Do you want to be nosey?

HAVE A LOOK AT MY WORLD...

I think most people are fundamentally nosey. Writers probably most of all. One of the things I find most fascinating is seeing where and how people live. Their personal space tells you things about them which they might not initially own up to. It's the little details that are the most interesting. The pictures, books they read, the stray DVD of Fast and Furious 5 which you never expected that particular person to own. I love those things, they always add layers to someone. A bit of texture to help understand the whole. I make my living recording such things for posterity, and more often than not, what I write about is based loosely on something I have seen.

So, just this once, I decided to turn the tables on myself and show you one of my most personal spaces- MY OFFICE! Just in case you thought romantic novelists all lie on a chaise lounge like Barbara Cartland, dictating flowery words to their secretary...

Closet Neat-Freak:

Firstly, I should probably state I didn't tidy up to take these pictures. I cannot work in a mess! It makes me itchy and bad tempered and the words don't flow. That does not mean the rest of my house is always this pristine. Ha ha! If only that were true. I have two teenagers. I work upstairs in my calm oasis and come down to Armageddon most days. The old lady shawl is mine, because sometimes I get cold, unless its a menopause day in which case I can use it to strangle anyone who complains about the windows being open...

Quirky Junk:

Yes- I know all the Disney merch is tacky, but it makes me smile. I have a thing for Betty Boop and tourist tat picked up from my travels. I allow this crap to be displayed in my office and my kitchen only...

The Essentials:

Hand cream, glasses cleaner (I am cursed with poor vision and manage to coat my glasses in a layer of yuk every day) and 4Head headache stick for when I get a frowning headache (usually as a result of a tense scene I am writing or because of my irritating children).

I also like to burn a Yankee tart for a few hours, not because the exotic aroma takes me to another dimension- I really am not that deep, but because I like the smell.

Writer's stuff:

I once read a quote by Stephen King which said 'Any word you have to get from a thesaurus is the wrong word'. Unfortunately, I use mine almost daily. This little shelf of books is reserved for day-to-day research purposes. It also serves to showcase my un-tasteful Mickey Mouse bookends beautifully...

Things to stare at:

Sometimes, I have to sit and think, so I have some pondering, scenic pictures to gaze at. I took the photos here in California on our epic family road-trip from 2014. Really want to go back!

Meaningful words:

When I was a teacher, my classroom was covered in famous quotes. I am a creature of habit, so am still partial to uplifting sentences (although I am still living in hope of the Best-selling Author coaster quote). One or two people might have been used in the odd story...