Blog 6
'Something unexpectedly nice is always just around the corner.'
My homemade motto certainly works in looking back over 2013.
Wow, what a year!

When you write a book, run your own bakery and try and get them both out there and off the ground with gusto it's going to take a lot of work, penny pinching, scrimping and going without.

 It may take such a huge financial whack out of you that you take a couple of years to recover and actually start earning again, but it's worth it.

   What I've missed out on in physical riches recently, I've gained in every other way. Working for yourself and following your dreams is truly a great thing. Since the age of ten I've been writing and drawing and now both are starting to produce results.

Look at my personal gain in experience and happiness this year, just in terms of the book:

'Nathan and Alex,' goes into: 'Illum' bookshop, Copenhagen.
I have a book signing at Legends, Brighton and meet lots of fabulous people.
'Nathan and Alex' is featured in the VIP area at Brighton Pride and the organiser
takes a signed copy.
I take the book to Clapham Street Party and meet tonnes of fabulous gay men
who chat to me about their own fantastic love stories.
I meet the wonderful people at Clone Zone Soho and am
invited to London Pride on their Monster Truck float.
I'm written about in Darling Magazine, Wimbledon, a whole right page feature about the book
for 3 months.
'Nathan and Alex' goes into all 4 branches of Clone Zone.
I'm invited by the fab Paul Burston of Polari and TimeOut to read from 'Nathan and Alex'
at the Royal Festival Hall, London.
I meet wonderful fellow authors and we become friends.
Prowler Soho take 5 orders of the book and Clapham Books take their first two.
I get invited to join an Author day for 'Books are my Bag' event at Barton's books Leatherhead,
where I meet lovely new author friends again.
I'm invited to a second and third author event via Barton's.
I'm interviewed on Gaydio Breakfast radio show about 'Nathan and Alex.'
I sell several hundred copies of the book on Kindle...not bad for an unknown and makes me smile.
I get great personal reviews from people who love the book on Goodreads and Amazon.
I learn how to blog for the first time!
I meet wonderful people both here and abroad via the web who stand up and make a difference
for same sex couples, it's truly inspiring.

And that's the best thing of all, what ever my day, my week or month...however hard that particular period may have been, my circle of friends has widened and I feel truly blessed. And while they often say that what I'm doing is quite inspiring - and I never thought I'd hear THAT from anyone! - they also give me something money can't buy...their unconditional love and support.
See, it really has been a pretty fabulous year. xxxx

Blog 5
Nathan and Alex.

Hello again everyone, apologies that it's taken me a couple of weeks to get my 5th blog written, as I've been busy with some cake orders for my online business, 'Antonia's Bakery,' as well as another lovely author event at Barton's Bookshop in Leatherhead.

     If you've never been can I just say please go!.

 This isn't to shamelessly plug their shop, it's because I want as many people as possible to 'experience' Barton's.
     Remember the elderly gentleman who's house Susan, Peter, Edmund and Lucy are sent to in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe? - there's something magical about him, he knows that Narnia exists somewhere in his house or at least he doesn't disbelieve it....Ok..., now head down to Barton's and meet Peter who runs the shop...they're cut from the same cloth. :-)

So, back to the book: I said in my last blog that I was going to write about my real life story behind the 'incident,' in chapter 10, but I've changed my mind, I don't really want to go into minute detail about the pain and horror I went through at the time. I was only 11 when it happened but I can remember everything after the event as if it were yesterday. The only thing I will say is that like Nathan, there really was a night when I thought I might die. I lay there watching the second hand of the clock tick round and round, hoping and praying I would make it till morning. When the pain got too bad I tried to press the button the nurses had put into my hands but even with both thumbs on top of it I had no strength and couldn't depress it.

    So I just had to wait.....All night.

But hooray, - I'm here! I DID make it,  I got better and I've travelled the world, completed bike marathons and 30 charity runs, built my own cake business, sold my drawings, achieved a degree and been thrice engaged...even better than that, because of and in spite of everything in my life, I have stayed the incurable romantic...and that's why I wrote Nathan and Alex.
Have a wonderful week everybody. :-) A M Cridland. xxxx