Something a little different from my guest, Henrietta Newell, this week. Henrietta  is a good friend of mine who has recently started a new family business venture – Sundog Clothing – and she has come along to tell you about it, so without further ado, it’s over to you, Henrietta.

Sundog Clothing

Introduction to a new British Organic brand

Henrietta Newell

Sundog Clothing was born when I made the chance discovery of my daughter’s sketchbook. I had gone to chat with Isabella, my daughter, and noticed a sketch on the open page of her book. She let me look through her drawings and I loved them! In the moment I saw them, I knew they were good enough to share.

(sketch – unedited)

Seeing the sketches made me feel joyful and inspired, reminding me that among all the routine in our daily lives, there is always creativity to be found. This belief reminded me how exciting that sense of wonder feels when you see something for the first time and my aim is to share that feeling with you.

The ubiquitous T-shirt was chosen as the canvas for Isabella’s drawings as they allow the design to be the principal feature. This decision to use the T-shirt as a showcase is very traditional and is really due to the fact that the T-shirt itself is a genius garment and explains it’s longevity since the 19th century when it was adapted from an existing garment to something more functional. It is a fortunate coincidence they are also fantastic to print on.

Following T-shirt tradition, cotton was the choice of fibre for Sundog Clothing products because it has fantastic qualities. Not only is it soft, absorbent and breathable, but there is evidence from 6000 BCE that cotton was grown and used in Pakistan and India, probably appreciated for the same reasons. Its enduring popularity and increasing production volumes are taking their toll on the environment which has earned cotton the unfair title of the ‘The World’s Dirtiest Crop’ in recent years.

Sundog Clothing do not want to be part of any disregard for the importance of the environment and also because irresponsible growing of cotton fibre goes hand in hand with poor labour standards and working conditions. We believe and stand for fairness and equality.

Sundog Clothing garments are sourced from a trusted supplier who embodies the ethos of Sundog Clothing; that clothing is responsibly sourced, fairly made, and from sustainable origins. Like us our suppliers continually endeavour to improve the impact made on our world. To do this meaningful and transparent, certifications are the best way to ensure that the processes from raw materials to finished product are made with the highest ethical standards at each stage. This way shoppers can feel confident that their garment has been made with care and consideration with all the best intentions for the purchaser and the planet. Our garments are certified by the Global Organic Textile Standard which is endorsed by the Soil Association and is the ‘Gold Standard’ of organic certification. The garment manufacturer also follows the The Fair Wear Foundation’s labour code who are audited annually against this by the Fair Wear Foundation.

Sundog Clothing celebrate creativity and we know ‘who made our clothes’ and ‘what our clothes are made of’ so that however a purchase is made, the buyer knows it’s genuinely ethically made.

~

Now that you know more about this eco friendly company Sundog Clothing , why not pop over to the website and browse their fabulous garments. 

Let’s find out a little more about the founder, Henrietta Newell.

About Henrietta Newell 

Henrietta Newell is the founder of Sundog Clothing, a British Organic brand selling exclusively designed printed T-shirts and sweatshirts established in late 2019.
Her love of fashion led her to a career in fashion working as a Garment Technologist which she still does freelance. The skills and experience she has built up has served her well in her latest venture.
Discovering her daughter’s brilliant sketches has taken Henrietta on a journey to starting her own ethical business and joining the change to slow, seasonless fashion as a way of bringing creative designs to the market in a responsible way.

Where you can find Henrietta on Social Media 

Website 

Facebook 

Instagram 

Twitter 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Congratulations to Anna Shenton on the publication of Don’t Go Back, Book 2 of the Sleep With One Eye Open novella series, and sequel to 76 Silver Street. I have Anna with me to tell you something about her new release.

Hello, I am delighted to have been invited as a guest to your lovely blog Patricia. It’s a real pleasure to be here and I thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.

The pleasure is all mine, Anna. Having read and loved, 76 Silver Street, I for one can’t wait to hear more about Don’t Go Back and I am looking forward to downloading it. For now though, it’s over to you.

Don’t Go Back is a Historical Romance set in the suburbs of Manchester 1906 – a scandalous tale of courage, secrets, passion, love, loss and lies. All the characters have played a wonderful part in this heart-breaking story and told me how they wanted it to be. They really did take over the page. A mix of tone in this story brings much empathy as well as a wide array of emotion.

Times were tough for some in those days and I wanted to portray this in the most fitting way. Set the scenes in great detail. Let readers experience how it was, smell the hotpot and fresh bloomer bread, shiver to keep warm by a paraffin stove, wash via a washstand, feel the damp lumpy mattresses etc. Research has played a huge part in creating this series, and I feel honoured to have learnt so much.

Below is an introduction to Don’t Go Back. I hope you enjoy reading and get a flavour to this wonderful story.

Introduction to Don’t Go Back

His heart broken, Dan, a wealthy textile factory owner, is determined to track Rosa down and bring her home to Gorton after she took off months ago without a word to anyone. He is shocked to discover Rosa has her own boarding house at 76 Silver Street in the next town and is soon to be wed to the ruffian Jack Howard, and is with child.

Dan’s housekeeper, Molly, is also desperate to find her long lost sister Rosa, who was dumped on their aunt’s doorstep at birth. Molly longs to tell Rosa how her mother always loved her and had no choice.

Molly agrees to help with Dan’s plan, and board at 76 Silver Street undercover, where many ruffians live, in hope of bringing Rosa back.

Molly’s heart aches when she sees her sick sister and nephew and doesn’t know how long she can keep her secret.

Now filled with fear, Dan rushes to Silver Street and wonders if he will ever regain Rosa’s heart and bring her and her baby back?

Or will Rosa stay in the rundown town Pembertown with Jack Howard?

~~~

Wow, thank you for that Anna. Well that’s wet our appetites I’m sure.

Links below to download Book 1 and 2 in the Sleep with One Eye Open series.

Links 

76 Silver Street 

Don’t Go Back

About Anna Shenton 

Anna Maria Shenton from Staffordshire, World Poetry Day Prize Winner 2015 at Vind & Vag Publishing House.

Her boys flown the nest, Anna took a home study course which led to publications in various  magazines, including Writer’s Forum. Anna’s flair to write continued into fiction where she enjoys creating many wonderful characters and story plots.  Family life experiences are her book of inspiration, often creeping into her stories. She independently published her debut novel, short story collection, writing for beginners and novella series.

Anna loves to write from home and in her caravan when enjoying travels with her husband.

Where to find Anna Shenton 

Facebook

Twitter 

Amazon Author Page 

Goodreads 

 

 

 

 

My guest today is not only a fellow writer but a very close friend. Suzi Bamblett has come along to talk about her writing. Without further ado let’s go over to Suzi. 

 

My Writing

Suzi Bamblett

I always wanted to write. From earliest memories, copying envelopes at my grandmother’s house to starting a novel at the beginning of each school holiday, the yearning has been there. At the age of thirteen, having exhausted the library’s stock of Agatha Christie, I was introduced to Daphne du Maurier.

I loved her dark Gothic tales, Jamaica Inn and Rebecca, her sense of the uncanny in The Birds and Don’t Look Now. I’m also a huge fan of the twist in the tale and rate John Irving, Sarah Waters and Diane Chamberlain among my favourite authors.

By the age of twenty-five I was married with three children under the age of four. Seven years of study with the Open University culminated in a PGCE, followed by twenty-three years teaching teenagers at a girls’ grammar school. I wrote creatively in school holidays and studied part-time with The Writers Bureau.

When my grandson came along, I realised ‘time to write’ was running out. The following year, after losing six members of my family in quick succession, I knew I had to make a change so I took early retirement and signed up for an MA with Brighton University. The Creative Writing course was wide and varied. I engaged with collaborative projects, enjoyed forays into screen writing and poetry and became ‘writer in residence’ with Tamba (now Twins Trust) I became a granny befriender and launched a project to create a memory quilt, each square representing the story of a child ‘gone too soon’.

I began my MA with three novels in various stages and ended it with six. During my dissertation I undertook a personal journey with Daphne du Maurier, culminating in an autoethnographical project, Coming to know a Writer. This work introduced a new method of writing, The Imagined Dialogue and I’ve submitted a chapter to an anthology of autoethnographic writing. I have plans to develop this into an autoethnographic novel, part memoir, part fiction, focussing on links between my own life and that of famous writers – Daphne du Maurier, Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle.

I meet fortnightly with my Friday Writing Group in Hove and regularly take part in National November Novel Writing Month. NANOWRIMO has enabled me to produce drafts of several novels over the years: Three Faced Doll, a psychological thriller about triplets; Prescient Spirit, an uncanny story about a ghost from the future; Pearl Seekers, a YA novel about a missing sister and a religious cult; The Changeling, a middle years’ fantasy. I also have a work in progress, an erotica novel, inspired by the sad and sudden death of my brother in 2019.

In 2020 I set myself the goal to independently publish my time-slip novel, The Travelling Philanthropist. An early extract from this novel, along with reflective commentary, featured in BrightONLINE, the online journal of literary criticism and creativity, Issue 7. To spur myself on. The cover has been designed for The Travelling Philanthropist and I hope to return to Patricia’s Pen when my book is launched.

~

Readers are in for a treat once Suzi Bamblett releases all of the above novels. And how about that quilt? Isn’t it amazing? Watch this space for Suzi to return later this year and tell us more about The Travelling Philanthropist. In the meantime, let’s find out a little more about her. 

About Suzi Bamblett

Suzi Bamblett graduated from Brighton University with a distinction for her MA in Creative Writing. Her Imagined Dialogue is featured on the Daphne du Maurier website. Suzi write psychological thrillers and suspense for YA and adults. Her poems and short stories have been published in three Brighton University Anthologies – Small Worlds (2014), Reflections (2015) and Resistance is Fertile (2018), and her short story, The Girl on the Swing, was published by Shooter Literary Magazine – Issue 11 Winter 2020 Supernatural. Besides writing, walking and generally ‘being creative’, Suzi is a proud mum, ‘hands on’ granny and bereavement befriender for Twins Trust.

Today I bring you a lovely poem from Dorian J. Sinnott, titled Star Seeds. Enjoy.

 

 

 

 

 

Star Seeds 

I count the dewdrops that collect in your hair,
painted pearls in auburn skies.
So long we’d waited for summer sun,
basking on the breath of blossoming light;
captured in silk spider webs.

Beneath the dogwood we sold our oath,
a fragile promise to the earth green.
And at nightfall we watch the stars,
making wishes on celestial rays;
an ode to kaleidoscoping cosmos.

Like roots we were sworn,
tied together by nature’s thread.
But under starfall we sever the tethers,
bidding farewell to the stratosphere;
freedom from gravity.

Born from comet dust and star seeds,
we plant our new universe.
Yet in our souls the Earth sings,
rejoicing in the garish sunlight;
baptized in solar flares.

Children of the soil,
Bearers of the stars.

You can find Dorian on Twitter.

News updates on ‘Patricia’s Pen’ but first…

Cover Reveal

… a cover reveal for my debut poetry pamphlet to be published by Hedgehog Poetry Press on 22nd July 2020.

 

Don’t you just love that cover? I know I do. And hopefully you’ll enjoy my collection of nature poetry which includes poems based on myth, folklore, and legend around trees. Watch this space to find out how you can order a copy. Signed copies will also be available.

 

On to other news

 

Unfortunately over the last few weeks I’ve been suffering from burnout. I imagine this is a problem for many other writers who blog, edit, tutor etc. Just not enough hours in the day. I am therefore making some small changes to Patricia’s Pen, albeit they may just be temporary, but the idea is to allow me time to write.

The proposed changes  

From September 2020 the Tuesday Guest Feature will no longer be every week but once a month, although there may be ad hoc features.

Accepted stories and poems from the Sunday Writing Challenge  will also be published once a month after this week – this will mean each fortnight from September there will be a Tuesday Guest Feature or a writer’s poem/story published on a fortnightly basis.

The Sunday Writing Challenge will continue so please keep sending in your high quality stories or poems to ‘Patricia’s Pen’ but please read the FULL GUIDELINES  before submitting via the online form.

 

In Other News

 

 

It is the Indie Festival 13th – 20th June 2020 and there are lots of Question and Answer Panels happening. To see all of the events and watch the Question and Answer Panels you need to join this Facebook Page 

I shall be part of a Question and Answer Panel ‘The Pros and Cons’ of Indie Publishing’ 

This will be happening on Saturday 20th June 2020 at 2pm so I hope you’ll come along.

Indie Festival 2020 

And don’t miss out on the other wonderful activities and events. Don’t forget to join the Facebook page using the above link.

Everything is happening virtually so you can stay safe in your own home.

One more thing before I sign off

 

I plan to set up a newsletter in the near future and hope you’ll sign up. Subscribers will be offered something special. I’ve still to work out the finer details. I hope you’ll join me though.

Keep safe everyone and I hope you’ll stick with me and ‘Patricia’s Pen’. 

My guest today is fellow Swanwick writer, Lance Greenfield. Lance has come along to ‘Patricia’s Pen’ to talk about his writing. Without further ado, it’s over to Lance.

My Writing 

Lance Greenfield 

I was once asked if I used any particular methodology to inspire my creativeness and get my thoughts in order. After a moment’s thought, I replied, ‘Yes: TIM-B and TOM-B.’ When an explanation was demanded, I explained how I think relaxing in my bath at the end of the day and on my bike as I cycle home.

These days, my methodology has evolved into TAIR: ‘think as I run.’ With remnants of my dreams whirring around inside my head, I put on my shorts, shirt and trainers and take to the road. I establish a good rhythm of movement and breathing and fall into my own version of meditation to clear my mind. My thoughts soon align. I drop some ideas and add more. Before I shower, I write a few brief notes and store them for future use. Sometimes it may be months before I revisit them.

I try to write at least 500 words every day and write anything at all even if it seems complete rubbish. I store everything.

My two published novels are in the inspirational fiction genre. They are both based on true stories of children who achieved remarkable things, despite obstacles that were placed in their paths.

The first, Eleven Miles, is based on a Batswana girl who walked eleven miles every day to gain an education which became her passport out of a life with poor prospects. The lady who inspired that story is now a good friend and runs her own business in England. My fictional girl achieves something even more remarkable and gives much back to her community.

The second, Knitting Can Walk!, is based on an orphan in Hong Kong who is told by doctors that she will never walk due to a congenital hip displacement. A British teenager observed her determination to walk and believes that she really could walk. He develops a severe dose of teen anger, thinking that the doctors are just saying that because she is an orphan and there is no money. He walks around with her for two years until, one amazing day, she takes three steps unsupported. She is now a grown woman walking with sticks. The back stories form the meat of the novel. Reviewers have commented that the seventies spirit of Hong Kong is captured perfectly in this book.

As a prelude to my two independent published novels, I created an anthology of five erotica stories to test the indie-publishing process to ensure I’d get it right when it came to my major projects. Not expecting to sell any copies, I was pleasantly surprised to sell over 250 in the first week. My anthology, When Pleasure Blooms is under my nom de plume, Auridius O’Conner, which is an appropriate anagram. See if you can work it out.

Other than my two novels, I enjoy writing poetry and I am told by people who should know, that I have a natural flow. I was chuffed to have one of my poems, Flutter Back, chosen as the subject of Alison Chisholm’s two-page monthly workshop in Writing Magazine in July 2019. I still can’t quite believe that happened as, although I have written poems at poignant times in my life, I had never shared a single one until I attended Swanwick Writers’ Summer School in 2016. When I was eight years old, my English teacher had convinced me that my attempts at poetry were awful. Real poets at Swanwick convinced me that the contrary is true. I shall continue to TAIR and to write anything that comes into my mind. Some of it may even be published.

About Lance Greenfield  

Lance Greenfield Mitchell lives in Andover, Hampshire. His father was from Yorkshire and his mother from the Highlands of Scotland. He has visited about eighty countries in his life and loves to immerse himself in different languages, cuisines and cultures as he travels.
He attended ten schools, the last of which was HMS Conway, a Naval school in North Wales.
He was in the military for 22 years, Royal Navy and Army (Royal Engineers) before going into information technology as a second career. Until recently, he was VP of an international software company. He is now an Ocado delivery driver.
He got into writing by submitting reviews as part of the BBC RAW (Read and Write) campaign a few years ago. There was huge enthusiasm for my reviews, so he resolved to post a review for every book that he reads.

His all-time favourite book of any genre has to be “Skallagrigg” by William Horwood.

~

Social Media Links

Blog Write to Inspire

Facebook

Linked-In

Twitter

Links to purchase books 

Via Amazon on Kindle 

Eleven Miles 

Knitting Can Walk!

When Pleasure Blooms – Five Erotica Short Stories 

Via Lulu in Paperback 

Eleven Miles 

Knitting Can Walk! 

When Pleasure Blooms – Five Erotica Short Stories 

This week Poet, Viv Parks, (also  known as Gerry.du) returns to ‘Patricia’s Pen’ with her lovely poem titled Set-Aside.

Set-Aside – Viv Parks

Tufts of grass at the edge of the field
grow thickly undisturbed.

Weed killer sprays passed
them by, their growth not stunted
by insecticide.

The combine harvester did not behead
them nor were they crushed under heavy machinery
they are spared to seed and regenerate.

Growing strongly they interweave
tough sedge roots tangled with rye grass
alongside nodding heads of escaped golden corn.

Strong grasses intermingle delicate wild flowers,
red cuckoo spittle, clash against pink ragged robin,
chickweed so blue, all create a wonderful view.

The delicate understory shaded by tall cow parsley
swaying among majestic towers of thistles dark
and thorny contrasting the lower paler soft cow thistle.

Summer mornings reveal beads of dew glistening on cobwebs,
winter covers with diamonds of sparkling frost,
both disguising their deadly purpose.

Dried tufts become raw materials
as birds flock to build nests deep within the hedge,
home for their young until strong enough to fledge.

Spring and summer nectar feed bees,
essential for the survival of crops
needed to feed the human race.

Autumn seed heads stand proud,
inviting birds to feed and scatter
their seeds around. Once ingested
and upon the wing
deposited on distant ground.

Deep within the hummocks tiny dormice play and feed
before curling up to hibernate, avoiding cold winter days,
sleeping safely protected from winter’s deepest freeze.

These precious set-asides are virtually all that now remain
of our ancient meadows allowing them to beautifully frame
the stolen acres where sterile fields of rape and linseed grow.

N.B Definitions from Viv Parks (Gerry.du) 

Red cuckoo spittle – A bright red plant often found in hedgerows. It has lots of small red beads clustered up its short thick upright stem. It is almost always covered in a white froth substance.

Pink Ragged Robin – The plant – which I have always known as Ragged Robin has taller flimsy stems and fluted edged pink flowers.

Thank you, Viv Parks (Gerry.du), for your lovely poem with wonderful imagery. 

Picture from Pixabay 

Submissions are still open to ‘Patricia’s Pen’ for upbeat good quality writing. Please READ FULL guidelines on the following link and submit via the online form.

https://patriciamosbornewriter.com/a-story-in-less-than-a-hundred-words-challenge/

I am really thankful to my local newspaper Crawley Observer for featuring a piece about me and The Coal Miner’s Son. Why not pop over on this link and take a read.

You can purchase paperbacks of House of Grace and The Coal Miner’s Son via Amazon, order from all good bookstores, or purchase direct from me.

House of Grace Amazon

The Coal Miner’s Son Amazon

To order from bookstores quote ISBN numbers

House of Grace – ISBN 9780995710702

The Coal Miner’s Son – ISBN 9780995710719

To find out more details about ordering a paperback at a discounted price plus p&p (UK Only) 

email: patricia.m.osbornewriter@gmail.com

or use the contact form via this site.

Both titles are FREE to Download with Kindle Unlimited using the above Amazon links.

 

 

Today I am pleased to welcome author, Martin Lott. Like myself, Martin spent time growing up in the small village of Horley in Surrey, and it was through Facebook Memories of Horley that I first discovered his work. Martin has come along today to talk about his writing so without further ado, over to him.

 Writing and Music

Martin Lott

I have always been an avid reader and writer. I wrote my first book (albeit a short one!) at the tender age of seven.

I am driven by an almost restless need to be creative and in doing so, have two outlets: writing and music. More on the music later…

It probably helps that I have a genuine passion for language, and in particular the written word. I try to find different ways to describe the ordinary. I cannot draw so aim to paint pictures with words, e.g. clouds infused with gloom scatter like shredded angels; a crimson tide of poppies swayed and bled into the fields; buttercups shimmering like planted sunshine.

Throughout school, my English teachers hoped I’d secure employment as a writer in some capacity, possibly as a journalist. In the event, I spent ten years working in local government before emigrating (temporarily) to Australia. I then juggled working in a restaurant with songwriting and working on manuscripts which eventually became The Witchetty Men and Ethereal Wood. I even attempted a script for a play – The Condemned.

I tried to obtain a traditional publishing deal, but to no avail.
Fast-forward several years. I met Scottish author Gordon Brown (whose work includes the Craig McIntyre series) in a bar in Jávea, Spain. At the time, I didn’t know who he was, but we struck up a conversation over a couple of beers. He inspired me. Thank you, Gordon.

I now have a cottage industry. My son and daughter have helped me to type, edit, and proofread The Witchetty Men and Ethereal Wood, now available on Amazon. Both books are stand-alone fantasy adventures, and have sold modestly but steadily, and for this I am truly grateful.

As I don’t have an agent or a publicist, I promote them as best I can via social media and the local press. I even did a leaflet drop in an attempt to boost publicity.
My work-in-progress novel is titled Aldred, and explores some dark themes, pushes boundaries, and asks questions which do not always have answers. It possesses a haunting, fragile beauty with contradictions and contrasts. I like plot twists, so it will have plenty.

My approach to writing is to firstly be absolutely certain that I have a worthwhile story to be told. Then I need to be certain that I can tell it. I always have the beginning and ending written. The hardest part is filling in the gaps! I tend to find that my characters suggest or create their own situations and scenarios. Like a complex game of chess where the pieces come to life. Sometimes I write in a flurry, other times at a more measured pace. Whichever works best at the time is right.
I am old-fashioned, so I write everything longhand. I have a story plan, and a separate notebook in which I add ideas, plots, phrases, or just a particular word which appeals to me. Not all are used, but I would rather have too much than too little.

I don’t write with a target readership in mind. Perhaps I should, but really I write for myself, with the hope that others may enjoy what I do.

Songwriting is my other creative outlet, and occupies a similar space in my head to book writing. The two are different, but they don’t feel that different to me. I have written about 250 songs, as well as composing music for theatre.

My play The Condemned eventually made the quantum leap from page to stage when it was performed at the Courtyard Theatre in London last year.

Many thanks for your kind invitation to be Tuesday Guest, Patricia.

Thank you, Martin, for coming along today and sharing those details about your writing and music. How wonderful to have seen your script come to life and performed in London. ‘Aldred’ sounds fascinating. I hope you’ll return to ‘Patricia’s Pen’ once it’s ready for publication. 

~

About Martin Lott

Martin grew up in Horley, Surrey. He lived in Perth, Western Australia for a few years and now lives in Littlehampton with his family and cat. He works as a payroll officer for a local NHS trust.

Martin enjoys travelling and has a particular affinity with Australia (his eldest daughter lives in Brisbane) and Spain.

In addition to writing and songwriting, he is attempting to learn Spanish whilst re-learning French.

You can purchase Martin’s books via the following links 

Ethereal Wood

The Witchetty Man

This week’s writing challenger is Connor Orrico. Connor has sent in his beautiful poem, Harmony. You can find Connor on Twitter.

Harmony

Kissed by ambient chords
and promises of peace,
an ache embraces me.

Music not always cures
but often helps to sleep;
I wake with worthy dreams

for hope to make a home:
internal harmony.

Connor Orrico

~

 

Picture from Pixabay