Back when I first started blogging, I wanted to look at books and review them. Through this expedition, I was introduced to Miss Heather Ruth Martin who is the author of Fuchsia Parade (if you haven't read my review of this book, click here). I contacted Heather because I really wanted to know more about her journey as a writer. I wanted to know more. So, Heather has written two books Fuchsia Parade and Reclaiming Konia.
I have had the pleasure of reading both of these novels and I can say that I thoroughly enjoyed both. I feel that becoming an author is a dream that many people have. Whether it be a fictional book which contains a story or a book that is about their own, personal journey. Recently she sent me a copy of her book Reclaiming Konia, which took her 8 years to complete. That's right, 8 whole years. If that isn't dedication, then I don't know what is.
How long have you been writing for?
One question I am always interested in asking authors is how long they have been writing for. I have personally been writing for years. However, I was the most curious about when they knew that they were good at writing and that it was something they wanted to do for a job.
"I’ve been writing since I was a pre-teen. I read a ton of books as a child and started writing poetry. One of my poems was featured in an anthology. I believe it was probably something my parents paid for, but it meant a lot to me when I was young to see my work in print, and the fact that they took it seriously enough to acknowledge my work and send it in was fabulous", said Heather.
How did you come into contact with your publisher?
I have always been really interested in how small authors get in touch with publishers. After reading both of Heather's books (which you can purchase here) and really enjoying them, I wanted to know more about her publishing process. As a creative writing student, we are taught all the tools and creative processes we need in order to write, but the industry still remains one big question mark.
"I have gone the Indie route so far, so I chose to self-publish my first book Reclaiming Konia via CreateSpace, Amazon’s self-publishing arm. Via this channel, you can publish paperback and Kindle eBook versions of your book. Amazon provides a Word document template, and you provide your book cover design. I’ve used Bespoke Book Covers for both of my books" - Heather
For her second books, Fushica Parade, she didn't want to go the indie route again, however, when she was writing the book, she felt the need to get it out there quickly. Fushica Parade tackles some really tough subjects like the #MeToo movement, which was really current and in the media at the time, hence why Heather felt that self-publishing it would be quicker and a better move for her book.
"You have to trust your instinct, but anyone who self-publishes should know that you have to be your marketing person, sales, inventory and social media guru. It’s a lot of work and there are no guarantees. Alternatively, you can write a query letter and attempt to get a literary agent and a publisher. I expect I will try this route with my next book" - Heather.
When did you first realise you wanted to be a writer?
"I knew as a kid that I wanted to write – and I wrote poetry and other stories. When I graduated from college around age 24, I went into sales. I was writing emails and sales proposals, but not much else. I didn’t have any personal creative projects or books in the works" said Heather.
In 2014, Heather started writing more blogs posts for The Huffington Post as she started becoming more of freelance. And finally, in 2017 she started working full time in business writing – blogs, public relations, press releases. "The more I write, the better I get", Heather says, which is so inspiring for all the small time bloggers and just general people that want to start writing for themselves.
What was one of the most surprising things you learned from creating your books?
When asking Heather about this question, she threw in some queries that as a young, aspiring author, I really wanted some insight on.
Does my writing have any meaning? Is it too boring? Will people find this interesting? Will anyone read this? - Heather
The issue of self-doubt was something Heather felt very strongly about. "Doubt is part of writing. I read a few paragraphs from the current book I’m writing and I thought the writing was poor. You are constantly pushing past that self-doubt and worry All of these doubts are part of being a writer. You find something within you that keeps you motivated to keep going despite all these inner voices"- Heather
Which for me, as a young aspiring writer was nice to hear. If someone like Heather, with two books out and another on the way, can have self-doubt, then it must be natural for everyone.
How do you overcome writer's block?
As I am currently taking a creative writing course, writer's block is something I really suffer from. Over the years, I have put this down to pressure. In my university class, we are often pushed to write creatively on the spot, which can be hard. So I wanted to get Heather's ways on how she deals with the infamous writer's block.
"Realising this truth: You DO NOT need to wait for inspiration to begin writing. It’s like going to the gym – if you only go when you feel like it, you might not make it. Writing is something you can do now, like any activity. Sit down and do it. Usually, a block means you are worried about the quality of your writing, how something sounds, or being rejected for what you put down on paper. You have to find a way to quiet that voice and let yourself write poorly. Giving yourself permission to write poorly is a maxim of the 90 Day Novel philosophy (from the LA Writer’s Lab). It gives you the freedom to write down a story without it having to be perfect the first time.
Reclaiming Konia – if I never finished it then my life, my existence would have been incomplete and I would have lacked healthy self-respect. I had to finish that book to move forward with my life" - Heather
Do you have any suggestions for other's who would like become authors? If so, what are they?
Also, whilst I had Heather, I wanted to ask her for some advice. When new authors want to enter the writing business, it can be really daunting. I thought Heather would be the perfect person to ask about her guidance when it came to writing. Now, I was doing this interview via Instagram, so here are a few snippets of what Heather said that really inspired me.
"Definitely find a way to write every day or as many days of the week as you can. The more you write the more you expand your ability to write things in new ways" - Heather
"The more you write, the easier it becomes and the better you become at it. It opens a gateway in your creative brain for ideas to flow, and your subconscious mind begins to cooperate by offering you tidbits as you sleep or drive or do laundry. I take notes on my iPhone app so I can refer to them whenever I sit down to write one of my books" - Heather
"You write a book bit by bit, and then suddenly months or years later you realized you’ve completed the story. It’s a fantastic feeling" - Heather
What are you currently working on?
Finally, I asked Heather what she is currently working on and what's next for her.
"Now I’m working on another book tentatively called “Gratitude Happens: A Tarot Card, Healing Crystal Infused, Gluten-Free Love Story.” The story follows Chrissie Demata, a good Italian girl looking to change her life, and seeking love through all sorts of new age metaphysical practices such as vision boards, sound baths, and tarot card readings. When she carefully laid plans for her life begin to unravel, she has to dig deep to uncover and process emotions from a traumatic moment in her life and find her source of personal power. It’s a very powerful, and quirky comedy-drama of sorts" - Heather
And for a final bit of advice Heather said that "life is unpredictable. Do your best. But writing a book doesn’t come all it once, it comes bit by bit. That requires a plan and discipline to execute the plan. You can’t write 50,000 or 100,000 words in one sitting. You write it piece by piece, over time."
I really enjoyed interviewing Heather and getting to learn more about her experience as an author. Writing can be difficult and getting into the industry will be hard and trying, but if you believe in what you are writing and really enjoy it, someone else will too. If you want to send some love to Heather, I will link her Instagram and Website below. Remember to always support your Indie authors, it's so important to line the pockets of smaller artists than massive cooperations. Thank you, Heather!
If you would like to purchase any of Heather's books, click here.
I have been going on a little journey recently, trying to work out what the best stuff to put on my face is and what is best to put inside my body. It all started a couple of months ago when I made the choice to switch out all my makeup with cruelty-free products. I am a meat eater and yes, I do enjoy cheese, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't explore into some more 'vegan' products.
This week, I got sent a box by The Goodness Project (yes this post is sponsored) to try out some of their products. So for all my vegan students or even just people who want to try out something a little different, this post is for you.
Who are they?
They are a subscription box which has a selection of all the best vegan and gluten-free products around the world. I am not personally a vegan, but I always open to trying food that is better for me (especially sweet things). You can personalise your own box, which means you can pick and choose all your favourites to go into one package. So if there is anything that I really liked from this box, that you are thinking 'oh that doesn't sound like something I would like to eat', don't worry about it.
The Goodness Project will also deliver this box right to your door as well, which means that you will no longer need to go to the shops. As a student, I find it hard to even think about planning what I am going to have for dinner, let alone, going to the shops regularly. So having a box that will magically appear at your door is literally the best thing ever!
Is it too early to be talking about Christmas? Because, they also offer an excellent selection of Christmas gift for all your friends and family who are vegan, gluten-free or just health conscious. This is a gift someone will genuinely appreciate. Finding good food at normal food chains like Sainsbury or Lidls which is vegan, gluten-free and affordable is a really hard task. So having a well-priced and a good selection of these foods is such a great gift this Christmas.
Now you get a lot in this box so I won't be discussing all of the products. However, I will be looking at a few of my favourite because I have tried some items from here that I will definitely be incorporating into my daily meal/snack routine.
Okay, this is all the things that came in the box:
- Gordon's Gin & Tonic
- Active Nuts
- Plantforce Synergy Protein pack
- So Free vegan chocolate
- Organica Coconut bar
- The Primal Pantry Hazelnut and Cocoa
- Deliciously Ella - Raspberry and Peanut butter energy balls
- Red Lentil Fusilli Organic
Gordon's Gin and Tonic
Gin is something that has blown up this year. And something that is definitely on students mind during university (especially first year) is the number of calories in certain alcohols. For example, in one pint of Stella Artois, there are 227 calories. That is equivalent to a couple of slices of bread AND it has little to no nutritional value. Of course, I am not saying that beer is a no-go. Drink as much beer as you would like. However, if you want to switch it up for a more low-cal drink (that will probably get you drunker faster, talking to you Freshers), then this drink is a great buy.
So Free Chocolate
Okay, I am not a vegan. Therefore, I have never had to look for vegan chocolate. However, I know from a few of my vegan-y friends that finding good chocolate that they can eat is really difficult in mainstream food shops. However, The Goodness Project include one of these chocolate bars in almost all their boxes. And coming from a regular chocolate eater - this is such a good product. I ate this bar of chocolate alongside a cup of tea and I loved it. Also, you cannot tell the difference between this and a bar of dairy milk!
Organica Golden Coconut delight bar
Okay, so I really loved this coconut bar! But, I definitely feel this isn't for everyone. This Golden Coconut delight bar reminded me of a vegan Bounty bar, which is something not everyone would like. However, I found it delicious and it actually was, dare I say it, my favourite thing from this box.
Red Lentil Fusilli Organic
I loved this product. Pasta is a win for everyone, no matter if you are a vegan, a vegetarian or a meat eater like me. Pasta is that type of food that you can serve at any time and someone will be up for eating it. This red lentil pasta was lovely. I know this sounds weird, but the red colour made the meal look really fun. It wasn't just me, eating pasta for the third time this week. It looked more gourmet if you will. Plus, it was really tasty.
Deliciously Ella - Peanut butter and Raspberry energy balls
These again, aren't for everyone. But again, I loved them. Peanut butter has to be, hands down, one of my favourite foods. But I understand that not everyone likes it. However, these made such a good snack for me to carry around and personally, I found them very tasty.
Thank you so much, for reading this post. I really enjoyed trying all of these different foods this week. And for as a student, this box was super helpful. So tell all your vegan and non-vegan friends about it!
Pick up your own Goodness Project box here!
*This post is sponsored but all opinions are my own.
Long story short - I annoy my housemates. A lot. But then again, we literally do everything together and we all live under each other's feet. It's gotten to the point in our friendship that literally, anything is news. Do you know what I mean? Let me explain... For example, if Liam's favourite sandwich is discontinued, it's awful, awful news to all of us. If Shalieka gets another disciplinary at work, we are all mad at this news (she does not deserve it).
Does that make sense? Basically, we all spend so much time together, that we the know all the ins and outs of each other's lives.
Okay, I am sure I have mentioned this before. But I am extremely messy. Which is fine, well for me anyway. Do you know what's not fine? Having the contents of my room spill out into every other room in the house. Is the sofa in the lounge full of all my belongings? You bet. Is the kitchen side full of my half-drunk cups of coffee? Sure is. Is my hair covering every surface in this house? Yep. I am extremely messy. Sorry, not sorry (but actually sorry guys).
I am four foot 11, do I have to say anything more? Everything in my house is on shelves and I am super little. I am also really weak. Thank you, Liam, for always answering my knock on your door when I need you to open a jar. And thank you Shalieka, for always reaching stuff down, even when I was the one who shoved it up there in the first place.
I am someone who only drinks half their drink and then I will leave the cup in my room. We have this handy-dandy system in my house, where if one person does the cooking, someone else does the washing up. It saves us arguing. This usually means that I don't do the washing up. Miss Master Chef right here. But anyway, this is how a conversation will go in my house at 'washing up time':
Shalieka: Do you have anything in your room to be washed up?
Me: Nope
Shalieka: You sure?
Me: Yeah, I haven't even been here today.
Shalieka: So, if I go in there and check, there will be no mugs in there?
Me: Nope
Shalieka: Okay, I am going to go check then
Me: Okay, okay, I'll go get them
*Arrives with seventeen mugs of half-drunk coffee*
Me: Sorry.
I do this constantly. My favourite thing to do is to sing really loudly and stare into one of my housemate's eyes whilst I do it. It's hilarious and they hate it. But I love making them uncomfortable. Liam is kind of an introvert and he gets easily drained by human contact after a while. He hates it when he's super tired and I just start randomly singing really loudly. I personally, find myself very entertaining.
I do this constantly and it is probably one of my most annoying qualities. I will never, repeat never listen to a song all the way through. Which for me, when I am alone, is fine. But when I am with my housemates, it really really annoys them.
I am really sorry, but also I will not stop doing it!
Thank you for reading my post. I really hope you had a laugh whilst reading what my housemates have to put up with!
What I was listening to whilst I wrote this: My Girl - The Temptations
I am not very good at painting or drawing. I know I am at an arts university but I do media. My only skill set is writing... But, when you are a creative bean like me, art can be your outlet. I used to love writing when I wasn't feeling great. But now, it's part of my degree. I have to write for a grade, which means that it isn't exactly an outlet anymore. If I am not writing for my course, I feel guilty. Like, why am I writing this when I have so much writing to actually do for a grade? So I have started painting again. Nothing fancy and nothing good, but it's fun and it feels good to be doing something arty which isn't going to be assessed by a board of tutors.
I love cooking and when I get stressed or down, I always drop cooking first. But cooking is definitely a good outlet. Especially experimental cooking. I don't know if this is a strange term but basically, what I mean is cooking without a recipe. I am not one to buy cookbooks, however recently, I have brought two different ones. The Itsu Cookbook and The Wagamama Cookbook. I am a fan of both of these restaurants and the idea of being able to make their meals at home for cheaper really appealed to me. However, sometimes, I like to just cook. Randomly, with whatever ingredients I have at home. So another change I have been making is cooking more often. But for fun and not just out of necessity.
If you are an avid reader of my posts, then you will be fully aware that I have been making this change very recently. I have started exchanging all my old, regular beauty projects with cruelty-free items.
My newest addition to my ever-growing collection is my new highlighter from LUSH. LUSH is known for being cruelty-free, so obviously, it was one of my first choices when it came to switching my makeup products over. I choose the Egret Glow Stick, which has a nice, gold glow to it. I choose this colour because it I am bored of my normal, rosy pink one I am used to applying. And I thought that this subtle, yet glittery shade would look nice on my pale skin. What I also enjoy is that the list of the ingredients used is on LUSH'S website. I am allergic to pretty much everything. I also use simple and organic makeup anyway because it really limits how much my skin will react too it. But there is such little worry when it comes to using my LUSH highlighter. Even though I already know that their product is not tested on animals and all their ingredients are bought from companies that also don't test on livestock, if I was even a little bit worried about what it contained, I could hop onto their website and look it up for myself.
Overall, I would highly recommend purchasing from LUSH, especially if you are in the market for some good, cruelty-free makeup.
A little P.S. - all their packaging is also recyclable and nothing comes in plastic!
Thank you for taking the time to read this post! I hope it has inspired you to make some changes in your life. Sometimes it hard and it takes time to actually change your old habits but in the long run, it can be really worth it.
If you want to pick up your very own LUSH highlight, click here.
*This post is sponsored but all opinions are my own
Months and Months ago, I did a blog post called 'What's in my bag?'. It was way back when I had first started blogging and I really enjoyed writing that post. But, But since then, many things have changed. I am now in the third year of my degree, therefore the contents of my bag have changed. I want to talk about a little emergency bag. Yes, that's right, a bag within a bag. Bag-ception, you could say. Anyway, I change my bag a lot. If I have to go to University and take my laptop, I will use my Longchamp bag but if I am only going into class for a few hours, I will use my little Fiorelli backpack. However, I have this trusty little bag, which will have all my essentials in. I can simply it out of one handbag and transfer it to the next. I will pretty much have everything I need.
So this week, I wanted to write about what is actually inside of it.
So let's get into it...
First off is my super cool Corgi pen. I do always carry a pen on me because you never know when you will need to write something down. However, this pen is actually new and I just wanted an excuse to show it off!
Coffee is super important to me, so why wouldn't I carry around a card that actually rewards me for my addiction? It's just common sense. By the way, I have been collecting points for a good few months now and I actually haven't earnt a free coffee. I am a little disappointed.
My headphones are a must-have. One of my favourite past times is listening to music. I get so excited when I find a new song that I love and I can listen to it when I walk. I used to just let them get tangled up at the bottom of the bag, but now I have this little emergency bag, I just let them get tangled up in there instead!
I am a lipgloss addict. I don't know if this is just me but I have to put lipgloss on in the morning or else my lips will be a dry, cracked mess later in the day. I will forever have lip balm on me. Carmex is one of my favourites because it's super strong and smells great, but I am partial to most other brands. I have a theory - okay full disclosure, this isn't just my theory. I think I must have heard it from somewhere years ago. However, basically, it is my thought that lip balm companies make their products addictive on purpose. Hear me out. My lips are always dry, so I have to keep applying lip balm. However, the more I use it, the more I need it. What if lip balm companies are creating the problem that they are marketing to solve? Does that make sense? Anyway, back to regular programming.
I am allergic to most things citrus. That's right. Lemon, orange, pineapple, literally anything with citrus in it. And do you know how many products secretly have a sprig of lemon juice or orange pulp in it? Spoiler: it's most things. Whenever I eat something that has those secret ingredients, I almost immediately break out in ulcers. So Bonjela has become a good friend to me over the years and I always carry some just in case.
Like many people, I like to smell nice, I'm pretty sure that is a common desire. Over the past three months, I have tried out a perfume subscription service. I had literally never heard of this before I started purchasing from Sniph Perfumes. But it was so simple and easy that I thought, why not?
So how does it work, you may ask?
So basically, you hop onto their website and select a category that you think fits what signature scent would suit you most. The basic offers are, Female Classic, Clean, Avant Garde, Work/Play and Aesthetic. I consider myself quite feminine (depending on my mood...), so I went for the Female Classics option. So, you sign up with the scent you would like and it will appear at your door once a month. When you order with Sniph, you will get a pocket-sized container of perfume and, what looks like, a little lipstick holder. But, wait! It isn't for lipstick. You put the little perfume bottle inside of it and when you turn, much like a lipstick, it pops up! Am I explaining this clearly or not? I have put photos below! I have always found that with other, more cheaply made perfumes, the bottle can break or just leak. And for someone who usually carries a bottle of perfume on them, it can really ruin a bag.
If you want to pick up your very own perfume subscription then you can, right here - Sniph!
Thank you so much for reading this post! To all my university students in third year, I hope you aren't too stressed. And to all my other readers, I hope everything is going perfectly for you too! Until next time...
*This is a sponsored post but all opinions are my own.
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