This is week sees the final instalment of my serial The Mermaid of Mortling Hall in The People’s Friend magazine and what a lovely experience it’s been, from the writing and drafting of the story under Alan Spink’s steady tutelage, to kind comments of support from family, colleagues and blogging friends.
As a finale, Alan emailed me and asked if I’d like to give an author interview on the magazine’s blog, so if you’d like to learn a little more about the story, about my writing habits – and see a terrifying extreme close-up of my toothy mug – then pop along here.
Many thanks go especially to all bloggers who left encouraging comments and to all those who bought the magazine – your support has been amazing.
Wow! Super cool! congrats!
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Thanks so much Elijah 🙂
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I’m so pleased for you, Lynn. Now I’m going to take a look at that interview.
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And don’t forget the terrifying photo! Thank you very much Jane
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You have a low opinion of your looks. What I see is an open, friendly face, and intelligent eyes. It doesn’t come much better than that.
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Ah, thank you. Problem is, we all remember the younger us when we look in the mirror, don’t we? Before the wrinkles and hairs sprouting from strange places! Not that I appreciated my flawless skin when I had it and I’m probably happier with myself now than I was when I was in my twenties, mainly cos I know I’m invisible now! 🙂
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Invisibility came as a shock to me when I first noticed it. I was in my fifties, and had been out with Laura. When we reached home, we found an attractive man staring up at the place. He told us he used to live there, and directed his conversation at the lovely Laura. That’s when I knew: I didn’t got it no more 🙂 It made me smile.
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I must say I’m comfortable with being invisible though in truth, I was never that visible anyway. I like passing, unseen through the crowd, though I still reserve the right to resent people younger than me 🙂
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I believe it’s a constitutional right, along with the right to push men with long eyelashes and lovely cheekbones into puddles and ditches, provided they have no more than three inches of water in them 🙂
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Haha! Quite right. There was a young man in the shop over Valentines Day – piercings, lilac hair, amazing cheekbones – but the thing I noticed most about him was the smell. Like a walking Lush shop, all cocoa butter and ylang ylang! I had the presence of mind NOT to tell him how lovely he smelt – might have scarred him for life 🙂
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Ylang ylang? That’s a very feminine choice. It’s one of my favourite essential oils. I use it all the time for making perfume and fragrancing lotions.
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Smells divine …. 🙂
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Great interview, Lynn! Now I really wish I could read the story. I’m so spoiled, getting to read so many of your other stories for free – but what can I say? I’m greedy. 🙂
You had me expecting a much more terrifying photo, though. That’s not even the tiniest bit disturbing, come on! I think you should go back and do another one where you’re snarling and squinting and maybe gnashing your teeth too. Since you promised/threatened, that is. 🙂
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Haha! Like many of us, I find close ups of my rapidly ageing face uncomfortable viewing (and that pic is over two years old, so more of me has slipped south now!) but as the alternatives are not being here or botulism in my forehead, I’ll make do with wrinkles 🙂 Thank you so much for popping over to read it – it was fun. And you might be surprised if you read the story – not a drop of blood in sight! 🙂
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I know what you mean — I prefer my closeups to be done in poor lighting and from far away, myself. 🙂
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I prefer a hessian bag on my head if poss 🙂
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LOL!
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Last week an old friend was in town, and after seeing the photos I took of us together, I wrote to her: “I hope your photos of us turned out better than mine did. I’m making a face in all of them. Oh wait, that’s my *normal* face — crap!!” 😀
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It never ceases to disappoint me that the woman staring back at me from the mirror is so damned old – when the hell did that happen? 🙂 Ah, well, better than botox or a ‘trout pout’ – I might look old, but people who have those procedures done just look … odd
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Ha ha, I’ve never heard “trout pout” – hilarious! And I agree: some people go to extreme measures to try to make themselves look younger, and success is far from guaranteed. . Although I suppose some would say the same about me wearing makeup: why bother, why not just go all natural? But I’m too vain, I suppose… 🙂
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Oh, me too! I don’t wear much but it makes me feel slightly more confident. Though I really need a younger lady friend as I get older to give me a check up every once in a while, stop me from tipping over into clown make up. How some older women don’t see what the rest of us see is beyond me 🙂
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Congrats Lynn! I really want to read your serial now. I loved your last one and I’m sure this one is just as good. It sounds fascinating!
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Ah, thank you Amanda! The magazine one is very different from The Devil, just because their readers don’t go for gore and unhappy endings. Both had a big splash of the Gothic though. Thank you so much for your support.
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You’re welcome. Either is good. I’ve read lots of Victorian Gothic and that kind of thing so that’s no problem. Like Jane Eyre but more modern?
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Sort of but with a focus on the mystery element. I do like Gothic- flickering candles and spooky goings on in big houses. What’s not to like? 🙂
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Lol.
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Congratulations, Lynn!
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Thanks Penny
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Congratulations again, Lynn. I’ve just got round to reading parts 2 & 3 of the serial; it’s such a fantastic story. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Great interview too. 🙂
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Ah, thank you so much Sammi. Really lovely of you to take the time to read the story and the interview. So glad you liked it and thank you so much for your support x
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