Writing about travel, and free books for you

 Readers, you surprise me. 

It’s been a while since I’ve known what to write here. Scattered is a word which springs to mind. Yep, life feels scattered.

 

So, I came to a place far away to try and figure things out and consider next steps. Everything which has popped up for me has been around my writing and publishing career. Keeping the faith that this isn’t ‘all a waste of time’ hasn’t been easy over the years.

 

(Since I started writing this post, I have decided to either give away or heavily discount my books this coming week and weekend – See these links to find out what you can grab for completely free!)

Fiction:

Non-fiction: 

 

Let's resume: But writing brings me utter joy, and that’s never a waste of time. 

I was asking ‘them’ to show me what I need to be doing, and I checked the stats on my book sales and the analytics of this blog. I was utterly surprised to find that the post titled ‘I’m a full-time author’ took the number one spot after ‘Pancake House at Center Parcs’ had held it for years.

 

I’m not a full-time author, not right now. Things got in the way, and now I am writing in the spaces between. That’s ok. But I like to think there will be a day when the demand for books and author events is enough to sustain heading back to ‘full time authorship’.

 

Guidance comes in many forms, and I guess the audience I have already built through following the travel calling will stay. My books are set around places where I have visited, and currently, I am listening to the inner voice and figuring out the forward path.

 

So, I guess I have missed writing these blog posts, but I haven’t really known what to write. I will still bring stories of travel, but there will be a time when it leans more towards book chat than telling you if a hotel has a hairdryer or not. And I hope that’s ok. 

FREE: It's not Shakespeare, but it will change your life

 The first book I published was written in a passionate frenzy.

I’d found out something life-changing, and I wanted everyone else to know about it. But within six months of publishing this book, I realised many people know about the Law of Attraction, and I also realised it isn’t the prettiest book on the shelves. Fact.

Fast forward seventeen years (17?!) and I am now on book number nine, having switched to fiction (romance, with loads of travel, stadiums, and music) and still in love with the writing and publishing world.

My shock when I realised life is supposed to be lived in joy was insurmountable. Rather than white-knuckling your way through life until you reached death, I had a new knowledge about life being something amazing. To enjoy life was something I decided I suddenly wanted to learn.

Am I there yet? Hmm, not too far off. Definitely closer than I was when I found out about the Law of Attraction back in 2009, but I partly think that’s the point of life. Navigating the tricky bits, learning from them, finding the beauty in all of it and moving forwards; having never ‘got there’ by the time life is over.

This brings me to the point of this post.

My book is up for free downloads on Amazon for the next five days. I want you to read the message inside it. Ignore the layout of the pages. I will be editing that and adding more about the meaning of life and phenomenology. So - have a free read in a couple of lunch hours (it’s 33 pages long) and start to rethink things. Find the magic in life and see if you can start to use the power of your mind to live on your terms.

Speaking of which, there will be some exciting news here soon, which is me having a go at a big new manifestation. Want to be part of my exclusive book social? Message me here and let me know about it. I can’t wait!

A little gift from me to you, with much love as always

Lou xoxo 

Richardsons Holiday Park, Hemsby - the norfolk broads lodge with hot tub

 We had a UK summer holiday recently. Yes, I use the word holiday sparingly, as so often my trips are work-related. But this was for sure a holiday.

I sat in the hot tub with friends and laughed until I cried in the sunny Sunday afternoon weather.

There was music and dancing and joy in every direction. I was alive with happiness.

Our lodge was a stunning haven of comfort and homeliness. We loved our time there, and Hemsby had a huge beach, lovely coffee shop cultures around and even some gluten-free delights. I can't tell you when I last felt so relaxed. But there was a definite UK summer vibe about this place, not in a cheap caravan sense, but rather in a luxury but affordable sense. 

This video shows you around the four-bed lodge we stayed in. Find out about booking it here: 

Here are the quick snaps I took on my phone before I got my flip flops on!

It was pretty amazing to enjoy some down time in such a way. So often my travel is linked to work and while it's still an incredible thing to do, this felt very different. 

Strawberry Fair, Cambridge - the most magical festival

 

Ok, so it might have been raining (it was), but there was some expected magic in the air in the centre of Cambridge last weekend. 

Strawberry Fair is held in the city centre, on Midsummer Common, right by the River Cam and the Fort St George. It is Cambridge’s one-day celebration of music, arts, people, and pure festival magic.

Starting in 1974, thousands of people come together each year to feel a sense of community and creativity. The performers and the free-spirited humans who follow them come together for a free day of utter escapism. 

This year was its 51st year.

But let’s go back to 1994 for a minute. Was that when that fateful World Cup happened, too? 

I’m sure I remember watching that on a portable TV in the courtyard of the Fort St George while something tasty was cooked on the BBQ by Deano, the chef. 

Living in the stunning 16th-century Fort St George back then, I always appreciated the building’s beauty with its wonky ceilings and creaking floors. Parts of the timber-framed building still date back to the original building, particularly in the snug. Back then, we would light a coal fire in there during those dark winter months, waiting for customers, and playing cards. Cassy sat next to us. She was the puppy that was supposed to keep us safe. The softest German Shepherd dog ever, she became my companion who had a talent for spotting a sad mood. 

The summer months were crazy days. Strawberry Fair in 1994 brought in £22,000 in just one day. 

While I was writing in the coffee shop last year, I decided to use Strawberry Fair in my fiction story. 

Simon Rhodes and Blake Winters were school friends who had a dream of being in a band. Their big break happened on a stage at Strawberry Fair, long before they became the massive band they ended up as. 

Book 3 in the series is being written right now, and there will be a standalone book out this year called Winters. That’s Blake’s backstory, written from his point of view. It’ll be dark and inspiring, and we will finally figure out why he has a permanent frown on his face. Liesa Ulman is the only person to soften that frown. 

Hearing about the return of Strawberry Fair, I had to go, for research, of course. There was a plan to either get on stage next year and read, or some other ‘book promo’ type of thing. But I’m not too sure the festival goers are my readers. 

Could I stand and imagine Blake and Simon on those stages? 

God, yes. 

There was a definite air of closeness to them while I stood with soaked trainers (should have put on the purple wellies!) and imagined them figuring themselves out and perfecting their craft, before the days of private jets and stadium lights. And before the tragedy which made it all possible. 

See the full vlog/find out more about these books by sending me a quick message. 

Note: thank you to the organisers for the hard work on this event. And an extra thanks to the lovely new author friends I made. 

Find out more about the Metronome Series 

Free Kindle Books for the Next 3 Days + A New Discounted Romance Novel Tomorrow

 

There is something surreal about writing these words.

For as many years as I can remember, I dreamed about becoming an author. Even as a little girl, I wrote things on pieces of paper. I wasn't just writing books in private or scribbling ideas into notebooks on planes and in coffee shops around the world, but I actually wanted people to read them, download them, and escape into them.

Right now, two of my Kindle books are completely free for the next three days.

I'm not asking for your email or any sign-up. No “comment below to receive the link.” Just free books for you to enjoy.

You can download them here:

Free Books:
https://amzn.to/4v5nWnE

https://amzn.to/4tXpU8w

One is a mafia romance short story collection for those of you who love drama, chemistry and escapism.

The other is a non-fiction book about the law of attraction, mindset and creating a life that feels aligned with who you truly are. This one isn't my best piece of writing and needs a heavy re-formatting and editing. I'm on it, but for now, the message is the same. People have said it has changed their life. It changed mine and it's the thing which set me on my author and YouTube path back in 2009. 

Honestly, both make great holiday reads.

Even if you’re not heading away just yet, you can still download them now and keep them ready on your Kindle for later. Perfect for airport lounges, poolside afternoons, long flights or those quiet evenings where you just want to disappear into something different for a while.

And tomorrow, one of my full length novels will also be included in a Kindle Countdown Deal, meaning it will be heavily discounted for a limited time:

https://amzn.to/49kqcPy

This one is for the romance readers. Think rockstar energy, travel, emotion, chemistry, luxury, longing and a billionaire romance woven through it all.

As somebody who has spent years building a life around storytelling, travel and creativity, every single download genuinely means something to me. Independent authors rely so much on readers sharing books, recommending them and simply giving them a chance.

So if you do decide to download one, thank you. 

And if you know somebody who loves reading on holiday, romance books, mindset books or discovering indie authors, feel free to share this post with them too.

Happy reading,

Louise xoxo