Advent Winner Day 6
The winner of Day 6 of the advent calendar draw is...
John Naylor!
John, you have won a pen and two bookmarks, plus a signed copy of my paperback edition of Wakeful Children: A Collection of Horror and Supernatural Tales. Congratulations!
(Please note: So Lost in Words is now spoldhamauthor.com)
Advent Winner Day 5
Advent calendar day five and the winner is...
Dawn Grey!
Dawn, you have won a key fob which is also a bottle opener and a trolley token, plus two bookmarks.
(Please note: So Lost in Words is now spoldhamauthor.com)
Advent Winner Day 4
Day 4 of the advent draw and we have a winner!
Jenny Clark!
Jenny, you have won a keyring torch and bookmarks.
(Please note: So Lost in Words is now spoldhamauthor.com)
Advent Winner Day 3
Day three of our advent draw and the winner is…
Doug Kay!
Well done, Doug! You have won a keyring torch and bookmarks,
Please note that So Lost in Words is now spoldhamauthor.com
Unsolved Mysteries
I was asked an author question on Goodreads. Is there an unsolved mystery in your life that would make a good plot for a movie? This was my answer:
A close relative (who passed away a long time ago) was accused of a horrific crime many, many years ago. I was a child at the time and had no idea what was going on. It was only later in life that I learned anything about it. Long story short he was cleared of all suspicion, because he was completely and totally innocent, but apparently the experience really shook him up, understandably. Goes to show that sometimes you only have to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. The mystery part is, who really was the guilty party? I don't know if anyone was ever arrested or not. Did they get away with it? How? And why did they do it in the first place? Hmm, interesting...
What about you? Got any unsolved mysteries that would make a great book? Do you think you will ever write it?
Advent Winner Day 2
Today's winner of the advent draw, day 2, is...
Patricia Barret!
Patricia, you have won a touch screen pen and bookmarks.
(Please note: So Lost in Words is now spoldhamauthor.com)
Advent Winner Day 1
And so it begins! The winner of Day 1 of my advent draw is...
Brenda Evison!
Congratulations Brenda. You have won a bottle opener with trolley token and a 'The Dragon Has Wings' fridge magnet!
(Please note: So Lost in Words is now spoldhamauthor.com)
Last Chance to Enter…
ADVENT CALENDAR SIGN UP! (UK ONLY.)
6 DAYS LEFT TO GET YOUR NAME IN! UK ONLY.
Thanks to everyone who has commented on my blog. You have got to be in it to win it! If you are a UK resident and you enjoy supernatural fiction, horror and dark fantasy, this could be the advent calendare for you! Add your name to be included!
Beginning 1st November through to and including 30th November 2021, add your name to the list to be included in the random draw for my advent calendar! I will use a random name picker every day throughout December, using that list, to choose a daily winner.
Names added before Nov 1st or after midnight on Nov 30th will not be included in the draw.
Prizes include: key rings with bottle opener and trolley token; mini torch keyrings; pens; bookmarks; touch screen pens; signed copies of Wakeful Children; free downloads of one of my books. No cash alternatives. If a prize is not claimed after two weeks of winning it will be redrawn.
You can add your name on my Blog here: https://www.spoldhamauthor.com/spoldh.../blog/entry-05-rh3np
or on my Facebook page here https://www.facebook.com/.../a.198505140.../1484488908587517
You may only add your name once. Duplicate names will be removed.
You don't have to, but a like and a share would be great!
Good luck!
Competition not endorsed by or associated with Facebook.
Cover Reveal plus Sneak Peek at my wip…
Take a sneak peek at the opening chapter of my wip, read my Q&A session with Sam Gregory and find out more about my love of myths and legends and how I try to use them in some of my work. As ever, let me know your thoughts or hear those questions! #Pentrych #SouthWales #myths #legends #folklore #localhistory #fiction #storytelling #supernatural #stories #MariAnnCabbage #GarthMountain
Q&A with Sam Gregory plus Sneak Peak into my Work in Progress...
Make it stand out
Cover reveal for my work in progress… coming soon.
NightCafe AI Prints
Messing about on NightCafe making AI generated images relating to my stories!
My son Rhys Oldham was messing about on a site called NightCafe, AI generated art prints. Some of them are a bit zany but others are pretty amazing! You get so many free, then you can pay or earn credits to make more. I just had an initial play around, to see what it would come up with. Here's the link if you fancy taking a look for yourself. You just type in some key words and phrases, then leave the rest to AI! https://nightcafe.studio/
Another one I love! I typed in keywords for my short story Cold Fish and this is what NightCafe's AI created as a result.
This is what AI on NightCafe came up with when I typed in words relating to Wakeful Children: A Collection of Horror and Supernatural Tales.
I absolutely love this one! I typed in phrases relating to Hag's Breath: A Collection of Witchcraft and Wickedness. This is what NightCafe's AI came up with!
This is one Rhys came up with after he typed in some keywords for Hag's Breath: A Collection of Witchcraft and Wickedness
New 5* Review for Hag’s Breath
New 5 star review of 'Hag's Breath: A Collection of Witchcraft and Wickedness' from reader Sharon Hendrix. Thank you, what a great way to start the week!
Sharon Hendrix rated it 5* it was amazing
Wonderful collection
Sue has such an excellent way with words! I love the way she has you see a fresh take on a story. Each book I read is better than the last!
November is Myths and Legends Month. Author and Blogger S. K Gregory Hosts
November is Myths and Legends month…
Author and blogger S. K Gregory is running a month long event based around myths and legends! It will be looking at a variety of mythologies - Greek, Norse, Egyptian and Irish among others.
'My day' is November 8th but there is a whole raft of authors and articles to keep you interested throughout the entire month! Thank you Sam Gregory for your hard work and for including me in the calendar.
Advent Calendar List Open!
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Add your name below to be included in the random daily draw for my Advent Calendar! Names may only be added once, duplicates will be removed. Names added after midnight November 30th will not be counted. Good luck!
Halloween 2021 Free Read is up!
If you would like to read my Halloween 2021 freebie ghostly poem, click the link: The Ragged Rover Inn
That’s it! Happy Halloween, stay safe and enjoy!
Mega 99p/99c Book Bonanza on Written Undead (Facebook)
Sorry if you missed the Mega sale. These books are all still available on Amazon at great prices, so it’s not too late to treat yourself.
Look out for another treat next Halloween from your Written Undead writers!
Hag Breath - Witches for Halloween
If you can't have witches at Halloween, when can you have them?
Inspired by a building local to me, one that I pass by almost every day, the Ice House in the grounds of Bedwellty Park. Hope you enjoy the extract from 'Ice House Belle.'
"
‘The Ice House Bell is of ancient origin. Upon clearing the land in preparation for building the manor, the peasants were evicted with little notice and no compensation. A wise woman who lived amongst them advised the new owners to keep the bell safe. It hangs from a plinth over the doorway to a strongly built stone hut.
When it was remarked that the cost of erecting such a building must have been beyond the reach of the peasants, the wise woman simply shrugged and said, ‘They did not build it.’
She advised the gentlemen there gathered that should the bell ever sound, they should act to appease the witch who lived there. Only when she was disturbed would she demand recompense, in the form of a new recruit to her coven. The price was always the same; a young woman, still pure and untouched. The bell would ring until the debt was paid.’
A - Z of Horror - Red Cape Publishing
Thank you to Red Cape Publishing for including my story from the anthology ‘E is for Exorcism.’ You can read ‘A Grave Mistake’ if you click the link. Loads of horror content to be found in these anthologies, which are an ongoing venture by Peter Blakey-Novis and Leanne Blakey-Novis who together are Red Cape Publishing. Worth keeping your eye on this publisher!
A Grave Mistake by S P Oldham on Red Cape Publishing
E is for Exorcism is available for Kindle, in paperback, and on Audible here
The Squirrel and the Pumpkin
My sister Wendy Mitchell is a keen amateur wildlife photographer. As you know, I love to play with words. It is becoming a tradition for us to produce a calendar together every year, if and when we can. Last year's had a few problems but that aside, I hope you enjoy this little seasonal offering.
Wendy took the photo, I wrote the words. Enjoy x
Could there be a scarier scene,
To hail the month of Halloween?
Can there be any dastardly deeds
To match a squirrel, stealing seeds?
Or is it just, perhaps, preparing?
Nothing at all to do with scaring?
Could squirrel merely be stockpiling?
As for Pumpkin; well, it is smiling…
Halloween Display
Just a photo I took years ago on a cruise ship. We went on a mini cruise - they call it a ‘taster’ for four nights. It was great, the food was amazing and plentiful and I was really impressed with the Halloween displays they put on. Hope everyone has a happy and safe Halloween.
Coin Trees or Wish Trees, Portmeirion
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Since I had to delete my old account (formerly known as So Lost in Words, now S P Oldham, Author) I am sharing some of the content here that I had on my old blog, simply because I think it is interesting.
We went on holiday earlier this year. While we were away we paid a visit to Portmeirion, where we came across an old tree stump, full of coins that had been buried in it. This intrigued me as I had never seen it before, so I made a point of researching it when we got home. Below is the post I wrote as a result
One of the coin trees we found in the woodland walk area of Portmeirion.
As a friend suggested to me, I might well end up having a go at a short, scary story based on this piece of historical folklore. (Photographs are mine. Feel free to use them but please quote either S P Oldham or solostinwords.com if you do. Thank you.)
Some of the mysterious 'wish trees' in Portmeirion. Apparently there are seven (we found three or four) and there are others like these in other places. I have never seen this before. "...coin-covered trees (date) back to the 1700s, when they were apparently used as wishing trees. People believed that a person suffering from an illness could hammer a coin into a tree trunks and the tree would take the illness away, but if someone removed the coin, they themselves would become ill. Whether some folks still believe this legend, or they do it simply because it’s fun is still a mystery, but the fact is this bizarre habit has spawned some pretty unbelievable sights that apparently unique to the UK" Quote from Oddity-Central, the article is here: https://www.odditycentral.com/.../britains-mysterious...
#folklore#dark dark folklore fairy tales dark fiction myths and legends folklore witches devil ghosts#wish tree#portmeirion#dark fiction#short story ideas
