Saturday 2 January 2016

Happy New Year from Cornwall!

Christmas and New Year wishes


To my readers in the US, UK, Spain, Germany or France, my very best wishes for 2016.

Christmas in Cornwall has been fun; filled with family-time and celebrations marking Jesus' birth.
I love all the paraphernalia that goes with Christmas... and the excuse to get together.

But before I go any further, I want to send a massive thank-you to indieBRAG for awarding 'The Time Smugglers' a medallion. It's an immense honour because the book has to pass several stages and then ten different readers have to agree that they liked it enough to recommend to other readers!

However on to Christmas in Cornwall.
A couple of weeks before the big day we went up to the moors (much of the setting for 'The Golden Sword'), and happened upon carol singers... on horseback (and in the mist!). Bizarre but strangely wonderful.


However whilst in the warmth of our sitting room we decorated a HUGE tree. It is beautiful, if a little on the large side! (It scrapes the ceiling.)



 Meanwhile I had fun buying and wrapping pressies and sending numerous cards and we had the MOST fun staying in a cottage over Christmas with four generations of our family. AND ...
... we visited some great places.

Every year volunteers and gardeners on the National Trust's Cothele estate (on the banks of the river Tamar), create a beautiful, dried-flower garland for the Christmas season.
So during Christmas Eve afternoon, Pete and I paid a visit. It was spectacular.
If you visit the Tamar Valley I strongly recommend a visit to Cothele, even if it's not at Christmas. http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/cotehele

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/cotehele

We also popped along to the market town of Tavistock,


Great shops and a pannier market with everything from clothes to flowers to chocolates. I bought Pete a train in a tin :)

And Boscastle was pretty impressive. It's a harbour a little way along the coast from Tintagel, legendary home of King Arthur - so I would like it wouldn't I?! Click here for their website: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/boscastle
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/boscastle
Boscastle's entrance
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/boscastle
Boscastle's seas in winter - beautiful.
Cutting to New Year and welcome to an evening with friends and games- May I recommend TFI' Friday's 'Epic Malteaser Challenge'?

It's easy. Take a steel tape measure, stretch it, hold it up and link to a friend's open mouth and send the Malteser down. We tried it down a flight of stairs. T'was fun.

Yeap, okay, we've some growing-up to do!
And before I finish, a promise of what's to come in the next few months.
Book 3 will shortly be on its way to the editor and the illustrations are already underway.
Meet Tyto the Barn Owl.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Golden-Sword-Camelot-Inheritance-Book/dp/1497402247
Tyto the Barn Owl
I've sent airborne communications to the v. talented Katie W Stewart who will be designing the cover; if the last two are anything to go by this one will be a stunner. 
And Helen the Dragon artist will again be conjuring our little green friend to life. Can't wait.

Thank you for popping in. Do send me a message via the contact box, I love to hear from you and I always reply! X

2 comments:

  1. Hi Rosie,

    Happy New Year to you and congrats on all the awards you are winning! May the blessings keep coming to you!

    Cheers,

    Kathryn

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    Replies
    1. Hi Kathryn,
      Thank you so much and a very happy New Year to you too! May your 2016 be a fabulous year filled with marvellous moments. Rosie X

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