An exciting announcement and more antics!

 Announcement: 

Since being accepted into the Castle Priory Press family, I've been busy editing my book and the news of my signing is now official!

Blog post:

Treadmill, trolley and trifle!

I decided that I wanted to get a new treadmill as I didn't like the one that I had and passed that to a friend instead. The handle bar thing made my arms hurt and I decided to go for one without. 

It arrived and it was lovely - white, and, just as I wanted there was no bar. However, this made trying to get on it an interesting experience. It took me a good five minutes with someone else having to go on it first to show me HOW in order for me to manage to copy what they did. Oh how we laughed!

I'm happy to report now that I am able to get on (and off) of it without assistance of supervision!

On the very same day, I took my Mum shopping in the afternoon to a nearby supermarket and, unfortunately the wheel of her trolley caught in a drain cover and tipped her trolley over. SOMEHOW, a glass bottle of olive oil survived, but a trifle burst through its cellophane and went all over the bag - and my coat as I was picking it all up for her.

As I had been walking with my trolley ahead of her, initially all I heard was the crash. I spun round quickly to check she wasn't injured and dashed over to her seeing her moving her knee out of the way and the trolley/contents on the floor.

After realising she was Ok, I suddenly went "My trolley!" I had literally abandoned it on the spot. Thankfully, despite a slight hill, it had come to a stop by a bollard in the car park less than a metre where I left it and NOT into a car - phew!

We had to see the funny side of it all as it was one of those situations. They managed to eat the trifle (well was was left in the pot) and I took her back last week to get another one that remained intact and had more custard as that was what had mainly leaked out.

Just to say...

 

 I'll be back on Tuesday 16th April with these posts:  

                                            * Treadmill, trolley and trifle!

In the meantime - HAPPY EASTER!

When the title...says too much!

 TV titles issue...

Here's another thoughts on TV  post!

Spoilers involved...

Recently, I have watched two shows where the titles gave away what was going to happen before even watching! What's the point of that?

The first: Too Good To Be True was just that and the second, Love Rat meant that I guessed - even though obvious - what was about to happen and then, by the end of episode 3, had a feeling that there was going to be a twist and make the title have two purposes - which it did. Not only was the woman fooled by the man that she though was wooing her, but her ex turned out to be a rat too.

With my own writing, I spend a long time thinking of a careful and suitable title. Yes, these seem to have done the opposite -  a quick 'does what is says on the tin' and that's that. I decided to avoid this week's offering Coma (despite having enjoyed these two shows at times for various reasons - casting choices, filming locations...adverts - aka not a whole hour of viewing - and other such reasons). Plus, I saw an advert for what happens that didn't just spell it out, it SHOWED it. So, what's the point?!

Thoughts...?

The investigation continues...

 Still searching for clues!

As the investigations are still ongoing at my friend X and I's spot of curiosity, there isn't a huge amount to update this week. Partly as it's been too muddy to take her white dog with us (you will see the relevance of this in a post another day) so I will leave this as an open mystery for now. Plus, she still has the photographic evidence of what we first found last week...now, potentially, backed up by further finds this week but this is tbc!

Meanwhile, it was NOT a good day for us with regards to the dogs of other people as EVERY dog that we walked by was not happy to see us and barked, a lot! Thankfully though, we didn't get eaten alive when two, rather larger, Rottweilers that had barked on our way down the lane - when safely behind their gate - were no longer behind a gate as their owner had opened them, about to get in her vehicle. Miraculously, the two dogs stood there, as we VERY carefully walked past.

Whilst, at the weekend, I had a future post (titled: treadmill, trolley and trifle) land in my lap with the events of the day so keep your eyes peeled for this.

When the TV tells the tale better...

The Marlow Murder Club - By Robert Thorogood

          

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the novel The Ex-Wife by Jess Ryder being adapted for TV and how I thought it had spoilt some of the elements of the book. Today, I am going to take the opposite view...

Last week, I watched The Marlow Murder Club when it aired last week and REALLY enjoyed it! Yes, it was still a bit slow, but overall I thought it was much better than the book. I have the book sitting at 50% on my Kindle and am not tempted to finish it even though I have watched the TV series.

I AM, however, hoping that the next two books get adapted for TV too. But, there's not one bit of me that intends to read these either!

So...it begs the question of why? How did the show grab me more than the book? 

Simple...the beautiful scenery just didn't come to life enough in the book for me - despite some ornate describing from Thorogood. Plus, the characters come across more effectively in seeing them on the screen.

Now, I probably should say that I am a HUGE Thorogood fan in terms of his Death in Paradise and Beyond Paradise work. Never before had I read one of the few Death in Paradise books - mainly as they were pricier on Kindle than I wanted to pay. Then I saw The Marlow Murder Club and paid very little for it and found that I didn't like his writing style!

He, however, when working on the shows seems to manage to transform his characters, settings, mysteries and dialogues into something that I want to watch!

As I said, I still think that - at two, two hour shows, minus some ads - that The Marlow Murder Club was a little long. There was a LOT to fit in...SPOILERS...three murders, so I suppose it was better to be thorough (pun intended) than to scrimp...and, in usual Thorogood fashion, it was complicated. So, rushing may have lost key points and I know - from what I did read of the novel - it's already been streamlined for the TV adaptation.

One more thing...there was a similar plot (apparently) in a Death in Paradise episode...I read this whilst looking at some news articles. This, I will need to check...despite me having re-watched Death In Paradise episodes SEVERAL times! I thiiiiink I am looking for the one where the current Inspector - Ralf Little - appeared as a different character from what the article said.

It does make me think it a bit odd that a writer would recycle their own ideas in a different setting...but has given me something to research and check on! 

So, keep an eye out for these findings another day!

Squelch!

 "I nearly lost my trainer!"

Last week, on - what started out as a sunny afternoon - my friend, X, and I decided to meet up and go for a walk.

It wasn't long before the sun disappeared - typical.

We carried on walking and chatting, admiring houses on the way and then turned into the field behind our houses to make our way back.

Remembering the middle path had been quite muddy the other week, we picked a different one. Well, this was worse... We squelched into the mud like pigs and before long we both realised - and said aloud at the same time - that we could feel the mud pulling us downwards!

"I nearly lost my trainer!" X exclaimed as she picked her foot up, only for her trainer to try and stay in the mud.

"I'm sinking!" came my reply.

Somehow, we made it through without the loss of a trainer or getting stuck!

Now, you might think that this was quite a calm adventure compared to the chaos we usually get ourselves into... Well, that's because I haven't told you about what happened first! 

At the moment, X has the photographic evidence of what we found, and we are going to do some further 'investigating' so check back here next week to read all about it...

Changing it up, here is a TV review - Based on a True Story

Where's the ending?

*Contains spoilers*

When you watch EIGHT episodes of something, you expect that there will be an ending. Granted, it may not be the one you'd pick yourself...but an ending anyway. 

Well, the other week when I finished watching Based On A True Story there WASN'T AN ENDING! More of a cut mid scene as the husband of the woman whose blood the main characters are mopping up appears in the doorway, asking whose blood it is!

My first thought was that I hadn't downloaded all episodes from the SKY channel that it aired on. Further investigation showed no more available...so I took to Google and found this:

Based on a True Story ends frustratingly, feeling unfinished. After getting rid of Ruby’s body, Ava and Nathan spend the evening mopping up her blood from their new beach house floor. They are caught in the act by Ruby’s unstable husband Simon (Aaron Staton) who is naturally curious about whose blood they’re cleaning, but the scene cuts before they answer.

Based on a True Story season 1’s ending, explained | Digital Trends

By C.Persaud (8th June, 2023)

Thankfully, having watched this long after it first aired. I was able to discover that the series HAS been renewed. However, if a second season hadn't been commissioned, how rubbish would that have been?

This got me thinking about how things draw to a close...books, TV shows etc. I have often moaned that I don't like how authors take the safe way out and have a fairy tale style ending where everything is OK, or how in TV or film, the ending often feels rushed when you have invested the time you have in it.

I don't mind a cliff hanger, but I don't want to feel cheated. Thoughts...?