Over the last few months we have watched as Covid-19, a deadly, invisible and highly contagious disease has evolved and spread around the world. I have not left my home since Friday 13th March, the day before our government decided to lock-down my beloved country Spain – a drastic, but very necessary action. With Spain’s history I am sure that this decision was even more difficult to take. Prior to the Prime Minister’s 
speech, we all knew, more or less what he was going to say, but when the state of alarm was announced, it felt so surreal. Since then a wave of mixed emotions have swept over me, from fear, helplessness and anxiety to determination, motivation and hope. We are actually in the middle of a war against Covid-19 – it is not a book or film or even a nightmare, this is our reality. The side-effects of a lock-down are not solely economic, mental health can also take a beating, for many reasons. This is a trying time for all of us, but somehow, we need to cope as best we can. First and foremost everyone should follow the rules of the lock-down. Quite rightly, we are very limited to what we are allowed to do and the most important message is ‘STAY AT HOME’ – ‘QUÉDATE EN CASA’ – I am horrified how many people think they are above the law and I am so pleased that the police here are dealing with it, with heavy fines, confiscation of vehicles and prison.
During this difficult time existing mental health issues may be harder to control or you
may even develop some issues. Loneliness and isolation will also become a big problem for some. Families with younger children will face problems as will students. The elderly and other vulnerable people need to stay home and away from others. These conditions are hard, even for the strongest people, so try not to take it personally. If you are struggling more than usual reach out to others, via Facebook, Skype, WhatsApp etc. If you know people with existing conditions or people that are alone, keep in touch with them. If someone seems more concerned about the situation than you are or if it has triggered other anxieties for someone, don’t ridicule them or say they are paranoid. We are all in this together.
Yet again, a section of the English community here seem to have their own rules, after all, whatever they have heard in the pub or from the gossips and trolls must be true. On Friday 13th March, pubs etc were told to close at midnight. Normal people, who don’t 
want to get or spread the virus stayed at home, but off course, there were those who wanted to be in these establishments to the bitter end and refused to leave, which led to police involvement. Some people are so arrogant and stupid, they not only put themselves at risk. they put others at risk too. Then there is their behaviour in supermarkets where they want to take everything of the shelves and ignore the distance rules. If you don’t like the way Spain is run and can’t be bothered to learn the language go back to the UK.
I cannot praise Spain enough for the way it is handling this crisis. Yes, this situation has scared me, but we are kept informed and I know these current conditions are to safeguard us. There are numerous people, from medical personnel, police and the army to supermarket workers, gas attendants and farmers who are putting themselves on the line to help keep us safe. In return, we need to follow instructions and remember these people working in extreme circumstances, so be patient and polite towards them.
I fear for my family and friends in the UK because I think more action should have been taken sooner on this issue. I am so glad I have made my home here in Spain and cannot wait until the process of changing my nationality to Spanish is completed.
Life as we know it has changed, but Spain is resilient and, although there are tougher times ahead, we will get through this and come back stronger.
Until next time – keep chasing your dreams!
NICOLE
recently which has led to the enjoyment evaporating away. First of all I was in excruciating pain for quite a while and just as I seemed to be improving, my daughter Phoenix was unable to walk for over a week. Obviously we are both under various specialists, taking medication and trying to keep going. Athough my health and the health of family and friends comes first, this has not been my only issue recently.
I decided to take take a little bit of time out and limit my time spent on social media. My phone doesn’t stop binging with messages and alerts and how I have restrained myself and not thrown it in the pool, I’ll never know. I not only wanted, but I also needed, to take some time out so that I could think about my goals again.
again, I thought about changing it, again. Starting tomorrow and concluding over the weekend, I am going to read it once more and then decide if the changes I am contemplating will actually enhance the book. If they do, my next step will be to implement the changes, which I’m really not sure how long it will take. What I do know is, if I decide to make these dramatic changes, Survival At Any Cost, will be even better than it already is and have a good chance of becoming a bestseller.
including, a decrease in productivity, poor health, stress and depression. Make a list of what needs to be done and focus on the most important. Of course there are some things in life that may not be enjoyable but you should enjoy the majority of what you do. Eliminating as much stress from your daily routine as possible will lead to a happier and more fulfilling life. If you make a few changes to your schedule, you will soon be back on track, just like me. Life is not a dress rehearsal so you should enjoy what you do. Whatever your passion in life is, protect it and let it shine.
the imagination ready to go to print but it is well on the way. I know that there are a couple of parts that I can improve, which is what I will do next, then I will move on to the serious editing. In Dead Eyes, I introduce Detective Ellen Knight, who is a very strong character. She is passionate about her job but also loves her two daughter’s dearly.
groups on social media that connect authors to readers and there are groups designed for writers. By connecting with readers I find out what they want and what they dislike in books. When writers connect, they help each other reach the next step of their writing. I love it when I actually help someone reach their goal and for me, that doesn’t just mean in their writing. Writing, just like any other job or career, needs consistency, motivation and a lot of determination.
writing, it is so much more. Once the book is written – don’t forget about all the research and planning that is done before – it has to be edited, corrected (more than once) sent to Beta readers, possibly changed a bit more, marketed, cover designed, formatted, book trailers, published as a digital book and a paperback, book tours, interviews, more marketing – whilst writing another novel. This list is by no means complete, but it gives you an idea of how much work goes into getting a book to its readers. With all this in mind, I had better get back to my schedule. Motivation, determination, consistency and perseverance lead to success.
allow it to take over my life. It would be easy to give up and wallow in self pity but that has never been me and I don’t intend to start doing it now. I have had to accept that I have to adjust my time management and keep myself in the correct frame of mind. Although I have had some bleak days recently, I made sure that I shook them off and put myself in the correct frame of mind to achieve my goals in all areas of my life.
I am continuing with writing the first draft of my crime detective novel Dead Eyes and I am currently on 24,201 words. I would have liked to be further along, since my target is 55,000 words by the end of the this month. The target is still possible and I will keep writing as fast as I can. One thing I have noticed is that I am being very critical with this project and consequently I keep going back over it which I need to stop doing. It is the next stage when I should make all the changes.
he was the most renowned physicist of our time but he was so much more. He was an inspiration to all and showed us that everything is possible. Despite his terrible illness, he not only survived a lot longer than the doctors predicted but he inspired many people. He did not allow his illness to interfere with his work and proved to us all that everything is possible if you put your mind to it.
and has been excruciating. I bumped up the meds which resulted in me falling asleep so I am not quite on my set target – luckily I did allow a couple of days at the end of this month to cater for unforeseen circumstances, but I didn’t expect to use those days up yet!
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newsletter but I am still in the early stages. I will have to learn how to use another software programme and I am leaning towards Mailchimp for my newsletter platform. For those of you that have read some of my previous blogs, you will know that I am not techy at all, but I have realised that I have to move forward in this ever evolving world of technology.
keep this secret, I will never know Her reaction when she saw him was priceless and although I have it on video, I have been asked not to share it. We hadn’t seen him since the beginning of November and I am so pleased we had a happy time together. The worst part is saying goodbye.
I receive more comments and more edits about it.
do a wonderful job at helping and supporting writers. I seem to be getting more followers which I am pleased about. It does take a lot of effort to build a base of real followers. Obviously my friends follow me, but it is a lovely feeling when people I don’t know start following me. I real enjoy interaction with my readers and hope to do more of it. I am also trying to find the right cover for Survival At Any Cost.
does take a while for me to get into it, but I am very glad that I persevere because it is an enjoyable experience.
something, the closer you get to your target which is motivation in itself. I also advice people to start with an achievable target. It is impossible to write a novel in a day just like it is impossible to lose five kilos in a day. Writing is quite a solitary occupation and getting involved with writing goups makes you feel that you are not alone. The groups I am involved with are very supportive to their members. If members have questions they can ask and there is always someone that will know the answer or solution. We also motivate each other. Whatever you want to achieve, I appreciate that unforseen circumstances can crop up that jeopardise you goals. My daughter is having ongoing health problems and we have just found out that the vertabraes in her neck are not correct. Things like this obviously take up physical time, but they also add stress to your life, which inevitably slows down your progress. I have tried to stay as close to my writing schedule as possible but it has not been easy. When you are weighed down by events such as this it can be difficult to get motivated but you have to push yourself to do it. It is really important to have discipline.
entry. Now I really must stop looking at this novel because I keep trying to change it slightly which is quite difficult to do since I have submitted the total word count. There is no time to sit back and relax whilst I wait for the results since I have a number of other projects in the pipeline that are waiting to be finished, and a number of ideas for other novels. I now have a notebook specifically for writing outlines for future ventures, so I don’t forget them.
participate. It will probably start on the 1st of March and I will definitely be participating. I now have to decide which project I will commit to this. I think I will start a new project, maybe one from my notebook, so, I before we meet again, I will have an in depth outline of the project I finally decide on and all of its characters ready to go.
Joe Cawley. Since I have moved to Spain I could really relate to it and could identify a number of characters in it. I then went on to read ‘Hamelin’s Child’ by D.J Bennett which at first I wasn’t sure if I would be able to read it because of the subject. Without giving the story away, it touches on crimes that most people try not to ackowledge. I am over half way through ‘Blood in the Sand’ by Kelly Clayton which is a crime and mystery novel and I am still wondering who the murderer is. I am also reading ‘Missouri Waltz: A novel of 1917’ by Richard Dunk. From what I have read so far, it is nicely written and also I am familiar with some of the settings.
I am a great believer in taking advantage of any opportunites that come my way. Recently, through one of my wonderful Facebook writing groups, ‘For Writers only who want to Write without Fear of Rejection,’ I heard about a writing competition that has been organised by Writing Magazine and teaming up with Lulu.com and Authoright. One lucky entrant will receive a complete publishing package which sounds awesome. Since I have almost finished my re-write of my next crime novel ‘Survival At Any Cost,’ I think that I’ll enter. I must admit, I am rather nervous since I haven’t entered any writing contests
since being an adult, but I have nothing to lose. I do still have to complete my marketing plan to go with my entry but I am fairly certain that I will get that done in the time remaining before the deadline. Whatever happens I will have gained valuable experience and my novel will be complete and ready for publication. If you want to find out more about this competion either for curiosity or entering yourself, please follow this link 
writers, so if you have read my debut novel, ‘A Few Bad Boys,’ could you please leave a review either on Amazon or /and on Goodreads. The links for these are 
morning – it made me cold to watch. Anyway I am sorting out a new exercise routine that will suit me and keep me agile. My writing den is still a work in process but at least I can get in there now. I have actually thrown things away and sorted out some, never ending, paperwork.
blog I was reading ‘Murder on the Oxford Canal’ by Faith Martin which I have finished and did enjoy. Since then I have read ‘Safari Ants, Baggy Pants & Elephants’ by Susie Kelly. It is far from the genre I write but it took me on a wonderful safari without leaving home. I am currently reading ‘Bad To The Bone’ by Tony J Forder. I am so close to finishing it and am desperate to find out how it ends, but I had to really be strict with myself and put it down so that I could get on with writing. Every book I read this year I will make the time to write a review.
I do hope you all had a fantastic New Year and have set your goals for this year. Whatever your goals are you must keep working at them and if things don’t go according to plan, use the experience as a way to push yourself forward. I know from experience, that at times this can seem impossible, but you can do it. I have been busy trying to sort out my writing den, but like most things it is taking longer than expected. The area I have declared as mine has been used as a dumping site and I need to find new homes for things and throw a lot of things out. It really is amazing how much clutter accumulates, even over a short period of time. I am sure that my den was almost clear in November – so I really don’t know what has happened.
of my new routine. I have returned to working on my second novel, Survival At Any Cost, and hope that over the next couple of weeks I will confirm when it will be released. When I first returned to it, I found that Doctor Paul Ramsay from one of my other projects, Fierce Revenge, kept coming into my head. It is definitely a sign that he is a strong character, but he will have to wait his turn. At the moment it is Joe and Chloe Carter’s turn. Now I have started re-writing, Survival At Any Cost, from the beginning again, and set myself daily targets which seems to be working out well for me. Joe and Chloe Carter certainly have a number of dilemmas that have to be resolved. Whilst writing I try very hard to stay away from my phone, especially social media. I usually leave social media for when I have a break, otherwise nothing would get done.
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trying to get English books in shops near where I live is very difficult. I do miss going into book shops in England. There is something magical about book shops and I used to spend hours in them. Sadly, when I moved house, I had to let most of my books go because of space. I am determined that this year I will have a proper bookshelf again but I am not sure how it will fit in my den yet.
Happy Christmas and managed to spend time with loved ones. The last few weeks for me have been quite a nightmare. As mentioned in my last blog, my daughter Phoenix was taken ill. At first the doctors thought that she might have menengitis, but thankfully she didn’t. She has still been very ill and sadly, missed out on all the Christmas fun at school and is seeing the neurologist in January. If things couldn’t get any worse, on the Monday before Christmas, my partner Trond, was admitted to hospital in San Juan, Alicante and ended up with another stent being put in. I cannot express enough how sick of hospitals I am. My best friend, Caroline, arrived in Spain early to surprise me, and ended up looking after Phoenix and our dog Tinkerbell, whilst I was in San Juan. We also had to use their car because our car was booked in to have some work done. It never rains, it pours! Luckily, Christmas still went as planned, despite feeling exhausted.
New Year, I am reflecting on what my goals for next year will be. Obviously I will have to catch up on what I had planned to do, for example, updating my author pages, sorting out my Goodreads profile and finalising my book trailer for A Few Bad Boys etc. Putting these tasks to one side, temporarily, I have decided that I am going to create a better writing space in my home. Although I can write almost anywhere, I think it is crucial for me to have my own den – a place where I am surrounded by all my writing related materials. My biggest goal for 2018 will be to publish my second novel, Survival At Any Cost.
to receive a Kindle Paperwhite for Christmas. Needless to say I am still trying to work out how to use it. It doesn’t help that I prefer to read most novel in English rather than Spanish and obviously the Kindle was purchased in Spain. I can’t wait until I have worked it out, because although I am a paperback lover, my Kindle will go everywhere with me, so I can read to my hearts content even whilst waiting to be called in to see a doctor. I haven’t yet worked out how I can read and/or write whilst I am at physiotherapy twice a week, but maybe I will just have to accept that. I adore reading different genres, so please let me know any of your favourites and I’ll have a look at some of them.
My morning walks are very important to me, both physically and mentally. Nothing beats taking a morning walk by the ocean to get my inspiration flowing. Many people have said that I am an inspiration to them so I want to carrying on inspiring people and help them achieve their goals, whether it is in writing or another field.
fined), improve the health of myself, Phoenix and Trond, get rid of any negative energy around me and my family and friends, and continue with my positive outlook on life. I also hope that my son, James, will really make his mark as a DJ.
Nicole The Author 