Cover Changes

Hi Guys

Do you ever get into one of those situations where time runs away with you and before you know it its next week. Anyhoo...

I've spent the last few weeks re-editing Prophecy's Heir for Smashwords, yet another digital publisher.  It was really quite tough too as I had to totally re-format the book from scratch.  Also after taking advice from a number of friends I've had to make Prophecy's Heir into two books. So both come out as a more manageable 125,000 instead of the whopping 230,000 ish words.  I also changed the cover to a more exciting one, full of flame and mystery.  (never did much like the old cover)  The original version of Prophecy's Heir is still on sale at Amazon with its old cover.  I mention it because I would hate for folk to buy the Smashwords versions of 'Prophecy's Heir' book 1, and 'The One' book 2, when together they make up the entire first book thats available on Amazon!



So... what do you think of the new cover?  I created it on gimp with a lot of help from youtube, with Aubrey Watt and it took me an absolute age.  Well, a long morning anyway!  I just love it.  Compare it to the amazon cover on the right. Up there outside of the writing pane!

Book 2, 'The One' has a very similar themed cover although I've not finished re-formatting the book for Smashwords yet. I'll publish it just as soon as I'm done and let you know. Book 3 will still be called 'MeGath' but I've not even begun to think that far ahead... (don't think my knees would hold out for the mammoth sit! Anyone have any idea how to ease the strain?)


This is the cover I've designed for book 2, what do you think?  As I said you can see I've kept the same fiery theme with the deep black representing the Void. I changed the font to bold too as I think possibly there's more impact. I just love the vibrancy and the dramatic colour changes.

Gotta go mundane life is calling...

Thanks for the emails and tweets...

Till next time then, byeeeeeeeeeeeeee

:)

Hi folks,

I came across an article posted on facebook namely, 'how to lose belly flab with this 1 simple trick', anyway out of curiosity I looked at it and yes of course they want to give you a free trial but only after you have handed over your hard earned money, or bank details. (Which amounts to the same thing.)

Over the years I, like so many other women have despaired at my belly flab, or mummy tummy not to mention my bingo wings and muffin tops and have tried numerous and varied diets.  I've bought the pills and the books, tried the meals and the shakes used the supplements and alternative treatments all to no avail. Here's a pic of me taken about 5 years ago, I'm the heffer in the middle.

The clever people may recognise Sylvie hiding away at the back.

 The other guys are various members of my beautiful and slim family. My point is though that although I hated my size and often despaired, which of course meant believing all the hype from the money makers of fight flab city, I wasted more money constantly by pouring it into yet more diets.  A couple of years ago I was so depressed about it and as a last resort I went to see my G.P. a remarkable woman who has a habit of saying IT, like IT is.  She told me a real secret.  Seriously the woman needs a medal, the answer was there all the time and I couldn't see it. So blinded by pictures of 'before and after shots', so hooked on handing over my hard earned cash for quick fixes, I just didn't see it. Want to know the secret? Do ya? Well dear reader take a look at this, then I'll tell you. 

(Obviously I didn't write it, the article was in 'The Huffington Post' and I just had to share it. So my grateful thanks to the writer Andrew Dixon.)

Andrew Dixon

Certified personal trainer

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Seduced by the Illusion: The Truth About Transformation Photos

Posted: 07/24/2013 10:16 am

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There is no doubt that we live in a world of manipulation, false promises and exaggerated claims. This is especially true in the fitness industry. I've been a personal trainer for more than 11 years, and clients and friends are always telling me about the next amazing diet or exercise program. Like Insanity or P90X hold the secrets to fat loss.

The reasons these programs become so popular is because they are presented and marketed very well. These marketing campaigns use testimonials and before-and-after transformation photos. Before I claim it's all bullshit, I want to make it clear that there are definitely some very impressive, genuine physical transformations out there. What I do take issue with are the transformations that are manipulated with Photoshop, professional lighting, postures to degrade or enhance their look, pro tans, sucking in or pushing out a bloated belly or flexing muscles vs. not flexing to obtain an optimal look.

In my opinion, these photos are selling false or exaggerated promises of what 90 days, etc., of their program can achieve. Long-lasting results take years of consistency, hard work and dedication. Results that happen quickly are often temporary, and this is another factor that needs to be taken into account when looking at these transformations. Did the individual cut calories to starvation levels or cut out entire food groups to reach a very low body fat percentage for the photo shoot, only to rebound a few days or weeks later? This must be considered when setting your goals and expectations based on someone's program.

I decided to take my own transformation photos to see what was possible with just a few easy tweaks. About six months ago I was around 185 pounds and about 16 percent body fat. I was feeling particularly bloated on the day, so I asked my girlfriend to take a before shot. I then shaved my head, face and chest and prepared for the after shot, which was about an hour after I took the before shot. I did a few push ups and chin ups, tweaked my bedroom lighting, sucked in, tightened my abs and BOOM! We got our after shot.

As you can see, I'm no bodybuilder, but I had enough muscle on me to catch some shadows from the all-important overhead lighting.

Just a few weeks ago I took another series of photos in an attempt to be a little more deceptive. I wanted to show a series of progressions that look like a few months of hard work and dieting. I'm about 200 pounds and 19 percent body fat in this photo series. This took under an hour to produce.

What's my point? Don't try to look like anyone you see in a transformation photo. Be inspired, but don't be disappointed if you don't see yourself the way you see those models. Being tricked into eating low-calorie diets and doing endless cardio is a recipe for fat gain, especially in the long term.

Forget about the quick transformations and focus on a life of healthy eating, well-managed stress levels, quality sleep and plenty of movement. Spend time with people who have similar goals and values and take time to appreciate yourself the way you are right now. Don't beat yourself up if you eat a cookie, just enjoy that cookie and everything else life has to offer.

We all spend too much time sucking in our guts, trying to look the way we think society thinks we should. Don't waste any more energy trying to compete with everyone else.

It's all smoke and mirrors.

**************************************

Hi guys, it's me again now... 

Is that not just amazing, The pics remind me of one of the books I bought and spent time devouring, whilst lining the writers pocket!

OK. well the secret my GP told me was this...

'Think about what you are eating and exercise more, it's Not rocket science Delia. No one puts the food into your mouth but you!' 

So stunned by this revelation I went home and thought about it. She's right I decided and of course then went out for chips... (JOKING!) but I did very little exercise and although my job means I'm always on my feet I don't actually move around alot and in my leisure time I'm mostly at the computer. ( I was still writing The Tessellation Saga, book 1 at the time ) Anyway, I looked online, found a free calorie counter for my iphone (my fitness pal) and signed up. You can eat and drink exactly what you want so long as you put it into your iphone and take the calorific value away from your calorie limit. So my penchant for chocolate was still entirely satisfied, I also looked around for some sort of exercise. Not Gym style as I have found this boring and non productive in the past.

 I eventually found Alex Henry and ZUMBA! There's me at the front in black. It's fun, fast, loud and it works! The music is fantastic and you can't help dancing along to it.  So, from a nearly 12 stone heffer I have, over the last few years lost over 3 stone in weight.

This is me in Dec last year, on the beach in Antigua with my then brand new daughter in law. I do feel so much better, have bags more confidence and best of all I have very little loose skin and no Bingo Wings.

So, next time you are looking at the images of 'before and after' and thinking of spending money for a quick cure remember DON'T DO IT! Keep your money where it does most good. IN YOUR OWN POCKET, and remember what my GP said.

'Think about what you are eating and exercise more, it's Not rocket science Delia.

                                   No one puts the food into your mouth but you!'

Well there you go, I'm not a diet guru but hopefully common sense will out at the last...

Til next time, byeeeeeeee

:)

'I Vow To Thee My Country'

Hi Guys,

     I wasn't sure about writing happy and jolly 'stuff'after seeing Shane on the day he died, his wife very graciously allowed me to come say goodbye in person, I held his hand and he squeezed my fingers when I told him how much we all loved him and how he would be sorely missed. I even managed to make him laugh. (I can't say how but it was funny!) Then later that day Jane let me know he had gone.  I wasn't going to write this post, in fact I had something entirely different in mind  for today but as soon as I sat, well... you know how it is.
     His  funeral was amazing  and I suddenly thought he would want the world to know we were all there, that most of us were dressed in VERY bright colours and 60% of the mourners were dressed in pink, Shanes favourite colour. Personally I wore a bright Orange Jacket, a white boob tube and a pair of high waisted very wide legged brown, orange, yellow and green trousers.
     Family and friends from outside work attended and so many older friends from Heathrow's old Terminal 2, as well as many of his new friends from Terminal 5, I hope the attendance did both he and his wife Jane proud.
     The hurst arrived attended by a couple of Harley Davidson bikes, a roar of goodbye from the engine revs could have been heard for miles and seeing big ruff tough bikers in tears was a very touching indeed, it shows how much Shane was loved. The coffin itself was covered in a Union flag and all his medals were displayed on the top. We even sang 'I vow to thee my Country' as his goodbye hymn. We listened to tales from his military service history, learnt about his affinity with horses and his love of family, of Mrs Wabbit, and could see her love for him! I think he would have been moved to see us all there for them both.
     After the ceremony, we all traipsed down to the pub where we laughed and joked, some of us cried a little too, all reminiscing,  anecdotes about the old 'silver fox' were on everyone's lips on every corner of the field.
     So this is my last post about Shane and my last Goodbye to a very special man who touched many lives and many many hearts.
     Today his eldest boy has his 'passing out' parade and I'm sure Shane will be there watching to ensure his son starts his military duties in style.  So Good Luck Jack, I'm sure you'll make everyone proud!  

love Dede xxxxxxxxxx

Goodbye My Friend.

Shane Leggott, My Friend.

I sat last night thinking of you, of  the lives you had touched and the pain you'd gone through.
What will you miss most? My man said to me, he'd sat in the car park whilst I said Goodbye,
he'd allowed me to waffle, allowed me to cry.

So I sat there on the sofa just thinking of our years...

I was with Pauline and Michelle the first time you met me,
my test was due and Leslie was late, I was scared, full of tears and in a real state, so you took my hand and gave me a hug, 'it's a bag of shit,' you said, 'just tell her what you see.'

Next time I was alone with a radio and you, '926#' you said, 'and press that button there, no swearing or joking and no using names,' you smiled as I tried and fluffed up my line and you made me do it again until I got it right.

Time went on and we became friends, you'd tell me tales of your past, like your nan and her boarding house home, of the two little boys peering through glass, both of them trying to see the wrestler behind the mask.

I remember seeing you sad and feeling so low, 'I'm alone,' you said, your eyes full of pain and fear. We were sent down to pier 2 where you hugged me and cried. I hugged you back and told you to wait, that there would be someone there.

So I joined the team like you suggested and we chatted every day, we talked of family and home and you taught me your way. 'Make the tea woman, get in the kitchen,' you'd say and I'd cringe and moan but I'd never gainsay.

Then my man was ill, his operation near, again I was scared, didn't know what to do. You held my hand and hugged me and said, 'he'll come home again princess, he'll come back to you.'

I remember another twinkle in your eye, 'I've met someone,' you said, 'but I can't tell you when and I can't tell you who.' It was enough to see you happy, to see the joy back in your eyes, then when you told me it was Jane I must say I wasn't surprised.

Then the sound of the bagpipes that heralded a call.

I saw the love you shared grow, watched your pride in your home, you talked of your boys and the love that they showed. Your beautiful wedding, how both of you smiled, the photo's and the chocolate fountain that I stayed beside.

The sound of the bagpipes that heralded a call, the smile on your face as you'd answer and say, 'Ello Mrs Wabbit,' before you turned away.

The pride you showed as the boys grew strong and tall, your astro turf garden and the tanks against the wall.

I'll remember a lot, I know that I will and I'm grateful you called me a friend, but now that you're gone, your battle fought and lost, my man asks,'what will I miss?'
For me, it will always be the bagpipes that I heard every day, the bagpipes that heralded a call, the 'Ello, Mrs Wabbit,' as you turned away, the love you both shared, evident to all. The 'love you, love you,' as you told her goodbye and the smile on your face as the phone went down.

We were privileged to know you and feel the love you both shared, we'll miss you my friend, your laughter and strength touched us all.

We'll all miss you and remember the things that you taught and the things that you're teaching us still.

.-.-.-

Tempus Fugit!

Hi there,

I try to post at least once a week but sometimes time seems to fly by so quickly that it's 10 days before I log in! I'm sure most busy folk can understand, between working full time shifts and overtime, plus washing, cleaning, cooking, writing, family and gardening (I should say snail hunting at this point, hate 'em with a passion!) I find my time for the computer is limited. If anyone has a shortcut to the next lottery number draw please share... :)

Gardening and A Mini Geocache Adventure!

Hi Guys,

     For the last few days, here in the UK it has actually felt like summer!  The sun has been blazing away in a nearly cloudless sky and its been lovely and warm.  So, because of this unnatural event I have been rather busy for my last two days off trying to make the most of it, both in my garden and rushing around on a series of mini adventures with my eldest daughter and grandsons.

     If you have read my profile you will know how I love my garden.  I am actually lucky enough for it to be quite large and have given it two aspects, a gravel garden, which during family parties and bbq's tends to be hogged by the grown ups and therefore more sedate, this area also claims to be home to my small veg patch and a more open green area with a patio, a fish pond, some bushes, small fruit trees and shrubs.


At the moment the laburnum is in flower and looks beautiful.  Someone once wrote "A garden path where flowers unfold, a slim laburnum dripping gold!" I have no idea who wrote it but it always comes to mind when I see a flowering laburnum, it really does look as if it drips gold, the long yellow flowers move gently in the breeze and reflect the sunshine, giving them that golden glow.

Anyhoo...
 
     I spent my first day off repainting the wooden furniture in the gravel garden, I choose a really lovely shade of green garden paint this year, it blends in with the natural feel of the gravel and the shrubs. (actually I didn't realise quite how hot the sun was and burnt my shoulders!) I must own though, there is nothing natural about the hidden stone Gargoyles or the weathered Meerkats that peep out from behind the odd bush as you pass by.  Although the gravel garden is nearest the road you don't really notice the traffic behind the fence (not that there is much and it's also a sun trap and quite tranquil, in fact  I wrote a lot of my notes for my book 'The Tessellation Saga' here.

  There's even have a stone Beethoven head sitting proudly watching over my veg patch, not that he keeps the slugs or snails away... Grrrrr!

     The second morning I spent typing and doing my usual chores, I got up really early to type as once I start the time tends to fly by and before I know it the day has gone! After lunch I went to my daughter's home where she, her two sons and I began our adventures...

Hendry's first 'Cache' find!

     In a magazine, she had read about an activity called 'Geocaching.' Knowing absolutely nothing about it she did a wee bit of research on her trusty pc and we gave it a go.  The idea is you hunt for a 'Cache', a small trinket of piece of treasure, using the GPS on your mobile, write your name on the list inside the 'Cache' container ( a watertight one is best!) and let folk know you have found it by uploading that you have.  Before moving on to the next hunt however, you must leave a little something in the pot yourselves for the next Geocachers to find.  For example, my grandson found some plastic figures in one and a train ticket to Glasgow in another.  In return for these goodies we left a 50p piece for the next players in each one we actually found.  It was such fun and I would definitely recommend it. Its a worldwide phenomenon and the best thing is it is ABSOLUTELY FREE. You can choose a suitable difficulty level for the type of hunt you want to do and the participants ages.  (My grandsons are 3 and 1.)

We spent a lovely afternoon checking out the local countryside and parks all for free.

Well, do I like butter?

Mum, theres nothing here!

    Its easy to get started, go to      http://www.geocaching.com and check it out!

     GEOCACHING is a free real-world outdoor treasure hunt. Players try to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, using a smartphone or GPS and can then share their experiences online.

There are 2,101,836 active geocaches and over 5 million geocachers worldwide.

Based on excerpts from
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Geocaching, Second Edition

  http://www.geocaching.com

Its a HUGE game suitable for all ages and abilities, (my grandsons are 3 and 1) There is even an idiots guide which if read my stuff regularly you will know is an absolute must! lol

My beautiful baby girl is all grown up!

This is my baby, with her baby and I can't tell you how great a time we had on our hunt. I'd like to wax lyrical about how great a mum she is but then... I'm probably biased! lol 

So now, I'm off to work. Yes I'd rather stay here and type with the four fingers that actually do all the work, no, I must correct myself I occasionally use six and I will get around to using the 'Teach Yourself To Type' facility on my pc but until then, my family, my garden and the government's demand that I actually pay my bills stand in the way!

London Heathrow... Here I come.

Byeeeeeeeeeeeeee     till next time.   

A Small World

Hi there,

First a really big Thank You, I had a really tremendous response from 'my letter to Shane' (my last post) I really didn't expect it and have passed on all the kind messages, through Facebook, g mail and private messaging, to Shane himself, some from people who don't even know him, so thank you again from the bottom of my heart. He is and will always be an inspirational figure to all who know him. We had coffee again today, he's still at work and still laughing!

The title of this post is, 'A Small World' mainly because I just happened to see the world wide statistics for my blog today and was amazed at the countries where people actually read my ramblings. I must own I didn't know how to do it until my beautiful blogging niece, Sylvia, (who just happens to be the new costume designer for 'The Nightmare Realm', in Cork, Ireland, no excuses for name dropping here) showed me how to check.

                               Sylvie is a clever girl, very 'arty crafty'

This is us, earlier this year though strangely I don't remember her growing to be soooo tall, bless, she is even bending down somewhat!

Anyhoo...

Back to the 'Small World' thing. I ramble on about stuff that I feel is important, to me anyway, or on my mind  at the time and people across the world read it! I was astonished when I read the countries list...

United Kingdom, United States, Russia, Greece, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Germany, Bahrain, Canada, Poland, China and Croatia.

He has the whole world in His hands

So another big thank you to everyone who reads my 'stuff'. I don't claim it to be clever, inspirational or worldly but it is how I see things. From how my garden is doing, loath the slugs, through how much I am loving the characters in my book, The Tessellation Saga, Prophecy's Heir, as I read and re-read to get the editing right, to world wide news events like the terrible murder of Lee Rigby, the Drummer mown down and hacked to pieces in front of his barracks. I cried when I watched the TV footage.

Not every Muslim is a terrorist or a fanatic, I work at London Heathrow and many of the folk I work with are Muslim.  All the people I know are kind, generous, open and friendly, respecting my beliefs as I do theirs.

The world is a small place people, why can we not live in it together as one, we are all human after all, we are all one.

Thanks again for reading...

Byeeeeeeeeeeeeee til next time,

P.S.

England football team are playing the Republic of Ireland tonight, personally, I don't mind who wins... I have family in both countries.