@sandradavies
Active 5 days, 19 hours ago-
Sandra replied to the topic Monthly ompetition March 2026 in the forum Monthly Competition 5 months, 1 week ago
Not yet mad enough …
Wine-heavy eyes and naked, she was cleaning her teeth in front of the bathroom mirror when he came in through the door behind her. He stood behind her, serious-faced, saying nothing, but unignorably attentive. She finished brushing. Spat, rinsed and spat a couple more times then put the toothbrush back in the glass on…[Read more]
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Sandra replied to the topic February 2026 Monthly Competition in the forum Monthly Competition 5 months, 2 weeks ago
Congratulations, Ath – more Teabreak always welcome, and well done Jill for so richly regarding the rules. Thanks Libby for appreciating my desire to take part, but this extract the only one I could recall which specifically mentioned ‘loving’
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Sandra replied to the topic February 2026 Monthly Competition in the forum Monthly Competition 5 months, 3 weeks ago
‘Snap’ snippet
From the steps of Leith’s registry Office, exceeding the word count and containing expletives, but the best I can do given other demands.
Then, hand in hand, another looking-to-be-wed couple arrived from the rear carpark. On foot and windblown, Well-matched in the scruffiness of their clothes. Even earlier for their ceremony th…[Read more]
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Sandra's profile was updated 6 months, 1 week ago
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Sandra replied to the topic January 2026 Monthly Competition in the forum Monthly Competition 6 months, 2 weeks ago
Well done Libby, like Terrie my mind was contorting to keep up; the wellies adding much to the scene. And thank you Terrie for a theme which was instantly fulfilled (and I’m still re-reading and finding further inspiration, except I can’t get my head around irony)
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Sandra replied to the topic January 2026 Monthly Competition in the forum Monthly Competition 7 months, 1 week ago
Fingers crossed, yet another resolution
New book and a new – and very welcome – experience for me: a “How To” write book received as a birthday present which I found many times more compelling, educational; entertaining and personally useful than the many “How To” books on writing I own: a dozen on my bookshelves, and knowledge of one di…[Read more]
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Sandra replied to the topic Monthly Competition – December 2025 in the forum Monthly Competition 7 months, 2 weeks ago
Well done Terrie, and everyone else who between them provided a kaleidoscope view of Christmas, and thank you Ath for prompting me into putting a long-held memory into words.
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Sandra replied to the topic Monthly Competition – December 2025 in the forum Monthly Competition 8 months ago
A never-forgotten Christmas
The telegram sent by my new-made grandfather, telling my father of my safe arrival, at five minutes to midnight on the twentieth December (and, according to my great-grandfather’s fish scales, weighing 6lbs 4 ozs) is explanation enough of why I don’t remember my first Christmas. To establish whether it was my sec…[Read more]
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Sandra posted a new activity comment 8 months ago
Janette (and Bella), one tip I didn’t mention earlier is that it makes very good sense to set your page size for composing to Blurb’s trade book size. Makes it, in my opinion, a lot easier to read on screen too. Blurb’s page size is 13.02cm x 20.95cm. Select mirror margins , set top margin 2 cm, bottom 2.25 cm, inside 1.75cm, outside, 1.75 cm…[Read more]
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Sandra replied to the topic November 2025 monthly competition in the forum Monthly Competition 8 months, 3 weeks ago
Sorry, Terrie, no way do I have head space to do anything for this. Will aim to Do Better next time
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Sandra posted a new activity comment 9 months, 1 week ago
Not read the book, but I imagine a sort of rattley squeak.
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Sandra replied to the topic Monthly competition October 2025 in the forum Monthly Competition 9 months, 3 weeks ago
This the result of apending 5 days writing with a gathering of Self-Edit participants.
Games people play
Monday morning’s plumping of the pillows of our marital bed effortful, thanks to both sleep and sex absent as snow in August throughout the weekend. Similarly, energy enough to dissipate the sourness of my reaction when I noticed the wor…[Read more]
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Sandra posted a new activity comment 10 months ago
I wondered whether it included self-published books … then that it would be easy enough to self-apply the validation. Will be interested to see how this develops.
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Sandra replied to the topic Chit Chat in the forum
September Song 10 months agoI pulled half a dozen titles from my shelves, in the hope they’d inspire me with characters and plot. In the end the one I chose hung around longest; re-reading it reminded me why it felt so memorable.
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Sandra posted a new activity comment 10 months ago
I chose my title for its inspiration and flexibility; it’s a bonus I’ve already written 286 words.
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Sandra posted a new activity comment 10 months ago
I’m relieved to hear it, and look forward to your entry. Mine is coming on nicely, but I’m nervous as to what strictures the 25th will bring
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Absolutely. The Sri Lankan civil war, which the west often overlooked as uninteresting, was a terrible but facinating period. I don’t think Jules knew that I was particularly drawn to its history, but if not it’s a lucky accident. The book is a fantasy applying themes from mythology to create a story from the time. It was the Booker prize winner in 2022.
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I’m relieved to hear it, and look forward to your entry. Mine is coming on nicely, but I’m nervous as to what strictures the 25th will bring
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I’ve tried to make the consequences easy to negotiate.
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I chose my title for its inspiration and flexibility; it’s a bonus I’ve already written 286 words.
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Sandra posted a new activity comment 10 months, 1 week ago
Bless you Ath!! Details of the Winter comp so inspired me I had sentences in my head when I woke this morning that needed me to get up and write them down immediately. That hasn’t happened for some months, and though I know what you’ve still to reveal will change things, I’m confident l’ll be able to incorporate it with the as-yet loose ideas I…[Read more]
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Sandra replied to the topic Choices in the forum
September Song 10 months, 1 week agoRain
The missing shade of blue
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