Entering the Grove is currently #97,303 in the Kindle 100 Bestseller list, and #78 in the Inspirational & Religious list.  

Steep steps leading up to Mariner's Point, West Kirby. A doorway in the woodland realm.     Fabulous red sandstone - with a strange light behind the fallen branches.     Part of an old train, half-buried on the woodland floor.   Four old train wheels.     Heather covers the summit of Caldy Hill.     Just one of many tangled thickets in Stapledon Woods.     The fairy pond, currently no more than a shallow smudge of mud.   Woodland canopy above the fairy pond.   Rain rolling in to the Dee Estuary.   To view these photos bigger, simply click on an image then use the slideshow.   All photos (C) Adele Cosgrove-Bray, 2013.  

Emily and Poppi by the pond. I received a lovely email from someone who had noticed I'd deleted my old LiveJournal blog.  He had enjoyed the philosophical debates which had unfolded there, and was disappointed that the blog was no more.  I hadn't updated my old LJ blog since opening this Blogger site so I was a little surprised at this, but we all like to be missed, hmm? I'd like to reply properly to this person, but I accidentally deleted the email.  I've not blogged much on philosophical topics for some time, even though philosophy is a dominant part of my life.  Maybe I should?  Meanwhile, back at Maison Cosgrove-Bray, I've been busy creating a garden pond.  Earlier this year we were invaded by a huge number of baby frogs.  Apparently frogs don't reach maturity until they're five years old, and until their first mature spring season they don't spend much time in ponds.  However, we also have a small population of older frog...

Welcome to this series of writing tips.  If you would like to pen a guest post for this series, email me at ACBwrites@aol.com . One of the frequently occurring ideas have met with, during my years with Riverside Writers, insists that there is, hidden away somewhere, a formula which guarantees success. People holding to this belief will invest much time and energy on courses, workshops, 'How To' books, endless research or the latest software searching for this formula. Courses may be interesting and educational, and the student may well graduate clutching a pretty certificate and a sense of personal fulfilment. Something similar could be said of workshops, and any gathering of like-minded people can bring an opportunity for networking. Both courses and workshops tend to be money-earning ventures, which is no bad thing in itself - most people like to supplement their income! - but remember that as educational establishments are now run as businesses, it is in thei...

I've gone frog mad.   I've now got a bee in my bonnet about making a proper frog pond, as our garden has been invaded by millions of baby frogs.   I tried making a small one yesterday only the DIY plastic liner leaks.   Who'd have guessed that, hmm?   I didn't see any holes in it, so  either I missed the holes or I picked porous plastic.   Oh well, as spontaneous bright ideas go, the principle worked ok even if it failed in practise.   No matter - I've now bought a proper liner and underlay off eBay for about £10, and I've been reading up online about how to build a frog pond properly.   I had visions of having to dig half way to the Earth's core, but apparently 25cms is perfect for the deepest point and gently sloping sides all round are supposed to be best as tadpoles like swimming about in warm shallows. The liner will be longer than the plastic I've used, but that's ok as I can easily lift everything out of the way and re-dig the pond a ...

FREE for a short time only!    Discover the Artisan-Sorcerer Series absolutely FREE with "Intimations: 5 Short Artisan-Sorcerer Stories". Hurry while this offer lasts!      Download FREE from:  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/240300   Various ereader and HTML formats available.

Welcome to this series of writing tips. If you would like to pen a guest post for this series, email me at ACBwrites@aol.com . The challenge of filling the blank space on a screen can feel daunting to some new writers.  They want to write but can't quite get going.  They can write, but don't know where to start.  They've a million ideas but what if it all goes wrong?  So they stare at the screen and wait for inspiration to zap some inspiration into their lives.  Meanwhile, the clock's ticking and nothing is getting written.  The more this hurdle is thought about, the bigger it seems to get. At Riverside Writers, we set a monthly writing project to give people a starting point.  This can take the form of a title, a location, a first line or a set of objects which need to be included in a story or poem.  We have been doing this for several years now and those who participate regularly have found it a very useful tool to help them get writing....