A Guest Post from Joseph D'Lacey - DELISH - A HOME, OFFICE & RESTAURANTALL ROLLED INTO ONE

This is my local café – The Delish Deli & Kitchen.

I come here for a mocha – and sometimes lunch – every Tuesday. All the food is prepared daily on the premises, with great love and dedication, by the owner Claire Hopkins. Ingredients are locally sourced and every possible taste is catered for by the ever-changing variety of dishes.

That, on its own, would be enough to make Delish a unique and special place. 

However, having been hooked by their luscious heart-starter coffees, I began to chat
to Claire and her staff whenever I came in.

One day, I left a few Black Feathers bookmarks for customers to take away. Some
time later, Claire and I got chatting and it turned out that she, and many of the lovely people who work in the deli, are fans of dark fiction. Next thing I knew, they were reading my books.
 

As you can see, the ethos of the place puts everyone at ease and could hardly come
from a more respectable pen…

The combination of comfort and a peaceful atmosphere creates a space where writing is not only possible, but a joy. Suddenly feeling I was ‘at home’ in Delish, I began to take my work with me. I get a lot done there.

One day, Claire told me she’d finished Black Feathers and loved it.   “Thanks for improving the quality of my life,” she said.  And I was able to reply, hand on heart and with a smile:  “Thanks for improving mine!”

So, if you get a mysterious waft of something delicious next time you’re reading a
story of mine, it might be because I wrote it in Delish.

Thanks again, Claire! (And from us here - a thumbs up )

Left to right: Beth, Claire & Tom

NB:  This post was powered by a
Delish mocha.







  

Joseph D'Lacey writes Horror and Fantasy.

He is owned by two black cats and
enjoys vegetarian food.

   Facebook: www.facebook.com/Joseph-DLacey
Twitter @JosephDLacey
Blog josephdlacey.wordpress.com/
 

A guest post from Jody Klaire - DUNGEONS & MANIPULATION

I love writing.  I spend a fair amount of my day lost in a dream world, tapping away as I enjoy doing what I love to do most.  My blog post is about the wonderful man who helps me to do this.

To give you an idea, I have a few health 'challenges' which make moving about (and life in general) a lot like building Rome in twelve hours with matchsticks: - Fiddly, impossible and likely to go up in flames at any second.

So, every week, I attend the Ian Griffiths Osteopathy clinic.  He is incredible at his job, but this post is to give him the big thumbs up for the service with a smile.  

As you can imagine, being treated for things that hurt is not something that most look forward to but Ian and Pat have me laughing, chatting and grinning from ear to ear.  Pat greets you like an old friend, she really cares about your day and how your week has been.  She always asks if the room is warm enough and loves rugby even more than I do!

When Ian comes in, he is completely focused on what's best for you.  His gentle way of treating you and his calmness earn your trust pretty quickly.  He listens to me jabbering on about my latest book ideas and answers my questions such as "If you wanted to cut someone's leg off..." and "What if..."

Yes, I know... but like I said, I love writing.

Pat is used to coming back into the room to Ian and I laughing over shared stories and daft anecdotes.  

So, to Ian and Pat, thank you for making my day so much brighter and fixing me up so that I can write! A big, big thumbs up to you!  

The second thumbs up is too the staff at York Dungeon, (@YorkDungeon).  When I was there in mid-September, I visited the Dungeon and the staff were not only helpful but went out of their way to make sure that I enjoyed myself as much as the others on the tour.  It wasn't always easy to get a wheelchair through the narrow doorways of a grade II listed building but the fact I did shows how much patience the staff had! So, to all in the Dungeon, thumbs up!   

The final thumbs up is to all the writers, agents and publishers who have offered their advice, support and encouragement to me.  It's inspiring to know so many people love books and are happy to share their knowledge.  So thank you! 

                             You can find out more about Jody Klaire on 

twitter @jodyklaire and via her blog:  

http://writing-community.writersworkshop.co.uk/members/profile/8018/blog