Chloe can't wait for Christmas . . . to be over! Her son Ruben is staying with his dad and Chloe is planning to ignore the holidays altogether. Her only festive touch is her son's advent calendar, to help count down the days till he's home again.
Welcome to My Creative Notebook, I’ve always been fascinated by the creative process and believe that everyone has their own personal collection of skills and abilities, which just needs time and encouragement to develop.
Finding the time and space to be creative is vital to sustain creativity, one of the most important actions in any day is to seize the moments which sometimes occur when you least expect it; to simply stand and stare, to be inspired by a beautiful view, hear a bird singing, or to watch your family laughing together. Treasure these moments; they form the rich tapestry of living in a creative way.
There are so many amazing sources of inspiration and I hope in this space to share ideas, thoughts, words, books, resources, art, photography, events and interviews, which I hope you will enjoy and find inspiring.
Despite this space being rooted in technology, I see My Creative Notebook as a starting point from which to go and do things!
The Wake-Up Call Beth O’Leary
Two sworn enemies. A failing hotel. One chance to save the season...
It's the busiest season of the year, and Forest Manor Hotel is quite literally falling apart. So when Izzy and Lucas are given the same shift on the hotel's front desk, they have no choice but to put their differences aside and see it through.
Interview with Becky Hunter, Author
What was your inspiration behind One Moment? There were a couple of ways into the idea for me. The first one is quite sad – a few years ago, I lost a close friend of mine. Sophie was only 28, and she died very suddenly of a brain aneurism. I was volunteering in Mozambique at the time, and had been out of signal all day. I remember coming into the signal area and seeing lots of missed calls and messages – people telling me to call them. When I found out the news, I completely broke down – I remember...
One Moment – Becky Hunter
One moment in time can change everything...
The day Scarlett dies should have been one of the most important of her life. It doesn't feel fair that she'll never have the chance to fulfil her dreams - all because she stopped to help a stranger.
The Forever Garden – Rosanna Ley
Amid the sun-soaked hills of southern Italy lies the Romano family olive grove, where Lara lives with her daughter Rose and her granddaughter Bea.
Lara has spent a lifetime trying to forget the traumatic events that led to her desperate escape from Dorset seventy years ago...
The Queue – Alexandra Heminsley
Three strangers. Ten miles. One life-changing day...
Suzie is 69 and has been keeping a secret for most of her life. She'd do anything to have her beloved Colin with her today, of all days, but she's hoping that the long walk ahead will be a first chapter in a new life without him....
The Invisible Women’s Club – Helen Paris
Ignored.Seventy-something Janet Pimm is invisible. Spending most of her days alone, she tends her beloved allotment with the care and love she doesn’t receive from people. Plants, Janet thinks, are more important than friends. Overlooked.Janet’s neighbour, Bev, has reached the age when a cloak of invisibility threatens to descend. Her friendly advances are rebuffed by Janet, but when the council threatens to close the allotments, Janet must swallow her pride and enlist Bev’s help. But they’re about to prove everyone wrong.As the two join forces, Janet realises that she isn’t happy to be a wallflower after all. And that maybe...
Five Days in Florence – Lorraine Brown
A fiance. An old flame. And five days in Florence...
Maddie is over the moon when her boyfriend Nick proposes in Paris. And spending five days in Florence with his family sounds like the perfect way to get to know her future in-laws.
An Invitation to Seashell Bay – Bella Osborne
One ambitious businesswoman.
One irresponsible heir.
A deal that will turn both their lives upside down...
To grow her craft business, Nancy is in desperate need of two things: help and money.
Call of the Kingfisher by Nick Penny
Call of the Kingfisher is the enchanting debut from composer and wildlife recordist, Nick Penny. This love letter to a short stretch of Northamptonshire’s River Nene celebrates all the wild things that live there, especially the kingfishers.