A fabulous free service for reading groups meeting within Warwickshire, or its neighbouring counties. There’s over 300 titles to choose from – including mine!!! How lovely is that! I was thrilled to bits to discover Warwickshire libraries have been kind enough to include my last book ‘Retreat to the Lakeside Cottage’ - have you seen whose company I’m keeping? I’m honoured!

How to Join

• Call into your local Warwickshire County Council managed library. 
• Bring ID with you – your own library card is sufficient.
• One person from your group needs to be the named contact.
• You’ll need an email address so we can contact you.
• The library ticket will be given to the named contact, who will be responsible for requesting your books each month.

 
How to Request and Collect 

• Only registered groups can place requests on Reading Group Collection books.
• Request your books one week before your meeting.
• Please request Reading Group Collection copies only and check that there are enough copies available for your group before placing the request.
• Try to request the total number of copies you require before leaving the page.  Place one request for each book e.g 7 requests for 7 books.
• If you need to request further copies, please sign out of your account before returning to the page (sign in again when you request). 
• Your request will be processed and sent for collection, from the library of your choice.
• We will contact you when your books are ready for collection. Please contact the library if you have not heard from us within working 7 days.  

 
How to Return
You can return your reading group box at any time during library opening hours. Please return items on time so that other groups can borrow them. 

Since the Covid pandemic, many organisations have started to schedule virtual events enabling a wider audience to participate on-line. I’ve attended numerous events organised by Jane Austen’s house in Chawton and last night was able to view the latest exhibition called ‘Jane Austen and the art of writing’. 

It was an hour long talk for the price of £6.50 – which I think is a bargain. At one point an audience of 60 people, from across the globe, were connected and listening to the talk – which was certainly informative and entertaining. 

The curator led us step by step through the latest exhibition, explaining each item in detail and sharing the relevance to Austen’s work. We saw booklets of paper that Austen used for her hand-written manuscripts, additional pages pinned inside as a means of editing her draft but the piece de résistance for me was the first editions of all six of her books displayed together – something for me to look forward to seeing on my next real-life visit. 
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In addition to the treasured objects shown, it’s the snippets of information, the insight into Austen’s home and ultimately, her imagination that fascinates me. There’s numerous events comping up and many more planned for next year,

Jane Austen's House link: janeaustens.house/visit/whats-on/

My NaNoWriMo 2024 continues at a steady pace this year, I have kept to my original plan. Though the end is in sight once day 20 has arrived! This is the section of NaNoWriMo that is my second favourite phase, the first being the initial start. I've had another day where the words didn't flow which I put down to being tired on that day. I simply stuck at it and finally, I reached my daily goal. Such things happen now and then, usually caused by other factors - I've learnt to live with those days. Plus, reaching the deadline feels even sweeter!

20th - 1711 words
21st - 1719 words (37,643 words so far)
22nd - 2081 words
​23rd - 1783 words
​24th - 1711 words
25th - 1703 words
26th - 1721 words (46,642 words so far)
27th - 1716 words 
28th - 1732 words (50,090 - goal!)
29th - 1764 words
​30th - 1806 words (51,896 month total)

​I'm delighted to have finished this year's NaNoWriMo though my current project isn't quite complete so I'll continue to write for a few more weeks. I'm hoping this current project is complete by the end of January 2025!

I’m sure you don’t need to hear yet another explanation this week, but if you’re wondering where I am – I’m here! Sharing my writing journey, publication updates, reading books, jogging sessions, quotes and daily inspirations!

Twitter: @ErinGreenAuthor
Instagram: @Erin_Green_Author
BlueSky: @eringreenauthor.bsky.social
Threads: erin_green_author
​Facebook: Erin Green Author (www.facebook.com/ErinGreenAuthor/) 
 ​

Two years ago today, I had one of my darkest days. I’d struggled throughout 2022 with health issues, exacerbated by a prescription error which caused additional problems. That morning, I’d been advised to decrease my social interactions in order to lessen the chance of contracting covid as my surgery was imminent, within seven weeks. I remember sitting in the armchair with the weight of the world on my shoulders - not knowing how I was going to cope. I forced myself to venture into town to make a start buying essentials for my self-imposed lockdown. The world didn’t feel good that day. Apart from one moment of sunshine that occurred late in the day, it was a tempestuous day.
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Today, I can’t believe how much has changed since then. Good health is restored, ill effects have been treated, on-going tests and monitoring are complete and life is much brighter. It seems hard to believe that time passes so quickly - a simple reminder to always seek out the glimmers of sunshine, even on the darkest of days. ​

We're near to the half way mark and so far, so good for this years NaNoWriMo. I've paced myself this year by aiming for 1700 words per day to experience a more balance approach towards the annual challenge. Previous years, I've written each day as the flow has taken me and the knock-on effect has been some staggeringly high word counts but depleted enjoyment - this year I was aiming to address that. Thankfully, the past fortnight has been a joy. I've only had one day so far where it felt like pulling teeth but I persevered and reached my daily count. Every other day the words have simply flowed and my sense of achievement has followed.

​12th - 1701 words
13th - 1709 words                            
14th - 1702 words
15th - 1707 words (total so far: 27,154 words)
16th - 1923 words
17th - 1707 words
18th - 1726 words
19th - 1703 words (34,213 words so far)

I'm asked each year how I organise my daily word count for NaNo? Is it my only writing project? Are the words created in one sitting? Do I work late into the night? Answers are: no, no and no.

This year, I have a NaNoWriMo project which all 50,000 brand-new words will belong to, but I have a second manuscript that is nearing completion. I work on my NaNo project during several slots each day. This morning I've written 906 NaNo words before ten o'clock then reverted to my other project for a couple of hours. I'll return to NaNo later in the day to complete my 1700 daily word goal. If I go over my daily goal, then fine - it's a bonus day but I don't aim to. I can't work late into the night on NaNo as midnight naturally closes each day. Apart from the initial opening and closing nights of the annual challenge, I don't write into the early hours of any day - its not necessary. ​Note: blog words don't count for my NaNo total.

4th -  2746 words                                                    8th - 1832 words (total so far: 15,159)                   
5th -  1710 words    (total so far: 9,919)                  9th - 1702 words
6th -  1703 words                                                    10th - 1711 words
​7th -  1705 words                                                     11th - 1763 words (total so far: 20,335)

The church clock has struck midnight and so NaNoWriMo begins! I’ll be writing for the next hour to kick start my annual challenge to write 50,000 words during the 30 days of November.

​As always, I’ll be honest about my progress by regularly sharing my graphs. Fingers crossed, I can get the first two weeks under my belt without life throwing me a curve ball. Though something always occurs so I'll expect the unexpected!

​Happy writing!

Week 1:
1st - 1706 words
2nd - 2054 words
​3rd - 1703 words (writing was like pulling teeth today - slow slog!)