SueJEaton

Day 1
This is Day 1 of my diary, and not, as someone will surely, remind to me, Day 1 of the drama that is going on around the world.
I don’t get out much. You may big ah if you like – okay then.

My joints have long outlived my brain function and decided eons ago that they’ve had enough of my overly active lifestyle. Over the years my knees and shoulders took the brunt of falls from horses, out of trees, exuberant children and energetic folk dancing on a Saturday night. They now complain painfully when I try to walk more than a few feet, so it’s taken a little while for me to realise the effect of this social isolation the younger folk find themselves in. Mostly, it’s been just like a normal week for me apart from more than usual phone calls. Thank you, everyone I do appreciate our chats.
That said, I normally attend my local church on a Sunday morning, so today is the day the effects of social isolation kicked in. Instead of going out I watched a virtual service with two dogs at my feet and a cat snoring in front of the screen. And, if it’s not too much information, I was not struck down by a bolt of lightning for being in my nightie, so I shall do that again.
I have a plan. It’s no different from last year. I shall be growing my own veg in my adapted garden in order to have enough to eat when the apocalypse does arrive. I intend to intersperse the gardening with writing in order to give my joints a rest when they complain, hopefully, ensuring a productive day and a relaxed attitude to what the virus intends for my age group.

Live long and prosper, folks

Christmas is a religious festival I know; the clue is in the name. However, whatever we believe in, how many of us enjoy a good ghost story when the nights turn cold and dark?

It’s the best excuse ever for curling up near a warm body – or fire if you’re not so lucky to have a spare body to hand, lights low and a favourite drink to hand.

If you fancy a change from the old much-loved but well read tales it’s time to try something new. Something for the twenty-first century, perhaps.

Okay, so I tend to favour the seventeenth century and will be heading there, no doubt in December but I have been lucky enough to have been allowed to read some of the newest and most exciting ghost stories submitted to Corona Books this year. The result being The Corona Book of Ghost Stories.

If you like ghost stories, or know a man/woman/person who does, why not treat them to a copy for Christmas? Books are so easy to wrap! What are you waiting for?

https://getbookat/CoronaGhostStories

If you want to know more why not come and meet me at the UK Ghost Stories Festival in Derby. The festival is on Nov 29th/30th/Dec 1st.

I shall be on the panel helping you to develop your ghost story on Nov 30th and Corona Books will be discussing editing on Dec 1st.

Check out Deryn’s story. http://www.coronabooks.com http://www.amazon.co.uk

See what happens should you find a strange box on your window sill.

The Toy Shop by Sue Eaton

The TASC Band by Sue Eaton

Have you ever wondered about the origins of Halloween?

Samhain is a ancient festival marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. Traditionally, it is celebrated from 31 October to 1 November, which is roughly halfway between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice.
Samhain is believed to have Celtic pagan origins and there is evidence it has been an important date since ancient times.  It was the time when cattle were brought back down from the summer pastures and when livestock were slaughtered for the winter. Special bonfires were lit with protective and cleansing powers providing the rituals involving them were followed.

Samhain was seen as a liminal time, when the boundary between this world and the Otherworld could more easily be crossed.  The souls of the dead were also thought to revisit their homes. Feasts were had, at which the souls of dead kin were invited to attend and a place set at the table for them. Ghosts and ghostly tales abound at this time of the year.

Mumming and guising were part of the festival, and involved people going door-to-door in costume (or in disguise), often reciting rhymes in exchange for treats. Rituals and games were also a big part of the festival and often involved nuts and apples, plentiful at this time of the year.

The Christian Church put a new spin on the idea as a means to remember the dead, both those who achieved sainthood (November 1st) and mere mortals (November 2nd). The evening before the religious festival, October 31st was known as All Hallow’s Even. This gradually became shortened to Halloween.

Do you recognise any of this?

If you fancy a good fright this Halloween why not try one or all of the books below. You won’t be disappointed.

See what happens should you find a strange box on your window sill.

The Toy Shop by Sue Eaton

➡️http://getbook.at/CoronaHorror3
➡️http://getbook.at/CoronaGhostStories
http://www.coronabooks.com

Autumn has arrived with a vengeance. The temperature drops in the late afternoon and the nights are long and dark. It’s time to get the season’s reading organised.

Two fabulously creepy books to chill the blood as you curl up by the fire, lights low and a potion of what you fancy at your elbow.

These books were created from selecting the best of over 800 well crafted stories and published for your enjoyment.

What are you waiting for? Publication date for both is October 1st. Only 4 more sleeps!

https://getbookat/CoronaHorror3

https://getbookat/CoronaGhostStories

When you’ve enjoyed these, and if you haven’t already, try other titles from Corona Books.

See what happens should you find a strange box on your window sill.

The Toy Shop by Sue Eaton

The TASC Band by Sue Eaton

Check out Deryn’s story. http://www.coronabooks.com http://www.amazon.co.uk

I’ve been a bit on the busy side recently. Corona Books put out a call for horror stories back in the spring and I offered to help read some of the submissions.

I told a friend about this and she asked if reading so many stories in a given time frame took the shine off reading.

824 stories comprising of 3,000,000 words later I have an answer for her. No, it doesn’t. I still love reading. The reason being, the stories were brilliant and I really enjoyed being part of the procedure. It was just a shame there wasn’t room for them all.

After all the reading, re-reading, discussion, re-reading and yet more discussion it was decided that instead of the one horror story anthology there was enough material for a book of ghost stories as well.

So, for your delight on a dark winter’s evening, put out the lights, light a candle and curl up with these –

 When you have enjoyed these try others from Corona Books.

See what happens should you find a strange box on your window sill.

The Toy Shop by Sue Eaton

The TASC Band by Sue Eaton

Check out Deryn’s story. http://www.coronabooks.com http://www.amazon.co.uk

http://www.coronabooks.com

Have you ever wondered where narrow, dark alleyways in your hometown might lead? James Brogden follows them in his novel ‘The Narrows’. The blurb on the back cover tells us that Andy Sumner lives a perfectly conventional life until a chance encounter with a wounded and pursued Bex, one of a society of misfits who live in the Narrows, leads him into another world. In this world the laws of time and space are malleable.
The Narrows are closing and it’s up to Andy and Bex to find out why. I’m saying no more for fear of spoiling the book. If you want to know what happens then read it. Its twists and turns are fast paced and will grip you to the end. For a first novel this is well crafted with believable characters. A sort of grounded fantasy, if you will.

2: Clean the dog hairs out of the car.

My daughter has two dogs both of which moult like there’s a serious attack of global warming. She has also borrowed my car quite a bit lately and so the back seat was covered in what I was about to say was loose hair.
It was so not loose. It might have been loose from a dog, but it was stuck to the seat, and the blanket that’s supposed to catch it. The dogs tend to runckle that up and get underneath it. It sticks to the carpet and anyone who cares to give them attention.

It gets up the nose and into your mouth if you dare to open it to speak to anyone. If you attempt to sweep it, it just flies about looking for a new place to settle, preferably ever so slightly out of reach of the vacuum nozzle.

Perhaps you think it a tad silly of me to try and clear the dog hairs out of the car while I was looking after my son’s dog. She was a very old, sturdy little staffie who expected to be picked up and put in the car. I thought I was safe.

It’s amazing what a dog can do if a dog is determined and you’re ignoring her!

Unfortunately, she died a few days after this picture was taken.

She went to sleep in her own bed and just didn’t wake up. She was a little sweetheart and very loving.

R.I.P. Lola