Firstly, in case you haven't seen it, the best of the British Mummy Bloggers Hallowe'en carnival is being hosted by Hot Cross Mum. Head over there for some parenting horror stories!
In other news the Great Toy Guide just gets bigger and better. We have been testing reusable advent calendars. Those reviews are coming soon. You can now find the GTG on Twitter too. The Calico household tried some of the Tinti natural bath products, including popping bath candy. You can read my review here.
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Finally, I mentioned in an earlier post that I had printed out a short story that I had written. I was planning to take it to Word Soup, Preston's live literature night. Well, I took it last week and it stayed in my bag the whole night.
Last night I went to a mini Word Soup event. It was primarily a poetry evening, but other people read prose at the open mic. I plucked up courage during the interval and put my name down for a spot in the second half.
When I was introduced I stood up and made my way to the microphone. I told the audience that this was the first time I had read any of my work in public. I took a deep breath and read my story. Towards the end I struggled to keep my breathing regular. I read the last line and with shaking hands I folded my 750 words. The applause lasted until I sat down.
At the end of the night several people came over to tell me they had enjoyed my story, that they couldn't believe how confidently I read and that I should definitely carry on writing. I was in shock! Complete strangers were so kind and supportive.
I originally called my little story 'Halloween Party', but later changed my mind to 'Playing With Fire'. It is particularly apt for this time of year anyway. I'm delighted to say that it was published today on The Pygmy Giant and you can read it here if you like.
