Wednesday 24 August 2016

My books on Smashwords! Dreams do come true!

As I begin to write this blog post today, I feel like I am writing it as a freelance writer and for someone else!

A dream has come true.  Which is how this blog was born.  So I'm not too sure why I find it so mindblowing.  But yes,  I have just published onto Smashwords.  Gosh.

Smashwords is a publisher who distribute books out to Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Nook, Apple iBooks (Apple iBooks!!??!!) to name a few.  So there is EVERY reason to believe I need to keep writing and getting more books published as there are readers out there who will enjoy my stories.

While I love writing about manifestations and tips on life, it is the romance novels that sell the biggest numbers, therefore I guess that's what my audience love.

Enough stories are inside me based on my own life experiences. Yet I also love to play with my imagination and create characters who can be, do, want and have anything I dream up for them.  Amazing!

You can get a long sample for free to see if you like my writing and if the story grabs you. There is nothing worse than getting excited to open a new book just to get 5 pages in and think 'ugh this book is not for me'.

Also over on smashwords is an interview with me. Crazy stuff like what's on my desk,  my favourite 5 books and why... click here to read that interview. 





Read the first few lines here...


Delayed

Slamming the door shut behind her,  Liv leaned on it with her entire body weight. 

Panting. 

Chest moving rhythmically she wondered why her lungs felt as though she had inhaled flames.  With a massive sigh,  she threw the bouquet through the archway into the lounge.   Why she had carried her beautiful pink flowers all the way from the church as she ran home she had no idea.  Liv shook her head forcefully as if to wake herself up.  What was she going to do now?  She hadn’t thought about this next step.  At the time it was enough to simply decide that she could not marry Leon.

Leon wasn’t a bad guy at all.  As a child, he was raised with Liv.  Of course, this had its share of ups and downs.  They were kind of comfortable together just like the old slippers that Livs father wore during the cold December months. As a couple, they got on.  They laughed at the same comics, they drank beer together from the bottle and they loved going out and clubbing.  Yet when those exciting moments were over and they were sat just gazing together,  there was something vacant from inside that gaze.  Something missing almost.   Leon was likely to be a good provider as a husband; he was a well connected guy and as was his family before him.   Liv trusted him.  Yet she never quiet knew if he was likely to come back from a day at ‘work’ dead or alive. 
Would he be able to be a good father? 
Lover? 
Soul mate? 

At times, Liv wondered if it was all about one-upmanship and who could bring home the biggest bag of swag.  What happened those times Leon was away,  Liv would never fathom.  Never did it occur to her to ask.  He was gone somewhere and that was that.  Should she know,  she could answer questions that the police might fire at her.  Not that they ever did.  Yet,  should they ask,  she could answer,
“I don’t know where he is.  Or what he’s doing.  Or who he is with.  I have no idea!”  And so, she neglected to ask him.

One time,  Liv was feeling so afraid,  her nerves were shot.  She couldn’t sleep.  He was gone for three nights.  Unexplainably gone.  Liv very nearly phoned her future mother in law to ask if she knew anything.  Instead, she went to the gym room and pounded the treadmill until she was so dizzy she almost fainted.  Just kind of enough to take the edge off asking the question that she shouldn’t ask and in fact be much more subtle.  She still had to make that call. 
As Liv lifted the telephone receiver she decided to just make a casual conversation with  Teresa, her future mother in law, to see what vibes she could pick up.

“Hey Teresa,  it’s been so hot here today,  I’m just checking you’re ok over there?”
“Hey Olivia,” The in laws always used her full name, “I’m just fine thank you for caring.” She said all in one sentence, “What about you?”
“I’m good.  Got the fans blowing and I just had ice cream for dinner.  Couldn’t really be bothered to cook.  Not sure if Leon is home for dinner.  What about Jez?”
“Oh I’m sure Jez will be home really soon when he’s finished work.”  Teresa stated,  giving nothing away.  She gave nothing away.  She was good at being ‘that’ wife.  So much better than Liv. 

Often she questioned if she could do it.  Really, she couldn’t.


Finally, Leon returned home.  Liv instinctively knew something was dramatically different.  As he walked through the door he called out,

“Hi darling,”  which never suited his accent.  She would far rather be called babe. As for sweetheart, that word would make her go weak at the knees.  Although she had stopped dreaming of such things long ago.
Walking up to her with a new walk he seemed to have adopted while he was missing in action, he brushed the side of her face with the back of his fingers.  Her cheekbone didn’t seem to feel the electric she used to dream of as a little girl.  The slow blinking of her eyes was absent.  As was the tilted head as she leaned into his touch.  She did raise a slight smile though.

Knowing better than to ask any questions, she casually whispered, “You ok Leon.”  It wasn’t a question. She told herself it wasn’t.



Want more sample?  Head here: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/660437

Much love from an excited and happy writer

Louise xoxo

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Monday 22 August 2016

Our amazing party and a massive surprise - we got engaged!

Friday night saw a celebration meal.  Hosted by me and Scott.  Here's the story:

After we hosted my Dads "celebration of his life" party (he would like it to be called that) I felt that as a family we created an amazing day but it was just such a sad event that Dad wasn't there to enjoy and therefore we all struggled too.  On that day, I felt in my wisdom that we needed to host another get together and enjoy some sort of party at the same venue.

Setting to work with pen in hand, I created some ideas.  

Scott,  my ex-husband was the strength that got me through, the man who cried with me, held dads hand and sang (terribly) to the Beatles as Dad was taking his last breath. 

Our relationship isn't your typical love story and we have realised that older on in life we both feel a little 'set in our ways'.  Which means living together does not work for us!  You've likely heard the old saying 'can't live together can't be apart' well yes that's us.

When Scott was taken poorly with Myocarditis not long after we buried Dad, I was totally distraught.  It can be a killer.  What would I do without Scott?  I felt empty inside.  

Knowing the law of attraction and how it works, my best shot was to keep super positive and give Scott lots of hope and visions for the future.  We booked a dream holiday to Jamaica, not even knowing if he could fly.
I showed him more love than ever before and advised him on physical stuff like getting sleep, not stressing, cutting caffiene, eating healthily...only my close friend Stacey knew how I was trying to fix him.  Although she and I never spoke of this!

After a very traumatic day at the Royal Brompton hospital and Scott having a significant amount of tests, including a MRI with bells on, we stopped for dinner on the way home.  He seemed defeated.  This is a strong man who is in a powerful job.  There's nothing Scott can't do.  He was built with broad shoulders for that purpose.  
Steak was juicy as my mouth decided to take on a life of its own and I suggested that we really can't be without each other and perhaps we should accept that we are together for life, as friends but ones who don't want to be with anyone else!

When we went back a few weeks later for the results we were astounded.  Without going into it too much the news was more than favourable and the surgeon was dumbfounded as he has never quite seen something like this before.  
Knowing the law of attraction, I was having a quiet think to myself.  Was it the positivity that had helped? When I gave stacey the news she exclaimed, 
"You fixed his broken heart!"
I thought the same, I told her.  So now I'm in a place of amazing gratitude and hope for the future, knowing that Scott and I can prop each other up as old people!




This has now moved on to us celebrating our engagement last Friday and organising a ceremony for Jamaica.  Wow and Wow.


Shoes! 

Me and Mum

Beautiful 14th century vault

Me and Scott - another shot at things!

Me and the beautiful Stacey


Our guests gasped, clapped and 'ahhed' as we surprised them with an announcement at our party.  You can see Scotts speech in this video:




Watch this space as I give you more information about those little things I added as extra touches to make any party special :)


Much love as always from a very happy


Louise xoxo

ps, see my ring here!
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Tuesday 16 August 2016

Taking a trip to SITC



For the very first time, I am at the Excel in London for the 8th SITC.

Although I have visited the Excel many times for hair and beauty shows, this is my first visit to the SITC.




So what is it?
SITC stands for Summer in the City.  It's a convention/meet up for you tubers all across the world.  Just now, before grabbing my coffee (thanks, Costa) I have met up with the lovely Stephen from Eastbourne (you've likely seen him on my vlogs), James from Washington DC and Sonia from Ireland.  All online friends who I occasionally get to spend time with which is really special.



So what's the point in it all?  Can I learn anything here to help me create a better YouTube channel?  Maybe, I hope so.  Yet above all else I am beginning to do more things like this to inspire me.  To live the dream through the law of attraction.  Surrounding yourself with others of like mindedness is the way forward to create the life you love.  

Negative self talk and other doubters often stop us in our tracks and make us wonder if we are good enough/can we do this/should we do this and the list goes on with the chatter in our minds.



For me, knowing how the law of attraction works, limiting beliefs are the enemy.
Doubt
Mistrust
Lack of allowing...

Goodbye to you all!

I feel I have something to offer the world in my wisdom.  Some may call it age!  I call it wisdom.  Ha ha.
Surely I must have learnt something from this tricky life I have led up until now.  Is this something I can share with the world and pass on to help others?  I believe I can.

And...we all know everything starts with a thought,  then with belief in tow we can start to make these manifestations reality.

So what is your thing?  What is the thing you want to do?
Do you feel there is something you would like to do for a way forward to help others too?
What is stopping you?  Does it feel a little conceited?  Because remember, only you live your life.  Only you are the one who has the unique gifts to offer that are bespoke to you.  

For me, the thing is passing on my life lessons to others.  Through writing and sharing some Vlogs in the meantime.  

Tell me, will you at least give it some thought?  Everything starts with a thought.....

Much love

Louise xoxo


See our Vlog here...







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Saturday 13 August 2016

Costa v Starbucks

I never was a fan of Starbucks.  Has this changed?

Read on...

On a TV show they showed a poll of who would possibly be a fan of costa, starbucks and cafe nero.  No shocks there.  I was in the Costa bracket, Scott in the cafe nero and my teenage twins in Starbucks!


Don't get me wrong, Costa still do the best Hot chocolates with REAL cream....but there is an unwelcome feeling for those laptop warriors like me.  Yet here I sit, happy to blog in my local Starbucks which is clean, quiet and in plenty supply of electric plug sockets!

So what about the coffee?  Does that really matter?  To me, it all tastes quite similar so long as the strength is the same.  Costa sometimes serve a little warm milk with a dash of the brown stuff in it these days.  Perhaps I just got used to starbucks stronger flavour (2 shots as standard I feel) as they serve this in our university coffee shop.  Thank goodness.  Helps with the Zzzzzz's.

More often than not, for most of us it isn't always about the coffee or whatever your tipple is.  The experience ranks so super highly with our reasoning for our return business.
Back in the day when I was training as a hospitality manager, we were advised that most of the venues I was managing would be frequented by couples.  Yet it would be the female of the party who decided on this place.  Hence, if the ladies toilets were not as nice as pie,  then you had blown it as a manager!

Well done both Costa and Starbucks.  I love both.  Life without the coffee shops is, for me, quite a dark place!!!

Much love

Louise xoxo

Ps what's your favourite?
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Friday 12 August 2016

Lost your muse?

For the first time ever I lost my muse.  Prose?  Words?  Writers block?

Never did I understand this previously.

I mean, I have all these books over on amazon

When I heard of writers 'finding' writers block I would frown with a big cartoon question mark above my head.  How can this be?  I would wonder.

Yet, now I have found myself with the same question mark for a different reason.

Been struggling.  
Is this you too?  Can you relate?

Over the summer break from university I have been cramming in way too much work in the way of 

* Home improvements
* Educational courses
* Working on my online business
* Giving the children a great summer 
* Getting my health on track

It's just too much.  Who could focus on more than one of these at a time?

Yet I'm super thrilled to see my blog going from strength the strength.  I love it!!! It's where I desire to be in the future.  So I must get past this block.  I've a few ideas.  Here comes the reason I'm struggling.

One of the educational courses I am taking is a blogger course.  Now, IT is Brilliant (yes that capital B is supposed to be there!).  Yet it's pretty tough too.  Showing me how to turn this passion into my business.  
(If you don't know, I have some health issues which means blogging suits my future perfectly and allows me to continue to work.)
Most of what I write is rather rambly about life stuff and how to change life for the better.

I'm passionate about this.  My 'about' page on this blog is soon set to change.  I want to tell you guys my reason WHY I started my business A Lusher Life and why I am super charged to help those I can reach.  This must mean that on occasions I will be writing posts that may not have an affiliate link in them or are simply purely for the sake of brain dumping.  That's just how I roll.  It's what feels right to me.  Build it and they will come.

Meanwhile, this blog will have slight changes made to it over time and you can see changes for the better.  To make 'stuff' tidy and neat.  Yet it will still be all me.  Just heading in a direction to create a sustainable business for me and my family.  In my next post I will share with you why I feel being a mum to teenagers is likely harder than raising babies.

Until then, if you are a blogger keen to begin using your passion as more than a hobby blogger, I would recommend looking at the course I am on.  The lady who is the owner of the business knows so so much.  From starting on pintrest, to monitizing your blog. See her website here 

Back to A Lusher Life.  There really are so many amazing opportunities for simply everyone these days.  I have seen people create blogs who disregard the SPAG they teach in school (spelling, punctuation and grammar) who have a great following.  What's stopping you from giving this a go?  Let me know if it is something you would like to hear more about and I will let you know how you can make your dream a reality.  This blog is all still about that.  Especially if you have limiting beliefs.  More on that another time.  

Meanwhile, a picture of my coffee.  


Ok....

You got me....

This is not my coffee I sit with today as today is just about me grabbing an hour to myself to connect with my beloved blog and find my voice once again.  I adore writing.  I just feel I have listened too much to those inner voices who say "Write about something of value, something you know about, like science..." and yes, there is a place for science EVERYWHERE, including this blog (the science of the law of attraction) as well as my other blogs.  Yet I want to simply tell you, right here, right now, that you are more than amazing.  Have some belief that you can do all the things you want to do!

Much love

Louise xoxo

PS did you know I'm vlogging every day in august for #VEDA?  See the videos here



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Tuesday 9 August 2016

Are you 'down' because you don't have what you want?

Me too!

Yes, I know better but today I'm feeling blue.  You see, it takes just one little twinge in my back (in case you don't usually follow my blog I have this back issue) to set me off on the worry train.



What if I can't earn enough money?

What if this gets so bad I can't work?

What if this/that/something else?

I drive myself batty. 

So what is it with you?

Do you want  more money?  A better job?  A new lover?  To finally meet your soul mate?  The list is endless isn't it.  

This thing called life throws us obstacles.  Perhaps we are never meant to be 100% content, else is there a reason to keep driving forwards?

Sitting here and writing a list of what I could do if I had to stay home with a bad back, I realise there really is a dream there just waiting for my attention to create it.  Allowing it into my life like magic.
Yet, you know by now I don't believe the law of attraction is simply magic.  Give your thought to it yet.  Then set about creating it into reality.

I'm going to begin today.  I will pledge to you my one promise to myself, which is to share my latest video blogs which are over on my youtube channel.  Every company advertises, why should I be any different?  This way, my creations will get to more people and then there are more people to love what I do.  So I know this is going to take some work but this is an actionable step.

What actionable step can you take?

Sending you love

Louise xoxo
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Tuesday 2 August 2016

#veda - the difference between last year and this year

Do you know what #veda is?

It stands for Vlog Everyday in August.

Last years videos were interesting as I took a camping trip and had lots of fun.  Although still confident, I was a little unsure where my online life might take me and at the time it still felt very much 'the dream'.



This August though, I am focused and determined with more 'guts' than ever before.

Knowing how my body is taking  a toll on the physical lifestyle I have led for so many years, there is a must element about making a career out of this blog and my Youtube channel.

Every single one of you who have subscribed, read a post and bought a book are totally in my heart.  Please leave a comment to let me know you are out there.  I'd love to say hi.  I get so many lovely comments over on my Youtube channel.  I love them all.

They make me smile :)

Enjoy last years #veda playlist here and I look forward to sharing my August with you all again in 2016.

With much love and gratitude

Louise xoxo


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Monday 1 August 2016

800 subscribers! Thank you all so much.





This feels more than surreal writing this.



My Youtube channel has hit 800 subscribers.  This is totally mind blowing stuff and I appreciate all of you so much.



If you didn't check out the craziness that is my Youtube channel you can do by clicking the link here.



What will you find over there?  I obviously incorporate the law of attraction into life there but I also just vlog my life, chat in the car, show you my travels and add in a bit about dealing with my invisible illnesses too.



Wishing you a perfect Monday and much love



Louise xoxo
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