Winter weight? Wait? Why not write?

As the weather grows colder and the days shorter it seems like the perfect time to bake. Turning on the oven warms the house. Cakes, baked dinners, soups, bread. Oh, the smell of fresh bread baking.
Winter seems to invite those extra cups of coffee and cookies. Shortbread, snickerdoodles, scones, with jam and cream... of course. It all is so easy and comforting.

But... there is a downside. To the warmth, the enveloping odours of hot food, lashings of gravy, spices and sugary indulgences. How come baking isn't good for the waistline? Is that fair?






So instead of heating the oven I am gathering kindling. Stoking the fire and each time I do it inspires me to write.

How often does my hero light a fire? Does he have the same problems as I do? Damp kindling, wood that refuses to burn? I remember the days of swinging an axe to chop firewood. Even getting the blade caught in the block took an effort to remove. It was hard work, but I enjoyed it. I now blame if for my damaged back, but that's another story. Each flame, each moment when the conflagration takes hold, the spreading warmth the light, smoke, heat and comfort all take me back to my writing. Did I capture the essence of the fire? Did I use all the senses? Did I create the atmosphere a fire brings?



Of course, once I begin wondering my thoughts return to the latest novel up for editing. Seafaring adventure.
The series starts with a shipwreck, and with the two final adventures we return to the ocean.





What's not to love about pirates, sharks, whales, storms, visiting strange harbours, navigating shoals and feeling the salt laden breeze on one's skin?

Not so many fires in this one, but more the ocean spray, the constant motion of wind and wave. The exhilaration and danger.

There is a magical quality to winter. Even without snow and frosts, the cooler weather, the long nights. The clear crisp starlit nights all inspire and invigorate. I even enjoy the chills. Being able to rug up and wear extra layers without overheating. To walk, work and experience the beauty of our environment without needing constant protection from the harsh sun. It is a wonderful time of year.

So, I will head back to pen and paper and away from the kitchen. I will not listen to the call of the choc chip cookies or dream of the succulent scones slathered in strawberry jam and fresh whipped cream. I will return to the adventure and hope I can eliminate all the grammatical nits from the next book before it is released.

If you can't write to while away winter the cooler weather is a great excuse to curl up with a good book!!

Enjoy your season... and the weather... whether it is summer or winter.

REVIEWS on UK Amazon...

4.0 out of 5 stars A Dark Read Mixing Sci Fi with Fantasy, 26 May 2012
This review is from: Exiled: Autumn's Peril-Book One (The Chronicles of Caleath) (Kindle Edition)
A friend recommended this book to me and I sure am glad she did. I really enjoyed reading it. Years ago I read a lot of sci fi and fantasy, but haven't had access to as much recently. This book does an excellent job of combining both scientific and magical elements into one exciting story. I am really looking forward to losing myself in the rest of the series.

You shouldn't read this book if you like happy, light-hearted books that fill you only with warm fuzzy feelings. The book instead shows and accepts the darker side of the characters and their flaws and we see them clearly. Although the main character might not exactly be considered loveable, but I do find myself respecting and even liking him. It will be interesting to see how he develops as the series continues and to see what other characters end up making of him.

In my opinion, this is a very good book that has the potential to be a GREAT book if placed in the hands of a truly competent editor. Unfortunately those seem to be hard to come by and not just with smaller publishing houses. The issues needing attention are two-fold. The basic copy editing/proofreading is quite simply insufficient (I hope it is a matter of insufficiency and not pure incompetence). Beyond that, I think a skilled editor could have helped the author find a way to make the beginning less confusing and easier for a reader to get into. It can be a bit tricky initially to sort out the many characters and influences and the scientific and magical elements. Once you get past the start, any lingering confusions are quickly cleared up.


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5.0 out of 5 stars Even better than Book 1, 26 May 2012
By bexDK -
This review is from: Exiled: Winter's Curse-Book Two (The Chronicles of Caleath) (Kindle Edition)

This second book in the series is even better than the first. I was very sad for it to end, because I was not ready to leave Caleath's world.


The need for a better editor remains, but is less invasive in this volume. People less perturbed by (or should I say obsessed with?) misplaced commas and other similar issues may not even understand my complaint.


Despite this, I am confident the book deserves one of my rare five star reviews. Now I must get my hands on the next one...


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5.0 out of 5 stars It's worth putting everything else aside to read this book!, 30 May 2012
By bexDK -
This review is from: Exiled: The Legacy of Lathraine's Pledge-Book Three (The Chronicles of Caleath) (Kindle Edition)

Caleath's saga and my happiness as the reader continues in this excellent third volume. I was completely enthralled in Skinner's creative world and resented any intrusion from my real one. The disadvantage of reading in the daytime is the frequency of interruptions, which rarely intrude when I read in the night. But I was too impatient for the story to continue to wait for a time I could read in peace. The quality of the book proved my eagerness warranted. As I turned the last virtual page, I wished time allowed me to start the next volume immediately, but alas my husband required my presence at the dinner table. I plan to return to this fascinating fictive world before darkness falls tonight by starting the next volume.


This series is well worth putting other activities and books aside for the pleasure of reading it. I am sure I will be happily rereading these several times in the future.


Luckily they fit on the cell phone ereader so I can conveniently retreat to them at any boring moment! But I do wish I had paper copies as well. There is something about a real book that an ebook just can't match or beat.
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5.0 out of 5 stars A spellbinding tale from a series that just keeps getting better!, 30 May 2012
By bexDK -
This review is from: Exiled: The Battle for Enderseer Hold-Book Four (The Chronicles of Caleath) (Kindle Edition)
The reader is held as spellbound as the witch's victims while Caleath is pressed even further beyond his limits in this exciting volume. His continued efforts to make amends and protect innocent make him almost loveable, at least sympathetic, despite the tragedies he is forced to cause and threaten.

My retreat into his world is as fascinating and wonderful as his life is painful and terrible. Skinner is definitely a skilled and competent writer, seamlessly weaving science and magic into one enthralling tale.


Many longer series deteriorate in quality as they continue. But Skinner's series shows no signs of decay. If anything, it improves as it proceeds. The plot continues to offer unexpected twists and turns as new challenges and interesting, well-developed characters enter and exit the story.