Author Archive
A note on language and accents…
Posted by: | Comments
What’s your accent like? Do you think about it much, and the impression it may have on other people? I’ve been contemplating the subject of accents for a while now, because I was recently accused of being an American, by an American, at a car boot sale. Bleary-eyed, Florence tucked under an arm, and battling against the rain which was threatening to wash up my entire back-catalogue of books, I was slightly surprised when a gentlemen ran up to me and said:
“BOSTON!”
“I’m sorry?”
“You’re from Boston.”
“Am I?”
“Aren’t you?”
“No.”
On repeatable plots, Scandi thrillers and black coffee…
Posted by: | Comments
Let's pretend these random characters spell out 'Sweden' in Mandarin
OK, I’ve often mentioned that I love Stieg Larsson’s ‘Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ trilogy. I thought they were amazing when I first read them, and I still love them now. I didn’t want them to end, despite the fact that the genre isn’t something which I would normally go for (I’m not really a crime reader). Despite this, from the moment I picked up the first book in the series I was hooked.
How to work smarter, not harder
Posted by: | Comments
Last week, I reached a milestone in my business. I realised for the first time that I didn’t have to be constantly stressed, tired and frazzled. I saw the proverbial light after a sound talking to by my business partner. Let me tell you the story…
As you know, (baby bore that I am) my daughter is now three months old and doing great. I get a load of support from family when it comes to whisking her off for a few days in the week so I can focus on Stilus, and I’m probably the luckiest person in the world to have people around who will help out when I’m at my wits’ end. Floss is the most placid and smiley baby I’ve ever met, which is also darned lucky, and things could have been much tougher for P and I as new parents.
Why some people are unspeakably stupid
Posted by: | CommentsHave you ever trawled about on YouTube late at night, looking for things to watch? It’s an endless procession of amazing videos, which lead you on and on in the quest to find the most interesting/cutest/weirdest snippet of footage out there. Once you look at one, the site directs you to another forty-three thousand similar ones, and before you know it, a whole evening has gone.
Here’s my confession. I’m a sucker for the cute animal videos. I like watching the Slow Loris, even though I know they are endangered. I like watching videos of kittens being sweet, puppies falling asleep, and bears playing. However, the thing I love the most about YouTube is…
How to become a millionaire through creative inspiration…
Posted by: | Comments
Get these little babies greased up and ready to go - your fortune awaits!
How are things with you all? Everything is fine here, and it’s time to discuss a subject very close to my heart – creativity and innovation. This is when you have a sound idea which pops in to your head, get goose-pimples at the thought of how brilliant it is, and then carry it through to successful fruition, earning cash or accolades as a result of your outstanding thinking and ideas generation.
Remember that feeling?
No?
Oh.
Strange zoological references in business….
Posted by: | Comments
The Health Visitor advised that Florence needed to move on to bigger bottles...
OK – it’s been two full months since Florence was born, and I’ve achieved a lot. I know how to get her to smile, and I understand what her different cries mean. This does not translate across in to Stilus though, as the absence from blogging will attest to. However, I’m going to rationalise my total inability to update the blog by thinking that Floss doesn’t care about that too much, but does seem to care that I can read to her, am learning nursery rhymes and have also got the hang of bathing her without dropping her face in to the water so she has to blow bubbles.
Achieving a work/life balance
Posted by: | Comments
Some people have an inherent knowledge of how to achieve a work/life balance...
Ahh, the work/life balance. Buzzword of all corporate companies, and the kind of phrase that makes you cringe before the meaning of it actually sinks in. I’ve often stood up for clichés in my time, arguing that they are still relevant, because a cliché only becomes such a thing because it is overused. Most words and phrases are overused because they are always pertinent, and the work/life balance is always going to be a pertinent phrase.
