paulanthonyspen and on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/PaulAnthonysPen  I can see that you are a very busy man, Paul, so thank you very much for taking time out to talk to us.  I’m sure there are many fans eagerly waiting for the publication of the latest Davies King novel.  Good luck with it.

OK EVERYONE….. this is something that everyone can join in and have some fun raising money for Positively Pink and Positively Blue  Please share this poster as much as you can…..  There are rules to adhere to but they are fun………..…… 1. FIVE EUROS per person walking payable at registration 2. Anyone NOT wearing PINK or BLUE will pay a forfeit of ONE EURO 3. Anyone NOT wearing suitable shoes will pay a forfeit of ONE EURO (as decided by the registration marshalls) 4. Anyone walking on their OWN will pay a forfeit of ONE EURO – please bring as many friends with you as you can 5. Anyone walking with a dog will pay a forfeit of ONE EURO6. Anyone walking with a pushchair will pay a forfeit of ONE EURO **Individual and team photos will be available at a cost of ONE EURO – these will be emailed to you after the walk **Water stations will be available at various refuelling points around the course **Maps of the route will be provided at registration **This is a PAY TO WALK for charity so no prizes for winners or losers – its just for fun for a fab cause… **There WILL BE a PRIZE for the BEST DRESSED on the day – this will be decided by the Positively Pink representatives at registration ** See you on the 19th

AUTHORS’ CORNER talks to best selling historical novelist Ann Victoria Roberts Good morning Ann.  Welcome to Authors’ Corner.  You’ve been a successful novelist for many years now, tell us how you came to become a writer.At the moment I’m completing a memoir, Life & Luck, which answers this question in full. But briefly, as a teenager I discovered a family diary written in 1916 by a young Australian soldier. I was so caught up by the detail – and the tragedy of his death a year later – I went home and immediately started my first attempt at research into WW1. I also started writing a story about him – all this while I should have been studying for exams!  It was never finished, but twenty years later, when I was married with children and my husband was away at sea, I started writing and researching in earnest. My original idea was diverted by details of the soldier’s background, and it eventually became two novels – Louisa Elliott, his mother’s story set in 1890s York, and Liam’s Story, which takes up the Elliott saga in modern times, while the past comes to life through old photos, letters, and a diary…  A recent reviewer describes the book as, ‘a contemporary love story wrapped around an historical novel’ – such an apt phrase, I wish I’d thought of it!What is it about writing historical fiction that you enjoy most?History has always fascinated me – as a child I spent a lot of time in York, where history stands on every street corner, and even road-works become archaeological digs. My reading matter then was largely classic fiction, so you might say I was absorbing history without being aware of it. Nowadays I enjoy discovering what was going on in the world at the time, and how it might impact on my characters and the plot I’m constructing. I feel comfortable ‘in the past’, and my writing style is quite formal, so historical fiction suits me best. I see that some of your characters are real people – the master of the Titanic for example.  Does that present any problems when you insert them into a work of fiction?Well, you do need to be sure of your facts. Having started out with real people – my forebears – I found that facts form a skeleton, around which the novelist can build the flesh of possibility. But their lives – and the facts – must be respected. The public figures I’ve written about – Captain EJ Smith in The Master’s Tale, and Bram Stoker in Moon Rising – are fascinating people simply because not a great deal is known about them. Researching their lives was a lengthy process – but I like to think that in reconstructing real events in fiction – and interpreting their actions – I’ve cast a revealing light on them as human beings. I notice on Facebook that you are republishing some of your books as ebooks.  How has this worked out? My first two novels are now available as ebooks and will be in print again this year. As I’m now my own publisher, everything is down to me – and I must say it’s far harder work than simply being a writer! The ebooks are selling steadily, and making Liam’s Story free for a few days in January generated about 1500 downloads, mostly from the UK. The reviews are coming in now and I’m hoping that this will generate more purchases of the ebooks, and also the print books to follow. And of course my upcoming memoir, Life & Luck. In the present climate, an author has to spend as much time marketing their books as writing them.  How do you feel about that?Marketing is the bugbear! It takes up a lot of time and I’m aware that I’m not good at it. A traditional publisher employs at least half a dozen people to get a book into the marketplace – including editor, cover designer, publicity people, sales team, and marketing experts. And we indie writers/publishers are trying to do the whole lot ourselves!  I employ a cover designer and technical expert already – and feel I should consider employing a marketing person too. But I know nothing about marketing, so it’s impossible to judge quality v cost. Hence still doing it myself – badly!Which marketing tool have you found the most useful for your books?  Hard to say, Joan. After many years I’ve just started giving talks again – and I’m sure this is the way forward. It’s getting the word out there in a very personal way. Most useful so far, have been blogs on the website – https://www.annvictoriaroberts.co.uk  Currently I’m blogging extracts from Life & Luck, and some traveller’s tales which haven’t made it into the memoir. When the children were young, we spent a lot of time at sea with my husband, and these stories are proving popular. I promote them on Twitter and Facebook, and it’s a good way of interesting people in my writing, rather than just shouting, ‘Buy my Book!’  I use Linkedin too, although to be honest, Linkedin feels like a black hole to me. As does Goodreads – I find it a difficult site to navigate. As for joining ‘groups’, I’ve tried that on Linkedin, and am not sure how useful it is. I read and contribute when I have time. Much prefer Facebook to all the media groups – I find it sociable and entertaining. Whether it sells books is another matter! I can agree with you there.  So where is the best place for readers to look for you? You can find me on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/AnnVictoriaRoberts#  Twitter: https://twitter.com/Ann_V_Roberts#  So, tell me Ann, what are you working on now? I’m completing Life & Luck, which I thought was ‘ready to go’ a month ago. But having sent it to reader friends for their responses, I find they want me to include a ‘bad luck’ episode to counterbalance the ‘good luck’ which came with the publication of my first two novels. That’s been a surprise – and a difficult one to address – but I’m including it anyway. Currently re-writing and looking for knock-on effects.Once the memoir is on its way, I’ll be able to get back to the novel I started over a year ago. It’s an English Civil War novel, set during the Siege of York in 1644. A completely different period for me, so I hope it works out.  Both books sound fascinating and we can’t wait to get a chance to read them.  Thank you for taking the time to talk to us, Ann and good luck with your new books.