Welcome to My World

Autumn light 🍂🍁 • I woke up thus morning in the middle of a storm. The scaffolding that now seems to have become a permanent fixture since the roofers disappeared, rattling in the wind. By 9 the wind had dropped and the sun was shining and I got my day in the open air, moments I cherish right now ❤ • [Alt-text: a tree in all its autumn glory against a blue sky] https://www.instagram.com/p/CHiZLPzgtLs/?igshid=1nak5dzb7wp56

Cheers to the weekend (I know its only Thursday but I have the day off tomorrow to wander around Georgian parkland) ❤📚👩‍💻 ••••• [Alt-text: Rachel holds up an Emma Bridgewater mug with a scene of York on it] https://www.instagram.com/p/CHf95okA4WL/?igshid=6gr0rc0y5oxo

Two years ago last month I started writing a book that was tentatively called Somewhere in My Heart. It was about a folk festival on The Isle of Wight, a missing rock legend (presumed dead??), a second chance at love and a song that means a lot to me. I had no idea what a labour of love this book was going to be, the conversations I'd have and the emails I'd exchange about it (thanks @bexiita_pole and her dad, @jacki.badger and her dad, @yogaandbehappy, @kateylovell, @lauren_c_north). I had no idea how long it would take to write or to find a publisher.....But today I wrote the acknowledgements for that book (which is now called The Summer Island Festival) and finished the line edits and its nearly there and I can hardly believe it! Some books are written in the blink of an eye and others take forever. Also I cannot wait to share the cover of his one with you as its my favourite yet! 📚❤👩‍💻🪕🎸🎵 •••••• [Alt-text: a laptop open on a desk with the manuscript of The Summer Island Festival open on it] https://www.instagram.com/p/CHazSVbgvP4/?igshid=hc4t1odkpkph

LOCKDOWN 2.0 DAY 1 // There is a chance that this planner may have been an optimistic purchase, but I'm a big believer in optimism. While I might not think the world will make huge changes suddenly on New Year's Eve, I am hoping by spring i'll be able to do a few things! How's your lockdown going....? I'm still shielding and still WFH so not many changes. I've had a headache and a nap and I've started doing some research into Regency Christmases for my next book which I must start writing soon 👩‍💻📚❤🍂 ••••••• [Alt-text: A 2021 planner with a blue flowery cover and a cup of tea in a blue china mug] https://www.instagram.com/p/CHN43Tig7zc/?igshid=7rdoco3uuiav

As it's November and it's been one hell of a year I think its time to think about Christmas. Who else is thinking wer may as well put the tree up now? Celebrations might be different this year but we always have Christmas books and films and you might like to kniw that my little Christmas book is only 99p/$1.99 in ebook right now. ▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎ Whats your favourite Christmas movie or book? ▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎ [Alt-text: a flat lay of a teacup and strainer, some loose leaf tea and Rachel's latest book The Tearoom On the Bay] https://www.instagram.com/p/CHIxi9oA6OR/?igshid=1winzjixgk0wl

LOCKDOWN 2.0 // it's been a tough year for us all, I hardly need to say that. But we only really perceive the world through our own experience and for me, as someone with multiple chronic illnesses who has mostly been shielding, the last seven months have been....a but too much if I'm honest. I've tried to stay positive and informed, I've read a lot and written two books. I signed a new book deal. Good things have happened. But that doesn't make it any less hard. I'm exhausted. •••• When the PM announced the second lockdown on Saturday, he made zero provisions for those of us shielding. He claimed this was for our mental health (because the choice for many between going to work and risking death or not going and risking unemployment will definitely help our MH 🙄). Im lucky, I don't live alone and u can work from home but the government don't care, and that carelessness drips down into society - I've been told by both friends and randoms that I need to be less anxious, to get a grip its only flu (spoiler: flu could also kill me), that im a "scared fatty" (wtf) and my favourite....the vulnerable should be locked up so everyone else can get on with their lives. We have lives too. We want them back please. So wear a mask, stay at home when you can, stop trolling disabled people and maybe that way we'll get through it together ❤ •••• [A picture of Rachel wearing a blue dress and holding a pumpkin] https://www.instagram.com/p/CHFQ8i_A94T/?igshid=1nghzzjsi0h2p

"Upon a time, before the faery broods Drove Nymph and Satyr from the prosperous woods, Before King Oberon's bright diadem, Sceptre, and mantle, clasp'd with dewy gem, Frighted away the Dryads and the Fauns From rushes green, and brakes, and cowslip'd lawns, The ever-smitten Hermes empty left His golden throne, bent warm on amorous theft: From high Olympus had he stolen light, On this side of Jove's clouds, to escape the sight Of his great summoner, and made retreat Into a forest on the shores of Crete." from Lamia by Keats •••••••• Happy 225th birthday John Keats and Happy Lockdown Halloween 🎃 •••••••• [Alt-text: A picture of Rachel's feet in grey boots standing next to a pumpkin] https://www.instagram.com/p/CHBB9e7A8FH/?igshid=1hy1g0pje7lfp

WEEKEND READS // GREEN TEA WITH ROSE // In The Tearoom on the Bay, Ellie uses dried rose petals in tea to help with anxiety....I think we could all do with some of that! If you fancy what I'm told is "a perfect escapist read" Tearoom is just 99p ($1.99 in the US and Australia) right now. Link in profile! **** [Alt-text: a cup if tea, a tin if tealeaves and a digital copy of Rachel's latest book] https://www.instagram.com/p/CG9kcdfgOxQ/?igshid=16tu0vfxugjnv

Real talk....I'm fed up. I think I'm on 228 days of shielding now and as we wait to see when (not if) Leeds goes into Tier 3 lockdown, I'm struggling to distract myself. The local lockdowns in Northern England aren't working yet still the government persist in them 🙄 I'm drinking my bodyweight in tea, reading and watching a lot of films and thinking about my next book which I'll start writing in December....it's a Christmas book set in a bookshop and I suspect it's the nearest I'll get to a celebration this year....How are you? What are you doing to distract yourself from the shitshow? 🤷‍♀️❤👩‍💻📚 ••••••• [Alt-text: A cup of tea in a blue and white mug sitting on a bookshelf next to the Oxford English Dictionary and Thesaurus] https://www.instagram.com/p/CG4Z9piAVW2/?igshid=12xsgbg8e4pez

I last had my hair coloured on 22 June 2019. I had a weird allergic reaction afterwards and was advised to take a break from colouring. The first 8 weeks were the worst and then after that it turned out I was nowhere near as grey as I'd feared and that my natural colour was darker than I remember and I had natural auburn streaks. Who knew? 🤷‍♀️ Last week I had the last of the colour cut out. My hair has never been in such good condition. Good decision, highly recommend ❤💇‍♀️ https://www.instagram.com/p/CGzODsmACqM/?igshid=15j39xp1e77bs

After weeks of feeling angry at the government and stressed by work we decided to take a day off and go to @ntnostell. I love big old houses and lakes and autumn colours even on the gloomiest of Yorkshire days and somewhere in the back of my head there's a story brewing ❤📚👩‍💻 (more pictures in my stories) ***** [Alt-text: a picture taken through a wrought iron gate, there are autumn leaves and Rachel silhouetted in the distance] https://www.instagram.com/p/CGnPKY3AZp-/?igshid=1dyrbh99stfqf

On Saturday I went into Leeds to get a haircut and pick up new glasses before Westminster carry put their threat to put us in Tier 3 lockdown (assuming at this stage their plan is to lockdown the north and forget about us like they have in Leicester 🤨)..... Anyway I'm now at that stage of short-sightedness 👓 where I need to take my glasses off to read. There was talk of varifocals but I am not ready for that stage of old age yet 😆🤓👵 •••••••• [Alt-text: a book of Emily Dickinson's poetry and Rachel's new red glasses] https://www.instagram.com/p/CGhICl1g95z/?igshid=1p2f6k1801gpr

Yesterday I finished the second draft of my sixth book. This is the second book I've written since March so lockdown/shielding/not having to commute has a silver lining! It's set during three long hot British summers - 1976, 2003 and 2018 - and centres around an old house in the country and a big family secret! It still needs a lot more work I know, but I'm going to read it through and then let my editor see it....I think this will actually end up being Book 7 because next up I have the fun task of writing another Christmas book 🌲🌲 But first, a month off to read and watch Gilmore Girls! 👩‍💻📚❤🍵 ••••••• [Alt-text: Rachel holds a copy of Great Expectations open against a white wall as the sun shines in through the blinds] https://www.instagram.com/p/CGZVt_-AEa4/?igshid=1ft9hmah8g4b

Autumn is here and I've written a blog post about balancing writing alongside work and chronic illness. I get asked about this a lot so here are a few hints and tips that helped me. Link in profile! ••••••• [Alt-text: Rachel's feet standing in a pile of leaves. She is wearing a blue coat and blue flowered dress with dark tights and silver loafers] https://www.instagram.com/p/CGRjbWlAV2B/?igshid=1i55egqjxwark

If you've ever been to a @t2tea or @t2tea_uk shop you'll know where the first idea of Ellie's Tearoom in The Tearoom on the Bay came from (which is called the Two Teas for a reason- sorry I'm not very original 🤣🤣). I first discovered T2 when I was in Australia and adored it and definitely saw it as a sign when a T2 shop opened in Leeds just days after I moved here. One day I thought how lovely it would be if T2 had a cafe inside.....and thus Ellie and her apothecary of teas were born! 🍵👩‍💻❤📚 ••••••• [Alt-text: a Kindle copy of Rachel's new book The Tearoom on the Bay surrounded by a variety of packets of tea and a burning candle] https://www.instagram.com/p/CGMjOIwAhtF/?igshid=qbpldg5mfwzg

I bought this Alice in Wonderland tea party dress to celebrate publication of The Tearoom on the Bay last week but apparently there's a global pandemic so it didn't come in time. But any excuse to celebrate right?!! 👩‍💻📚🎉🍵 •••••• [Alt-text: Rachel is wearing a blue and black checked dress emblazoned with teapots, cupcakes and playing cards] https://www.instagram.com/p/CGHQ2J8AJZk/?igshid=nvkntib31ybo

Today its time to reread the 75k words of Book 6 that I wrote over the summer and check they make sense before writing those last few chapters.....a lot of tea will be needed! In the middle of another binfire of a week I got some good news about this book the other day so I need to make sure its as good as I can make it! ❤📚👩‍💻 https://www.instagram.com/p/CGExuchAZNp/?igshid=d3whw3isw87h