Sunday 26 November 2017

Family - Part Four - Chapter One

Happy Sunday everyone,

This week you find me feeling a bit giddy from NaNoWriMo, where I am currently about 20,000 words shy of my 50,000 word total and with only 4 days left to complete it. A tough challenge for sure, especially when I've got a touch of writer's block at the moment, but I've managed it before and I'm determined to do it this time too. So all cross your fingers for me, and it'll happen (hopefully).

Anyway, back to the current story.

This week we start a new and final part to the tale, as time moves on once again and Lucius is finally released from Azkaban, ready to start his new life with his young family. But will everyone be happy to see him or are there likely to be a few problems along the way?


Comments etc. are always welcomed, so please review if you can. I really do appreciate you taking the time to do so. 

I'm off to attempt some more writing. Until next week (when hopefully I will be a NaNoWriMo winner) and I'll be posting the penultimate chapter of the story, 

Stay safe and keep the faith

Dx
  

Sunday 19 November 2017

Family - Part Three - Chapter Six

Hi all,

I'm back from the Cauldron opening night a little earlier than anticipated, but that's not a bad thing. As it was a soft launch and a pop-up it wasn't up to full operating capacity and, therefore, wasn't quite as good as it could be. But it was an interesting experience - although I was a little disappointed that there appeared to be no non-alcoholic drinks on offer - I know it was open to over-eighteens only but not everyone wants to or can drink.  

I still believe it is a good idea but to execute it properly would be really expensive and to do it any sort of real justice the organisers would need to get Warner Brothers onboard to ensure the theme could be put in place - being a normal pub just isn't going to cut it, and making it a generic 'fantasy-type' pub isn't likely to attract the number of customers it needs to thrive. Using the Harry Potter fandom is a good way to draw in the crowds, but there needs to be more than a subtle nod, and we all know how aggressive WB can be with copyright infringement. 

There were several interesting 'magical' cocktails on offer (at £10 each), which as yet have no names, and we were asked to try them and suggest names for them. I tried the whisky, ginger and honey concoction - which looked like butterbeer and tasted like Lemsip - my choice of name was 'Night Nurse on the Knight Bus'. I doubt it will win, but if it does you know who chose it. 

My friend tried a rum, lime and strawberry cocktail which was set alight and had cinnamon thrown on it to cause fabulous sparks, but it was extremely heavy on the rum and wasn't really to her taste, so she didn't bother to think of a name.

There was supposed to be the opportunity to pour your own beer using a magic wand, but it wasn't working when we went up there and as it was the first of these pop-ups there wasn't much else on offer.

The organisers are arranging for magical cocktail-making courses in addition to more pop-ups to help boost the coffers and I would definitely be interested in going to one of those. 

So, onto the story.

Time has moved on again and Draco's wife, Astoria has passed away. Hermione and Sophie are there to offer their support to a grieving Draco and Scorpius.


Next week sees the start of the final part of the story. Any comments etc. are always welcome.

Have a good week.

Dx





     

Sunday 12 November 2017

Family - Part Three - Chapter Five

Gosh, how time flies - another week has gone already and the Christmas adverts are coming thick and fast now - even the John Lewis one is out (although, actually, it's quite cute - but not as good as the M&S Paddington one). 

So again it's time for the latest chapter of Family.

It's the Christmas holidays, and Sophie is home from Hogwarts. But she isn't very happy. Can Hermione give her daughter the Christmas present she truly wants or is it going to be something that is too hard to provide?


Comments and kudos are always welcome. I'm always interested to hear what people think of the story, and it's nice to know when people are invested in it.

Next week is going to be a late one, or maybe even a Sunday posting as I'm going to the opening party at a new pop-up pub in London called The Cauldron, which is based on the magical pubs found in fantasy stories (like the Leaky Cauldron) and includes things like moving photos and beer taps operated with wands.

It should be fun, but it also doesn't finish until early Sunday morning so by the time I get back I might be too tired to post.

Have a good week and enjoy whatever you're reading

Dx

Sunday 5 November 2017

Family - Part Three - Chapter Four

Good morning everyone,

Another week has whizzed by already, and it's time for the next chapter of Family. 

This week, a long-anticipated reunion takes place. Well, it's only taken 17 years.


Thank you to everyone who is commenting or leaving kudos, I really appreciate it, please keep doing so as it makes my day when I see people are reading.

We are now firmly in the countdown towards Christmas as I saw my first Christmas advert the other day and they are showing Christmas films on the telly. Of course, we all know it doesn't really start until the Coca Cola Christmas ad is on, but like it or not we are heading that way fast and nothing can stop us now.

As has become traditional, I have a couple of Christmas stories up my sleeve which will be ready to be posted when Family ends which, all being well, should be in mid-December.

It's also NaNoWriMo time and so I'm hopeful that by the end of November I should have something resembling a new story - or at least the first draft of it. Fingers crossed that I can hit my target as I've managed it every year but two since 2009.

Have a great week and enjoy reading - whatever it is you're reading.

Dx