Tag: story

Revisiting The 5am Club

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In my 2018 post entitled Just Start – Waking up for Success! I spoke about how I was attempting to change my daily routine by waking up earlier and ensuring I spent the time on those things most important to me (i.e. novel writing, dearest dreams of the heart, etc.) prior to the demands of the day sweeping what precious little time I had away via the petitions of others people’s whims, i.e. the daily job.

It’s currently 5:08 am as I type this draft and I cannot help but reflect that a lot has changed since I wrote that post. Not only have we moved, but I’ve since packed in working the 9-5 with writing on the side and have taken my freelancing business full time; offering services such as article writing, beta reading, copy editing, and of course my pièce de résistance, being an authors assistant. My health and well being have vastly improved and with every new day, I am a few steps closer to achieving my goal of becoming a published author (I’m not counting ghost-writing and pen names).Read More »

Introducing My Baby Boy

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As you can probably guess I’ve been absent from the blogosphere for a while, mainly due to being rather poorly during my pregnancy. It’s not been an easy ride by far with issues from start to finish; including having a negative blood type, to having hyperemesis gravidarum that lasted 35 weeks, threatening miscarriage, a dislodge pelvis and finally preeclampsia.

And let’s not even speak about all the other delights that go along with being pregnant in general such as extreme fatigue and the fact that your get up and go has got up and gone.

So no – I have not been my usual productive self, and my writing has suffered for it.

But it is all worth it. I know its cliche but it’s true. Having a baby is by far and without doubt the best thing I have ever done. And I cannot express my thankfulness to my darling husband for helping me to bring our little miracle into the world.Read More »

The teacher that told me ‘no’!

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I’d like to think I am not the sort of person to hold a grudge but even I must confess to not always being a saint about this. In fact, there is a grudge I have been holding on to – for over 16 years now…

But in many ways, this grudge is a good thing. It has fuelled me through hard times and given me enough determination to overcome obstacles and fight the battle for my dreams.

Back when I was just 12 years old I used to take support classes for my dyslexia. Now here’s the confession no writer ever wants to make – my thirteenth birthday was coming up and I still could not read or write!Read More »

Winning

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With all the daily bustle and grind we put ourselves through; the thankless tasks, the hardships no one else sees, the constant nagging feeling of having something else to do…it can be hard to focus when life gets busy or rush. But when we have an overwhelmingly long list of tasks and commitments, we must also remember to take a little time to stop and celebrate the wins in life.

Admit it! How often do you throw your hands up in the air, jump up and down and scream at the top of your lungs ‘I got the kids to bed on time!‘. Probably never. And though this might be partly due to not wanting to wake said children up again, its because you probably also think it’s not an accomplishment worth shouting about. And I’m here to tell you it is!Read More »

The Most Dangerous Writing App – A Review

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A few years ago I was introduced to the concept of speed writing, whereby you set a timer for five minutes and just write. This is a great idea for when you are low on time, stuck or procrastinating on a project as it gets you moving. It is also proven to keep you going, as studies have shown that just doing five minutes of a task will get us in the ‘flow’ of doing and we will be more likely to continue until the task is done.

Back when I heard about this five-minute method I also heard about an application that forced a writer to write, by threatening to delete their current progress should they stop typing for more than five seconds. Scary I know.

Unfortunately, I forgot what the website was called and never did find it. Alas, though I liked the concept as a motivation tool I was never able to give it ago.

That was until last night.Read More »

The Rise to Brigandry

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Part 4 of The Masked Lady

By Lauren Xena Campbell

Source: The Rise To Brigandry 

From the privy daybooke of Lady Lisabeth Ainsley Drake, Spinster and secrete Highwaywomen.

Entry the first

It is dreadfully cold in the night. But then at night it always is. Even shrouded in the warmth of a cloak, sitting in the ambiance of a roaring fire I feel the chill. It seems that no matter how much time should pass, the night’s never-ending freeze will not cease to claim me. And I find it hard to forget~Read More »

The Signet of Justice

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Part 3 of The Masked Lady

By Lauren Xena Campbell

Source: The Signet of Justice

Lightening illuminated the stain glass of the cathedral windows, burning the air with unease. The choir boys began to hum sweetly, their voices toned with harsh discipline, howling out for mercy from their Lord, still unhearing. I wept also, though I did so with tears and no nice voice.

This was the day of my marriage to Lord Ambrose. A day darker and more miserable then any other before and yet it was true. I stood at the alter under the watch of God to pronounce eternal love and allegiance to the only man whom I have ever truly reviled. I waited in his shadow as the good Father announced us man and wife.

All the spirit left me; there was no future now, only never-ending dusk.Read More »

The Man Behind The Mask

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Part 2 of The Masked Lady 

By Lauren Xena Campbell

Source: The man behind the mask

It is a curious thing, meeting a stranger, not knowing how much there is to discover of their character, what lies behind their façade. It is true that when this happens, it is in our nature to search for the knowledge and understandings that lies hidden from us. Such a sensation became me when I met Lionel Freedman.Read More »

Stand and Deliver

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Part 1 of The Masked Lady 

By Lauren Xena Campbell

Source: Stand and Deliver

When my Mother first told me the legend of the un-catchable highwayman I thought her bedlam. All this talk of a dashing rogue dressed with a half-mask, cloaked in deep cerulean, carrying naught but a pistol and a short sword! Ridiculous! Everyone knows that no man can out-ride the royal guard. And yet here we have stories of an ashen horse faster then lighting and a rider more cunning then even the devil. Naturally I would doubt such an account; to me it was just another childish fairytale that my Mother had tried to impress me with. No doubt another one of her silly schemes to try to convince me to wed. Mine being such a fiery compassion I swore never to believe her accounts, nor did I or would I ever have any such desire to wed, neither for protection, profit nor anyone’s pleasure but my own. And this I vowed.Read More »