It's International Book Giving Day, so a perfect time to tell you which books I was given on my birthday last week. 

You should know this - if in doubt, buy me a book! It was my birthday last Saturday and my mum pulled it out the bag again with a great title. 

STONER ~ John Williams

'Stoner' was book of the year 2013, according to Waterstones. I'm currently finishing the second of my two Christmas book presents, but I look forward to getting stuck into this new one. Having not read a lot in the last few months (Christmas, work disruption, fiance in the country with me!), I'm really looking forward to getting a few volumes under my belt before Easter. 

I have yet to buy myself a birthday present (personal tradition, not to be missed!), and I'm thinking I might try to clear out some of my Amazon Wishlist of books. I'll try to limit myself!

Have a great weekend all, see you next Friday. 

Lou x

Find me on Facebook
...And on Twitter
Born To Be A Tourist

Last month saw Make a Difference Day (26th October), and this is a cause close to my heart (see my post on Volunteering Abroad: Valuable and Rewarding). Sooooo, here are 10 things you can 'do good with' in just 10 minutes of your time. 

1. Find a charity you're keen on and set up a direct debit. You won't even notice a couple of quid leaving your account each month, most likely, so find one which resonates with you and go for it. If you're worried about where the money's going, check out these tips on Monday Supermarket. 

2. Give a colleague 10 minutes of your day if they look like they need to chat or off-load. In these austere times and days of increased chances of redundancy, moral can be low. However, showing a friendly face and giving someone a chance to rant can help. Be careful to not take their worries onto your shoulders though - just be an outlet and someone to talk to. Angry rants, done privately, are great, according to the guys at Real Life Law of Attraction. I tend to agree!

3. Donate your unwanted books, CDs and furniture to a charity shop. More and more people are selling online nowadays and I imagine the charity shops are losing out. You'll feel so much better for doing it than making a couple of pounds on ebay and there's no postage to pay!

4. Bake a cake for someone sick. You know they'll appreciate the thought, even if it's a questionable bake!). If you google easy cake recipes, there are lots to start you off with - BBC Food is particularly good, and some really do only take 10 minutes to whip up. 

5. Call your local Council to report that unsightly flytip you pass every morning. They might not know it exists and may even clear it up, improving your local area. 

6. A grandparent is for life, not just for Christmas. Call them. 

7. Hunger affects every community. Find your local food bank and donate a few cans of something non-perishable. 

8. If you've got a bumper crop this year on your allotment, why not take your spare veg round to a neighbour or give to a friend? Waste not, want not! #lovefoodhatewaste

9. Test your kids. Give them a quiz to do between main course and dessert round the dinner table. Something will stick and they'll win a pub quiz in the future (or pass their GCSEs more easily...)! 

10. Got a stressed out nightshift worker for a housemate? Why not help her out by doing her washing up which is building up on the side. The house will look cleaner for it too!

Feeling inspired?

Check out 67 things to do in 67 minutes, and action for Mandela Day (18/7/13). Let me know what you get up to in the comments below!

It's International Volunteer Day in less than a month (5th December) so why not get involved? Check out Do It, the volunteer opportunity website. There are many roles to look at, and so many benefits from lending a hand, so take a look!

Lou x

Find me on Facebook
...And on Twitter
Born to be a Tourist - my travel blog, which I post to on Mondays

Image courtesy of The Future Melting Pot

I had a lovely afternoon last Sunday. I went down to Bookmarks Festival, the small Northants village of Helmdon's very own offering to the world of writing and book events. It's in its second year and I can see there will be outcry if this small, friendly, and well-meaning festival doesn't come back for 2014. 

There are two reasons why I love Bookmarks Festival. 

1. The focus of the festival is on local writers. The speakers this year were Adrian Magsun, Alison McQueen and Garry O'Connor, all who hail from Northamptonshire. Engaging, friendly, and very different from each other, they made for a good panel. 

2. Bookmarks raises money for a global charity. It's a different charity each year, and 2013 is the year of Hand in Hand for Syria. Very commendable, in my eyes, and the choice of charity could not be more pertinent given the news from Syria in the last week or two.

I want to show you the fantastic fun I had at Bookmarks Festival, but like the pro I am, I managed to take photos with no SD card in the camera.

However, as you can judge from this blog post title, there is a down side to going to all these wonderful, creativity-filled, welcoming, interesting literature festivals. Yes, while I'm there mingling with other readers and writers, I'm having a great time. Events like this often encourage cake eating, and armed with a slice and a cuppa, I make new friends and acquaintances of bloggers, novelists, journalists and wannabes. However, long-term, literature festivals are indeed detrimental to my social life.

Why?!

Because I've come away with yet more books to add to my 'To Read' list. 

Once again I'll revert to my teenage bookworm state and become completely absorbed into the wonderful world of reading. I'll escape any trials and stresses of the day and enrich my writer's palette. 

I plan to be unapologetically unsociable.

I didn't really need these new volumes to add to the growing collection of books I want to devour, but look at them - how could you resist?! And they were all at the bargain price of £1 per novel. I already have piles of unread beauties at my pad just waiting to be opened, but being the slow reader that I am, I doubt I'll get onto many of them this decade. This means I will spend a good portion of my weekend curled up, sprawled out, perched on a chair with a book. I'm currently reading the beast that is Tom Jones ~ Henry Fielding as part of my 30 Before 30 Challenge, and I really want to get it finished. Then I can start on these fab looking titles.

If you need me, you know where to find me. 

Lou x

Find me on Facebook
...And on Twitter
Born To Be A Tourist

In January I had the valuable and and rewarding experience of volunteering in South Africa with Transfrontier Africa (TFA). A team of four staff and seven volunteers like me worked on projects in Balule Reserve focussed on the conservation and protection of (mainly) elephants and rhinos in the western part of Kruger National Park. 

We saw the important work TFA are doing to manage the ecosystem in as much of a 'hands-off' natural way as possible, the constant fight against poaching - now rife in this part of the African continent - with the Anti-Poaching Black Mamba Unit, and the essential research the team carry out on the diverse and beautiful flora and fauna of the bush. 

One of the biggest and newest projects TFA are working on at the moment is the use of drones in locating and mapping unwelcome, illegal and dangerous human visitors to the reserves. These poachers are especially interested in rhino horns which can get tens of thousands of Euros on the black market. The bone is used in "medicine", never proven to have the aphrodisiac effect it claims. A project like this costs a lot of money maintain - think staff, Land Rover maintenance, fuel, dogs, training etc. etc.

This got some friends of mine (volunteers I met while volunteering in South Africa) thinking hard on their return to the UK. This wonderful Cambridgeshire couple instigated a fundraising idea in aid of TFA and Rhino Mercy, and I've since joined their enthusiastic and creative team of passionate wildlife lovers to put together an event you cannot afford to miss. 

The Event

Newmarket Rhino Bash

Friday 6th September 2013

Tables of up to 8 people

Tickets are £35 - now on sale!

At a venue near Newmarket, Cambridgeshire (confirmed with ticket purchase)

We are holding a hog roast dinner and charity auction, a presentation from Dr. Craig Spencer (who heads the TFA project), tombola, all to a soundtrack of African music.

Auction items include: A week's stay at Gleneagles... A mini iPad... Jamie's Italian Restaurant Vouchers... A week's stay at a Kruger reserve lodge... and so much more! You need to be here!

Remember, this is all in aid of protecting these amazing, highly threatened animals. Rhinos are being killed at the rate of one every day, and they will not be around much longer unless projects like those being run by TFA are supported. Nabbing these parasitic poachers with the use of modern technology is key to the species survival. 

Tickets are £35 and are selling fast. You can grab a HOT ticket by visiting the Rhino Bash website or visit us at the Facebook event page.

Visit the official Newmarket's Rhino Bash website to find out more about the project. 

I hope to see you there! 

                                                      *****

If you can't make the Newmarket bash or are based in the North why not attend Pennies for Eles 1st Annual Dinner 'Party' on Sat 21st September at the fabulous Hard Days Night Hotel in Liverpool? P4E has been supporting TFA's elephant research and conservation work since it was set up 3 years ago by another former volunteer who was also inspired by the passion and determination of the guys at TFA and wanted to help - volunteering there does that to you! Tickets available now and more info can be found on the on the P4E Facebook page. The funding's all going to the same place!

Thanks for reading. I'm back to writing related posts next week, I promise!

Lou x

Find me on Facebook
...And on Twitter
Born To Be A Tourist

Many people's first reactions from this story are of anger, upset, panic, disbelief, fear.... The incident has certainly affected me, made me think; what would I have done if I'd have been there? What if it was one of my family involved? What does this mean for the UK, London and the War On Terror? How could anyone do this to another person?!?!

It's easy to get overwhelmed by it all, to be honest. Part of me wants to not read anything about the incident and to avoid the news so I don't see any graphic, disturbing footage. However, I feel it's better to know what is going on in the country and the world, even if it's horrific. But how to deal with the situation, to take it on board, but not to fall into the trap of fear?

I was reminded of something I heard during the Boston Marathon Bombings coverage. One woman, watching the breaking news on TV with her little boy was reported to have said the following tocomforting him:

This mother, having had to explain to her son what was going on, was encouraging him to look for the people helping others in a scene of chaotic terror, panic, atrocity and confusion. 

     Look for the men taking injured people into their arms and carrying them from danger. 

     Look for the people caught on scene attending to the injured, outside of an official medical 
     role. 


     Look for the children taking hold of their younger siblings hands and taking them to 
     safety. 


     Look for the good people helping strangers in an awful situation. 

This helps to restores your faith in humankind and remind you that there are some good people in the world, fighting for justice, looking after their fellow human beings. 

A great example of 'helpers' from yesterday's unimaginably brutal attack on the undeserving guy were the women at the scene who shielded the body - presumably from the media, from the road, from mobile phones from onlookers taking photos/videos, and possibly, more attacks. This was a brave and selfless thing to do and offered last respects to the victim - true 'helpers'. I heard about this on the radio driving home for lunch today and it moved me to tears. 

Maybe it was instinct which made the women stand up for the victim. Maybe they put themselves at risk because they were mothers. Maybe they just wanted to show a little respect to a fellow human being. 

Well done, ladies. 

I love my country but I know sometimes we are guilty of remembering the good guys. There are a lot of people who are negative about the UK, insular, ignorant, apathetic and even warmongering souls, who treat racism as a tool. We should be more like these courageous women who just happened to be caught up in the craziness. We cannot let intimidation and violence scare us into different ways of caring, thinking or living. Treat others as you would want to be treated - that was one of the rules we had at school. Some adults need to go back to school, I feel!

I remember something another mother, my mother, said when September 11th 2001 happened. It was advice to a 16 year old along the lines of "Do not be afraid. If we live our lives in fear, they [the terrorists] have won." 

Remember this today, and give your loved ones a hug when you get home tonight. This is a great country, and in times like this we need to remember that not all of us are in-human, weapon wielding lunatics. There is a lot of compassion in British people, and this needs to be remembered and celebrated. 'Helpers' are there. 

My thoughts are with the family and friends of the soldier, who has yet to be identified. May good prevail and justice be a quickly served. 

If you have been moved by this appalling incident - angered, tearful, fear, shame, compassion - please donate something to the Help For Heroes charity. The provide support for soldiers and families of soldiers killed in action. Yesterday, apparently, the HfH website crashed as people moved to donate, but please persevere - they'll fix it soon!

Have a lovely Bank Holiday weekend, UK readers (enjoy Monday at work, everyone else, mwahahaa!). If you have a quiet few minutes, maybe you should try to write about something that moves you, to get your passion and emotion flowing through your writing. 

Lou x

Find me on Facebook
...And on Twitter
Born to be a Tourist 

April is going to be a big month for me. There's potentially a house move (fingers crossed!), some WWOOFing, Easter break, family do's... Oh, and a writing challenge I've signed up to!

From April 1st, I join Rebecca Giltrow and several other writers in the April Blogging Challenge. We are blogging every day (aside from Sunday) throughout April. 

As Rebecca says, "most of the time if you subtract Sundays from April, you then have 26 days--one day for each letter of the alphabet.  When April 1st lands on a Sunday you begin on that day which will be the only Sunday you would post during that month's challenge." This means day one is A themed, day two is B themed... And so on until Z on 30th April.  

I'm hoping to include social media tips, writing campaigns, reviews, more of my own material, general writing tips and more... Treasured reader, I hope you enjoy it, even if you just enjoy seeing me under pressure!

What have I let myself in for?! More to the point, who else is in?!

My first post will be Easter Monday, the 1st April 2013. Catch you then - I'm off to plan!

Lou x

Find me on Facebook
...And on Twitter
Born To Be A Tourist - have you checked out my travel blog yet?

A slightly lazy post today (post-Christmas slump, anyone?!), but hopefully you'll find it interesting. If you've read my blog, you've probably seen my Twitter feed, but if you've not stopped by my Twitter page lately, these are some of the tweets you missed during Christmas week. 

12 Days of Book Sales: A Dozen Holiday Book Promotion Ideas:http://bit.ly/TgPn6M via @duolit 

YOU are the author of your own life. If you don't like the page you're on, Rewrite It. ~@emitoms #quote RT @JeffSheehan@BrookeGriffin_

Anyone going to Notts Festival of Words in Feb? (I know, I know, but Feb isn't that far away now!) http://ow.ly/gfELN 

RT @thecreativepenn Waterstones Piccadilly goes crazy for the Hobbit http://pbs.twimg.com/media/A-kc96DCcAESv5U.jpg …

#wednesdaywritein 19 via @cakeshortnsweet "A Liar Like Me"http://wp.me/pBHc0-RW 

Help a #goodcause! INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE IMPRISONED WRITER http://buff.ly/TrvyuJ  #tweets4authors

Writing a Book is an Adventure http://www.advicetowriters.com/home/2012/12/24/writing-a-book-is-an-adventure.html … #writing #writecraft RT @AdviceToWriters

What's your favourite Christmas book? From The Snowman to The Grinch, here are Stylist Magazine's top festive... http://fb.me/RX4SIIgn 

Yet another great bookish Christmas tree! http://fb.me/CMQbAx5P 

Writers, readers - you should stop by more often to get more of the good stuff. By that I mean international competition details, online writing events, tips and inspiration to help your writing, blogs I think are worth a read etc etc.... And if you like what you see, don't forget to retweet!

Catch you next time!

Lou x

Find me on Facebook...
...and on Twitter!

Image courtesy of Wall Blog

PEN International is a leading cultural and advocacy organisation which celebrates literature and promotes freedom of expression. Founded in 1921, our global community of writers now comprises 144 Centres spanning more than 100 countries. 

• Eskinder Nega (Ethiopia): journalist and blogger convicted to 18 years in prison on dubious terrorism related charges, clearly levied as punishment for his reporting on government human rights abuses.
Marian Botsford Fraser, Chair of the WiPC, is in Istanbul this week with a high level delegation of 20 people from nine centres, joining colleagues in PEN Turkey in readings of poetry and prose honouring writers at risk around the world.

“We’re here to signal the great concern of PEN members around the world about the extraordinarily high number of writers, journalists and publishers who are either in prison, in detention awaiting trial, or suffering daily fear of being arrested,” said Botsford Fraser. “Turkey’s progress towards democracy must include true freedom of speech for its citizens.”

Writers in Turkey, as in many countries around the world, notably Iran, China and Bahrain, are facing new violations to their freedom of expression on the Internet, including the illegal interference of governments in the transmission of opinion, news and ideas. On 18th November, PEN International hosted two panel discussions at the Istanbul Book Fair addressesing the issue of freedom of expression and digital media and discussing PEN’s new Declaration on Digital Freedom.

“More than two-thirds of the people on the current WiPC case list have been targeted because of things they have said in blogs, tweets, and on websites,” said Botsford Fraser. “PEN’s new Declaration on Digital Freedom will be invaluable in our defence of writers at risk.”

Alongside the events in Turkey, dozens of PEN Centres hosted events, readings, film screenings and more, remembering colleagues at risk around the world.

For more information on centre activities click here.
For more information on PEN International delegation to Turkey click here.

For information and press enquiries please contact Sahar Halaimzai:
E: Sahar.halaimzai@pen-international.org | + 44 (0) 20 7405 0338.
Or contact Sara Whyatt| E: Sara.whyatt@pen-international .org

                                                     - - - - - - -

Food for thought, thoughts for actions. See you next week. 

Lou x

Find me on Facebook...
...And on Twitter