Have you ever felt like you're not good enough? Well, that's essentially what imposter syndrome is but I'm here to give you some tips on how to overcome it. The other day, I was reading Set On You by Amy Lea. It's a romance book about a curvy woman who is a fitness influencer, inspiring others to embrace their bodies. And at the beginning of one particular chapter, there is a bit about downplaying your success and it got me thinking. The National Institute of Health's definition of Imposter Syndrome is: 'Imposter Syndrome (IS) is a behavioural health phenomenon described as self-doubt of intellect, skills or accomplishments among high-achieving individuals.' To simplify this, imposter syndrome is those feelings of anxiety and those thoughts of negativity when it comes to your success. If you've ever had thoughts along the lines of 'I'm not good enough', 'I got lucky' or 'I don't deserve this', then the likelihood is, you've experienced imposter syndrome at some part in your life. Now some people may be embarrassed to admit that they've felt like an imposter, but I can guarantee you, that nearly everyone has experienced it at some point. Everyone has moments of self-doubt, including me. If you spoke to my parents, they would tell you I often say things like, 'I'm not good enough' or 'What if I fail?'. In high school and sixth form, I almost always doubted my abilities to the point where during a biology exam, I had a panic attack and then cried after it thinking I'd failed. Even now as a journalist, I doubt myself sometimes because I'm not as experienced as others and I don't have the NCTJ qualification, so I do feel that sense of inadequacy sometimes, despite the fact I know I'm a good writer. And it's easy for me to sit here and write this blog post and tell you to just have faith in yourself, grow some more confidence etc. But that's easier said than done, especially in a world where our every action and every word can be scrutinised on social media. So, I'm going to give you some actual proactive tips that can help you battle the imposter syndrome, overcome that self-doubt and increase your self-confidence. Take breaks and relax Now I know I just said I'd give you some proactive tips and having a break and relaxing may seem like the opposite of proactive, but it's not. Imposter syndrome can be a really difficult and challenging feeling to deal with and constantly battling with it can cause you to burn out. And burnout isn't good for anybody. So when you're feeling that self-doubt, when you're feeling inadequate, take a break. Step back from work or your studies - whatever is causing you to have that anxiety - and relax. Do something you enjoy and find calming to reset your mind, calm yourself down and get a fresh perspective for when you're ready to go back to work. Review your success Imposter syndrome stems from not feeling your success internally or feeling as though you're not deserving of your success. But if you review the work you've completed and what you've achieved, it can help you overcome those anxieties because you'll see how much effort you put in and what tasks you actually had to do to get to the end result. You could keep a list of every project you complete, of every bit of revision you do for an exam, of every bit of praise from co-workers/teachers/bosses. Having something tangible that shows you your journey from start to end can help you realise what you've actually achieved. Express your thoughts This tip can be used not only for imposter syndrome but for any situation where you feel nervous, anxious or not confident. Expressing your thoughts can help you relieve tension and lift a weight off your shoulders. You can talk to someone else about how you're feeling and what you're thinking - it doesn't have to be a professional, it can be a good colleague or a family member, just someone you trust. Or if you'd prefer to express your thoughts but keep them private, getting a good journal or notebook where you can brain-dump everything onto the page is equally as helpful. Change your mindset These three words, Change Your Mindset, can seem daunting and scary at first because they hold so much weight behind them. But in reality, it's a small change that will lead to a happier and more positive mindset, battling that imposter syndrome. You need to re-evaluate and assess what your goals are in life and what your ambitions are. You also need to change your outlook because life and your career aren't quick trips - they are a journey. Getting to where you want to be, and having that success, shouldn't be a sprint. It's a marathon. Things take time but if you have a growth mindset, take setbacks as lessons to learn from, and try to not let the negative thoughts take over, you can overcome imposter syndrome. Can you do it? The answer to this question is YES! You may feel overwhelmed and think that whilst I've given you these tips, you can't actually do them, but you can. Everything in life can be made easier and simpler if you take it a bit at a time. This is the same for tackling imposter syndrome. These tips are there to help you and inspire you to think of more - you don't have to follow all of them. They may not be for you. But if you've suffered from imposter syndrome, then they may help. And if they help, you may be starting your journey to become the most confident, self-believing, ambitious version of yourself. Imposter syndrome isn't great but we've all been there. So if you find yourself feeling anxiety, and having those thoughts of self-doubt, then see if these tips can help you. Until next time...

Love Her or Lose Her by Tessa Bailey has quickly become one of my favourite reads this year. Before reading Love Her or Lose Her, I'd only ever read the Bellinger Sisters books by Tessa Bailey. But I have had quite a few of Tessa's works on my TBR (to be read) list - one of which has been Love Her or Lose Her. And then I went to The Works, bought the paperback copy and started reading it this August. Love Her or Lose Her is the second book in the Hot and Hammered trilogy by Tessa Bailey. I must admit, whilst I do have book one - Fix Her Up - I haven't actually read it yet. But I intend to read it now I've finished Love Her or Lose Her. But first, let's get into my review of book two. Review of Love Her or Lose Her by Tessa Bailey Marriage in trouble: 10/10 Romantic comedy: 8/10 Second chance romance: 9/10 Childhood sweethearts: 8/10 Mature read: 10/10 Love Her or Lose Her by Tessa Bailey is an interconnected standalone novel that follows the story of Dominic and Rosie Vega. The two met at school and were high school sweethearts, going on to get married. During their marriage, Dominic leaves for Afghanistan, having several deployments. When he returns from the army/military, he isn't quite the same person as he used to be. Instead, Dominic is quiet, brooding, and closed off. Over time, Rosie and Dominic grow apart, being more like strangers who are sharing a bed than a married couple. The plot really kicks off when Rosie comes home from work one day - working in a department store - and decides she's had enough of life and wants to make changes. That night, instead of indulging in the physical aspects of their relationship, Rosie packs a suitcase and tells Dominic she's leaving. To say this is a shock to him is an understatement. From there, the two deal with how their marriage has unravelled. This brings about Rosie's plan of getting Dominic to prove he actually wants to fight for their love. Marriage Boot Camp. Rosie and Dominic go to extreme couples counselling, which sees them tasked with homework and lessons all with the aim of figuring out whether or not their marriage is salvageable. The idea of marriage in boot camp for a marriage-in-trouble novel immediately enticed me in because I'd never read anything like that before. It was a unique plot with two very different characters involved which made for an enjoyable read of not only romance but also lessons in love and self-acceptance. Rosie has always dreamed of opening a restaurant but that's something that was put on the back burner in her marriage to Dominic. And as years went by, it became more of a dream and less of a goal to strive for. Rosie is an amazing cook, a talented woman, who is selfless, stubborn, and independent. But she also suffers from imposter syndrome and a lack of self-confidence. Dominic, however, comes across as this self-assured man, who walks with confidence and masculinity. He's very much a strong, dominating character, who often feels he knows best and therefore doesn't always ask other's opinions. When it comes to Rosie, Dominic only knows how to demonstrate his love through deeds - he was taught that providing a stable home for his family was the best thing he could do. But this is where things got rather interesting and also made you think. Whilst Dominic shows love through deeds, Rosie learns that she actually needs words. She needs words of affirmation, words of praise, words that convey her husband's confidence and belief in her. On the other hand, Dominic needs Rosie to demonstrate her love through deeds and actions. So the two have very different love languages and it was interesting to see how Tessa introduced the idea of love languages and knowing which one suits your partner best. Throughout the whole novel, Rosie and Dominic have this push and pull. The chemistry and sexual tension are electric and almost tangible. This is a mature read for audiences of 18+. Tessa writes their characters as individuals but also as partners and it was great to see the dynamic between Rosie and Dominic. Another thing I really liked about Love Her or Lose Her was the character arcs and hints of the side character's stories. Rosie and Dominic make strides in their marriage in this novel and the change in them as a couple is evident throughout because as readers we see them go through ups and downs and how they tackle different conflicts. Both Rosie and Dominic have their own character arcs as well. Rosie becomes more confident in her abilities and grows her self-belief. She also then realises how she can help her husband and learn his love language. Dominic does the same, learning how best to show his love to his wife and it was good to see him be more open towards the third act of the novel; however, I would have liked to see him change more for him, not just to make Rosie happy. The side characters as well were amazing. I mentioned earlier that Love Her or Love Her is the second book in a trilogy. The first is Fix Her Up, which centres around Travis and Georgie, who feature in this book as a couple. There's also Bethany and Wes and we get hints at their enemies-to-lovers vibes in Love Her or Lose Her, which made me super excited to read Tools of Engagement - the third book in the series. I've now read three Tessa Bailey books and I have more of hers to read. But I can assuredly say that I will be reading them because I've found Tessa writes in an effortless way that provides raw emotion but also humour to the reader. I loved Love Her or Lose Her and am so glad I have it as a paperback to add to my bookshelves. It is definitely worth the read if you like some spicy romcoms with a couple working on rehabilitating their marriage! If you've read Love Her or Lose Her - or any book in the Hot and Hammered trilogy - let me know your thoughts. If not, you can buy it on Amazon here. Until next time... Disclaimer: I own edits, not images

Have you seen the latest gripping thriller on Netflix, Who is Erin Carter? If not, you should watch it. I love a good TV show that keeps me hooked all the way through. But this time of year is the time when a lot of the TV shows I usually watch have a break because the season airing at the moment has finished. And the other day, my mum and I wanted something to watch so we thought we'd try a new show. We went onto Netflix, scrolled through and came across a limited series called Who is Erin Carter? Now let me tell you, I am so glad we decided to watch Who is Erin Carter? because it is such a good show. It's only seven episodes and a season two hasn't been confirmed yet because it is a limited series, but I'm hoping there will be a second season. To introduce you to the show, the synopsis of it is: Erin Carter, a British teacher in Spain, finds herself caught up in a supermarket robbery. When one of the robbers claims to recognise her, her life threatens to unravel. Those two sentences were what grabbed my attention. I love TV shows and movies that keep you on your toes, have a mystery to be solved and have lots of action. From the title alone, Who is Erin Carter? you can tell there would be lots of questions needing to be answered throughout the show. So when we watched episode one, I was hooked. Who is Erin Carter? is an action, thriller TV show that explores the effect of secrecy, hidden pasts and betrayal. But it also focuses on family and love and just how far someone - Erin Carter - will go to protect those she cares about. The series begins by showing you Erin's life in Barcelona and her family. Everything seems picture-perfect under the Spanish sun, but when a supermarket robbery occurs, Erin ends up being classed as a hero and famous in the town. From there, things start to unravel and it turns out things aren't quite as they seem. You get an entwined story of two characters really because you have Erin Carter who's a mother, a school teacher and a wife; but there's also the other Erin who knows how to fight, how to defend herself and has secrets. Throughout each episode, you're asking yourself the same question: Who is Erin Carter? There is an episode that is set in the past and it details Erin's backstory and how she ended up in Barcelona. And from there, I thought, okay, I can guess what's going to happen. I was wrong. My mum and I managed to guess one thing about a specific character, but everything else was a surprise. There are so many twists and turns throughout all the episodes. And they tend to end on cliff-hangers, which makes you want to binge-watch the series. The plot of the show is one of the most addictive plots I've watched unravel on screen in a long time. As someone who has studied screenwriting, I find it fascinating to see how script translates to screen and Who is Erin Carter? will definitely be an example I will look at. The acting is amazing. The protagonists of Erin, Emilio, Jordi, Harper, and Daniel are portrayed effortlessly and in such an authentic way. And the same goes for Lena as well, when we see her and Erin in the two different timelines, it shows the talent of the actors. Another thing I loved throughout the show was the character arcs. Each individual character had their own journey in the show that they went on and by the end, they were different, they'd transformed and reached the goal/want that they needed to. Erin tells her family the truth, unable to hide it anymore; but it actually brings her and Jordi closer and Harper as well. Lena goes from bad to good much like Penelope. And after all the action of the whole season and the climax in the season finale, it does kind of set it up for a season two - it's left open so there is the opportunity for more storylines. At the moment, Who is Erin Carter? is a limited mini-series on Netflix, so if you fancy a watch, give it a go and let me know what you think in the comments below. Until next time...

Have you ever been to an interview where you're the one who is going to be interviewed but felt unprepared? I have and so here are some tips on how to prepare for an interview. As a journalist and blogger, I tend to be the person conducting interviews, asking the guests questions. However, I was recently a guest on a podcast where I was the interviewee. The podcast I featured on was Megan's Bookish Life Podcast - available on Spotify - and it was such an enjoyable experience but also very different to what I'm used to. Generally, I'm interviewing racing drivers or authors and researching them and their careers. But being interviewed myself was a whole different experience because it wasn't me in charge of the interview. But that being said, there was still preparation I could do to make sure I was less nervous about being the subject of all the questions. So I thought I'd share some tips on how I prepared to be a guest on a podcast and to be interviewed. Know your host Whilst I'm a podcaster, the only experience I have is with regards to motorsport. I review races, and interview drivers and legends of the sport, which is very different to appearing on a podcast that is centred around books. So before the interview, I made sure I knew what the podcast I was appearing on was about. I'd listened to previous episodes of the show, so I already had some knowledge. However, it was still helpful to list some of the topics that were common on the podcast. This is the same for a job interview. If you're being interviewed for a job, it's good for you to know information about the company you've applied to work for and if you know who will be conducting the interview, some information about them too; for example, their role in the company. Know yourself One of the hardest things in life is being able to sell yourself. But when you're being interviewed it helps to know your selling points and key information about yourself. For the podcast interview, I was asked questions about my job, working in motorsport, wanting to write a novel and my blog too. Before the interview, I prepped some pointers I could draw upon so I knew what sort of things I could say in response. In a job interview, you're often asked 'What can you bring to the company?' This exact question is one where you need to know yourself and be able to sell your strengths. Knowing what type of person you are, and what skills and abilities you have can all help you in interviews and make you seem both more confident and prepared. Know the type of interview When it comes to interviews, there are lots of different types. For example, it could be a one-to-one interview, a group-based interview, a podcast interview or one that requires a presentation. For me, it was a podcast interview that was conducted over Skype. As it was a podcast interview, I needed the correct set-up and equipment. Thankfully, as part of my job, I already have a decent microphone and laptop. However, I needed to check the audio sounded okay, the backdrop behind me wasn't too bright and overbearing as well as making sure I had a stable internet connection. Checking all of these off the list meant I was one step closer to being fully prepared. If you've got an interview that requires a presentation, you need to make sure you have the presentation, you know what slides are coming up next as well as making sure it is accessible to everyone. Practice For my interview, Megan sent me the questions in advance so I was aware of what she would be asking me. Once I had them and had prepared some bullet points for answers, I was able to practice what I would say. It would never be the same every time because I didn't memorise my responses. But, practising giving an answer made me feel more confident when the time came to actually speak to Megan on the podcast. So for any interview, practising answering common questions can be helpful because you're less likely to be nervous and also more likely to be able to think of an answer in the interview. The right frame of mind When it comes to being interviewed, it can be a daunting experience because you'll never know how it's going to go until it's over. But you can help yourself prepare by getting in the right frame of mind. For mine, I felt a mixture of nerves and excitement because it was my first time being the interviewee. I was excited about the prospect but also nervous because I kept thinking: What if I say the wrong thing? What if I don't have anything to say? What if I freeze up on the spot? But getting myself in the right frame of mind beforehand meant I felt more at ease when the podcast interview began. Some of the ways I helped prepare was that I left 20 minutes before the interview started to set up and get ready. Once I had my laptop set up, I went over the questions and my answer prompts one more time. I had some water and then was in front of my laptop, calming my breathing, until it began. I'm usually someone who speaks very fast when nervous - although I get told I speak fast any time by family - and so for me, I really wanted to try and calm my heart rate and breathing to an even level making sure I didn't speed-talk when it came to the interview. And the tips above helped me with that. Be yourself Perhaps the most important tip of all. When it comes to anything in life, whether it's interviews, dating, or friends, the best thing you could be is yourself. In today's world, so many people try and put on an exterior of a person who they think people want to see, but it's not always true to themselves. But being yourself, being the unique you, is the best and most important thing because there is no one like you in the world and that on its own is a selling point. So if you have any kind of interview coming up, where you're the one being interviewed, practice some of these tips and you might help you more than you think. Until next time...

A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of sitting down to interview romance author Cressida McLaughlin, where we discussed all things writing and books. They say never meet your heroes, but I've done just that. If you know me, you know I always have a book on the go and stories in my head that I'm dying to write. Well, I've found that being an aspiring author isn't always that easy, but it can be a good thing to sit and chat with other authors. And so, I interviewed one of my favourite writers, whose books I love. Over Zoom, I interviewed the best-selling romance author, most famously known for her Cornish Cream Tea series, Cressida McLaughlin. Cressida was so lovely to speak to, and I'm very grateful I had the opportunity to speak with her and that she gave up some of her time for me. We spoke about all things writing, her success and her career spanning almost a decade, as well as a fun game of Would You Rather. If you haven't read any of Cressida's books before, have a read of the interview below and check out my review of The Once in a Blue Moon Guesthouse -- a standalone novel by Cressida. My interview with Cressida McLaughlin WriteWatchWork: How did you get into writing? Was becoming an author something you'd always dreamed of doing? Cressida: I never really wanted to be an author when I started out. I always loved books and I've loved reading books since I was really young, but I never had that desire to write books myself. I went to university in Norwich, the University of East Anglia, which has a really strong creative writing and literature programme. They made me do a unit in the first term, which was Creative Writing, and I was really angry about it because I just wanted to read books and write essays on them. I didn't want to write myself. But when I left university, my first job was at Norfolk Adult Education, running the courses. I was an administrator behind those courses, and at the time, if you worked there, you could get a course free, you could do a term for free. So I thought, well I've got to take the opportunity, it's a really good perk. I couldn't think of what to do and in the end, I did Creative Writing. I did a term of it and at the end, I was completely hooked. I loved writing. I loved all the little exercises and doing short stories and I decided at that point, I was just going to write a novel, I was going to get it published, that was it. That was going to be my new career. I think it took about six years and some courses and lots of rejections after that that I got my book deal. It was a really really long road, but it was something I sort of fell into. I've always loved books but it was a while before I decided that writing them was something I wanted to do. I know loads of people wrote stories when they were little and I'm sure I did do that because I think all kids do. But I certainly don't remember writing stories as the bit I was excited about then. But now, I couldn't imagine doing anything else. WriteWatchWork: How did it feel to have your first book published? Did it change your approach to writing in any way? Cressida: I think it does and that is one of the things that even as many books as I've written now, when you get that first copy of the book through the post with its beautiful cover, quotes on the back and everything, and you think that started as a little tiny idea in my brain, it's a huge moment. I think I remember getting that first one through. My first book was a paperback, a Christmas book. It was called A Christmas Tail, and it was about a dog walker and it had little glitter snowflakes on the front -- it was a really beautiful paperback -- and I just remember thinking, I just couldn't believe that having gone into Waterstones and run my hands over all the lovely covers and thinking this is my book now. I think it's just made me more determined because it's such a good feeling and it feels like such an achievement to hold a physical copy of something that you've created from scratch. It just reminds you what an amazing job it is to do. I think it's just made me more determined to keep going, to always try and get better with each new book and take it from there. WriteWatchWork: Do you start with a character and then the plot when creating a book idea, or do you have the plot first? Cressida: I think with every book it's different and quite often, I'll start with the idea of the main character, definitely, because I think you can't have a plot without characters to move that plot forward. So quite often, I'll think of a character and I'll think of what I want their main problem to be or their goal, where they want to get to, what their issues are at the beginning, and where I want them at the end, and that kind of drives the plot. But sometimes, I will come up with an idea and then I'll create the characters that would fit perfectly into that idea; so with The House of Birds and Butterflies, which is a book I've written that is set on a nature reserve, I came up with the idea because my husband and I often visit nature reserves. And with quite a lot of them, you have to go down this really long track that's not connected to the nature reserve, and I just thought: imagine moving somewhere like that and thinking it's going to be this beautiful isolated cottage and then you've got people driving past and walking past all the time. So then the idea came that this guy would have moved into this cottage and the heroine works on the nature reserve and obviously, they clash because she's supposed to be bringing more visitors to it and he wants fewer visitors there. So that was how that came up, so in that case it was the idea first, and then the characters developed from it. Also, with the Cornish ones, I knew to begin with that I really wanted to set a book in Cornwall, so then I thought what kind of little piece of Cornwall or what idea would I have, and then the characters came from that. So every book is different, but you certainly can't have a plot unless you've got characters that will drive it forward. WriteWatchWork: How long on average does it take to go from the initial book idea to the published copy? Cressida: Usually, it would take me a couple of months to do the first draft and then there are several different editing stages. There's the structural edit, which is the big one. It's when my editor will read through my book and she will say there's some plot missing here or you should move this up or this bit of storyline isn't strong enough, so that's either a complete re-juggling of the book, or it can be smaller changes to certain storylines, and that will take a few weeks or a month. Then there's the copy-editing stage, which is where someone else looks at it and they'll check it for continuity. So if I've got a scene on a Thursday and then the next scene is on a Tuesday but it's supposed to be the day after, they will pick those kind of errors up and I'll go through and do those. And then there's a proofreading stage, which is once the book's been turned into the layout it's going to be in the paperback with all the chapter headings. I'll get that as a PDF document and I've got to go through it, and that's really to check for any errors that are still there like spelling mistakes, things like that. Then it goes off to be turned into a book. So the process is very different for everyone and I know that some people take a year to do a first draft and some people, like me, take a couple of months, and it's just really different depending on what style of writer you are. But I would say probably for me, it's about nine months between starting a book and it being turned into the finished product. If I think about this one I'm writing now, I've got a bit longer to do it. I started it in May and it's coming out in May, so that's a whole year, but I think that's also to allow for more publicity, so I'm hopefully going to get some proofs that go out to other authors and things. So it's a bit longer this time around, but in the past, it's probably been about nine months. WriteWatchWork: How would you say you get yourself into the writing zone and also out of writer's block? Cressida: I certainly have days where I'll sit down at my computer and I'll look at every single website on the Internet before I open my document and get on with it. But I'm quite lucky because I've got a really nice writing space, which is one of the bedrooms in our house. It's got a lovely desk and I like to light a candle and have a big cup of coffee. I'll put on some music really quietly in the background, usually without lyrics so kind of classical or mood music, and then open my document. And usually, if I even write a few words, then I'll get going. So sometimes if I don't even know what I'm writing, even though I've got a plan, sometimes you just think how will I start this chapter off, I'll just write a few random words like 'Hello computer' or something, and I think just the act of doing that will often put me in the zone and then I'll be able to continue with it. And then sometimes, if I'm really stuck, I'll read through what I did the day before. I'll try not to change it because I like to write a first draft and then go back and improve it, but if I read through it then that will put me back into the story and I'll be able to crack on with it. If I'm really stuck, if I just have no clue, then often I think it's best to walk away from the computer. I'll go for a walk around the block, have a cup of coffee in the garden or something, and just sometimes if you take yourself completely away from it, then you can come back and feel a bit fresher. So there are different tactics for different levels of stuckness, I'd say. It's nice to have a little routine before you start, I think, to put you there, and I know some people love going and working in coffee shops because they like that sense of chaos around them or they can listen in to conversations and get inspiration from that. But I find, being in my office is just the best way to start. WriteWatchWork: As an author who loves reading books, do you find that when reading you have an author's eye and are analysing other writer's styles? Or can you just relax and enjoy the read? Cressida: Yeah, I think it's really difficult to not do a little bit of that. And I was saying to my husband just this morning, that I think with every book I read, it helps me become a better writer, even if it's a completely different genre, so if it's like really dark crime, you just kind of pick up ways in which a writer makes something really work --- a way of doing dialogue or a way of introducing setting --- and I think that maybe some people who don't like books think that must be really confusing to be reading and picking stuff up all the time. But I think because now I've been writing for nearly a decade, that's sort of become the way that I read books, and it doesn't stop my enjoyment of the story at all. It just brings, I would say, extra layers to reading it. So, if I'm reading a really good romcom, I'll kind of think: 'Oh my God, the tension between the hero and heroine here is brilliant, how is the writer doing it?' I'll just be aware of that as I'm reading and pick things up and maybe sometimes make some notes that: 'They do this brilliantly because of this'. So I think I'm always doing that, but I don't find now that I'm used to my brain doing it, that it spoils my enjoyment of reading at all. I kind of do them both simultaneously. WriteWatchWork: I've seen on your social media that you like to read other genres, such as thrillers. Would you, or have you, ever tried your hand at another genre and what would it be? Cressida: Okay, so part of me would love to write a thriller, but I just feel like my brain isn't geared up to that. The intricacies of having a plot where it's potentially possible for the reader to work out who did it, but also it's so well-crafted that there are lots of red herrings along the way. The thought of doing that and planning something that complex, I just think, is really difficult. Also, lots of them involve lots of police procedures, and I have no clue about that, so that would involve speaking to a professional, and I'm just not sure that I'm cut out for something like that. But I would love to write a ghost story. I love ghosts, I love supernatural, and I would love to write a really really creepy ghost story. And I think there would be some element of romance in it because that's my favourite thing. I think you could do that, you could have a couple go to a creepy old house and horrible things happen to them. So that's something that I would love to do in the future, and in a couple of my books there have been some slightly ghostly storylines, but I've never full-on turned it into a ghost story; however, I think that's something that I would love to do at some point in the future. WriteWatchWork: I would definitely read your ghost story because I read The Cornish Cream Tea Summer with Estelle and then Audrey's ghost hunt in The Cornish Cream Tea Christmas. It was a really surprising element but it was good because it added to the tension and more layers to the plot. Cressida: I'm glad you liked it. I have had some reviews saying some people hated that bit of the book like they weren't expecting that in their contemporary rom-com. But I think I made it fit quite well because often at Christmas you love sitting around the fire, and having a ghost story. So it's been a bit of a Marmite thing. I wonder if I did it again whether I wrote a completely separate book that was focused on a ghost story and people knew they were getting that before they went into it. But I'm glad you like those elements because I love writing them. WriteWatchWork: With that, how do you deal with both negative and positive reviews of your books? Cressida: I used to read all of them, and I think that was a really bad idea. I do think that what you have to realise, and it is difficult because writing is such a personal thing, is that not everyone is going to love your book. There is nothing in the world that is universally loved by everyone, even the really really popular things, books that people go mad over like Fourth Wing and stuff, I'm sure that some people have read them and not liked them, so you have to remember not everything is for everyone and just be aware of that. I have read some critical reviews where someone said something like there's too much time spent in the character's head and it's a bit slow and clunky in places. I will read those and I will take that on board and think, 'Ok, so maybe I need to be a bit more pacey with my plot'. So I think some reviews with constructive criticism can be really useful, some just say 'I hate this book'. You are going to get those and I think you just have to build a better thick skin and say, 'I'm not going to read those'. If I see someone's put one star on Amazon, I just walk away, it wasn't for them. But other people like it, so it's fine. And then the positive reviews, it's really really lovely to read those, but I tend not to go through Amazon or Goodreads and read them. But if someone on Instagram, for example, has tagged me in a review, then I'll always read that because they've taken the time to put up a post. And touch wood, so far, I haven't been tagged in many bad reviews on Instagram, so on social media if someone's taken the time to do that, it's usually because they've loved it and want to share it. So I'll read those, comment and thank someone for taking the time. If you enjoyed the first half of my interview with Cressida McLaughlin, stick around and read my next blog tomorrow where we talk all about Cressida's books and do a bookish game of Would You Rather. Until tomorrow...

Tom Cruise films never fail to amaze me and Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One is no exception because it is now one of the best films I've seen this year. I love action movies. Some of my favourite films are action movies and if you were to ask me who my favourite actors/actresses are, I'd say Tom Cruise. I have yet to watch a Tom Cruise film that I've disliked and the Mission: Impossible franchise is one of my top movie franchises ever. So it was no surprise that when Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One came out, I desperately wanted to see it. And usually for films being released in the cinema, I'd wait until they were available on a streaming service or the likes of Sky. However, with it being the seventh instalment in the Mission: Impossible franchise, my family and I went to the cinema to see it on the big screen. And how wonderful it was. Review of Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One was a fantastic film. It brings together all the key characters from the previous movies, such as Benji, Luther and Ilsa, and also introduces some new characters, one of whom is from Ethan Hunt's life before he joined the IMF, adding another twist to the film. The premise of the movie is for Ethan - Tom Cruise's character - to retrieve a key, split into two parts, to stop a new enemy called The Entity. The Entity is essentially AI (artificial intelligence) that could ultimately rule the world. Ethan and his friends have to retrieve the key but upon doing so, they meet Hayley Atwell's character, Grace. She's a new addition to the IMF gang and by the end of the film becomes integral to the organisation and their friend group. Now, what I love about Tom Cruise films are the stunts and authenticity of the action. In the Mission: Impossible movies, Tom Cruise doesn't half-arse a job - he goes all in. And in Dead Reckoning: Part One there are so many stunts and action sequences that as a viewer blow your mind. One, in particular, was the motorcycle scene where Tom Cruise rides a motorcycle up a mountain and launches himself off the cliff to then parachute down onto a moving train. This scene was spectacular. Any stunt a character that Tom Cruise plays does in a film is always incredible because you know Tom, himself, has done the stunt. And as the video shows, Tom Cruise did actually ride the motorbike off a cliff and base jump onto the train. I could go on forever about the action sequences, like the one in the falling train, but I want to focus on the other aspects of the movie. Another aspect of the Mission: Impossible films that I love is the friendship and comedy. Simon Pegg's character, Benji, is a great example of comedy through character. In every film Simon Pegg is in, Benji's character adds humour to the tense and fast-paced action. He delivers one-liners and humorous anecdotes throughout that do make you laugh. Ving Rhames' character, Luther, also adds a comedic effect as well as Tom Cruise. And these comedy elements add momentary relief to the drama making the films more enjoyable as a whole, and Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One is no exception. The friendship aspect of the films is conveyed through the actors' relationships off-screen, being friends with each other, but also with the closeness of characters and how they're always there to back the other up. Ethan, Benji, Luther, Ilsa - and now Grace - support each other and fight together, no matter the costs and that's evident in the seventh instalment of the franchise when Benji, Luther and Ilsa turn up in a van to rescue Ethan. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One is one of my top films this year - just below Top Gun: Maverick - and I can safely say it won't disappoint. It is definitely worth the watch if you love action movies! Until next time...

Welcome back for Part Two of my interview with the bestselling author, Cressida McLaughlin. Readers, welcome back to WriteWatchWork. If you read my most recent post, you would know that I recently had the opportunity to interview one of my favourite authors, Cressida McLaughlin. Speaking to Cressida was a moment I'll never forget, but we spoke about so much that I've had to split the interview into two parts. You can read Part One here, and for Part Two, where we talk all about Cressida's books and have a game of Would You Rather, read on. My interview with Cressida McLaughlin WriteWatchWork: You recently signed a new multi-book deal with HarperCollins. Could you tell me a bit more about that -- if allowed, of course -- and if you have any ideas for the new books yet? Cressida: Yes, so I've got a four-book deal with HarperCollins, and two books are going to be standalone romances and two are going to be a series, which is going to be a new series; so not The Cornish Cream Tea series, which is, at the moment, after eight books, coming to an end -- but I might return to it, so never say never. The book I'm writing at the moment is a standalone romance and then I'm going to be writing the first book in a new series, but actually, I haven't yet decided what that is. There are still discussions with my editor about where it's set, whether it's another Cornwall-set series or I'd love to set a series in Norfolk, which is where I live. And so, I haven't started thinking about that one yet because I'm still working on this new standalone. So there are going to be two standalones and then two books in a brand-new series. All kind of the same style that I've written from the beginning so contemporary romance; lots of characters, lots of community, and usually some pets because I love putting animals in my books, so the same feel-good factor as before. WriteWatchWork: Well, I look forward to reading them. And you mentioned including lots of characters there, and across all of your books, there are several protagonists and side characters. Which character resonates with you the most that you've written? Cressida: Oh my goodness, out of all my books? It's really hard. I try to make all my main characters different, so sometimes, I try and think of characters that are really different to me and that's more of a challenge. Recently, the one that's resonated with me the most is probably Thea in The Cornish Cream Tea Holiday. She comes down to Cornwall for a solo holiday because her best friend's had to pull out because she's got a job back in Bristol where she lives. Thea is quiet, she's a bit of an introvert and she's very bookish. She finds it difficult to come out of her shell, but she's also got this dream that she wants to fulfil and she finds it quite hard to do that. I loved writing about her because I think that I've got some of the same characteristics as her. I'm quite introverted; I could easily hide in my house and read books for days on end without doing anything else. And there are some bits in that book, for example, she goes on this clifftop walk in Cornwall that she finds absolutely terrifying, and I wrote that after I'd done the same thing with my husband. We'd gone on this walk and he was like 'Let's get on the cliffs', and there were bits of the cliff walk that were just like, 'Why are there no barriers?'. I couldn't believe that people strode along this thing with a sheer drop down to the rocks below. So there was quite a lot of me in Thea I think and I definitely resonate with her story quite a bit, whereas characters like Ollie, who's a lot more extroverted, I loved writing her but I think that's because I'm quite different to her. WriteWatchWork: It's good though to have characters that you do relate to but then others who surprise you and are very different as well. Cressida: Definitely. I like the challenge of that, and my editor always says there's a little bit of you in every single one of your heroines, which I think is unavoidable because they're coming from you. But it's nice to think, 'How would she react in this situation?', and actually it will be really different from how I'd react, and kind of exploring those moments. WriteWatchWork: Well, have there been any characters you've disliked writing about or not enjoyed as much, whether it be a protagonist or side character? Cressida: I think sometimes there are villainous characters, not in a cartoon strip way, I don't think you can put a big bad villain in there because it wouldn't be realistic. One of the main problems I have is I hate putting my hero and heroine through the ringer. So, when it comes to the conflict element, which you have to have in books, I always find it really difficult to do that. I have to gear myself up and say, 'You're going to make them have a really horrible time, but there's going to be a happy ever after at the end, so don't worry about it.' I'm trying to get better at that, so there are not necessarily any characters I've disliked writing, but those bits of the book, although they're really interesting and meaty and challenging to write, I always have to push myself further, because otherwise they'll just have a little disagreement on Page 220 and by Page 222, I'll want them back together. So I have to work hard at making them have a bit of the book, which is often referred to as 'The Dark Night of the Soul', where characters hit rock bottom and have to drag their way out and find their own happy ever after. So, that bit I always find quite hard work, but also it's really good for me to do it. WriteWatchWork: Earlier you mentioned where the inspiration for The House of Birds and Butterflies came from, going to nature reserves with your husband, but what about your first book? Where did the inspiration for A Christmas Tail come from? Cressida: I have never owned a dog, I've had a couple of cats in the past, but I've never owned a dog. But I love dogs and near us, where we live in Norwich, just on the edge of Norwich, we've got a really nice park. It's just a big square of grass and me and my husband used to go walking there every morning before breakfast. And the main people we'd meet would be dog walkers and we got to know them. It is sort of like a really nice community, and you could see that these people met up with each other to go dog walking. It was so lovely to see the people walking and how similar they were to their dogs, and so the idea was what if this woman starts dog walking in her beautiful little neighbourhood, but she's more interested in solving all the problems of the owners than she is in walking the dogs. So I wanted a really nosy character, who had such great intentions to help people, but always kind of got things wrong or got in the way. I just thought that that was such a nice idea for a book, having this little community where they all get involved in things like the Christmas lights; it seemed like such rich territory for romance and with this character, who was hopeless in lots of ways but had a really big heart. So it was mainly from walking around, seeing the dogs and their owners near where I live and thinking about what they would be like and what are they like with their dogs. WriteWatchWork: Which of your books was the most challenging to write? Cressida: So I know the answer to this. The Cornish Cream Team Bus, which I would say is the book that has changed my writing career because it was never going to be a series, to begin with. It was just this one book because I wanted to set a book in Cornwall, I wanted it to be on the beach, and I wanted it to involve food. I had all of these ideas and I wrote the whole book, sent it off to my editor and she came back to me and said there are only two things wrong with this: The relationship between the hero and heroine. And the plot. Basically, it's the biggest structural edit I've ever had to do. I had to basically rewrite the whole book and it was a huge challenge. It was really stressful at the time because it was my sixth book, but in the past lots of my books have been written in four parts because they came out as eBook parts; so, I'd write each book as a part and have it edited as a part, so I wasn't ever working on a whole book at once. Whereas this one was the first book I think, or maybe the second book, where I've done that. And then to have this edit where I had a huge amount to do, it was really really stressful, but I was super happy with the finished results and it was really really popular. My editor was like 'This is a really popular book, why don't we do a second one?' And so The Cornish Cream Tea series was born. So the hardest book to write but the biggest rewards reaped at the end. WriteWatchWork: What was the easiest book of yours to write? Cressida: Easiest to write was The Staycation, which was my standalone that I wrote a couple of years ago, and I wrote that in lockdown. I had just sent off, I think, The Cornish Cream Tea Wedding to my editor, who was on holiday for a fortnight, and I had this idea bubbling in my head, which was obviously based on lockdown because it was about a guy who was stuck in a hotel room because he'd been in an accident, he couldn't really get out and about, and his sister sends a travel agent to his room to book him a holiday for when he's better. But he says he doesn't want that, he wants the travel agent to bring the holidays to him in the hotel room while he's recovered because he's so bored, and so that was the idea and it'd been bubbling away probably since the beginning of lockdown. And then when my editor was away, I just sat down and thought, 'I'll see if I can write the first chapter'. She didn't know I was writing it, it was just for my own pleasure and in that fortnight, I wrote the whole first draft, so I wrote about 90,000 words in two weeks. I just couldn't stop, I loved it so much. And after, I sent it to my agent and said, 'What do you think about this?' and she sent it to my editor and she was like, 'Let's publish it'. So that was definitely the easiest and quickest one to write because for some reason the story and everything about it was just there in my head waiting to plop down onto my computer. I wish that was the case for every book, but it's not; it was an anomaly but quite a good one. WriteWatchWork: In a lot of your books, you have very specific knowledge, for example, wildlife and nature in The House of Birds and Butterflies, and astronomy in The Once in a Blue Moon Guesthouse. What sort of things do you tend to research for a book and how long does the research stage take? Cressida: It depends really on the book. With The House of Birds and Butterflies, my husband and I go to those bird reserves all the time, so I really wanted to write about it and I had quite a lot of knowledge already. But obviously, especially, there are bits at the beginning of each chapter, which is a little snippet about a particular bird or animal, and I will research those to make sure that the facts I was putting in weren't just random or something I thought was true but wasn't. Astronomy, again, that's something I'm really interested in, but I didn't know many of the details. So I would say with every book, I do probably a few weeks of research, and most of it is online to be honest; I haven't gone out and done any proper big research trips, although that's something I'd like to do in the future. For The Cornish Cream Tea Bus, it was making sure it was actually plausible that you could have a café on a bus and if it was alright to have a water tank in there and an oven. I didn't want that to be completely improbable, so I had to research all those bits, and you don't want too much detail in there, no one needs to know about how the water tank is fitted but they want to feel like they're not living in a fantasy world if the book isn't a fantasy book. So I do probably a few weeks of research just to make sure that I feel confident going into writing the book, and then if I write a scene and there are any gaps, I'll make a note and go back afterwards to fill those in because when I'm in the flow of the story, I don't want to suddenly come out and spend two days researching something. WriteWatchWork: That's really good because I found with your writing style, whilst you include lots of descriptions and facts, it doesn't detract from the narrative and I can picture things clearly. With The House of Birds and Butterflies, the snippets at the start of each chapter are written in a way that you just take it with the narrative. Cressida: I'm so pleased. That's what I want because especially I think with crime books, they'll often be so specific about something that people aren't aware of and you do sometimes get big chunks of knowledge about it, which is really informative and the story wouldn't work if you didn't. I certainly think when people are reading light-hearted romance, they don't want to be taken out of the story with big factual reams of stuff. I have had a couple of people email me and one person who owned a campervan when travelling was like, 'I'd like some more information about how does she empty the sewage and is there a map of the inside of the bus?' And I was like, 'No.' People don't want that in their romcoms, it's not a book about how to set up and run a café on a double-decker bus. It's not a how-to manual, it's a romance. WriteWatchWork: One thing I am interested in is how you come up with the names for locations, like Porthgolow, and pets and characters as well. Cressida: It is pretty challenging, and also that is one of the things where I feel like I can’t start writing until I know the names of the people and the places because you can’t really picture them in your head unless they’ve got a name. I think with the two Cornish place names, I looked up Cornish words and what they meant, and found some that sounded nice and had good meanings as well. I can’t remember what the meanings of Golow or Karadow are now – I think Karadow means kindness, something really nice --- but then I had a look and there are lots of other ports, there’s Port Isaac, all those kinds of things, so it was a hodgepodge of what was already in Cornwall and what word would sound nice on the end. With the characters, I think especially for the hero and heroine, that does take me quite a while because I want the name to fit with the personality and I think especially with the hero, I have very strong ideas about what names are sexy and what names are not. For example, I would never have a hero called Colin, and I'm sorry to all the Colins in the world, but for me, that's not a sexy name, so I'm not going to use it. I've read a couple of romances, I think they were American, where the hero's been called Colin and I've been like 'Really?' So it's very important to me that especially the hero and heroine have the right names, and I will spend a lot of time on baby name websites, and sometimes, I'll think about what year were the characters born in and then look at the most popular names in that year. In The Cornish Cream Tea Bus, she's called Charlie because originally instead of a cream tea bus, I was going to have a crepe bus or a crepe food stall, so I was thinking of Charlie's Crepes. Then I changed the crepe bit but then already in my head she was Charlie, so she kind of stuck. With Lila, I just loved the name Delilah, and I thought it was a beautiful name but also the name of someone who was a bit of a terror. I have to fit the names in with the personalities of the people I'm creating as well. WriteWatchWork: Which one of your heroes would you say is your favourite? Cressida: That's really hard --- I love them all. But I do have a real soft spot for Daniel in The Cornish Cream Team Bus, and I think that's because it was the first time I had tried to do a sort of enemies-to-lovers book. The antagonism between Charlie and Daniel at the beginning was so much fun to write, I loved him coming across as a cold, callous character and then unpicking all those layers. Similarly, with Jack in The House of Birds and Butterflies, he's properly grumpy at the beginning and clashes with Abby a lot. I love writing the lovely heroes like Max and Colm, who are lovely from the start, but it's nice to peel back the layers and see the heroine peel back the layers of the hero and get under their skin and show all their soft sides. So I have a real soft spot for Daniel. WriteWatchWork: If you could give aspiring authors one piece of advice, what would it be? Cressida: My piece of advice to aspiring authors is to write a story that you're passionate about. Don't look at the market and think, 'Well these kinds of books are doing really well' or 'This person's a millionaire'. If you want to be a writer, you have to write a story that you love because if you're not passionate about it then chances are you won't write something that readers are passionate about either. So write a story that you really love and you're really invested in. My second piece of advice, which is more technical, is to get to the end. Don't be a perfectionist and go back and edit the first chapter 30 million times. Try and get to the end of something because you can always go back and make it better, but you cannot edit a blank page. WriteWatchWork: I must say, I am guilty of the second one, editing before I've finished the first full draft. Cressida: I think that is such a big thing because it's such a personal thing to do and when you're just starting out and you've not built any routines or plotting styles or anything, you're just figuring it out. So it's easy to just think 'I'll go back and make them better' and it is scary walking off into this blank world of finishing it. But I think, just know the first draft is going to be rubbish. It's just going to be rubbish but get it all down and then go back and make it work is what I would say. I think so many more people would get their books finished if they stopped worrying about the beginning that they've already written and just forced themselves to go through to the end. And that's a wrap! I hope you enjoyed reading my interview with Cressida and found it as fascinating as I did. Until next time...

Cressida McLaughlin's The Once in a Blue Moon Guesthouse has been described as "warm and wonderful" and "like a lovely warm hug in a book", and I wholeheartedly agree. I've recently been working my way through Cressida McLaughlin's books, of which there are 14. My first book by her was The Cornish Cream Tea Bus, which I loved, but my favourite book by Cressida was The Once in a Blue Moon Guesthouse. The Once in a Blue Moon Guesthouse is a standalone novel, made up of four parts, set in Dorset. It's one of Cressida's earlier books in her career, but it is just as good as her later ones. My mum and my sister love Cressida's stories so it was only right for me to join the bandwagon and fall in love with her stories too. So let's review The Once in a Blue Moon Guesthouse. The Once in a Blue Moon Guesthouse by Cressida McLaughlin Contemporary romance: 10/10 Self-discovery: 9/10 Forced proximity: 8.5/10 Friends to lovers (but other stages in between): 9.5/10 The Once in a Blue Moon Guesthouse is a contemporary romance novel set in Dorset as it follows the story of Robin Brennan. Robin moves home from London to Campion Bay after tragedy strikes in the city. When she's home, she's reunited with her parents and the lovely residents of the town, including her friend Molly. However, her ex-high-school-sweetheart, Tim, still lives in Campion Bay and is rather eager to reunite with Robin. Whilst she's helping out at her parents' guesthouse, they announce that they're thinking of retiring and moving to France. Robin being Robin means that she takes over the guesthouse in full force, renovating it and updating it for modern guests. The renovations are exactly what the Campion Bay Guesthouse needs and let me tell you, when Cressida describes each of the rooms in the guesthouse...it will make you want to pack your bags and spend a week there! Each room has a different theme whether it's nature or the sky and stars at night. Once the guesthouse is fully refurbished and ready for opening, Robin has all but one room booked. But on her opening night, Will Nightingale turns up on her doorstep, drenched from the rain, with an adorable cavapoo named Darcy. From there, the story really gets going as we see Robin navigating her newfound responsibilities of the guesthouse whilst being pulled to her latest tenant and next-door neighbour Will as she helps him settle into the town, sort his aunt's house out and find out the truth. I've read quite a few of Cressida's books and one thing I've noticed about them is that her writing style effortlessly hooks you as a reader. The way she constructs the narrative and builds momentum in the plot is really good. This plot of Robin having a fresh start in her old town whilst juggling two suitors is heart-warming. Not only because you get to see romance but also because there's friendship, family, hardships and self-love as themes throughout too. Robin's character is relatable, to me, in many ways. She works hard, is self-motivated and dedicated to doing well. But she's also sometimes a bit too selfless, always wanting to help others out. Robin is also kind-hearted and well-loved by all those in Campion Bay and isn't afraid to admit when she's done something wrong. Will is the handsome charmer, who is trying to seek some answers. But he's also trying to make up for the past and the little time he spent with his aunt for the majority of his life. When he's in Campion Bay, Robin helps things make more sense and he begins to settle into the town. I really enjoyed reading about both of these characters and following their character arcs throughout the novel. Their dynamic throughout was amazing to read and also to see how they interact with each other, others in Campion Bay, and how they deal with the issues they're faced with was really good and very well-written. All the other characters, as well, including Molly, Tim, Paige etc, all felt very realistic to me. Cressida spends time introducing each of them and so by the end of the book, you feel as though you know them each individually. Cressida's writing in The Once in a Blue Moon Guesthouse was so good and inspiring. The mixture of dialogue and descriptions was perfect - there are some writers I've read where the descriptions have been very in-depth, but Cressida includes the right amount of description mixed with the narrative to give you a clear visual image without taking away from the story. You can tell that this book was written with love and care because it oozes off the page. The intricate details of the guesthouse, the plethora of different personalities in Goldcrest Road, all the different businesses...The Once in a Blue Moon Guesthouse has a community feel to it and I only hope one day I can write a book that hooks readers the same way Cressida has achieved. Have you read any of Cressida's books before? If not, click the image below to head over to Amazon and give this one a try. And come back later this week for an exclusive interview with Cressida herself! Until next time...

In today's world, it can be more difficult than one would think to motivate yourself and achieve your dreams. But it's not impossible, not with ambition. It's a truth universally acknowledged that when one sets their mind to something, when they visualise what they want to achieve, they can. Turning something you once believed to be unattainable into something achievable and tangible is possible. But you have to put in the work. I class myself as a Slytherin in terms of Harry Potter houses. Now, for anyone who isn't familiar with the houses of Hogwarts and their attributes, they are as follows: Gryffindor: Gryffindor is probably the most famous of the houses at Hogwarts. Its house symbol is a lion, which probably tells you all you need to know already. Those chosen to be a part of Gryffindor are often: Courageous Determined Brave And those that stand up to others Ravenclaw: Ravenclaw is another of the houses, notable by the eagle emblem. It's typically a house that includes the smartest of minds, so the Ravenclaw traits include: Intelligent Wise and Witty An Overachiever And not afraid to be their unique selves Hufflepuff: Hufflepuff is probably the least well-known house and one that people underestimate. The house's symbol is the badger and traits of those who are Hufflepuffs include: Humble Hard-working Trustworthy and Loyal And having a strong moral compass Slytherin: Slytherin is one of the two most well-known houses but also the most notorious for having a bad reputation. However, there is more to it than that. I embody a lot of the traits that represent those in Slytherin, which include: Ambitious Cunning Resourceful Shrewd I used to always say I'm a Gryffindor but looking back I'm definitely a Slytherin. However, I also have traits of all the other houses too. But the point I'm trying to make is that Slytherins are known for being ambitious. And it's this ambition that everyone can use a bit of. Ambition as an ally In life, there are times when we know exactly what we want to do but there are times when we also have no clue. Neither situation is better than the other in the grand scheme of things. Planning meticulously can be helpful but so can going with the flow. However, having ambition can only be a good thing. Having that desire to achieve something, to be successful and proud of yourself, can help increase self-motivation. The other day, I was scrolling through TikTok when this video of Kevin Hart appeared. It was him explaining his mentality in life and describing himself as a "life goes on" type of guy. Personally, I found the video actually rather inspiring and it got me thinking. Life goes on, it's not going to stop for you to do something or sort things out. It carries on. But if you use your ambition, use your desires, your dreams, and motivate yourself, you can achieve so much in life. If you make mistakes, who cares? Learn from the failures and the errors, don't let them define you. If things take longer than you would have liked, it doesn't matter. Life goes on and one day you will get to where you want to be. So long as you have that drive within yourself to keep going and keep working hard, nothing can stop you. Kevin Hart's exact words were: "Sun don't stop for nobody, man. Sun don't ******* stop. Sun gonna be up in the morning regardless. That sun is gonna be up in the morning regardless of how I ******* feel and how depressed I am. "The Sun is gonna ****** shine in the morning and at night time the moon gonna be there and you gonna look up, these days gonna keep going by. "So do you let the days go by and look up and you wasted a year doing what? Or do you just pick it up, alright, I figured I made some mistakes, life goes on. Let me figure out life from this point. I'm a "life goes on" type of guy." Until next time...

Jamie McGuire's novel, Beautiful Disaster, was made into an Amazon Prime movie earlier this year. Whenever a book gets turned into a movie, I'm always a bit apprehensive. I like to read the book first to get the full experience, and then watch the movie because the two are never quite the same. With Beautiful Disaster, I've read the book a couple of times; the second being only a month or two ago. The first time around, I loved the book. But when I reread it, when I was older and wiser, it didn't have quite the same appeal. However, I was still very excited about the prospect of a film version. I'd seen the film adaptation of Perfect Addiction by Claudia Tan and I enjoyed the movie. So the other night, my sister, who's also read the books, and I sat down and watched Beautiful Disaster, the movie version. Now we both gave the film two different ratings. We categorised them as: A rating of the film based on the book A rating of the film, separate from the book I'll tell you why we did this. Novels can be however long an author desires. Some are only 50,000 words whilst others can be over 100,000 words. But for movies, the typical length of a feature film is around two hours long - unless it's Avatar, Lord of the Rings or Avengers: Endgame. Therefore, when it comes to converting a book into a movie, it's difficult to include everything. In Harry Potter, there are a lot of things missing from the movies that are included in the books - that's just how Hollywood works. However, if you watch Beautiful Disaster because you've read the book, and want it to be like the book, then in my opinion, you are probably going to be disappointed. The movie is around 90 minutes long and it does have a lot of aspects of the book missing. For example, the characters of Finch and Brazil aren't in the movie at all; the love-triangle aspect with Parker isn't really a love triangle, so you don't get that intense jealousy from Travis all the way throughout. The finale with the fire is also very underwhelming in the movie and not what I expected. So comparing the two and rating the movie as a film adaptation of the book, I've given it a 2/10. But on the other hand, if you watch Beautiful Disaster as its own film, forgetting about the book, it's better. Watching it as a typical, modern-day, cheesy romcom, makes it more tolerable to watch because of the differences. It centres more around Abby and Travis, excluding other characters' storylines, and is very fast-paced. I still only rated it a 5.5/10 because it was very cringy and there were scenes that didn't need to be quite how they were, in my opinion. However, the acting of Ginny Gardener and Dylan Sprouse, who's come a long way from Suite Life of Zack and Cody, was very good. It's not my favourite film and I probably won't rewatch it, but I'm glad I've seen Beautiful Disaster at least once because it did make me laugh! Have you seen the movie? Until next time...

Books, books, books. Reading has become more popular since the rise of Bookstagram and BookTok and so I wanted to share some of my favourite books on my shelves. Social media has a lot to answer for, both negative and positive; but one of the more positive aspects of social media is that it has created different communities like Bookstagram and BookTok. With the formation of bookish communities, the popularity of reading also increased. I've always enjoyed reading ever since I was little and I've never really had a slump where I haven't wanted to pick up a book. However, the problem with enjoying reading is at some point you will have too many books for your bookcase. If you've read my previous post, you'll know I attended an author signing - RARE23London - a couple of weeks ago. Whilst there, not only did I get the books I went with signed, but I picked up even more, coming home with 17. This meant that I spent last weekend trying to find space for them all, eventually rearranging my entire bookcase. Now, my family and I are in the process of reorganising our spare room to turn it into a library - who wouldn't want a library in their house? - but we're not quite there yet. So my desk and bookcase are the homes of my paperbacks. And whilst I was sorting out all my books - around 140 books - I began thinking about which ones are my favourites. So I wanted to share them with you. My favourite bookshelf books On my bookshelves, I have quite a vast range of novels and short stories. The genres differ quite significantly from romance novels to fantasy and dystopian to horror and crime to timeless classics. I use a total of six shelves on my bookcase and then two on the side of my desk, which was quite a squeeze getting all my books on there. And the way I organise my books is usually by genre but also by the ones I like the most. With a funky bookcase, the shelves are all different sizes so I have a shelf dedicated to Harry Potter, one that's only Stephen King books and one that's for Classics and Agatha Christie novels. But, the bigger shelves house some of the books I like the most. So on my top shelf, my favourites have to be Elsie Silver's Chestnut Springs series, Eliah Greenwood's Easton Boys series and Lauren Asher's F1-based series Dirty Air. I also have Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo on the top shelf because that book was just amazing. Now they are all romance series - and there are many more where they came from, hence why I have a shelf dedicated to romcoms - but another of my shelves also houses some of my favourites. These novels aren't specifically romance, although that is a sub-genre. The Shatter Me series, Six of Crows duology and A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) are some of my favourite series to read. ACOTAR is a fantasy series and Shatter Me is a dystopian series, whilst Six of Crows in my opinion is a mixture of both. I remember reading all these books and being in awe of how the authors crafted worlds different to our own that suck you in and make you want to reread those books continuously. I also have a shelf on my desk dedicated to all my Christmas books, which is one of my favourite shelves! And I've read all of the books on there and continue to reread them each year in the build-up to the festive holidays. My favourite books that aren't on my shelves At the moment, I'm currently working my way through Cressida McLaughlin's books. Her books are now some of my favourite reads and I will revisit them again and again - I even read a couple of her Christmas books this month, in July! And whilst I love her books, I don't actually have them on my bookcase. But my sister has them on hers. I would love my own copy of McLaughlin's books but that'll have to wait until I move out, haha! Bookshelf books I have yet to read Earlier I said I only tend to get paperbacks that I know I'll reread again, and whilst that is true, I have to admit I do have some books that I have yet to read. These tend to be romance novels but also some of the classics and thrillers. On my Stephen King shelf, I have about five books, three of which I haven't dived into. I've read Carrie and Misery, which definitely lived up to its title, but I haven't read The Institute, The Shining or Everything's Eventual, which is actually a collection of short stories. Along with King's books, I still haven't mustered up the courage to tackle some of the classics. I've read The Great Gatsby, which when you open it you'll be greeted by annotations throughout, and also Wuthering Heights; however, I haven't read Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice or Moby Dick, which my friend actually gave to me. And then there are a couple of romcoms, like Love Her or Lose Her by Tessa Bailey and Set on You by Amy Lea, that I'm still trying to get around to reading. There are also some dystopian books I have yet to read including Q by Christina Dalcher, who also wrote Vox, which I really enjoyed. So out of 140 books, I have read the majority and I would revisit the majority too. But there are still some novels that are yet to be read that may end up bumping their way up the list to the favourites section. Have you read any of the books mentioned? And what are some of your favourite books that you own? Until next time...

RARE23London is a book signing event with over 200 authors in attendance where avid romance readers, like myself, can go and meet some of their favourite authors and get some books signed. Last weekend, I went to my first-ever book signing event. I'd never actually met any authors in person and so when I saw RARE23London all over my social media, I knew I had to go. I went to the event with a friend, who I met on Bookstagram, and it was lovely to meet her in person and spend the weekend with her meeting some of our favourite authors. Now, RARE stands for Romance Author and Reader Event and as I mentioned above there were around 200 authors in attendance. They all write romance but the sub-genres vary from dark romance to small-town romance to rom-coms. The actual signing day was Saturday and as my friend and I had early entry tickets, we were able to be in the signing room, which was huge, from 9:30 until 5:30 that evening. But on Friday, there was also a Meet and Greet, where a select few authors were signing and everyone could basically enjoy the evening chatting with the authors and fellow readers. In all honesty, the whole weekend was so good and everybody there was wonderful. I spoke to lots of different authors and I spoke to loads of different people, who I'd never met before. And because everybody who attended had similar interests, RARE had a community feel to it. If you know me, you know that my dream is to be a published author. So, meeting some of my favourite authors was amazing - I was like a little kid in a sweet shop! Whilst at RARE, I got to get photos with some of the authors as well as get my scrapbook signed and also my paperbacks. I actually only took nine paperbacks, which were rather heavy, but I came home with 17, which made my suitcase and rucksack even heavier! And you may be thinking that's a lot, but trust me...it's not. One woman I was speaking to had about 60 pre-orders to collect on the day...60! Now I'm home and need to find space for all these books, haha! But, first I wanted to share some of what I got up to over the RARE23London weekend. Meeting my favourite authors As an aspiring author, there are writers who I look up to and dream of producing work of their calibre. For me, I got to meet a select few of these at RARE and can only hope that one day I can meet my other favourite authors who didn't attend RARE, such as Cressida McLaughlin. But the authors that I did meet and was so excited to meet (so excited!) were: Elsie Silver Eliah Greenwood Ana Huang Somme Sketcher Catharina Maura All these ladies are so lovely and kind. I can't quite believe I got to meet them in person and speak to them! Their writing is some of the best I've read and I will always go back and reread their books. They all write romance but different kinds of romance books, so if you've never heard of them, I'd recommend giving them a go - you won't regret it. One thing I learnt from RARE23London Another thing I did at RARE was not only speak to the authors about their own works but also my dream of writing a novel. In fact, I have professionally made business cards and even plucked up the courage to hand a couple out to people, which was rather nerve-wracking! But I took the leap. RARE pushed me out of my comfort zone and I'm so grateful for it because it was a weekend to remember. I embraced everything that happened and took it all in my stride and now, coming home, I feel inspired and energised to continue working towards my goals and dreams in life. So the one thing I've learnt that everyone can use is: Take the opportunities that come to you and don't be afraid to do something. Take the leap, take the chance and embrace the moment. Until next time...