http://www.sarahwray.com en-gb sarahwray.com 2011-4-30T00:00:00Z sarahwray.com http://www.sarahwray.com/page12.htm#92807 Yeah I finally finished my big fat knitted quilt project well almost I still have to finish the hand quilting. The knitting of squares took me the best part of two years off and on and then there was the sewing together of squares and then the laying out backing sheet and wadding and pinning it all together and then when I went to my sewing machine to sew the quilting and tried to ram it in and managed to break five needles before giving up I realised I was going to have to hand quilt the whole thing. Its not actually that bad although as Im getting closer to the middle Im sewing ever decreasing rectangles one square in from the edge and so on the big bundles of quilt I have to handle gets a bit much and Im always stabbing my fingers with the sharp needles as I sew at arms length. I thought Id better photograph it sooner rather than later though as both the dog and the cat will sit on it whenever I take it up to sew it and Im afraid itll get damaged before its finished. Also this unp... 2011-4-30 15:08:40 http://www.sarahwray.com/page12.htm#87692 Its a beautiful day still and dry and warm enough for me to do one of my favourite things which is sit out in the garden at my little bistro table with my lunch and a pot of tea and a good book which is what I just did. Lucy and Roxie my cat and my dog came with me as they usually do and sat giving each other dirty looks and enjoying with me the warming early spring sunshine. The garden was filled with birdsong thanks to the bird feeder which I religiously fill up with fat balls a name that elicits endless mirth from my degenerate family. I was eating salad which I had prepared in such a way that I could eat it with a fork without having to pay too much attention to what I was doing so that I wouldnt be distracted from my book. Unfortunately there is one problem with that style of eating for ladies shaped like me. There isnt really a nice way to say it Im buxum rotund well built curvaceous think Dawn French rather than Nigella Lawson larger than life I hate that one how is anyone larg... 2011-2-24 14:00:28 http://www.sarahwray.com/page12.htm#79972 Im just back from a lovely walk along the tow path in Belfast with Roxie the dog. The Autumn colours are resplendent and when I wasnt in the shade the sun was almost warm Below are pictures I took when Paul and I were at the tow path last weekend the light wasnt as good as it was today but I had Paul to hold the dog while I composed my shots get me. He didnt get too impatient Today I enjoyed just walking and talking to Paul I always text him when Im at the tow path without him and if hes not too busy at work he rings me and chats to me as I walk bless. When the phone call was over my mind started working overtime as it does. The thing is Im TERRIFIED about hearing back from my editor at Faber. I sent her the manuscript for Ruby Dead at the beginning of October and I havent heard back yet. Her response holds so much potential if its positive Ill be absolutely jubilant my dream will be back on track Ill be back to doing what I love I just cant tell you how absolutely awesome that wo... 2010-11-10 12:55:09 http://www.sarahwray.com/page12.htm#73082 Click here to see my painting of a street in NiceAt the beginning of July I went with three ladies from my book group to Old Nice for eight days. We had a great time we swam in the sea until Irene got stung by a jellyfish which kind of put us off and we ate lots of nice salads and bread and pasta and pizza and drank rose wine and walked up lots of steps 80 steps up to our fourth floor apartment in a 300 year old building with no lift. And it was very hot and lovely and made me want to pack up and move to France.Shortly after coming home I won a prize which was a beautiful wooden box of artist watercolour pencils. Inspired by my new pencils and my memories and photos of old Nice I made a drawingpainting which you can see if you click on the link above. If my writing career doesnt pick up I could always forge a new career as an artist yeah right dream on S Wray.Talking of writing Ruby Dead is about to reach the 50 000 word mark which means were in the home straight within sight of the f... 2010-8-17 17:03:31 http://www.sarahwray.com/page12.htm#60222 I bought a new bird feeder for the garden back in November the kind that has quite big holes in it and you fill it with what they call fat balls no rude jokes please. Well it is so popular with the avian population in Belfast that Ive had to go and buy giant economy sized buckets of refills lots of times and my garden constantly looks like an Alfred Hitchcock movie. At any one time there will be at least four birds actually at the feeder and several more queueing on the branches around it. One time I looked out of my window and the whole tree was literally covered in birds. I like birds. They give me an excuse to look out of my window instead of working.Talking of working things are getting better. I still dont have a new publisher I know how could a talent as great as mine still be unclaimed. I had an email from my agent Simon Trewin the other day and hes going to or maybe already has pitch Blood and Snow to a brand new childrens publisher called Nosy Crow. Im very excited because ... 2010-3-10 10:34:05 http://www.sarahwray.com/page12.htm#55895 If language were liquidIt would be rushing inBut instead here we areIn a silence more eloquentThan any words could ever be...That song is driving me nutsoIts a great song Suzanne Vega but it always fills my head whenever Im blocked writers block not the other kind so that I wouldnt be able to think about anything else even if my brain was working.Its been half a year since Ive written a blog although I have been keeping up with the your questions and comments page and the Ive just read page. If you add that to the previous half a year what a year youd get. It was in January last year that Faber gave my career the death knoll by rejecting Blood and Snow and now a whole year later Im no further on. Since then Ive written just over 12000 words on my new book Ruby Dead. 12000 words in a year is pretty pants considering when Im on good form I can write a 7080000 word novel in six months easy. They are pretty good 12000 though they should be since Ive spent months staring at... 2010-1-11 12:48:38 http://www.sarahwray.com/page12.htm#43714 I had such a great time in Preston this weekend at the Lancashire Childrens Book of The Year Award. It was the second time Id been to an award ceremony like that and the first time last year in Newcastle Id been so nervous and tongue tied around the other authors that I didnt really have a great time but this year I was much more relaxed and I really did enjoy it. The other writers who attended were Tabitha Suzuma Sophie McKenzie and Craig Simpson. Tabitha brought her mum along and Sophie was with an editor from Simon and Schuster called Jane. I got on really well with all of them such lovely people and the organisers of the event especially Jake and Alison looked after us very well indeed.The travelling for me was pretty complicated on the way there it took a plane two trains and two buses and going home three trains a bus and a plane which was filled with football fans whod been to a match at Liverpool as well as the whole Linfield football team so it wasnt a particu... 2009-6-22 17:46:06 http://www.sarahwray.com/page12.htm#42349 Monday was Spring Bank Holiday and Paul had the day off work even though the boys didnt. Bex was home but she had revising to do so Paul and I went out to ... MY FAVOURITE SHOP IN THE WORLD. What is it You ask and you might be surprised that its not a bookshop although it does sell a few books its....Hillmount Garden Centre just outside Belfast. Dont be put off by the name not that theres anything wrong with garden centres per se but Hillmount Garden Centre is so much more. It is my outting of choice when Paul lets me chose what to do with his day off. Its enormous and sells almost everything you could posibly want to browse through knickknacks and candles and jewellery and handbags and gifts and kitchenware and arts and crafts and ornaments and toys and pet products not to mention the plants and planters and garden furniture I LOVE IT It has a nice cafe too but we opted to go to one of my other favourite shops although its one where I can barely afford to breathe the air once the un... 2009-5-27 17:35:06 http://www.sarahwray.com/page12.htm#42002 Oh man I just typed up a big blog entry all about my experience in hospital with gallstones and then I accidentally pushed some random key and the whole thing got deleted No amount of pressing the back key is getting it back. Stupid website Oh well maybe its Gods way of telling me that noone wants to read about my hospital experience and my five scars etc one of them looks like Ive got an extra belly button I swear I am the two belly button woman.I havent been allowed to have a bath because my extra belly button got infected plus our boiler died so no hot water there are workmen in the house right now putting in a new one hense the blog title.Im excited about The Lancashire Childrens Book of the Year Award. The Trap has been shortlisted and I get to go to England and meet the other shortlisted writers at a dinner and panel event. Theyre announcing the winner tomorrow Heres the shortlistA voice in the Distance Tabitha SuzumaBlood Ties Sophie McKenzieCreature of the Night Kate Thomp... 2009-5-21 08:58:13 http://www.sarahwray.com/page12.htm#38133 I wrote this blog entry a few days ago and then when I checked it today it had vanished Ill try and rewrite it from memory or something similar because I was happy with how it turned out. Blooming Mr Site.Im feeling very pleased with myself at least I was when I first wrote this blog okay I still am really because what I did was MEGA. At least mega for me even though it wasnt such a big thing reallyI DROVE ON THE MOTORWAYYeah Me I have been motorway phobic for TEN YEARS. Ive had full blown panic attacks sweats shakes dizziness nausea etc at the very thought of having to drive on a motorway and Ive gone to all kinds of ridiculous lengths to avoid it. But around Christmas I met a teacher when I was speaking at an event organised by the NSPCC. She came up to me afterwards and asked about booking me to do an author visit at her school in Magherafelt. I smiled and said yes Id love to while inside I was thinking how am I going to get there without going on the motorwayShe booked me for Worl... 2009-3-13 15:55:49 http://www.sarahwray.com/page12.htm#36592 Well Ive had a pretty good couple of weeks work wise. Ive been employed by The Creative Writers Network here in Belfast to mentor an unpublished writer and I had my first session with him which went very well I think. Then I had a really nice school visit in Strathearn Girls school. The schools librarian was very friendly and welcoming and I was given a lovely lunch and the session went well the girls laughed at all the right bits and then were full of interesting and insightful questions. Plus I sold all the copies of The Trap I had with me and had to go back to the school the following week with another bagful Since then Ive had bookings for five more school visits and at the end of last week I heard that The Trap has been shortlisted for the Lancashire Childrens book of the year award. Cool. Ill get a nice trip to England for it there are two days of events which the shortlisted authors are invited to which sound very nice dinners and a panel event and then the priz... 2009-2-13 17:11:16 http://www.sarahwray.com/page12.htm#34871 Well Its been a while since I wrote a blog so I thought Id better write something. Its a new year and Im between books. I finished the book I was writing which is set in Africa. Im pretty pleased with how it went but Ive emailed both the man who is supposed to be my agent and my publishers to tell them its finished and ask if they want me to send it to them and neither has replied to me for weeks. I should be tearing my hair out in frustration or deep in the doldrums of depression but Im actually feeling pretty happy and optimistic with life in general. So what if I have two finished manuscripts which nobody will agree to publish so what if my husband works for an American bank who have just announced thousands of job cuts so what that the worlds in a terrible financial crisis Im okay. Lifes pretty good really. Ive got a few school visits lined up one of which is to lead a writing workshop which Ive never done before so thats exciting. Ive also been recruited by The Cre... 2009-1-12 10:18:52 http://www.sarahwray.com/page12.htm#31897 Well the sky is blue outside my window and there are still some nice autumn colours clinging to the trees. The kids are back at school after half term and I spent the morning in a peaceful house bliss reading over the book Im working on from the beginning and adding another thousand words or so. What could be nicerI just read the Alexander McCall Smith newsletter that I get emailed to me. The mans a marvel. He describes his travels to all kinds of countries doing signings or lectures or whatever and he still manages to bring out about four new books a year. How does he do itI did a really nice school visit before half term in a primary school in Belfast. I managed to mess up my powerpoint by saving what I thought was a new version of it but was actually just a shortcut to a new version so it didnt work. It could have been a catastrophe but it wasnt because the school was so well prepared for the visit and the teacher Mrs McDaid was so helpful writing the code that I wanted the class t... 2008-11-3 13:26:05 http://www.sarahwray.com/page12.htm#30747 Im feeling at bit low at the moment and feel like saying lots of mild bad words. Poopity poop. Bloomin eck. Fart. There. Ive said them. Why am I low Hmmm lots of things. Ive hardly got any work done for the last few weeks because no sooner had I got better from my tonsillitis than I got called up for jury service. Ive done three weeks so far out of a possible four to six. I have to check the website or phone them up every day after five thirty to see if I have to go in the next day. So far Ive had to go in about three days a week. Today is the only day this week that I havent been called in and I couldnt work today anyway because on Thursdays I volunteer at my church Parent and Toddler group. I wouldnt mind if I got to sit in on interesting court cases that would be research. But most days I just sit in a waiting room for hours and then they tell me to go home. Two times Ive been sworn onto a jury and weve all sat for hours in a different waiting room and both times been told eventua... 2008-10-9 16:01:31 http://www.sarahwray.com/page12.htm#29818 Roxies doing well bless her. Shes ever such a sweet wee dog and the house training is going fairly well too shell do her business in the garden quite happily if its not raining and she holds it in in the house most of the time. Shes very pretty though and I need to tell myself not to spoil her when she looks up at me with those big eyes.She had her first real walk yesterday along the tow path in Belfast by Shaws Bridge. We didnt get very far since Im recovering from a bout of tonsillitis and Roxies only wee but we did get to say hello nicely to a few people and cower in fear in front of a few dogs well have to work on that one they were very friendly dogs so hopefully Roxie will soon get the message that she neednt be afraid. Unfortunately this morning Roxie discovered the joys of cat poo. We have a litter tray for Lucy and arent always totally vigilant in scooping out poos and for some unfathomable reason dogs seem to think that cat poo is the worlds most delicious yum... 2008-9-17 14:47:20 http://www.sarahwray.com/page12.htm#29113 Wow its been ages since Ive written a blog and oodles of things have happened since the last one. The Trap came out My mum and my nephew came over for the launch that never happened . We had our own party instead and that was fun. We went over to England to visit family. My dad was paralysed from the waist down a few months ago due to complications with a spinal surgery so we went to see him in the spinal injuries unit where hes living at the moment and then we went to Alton Towers. Im a total wuss when it comes to roller coasters but the family persuaded me to go on Air I was completely terrified and Rita Queen of Speed I cant believe people do this for pleasure. After that I wouldnt go on anything that had a height restriction. We were there for two days and at the end of the second day it bucketed down and we all got totally drenched.Then we drove down south to my sisters house in Sussex and stayed with her for a few days. We did a murder mystery dinner one night I was an exotic da... 2008-9-3 10:02:26 http://www.sarahwray.com/page12.htm#27447 Im just back from an interview with Lee Henry a very nice man from Culture Northern Ireland. He interviewed me way back when The Forbidden Room came out and I remembered that he was really friendly then but I still felt nervous. I neednt have been. The interview was really just an informal chat in the lovely coffee shop of the Linen Hall Library in Belfast. He told me about his own writing project that hes about to sign a publishing deal for its a great idea and sounds like a fascinating read Ill not say what its about in case its a secret.Only two weeks until The Trap is officially in the shops I was hoping for a launch party but Faber told me they only do that for first books or people who are big enough maybe one day Ill be big enough for another partyMy mum was planning to come over for the launch so shes just going to come anyway and well have a celebratory take away and bottle of bubbly on the night in question. Plus Ive got a book group potluck supper coming up on the 13th Aug... 2008-7-24 16:37:31 http://www.sarahwray.com/page12.htm#27143 Im still feeling very sad about Snowy but life goes on I guess. The kids are excited about getting a new dog but Im not sure yet what to do about that. Part of me feels so guilty about what happened to Snowy that I dont think we deserve to be dog owners I dont know.Anyway Paul and I went to see Mamma Mia at the cinema a few days ago. We loved it Its a real feel good movie and even with Pierce Brosnans cringeworthy singing I would definitely go and see it again. Meryl Streep was BRILLIANT and Julie Walters and that other American woman were an absolute hoot. Lets hear it for the older womenI made a new Listmania list on Amazon. Books that my kids and I are excited about which I thought made it okay to put my own books on the list because I am excited about them I added the new Paul McKenna book and CD Instant confidence. I wish there was an instant answer to my total lack of self confidence. I tried the Paul McKenna book and CD I can make you thin but every time I listened to the CD it... 2008-7-17 17:13:47 http://www.sarahwray.com/page12.htm#26995 My dog Snowy died today.Yesterday she climbed up the back of the sofa when no one was watching her to steal a half a bar of chocolate from the bookcase. It was a big bar of very dark chocolate 70 cocoa and it was obviously enough to kill her.We found the empty wrapper yesterday evening and Snowy was very hyper running about giving everyone doggie kisses and wanting to play we knew that chocolate was bad for dogs and even fatal sometimes but we didnt think shed eaten enough. We thought she would just sleep it off. This morning Paul got her up and she went into the garden as usual did her business and barked at the neighbour and then ran upstairs where I was still in bed and gave me lots of kisses until I told her to get down.A few moments later she started to scream my husband ran upstairs thinking it was our daughter screaming. My youngest go up too to see what was wrong. It was all very quick. she screamed for a few seconds then fell over and shook for a moment and then it was ove... 2008-7-15 11:10:23 http://www.sarahwray.com/page12.htm#26395 So the kids broke up from school on Friday and were five days into the school holidays play psycho music here. Yesterday my two boys aged 11 and 12 each had a friend round and the four of them started an all out war with guns that shoot foam balls the noise was something else. I shut myself away in my room trying to do some work on the computer and every two minutes a boy would burst into the room either giggling or screaming and ask me breathlessly if anyone else was in here. Every time they ran out again they left the door open so I had to squeeze past the obstacle race of furniture in my notbigenough bedroom to close the door and at least lower the volume of the ambient noise slightly.Eventually I decided enough was enough and told the kids I was going out for a while. I took a book my new Alexander McCall Smith The Miracle at Speedy Motors and went to Starbucks. It was about four thirty in the afternoon and in the queue I debated whether I should get a decaff but in the end went... 2008-7-2 11:29:56 http://www.sarahwray.com/page12.htm#26085 Ive had a very emotional few days in a good way. Todays Thursday and Im just back from my youngest childs primary school leavers assembly. I went wearing my new Dolly Parton Tshirt which I got on Tuesday night the first of the emotional moments. I am an unashamed Dolly Parton fan and until Tuesday I had never seen the great diva perform live. The tickets cost an arm and a leg especially considering what a new writer like me earns about half minimum wage for the hours I put in but they were worth every penny. We were about twenty five rows back from the stage which was pretty close because it was a big stadium the odyssey arena in Belfast and luckily for the first half nobody sat in the seats in front of us. Well when Dolly appeared on the stage I was literally so excited and overwhelmed that I welled up and cried. Seriously. Ive always thought these people who cry and scream in the presence of celebrities are a bit fey in the head but I became one tears screams I couldnt help myself.... 2008-6-26 11:36:08 http://www.sarahwray.com/page12.htm#23464 One of my Book Group Buddies had a do for her birthday on Saturday. It was one of those birthdays that ends in an 0. I had a blast I havent been on a dance floor for years and years but I boogied the night away to all the old rock and roll tunes from the days when music really was music. Im showing my age I know. My knees ached the next day as well and today I found several white hairs when I looked at myself in the vanity mirror in the car cruel daylight takes no prisoners There was live music as well from a band made up of several members of another of the Book Group Buddies family and friends they were great too.Im wallowing in writers block at the moment. Last week I was depressed. The shortlist for the Carnegie Medal came out and The Forbidden Room wasnt on it. I knew it wouldnt be but being on the longlist was great and I couldnt help dreaming about how winning it would have lifted my out of relative obscurity. Im mourning for what might have been. Still one good thing came out... 2008-4-28 13:34:33 http://www.sarahwray.com/page12.htm#21633 Since my last post was such a rant Ill try to be more positive today. Things are actually looking up my Amazon rating has been much healthier these last few weeks thank you if anyone read my rant and took pity that way The Trap has appeared on Amazon too no picture yet and no sales rank because I guess no one had preordered it but still its great to be able to click on other books by this writer although some book called strong women stay slim is higher up the list of books by Sarah Wray and I didnt even write it The new book is coming along the word count is now up to 47 000 odd and Ive still got a few things to say. My kids are off school at the moment for Easter but Im managing to get some writing done anyway now that theyre 11 12 and 14 they are so much more independent in fact we only ever see the fourteen year old when she wants food money or a lift somewhere and the other two being boys are pretty much glued to their various video games most of the time.Oh just ... 2008-3-20 16:38:11 http://www.sarahwray.com/page12.htm#20576 I just went to the library in Finaghy where I live to return some books and get out a new audiobook for the car I got Coastliners by Joanne Harris and they hit me for a 1639.80 fine Right enough there have been many times when I thought I owed them a fine but was never asked to cough up so this humongous sum was just all those times adding up but still...Talking of things adding up or not the book Im working on at the moment Blood and Snow is its working title has just passed the 30 000 word mark about half way through the length of a teenage novel and Im at least three quarters of the way through the plot how did I manage to say all that so quickly Usually I write too much and I have to pare lots of it away or at least my editor pares lots of it away Im seriously panicked about being able to make the book long enough. EeekIm feeling a bit sorry for myself generally. I put my back out on Sunday leaning down to put on a pair of boots and that coupled with my arthritis I ... 2008-2-27 15:52:14 http://www.sarahwray.com/page12.htm#20107 Its just after nine am and Im barely able to keep my eyes open. So much for the daylight lamp. Its funny because it does seem to wake me up gradually like it said it would but Im still sleepy when I get up. Todays not really a fair test I guess because its half term and Ive been lying in which probably puts my body clock out of whack. My youngest is back at school today and the other two are off until Wednesday. One is downstairs playing guitar hero rock legends on the PS2 thats what the lovely music is the other is still tucked up in bed. Shell wake up and demand food soon so mumsy here will have to start into breakfast round three.I got the proofs for The Trap last week thats where its all done out in pages the way it will be in the actual book . Thats very exciting. The Trap has handwritten clues in it its kind of a treasure hunt sort of and I wasnt sure how they would do them. I was pleasantly surprised when it turned out they were going to use my originals theres som... 2008-2-18 09:00:00 http://www.sarahwray.com/page12.htm#19239 Well I survived my trip to Newcastle and even enjoyed a lot of it. I was in such a state of nerves that I literally didnt sleep a wink the night before and only adrenalin carried me through the whole day. Not only adrenalin what also really helped was how friendly and welcoming everyone in Newcastle was to me. From the taxi drivers through to the school librarians and teachers and the kids everyone was really nice. The two girls from Borders bookshops who followed me about all day selling my book even went out at lunch time and bought me a gift of Rescue Remedy herbal spray and sweeties that help to calm your nerves Id told them how nervous I was about my speech in the evening I was really touched.The school visits went very well and then it came to the big night we arrived at The Centre For Life an enormous hall that was pleasantly empty at first but completely jam packed by the time the event started. The six shortlisted writers all had to give a ten minute speech and of cours... 2008-1-28 09:24:28 http://www.sarahwray.com/page12.htm#18924 Im feeling a bit unwell at the moment. Last week I had a head cold which thankfully seems to have pretty much gone away but instead now Im being plagued by an upset tummy.I dont know if Im actually ill or just nervous about my week ahead. Well Friday really since the rest of the week is not particularly scary.On Friday morning Im flying to Newcastle the one in England not the one in County Down to go to the North East Teenage Book Awards party since The Forbidden Room is one of their shortlisted books which is lovely. Before the party Im doing two school visits which is great and afterwards Im having dinner with the other shortlisted writers double great. Im in a bit of a panic over it all though. I think its partly the newness of it all Ive never been to anything like that and although I ve done quite a few school visits here in Belfast Ive never done one in England not that English kids are scarier or anything after all I was one myself. Im just not sure about practic... 2008-1-21 13:50:09 http://www.sarahwray.com/page12.htm#18594 What have I done Being a bit of an idiot when it comes to computery things I have not been doing my blog the way youre supposed to. I had just been editing the page every time I wanted to add something new. So I thought I should start doing it properly and when I did everything that was there before just disappeared Help Ah well maybe its a good thing new year new start and all that. Well welcome to my new blog Im inwardly still weeping at the loss of all that other stuff come on Sarah let it go move on.Talking of weeping yesterday I finished reading Henry Tumour to my daughter I had to use euphemisms for lots of the bad words I dont mind her reading books with those words but I just cant bring myself to say them to her and I was an emotional wreck at the end of it hats off to Anthony McGowen for writing the character of Heck I totally believed in him and loved him. Another book that I loved recently was Atonement I havent seen the film but I picked up the ... 2008-1-14 10:19:50