Lorraine Holloway-White

Videos

2012-02-12T18:17:00.003Z

Forced - v - Natural Mediumship

Psychic or Medium - the differences

Protection - the Myths

Charges

Jealousy

2012-01-24T11:05:00.000Z

Today I sit here saddened by the behaviour of people who profess to be spiritual and yet whose hearts are far removed from being spiritual people. Yes, I know we see this all the time in life, but I find it increasingly hard the older I get to understand what it is in people that they have to behave in this way, but I think I have now seen a pattern and recognised why it happens. Wherever I go, there are such good, decent people of all beliefs and cultures throughout the world who are trying their hardest to make a difference for the better and to be kind, warm and generous people and yet who are often under attack from others. I am no different, it has also happened to me and I'm sure it's probably happened to you at some point.

Then there are the others. The ones who pretend to be oh so nice, butter wouldn't melt types who sit on the fence all the time in case they offend anyone. We all know this isn't them really because everyone in the world has an opinion or a point of view and when they think no one is looking or they've fooled everyone into believing how nice they are - they attack. It is often either done behind closed doors in a bullying way, or in public but very subtly so as to make the other person look the guilty party. As soon as they've caused the trouble, they stand back and watch and then pretend their words weren't meant like that, but were taken the wrong way.

They know exactly what they are doing and yet sit back acting all innocent and hurt while the one they've attacked and incite into retaliating is made to look to be the one in the wrong. I have seen it happen so often though my life and wondered why good people have this conflict put in their paths and how others watching often don't see the truth of what just happened right in front of their eyes. Because I've seen it happen to others and I get it happen to me, I have pondered about it wondering why it is we have to put up with this from certain people and the more I watched it happening to others and myself, one thing became clear about the ones doing this.

What pleasure do they derive from causing upset to people who are otherwise enjoying each others company and living their lives their own way? I'll tell you why. They want to be noticed - to be made centre of attention for a while and to have everyone feel sorry for them as it's the only way they get seen. Each time I've seen it done, it has been because of their own insecurities about who or what they are. They want to be like the person they have tried to make look bad. They are jealous of them and their achievements usually. They want to be in their company and try to learn off them or just be with them until one day, it all gets too much for them and their jealousy pours over and they have to do something about it.

It is totally unnecessary and only hurts the one who has done it whilst the one it's aimed at or those bystanders who have to be party to it all, move on from it with no more thought. Doing what they do doesn't change their lives or who or what they are though, only they can change that themselves, but they can't as they don't know how and so they'll go to another place and do the same again wherever they go. There is often a pattern to it and if we see them in different places we can see it starting all over again. This is how I came to recognise what was happening. They don't know how to behave or what to do to improve their own lives and so they lash out at the very person they once admired and wanted to be like.

It is very sad and I only wish we could help them, but we can't. Some people don't want to be helped as they refuse to acknowledge what they're doing. They can't see what others can see and this is the sadness of it all. If you are one of those who has been at the receiving end of this unjustified behaviour, don't fight back as that's what they want. Let it go, ignore what was said or is happening and it will go away very quickly. It is the attention they crave and if it isn't given to them they go elsewhere. Whatever you do, don't think it's you, it isn't.

A Guide's Guide To Mediumship and Healing

2012-01-04T20:48:00.002Z

This book is currently doing very well indeed as more and more people are starting to use it to run groups for natural mediums and healers rather than man taught. This book, together with, How To Know If You're a Medium, is making a difference to lives of people who are trying to understand what is happening to them. No man taught medium understands about natural mediums and not do their teachers. Don't let me say more, let some of the reviews speak for themselves.

Reviews as seen on Amazon

5.0 out of 5 stars A Guides Guide to Mediumship and Healing, 25 Aug 2011

Thia - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Guide's Guide to Mediumship and Healing (Kindle Edition)

This is a life changing book that everyone should read, including the sceptics out there.. written by Lorraine Holloway - White, it is inspired by her Guides and Helpers. They believe that there are those who can and can't do the work of Mediumshop / Healing. There are guidelines to those who use Mediums/Healers telling you what to look out for.
Everything you need to know about Mediumship/Healing is in this book,although it is hard hitting and not for those who believe they can learn these gifts, because they can't!
I highly recommend this book, whether you are starting out on your Spiritual journey or you are experienced in this field, it will open your eyes. You can read it again and again and never get bored as it is so inspiring and thought provoking.
You will get to know/experience the difference between a Natural Medium/ Healer and those who have been trained in the field of trying to 'learn' these gifts which they do not have. A natural Medium/Healer will and can develop their gifts over a period of time if they should wish to.

5.0 out of 5 stars Life Changing, 17 Aug 2011

Angie - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Guide's Guide to Mediumship and Healing (Kindle Edition)

What can I say? A book that has finally given me the answers I have been searching for. I cannot thank Lorraine Holloway-White enough for publishing her work and I really wish that I could have accessed it years ago as it would have saved me a lot of time, anguish and expense.

The contents resonated deep inside and the realizations it has given me have been quite life changing. This book is honest and straight forward and I agree it is for sceptics and practitioners alike. However, I think its greatest strength is the clarity and understanding it gives to 'natural mediums' who are struggling through the minefield of today's 'New Age Spiritualism.' Highly, Highly recommended.

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a both a great read and referance guide, December 1, 2011

Jess - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Guide's Guide to Mediumship and Healing (Kindle Edition)

"A Guide's Guide to Mediumship and Healing" is another great book by Lorraine! This book is an invaluable tool for anyone looking for a guideline of how things should be being done in this confusing day and age. This is a outstanding book for anyone on the spirtual path no matter if you're just starting out or have been at it for years. The information given is realistic, uplifting, and just makes sense! In my opinion it stands out amongst all others truthfully lighting the way. You will continuously refer back to it over and over again so get your highlighters ready!

If you support natural mediums and healers, are one yourself or just believe there is a difference to natural and man taught, please see our Sensitive’s group on Facebook and ask to join to show us you support what we do. Thank you.

SENSITIVES GROUP

If you had a Kindle for Christmas then why not try one or more of my books by clicking on any of the Amazon links below

A Guide’s Guide to Mediumship and Healing

How To Know If you’re a Medium

A Sceptical Medium

A Sceptical Medium 2

(also available in paperback or e-book from Lulu.com)

Amazon.fr

Amazon.de

Amazon.es

Amazon.it

Amazon.com

and

Amazon.co.uk

Lorraine Holloway-White says, 'Thank You'

2012-01-04T16:45:00.001Z

Rather than do a regular post, I wanted to talk to you all and thank you from the bottom of my heart. So many of you who visit this site and who have read my books in the last few months have taken the time to contact me and say some very kind things about how they've helped you. Some have even written wonderful reviews on Amazon for me which helps the books get seen further afield, so thank you to those who have taken the time to do that for me also.

One thing most of you have in common is that you say you wish I was nearer so I could come and talk to you and help further. I too wish this could happen and firmly believe this year it might well start. Watch this space!!

When I was struggling to understand all the things happening to me many years ago and had no one to turn to, I knew there must be others like me in the world who were confused, but struggled to find any of them to share experiences with and there certainly wasn't anyone who could advise me. There was never a book or magazine article that covered what we go through either and this is why I decided to try to help others if I was able.

It is rather a bold thing to say and hope to achieve as this is a huge world and why should I believe I would be the only one out there who is trying to do this work and more to the point, why do I think I could even succeed in doing it and can help others? I would love to visit as many of you as possible as some have now become dear friends too and maybe one day, someone who can arrange these things will decide it should happen, but until someone somewhere with the ability to put me in magazines or television interviews comes along, I carry on with one to one's and hope I can help as many as possible in some small way.

It has become very clear to me since I started this just how many of us are out there as Sensitive's and yet no one caters for us at all. Everything and everywhere you look it is about man taught mediums and none of them accept we are different from them. Well we are and as the ones chosen by God to receive these special gifts and help others, it would be rather nice if we had some help and were recognised for being 'different' and the 'real deal'.

We can all help with this. Spread the word on all your social networking sites; join the Sensitive's group on Facebook (link below), talk to me on there, tell the rest of us what's happening to you and let's offer each other that support network that is missing at present. My dear wish is to also educate people about the many frauds out there and what to watch out for - I hope this too is being achieved in some small way.

I have an idea of how to take what I'm doing forward this year and am planning something as I speak to you. It will take a little time to start with, but I think you'll be pleased with what I have thought of. There is also another idea for a book that all of you can help with, but I'll chat about that another time. For now, just thank you so very much and if there is anything I can do to help you, you know I'll try my very best to do so.

Lorraine xx

SENSITIVES GROUP

If you had a Kindle for Christmas then why not try one or more of my books by clicking on any of the Amazon links below

A Guide’s Guide to Mediumship and Healing

How To Know If you’re a Medium

A Sceptical Medium

A Sceptical Medium 2

(also available in paperback or e-book from Lulu.com)

Amazon.fr

Amazon.de

Amazon.es

Amazon.it

Amazon.com

and

Amazon.co.uk

Charles Will Step Down as Camilla Not Accepted

2011-12-27T23:23:00.004Z

Every day on my stats. I see the question, 'Will Camilla Ever Be Queen?' as something people have put into their search engines. Is this being asked because they want her to be, don't want her or they are just interested in what others think? I have no idea, but sometime last year, I mentioned to several people I know something I thought might happen in the future and with the advent of Prince Philip being unwell this Christmas, I am taking the bull by the horns and telling you all what it is I told them.

Now, I might well be very wrong on this, but I had this come to me a couple of years ago, mentioned it to some friends last year and am now going public with it. It'll be interesting to see what the future does bring and if what I got on this was right won't it?

I had a feeling that due to Prince Philip not being well, the Queen will then let Charles start to take over most of the work to see how the land lies with the public and get him used to being more in the forefront of things. That is where I think the problems will start to be seen. You see, already the papers and media are starting to tell us how wonderful Camilla was over this Christmas period and how she held the family together.

It is so obvious what they're doing, they're trying to get us to think she is wonderful so we'll accept her as a future queen. I can't see that ever happening and their constant barrage of telling us all the marvellous things she's meant to do and how the family love her is so obvious for what it is.

They tried it after he married her and then let things lie quiet for a while and now we're seeing it start again. They can tell us till they're blue in the face that the country is now accepting her being queen, but as we are the ones they're telling it to, we know that isn't true.

When Charles starts to do more due to parents' health and age, that is when the powers that be will see just how many people still don't want her and won't accept her as queen. We have had to accept she is married to Charles, but we don't have to accept her being queen of England and I don't think it'll happen. Charles will say she is 'non negotiable' as he did before and when he sees the public won't budge, he won't either and so will step down in favour of his son and do what Edward did and go and live abroad.

Let's see if Charles starts being handed more work soon with Camilla always being pushed to the front. What do you think? Would you accept her as queen?

To take part in a poll and have your say

CLICK HERE

For some reason, I cannot 'share' this by clicking on the Facebook and twitter links below. Can someone please click on them for me and see if you can get them to work? Thanks

Torture and Cruelty

2011-12-26T17:18:00.002Z

What is it with some people that they thrive on being cruel to others or to animals? I have just been sitting watching television totally relaxed and enjoying a glass of champagne. It was 3.30pm and I decided it was a real treat to be sitting with my feet up, drinking champagne so early in the day and not feeling at all guilty about it and then I ruined it all.

I looked at the television planner of recorded programmes and really wish I hadn't, as there was one about torture in a certain country and I wondered what it was and why it had been recorded. I was horrified and sickened by what I saw. Soldiers, torturing and killing people and really enjoying doing it. They were filming each other and doing it so casually as though it was a perfectly normal thing to be doing to another human being. I couldn't watch more than I did and feel sick to think this is going on in our world.

It isn't just humans doing it to other human beings though is it - we know it happens to poor defenceless animals too. I teach about spiritual matters in my books and on one of my other blogs, A Sceptical Medium, but have to say, even though I understand about new and old souls, I still feel this level of cruelty from mankind is one of the things in life I still find hardest to understand and will be happy to leave behind when I pass from this sad, sick world of ours.

What goes through their minds when they are doing it? Probably nothing as they all seem to be completely emotionless people. Why did they become like it? Is it their home life and upbringing that made them that way or is it something else entirely? What are their families like and are they the same or are they disgusted by what their children or brothers have become? So many questions and we'll most probably never have any of the answers. All I know is, their behaviour is what makes this world such a dreadful place to be in. God gave us so much and man is the one destroying it all and us with it.

There is no excuse for a human being to behave like that and even if they excuse it by saying it is their various governments' rulings or it is because they are in the forces and it has to be done, then I'm sorry, it still says something to me about them that they could still do it to another person or an animal. Having to kill in wars and battles is one thing, but to torture is something entirely different and it must take a special kind of person who is able to do that and know they are inflicting the most horrendous pain and suffering to a living creature - be it man or beast.

It is the same with abattoirs. Isn't it bad enough knowing dear animals are killed for food without knowing those who work in these places torture and abuse them as well? Maybe I am being unrealistic about life and maybe I'm becoming far too sensitive to what happens, but sadly, seeing that awful bit of film took away my festive spirit and brought me straight back to reality with a saddening thump. I pray and pray for all these tortured souls and animals on a daily basis anyway and for anyone else who suffers in whatever way for any reason, but do we need to be shown things in such graphic detail if we're not going to do anything to stop it from happening? What do you think?

Supermarkets force abattoirs to fit CCTV after secret film exposes abuse

WARNING: This video contains graphic images that viewers may find disturbing

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lorraine-Holloway-Whites-Sensitives-Group/280484058647116?sk=wall

If you had a Kindle for Christmas then why not try one or more of my books

A Guide's Guide to Mediumship and Healing

How To Know if You're a Medium

A Sceptical medium

A Sceptical medium 2

(all also available in paperback or e-book from Lulu.com)

Amazon.fr

Amazon.de

Amazon.es

Amazon.it

Amazon.com

and

Amazon.co.uk

Saying You are Spiritual Doesn't Make You Spiritual

2011-11-30T11:25:00.000Z

There are many types of spiritual groups, pathways and beliefs in the world, but one thing they should all have in common is kindness, warmth towards others, an ability to listen before judging, respect of other beliefs that may not be as your own and generosity.

We all know many people today who are calling themselves spiritual but who are as far removed from it as it's possible to be. They might be alright within their own little groups or cliques, but put them outside of that and with someone who has different opinions about spiritual matters than they do and you see the true side of them and what their heart is really like. Moreover, they tell lies, twist what is said and do whatever they can to be seen as accepted by the others just so they can fit in. Luckily not all are like that, but it is a sad fact many more are becoming like it.

Judgement of others is one thing and discernment of spirits is a totally different thing; sadly, it would appear many people involved in spiritual works lack either ability as they are too quick to jump on others. I have had many people come to me when this has happened to them in spiritual groups and this is now also happening to me by a few people who think themselves able to judge without knowing a thing about me or what I teach. They think they know, but don't really have a clue so make it up to fit with the badness they want to believe I'm doing. It would appear it is stemming from the fact I have dared for the first time ever to let people in my own area become aware of the work I am doing around the world.

I attended a local open circle a few years ago for a while and never let on how developed I was apart from doing some mini readings and one demonstration for them to help out when they were let down here and there. I never mentioned anything else about my work as I had no need to. Because I kept myself to myself for years and my work separate from my local and personal life until recently, they feel they can now say I am not a medium or they'd have known and so I am a scam merchant. How tragic is that? More to the point, what does it say about their own mediumship abilities and their discernment if they can't see the truth about me and what I do?

I dared to try to open a drop in centre for people and had asked a woman to run an open circle for me as an extra for those wanting it (as I don't really like open circles due to mix of poor energies often seen at them). She has done them in the past, is the one I myself attended and I quite liked her and her manner of doing them, but it seems this request was seen as an aggressive thing to have done!!! They seem to begrudge the fact I am so developed and aware, an author and spiritual teacher. One of the people now doing a drop in centre for these same people screwed up one of my books in temper and said it was full of evil. This morning I was told he is telling everyone that my books are full of evil and to be avoided at all costs. Is this the behaviour of a balanced mind that is doing spiritual work? He never even read it as he said it was full of vileness!

I am now being called evil, dangerous and a trouble maker who is scamming people and who must be avoided at all costs. Some of this is said by people who offer one day workshop for average price of £25 per person and say to bring a packed lunch and yet my full days are donation only if you can afford it and where you are given a free meal and as much tea, coffee and biscuits as you like. Which of the two appears the scam merchant to you I wonder?

Strangely, not one of these people has asked me what it is I actually do, teach or offer or even bothered to ask if I charge for any of it and yet they are making it their main priority to spread these lies against me. If it wasn't so terribly sad, it would be classed as either laughable or vicious in the extreme. Unlike them I choose to be charitable and decide it's because they are speaking in ignorance of the facts and due to rumours heard that they choose to believe. Yes, they should check it out, but not all people are kind.

I have offered to speak with them to answer any questions they have, but am ignored. It would appear they prefer to think of me as evil and dangerous. Maybe this is what has added some excitement to their lives - who knows. How terribly sad this makes me; people who are meant to be doing God's work to help bring comfort to others and who should be encouraging and supporting others who work in a similar field are, in fact, acting as though everyone but themselves is evil and only they have an exclusive right to teach about mediumship, healing or anything else they talk about at their own groups.

I rise above it and refuse to allow their harsh words to touch me. Luckily, I work worldwide and not just locally so it doesn't affect what I do, but time and time again, this behaviour is seen by forced mediums and acts as proof to me, and others, that natural mediums are a different breed to those who believe themselves taught to be mediums. Their very behaviour speaks volumes. I have never seen this behaviour from a natural born medium in my life. Have you?

Government Tries to Make Britain Heathen State

2011-11-26T08:31:00.002Z

Warning: This post contains the words CHRISTIAN AND CHRISTMAS in bold letters as I am shouting them out in defiance of those who are trying to stop them being said. If YOU find those two words offensive - tough!

Now let me get this right, I hear we can't use the word CHRISTMAS in or on anything in Britain (and America too I gather) in case we offend someone without CHRISTIAN beliefs. OK, so that means we don't have to respect theirs either and they aren't allowed to mention words connected to their religious beliefs that might offend us too - right? No you say, so it's only CHRISTIANS that are being treated in this way?

I see, so Britain is still a CHRISTIAN country in the main with the head of our country, the Queen, still a CHRISTIAN and the head of the Church of England last time we all looked, but she is now not allowed to have a CHRISTMAS tree at Balmoral unless she calls it a seasonal or winter tree or some such other rubbish, she can't send CHRISTMAS cards only seasons cards and she won't be allowed to give her usual CHRISTMAS message to her nation (yes, her nation) unless she re-names it and she most certainly won't be allowed to utter those most offensive words, HAPPY CHRISTMAS to any of her subjects because the Heathen BBC and the Heathen government and Heathen councils have decreed it is offensive to others - is that right?

So, we CHRISTIANS are respectful of other religions, allow people to come to our country and practice their religions unhindered and without restriction (even though they often don't have the same courtesy to us when we go to visit them), we allow them to build places of worship to celebrate their religion unfettered, our government is even considering allowing laws to be changed to now also allow Sharia law for people of other beliefs because they are demanding it as their right (in a CHRISTIAN country no less!) when it is not the law of Britain or part of our culture or belief system, we must not use the word CHRISTMAS in case we offend anyone else, but they can all offend CHRISTIANS as much as they care to and can dictate to us what we do in our CHRISTIAN country - is that right?

Here is a warning to all council members in my town - if you dare to try that here, I will personally go out and buy as many mini CHRISTMAS trees as I can afford, I will stand in the centre of town with CHRISTMAS carols playing as loudly as possible, I will have a Nativity Scene next to me and I will hand out trees to all and sundry wishing them a happy CHRISTMAS until you get the message that I for one will do as I damn well please with my religion in my country which is still CHRISTIAN whether you like it or not. I am a CHRISTIAN, I believe in God and I will not defy Him or deny him for anyone. Anyone else in Britain care to join me?

To Say I'm Angry Is Putting it Lightly

2011-11-07T15:21:00.000Z

I am livid. Completely and utterly disgusted, fuming and also in tears with frustration and upset. You may recall that on 1st of August I was driving my into a road from a standstill position and was slammed into at high speed (theirs not mine) by a boy racer who wrote my car off. I was injured and taken to hospital in a neck brace, strapped to a hard board placed on a stretcher and in a lot of pain as well as total shock. He in the meantime, was pacing up and down the road on his 'phone. Before I even reached hospital in the ambulance, he had made a claim against me!!!!

The police and everyone else who saw the scene, positioning of cars and the damage caused, said he hadn't a leg to stand on and were disgusted with him and the devastation he caused through driving like an idiot. He was about two foot from a junction where he needed to stop as it joins a very busy main road. It was obvious to all that the speed he was doing when he hit me meant there is no way he would have been able to stop and would have ploughed into two lanes of heavy traffic causing God knows what result. The fact he hit me, meant others were saved.

However, because there are so many little boy racers driving like lunatics nowadays, unless there is serious injury or death as a result, the police won't press charges. The reason? Too much paperwork because it happens all day every day and no one does a damned thing to stop it. Why am I so angry today then? I'll tell you why. My insurance company have just rung and told me because HE put the claim in first, my insurance company have to make a decision about liability before a set deadline and so have decided to make it 50/50 because there were no witness statements and the police didn't press charges.

I am livid and shaking with frustration and upset. This little boy racer has not only written off my car, caused me injury, made me nervous of all drivers who zoom at me too fast now, but he has also achieved losing me 30+ years of no claims bonus, given me a slur against my driving now for the future where I have to state I was half to blame for a serious accident and to add insult to injury my insurance has now doubled.

I am so angry you wouldn't believe. How dare they allow this. Why are the police not pressing charges just because of paperwork and why are insurance companies refusing to acknowledge where fault really lies when evidence shows it was very much his fault? I am damned if I will pay any insurance company double the insurance because of something that I was the victim of rather than the perpetrator just because people are too lazy to do their jobs properly these days. I would rather sell my car first and bus everywhere now.

I am so angry I cannot write any more.

When a Lady is Not a 'Lady'

2011-11-07T08:20:00.000Z

So many times I see the wife of a Knight or Baronet etc. referred to in our newspapers or on television in the wrong way and it does frustrate me that so many people in the media get this simple rule wrong. I have just seen it done on the Facebook page for Radio Devon as well. They are talking about us coming and meeting Michael Parkinson and his wife, Lady Mary. She isn't Lady Mary, she is Mary, Lady Parkinson or just plain Lady Parkinson. If they wish to use her forename as well, then it should precede the title. For the media to always get this simple rule wrong never ceases to amaze me. It seems only The Times or The Telegraph ever get this right.

So when is a lady not a lady? When it is not in her own right. Here is an example. Diana Spencer, the late Princess of Wales was born the daughter of an Earl. As such, she was known from birth as Lady Diana Spencer and could be called Lady Diana as the title was in her own right meaning it was her birthright. However, when she married Prince Charles, her correct title was not Princess Diana of Wales (even though everyone called her Princess Di), it was Diana, Princess of Wales. The reason? Although born a lady, she was not born a princess, she acquired that title through marriage and not as her birthright. So Princess Ann is The Princess Ann (you always put a 'the' in front when referring to them) and Di was, Diana Princess of Wales.

Anyone born with a title is entitled to have the title first and their name following e.g Lady Diana, Princess Ann, Princess Margaret. Likewise, if a woman is awarded a peerage in her lifetime then she too would be allowed to be called Lady as in Emma Nicholson Liberal MEP. She was awarded a peerage and as such is Baroness Nicholson and can be referred to as Lady Nicholson or Lady Emma. Had she been married and the award given to her husband, then she would be known as Emma Lady Nicholson. It might sound complicated but it's really very simple. If you're born with or awarded a title, the title comes first and the name after. If it isn't you personally who was born with or awarded the title, then the name comes first and the title follows.

If your title is only acquired through marriage or awarded to your husband throughout your marriage, you are only entitled to be addressed by your name first and the title follows thereafter. So in Mary Parkinson's case her husband was awarded the title not her and she should, therefore, be known as Mary Lady Parkinson or just plain Lady Parkinson. Had she herself been awarded a peerage, she could then be addressed as Lady Mary, but as she wasn't the way they are addressing her is completely incorrect.

Hope all that made some sense?!

Christmas Book Savings

2011-11-03T11:55:00.005Z

As the approach to Christmas seems to be underway, I thought it might be a good idea to offer my readers a chance to buy my four books as varying sets at a heavily discounted price for 2 weeks.

I have to hand only a limited number of books available for you to buy as signed copies and so I'm afraid it is on a first come first served basis only.

SET ONE (only a limited number left as a set)

How To Know If You're a Medium - Normally £11.99 $19.17

A Sceptical Medium - Normally £10.50 $16.79

Normal full price for both = £22.49 $35.96

Present discounted price on Lulu for others = £ 16.27 $26.02

CHRISTMAS SAVER For my Followers £13.50 $21.59

SET TWO (limited amount left available)

A Guide's Guide To Mediumship and Healing - normal price £ 10.99 $17.57

A Sceptical Medium 2 - normal price £ 10.50 $16.79

Normal full price for both = £ 21.49 $34.36

Present discounted price on Lulu for others £ 16.12 $25.78

CHRISTMAS SAVER For my followers £ 13.00 $20.79

SET THREE (only a limited number left as a set)

A Sceptical Medium - normal price £ 10.50 $16.79

A Sceptical Medium 2 - normal price £10.50 $16.79

Present discounted price on Lulu for others (unsigned) £ 15.76 $25.20

CHRISTMAS SAVER for my followers £ 12.00 $19.19

SET FOUR (limited amount left available)

A Guide's Guide to Mediumship and Healing - normal full price £ 10.99 $17.57

How To Know If You're a Medium - normal full price £ 11.99 $19.17

Normal full price for both = £ 22.98 $36.75

Discounted price on Lulu for others (unsigned) £ 16.63 $26.59

CHRISTMAS OFFER for my followers (signed) £ 13.50 $21.59

SET FIVE (limited amount left available)

Buy all four

Normal full price for all 4 = £ 43.98 $70.33

Normal discounted price on Lulu for others (unsigned) £ 32.39 $51.79

CHRISTMAS SAVER For my followers (signed) £ 27.00 $43.18

Postage and packing details:

For sets of two please add £ 5.00 to price $15.19

For set of 4 please add £8.50 to price $28.78

Please allow up to 4 weeks for delivery to America or other parts of the world.

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Is Title of My Book Wrong?

2011-10-29T09:21:00.001+01:00

On a writing site, it was said by a few people that the name of my latest book put them off coming to look at it. They said it wasn't attention grabbing and put them off rather than attracting them. All of them thought I should change the title to attract more readers (it's aimed at people who believe they might be natural mediums) and I am wondering what you all think. The reason I chose the title I did is because those words are what I see on my statistics every day. Each blog I write has the same thing in the stats. and that's what decided me it was the right name for the book. Below is what I see all the time and is taken from just one of my blogs for a week of what people put in their search engines to find my sites. The figures alongside each one is the amount of times each one was entered.

how do you know you are a medium 1

how do you know if you are a medium person 1

how do i know if i am a medium? 1

how can you tell if you are a medium 2

how can you know when you are medium 2

how to know if you are a medium 3

how do you know you're a medium 3

how do you know if you are a medium 14

how to know if your a medium 19

how do you know if you are a medium 13

how to know if your a medium 11

how to know if you are a medium 9

how do you know if your a medium 5

how do you know you're a medium 5

how do i know if i am a medium 3

how do you know your a medium 2

Based on the above, do you think I should change the name or keep it as it is? Everyone who reads it says it is good and very helpful, they just thought it wouldn't be for them - until they actually did start reading it and then they found it of great interest. Discovering the things that happen to natural born mediums gave them an insight into what happens to us through our awakening of being 'a bit different' and what makes us eventually realise we might well be mediums.It goes without saying that the title helps those who actually do think they might be mediums.

I would be interested in what you think about the title, so if you have an opinion or any suggestions, please feel free to make them.

How To Know If You're a Medium UK
How To Know if You're a Medium US

Life Without the Internet

2011-10-26T10:08:00.000+01:00

In this day of making friends online, it is only when we don't hear from them or our internet crashes that we become aware we are often cut off from a lot of the people we know with no way of contacting them. I, like everyone else, now have friends all over the world and we are often in contact each week and I look forward to our chats and catching up on news. A lot of mine are also to do with my spiritual work and I answer their questions online through my blog, e-mails or on Skype. What happens when I can't do this though?

Recently, I moved house and the internet was very bad for weeks on end. I couldn't update any of my blogs, send in my articles for the online newspaper I write for, promote authors properly, answer questions or even open my e-mails most days. It was a most frustrating time and even now it isn't quite right. I am well behind with lots of my work. Authors on Show has been suffering for it as I had to choose which bits of work I did in the limited time I was able to get online.

The thing is though, I am worried about someone at the moment who is usually in regular contact. He lives in America and I know he wasn't well when last we spoke, but he isn't answering e-mails at present and I have no way of knowing if he's ok. Some people have my telephone number and I have some of theirs, but the majority have no way of keeping in touch once we are unable to be on the internet for any reason. It has made me realise just how fragile these contacts and friendships are. How lost we are when unable to keep in touch with those we have got to know from far off places.

I love my online friends and some of us have 'met' through Skype, but how frustrating that we can't do more than this isn't it? The world of computers with Facebook, Twitter, writing groups and the like have really broadened our horizons (if used selectively) and helped us get to know more about other people, their lives and their cultures. It has made the world a much smaller place and does so much to help understand different ways of life.

It just makes me wonder how we'd all cope if it all ceased with no warning and none of us was ever able to go online again. Imagine how many friends we'd never hear from and have no way of contacting. Our work would suffer and promoting ourselves and our work would be nigh on impossible.What would we do and how would we revert back to the old ways of life and would just knowing the limited amount of people the way we used to now be enough for us? Just a thought, but I wondered if you too had thought about this and what would you do if this really did ever happen.

Ignorance Isn't Always Bliss

2011-10-22T10:02:00.001+01:00

People are quite amazing aren't they. I have no problem at all with people having different beliefs than I have and try to respect them all whenever I can. It is a known fact I can't accept a lot of the spiritualist teachings as being right, but that doesn't mean I have no time for them, that I disrespect them or think they shouldn't be doing all they do, it just means, I believe some of their teachings to be wrong and would like to see them changed. They have every right to their belief's and teaching, but I always state it isn't right for all mediums. Before I move on to what I want to say, let me also tell you that many spiritualists have contacted me and said they agree with what I say about it all and they too would like to see the changes come about that I've mentioned.

Right, that said, let's get onto what I wanted to say here now. I had a comment on my latest book yesterday by someone on a writing site. I welcome comments good or bad from all people about my writing as this is what can help us to improve our style, editing, content whatever. What I don't accept, is someone who has no knowledge of mediumship commenting on my teachings and telling me I am elitist, arrogant and egotistical to the extreme for daring to teach. He says my book is rubbish and that I very obviously don't know what I'm talking about as he has seen people do demonstrations and in his eyes, the natural medium is the one in danger because he doesn't do weird rituals of protection. The person making the comments is not a medium, doesn't even know the difference between psychics and mediums is completely ignorant (as his comments showed) about most things to do with the spiritual gifts, but tells me he knows more about it all than I do. He even misquotes and twists things I say in order to try and make his points.

Whilst the man had every right to comment on my writing style, he had no right to talk about the content in the way he did when he has no knowledge on the subject. To tell me I am arrogant to help others is amazing. He says I am egotistical because I dare to use myself as an example of what can happen to mediums when developing. If it wasn't so sad, it might be laughable, if it wasn't so rude, it could be completely ignored, but his level of rudeness and name calling is rather annoying to put it mildly when his very comments show he has no knowledge on the subject apart from a tiny bit he's seen from others.

I have put myself in the public eye by doing my books and teachings and so have to expect the bad with the good, the nastiness with the pleasantness, but it still rankles. If someone disagreed with my teachings and knew what they were talking about - fine. We could have a sensible conversation and then probably agree to disagree with respect being held for each other and our different beliefs. I am also used to the hard bitten sceptics being nasty, rude, arrogant and downright threatening at times, but what I do not accept is self righteous idiots condemning me in the way this man did when he has no knowledge in the subject matter telling me I have no right to teach and that I am egotistical, arrogant and elitist.

What gives others the right to be so b****y rude? He has a book on the same site and it is not my cup of tea at all. If I were to read it though and pass comment, it would be as a reader and not as someone telling him he has no right to write on the subject he has and I most certainly wouldn't be calling him names or tell him he was 'stroking his ego' (as he said I was) for writing it. My book is to help natural mediums who are in a quandary about what is happening to them. I am a natural medium and I know other natural mediums worldwide. I have been approached by hundreds of people throughout the world for help in this subject matter and use their questions for the book. For him to say I have no right to answer these questions in a way that is true for natural born mediums because he knows better is arrogant in the extreme. I have every right to be able to pass my experience and knowledge onto others.

I am angry because this man is not one of the general public or a medium himself or even a spiritualist, he is just on a writing site where we are all meant to help each other. Instead of behaving as other writers do in supporting each other with constructive comments on their writing ability or style, he had to make things personal and be very rude indeed. In my work, I expect to come up against it as there are arrogant people all over the world and in every walk of life who think they have the right to be abusive to anyone they fancy. On a writing site where we are meant to be pleasant and supportive, I didn't expect that behaviour. It says more about him than it does me, but it still makes me very annoyed indeed.

Christianity, Other Religion and Mediumship

2011-10-10T09:57:00.000+01:00

How does being A Catholic, Christian in general or member of another religion and being a natural medium who writes about mediumship and healing all sit together? Not too brilliantly some might think and they'd be right. It took many years before I felt comfortable enough with my gifts (for want of a better word) due to the guilt I felt as a Catholic girl brought up in a strict Catholic home and who went to a convent - no convent girl jokes thanks!

We are all told these things come from the devil and anything we do that steps outside of strict teachings is meant to make us feel dreadful guilt. All good and well to keep people on the straight and narrow, but what about those gifts God does give to people that aren't quite the 'norm' so to speak - where do people like me stand in all of this? People like me who didn't want them, but found they had them and they wouldn't go away. What do we do then? Many of you might find me talking about the devil off putting, but sadly, he does exist and is hard at work in the world today, so we do have to be careful.

As I say, it took many years of searching in books, churches and spiritual groups - not to mention the soul searching I did - before I came to accept that maybe, just maybe, God does give some of us gifts of a different nature to use in order to help others. Maybe it all comes down to how we use these gifts. Do we use them to help ourselves or to help our fellow man? Are we using them with humility or with the thought of fame in mind and a wanting to be different from others so we stand out from the crowd or even worse, in order to make loads of money from it by doing 'readings' that have ridiculously high charges?

I still wonder at times if what I do is right or offensive to him, put it down to a lifetime of Christian teachings, but have made a decision to use the gifts and to try to help as many people as I am able with them. I try to use them sensibly and with humility and feel they are only to be used when He decides and not me. I teach about the right and wrong ways to work with them, who can and can't, why they shouldn't if they haven't been born with them in the first place and all manner of things.

It is said in the Bible there are many paths by which we come to God and as we are all different to each other, I feel that is why there are so many religions or faiths, spiritual groups and similar who all have different ways of teachings and different ideas. In my opinion, it is so we can reach as many people as possible from all walks of life and of different beliefs and unbeliefs to teach them about the right and wrong ways of living and behaving. Anyone who teaches the only way to live is by being kind to others, being compassionate and leading as good a life as possible must be doing good and God's work - don't you think?

It would be interesting to hear from any of you what you think about religion and the gifts of healing and mediumship given to some. Is it totally wrong in your eyes, or only wrong if used in the wrong ways? Do you believe God does give some us these gifts in order to help teach and give comfort to others? Let me know what you think.

Comments that are from zealots or that are nasty in any way will be immediately deleted. Only sensible and intelligent debate thank you.

TO BUY MY BOOKS

How To Know If You’re a Medium

Amazon.co.uk CLICK HERE

Amazon.com CLICK HERE

Lulu.com (for paperback) CLICK HERE

My Other Books

http://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B004PW4YLA UK

http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B004PW4YLA US

To Buy on German Amazon CLICK HERE

http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/ascepticalmedium Paperback or download

Have Books Been Devalued by Desperate Authors?

2011-10-09T21:56:00.003+01:00

It is a sad fact that many book stores are closing and those managing to stay afloat have to sell their books at ridiculously cheap prices in order to sell them. I am pinching this idea off Authors on Show and L Anne Carrington's post there about book shops closing down as it is something I too feel so sad about and I'm sure the answer lies in the fact so many people who are desperate to see their name in print give their books away for nothing just so they can say how many downloads they've had.

We see it every day, new books coming on sites that are free to download by unknown authors and they all tell everyone how many downloads they've had of their books thinking it's wonderful and some great achievement. Well I hate to rain on your parade, but of course you can have hundreds and even thousands of downloads - they don't cost anything. Would you still be getting as many downloads (or any in some cases) if they were a normal price? If a shop that never sold much because its stock was pretty awful to say the least was to suddenly put up a sign saying everything was for free, I could guarantee their shelves would empty by lunchtime. It doesn't mean the stock is suddenly desirable or any good, it just means people will grab anything that's free or dirt cheap. What happens in the shop can be said of the free books and the ones that cost only $0.99 - (or about 70p).

Have any of you ever noticed that the main publishing houses never sell their authors that cheaply or ever give their books away for free even when it's a new author they take on? Have you also noticed that many of these free books are advertised by those who call themselves publishers and yet they really aren't as the ones actually publishing the books are Create Space, Lulu or similar. I run a site called, Authors on Show and used to promote many authors who were desperately looking for a publishing deal. I could have taken advantage of them by taking their books, offering to 'publish' them, done it on Lulu or Create Space and taken half their royalties when they sold because I called myself a publisher. If I put a few books on the sites I mentioned, it says I can call myself a publisher as I am doing more than 2 or three. That is ridiculous to say the least and should be stopped. Doing that doesn't make me or anyone else a real publisher, it makes me someone who is taking advantage of desperate people who want to say they have a publisher rather than saying they are self-published. What is even more ridiculous is why anyone would give half their royalties to anyone for doing it and then think they've been done a favour - especially when half the books are so badly edited - if at all.

The idea of giving away something you've often worked darned hard on for quite some time is daft. So, it gets your name known, but for what? Most of those who give their books away free usually then sell their second books for the minimum $0.99 and it is now all getting to be beyond a joke. Don't they realise this is why books mean nothing to most people any more and why book shops are having to close their doors? Don't they see that by devaluing themselves they are devaluing everyone else as well? What they also don't seem to realise is that those of us who sell our books at normal prices might not sell as many, but we make more than they do because we get 70% of the royalties on a much higher sale price and we don't have to share it with anyone either. They also don't realise that if they were to get a real publishing deal by a major house, it might soon be worthless as there won't be anywhere left to sell their books due to all the shops being closed. Besides, what publisher would take an author who gives their work away seriously?

I am not saying all small publishing houses are doing this, but there are those who are and their authors don't seem to see it - or do they and they just don't care? Whatever way it is being done, it is for this reason I believe books now mean so little to people as they know they can download hundreds of books free of charge and even if 90% of them are rubbish, they might find an odd one here and there worth reading. beats paying normal prices for one doesn't it? One thing is for certain, most of these authors might get their names known, but it certainly won't be for the right reasons. Yes there are odd exceptions, but they are odd exceptions and all we have to do is read articles everywhere to see the public aren't daft and they take no notice of most of the reviews as they know they're written by other authors supporting each other.

I know there are many who might read this who will not like what I've said, but there are also many more who I know agree with me. It is not a dig at people who are with smaller genuine publishing houses, it is aimed at those who are destroying the world of books and book sales and I just hope they haven't done so much damage that we'll never see it recover. Long live real books, book shops and libraries - I just hope they're still around for future generations to see them.

Internet Now Working

2011-10-03T08:49:00.003+01:00

Just at the end of my road is this walk

My apologies for not updating sooner, but times have been hectic. We moved house in August - well, we moved out of our old one then and ended up in temporary accommodation for a while. We then moved into the new house only to find half the furniture wouldn't fit and we had to be without television, telephones or internet for a further week.

We had the telephone and the internet connected only to find none of the extra telephone sockets in the house were working (still aren't) and each time I logged on with my laptop, I couldn't open any pages or retrieve e-mails. It has been very hit and miss for all this time and although none of the 'phone sockets are working it looks like I am now up and running on the computer. Well, I hope I am, the last two days it seems to be working anyway - fingers crossed.

We are having one run of wardrobes fitted on Thursday and the others for the other bedrooms are being delivered sometime this week together with drawers and tall boys. At last we'll be able to find clothes and stop living out of boxes, which has made us walk around looking rather creased and dishevelled. New furniture has been bought, old furniture given away or sold and things are beginning to come together. It might not look quite like a home yet, but I can now see the makings of one at long last.

I haven't been sitting still though, I have started a spiritual centre and although it's only been going for two weeks, we had a good turn-out last week so I'm hoping for the same again today. Things are moving forward and I love where we're living now. It is a different town and more a village - well it is a village in fact - and the people are so much nicer and more genuine. The whole feel of the place is lovely as it is more in the country.

Today I have woken up feeling really, really tired and I think it's all the rushing around for the last couple of months catching up with me. As I have my spiritual centre day today, I need to wake up and get myself together so there's only one thing for it. Walk to the farm shop just along the road and have a hefty farmers breakfast to fuel my body. Gosh it's a hard life for some isn't it? See you soon.

Spoke too soon, still off and on and the morning after this it went down again - one day I hope they'll get it sorted.

One Star Review

2011-09-05T22:26:00.002+01:00

I've made it! At last, I must now be recognised as a real author. The reason for this is because today I received my first one star review on Amazon Kindle. I am beyond thrilled. I am delighted and it has tickled me pink. Practically everyone I know has one, even lots of the top named authors have one and now I do too.

The reviewer said the book concerned was a load of drivel and he'd be surprised if I was even a medium. The book was the worst of the worst and he had managed to only read 30% of it. How funny. Apart from anything else, the first 30% of said book is an excerpt from one not published yet and is a ghost story and nothing to do with mediumship anyway - which the book states!

Little does he realise, but he has done me a huge favour. Not only has he awarded me my first one star review giving me huge Kudos, but once we receive those, it makes people want to read it to see why it is rated so badly. I will watch with interest to see if sales on that particular book increase. The only sad bit about it is, when you check all his other reviews, they're all one star too. It doesn't matter if it's for books or electrical equipment, he seems to favour one star above all else. Ah well at least he paid for it even if he didn't allow me the honour of being the only person he's given one star to.

TO BUY MY BOOKS

How To Know If You’re a Medium

Amazon.co.uk CLICK HERE

Amazon.com CLICK HERE

Lulu.com (for paperback) CLICK HERE

My Other Books

http://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B004PW4YLA UK

http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B004PW4YLA US

To Buy on German Amazon CLICK HERE

http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/ascepticalmedium Paperback or download

How To Know If You're a Medium. - Now available to buy

2011-08-26T19:58:00.000+01:00

Well, it's been promised for some time and here it is, How To Know If You're a Medium. It is available as a download on Amazon Kindle and on Lulu.com as a download and paperback.

Blurb

How do you know if you're a natural born medium/healer
and what do you do about it if you are? What do all the
things that are happening to you mean? Why do some of
you see faces at night before sleeping or hear voices you
can't understand clearly?

Natural - v taught mediums/healers. Do you have to be a
spiritualist? Do you have to get certificates or attend
classes? Are you a psychic, medium or both? Charges,
varying gifts, religion, ethical behaviour, ego, humility,
plus how natural development happens and most other
things to do with being a developing or practising
healer/medium are answered in this comprehensive and
easy to read guide.

Not all natural mediums or healers are spiritualists, nor
do they want to be, but it is difficult to find anywhere to
have questions answered unless attending spiritualist
churches or groups where development usually means
being tied down to rules, groups and organisations some
don't necessarily want to be part of.

This book could end up changing your life and giving you
answers to all the questions you didn't even know you
had about natural mediumship and healing

So, there it is in all its glory and if you'd like a copy, you can order it now at:
Amazon.co.uk CLICK HERE
Amazon.com CLICK HERE
Lulu.com (for paperback) CLICK HERE

Want to Know if You're a Natural Medium? Then This Book Is For You

2011-08-15T12:09:00.004+01:00

There comes a time when we realise it is pointless waiting for others to do something for us and we should just get on with the job in hand. That is how I feel about my latest book, How To Know If You're a Medium. I am in between houses at the moment as we sold our old house and moved out last Thursday and we don't move into the new one until this coming Friday. I am staying at a cottage in the country a couple of hours away from where I live and am using that time to finish editing my book in order to self-publish.

As I told you, I send it away and have waited two months for a reply or even an acknowledgement from the publisher - to date I have heard nothing even when I asked them to let me know whether they had received it. The publishing world takes so long to get the books out there anyway, that I decided they've had their chance and now I'm waiting no longer. During this week, I will finish editing, get the formatting done, design a book cover and then self-publish. I envisage the book being on sale by mid September and it could even be earlier than that.

I know there is a market for it as I have hunted for many years for a book with questions and answers about how to tell if I was a natural born medium or not. I never found one and it took me a lot longer to develop because there was no one to help and so I kept pushing the gifts away. I am not a spiritualist and nor are many people who are natural mediums. Spiritualist teachings do not sit well with me or many other people who come to me for advice and yet there is nowhere to go for help except for spiritualist churches.

Hopefully, that will be changed as I help others to develop and teach them the ways the spirit world want to see this work done and this latest book is the start of helping people who don't want spiritualist teachings to understand what might be happening to them. What are right or wrong ways to develop or practice mediumship or healing and it also covers many other aspects especially about religion and mediumship which is one I struggled with for many years.

In time, I hope to start workshops all over the world for those who are not spiritualists. I am already helping some people to develop their gifts naturally and without silly rituals others teach are needed to communicate with the spirit world. Natural mediums have no need for all of that and the people I am helping develop, will then go on to help develop others and teach these simple and humble ways to others who are also natural mediums. Before long, maybe we will see the standards of mediumship raised by using only natural born mediums as they are the only ones who work with the highest spirits and energies.

Let's not run before we walk though, for now I need to get this book finished so it can be bought and start helping those who are at present ignored and neglected. Watch this space for details and news of when it can be purchased, but as I say, I hope it will be before mid September.

My other books:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B004PW4YLA UK

http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B004PW4YLA US

To Buy on German Amazon CLICK HERE

http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/ascepticalmedium Paperback or download

Guest Article by Angela Thompson

2011-08-09T17:16:00.000+01:00

Angela contacted me after reading one of my books and as a result, I have asked her to share her journey with us in article form on a regular basis. She will have her own page on my other blog, A Sceptical Medium starting from September. For now, I thought you'd like to see the first one here.

My Journey

Angela Thompson

I have just finished reading Lorraine’s first book, A Guide's Guide to Mediumship and Healing and I am astounded. This work/teaching resonates somewhere deep inside me and at last I realise that there are actually other people out there who are struggling on their pathway as much as I have been.

For as long as I can remember I seem to have been searching; I have wanted answers and in order to achieve this I have been involved with various groups and individuals to try and develop myself. However I have always ended up losing a lot of money or disagreeing with the practices/teaching observed – I have always felt that spirit seemed to intervene when I am on the wrong pathway to my development – but what is the right pathway? Who could help me on my quest?

I have tried everything, and believe me I am not exaggerating when I say this. I have studied Reiki to master level, but actually deep down always felt that I was a spiritual healer. When healing I have always felt hands on my back as though someone is channelling through me but how could that be? I am told it takes several years to train properly as a healer with the spiritualist church. This brings me to my next disaster (or so I thought).

I joined a healing group with a spiritualist organisation/group which met on a weekly basis. As part of the proceedings all healers were expected to receive healing after the session and the routine was to have more than one practitioner give healing to the individual at the same time. I am an extremely sensitive person and when I received healing this way it literally nearly blew my head off and I could not sleep that night. When I refused healing the following week I was told that this was the only way healing was given and perhaps my issue was that I did not like receiving healing from men.

I was astounded at this accusation, especially from people who were supposed to be spiritualists and so I walked out. Interestingly, a few weeks later I received a letter from the group saying that spirit had informed them that the strength of healing had greatly increased and would I like to return. I am sure you can guess what my response to this was! Joking aside, this was yet another experience that delayed my development and actually made me question myself. If I did not fit in with the people who one would expect to ‘fit in’ with as a developing medium/healer then maybe I was deluded – the doubts and uncertainty just continued and I felt so lonely. Who could help me?

As Lorraine states, a natural born medium will have all sorts of things and experiences happen to them throughout their younger years that they won’t always understand and sometimes won’t even recognise as being different to others.’ At the age of two my mother informs me that I had an ‘imaginary friend’ whose name was Carlene. A psychologist would say that this was the child’s invention because she was lonely, but I actually have a brother who is close in age to me, I am not an only child. I am sure this was a spirit guide helping me and protecting me during my first few years on earth. The name Carlene is so unusual, how could a two year old make that up? My strongest gifts are feeling and knowing but I have also seen spirit, can see auras around people and I have received messages and pictures about things that have later been clarified as true. As I have never sat in a development circle I continued to doubt myself.

So the pattern would continue – I would try and settle back into my normal routine of work and looking after my family and try and hide the fact that I felt very ‘different’ to most other people. Then something would happen to trigger the searching again and the uncomfortable feeling that I am not doing what I am supposed to be doing here on the earth plane would start once more.

Just over a year ago I again felt the need to try and understand whether I did indeed have a ‘natural gift’ in mediumship and attended a ‘ghost hunt’ which was organised by a local medium. I wanted to actually see if I could feel or experience anything and if I could perhaps I should think about a development circle once again. As I have said, after all my setbacks I still had this inner yearning to learn more. I did not enjoy the evening, but I did actually feel many things, although again I did not agree with or join in with many of the practices. Table tipping was one of the main experiments carried out and I did place my hands on the small table. When the medium asked for spirit to move the table I felt hands on my shoulders and I was pulled backwards bringing the table with me. Several people had their hands on the table, but the table came in my direction after I felt hands on my shoulder.

Another activity was the Ouija board, but my instincts told me immediately that I should not touch this and I didn’t although it was the major event at the end of the evening. What was really strange was that my mother (who is also very sensitive) was woken up at the exact time that the major event was going on and she saw me as a small child in the corner of the room crying. She automatically became worried about me and wondered what was going on! That was enough evidence for me that lower energies were at work and that my instincts were right that I should not get involved with this sort of thing. I would never get involved with anything like this again as I think it is just another example of individuals just trying to make money and it is not spiritual work that is trying to help anyone, it is for entertainment which is just wrong!

I have been married for twenty eight years and my husband is the most understanding person I know and is also quite psychic himself. He has picked me up after each experience and has told me time and time again that I should forget outside help and try and ‘develop myself.’ Finally after this experience I decided that he was right, but the doubts were still there – if I am really a natural medium then why does this keep happening to me – I really must be the problem, it cannot be everyone else.

Last month it was my wedding anniversary and my husband bought me a kindle from Amazon as I am an avid reader. As soon as I set it up I was online searching through the ‘Mind Body Spirit’ section as usual. During my session I came across Lorraine’s book, A Guide's Guide to Mediumship and Healing and instinctively I knew I had to download it straight away. I started to read the book that evening and as I previously said, it resonated so deeply with me. I am not on my own, other people are experiencing the same things that I have experienced and they too have not known which way to turn.

Without hesitation I knew I had to contact Lorraine because believe it or not after all the knocks, I still needed clarification that ‘yes’ I am a ‘natural.’ It was like a breath of fresh air talking to Lorraine and her work and her clarification have changed my life. I am not in the closet anymore and at the age of 47 I realise that the time is right to start my ‘proper’ work with spirit. Perhaps I have had to wait this long to start the work as it is true that my house has always been ‘busy’ but now my youngest is set to ‘fly the nest’ starting University in September and so now all will be quiet – the perfect time to ‘tune in.’ Perhaps I needed these experiences to enable me to help others?

I now realise that I am not on my own, I never have been and I never will be because spirit are always with me and the reason I have not found a mentor is because I need to tune in and be taught directly through them. What a revelation, what a new lease of life – if I tell you that I am in tears as I write these words I am sure you will not be surprised. I cannot thank Lorraine enough!

Angie

No News From Hay House Yet

2011-08-03T08:32:00.003+01:00

Before I went on holiday, I sent my latest book, How To Know If You're a Medium to Hay House and I still haven't heard back from them. I know quite a few people are waiting for it to be published but until I have heard back from them I can't do anything with it. I don't hold out much hope they'll want it and if that sounds defeatist it really isn't meant to be as I am a very positive person, but I am also realistic.

These days, those of us involved in writing or the publishing world have seen changes that mean only those who are well-known get publishing deals. It is very rare new authors get a look in at all and even those who have had work published in the past are being turned away in some cases. Only twice have I sent my books anywhere and each time I was told they love what I've written but as I'm not well known enough they can't take a risk yet and please would I come back with it when I am better known.

The above is happening to many of my author friends as well and it is a sad reflection on the reading habits of the world today that's causing it. That and the craze for so-called celebrity. Most children, it is said, don't read books and aren't encouraged to by their parents. Many of them are just plonked in front of televisions or computers and left to their own devices so parents won't be disturbed. They explain away their lack of parenting by saying what the child watches on tv or does on their computer is educational. I think we all know that's a load of rubbish and most learning in life is done from reading, reading, reading.

Many parents have themselves said they have never read a book in their lives. That together with the mentality of many people who only want to read about women who marry footballers, reality show participants, self styled so-called celebrities and the like means publishing houses will only take risks on that sort of book these days. The sad thing is, many of these books have not even been written by the people whose names appear on the front and yet they often receive millions in advances for something they have not done any work on. Their books are usually written by ghost writers who get a small percentage for listening to what they're told and then making it into a story worth buying - or not!

Luckily, there are still many people who enjoy fiction and non fiction by non celebrities, but these are mainly now self-published and sold on Amazon Kindle. Every book I have ever read has taught me something. There are also book snobs who say most novels aren't real books and teach nothing - that is so wrong. I read a wide variety of books on all subject matters in both fiction and non-fiction and have found many authors have done extensive research into their subject matter. Whilst this can't be said of all writers and all books, there is still usually something I learn that I never knew previously.

I, and many like me, still persevere and every now and then approach a book publisher hoping one will actually take a chance on an unknown. If I am offered a deal no one will be more surprised than me, but for now I have to wait. I submitted my book and so it is only right I wait for the rejection that is possibly to follow. Until I hear from them, I'm afraid the book is on hold. I'll let you know as soon as I hear anything and will then self-publish it as quickly as possible. Who knows, I might just have a lovely surprise, but I'm not holding my breath.

Please bear with me in the next couple of week’s as we’re moving house and I might not be able to update as often as I’d like to during that period. Thank you.

MY BOOKS

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Lorraine Holloway-White - Author Biography Page - AMAZON

2011-07-27T10:36:00.005+01:00

Author Biography Page - AMAZON

This is for those of you who may not have seen my biography pages on Amazon. Here's the UK one.

Born a natural medium and healer in the UK, Lorraine is the author of three published books, has one more already completed and is about to publish her latest.

How To Know If You're a Medium is the latest book Lorraine has just finished and about to have published. Done mainly as questions and answers, it covers possibly all you want to know about anything and everything to do with mediumship and healing.

A Roman Catholic, Lorraine is not a spiritualist and disagrees with most of their teachings about mediumship and the fact they say all can learn to be mediums and healers. A Guide's Guide to Mediumship and Healing, as well as being an instructional manual for all to read and enjoy, also explains why some of these spiritualist teachings are wrong in words given to Lorraine from the spirit world.

In her books, talks and videos, she asks us all to question everything we hear about the spirit world whilst at the same time giving us guidelines on how this work should be done in an honest and humble way by natural born mediums and not 'taught' ones. No subject is avoided and on her blog, she answers questions from anyone who wants to learn more.

http://askamedium.wordpress.com/

A Guide's Guide to Mediumship and Healing

Paperback: £10.99 Kindle Edition: £2.85

3 Mar 2011

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A Sceptical Medium 2 by Lorraine Holloway-White

Kindle Edition: £3.98

14 Feb 2011

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A Sceptical Medium

Paperback: £14.99 Kindle Edition: £4.02

27 Jan 2011

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REVIEWS:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Sceptical Medium, 10 Mar 2011

Michael Thorpe

This book is a refreshing outlook on todays mediumship. If you're one like me that has been from pillar to post looking for answers or training upon training and getting nowhere fast I think you will find the answer in this book. You might like the answer and then again you might not , but wouldn't you rather know where you stand instead of being told nonsense all the time and in many cases paying cash out for courses that just don't work?
This book is a black and white honest approach which has been a long time coming and with luck will do its job in balancing the playing field and getting rid of all the dead wood amongst this industry. I am not going to go into detail why you should take this book seriously as that is a journey you need to make for yourself but I would say this is a hidden treasure which is yet to be fully recognised. A lovely read and a book best purchased in paperbook.... why? because you will keeping going back to it all the time and it's a keeper. My view shortly the publishing world is going to wake up to this author in a big way. Regards Michael Thorpe

5.0 out of 5 stars I Am a Sceptic No More, 5 April 2011

blairat - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Sceptical Medium (Kindle Edition)

This book is a warm and engaging series of stories and discussions of the author's experiences as a practicing natural born medium and healer. If you have ever wondered what these things are all about and how they are done, then this is the book for you. At the same time, if you think you already know what these things are all about, then you will discover there is so much more that you do not know.

The author writes with great humility and compassion. Her writing is honest and straight forward without any embellishments. I recommend it most highly.

5.0 out of 5 stars honest approach, 23 May 2011

mooncrystal - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Guide's Guide to Mediumship and Healing (Kindle Edition)

I bought this book recently and I found the content refreshingly straightforward and honest. Lorraine confirms my own thoughts on healing and mediumistic ability so I found that really helpful. There are lessons within the text which are easy to follow and allows each person to develop at their own pace to their own potential. So a great book, easy to read and follow.

5.0 out of 5 stars Refreshingly realistic., 10 Mar 2011

R. Jones - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: A Guide's Guide to Mediumship and Healing (Kindle Edition)

Lorraine Holloway-White has managed to find just the right, delicate approach to her latest offering, "A Guide's Guide to Mediumship and Healing".
Yes, she is a medium but no she doesn't make a sideshow out of it.
Yes she has a message but no, not everyone is going to like it and especially those who think they can somehow pick up a couple of unearthly tricks along the way. Educational but not tiresome, entertaining but not flippant, I heartily recommend it to anyone who holds a flame for the serious mediums of the world and their guides

http://askamedium.wordpress.com/

How To Know If You're a Medium

2011-07-11T08:30:00.013+01:00

This book is proving to be very popular for those who have all sorts of things happening to them naturally that they don't understand. Done in question and answer format and in different sections for easy reading.

Natural mediums are very different to those who are man taught and this book is aimed at them and those who want to know what people who are born with the gifts have to go through for many years before they start to understand what's happening to them.

This is not like other books on mediumship as this is purely about natural mediums and nothing like those who are man taught. Learn why we're so different between these pages and for those who believe they might be a natural medium and don't know what's happening, then this should help answer many of your questions.

Some reviews from Amazon

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Great Book from Lorraine, 13 Nov 2011

blairat - See all my reviews

This review is from: How To Know If You're a Medium (Kindle Edition)

This new book, How to Know if You Are a Medium, is ideal for those who want to know more about how natural born healing and mediumship abilities are developed, and what to expect during what can be a very confusing time.

Lorraine has put forth in this book the most frequently asked questions she has been asked about healing and mediumship over the years. Everyone interested in these topics will find this book to be fascinating. Those who think that they may have been called to this work will find this book a God-send. Lorraine's answers to the questions are thorough and in-depth. A world renown authority on these topics, she shares her extensive knowledge, experience, and wisdom with us in a very engaging style, and from a very humanistic and practical perspective. Very highly recommended.

5.0 out of 5 stars A different approach, 7 Dec 2011

AL "ALT" (UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How To Know If You'Re A Medium (Paperback)

Ms Holloway-White - an informed spiritual individual - is a force to be reckoned with. Those open-minded enough to think outside the box of consensus/traditional routes to mediumistic development may find it a welcome antidote to psychological/psychic captivity. Are your current approaches truly your own? Are they working for you? Brilliantly? Somewhat? Not at all? It's important to feel what is right and true for you personally. The author reminds you that you have a choice what to think and where to go; indeed to discern whether there is anywhere you should go (literally and metaphorically) at all. A terrific book with a clear voice that cuts through the clap-trap. A book that balances fascinating insights with practical advice; a book that champions an ethical and responsible approach at all times. A book for mediums and healers, aspiring mediums and healers, the confused, the informed, the uninformed, the sceptic. Have a peep and make your own mind up.

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally I find out some things..., November 22, 2011

magenta (MN, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: How To Know If You'Re A Medium (Paperback)

For 2 yrs now I have been trying to find out about the what, why, when and how of mediumship to little avail. This book will get you started on the trail to finding out things without spending a ton of money on "a course". Thank goodness this lady decided to share her knowledge! Didn't realize she was famous as I'd never heard her name before and just stumbled across her in Amazon. This is a really nice book for those who wonder if they are, or are just starting out. There are answers in there to the questions most of us want to ask--but usually have no one to ask it from. I look forward to reading her other books too.

5.0 out of 5 stars "How to know if You're a Medium" gave me the exact information I've been searching for!, December 1, 2011

Jess - See all my reviews

This review is from: How To Know If You're a Medium (Kindle Edition)

I have read many books over the years about this particular subject never finding any one that answered all my questions and that I could related to. I found the answers I've been searching for in Lorraine's book "How to know if You're a Medium". Her no nonsense approach coupled with the question and answer format in which it was written made the material comprehensive and easy to read. If you find yourself pondering your spiritual path this book is will help point you in the right direction.

Amazon.co.uk CLICK HERE

Amazon.com CLICK HERE

Lulu.com (for paperback or e-book) CLICK HERE

My Books Don't Get Returned

2011-07-04T22:41:00.002+01:00

This is a very busy time for me with selling my house, buying a new one, finishing my latest book and next week I am off on holiday - what timing. The thing is, as you know I heard back from Random House who rejected my book, but I haven't yet heard back from Hay House so there is still a slim chance they will take my book on without me being famous. If not, I will happily self publish and feel confident it will do as well as my others. Why do I feel confident? Because I have been reading things that have cheered me no end.

The things I have been reading about is how many books bought on Amazon, Amazon Kindle etc are returned. We have a dashboard that shows us each month how many books have sold and what royalties we are to receive. That same dashboard also has a heading called 'returns'. I had no idea what that was for until recently as mine always showed zero and I didn't understand what it was all about. As it always showed zero, I even used to wonder if it was necessary to have that heading there at all.

Apparently, it is books that have been returned and the purchasers given refunds. It is said some returns are because the person downloaded more than one copy of it by mistake so returned the duplicate copy, it wasn't what they thought it was when bought so returned it, or in some cases, it was just plain awful. I keep reading how many people get a lot of returns and that they accept is something that happens to all authors and goes with the territory. I am thrilled to say I have had the grand total of 1 returned in all the time I have been selling all three books.

Does that mean my books are good and people enjoy them? Are they well written and the odd editing errors ignored due to that fact, or is it because maybe I haven't sold as many as the others? I have no idea, but what I do know is, I hope the good luck lasts and the figure remains at one. In the meantime, if any of you haven't seen my books yet and would like to try one, you can click here to see a variety of ways they can be purchased and see if you agree with the others who read and liked them.

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I'm After a Bold, Brave Publishing House

2011-06-28T19:47:00.006+01:00

Random House very kindly let me submit direct to them, but after only 10 days I have just received a rejection. The wording tells me it is because I am not well known enough - again! The clue is in the last sentence, 'Please do get in touch if you have more TV and newspaper coverage.'

I have written a new book called, How To Know If you're a Medium and it answers every question any budding natural born medium could wish to know. There is no other book like it on the market as far as I'm aware, as I've hunted for one for years. It fills a huge gap in the market, is there ready and waiting to be bought, has an eager audience willing to buy it and all it needs is a publisher to take it on. I've done my part, now it's their turn. I am also a far more pro active author than any of their celebrities are and I don't expect a five million pound advance for a book that will sell once seen.

When it comes to mediumship and healing, I wouldn't dream of buying a book by most of the well-known people seen on our television screens as their books are all just about their entertainment type shows and nothing to do with mediumship for those who need to be helped. There isn't a person I have met wishing to learn about these things who has ever bought a book by a so-called celebrity either. What I need, is an editor and a publishing house brave and forward thinking enough to realise that fact and take a chance on a relatively unknown author who actually offers what the majority of people in the world interested in this subject wants.

I am going to do something rather drastic and maybe foolhardy, but drastic times need drastic measures and I have never been one to let a simple 'no' stop me from achieving what I set out to do. I am going to make some telephone calls and I am not going to do the polite, usual author thing of asking if I can send a proposal to them, I am going to tell it straight, be direct and tell it how it is. Then I will ask them if I can send a proposal to them. I intend turning this around if at all possible and it isn't ever going to happen by playing by the rules. Wish me luck.

Secrets of A Shopkeeper at Christmas

2011-06-28T14:26:00.000+01:00

We all hear good stories about Christmas and shopping don't we? one of the best I heard was from a woman who works in a jewellers where I live. The story she told me made me laugh - but only because of her actions and not the customer's.

Each year, she sees so many men come in buying presents for wives, girlfriends and mistresses - especially at Christmas. She says some are very good at coming in alone and buying what they think appropriate and these men usually choose well and, as regular customers over the years, she knows their wives or girlfriends have been delighted with the choices made.

Then there are those who come in the door being dragged with feet skidding as they try to get a grip on the ground outside to stop their entry. The woman doing the dragging is either unaware or so determined to get what she has set her heart on she pretends not to notice his lack of interest and the way he is clutching at the outside of the door trying hard to prevent entry into his worst nightmare like a man gasping for his last breath.

Sometimes, though very rarely, it is the other way around. She says not all women want jewellery and feel very uncomfortable being told to try on things that don't suit them or they just very obviously don't want. The men seem completely oblivious and believe themselves to be doing exactly what the love of their life wants and carry on forcing things on them until a purchase is made. He skips out of the shop all pleased with himself, while the poor woman trudges behind looking like he's just bought her the worst present in the world. To her, he probably has.

My favourite story though, is the one about the man who came into her shop each year a few weeks before Christmas with his mistress to choose her Christmas present. She knew it was his mistress because she had met his wife and because he came in each year to buy the long term mistress her present. It made her angry that he had the audacity to bring his mistress into her shop every year when he knew she was acquainted with his wife, but being a professional, she hid her displeasure from them as he told his mistress to choose anything at all she liked in the shop as money was no object. She took her time and decided on something rather expensive and the two left happy and smiling like young lovers.

This particular year, he did something he had never done before. The week before Christmas he brought his wife in to buy her Christmas present too. Without any sign of embarrassment, he told his wife to choose anything she liked up to the price of £50. The manageress was livid. She had to act as professionally as before, but this time ignored what he said. Knowing what he had spent on the mistress each year, and only a couple of weeks before, she pulled out the most expensive trays in the shop and told the wife these were the ones she needed to choose from.

The husband's face drained of colour and he looked at the sales woman ready to say something when she gave him a look that could kill and made it very obvious he had better pay up or else. The wife got a super present that year - probably for the first time ever - and that particular man never brought both wife and mistress into the shop again for their presents. Now that's the sort of saleswoman I like.

Lorraine -The Blog re-named and now about books and writing

2011-06-28T14:14:00.003+01:00

Welcome to my new look blog, Lorraine Holloway-White. It will now be about my books, spiritual work and writing in general. I am making my older posts about general matters private (gradually) and will leave only those to do with writing matters. This blog will now be used to promote and market myself, my books, spiritual work and guest authors from time to time. As some of you know, I was going to just close this blog, but decided to re-style it instead and put it to good use.

It is difficult for writers to be seen if they are not published with a major publishing house and so for the last year, I have been working hard to promote as many authors as I can and once self-published, I set to promoting myself too. The problem with me promoting so many people, is my Facebook pages and Twitter get filled with more promoting than anything else. It doesn't help that I also founded and run Authors on Show as well.

With five blogs on the go it became too much and so I am now condensing them and will be putting Authors on Show onto one site rather than two and will have my Sceptical Medium blog connected to this one. This will now be about writing, my books, other authors and generally used for promotion and marketing purposes rather than everyday matters as it used to be.

Most will be aware I have a new book now finished and ready for publication called, How To Know If You're a Medium. I was to self publish it myself like I did with the others, but something made me approach a publishing house with it instead. I have sent off a proposal with an excerpt from it and will wait to see what happens. I know it is said that only celebrities get book deals these days, but I am a positive person and believe if we have filled a gap in the market, we are still in with a chance. I am convinced my latest book does just that, so we will all have to wait to see what happens.

I know quite a few of you have already asked when you can buy it and many more come to my spiritual blog using the title of my book on their search engines hoping to find it. Time will tell, but please don't be too much in a hurry as these things take a lot of time and consideration and the longer it takes, the more of a chance I have of being signed so we don't want a quick answer in this case. In the meantime, I hope you'll come back from time to time to hear what I'm up to next and what progress is being made - and of course, to meet the authors I promote on here.

If anyone is interested in being promoted on this blog, then please let me know and I'll be pleased to consider you. I already have some lined up and will be looking at others as time goes on.

This is My Last Post

2011-06-16T07:51:00.002+01:00

Today I am writing my last post on here as I am stretching myself too thin. I have five blogs on the go, plus my books and videos and it is all too much as I have to do housework and live a life too. Sadly, the housework and other life isn't happening much these days so I've decided to reclaim some time for me. I will be keeping, A Sceptical Medium going as that is my main work and what my writing is all about, but I shall also be considering what to do about my 2 other sites for Authors on Show as they might be stopping as well or being streamlined into one.

My house is under offer and we need to find another one quite quickly before I go off on holiday next month and time is not being my friend these days. Besides, with all the blog writing and books, I am having no time to approach publishing houses for my own work just other people's which is a bit silly. Changes are afoot for me it seems and as I get busier and busier, something has to give and sadly, it is this blog which I'm finding I have less and less time for.

I've enjoyed the time I had on here and getting to know some of you, but hope you might come and see me on my Sceptical Medium blog. I won't delete this one, it just won't be updated any more. I do hope I see you on my other blog and thank you for supporting me up till now. Lorraine x

Someone Coming to see the House Today

2011-06-13T07:51:00.001+01:00

I keep calling it a house and yet it's a bungalow. Still, that doesn't matter, the point is we have someone coming to view it today. Yes, it's for sale - still. The market has been dead for so long now that it came as a shock to get a telephone call saying someone wants to see it and it's come just when I could do without it. I am on about the last 1,000 words of my latest book which I had hoped to finish today ready to read through and edit. I also have a pedicure at mid day which cuts time down again - how luxurious is that, I adore pedicures?

This means I have to make sure the house is done from top to bottom. It looks ok, but you know how it is when someone's coming to view don't you? Oh dear. The thing is, apparently she saw the house last year and loved it. Just after they viewed it their house sale fell through and so no more was done. They now have another buyer, a survey has already been done on theirs, things are moving forward well, they have viewed all the other properties they wanted to see and ours is now the last one.

They left it till last because they had already seen it and apparently - so the agent says - she has never been able to get ours out of her mind and can't wait to come back today to see it again. So, here we go again. Last time this happened was in March and we had a buyer who pulled out after 7 weeks thereby losing us two others who had wanted it.

What do I do if she makes an offer after today? I have to finish my book and we're off on holiday in 4 weeks so when do I have time to look for a house? Yikes. I want it to sell, but at the same time, I adore my home and the ducks who come to spend every summer so I have mixed feeling about today and what to hope for with the outcome. As they say que sera sera

I Was a Hippy For One Night Only

2011-06-06T18:39:00.001+01:00

Over the weekend, we went to a surprise birthday party. The person concerned will be 70 tomorrow and is to be celebrating in London. Her family decided to surprise her with a 70's birthday party in her home town first though and we were all told to pick anything from that decade to dress up in. I decided to go as a hippy from the early 70's - a throwback you might say from the famous Woodstock Festival of 1969. I had always wanted to be a hippy and was too young at the time, so grabbed my chance even if it was for one night only.

I had an absolute ball and thoroughly enjoyed walking around saying peace to everyone. My husband was too shy to have a photograph taken all dressed up and I would have loved to have seen him as a hippy, but it was so hot he didn't want to wear an Ozzy Osborne wig so he went in an off white suit with sleeves and all the trimmings as John Travolta from Saturday Night Fever.

The lady of the moment was dressed up too as she was under the impression she and her friend were going to an Abba Revival evening at the theatre. The plan was to get her to pop into where we were all silently waiting allegedly for a pre theatre drink. We could hear her as she walked up the stairs moaning about having to come there and asked why it was necessary. As she climbed the stairs and saw us all she was shocked to the core as the DJ (her son) played Happy Birthday and we all joined in singing to her as Champagne corks popped. She might have had a great night, but being a hippy made my night too I can tell you.

Parents Today are a Disgrace

2011-06-04T15:07:00.001+01:00

Reading the paper today, I came upon yet another article about the disgraceful neglect of children today by parents who are too busy earning money for luxuries to look after their own children. These are children that are planned and allegedly wanted, but once here neglected in a way that should be punishable by law in my eyes.

There are horror stories of children going to primary schools who are in nappies, unable to drink unless out of a bottle, who don't know what knives and forks are and some are even unable to speak! This is a total disgrace and having seen the way children behave and eat wherever I go these days, I think it's high time something was done about it.

The excuse for all this neglect is that the parents say they are too busy working as they have to earn enough to pay all the bills and that these days they can't afford to live unless both work. Well call me old fashioned, but there are very few families today who really do need to have two jobs to pay the bills. The reason all of them do is because they cannot wait for anything anymore. When we got married years ago, we waited for what we couldn't afford and saved up for it. We didn't have cars, central heating, washing machines, dish washers, microwaves, disposable nappies and a house full of everything a woman could want so she could do as little work as possible. If they have all of that fine, good for them, but not if it means neglecting children they chose to have to then foist on others who have already raised theirs - the hard way!

I have never had a credit card in my life and hope I never will. There were always people who bought on what we called, the never never, but they were in the minority and the rest of us lived without being greedy or demanding everything to make life easy as possible for us. That is why most of us didn't owe money then unlike the majority today who all have credit cards (and not just one) and who live off credit all the time until they are in hock for thousands of pounds then moan the government and the world is to blame for their greed.

None of us were any the worse off for not having all the things young women have and demand today, in fact, we are all stronger, more capable, less spoilt and the most important fact - we were happier. Yes times were hard, but we were much happier, more contented and we all brought up our children with love as well as discipline. We taught them manners; how to eat, how to behave in public, how to play without screaming, how to hold the knife in the right hand not the left as many seem to do today, how to hold a fork with prongs facing down and held in the left hand and we also taught them how to say please, thank you and excuse me. The most important word they learned first was 'no'.

None of our children were allowed to be adults before they were children. They wore children's clothes that didn't have designer labels, went to bed early in the evening as befits children so we didn't need watersheds on television, they were taught what was right or wrong and they had an odd smack here and there when needed. If they misbehaved when out, a policeman would give them a clip around the ear and drag them home where they'd get another clip from mum or dad. Strangely, in the days of smacking a child, hardly any grew up to be violent unlike today's thugs who have never received discipline and who pull knives on people if you so much as look at them. If we went out as a family for a meal, we went to places suitable for children like café's and restaurants, not pubs which were for adults. Nowadays, pubs are where children go so the adults have to go elsewhere to get away from them.

This sick, sad world with its new parents and lack of parenting, means children mock the police as their parents teach them to do so, they are allowed to grow and 'express themselves' (what would happen if I 'expressed myself' by discipling them when they bang into my 85 year old mother and hurt her I wonder?), They're rude, loud, abusive and completely out of control, eat as though it's chimps feeding time at the zoo (in fact chimps have better manners) and all because these silly, trendy parents with daft names like 'yummy mummy' are all too busy trying to look pretty, spending money on all their false nails, hair extensions and the like rather than spending time with children they should be teaching to be proper human beings people will like.

As a parent, I wanted everyone to think my son was lovely - and he was and still is - to enable that, he was taught how to behave, eat, sit, drink and be polite. As such, everyone thought he was a lovely child. Today, most people think children are ghastly and go out of their way to avoid where any will be. How sad that these poor children have parents who don't care if they're hated by the whole world? How sad they will grow in into adults that will have no respect for anyone and unable to mix in society.

These children are going to grow into adults who will never be able to achieve no matter how clever they are. Their parents have seen to that as they aren't teaching them anything at all about what is acceptable behaviour and what isn't. It's not only sad, but in my eyes it's criminal. Years ago the NSPCC would have taken children so neglected into care and placed them with someone who would be a real parent to them. Sadly, they can't do that now as they'd end up taking the majority of children off their parents because about 75% of the children born today are sad little children who have parents too clueless and selfish to care about them and their futures because they're too wrapped up in their own materialistic lives.

I can almost guarantee that any comments I get will be in two camps. The women who brought their children up properly will agree with me, the new age 'sickly named 'yummy mummy brigade' will probably disagree with me strongly and insist their money isn't for luxuries but is needed. Strange how their hard earned money leaves so much left over for the latest fashionable clothes, make-up, hair styles, colourings etc. isn't it? I've yet to see the majority looking like they really are struggling to live. A few maybe, but certainly not as many as pretend to be.

Guess How Many Books I've Sold?

2011-05-31T14:14:00.000+01:00

This seems to be a common question by some authors who have either self published or gone with a small publisher. It is as though there is a huge competition going on between some of them and sounds very like playground ' mine is bigger than yours' style mentality. Everything today is about numbers, but why? There are those who have got their books up on Amazon and other sites for free. What a pointless exercise that is in my opinion - and in many others too. They have slogged their guts out to write a book that sometimes has taken them more than a year to do, they've edited it, re-written where needed, done the formatting, book cover design and the whole works, then think all that effort is worth - yep, nothing!

Their reasoning? They say they've been told it's to get their name known so that when they publish their second book people will be waiting for it and will buy it. But will they? If it's ready straight after the first one maybe, but if it's taken that long to write the first one and with so many people self publishing books today, unless your first effort is absolutely brilliant and the second book follows straight away, chances are they'll have forgotten you by the time the second one is out and then what will you do? If that idea really worked, wouldn't all the publishing houses being doing that as well with all of their authors?

The only people doing it, are the self published or those who are with people who have set themselves up as a publisher and advise doing it. Then there are all the books at $0.99 or approx 70pence. Okay, they might be getting hundreds and sometimes thousands of downloads, but I am actually making more than some of the ones who give their books away so cheaply even though I might sometimes be selling less than them as I refuse to give away something I have worked so hard on, believe in and know to be worth every penny.

Besides, on the Kindle forums, there are hundreds of readers who say that if a book is free or only $0.99, they download hundreds of them all at once and never actually read most of them. There are exceptions to this of course where some excellent books are written and priced very low, but they are in the minority compared to the number actually published. Amazon Kindle even alter the prices themselves at times and we have no say in the matter when this happens. Interestingly, one of mine was reduced by Amazon to a silly cheap price and never sold as many then as it did before the reduction and again when they put it back up to a higher price than it was originally. That shows me that free books or low pricing isn't always what makes a book sell.

I have just seen someone advertising on Twitter how many books she's sold to date.She is giving the money to charity and that is why she wants to tell how many she's sold - every day. It's still strange though as most people giving to charity don't do that either, they just announce a total at the end so it must be the new author mentality as I call it that they have to show off how many books they are selling. She is doing what she's seen so many others doing and yet she isn't someone I would have expected to do that. There are lots of writers out there who have to tell you each day how many books they've now sold. Do we care? Why do they feel a need to tell everyone? Is it because they are trying to convince others to buy the book too, or is it because they have to tell themselves their book must be good because people are buying it? I have no idea, but it is something that really puzzles me and thankfully, the majority of writers don't feel the need to take part in this strange practice.

The biggest puzzle to me, is how they know exactly how many they've sold. My books (and theirs) are sold on so many different sites and I haven't got a clue how many have been sold on which ones. Amazon Kindle is easy as they give a running total of downloads made, but as for the other sales elsewhere, I couldn't tell you how many are sold as I never look at them and I just wait for surprise royalty cheques to arrive. The fact these people know to the last number means they must be watching every site every day and all day long. I am far too busy for that for one thing and cannot see the point in such a fruitless exercise anyway.

Do we have accountants, solicitors, estate agents and the like all coming on Twitter telling us how many clients they saw today? Maybe shopkeepers should come on and tell us how many customers came in their shops and how many generated sales they had too. It is a very strange practice that seems unique to some authors who have to announce to the world how many books they've sold to date. Amongst themselves is one thing when they are discussing marketing methods and what works, but to tell anyone and everyone? No, it's not for me and I haven't seen any main stream authors doing it either. The day I see the likes of Patricia Cornwell, Harlan Coben or others tell us on a daily basis how many books they've sold today, is the day I decide the writing world is not for me. As I can't see them ever feeling the need to tell us about each sale they make, I think my writing career is safe.

Suicide

2011-05-25T20:48:00.007+01:00

How many people do you know who have committed suicide? I know quite a few who have throughout my life. There are more again whose names I have heard of but have never met who have done so as well. There is one thing some of them have in common; it isn't always the ones you think have a problem with depression. It is often the ones who appear strong, confident and full of life who actually do it and that's why it comes as such a shock and with no warning at all.

There are the ones who are obviously depressed, have problems and are known to be people we need to keep an eye on, but with a lot of them it isn't at all obvious and that is scary. How can we help those who cry behind closed doors, who have no confidence, who feel life is too much of a struggle to bother continuing with if they bottle it up and hide it from the world? They have to appear strong and cannot be seen to be weak and in need of help; these are the ones who often need the most help. They are the ones who one day go away without a word and end their lives with no warning whatsoever.

I remember one man in particular coming into my office many years ago and asking if he could talk to me. He wanted to meet with me after work for a talk as he said he felt he could talk to me and that I'd listen. I said no to him. The reason I said no, is because he was married and I thought he was coming on to me. How many of us have heard the old saying, 'My wife doesn't understand me.' and ignored it? The next morning I heard he had committed suicide the night before. I have never forgotten him and often wonder if me listening could have helped.

None of us knows what goes on behind closed doors in anyone's lives and sometimes, we need to stop and think about people and their behaviour. Ask ourselves why some act the way they do and what has caused it. Everything might appear to be rosy and well on the outside, but behind their own closed door it might be a different matter altogether. Next time you see someone who seems to over re-act to a simple thing it might be because they have the weight of the world on their shoulders. A man or woman who seems to be dismissive of their lovely, partner who everyone thinks is wonderful, could well be being abused by them in private. If you think about it, you'll realise if someone is acting nastily to another person seemingly without reason, it usually means there is a reason and you just don't know what that reason is.

The truth is, none of us knows the truth about anyone unless we live with them and even then sometimes it is hard to know what goes through their minds. So next time someone 's behaviour seems a little strange to you, ask yourself why it might be. Is a husband or wife as pleasant to their other half as they are to other people or is it an act to make you think they're nice people? Is the charmed life seen in public really as charmed as someone makes it out to be? Is the cock-sure 'flash Harry' really as cock-sure as he's making out or is it all an act? Before we judge others, let's try to ask what their life might be like and not make rash judgements as I did with Brian that day - after all, you might one day have many years ahead of you to regret those thoughts and wonder if you could have helped the way I now wonder if I could have helped Brian.

Dulverton Is Lovely

2011-05-24T13:25:00.001+01:00

I'm back from Dulverton and am so thrilled to have met two authors I really admire and who have proved to be as lovely as I believed they'd be. One is Jane Alexander

Vintage Veuve Clicquot Here I Come

2011-05-17T16:20:00.001+01:00

I am doing this post today as I will be very busy tomorrow getting ready to go away and won't be chatting to you until my return. Even though I'm only away for about four days, I thought I'd leave you with a post telling you where I'm going and what I'll be doing. My husband is off to Madrid to see his grandchildren and I am going to Exmoor. It might not seem as though I'm getting the better deal, but actually I feel I am. I have time ahead of me where I can do as I please when I please and how I please. Bliss.

Although not a great drinker, I do enjoy the odd tipple of white wine or preferably Champagne. My favourite is Veuve Clicquot and so when I was out shopping a couple of weeks ago and saw their VC Vintage was on special offer I couldn't not buy it for my little holiday could I?

I am staying at a lovely Country House set in three acres of grounds and in the country on the fringes of the moor. It will be peaceful and quiet - just what I need right now - and the first thing I shall do, is put the Champagne in the fridge in my room as soon as I arrive. I am there for three nights, so two glasses a night will do me well thank you very much!

I am meeting an author/journalist friend, Jane Alexander for the first time. We got to know each other through Twitter and various writing sites but have yet to meet in person. There is also a distinct possibility I could be meeting another author we both know called, Jake Barton. There is talk they will drive down to meet up with me so we can all have lunch together.

There are also land rover 'safari's' as they call them over the moor to see red deer. I have seen them before, but this time we go through rivers and over land not accessible by normal vehicles so it should be good fun.
My husband will be with 4 grandchildren and his son, which he'll enjoy and he's very much looking forward to, but his time will be rushed and dictated by what they all are limited to in such a short space of time and with 4 young children in tow. I, on the other hand am free to do as I please - or not please if it takes my fancy. So yes, I think I have the better deal. Cheers!

My Neighbours Keep Changing my Garden

2011-05-16T08:57:00.001+01:00

Some people are so ill mannered it defies belief. About eighteen months ago my husband and I returned home after a few days away to find one of our neighbours had been into our garden, removed a fence and a hedge and cut back our trees. To do this, they had to climb over the wall separating our properties leaving them in no doubt they were trespassing and just who it all belonged to. After taking the fence down and the hedge, it meant they were now eight feet into our garden where they decided to cut back our trees as well.

The trees we are talking about are the ones on the right of the above photograph and is only a small part of our garden. The hedge, full of birds nests, was behind them and the fence behind that. It meant my dog was safe and secure in her garden, but after their antics, she was now vulnerable as their garden was open to the busy main road and she was able to get in there over the wall which was only about 6 inches high our side but three feet their side.

You can see we have a very long drive and behind the trees there are about four large houses abutting our land. The ladies who have done this live in one that is divided into two flats. I was livid. We had words, they were told they were guilty of trespass, criminal damage (the hedge) and theft (the fence that disappeared) and unless they replaced the fence within 24 hours we would report them. They replaced it after much fuss and tried to claim they had no idea it was all our property!

How can they pretend to believe they didn't realise it was our property? Their workmen had to climb over the wall into what was very obviously someone's private garden in order to do it all. Now, that should have been end of story, but...

... the above picture is similar to what I came home and saw at the end of last week. Not all down the drive thank God or there would be hell to pay, but yes, the same women had got their workmen to come in my garden again, take down a wire fence that was covered in ivy and giving us all privacy in order to replace it with the ugly thing in the picture.

My garden is like a park. It is huge and a wildlife haven. The trees disturb no one and do not affect light or sunshine in any of the gardens dividing us all so what on earth are they doing coming into my garden - again - and removing my property and replacing it with this ugly thing? We don't mind a fence behind our trees for security for the dog and have one surrounding the whole property, but not instead of trees. It looks horrendous and they have just destroyed the look of my garden entirely.

I am not a snob by any means and all who know me know I'm not but, there are properties that suit fencing and there are ones that don't - ours doesn't. It is for sale at present and they have just destroyed part of what was a huge selling point and have just knocked some value off the price by doing what they have.

I am having my husband write a letter today - he's a solicitor. They knew last year they were lucky not to be reported and now they've done it again. It just shows that some people don't care and think they can get away with whatever they like. Well this time, they've overstepped the mark.

Why Are People So Fat?

2011-05-15T09:29:00.002+01:00

People are cruel - very cruel at times about people who are overweight. This angers and saddens me, because not all are overweight due to overeating and laziness. There is often a reason underlying that we don't always know about and I shall give two examples here - one is about me. At the moment, I am grossly overweight. There are those that say I'm not 'grossly' overweight, but to me I am. There is a reason for it though. Partly, it's because I eat too much and sometimes the wrong things, but that came about after my operations and infections. The other reason is, there is still something going on inside my body which hasn't been sorted yet due to lack of aftercare. I am sick of the sight of doctors after three years of constant illness and hospital and am loathe to go to see one again now due to this.

After each operation, I got severe post op. infections. Part of what happened to me during them was the craving for sugar. I was very ill indeed and lots of different organs were being affected as the infection raged thought my body.

I was unable to face meat or any other protein at all. I just couldn't eat it. Not a sugar lover normally, I was now unable to drink tea unless it had two heaped spoons of sugar in it. The very thought of that now makes me ill and yet at the time, I was unable to drink it without. Everything I ate had to be full of sugar. I have no idea why, but it is something that happened. No one ever explained to me why it was, but there again, with today's lack of after care in most hospitals I'm not surprised. My hysterectomy was 18months ago and even after such a severe infection which saw me rushed back into hospital, I still haven't had an appointment for a check-up!

Unable to move after the operation was another factor that didn't help. The weight piled on and on and on and never stopped. I have the remnants of that now sadly and although I now don't eat sugar as I was, I have found I do crave sweets every so often and a friend told me that is probably due to Candida through the body that needs to be treated as it feeds off sugar. She says once that is treated, the weight should improve as it also slows the metabolism down greatly too. Don't get me wrong, I make it sound like I'm gorging myself on sweets and overeating all the time - I'm not. I'm talking of a bag of sweets in a desk drawer in my office that has been there for about two weeks and which I dip into every now and then.

The other reason some people have excess weight is due to underlying serious health problems of another sort. There is a girl I know who used to be very slim, but who is now very overweight and who has ballooned out horrendously. She huffs and puffs when she tries to walk and it is dreadful for her. The reason she is like this? She has cancer and is on a huge mix of drugs, one of which is steroids.

She is often pointed at, sneered at and ridiculed when out due to her size and the way she looks. If she is seen to eat when out, the comments overheard in loud stage whispers and intended to be heard are often vicious and cruel. She was told she had six months to live and was given medication to help prolong her life as much as possible. This is now 7 years later and I'm glad to say she is still with us.

I am a nice person, she is a nice person and the fact we are both overweight doesn't mean we are lazy, not nice people or lacking in any feelings or emotions. We hurt when we are called names or sneered at just like anyone else. Her weight is entirely due to health problems and medication, mine is due to health problems, some medication that means I retain a lot of fluid and partly due to the fact I like my food. The food is not a huge factor though as I eat very healthily and my husband, who eats far more than I do and lots of rubbish never puts on any weight at all.

Before my operations and the troubles, I ate exactly the same as I do now and yet the weight won't shift. I was told when I did see my GP not to worry about it and he explained the reasons for the huge weight increase and assured me it will suddenly start to come off. I do hope so. For now though, if you see a person who is fat, no matter why you think that is, stop and think. Is it really because they are so lazy and greedy, or is it because they have an underlying problem?

My Dog's Eating Habits

2011-05-11T11:32:00.001+01:00

Sitting down to our steaming hot bowl of home-made soup at lunchtime, I became a ware of a crunching sound and looking down saw my dear dog eating her dinner. Nothing strange in that you might think, but I have realised something that didn't used to happen before but now does.

Our dog isn't a greedy dog and we have left a full bowl of food down for her since a pup and she eats from it when she wants walking away once full. Her favourite times to eat, were first thing in the morning and last thing at night - just before we all went to bed. But that has changed and it was only today I realised it.

Bonnie now eats with my husband at breakfast time, she joins us and eats when we do at lunch and then in the evening, she starts to eat as soon as we start our evening meal. She never eats at other times now, only when we do and she has to be with us so all three of us eat together. She is now 10, so maybe it's an age thing, but how lovely is that? We were always told Springers have to be a part of the family rather than the dog of the family and they were right, that's exactly what she has been. She has to be involved in everything we do and we wouldn't have it any other way.

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Kate Middleton Copied My Wedding!!

2011-05-09T13:45:00.001+01:00

I know it might look like it lately, but don't worry, this isn't turning into a blog about the royal family but...

My mother telephoned me last night and said, "I've just been looking at photo's of the royal wedding and something has niggled at me since I first saw Kate Middleton's dress and couldn't work out what it was till now. Her dress is similar to yours, and the headdress, the shorter of your two veil's (I had a full Cathedral length one too) and even the engagement ring."

The train is doubled over here as you can see

"I know," said I "I recognised it immediately. The neckline was the same only mine wasn't so low cut and was satin not lace." Her train was the same length as mine too. Her hair was half up half down, so was mine. Both dresses were satin only hers had lace on top and mine didn't. It is said her dress had delicate lace appliqué flowers- so did mine but I had them only on the trim and on the cuff of the sleeve. Sadly, I don't have one photograph that does my dress justice as we had a photographer suggested to us as brilliant and he was rubbish. Not one decent picture exists of my train at it fullest length or width and yet it was just as long and wide as Kate's.

Even the bouquet, although not the same flowers, was a smaller one rather than the large grand sweeping ones they usually go for and again, hers was similar to the shape of mine. So what I want to know is, who got hold of my wedding album and copied everything I had?

my ring - not hers

As for the ring, well it was Diana's before Kate and as you might already know, I was lucky enough to meet Diana a couple of times. On the first occasion she said, "Oh, you've got a ring like mine, let's compare." yes let's, thought I wryly. She put her hand next to mine and I have to say, although my Sapphire was smaller, it wasn't that much smaller and looked just as good thanks to the quality of the Celanese Sapphire. So, all in all, someone copied someone else's wedding and as I got married 29 years ago...

Now Kate, maybe we should get together over a glass of Champagne, compare photo albums and discuss this, what do you say?

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Drugs, Drink, Speed and Mobile 'Phones

2011-05-08T10:34:00.004+01:00

Yesterday saw us driving along in the pleasant morning sunshine and all appeared well with the world until I saw someone driving along the road with one hand on the wheel and the other holding a mobile 'phone to their ear. They were coping quite well until it came to a bend and seeing them struggle to take the bend too fast and the car almost going up on two wheels made me realise just how people do not think about what they are doing. They had to throw the 'phone down to regain control of the car. Glancing around, I saw the driver of that car wasn't alone and in just the cars I could see clearly, there were three people talking on their 'phones - not hands free - whilst driving.

Then we have those who drink and drive and think they can cope just fine with getting behind the wheel of a car after a few drinks. Amazingly, there are a high number of people who when challenged state that alcohol makes them drive better; unbelievable but true. I have been to many places over the years where I see people drinking and state they're only having a couple as they're driving. Sadly, it doesn't stop at a couple - it never does. I also gather there is a huge problem with drivers who take illegal drugs and get behind the wheel of a car as well. What is it with these people?

If I challenge those who drink and drive or those who use 'phones whilst driving, I am told to mind my own business or to stop being a spoil sport. Well, I hate to tell you, but it actually is my business. You see, some of you who do this are taking passengers in your cars and are putting their lives at risk by doing so. Then there are pedestrians walking innocently along the road who often end up under the wheels of a car or thrown over the roof because of idiots who don't realise they have a lethal weapon in their hands and are arrogant enough to think we are the idiots and not them.

Then there are the speedsters. The ones who act as though they are so important that all they do has to be done at high speed. The arrogance of drivers today is amazing. They cut you up wherever they can, they zoom up at high speed sitting inches from the car in front of them, overtake without indicating and refuse to accept they are driving dangerously. There is one line that never ceases to amaze me when you tell them they are too fast or too close to the car in front. "Oh, it's ok I'm a good driver. I drive all over the country every day so am very experienced." Why does driving all over the country make you think you're a good driver? It just means you drive a lot - badly!

Cars kill. They kill everyday of the week and in the majority of cases it is because of bad driving or bad drivers who couldn't give a damn about you or me. The important thing is they are allowed to do as they please and we mustn't spoil their fun. If they get done for any of the above things they often even have the audacity to moan to people that the police had nothing better to do that day and would have been better off catching real criminals somewhere. I have news for you. If you do any of the things above, you are a real criminal and deserve to banged up with others who have broken the law. You see, burglars, although scum of the earth don't usually kill people. Drunks behind the wheel of a car do. So do those who use 'phones, take drugs or drive at high speed. You are all nothing short of murderers and just because you haven't maimed or killed anyone yet, doesn't mean you aren't a murderer, it just means it's still waiting to happen.

If you get behind the wheel of a car having done any of the above, it is not manslaughter if you kill someone, it is murder. You intentionally got in that car. You intended drinking, taking drugs, speeding or having that call. I know a lady, a lovely lady who I had known since a was a little girl. She was the one we stayed with when my grandfather was in his last days and my mother was with him at hospital. She went through all sorts of family things with us and was like a third grandmother to us all. In her eighties, she was still fit, healthy and fun until she went shopping one day and a young chap showing off to his girlfriend and driving at ludicrous speeds through town mounted the pavement and killed her.

She didn't die straight away either. She was trapped underneath, conscious throughout and in agony. It took her quite some time to die, days in fact and all of that time was horrendous for her and her family. I myself have been the victim of a drunk who got behind the wheel of her car and drove; she mounted the pavement and hit me from behind. I was knocked to the ground and my leg was injured but like a fool I was embarrassed and never reported it. Me embarrassed - what was I thinking of letting her get away with it? I was embarrassed because I was lying on the ground bleeding and very shaken. It brought people swarming all around me fussing and I hated the attention so got up off the ground and went to my car where I sat in private till I stopped shaking.

Another time my husband and I went for a meal one evening and decided to walk the mile into town rather than take the car so we could have a drink. On the way home a drunk mounted the pavement and hit my husband. Luckily, the drunk was swerving everywhere and so it was the side of the car that caught him and although hurt, it wasn't serious. There were skid marks all over the road and pavement and the wing mirror that had hit my husband hard was lying smashed on the ground. We did report that one but sadly they never caught whoever it was.

I could tell you of more people I know who have been affected but I won't and I'm sure you all have your own stories. Please, if you are one of the above people, and sadly some of you reading this will be, think about what I've said. Is that call really worth killing someone for? Is that last drink worth the fact you might take someone's life when you leave the party? And are you really in such a hurry that it doesn't matter how many you could end up killing just so you might get there maybe a few minutes sooner? It is better to get there late than not get there at all and it is certainly better that you can sleep sound in your bed each night rather than knowing you having got to live with someone's death on your conscience for the rest of your life.

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Licorice or Lickerish?

2011-05-03T17:21:00.001+01:00

Reading someone's blog just now, I came across a video done by the BBC of a clip where people across the country were shown a word and asked how they would pronounce it. The results were really quite amusing at times, but their findings showed the differences weren't to do with dialects surprisingly, but more to do with age.

The letter 'H' was one they showed, 'Mischievous' was another and 'Ate'. So many put an 'i' where there isn't one in mischievous and pronounced it mischee-vee-us instead of mis-che-vus. The one word I wish they had taught people to pronounce correctly was licorice or licquorice. Whichever way it is spelt is ends with an 'ice' so why do people insist on pronouncing it 'ish' at the end?
It should be pronounced, iss as in hiss. Pronouncing it the way the majority of our country do gives it an entirely different meaning.
Pronounced the way most people say it, it ends up as, Lickerish. Instead of it meaning a black sticky, sette substance pronounced the way most say it, it ends up meaning:

You'll have to forgive me this one, but the video set me off on this as the way people say licorice is one of my pets hates. Is there a word people mispronounce that irritates you - if so, what is it?

lick·er·ish

–adjective Archaic .= lecherous or lustful, greedy; gluttonous, appetizing or tempting

changed from: lickerous, via Norman French from OldFrench lechereus lecherous; see lecher

'liquorishly or liquorish source - World Dictionaries

**********

lickerish - adj. l
echerous:
lickerish grins and dirty jokes or,

West Indian or archaic - fond of eating; greedy.

source - Oxford English Dictionary

Will Camilla Ever be Queen?

2011-04-30T20:07:00.008+01:00

The Royal Wedding in the UK has been centre of attention for some time now and after watching it I made a remark on Facebook that upset two people - many more agreed with me and it would be interesting to see what you think. I made a remark about how seeing Camilla taking centre stage the way she did at the wedding didn't sit well with me. I was told I was being judgemental and that as a spiritual person I should know better. The two people concerned were American's and were very annoyed with me. It is strange it was American's because most agree with my sentiments from what we read and hear.

For a start I wasn't being judgemental and secondly, as it is our royal family and the situation with Charles and Camilla could decide what happens to our Royal Family I have every right to pass comment. To be judgemental, one has to make comments about people and decide what you think of them and a situation without knowing facts or without having met them. We know the facts. Camilla turned down a marriage proposal from Charles as she didn't want to be involved with the family. She carried on an affair with him even though she herself married someone else. We are told (and not denied) she then hand-picked Diana as a suitable bride thinking she would be easy to manipulate afterwards.

We have heard Camilla bedded Charles the night before his wedding and I know from someone who worked on the Royal Yacht that he had calls booked to her several times a day everyday he was on board the yacht whilst on his honeymoon. I was lucky enough to meet Diana a couple of times and on one of those occasions she said to me, 'One thing I learned on day two of my marriage was to never try and stop a man doing what he wants to do.' My husband was there at the time and made a funny quip to ease the situation as she looked very sad when she said it. We wondered what she meant at the time and most especially because of the way she said it and looked so sad, but now, after all we've heard...

Camilla and Charles shouldn't have married - not when he is meant to be our future king. He knows what the majority think about that woman and the situation. The fact they are married now, doesn't mean we have to accept her or their behaviour. It might be in the past, but yesterday was the wedding of Diana's son; as such, Camilla should have taken more of a back seat and not been so dominant and pushy in it all. If she had sat back quietly, comment wouldn't have been made. She should not have gone in the vestry at the signing of the register and she shouldn't have gone on the balcony. By doing those things, she rubbed our faces in it. A woman with any sort of decency or who was truly sorry for all the upset she caused would have taken a back seat and been far more discrete, but what Camilla wants, Camilla gets.

She is not an ordinary step-mother who came on the scene well after Diana had died; she was the one who caused an innocent young girl to become very ill, to go off the rails herself eventually due to what they carried on doing - in her own home no less - and who destroyed her life. William and Harry have had to accept it as it's their duty, we don't. My feelings have nothing to do with being spiritual or un-spiritual and if we are going down that path, then I think the fact I have high morals is actually more spiritual than someone who believes it ok to behave in such a dreadful way knowingly and set out to destroy someone's marriage and eventually their life.

Charles and Camilla like to make out they only picked up on their affair after the marriage was seen to be broken down. That is not correct and we all know it. The marriage broke down because they were sleeping together before the wedding and from almost the day he got back from honeymoon. We have all heard from household staff loyal to Diana that Charles would ring his mistress, tell her if Diana was on her way out and she'd lie in wait till the car drove off. Allegedly, as Diana walked out the front door and drove out the front way, Camilla would be driving in the back way and would then walk in the back door within minutes of Diana's departure. The member of staff who wrote about this (and far more) in a book said it split the household staff down the middle and made life very difficult for them.

So you see, as a British subject and as someone who has met both Charles and Diana, I am entitled to my opinion and it is based on fact, it is not judgemental and nor is it being unspiritual, it is a straightforward case of disliking two people for what they did to another person who was an innocent young girl, in love and believing her new fiancé to be in love with her in return. It is in defence of a girl whose life was turned upside down by a man and woman who were despicable enough to betray her and use her to suit their own ends.

Think about all the commentary yesterday. How many times did we hear news reporters from all countries saying that this wedding was a true love match? They said it so often. Isn't every wedding meant to be? It was obvious what they were all hinting at. I am not alone in thinking this way and if that woman ever becomes queen of our country, I feel it will be the day the monarchy dies; it will be to me anyway. I will never accept her. I strongly believe if Charles is crowned King and tries to make her queen, that he will find the public outcry would be so enormous he would have to stand down and hand over to William or give in to what everyone says. It will be interesting to see what does happen.

Oh and by the way. For those in doubt, did you notice how the queen stood back when Camilla went to kiss her hello at the Abbey forcing her to curtsy instead and how quickly she moved from her? It was very publicly done and certain papers are talking about how obvious it was that the queen most definitely has not accepted her either.

I would LOVE your comments on this one. See what the majority feel about it. Had so many viewers already and only one brave enough to leave a comment. Anyone else? Please be polite though either way. Thank you

Stop Making Our Children into Wimps.

2011-04-22T08:31:00.007+01:00

Yesterday I saw a blog post where someone was asking advice about a 'child' being bullied at school. The so-called child in question was 17 - a young man in fact and no child. The bulling was because he is from a privileged background and is tall and good looking. The problem with the post? Everyone was saying to send the 'poor child' to counselling. Why for God's sake? For a start, he isn't a 'poor child' he is a young man and some of his age are off fighting wars. Tell him to face up to them and ignore their jealousy.

The same person whose blog this is also has a post about fairy stories. She says how she was reading one to her child and it was Rumplestiltskin. The mother was shocked at the story because it says, spin me blah blah blah or I'll kill you. The child being read the story thought nothing of it. At the end, the mother asked her what she thought. The child had loved it but said she'd poke the man in the eye - lovely, but then this modern day mum with her weird European type mentality so often seen today asked her daughter what she thought of the death threats in the story and had they upset her. Why did she ask that? Why put the idea into her head? What is the mentality like of today's young parents?

Today's world is becoming so sad now. No one faces up to anything in life anymore or has any backbone. We all cry if someone says 'boo' and want to sue them or need counselling for it. Schools teach that it isn't right to lose in sport and so some have stopped competitive sport altogether teaching tomorrow's adults that they must always be pandered to and not have to face up to the realities of life. God knows what our country is going to be like when this new breed of 'mummy's boys' grow up. Who is going to be able to lead our country, who will fight for it, who will be able to work in the normal workplace without them all having to be the boss because they were taught no one must be the underdog? The mind boggles and I feel so sad for the children with parents who teach them how to be wimps and weaklings which is sadly, what they are bringing today's children up to be.

These modern day parents with their weird beliefs and attitudes are not doing their children any favours. They think they are being so modern thinking whereas in fact, they are spoiling their children and making them into under achievers because they themselves have hang-ups that they're pushing onto their children. Thank God I was brought up and lived in the real world where if we were bullied, which we all were, we got on with it and sorted it out properly. We had schools who didn't stand for it and the parents of the bullies gave them a good hiding they wouldn't forget. Today we're told we mustn't hit children when they are really naught as it'll teach them to be violent. Really? Who told you that then?

To all you young parents and people with this mentality out there let me tell you something. When I grew up and children were punished and smacked (I'm not talking REAL child abuse here, I'm talking normal discipline) we didn't have the trouble we see today. Not one person I know has grown into a violent person because of it. No one I know has ever seen that happen either. Yet in today's world of non discipline, we have never seen so much bullying and violence as we do now. So who is right? You tell me. The facts speak for themselves so stop all this modern day nonsense. Stop making children into wimps who all need counselling just to get out of bed in the morning, let them be children with children minds and start discipling them like real responsible parents would. Only then can we maybe see our country start to get back to what it once was instead of the mess you're making it into.

SEE MY NEW INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS ON MEDIUMSHIP AND HEALING CLICK HERE

Lorraine Drunk -(ish)

2011-04-16T23:48:00.002+01:00

Me as you've never seen me before - and probably never will again. This was for my dear friend, Kathryn Brown, author of, Discovery at Rosehill. You can buy her book by clicking here. For now, here I am as you'll never see me again. I think this is a first and at 56 not likely to be repeated in a hurry I shouldn't think.

Oh, and you can buy my books on Amazon Kindle or Lulu.com. CLICK HERE UK
CLICK HERE US

To see instructional videos on mediumship and healing, please go to my other blog Lorraine Holloway-White

Vlogs on YouTube

2011-04-15T19:44:00.001+01:00

Today I broke into something new. I have started to Vlog. Yes, you can now see and hear me in all my glory on YouTube or on my other blogs. I decided to have a try at making a video as it's always good to put a face and voice to a name - it makes us more real somehow. The first one I did was explaining a bit about me for those on YouTube who haven't a clue who I am or what I'm about. It was a bit long, but then I did a second one saying about the first time I realised my 'smells' might be something different and not of our world.

I have decided it is great fun making them. I am a bit stilted at the moment while I get used to doing it, but given time, I'm sure it'll improve. I just hope all the American followers I have can understand my British accent! Always a difficult one that. I would love to hear what you think of my first efforts, so if you fancy taking a look, here are the links. Happy viewing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEY2Z3gPkTc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT8-UUrhSuc

Justice is Served

2011-04-11T09:40:00.000+01:00

This is rather scary for me, but I have taken the plunge and decided to write my first piece of fiction. It is interesting to find how much longer it is taking me to write this than all the other books I've written. Mind you, I say that, but the first 10,000 words were written in less than 12 hours. I have no idea if it's any good, or even if it'll get finished. I know where it's going and how it'll end, but I might decide it's rubbish and not take it any further.

Funny thing is though, I've had a few people read it already and they think it shows promise and when edited, they think it'll do very well. One even said it would make a good film. For now, it is a first draft and they are always very different from the finished article as all other writers will know, but, it's on Authonomy - well, the first 10,000 words are anyway and so if you want to see what you think, you can go and take a look. I would love comments - honest ones about whether you all think it'll work or not and whether I should carry on.

I'm nervous now!

NB:There is one person who will read this and want to say something nasty. I already know what you think so don't bother commenting thank you. You know who you are.

http://www.authonomy.com/books/32826/justice-is-served/

E-Books or Paper Books?

2011-04-06T07:56:00.006+01:00

Although we are seeing a huge number of e-books now swamping the market, I still think books with pages will continue. I can't see them ever being replaced regardless of what some people are saying. Those of us who are writers go on many writing sites where we place our books hoping for some decent feed back on what we've written. Whilst on there, we look at other books apart from our own in order to give feedback to those writers too. It is something we all do and it can help enormously when it comes to editing the book.

The thing is, there are an awful lot of books we come across that are dreadful. The story is weak, the grammar is almost non existent in some cases and they haven't a hope in 'you know where' of ever getting published - or have they? Now this is where we have a problem.You see with traditional publishing (well known publishing houses), there is a whole process to go through before a book is finally selected for publishing. The majority of books submitted to publishing houses are rejected for reasons I've stated and for a variety of other causes.

With e-books, the majority are self-published (mine included) and there is no one to decide if it should be or not. This means the standard of books we will be buying, and already are, is going to drop to a dismal standard. There are already books we see in the shops that amaze us by the fact they were accepted and this is going to happen far more. At least those books are written with a fair understanding of grammar and are edited properly, whereas we are already seeing books which are sometimes barely able to be understood. Not many yet I grant you, but they are there and it will get worse unless someone can find a way for them to go through a submission process as well.

In my opinion, I cannot see books made of paper ever disappearing. For holidays e-books are brilliant as it saves packing loads of heavy books that also take up room in a case, so I can see the beauty of them for those sort of occasions, but for me, they'll never be a total replacement. It might well be they won't be as widespread in the future as they are now, but I cannot for the life of me see e-books being the only way anyone will ever read again.

YouTube Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6dor7CfMKU&feature=related

YouTube Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlFXkwedYO4

It's That Time Again

2011-04-05T21:16:00.001+01:00

This is the time of year I dread. Wardrobe changeover. I have just taken all of my summer (yes, I know, don't laugh) clothes out of the cases where they've been stored for the last few months and refilled the cases with most of my winter clothes. Each Spring and Autumn this has to be done and I always say that in my next life, I intend having a ladies maid.

The reason I have to do this is due to wardrobe space and the amount of clothes I have. For several years or more now, my weight has gone up, down and in-between meaning lots of clothes in different sizes. I have kept on to all the ones that don't fit 'just in case' and to save having to buy more when the weight changes yet again. Well this year I have been ruthless and disposed of lots of the jumpers, skits and trousers that either don't fit or just aren't worn anymore.

My room is a bit of a mess whilst doing this and it always takes two days to finish properly. I started yesterday morning and have been so busy that it isn't quite finished yet tonight. I have been out a lot and tied up with others things, so it was a daft time to do it really. Anyway, one case of clothes has just been shoved in a cupboard until tomorrow afternoon when I'll have time to sort it properly. In the meantime e-bay is being swamped with various things too good to give away. If they sell, one thing I won't be doing with the money is buying more clothes!

2011-04-04T21:20:00.001+01:00

For Photographs and Card Reading - Donation of your choosing - minimum £20.00

I am giving a price minimum now due to time restrictions and the amount of time it takes me to do this type of reading. I also had quite a few people who were asking for paid readings and after receiving them not paying me. Sadly, I now have to return to doing it this way as I have learned the hard way. This was not done by any of the people I know or have met through my writing site. These were strangers who I trusted and who sadly betrayed that trust.

Please Click on These Links

2011-04-02T21:29:00.000+01:00

These are the promotional videos for my books.The more clicks I get on YouTube the better as it means they will rise up the ranks. Please click on BOTH of these links if you'd like to help. Thank you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6dor7CfMKU&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlFXkwedYO4

Even lovelier, would be if you shared these links on your blogs or social networking sites for me to help spread the word. Self promoting is hard work and we need all the help we can get. You know I'll promote you in return. Thank you so much.

How Dare I Know What A Blog Is

2011-03-31T17:28:00.001+01:00

Yesterday, I attended a private lunch where there were approximately 16 women. During the course of the lunch, one of them asked if anyone there knew what a blog was as they had heard of them but had no idea what they were. There was a wall of blank faces until it was suggested by another that I most probably would know as they thought they had heard I had one - whatever 'one' was. I tried to explain to them in very simple terms what a blog was; what types of people write one and the differing reasons for having them. In all, the explanation took about a minute maximum. After all, I knew they weren't the sort to be interested. Even with the simple explanation given, I could tell it went straight over their heads and they were completely out of their depth. Then because they couldn't understand anything, they started to snigger at me.

This isn't children I'm talking about here, this is grown women who should know better than to be so juvenile. Sadly though, this is the mentality of a lot of the people I have been mixing with due to my marriage. I was the youngest there at 56. The others were from their sixties upwards. Their ages aren't an excuse for their total ignorance of all things to do with the twenty first century, because I know an awful lot of people throughout the world of similar ages to them who are very computer literate and are working on them each day being very creative indeed. The ignorance of the women I was with is due to the fact none of them is interested in anything outside the small town they live in and most have never worked a day in their lives and have just lived off their husbands.

I was suddenly turned on by the majority there and sneered at as though I were a trouble maker for daring to be able to do the things I do. I was asked why I wanted to talk to people throughout the world and why I needed to advertise and promote my books. They called my books 'a little hobby' and basically ridiculed my talks and everything about my life - all because I dared know what a blog was. I then made a huge mistake by saying I was astounded that out of a room of 16 women, I was the only one who was computer literate in this day and age. Was I attacked for that comment!

The lunch yesterday proved to me even more just how much I have grown away from these people. I have distanced myself from the majority for some time now anyway, but I cannot sit with people who don't appear to have any active brain cells and who have no conversation other than the next coffee morning, lunch or dinner, which is the extent of it all. I know we are all different, and some of the women there were pleasant and do actually have things they do locally that keep them busy, but even they can't see beyond the town we live in. I am not writing this to be nasty about them as we all live different lives.

What I am writing it for is because of the fact I was humiliated and attacked - yet again - for being something more than a woman who is content to shop, drink and socialise. What is most astounding is the fact I have managed to be a part of it all for so many years. The days of me being permanently sneered at are over. I am through with most of these people and I won't be going to any more ladies lunches. It's the first one for quite a while and I think you can safely say, it's the last one for a very long time to come.

Everton, Liverpool and Manchester United

2011-03-30T09:26:00.001+01:00

Last weekend saw me fraternising with the enemy - so to speak. My sister would have been horrified had she been with me. You see, she is an avid Liverpool supporter and we had gone to Chester for a long weekend to see my husband's grandchildren playing football. One of them is on trial at Everton Academy - yes, you heard right - Everton. For those reading this who aren't British , football is soccer and Liverpool and Everton are two rival teams in the city of Liverpool.

But it doesn't stop there, it gets worse. On the Saturday, we went to watch more football and this time I was standing and chatting to a chap who works for Manchester United. He is quite high up with them and apparently often seen sitting with Sir Alex Ferguson so all in all, I wasn't doing very well was I? Mind you, there are those who would have thought it wonderful to be at Everton and to meet the chap from Man. Utd, but I have never been one to be impressed by such shallow things thank goodness. Had I been there the week before, my sister would really have been sick, because there was a Liverpool player standing watching them and she would have loved that.

I have to say, the standard of football from these youngsters was very impressive though and I am thrilled to have gone to see Jack (grandson) play there. I am sure he'll get signed to Everton if he continues to play the way he did when we watched. It's a lovely opportunity for youngsters as they get to play all the junior teams from all the other premiership league teams too. Dream come true for most young boys and they get a football kit identical to the main team given to them to play in as well..

There was a very amusing side to it all though. We had Thursday evening, Saturday and Sunday at matches - both football and rugby. Most people were walking around dressed appropriately for the weather, mud and the fact it was a football or rugby match and then you got the uniform brigade. By that, I mean the bleached blonds with huge designer sunglasses perched on top of their heads rather than over their eyes, skin tight jeans tucked into their boots, full make-up as though going to a nightclub, tight fitted shortie jackets and the continual parading up and down all the different pitches with a swing of hips hoping to be seen by anyone and everyone - in fact, looking total chav's and very, very sad.

The very manner of the way they were walking showed they were posing and not at all interested in why they were meant to be there. You see, we were in the area where premier league footballers are by the score and some players come to watch their children or nephews play in these matches. It doesn't matter to these girls they might be married, they just want to bag themselves a footballer because of all the money they have. Sad isn't it? Still, I enjoyed watching the youngsters and we now wait to see if Jack gets signed by the rivals to my sister's favourite team!

Lorraine Holloway-White

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Licorice or Lickerish?

lickerish - adj. lecherous:lickerish grins and dirty jokes or,

echerous:

lickerish grins and dirty jokes or,

lickerish grins and dirty jokes or,

Will Camilla Ever be Queen?

Stop Making Our Children into Wimps.

Lorraine Drunk -(ish)

Vlogs on YouTube

Justice is Served

E-Books or Paper Books?

It's That Time Again

Please Click on These Links

How Dare I Know What A Blog Is

Everton, Liverpool and Manchester United

lickerish - adj. l
echerous:
lickerish grins and dirty jokes or,