Nancy Morris's Blog

It’s a funny thing but sometimes, just opening up to a stranger – who you will probably never see again – is better than therapy!

Personally, I love it when I meet random strangers in my day that let you in to their lives for a moment; I quickly realise that most people are walking around with problems lurking beneath happy smiles. It creates a sense of not being alone in the world. Most importantly, it comforts me to think that people do actually care; that not everyone is completely self absorbed.

A split second encounter with someone could send you down a different life path, give you a new creative idea, motivate you, or even find a solution to a problem in a place you didn’t think to look.

This morning, I had a chat with a lovely pharmecist who actually provided the answers to some worries I had had for a while now but during that conversation we bonded over some of the more challenging aspects of motherhood. I saw her face soften as I admitted some of my own vulnerabilities and she was able to share hers. If I’d never walked out of the house – I’d have missed this chance encounter…

Another was when I chatted to a man who worked at the post office – turns out he loves reading so I shared that I had written a few books and before I knew it, he’d written down the details and told me he was going to buy copies.

Additionally, I bumped into a guy I have seen a few times whilst walking my dog. He and I were both rushing into a local convenience store but stopped to say hi and exchange a few updates on our lives – turns out he was hiring content workers and I was looking for freelance writing work.

So next time you venture out of the house alone – remember, you’re not really alone at all. Be open, smile and let things happen to you. You never know, it might even change your life.

One of my future novel projects will involve complete strangers coming together in a moment that will change all of their lives forever…

Find inspiration wherever you go!

Photo by Fröken Fokus on Pexels.com

So last night, I’m running behind on my toddler’s schedule and I forget to read ‘Goodnight Farm’ – yikes! There I am, in the dark, feeding Frank his last bottle: the night light stars are softly glowing on the ceiling and the light, sleepy music is lulling us both into fuzzy mode. My eyes suddenly widen – oh no – I forgot the bedtime story and Frank is such a stickler for the night time routine…

We came up with this, which although simple, I kind of love:

Once upon a time there was a little pixie and his name was Frankie. Frankie lived in the pixie area of the woodland (which was an area marked by a high contrast in light and shade), and whilst most pixies can be naughty, Frankie was exceptionally good. He was: well mannered, kind and generous, and that meant the minuscule faeries would often flit out of their sunny part of the woods and visit him.

He lived by himself and they felt that he needed company. Not only did he live alone , he struggled with maintaining his magical garden and he was also terrible in the kitchen. Don’t get me wrong, he wasn’t lazy – oh no. Poor Frankie was full of good intentions but he would start things and then get terrible distracted and begin something else. Half a wall, or a half sewn flower bed was a common site! Not to mention a mixing bowl full of something he’d started but it had never made it to the oven…

The faeries took pity on him and would flit about in his garden with their delicate and beautiful wings until they chanced upon an unfinished project, then they would use their magical powers to not only finish planting a bed of flowers but to also sew a real star into the centre of each one. Frank’s flowers were more amazing than any of the other flowers from the neighbouring pixie gardens.

Being extremely grateful, Frankie would repay the fairies with the one thing he was good at: sewing. Most deftly, he would spin and sew the most beautiful fairy clothes for them and he enjoyed doing this so he tended to complete everything he started for a change.

One day, one of the faeries was trying to cut back a particularly vigorous hawthorn bush that had been sprinkled with a ‘grow fast’ spell that an errant pixie had clumsily dropped from high up in a tree. The said pixie had no idea that the dust had dropped out of his pocket! The bush was quite out of control and, as usual, Frankie had started pruning the branches but the prickles had reminded him that he needed to tend his roses…

This fairy: Shashalala, caught a precious wing on one of the prickly thorns and it had ripped it clean in half. It hadn’t hurt but now the fairy couldn’t use the gossamer wing at all and that made them feel sad which was an  alien emotion; faeries usually feel full of joy one hundred percent of the time. Shashalala sang a melancholy song which was a blue/grey colour for people who could see music. The sound carried on the wind like a sycamore leaf until it reached Frankie’s pixie ears.

The song was almost too sad to listen to. Frankie dropped a sock he was darning and ran to the source of the woe. It broke his heart to see. He must take this fairy in and help to fix it like Shashalala had helped him.

He spent the following three days and three nights darning the special fairy wing. Why did it take so long? Faeries have magic woven into every single particle of their wings and one wrong stitch would mean not only would Shashalala be unable to fly, she would not be capable of any magic either. Both were unthinkable for such a creature. He must get it right.

After the three days and the three nights, Frankie was tired but happy with his work. Of course the fairy was delighted and overcome with gratitude for what Frankie had done for her but Frank thought it was no big deal – he liked to help others whenever he could.

Frankie and Shashalala shared fairy tea and passed a highly enjoyable afternoon catching up on all the latest magical gossip…

I’ll be absolutely honest, I have found juggling being a full time mum to Frank, keeping the house clean, trying to start a small business on the side and finding time to write much harder than I thought it would be. Who knew how little can be achieved when your toddler is charging round: changing the cycle on your washing machine, making the house look like a toy bomb exploded and finding every single potentially dangerous element of your house! Still, I wouldn’t have it any other way as this little whirlwind also brings more joy than I’ve ever experienced on a daily basis.

I’m making excuses not to write, right? As many people, on professional writing sites, have told me (they do happen to be of a certain gender he he). Just do it, they say; just plough on through and a particular favourite – if you’re serious, you’ll find the time! Give me a moment whilst I laugh so much my head falls off… and my sides literally split.

Any other writers with kids have this problem?

My new routine (I say routine but this is not always possible) is to fit in some revisions when I’ve got Frank down to sleep (whilst cooking) and the creative stuff happens if he decides to have a nap and I’m not cleaning or working on my business so – it’s all very stop/start. You may think I’m just having a moan but what I’m really trying to say is that I’ve made my peace with this way of life now. It’s a far cry from meeting deadlines in my old job but I am much happier than I was then.

So when a blog, vlog or image goes up on my site – that faint sound of cheering you can hear in the distance? Yup that’s a dance of self-congratulation…

I still feel the need to apologise to my followers and book readers as I am currently more of a tortoise writer than a hare but I do hope you’ll stick with me on my writing journey.

The sequel to ‘Demon Match’ is on its way – I promise!

As we end 2017 – I’m looking back at my year and it has been a remarkable one. Talk about changes to my life… I can quite happily say I am a totally different person in all kinds of challenging, exciting and joyous ways.

2017 brought a baby boy into my life, a new novel, a new home and a change of career – we don’t do things by halves over here!

‘Demon Match’ is aimed at that tricky reading age 10 – 13 when kids tend to go off the boil so if you’ve got a child in that age range, then give ‘Demon Match’a go. It has both a girl and a boy as main protagonists; it’s full of adventure; paranormal creatures; a sprinkle of teenage troubles; a sprinkle of magic and oodles of suspense!

I’ve also been told by my beta readers that it would be highly suitable for anyone who likes a fast paced, slightly scary and thrilling read!

Try it and make an author very happy:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Demon-Match-Book-SEOS-trilogy/dp/197348577X/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1514634856&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=demon+match+for+kindle+nancy+morris

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[image error]  This is a question that I get asked a lot: why kids? Don’t you want to write an adult bestseller?

I find writing to be a form of escapism and there’s no better freedom than writing for children. Anything goes – elephants with beautiful butterfly wings for ears; magical powers that allow extraordinary happenings; or a demon with only one thing on its mind – who’s next? (See ‘Demon Match’ Book 1 of the Seas trilogy: to be released in December 2017)…

No idea is too far fetched. When it comes to writing for children, I find that I can easily tap into their mind set. Having taught them for nearly 18 years (no way has it been that long!), I know which novels spark their creative curiosity and I have tried to keep that magical spark aflame. What I enjoy most is grounding the book in the NOW with current trends, technology (always careful not to be too specific as this can really make a book outdated too soon) and a sense of the real world, then I wave goodbye to the humdrum and take the reader on a fantastic and furious ride away from the safe anchor. I also use my experience as a teacher, my stories often involve schools as I feel comfortable writing about them and being accurate about what it is like for our children who go to them. Write about what you know, right?

What is especially fun, is the research I have to do when I’m embarking on a new idea. In the past, I’ve explored the paranormal (I have a modern Ghostbuster style novel on the back burner) and also Victorian chimney sweeps for ‘Whispers in the Attic’. However, right now, I’ve been scaring myself senseless by studying various demon varieties and what they are all ‘capable’ of. I settled on a harvest demon for my latest novel, ‘Demon Match’ as I liked the idea of these monsters that collected human souls. I started to think about how they would choose them, how they would keep them and most interestingly, how they would coax them to do their bidding. The main character in my latest novel begins life as a top student but when he encounters the demon, his grades start to slip, he acts uncharacteristically and lands himself in a whole lot of trouble! Poor Joel…

So, to answer that question. For me there is no other option, I am and will always be driven to write children’s fiction and young adult fiction. It’s all about the imagination and possibility!

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Health Warning:

Do not read this book, I repeat: do not read this book if you are of a nervous disposition!

‘Demon Match’ is book 1 of the ‘Seos’ trilogy; it is for kids who like a slice of fear with their reading. Once the first page has been turned, you will release a demon, a demon that will plague your mind until you close the book…

Meet Seos, a harvest demon: he loves to eat souls for breakfast, lunch and dinner; nobody is safe and that includes you – for who knows, if you get too involved with this book, it might just find you too. You’d better keep one eye open at night.

Then there’s Joel: a top student, popular and happy who finds himself pitted against the evil demon. Watch him as he declines into a scruffy bad boy with a bleak future. Can he be saved?

Step in, Lucia: she’s Joel’s first girlfriend: pretty, clever and a demon buster on the side. How will she fair against this one? Seos seems determined to be rid of her so she must know something important, right?

If you want to know the answer to these dark and twisted questions, you had better read the book when it comes out in December. If you dare.

Photographs – yes, the real ones that you can flick through – age like a fine wine. Possessively, I cling to my old dusty tombs (despite my husband thinking they take up too much room) and I will not let them go. For, despite severely neglecting them, when I do happen to be in the mood to flick through them (a word that will become obsolete when applied to images) a whole world of memories are unleashed – wanted and unwanted. A five minute glimpse into an album can find you still sitting there hours later. Faces from the past. Faces you no longer know. Faces that bring you peace.

I’m not certain that digital images hold the same power over us but only time will tell…

‘If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.’

I gazed on pictures from my teenage years and could remember what I was thinking and feeling, even though I’m a different person now, even down to why I was wearing that outfit and how I’d styled my hair that day; that flaming passion I held for ridiculous pop groups and movie stars! I’d like to be that person again for a day, walk around in those trendy shoes and go and spend my money on music magazines and sweets. Only a day though. Relics.

It was the pictures of the people in my life at the time that really drew my attention: a much younger version of my mum; my laughing sisters; our cats who were such an important part of our lives – was life simpler then? With age comes experience and it is inevitable that we become somebody else but I never realised just how much. I look at these people (and myself) as sweet strangers. Life has changed us all, and some of us are sadly not so close, but I do remember those days when we were and a picture can transport you straight back. The people maybe older but if you peel back their layers? They’re just like they were in the pictures. Keep hold of that, like you keep hold of the pictures.

‘The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.’

The Universe has been trying to tell me this for most of my adult life but this year it’s really hammering the nail in, in, in! Not only was this my New Year’s Resolution but I had quite a heated debate over it with my husband and now, I see it’s this week’s focus for the ‘Psychologies’: Big Wake-Up project. Now if that is not reinforcement, I don’t know what is. They are proposing we try only spending money on basics this week: just food and water. Yes, just food and water. Reckon you’d have the will-power?

I’m going to try it!

Let’s start by taking the definition by the horns – crap is stuff you buy to make you feel good, it releases temporary endorphins and because the are so short lived, you have to buy some more crap to keep the feel-happy factor alive. By the time the end of the month rolls by, you look back over your bank statement and realise you’ve spent quite a bit of your hard earned money on crap, reward or regret? That pretty scarf has lost the sparkle it had in the shop, that new pair of shoes is just another pair of shoes gathering dust in the back of the wardrobe and that new face oil (that will answer all of your problems) is thrown in to your toilet bag with all the other promises of eternal youth. Are you happier?

Temporary – just remember that!

January was a tough month for me – both of my parents are facing some scary medical problems that have turned my world upside down so it would seem natural to think: I deserve a treat. Life is really rubbish at the moment so something new will make me feel like there’s something worth living for; I work hard enough don’t I? Fighting this feeling was far from easy, I can tell you. I’ve never done so much internet window shopping without checking the trolley out. I only allowed myself to buy gifts for others. (There were a couple of birthdays and get-well gifts needed). Deep down I knew that buying some crap was not going to change the situation in the slightest. I was therefore exceedingly pleased with myself at the end of the month when I had a fair amount of money left in my current account – and felt deeply satisfied as I moved it across to my savings. Believe me when I say this is a rare situation, not even medium rare!

I have proven to myself that I can go a whole month without crap – who knew how much extra you could save – and I had only myself to make me feel better and to reflect on what was happening in my life right now. I really felt that it was like removing something that was hindering me from my life: blinkers, a heaviness, call it what you want but with it gone, I felt so much more in control.

I’m not saying: never buy yourself anything but just stop the junk-habit. Think carefully about the item of clothing, jewellery, shoes, cream etc. and think do I really want this? Try to constrict yourself to one treat a month and really appreciate it and understand its value. One good quality thing is better than a tonne of cheap crap that will end up in the bin or not living up to its promise. Weigh it up – do I want this right now or shall I save more money so I can get something I really want when the time is right?

Beware of becoming obsessed! Somebody once told me that saving could become quite addictive – I was sceptical, as sceptical as a mouse in a lion’s cage after being told, it’s okay, you’ll be safe – the lion already ate! You still need to have a night out, see friends and keep up your appearance (everyone needs that pretty top once in a while) but everything in moderation. Leave more room for the real, bare and naked you. You don’t need CRAP to feel appreciated.

This is changing a mind habit and it’s not for the faint-hearted! I’m not even sure I’ll manage to keep it up all year but I’m going to give it a good go. Buying less crap has improved my emotional relationship with money (which apparently stems from your relationship with your parents) and I like this feeling so I’m trying to ‘just say no’ to crap!

 In the shake of a dice, the worst demon to taint the pages of a book will be released around the world: Seos, the soul harvester. Take cover and what ever you do, do not buy this book! I repeat: do not buy this book; if you do, you run the risk of becoming fully absorbed in this mind-blowing world of evil demons, a game of life or death and the most gruesome ending to a book ever! Worst of all, you will leave yourself totally open to succumbing to its sequel…

You have been warned.

Hide, cover your eyes and avoid the first book in the ‘Demon Match Trilogy: The Game’ – it will seek you out and it won’t let you sleep!

Coming soon in 2016.

To love, or not to love – that is the question: whether tis easier to keep it imprisoned in one’s mind or to let it loose to roam free over bemused friends and family…

This week, as a bit of a social experiment, I tried the latter through text, Facebook and face to face… I chose 7 victims for my experiment (cue evil laughter) and the majority surprised me with their candid and rather lovely and unexpected replies. I say unexpected as I did not really know what would happen when I messaged why I loved these people (they’d either think I was bonkers, being over-sentimental or even confused) – but each one responded back in equal measure so the messages maybe unleashed something golden in the receiver and provoked conversations about values that normally wouldn’t happen.

Most of the bemusement stemmed from the text messages – which were out of the blue and in which I simple declared ‘I love you, ______’ – my brother said it back, my older sister sent me a series of ?????!!! which made me giggle and my husband asked me if I was involved in some social experiment ;). However, the longer messages, in which I backed up why I loved the person, were the ones that led to some pretty amazing conversations and as well as lifting their days, those people lifted mine. I did not set out for this to happen so it was an extra bonus and proved the theory that if you give out more love, it comes back to you and adds to your happiness levels.

The face-to-face encounters were different again – maybe it was because they were family members but it was more one-sided. They listened, smiled and were curious to hear what their positive qualities were but there was less come back – maybe people feel safer saying it through the safety of a key board and without the awkward eye contact? Although, those messages were more public, whereas the one-to-ones were exactly that. So who really knows – but one thing’s for sure, it put a smile on all of their faces so that’s a reward in itself.

It became addictive after that – I’ve been spreading ‘I love yous’ across my world – even said it to my dad on the phone the other day and that is something my family just don’t do. What happened? I got one back in return and I could tell he was smiling.

So whether you think it’s too sentimental or that people might think you’ve gone mad – don’t knock it until you try. Surely it’s better to give it a go, rather than just think it and never unleash the love… get it out there and then just maybe you might make some room for some more and let’s face it; there’s never enough love.