life
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The Gateway
I got out that map of Barkmouth you gave me and looked at it, and it looked like it was shining somehow, right near the cinema, the one I thought might be staffed by Fae. Teddy was eager to get out and he was keen to find out what might be happening… And he pointed… Continue reading
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Lucy Skylark’s Magical Year
I’m so glad you agreed to be my mentor. It was very kind of you when you could be enjoying your retirement, so I’m grateful for all your time and advice. I’m so excited to be taking my first steps to becoming a full time witch. Continue reading
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Coming soon! Not new, but improved!
Hi all, I’m excited to tell you that I am going to be publishing the Magical Years of Lucy Skylark and Olive Framley this year in instalments, starting on Tuesday 3rd March, and then twice weekly as soon as Olive shows up. Continue reading
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Walking – daily. Running?
This is the 10th anniversary of me finishing Couch to 5k! I kept it up for about 6 months after that. I haven’t run in ages but it’s always reassuring to remember I did this. I recommend doing Couch to 5k if you are, like me, someone who doesn’t think of yourself as sporty or… Continue reading
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Bad advice: “You should have” is only good for time travellers
Imagine you’re doing something difficult, perhaps for the first time. Maybe you’ve made a new recipe. Maybe you’ve given a speech, run a training session, had a job interview or even flown a plane. And your family member, mentor, supervisor, manager, teacher, podiatrist or parole officer turns to you and says… Continue reading
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Lucy Skylark Entry 22, 4th July.
Bea asked us if we’d been to the ice cream parlour, Dessert Island. Suniya blushed then, and I felt embarrassed too. I told her about the chef seeming to have a glamour, and no reflection. She looked intrigued. “That’s certainly interesting, but I don’t know that I feel happy with you assuming there’s something wrong.” Continue reading
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Olive Framley Entry 20, 3rd July.
Dear Talia, It’s been a trying couple of weeks. Daddy is furious about the whole Magical Reporter debacle and the fact that people are now asking him what he thinks he’s doing, sending his well-educated daughter to mess around with potions and spells, and I’ve had journalists and paparazzi following me all over the place.… Continue reading
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Bad Advice: If you’re lonely…
I was walking back from town, alone, to my bedsit flat. It was cold, crisp, and dry, as that city so often was, and my room was probably cold. I heard someone say my name, with that sort of surprised delight when you see someone who you didn’t expect to see, but are pleased to… Continue reading
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Bad advice: Fake it till you make it
I know that some will find fake it till you make it genuinely inspiring. There are positives to the phrase, as a piece of advice… It acknowledges that we don’t always feel confident when we start It assures us that we will grow in confidence the more we try It gives us the hope of… Continue reading
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A Day In The Life of A Teenage Witch
Skylark and Framley’s powers are alarming, if also impressive – I witnessed a rainstorm, dramatic plant growth and a slightly fumbled but no less remarkable piece of spell-casting by Olive Framley. Continue reading
Helen Speaks 