#atinylife Summer

So.

I made it.

One more week of school –

I started singing the kids a song along these lines every morning

at this time of year.

 

I’ve downloaded YouTube kids to the TV in preparation…

I mean – we’ll be going for lots of healthy walks

and learning a language over the holidays of course.

 

It’s been lovely to have you along with me.

Thank you for liking, sharing, and commenting

on my tinylife posts.

You guys make me so happy. Thank you.

 

I’m going to take a few weeks away.

For some of them I’ll be under canvas (!)

it seems a good idea to take a break.

 

I hope you have a tiny summer:

that is, not a short one,

but one filled with tiny moments

you can hold onto, and appreciate.

 

Love, Stella.

Tinylife will be back in September.

#tinylife Merle

Book 2 has been delivered and what a difficult ‘birth’ that was!

My central character and crime investigator, Jacques Forêt, delves into the murky world of commercial sabotage for his next case. This is a place where people lie and misrepresent, where information is traded and used as a threat.

In Mende, in south west France, my fictional business, the Vaux Group, are losing contracts and money and Jacques is  the go-to man to work through the complex web of the evidence. He finds more than he bargained for and his life is threatened.  When the body of a woman is found, it appears to be suicide.  But Jacques suspects there is more to it.

Who is behind it all…and why? Will Jacques find the answer before another person ends up dead?

 

Merle is published on July 5th.  Read on…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#atinylife Clothes Shopping²

‘So the deal is, if I like it and you like it, it’s a possible, OK?’

M&S: a long look in the so-called ‘girls’ section, and a quick sweep of the so-called ‘boys’ section.

My oldest is displaying a pathological fear of the colour blue. It reminds me of how my husband’s son used to feel about pink.

‘What about this one?’

‘It’s blue.’

‘It’s blue and white striped! It’s a girl’s top.’

‘I don’t like it. It’s too plain.’ What, it’s a top in good taste? I thought. ‘You said …’

‘OK, OK.’

‘What about this one? This one is nice.’

‘Yes, but I don’t like it.’ I say.

We cross to another shop. I’m beginning to lose hope again.

‘I like this one,’ my oldest says. And so do I. ‘And this one.’ Me too.

Thank you, Next.

#atinylife summerrain

Ten things I love about summer rainfall

OK, for some of us, it’s been hot and sultry. But for others, it’s been a damp summer so far. So why’s that automatically a problem?

• It gets the birds singing! (OK, they’re being territorial.)
• It gets the earthworms wiggling – pink and naked – on the green, green grass…
• Elderflower blossom – any blossom – smells much more intense.
• It frightens away bite-y insects. Except for midges. Nothing scares off midges!
• The ‘sturm and drang’ of an electric thunderstorm. Bring on the forked lightning!
• Watching sparrows queue to fluff their feathers in a fresh flowing puddle of water.
• A summer soaking is really revitalising. Especially after a long run.
• It showers sticky city pavements to carefree cleanliness.
• Rainwater tastes fantastic (watch the animals head for it).
• It’s free… as in ‘the best things in life are’.