Tags
A Miranda Sings award, Etopia Press, London Jewel thieves, Regency, Sally G Cronin, Shehanne Moore, Splendor, The Starkadder Sisterhood
AWARD: The Miranda Sings Award – A chance to say I Love Me! https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2017/09/24/award-the-miranda-sings-award-a-chance-to-say-i-love-me/
Here are the rules of the award...
- Announce your win with a post, and link the blogger who nominated you.
- Include the featured image on your blog post.
- Nominate 10 bloggers (or as many as you can think of) and link your awardees in the post.
- List 7 things you love about yourself. (This can be about your appearance, your personality, your achievements, etc.)
Rules
Donโt use negative connotation (i.e. Donโt say things like โ โIโm prettier than an average person.โ or โPeople have told me Iโm smart.โ You are pretty. You are smart.)
Mrs Ferret:ย ย ย Beggin’ your pardon your ย furryship creatures an’ meanin’ to give no affront.ย or that, but I thought it was seven things about me?
Mrs Ferretย :ย Well, I must say, again meanin’ no disrespect, ย it’s not whot was agreed.
Mrs Ferretย ย ย ย :ย You won’t be doin’ no Cossack dance, nor drinkin’ no vodka here. ย Beggin’ your pardons and meanin’ no affront or that, not unless you wants ter meet with me broom handle and be swept out into the doostbin you won’t.ย And you won’t be bullyin’ me like you did that artist hero of Shehanne’s whot came here and never got a word in yet. Now then . Three things about me that I like.
- Well, contrary to the many words what are spoke about meย
I’m secretly very soft hearted, soft-hearted as any can be whot has been left ter fend for themselves in a bitter, ย hard, cruel world, one step away from the workhouse at sixteen with a sister and young brothers ter support. You can ask Splendor herself about me soft heart.ย But I got a good nose for sniffin’ out whot people are inside. I can always recognise another servant and I will look out for them. I just won’t be taken a loan of is all. But if I see someone needin’ a helpin’ hand, well, I think I can be counted on.
2ย I love that I like people, people whot are interesting. Them that might have secrets. But I aon’t no gossip.ย The things I could have told Stillmore about his ‘wife’ and her friend–cos, meanin’ no affront but I reads the newspapers and I knows about that Sisterhood lot.ย But I never. As for the goings on of him at Catterton whenever he deigned to visit …..
ย ย I was discreet. As for me figuring out they wasn’t really married, he must have thought I stitched up the back of me mob cap.
3 I know I may only be a servant but I am very good at me job, unlike some I could name whot drinks on the job, I see everything runs like clockwork whotever house I am in, Catterton,
or His Grace’s place in London.ย That’s because I take pride in knowing whot people want. Of course, meanin’ no affront and provided anyone would have had me. it would have been nice to have hadย me family roundabout me and a man to love me, but families require keepin’ and it really isn’t easy for women of my social class that way, as I found out when my husband left me.ย
Thank you very much for letting me come by and getย a word in.
ย I am going to giveย you with the names of some bloggers. It would be more but Sallly has already bestowed the award on many whot come here and might like doing this kind of thing. Not everyone accepts awards. Though if YOU would like doing this, please do feel free. Meaning no disrespect but that you’re not here is probably on account of Shehanne not having time to look all the links up.
Catherine Cavendish http://t.co/NekQqtJiEc
Purva Narang.ย https://t.co/WUn4iLM0b3
Jean Leeย –
Sarah Potter http://sarahpotterwrites.wordpress.com/
Annika Perry http://annikaperry.wordpress.com/
Leslie Noyez http://www.nananoyz5forme.com/
Aquileanaย http://aquileana.wordpress.com/
Christy Birmingham https://whenwomeninspire.com/
Extract…Mrs Ferret first raises her lovely headย ย
So Splendorโs death hadnโt happened. Instead, the front door had swung open, because there werenโt any rugs on the flagstone floor to stop it. Splendor thought that was why the door didnโt just swing open, it almost removed itself from its hinges and careered across said floor. Before she was anywhere near it, which was not always the case. Penetrating cold blew out, not in. The sun hadnโt just gone behind a cloud on a nice day, Arctic winter had followed.
Ferret was an unfortunate name. The woman herself had the appearance of having dropped a guinea and found a farthing. Some people were so devoid of the desire to better themselves that they dressed in pinched black to match their expressions. Splendorโs desire was to show his majesty how unfazed she was by this rapid and unprovoked downturn in events. London and Babs Langley. She fixed a smile on her face. Her best.
โYou will pardon me, Your Grace, openinโ door in advance of you ringinโ.โ Mrs. Ferret ignored the smile and her. โBut Bates told me you was here. And had brought company. Young ladies.โ
Was it a crime to be one? Splendor had never thought so before. But the look Mrs. Ferret failed to cast her said her education was sadly lacking that way.
โYes.โ Stillmore strode over the stone threshold into the pale white hall. โMy wife and her friend.โ
โWife? Wife?โ Mrs. Ferretโs voice rose. โMr. Bates never said nothing about no wife.โ
Stillmore stared at the ceiling. โPerhaps because heโs not married to her. Well. It happened, whether Bates said so or not. If I say she is, it should be good enough.โ
Splendor swung her gaze around. โYou mean, you take my getting out that cart as assentโ?โ
โOh, sir, I never meantโฆโ Mrs. Ferret interrupted. โOh bless me no. I mean, I wouldnโt, beinโ mindful of me position hereโn all, dream of offerinโ an affront. Excuse me, Your Grace.โ
Mrs. Ferret touched a feeble hand to her breast, as if she wouldnโt take issue with him arriving on the doorstep with a two-headed hamster and saying heโd married it.
โWill I just show her downstairs, same as usual, Your Grace?โ
โI will do that. Thank you.โ
As usual? Splendor turned her gaze back, swallowed the hot tide that rose. Thank God in some ways. Remove this old bat from the equation and Catterton House might have her otherwise. From the outside it looked like a two-roomed cottage with a tower that stood like a sentinel. Inside though, it was a completely different fish. A whitewashed palace, with steps leading down to other levels that were set into the steeply dropping cliffside. It would be private here. The kind of place Topaz would be safe. The kind of place they could both hide.
Not if it was home to his women. Not when sheโd thought London.
โBut, of course, Your Lordship Grace.โ Mrs. Ferret curtseyed so low it was a miracle she didnโt keel over on the flagstone floor. โAnd what about the otherโฆlady, sir? Will she just be left sitting out there in the cart, while youโฆyou know?โ
โYes. No. Iโฆ I meanโฆโ Splendor burst out before she could stop herself.
โNot at all,โ Stillmore said. โShe will be coming in here. But would you have a problem with that, Mrs. Ferret?โ
โNo, Your Grace. All I were doing was asking.โ
โWell, donโt.โ
โFine then I wonโt. Iโll just go tell Bates to start peeling the vegetables for lunch. A light one will it be, Your Grace? Or do your guests require stuffing?โ
The only thing he hates more than losing at chess is marriageโฆ
ย For Splendor, former servant to the Londonโs premiere jewel thieves, the Starkadder Sisterhoiod, pretending to be someone else is all in a dayโs work. So when she learns of a chess tournamentโa menโs chess tournamentโwith a ten thousand pound prize, pretending to be a man is the obvious move. The money will be enough to set her fiancรฉ up in his own business so they can finally marry, and more importantly, itโll pay off her bills and keep her out of debtorโs prison. But she doesnโt plan on her opponent, the rakish Kendall Winterborne, Earl Stillmore, being a sore loserโand a drunken one, at that. But before she can collect her prize, she finds herself facing the most merciless man in London across a pair of dueling pistols at dawn. Chess may be Splendorโs game, but sheโs never fired a pistol. And dressed as a man with ill-fitting shoes on the slippery grass and borrowed glasses that make it hard to see, sheโs certain sheโs finally tipped her own king.
ย Bitter divorcee Kendall Winterborne, Earl Stillmore, is the tonโs most ruthless heartbreaker. And heโs got three pet peeves: kitchen maids, marriageโฆand losing. So when he realizes the โmanโ opposite him has entered the chess tournament under false pretenses, heโs in the perfect position to extort the little chit. But thatโs before the exasperating woman begins to slip beneath his skin, and soon all he can think about is slipping beneath her skirts. But the confounded woman is engaged to someone else, and worseโsheโs nothing but a former kitchen maid, just like the one that lured his father into the marriage that ruined the family name. And his ex-wife taught him more than he cared to know about why marriage was the worst kind of checkmate of allโฆ
That raised many chuckles ๐ And how clever to include the reference to a hamster dude in the book, even if two headed! ๐
LOL I take my cue from Hitchcock who always made a cameo appearance in his films. I get a hamster ref in somehow. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Wow. You clever hampSTARS- what a great take on this. really fun enjoyable and full of insights. Now I am sweating over mine to match yours!!!!
Paul… you will do brilliantly. So take the chill pill. No-one was expecting me to answer these questions.xxx
Meaning no offense, dear lady, but *I* was – and still am. ๐
xx,
mgh
Lol……. I’m a secretive soul with no desire to bore xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Congrats on the “love”-ing me award. Sweet idea! So nice to read about a secondary character who demanded to be reinstated. I thought that so interesting. I appreciate the dudes for spotlighting Ms. Ferret; can’t wait to meet her between the covers of your book.
Lol Ann, you know she’s not the first secondary I wiped entirely who refused to budge. Morte originally died in chapter one of the Writer and the Rake and I do still have the half of Splendor which is totally Ferret-less but grinds to a halt. The thing was she just sort of appeared half way through and I actually couldn’t see the real reason for her at all but it got to a point where I did see the reason, so that new half was the one I then removed. It is really funny how you throw something on a page and you don’t really know why and then chapters later you see there’s why. I’ve actually got a bit like that right now and it is going to dig the heroine out of a hole big time but at the time when I wrote about this earlier I couldn’t see the reason for it. The dudes of course broke their little hearts having Mrs Ferret. You’re an angel so you are. Lovely to see you my darling. Missed you xxxxx
Ah, the mysterious writing process! Why do we do it? Surely there are other, less demanding ways to drive ourselves crazy.
Oh, I loved Mrs Ferret in the book. Even your minor players leap off the page, Shey. And as for green hats ….. well, ’nuff said!
AH knows you got a thing for mah green hat and I wis going tah say so before Iah got tole’ off for doin’ the award all wrong.
Love Bobby B.
Kate… aw always, way too kind. I did enjoy writing Ferret and Mrs. Hanney too. They were both different kinds of awfulness where others were concerned. And as it turned out I couldn’t do without Ferret. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Reblogged this on Smorgasbord – Variety is the spice of life and commented:
Shehanne Moore takes up the cudgel.. I mean challenge of responding to the Miranda Sings Award and does so in her usual style (with Hamstahs in fur hats threatening to do a Cossack dance) and being modest has passed the task to Mrs. Ferret part of the ensemble in her novel Splendor… very entertaining as always and feet up and coffee and indulge. #recommended
Lol Sally, I was so busy popping over to look I forgot to say thank you here xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
hugs xxxx
Sally, my wonderful friend, thank YOU xxxxxxx
What is that on Count Prickula’s head? No wonder he thinks you are treating him badly… ๐
Best wishes, Pete. x
Well Beetley, that’s a blue hat that was actually knitted for him by a guest to the blog. Yep. This lady knitted a pile of hats for the dudes and she addressed the parcel to them care of me. I did but wish I had a camera to hand the day the postman delivered that one…
How nice of her to do that. I think he would prefer the hood of his cape though. (At least that’s what he told me… x)
yes…he is getting quite ‘prickly’ about it….. x
Ah that Mrs. Ferret! Thank you for the shout out, hammies – even if it was in the negative! ๐ Thank you for the positive shout out, Shey ๐ Must say I love ‘Moons and Junes and Ferret’s wheels’ – made me laugh!
Yes…that Mrs Ferret! A delightful lady in so many ways. And never mind the dudes. Mrs Ferret chose you! I think they must blog the ferret’s wheels more often xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Mr Militant xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx for the reblog https://t.co/9AD6OMViAq
OMG Shey! How do you manage to make all of your posts so original and funny? Now I see that you’ve nominated me for this award. Many thanks ๐ …Can I think about it and not commit myself at the moment? If inspiration strikes, then a post will happen sometime soon or in a few months’ time. I’m not that good at slamming stuff out at speed at the moment, but am presently recharging my batteries, so you never know. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Listen ,, I will not be the least offended if you don’t do the award. I know how busy you are. I wanted to do it cos I thought I could tie it in with the Ferret post and it would be interesting to let a character…a quite awkward one… have a go at some of the questions. I never like answering question re myself !! That was why I got creative x
Perhaps I might get Joe Buckell, the mouthy mod gang leader from my novel “Desiccation” to answer the questions, or Percival Poodle, the deranged entrepreneur from “Noah Padgett and the Dog-People”, who has been likened to a certain president in one of its reviews. The exact words the reviewer used was “the above-the-law villain Percival Poodle may remind some readers of a certain plutocrat some of us would like to offload to another dimension…” The trouble is that I don’t have any pictures of these characters to go with a post. Maybe I can come up with a sketch instead. We’ll see x
I never like talking about me so yep getting a character on was a life saver. Also it shows a diff side of them as well as being a bit diff. So yes you could. you could even do more than one character. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
“Some people were so devoid of the desire to better themselves that they dressed in pinched black to match their expressions”: I love that description….
Excellent to learn about Ms Ferret. I know that Splendor dislikes her…. But I got to say that found her fascinating. Congrats on the award! very well deserved. Hugs. ๐
Angel, that is a comment to treasure. Truly. You know my jaw just drops at your amazing work. So thank you. Actually Mrs Ferret and Splendor forge the most unlikely ‘friendship’….in as far as anyone can form a friendship with this Mrs Ferret because she is bloody murder. Underneath everything though she so sees people for who and what they are and she knows who will be the making of Stillmore. So when she tries to help Splendor have what Splendor thinks is right at that point but is wrong, Mrs. also tries to make her chose differently in that beggin’ your pardon way and when Splendor won’t because she can’t, Mrs. still helps her in ways that make it all turn out eventually. So I am glad you found her fascinating because I never ever want to create characters who are beyond redemption. I did love creating her because we all have sides xxxxx.
Your words mean a lot to me, dear She! Thank you. And, needless to say… I plan to post about this
special award anytime before 2018 (alongside other awards)… I didnยดt mention it… because I noticed I was nominated later on! ๐ So grateful.
xx ๐โฃ๏ธ
Your words are the ones that mean more than you can imagine. I know when it comes to awards that you do a whole post of them xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Dear Dudes You have really outdone yourselves with this awesome post. You mustn’t get big heads though or you won’t fit through the door of the chocolate house. From Sir Chocolate and Lady Sweet
Dearest Robbie,
So long as it is not that house you are taking to book fayre, we are good….and you will still like us…….
Love
the dudes
x
Shey! Of course I’m thankful for the award! And congrats to you on receiving it to begin with as so well-deserved. Mrs. Ferret is not Mrs. Hamster as you say… although there may be one of those too ๐ I laughed out loud at the term “your ferretship” ~ You’re so creative โค
Aw. nah, them dudes are that. Mrs. Ferret just calls everyone a ‘ship’ .. watch that last letter there.. all the time, I was hoping she’d call the dudes that same vessel and she did.xx
So, someone finally introduced a broom handle to the Dudes ๐
Love the hamster cameo appearance. I waited for that to happen ๐
Congratulations on a well-deserved award! Way to go! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Dearest Ines, ( we tried to write the e but we couldn’t )
When our skulls are broken. Our paws too. AND we are getting up a petition to ensure Mrs. Ferret does NOT have a permanent place here, this Is so not fair.
The poor broom-handled dudes
x
Oh dear, it is unbelievable what the mere mention of the broom handle had done to you! Be strong! โค
Inese, seriously, them there othah dudes, they were kindah what the average person might call them there fazed, but me with mah green hat’n all, not tah mention Wilbur an’ his, not sayin’ a damn thing, well we was just waitin’ tah take her broom hann’le and shove it where the them there sun don’t shine cos see, when it comes down tah it, HER comment was downright disreeeespectful.
Love
Bobby Bub….
Ps. Ah would not give that them there eenformation tah Shey x
Awww! Thank you for the mention. This post brings up a burning question about writing. I’m about 20,000 words into the writing of a novel. But I’m stuck and I’m beginning to wonder if I need to scrap the last 5,000 words and come from a different perspective. I don’t dislike what I’ve written–I’m just not sure where to take it next. Have you ever faced such a dilemma? If so, how did you handle it?
I face it every day every word I write, every screen I sit down at. Cutting through all the crap I handle it by going back to one basic, where is this character now, what would their response be to what has just happened, bearing in mind that their response will drive the other character to do certain things? I have twice recently taken books way back for different reasons. The Writer and the Rake, the focus was wrong. This one though…this one was a we are moving house mess, so I tried too hard to do what I never do . That was make up a plot. Me? Plot? When I stood back after I had put out Ferret, I saw my two leads were not speaking for themselves. So step back. Think of what your folks are as people, think of where they are and what they want and how they would now react and there is your story. xxxxx
And Ps ..never be afraid to bin… cos you will use these words another time in another way But ask yourself what is the stronger story in terms of these words in terms of focus ( sometimes little voices speak and sometimes they are right but sometimes it is just the creative goblins
at work, so you must hold to what is the strongest focus, not what looks bonnie in your head, )and if it means binning more, then hold these in another file x
oh and pps, I say that re the Writer and the Rake… that was actually a three month deadline with my back to the wall when I hauled that back to 30 thou words…. xx
PPPS… email me on contact with your work if you want. I am always happy to look at work with regard to focus. For every story told, another was smothered in the wings xxxxxxxxxx
I adore you! Thanks. Let me do some reworking and I just might do that.
I mean it. I don’t mind at all. Always glad to help xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Brill my friend! Love the way you’ve done this in true hamster style and with Mrs. Ferret. The dudes are so excited! Always like coming to the theater visiting here my friends! Yes dudes, that includes youze too! โค xoxoxo
Dearest Debby, we are glad we are your friend.
Love the
Little dudes.
Aw, I’m so lucky to have you guys for friends. Remember, I never want to get back on that dartboard! Hugs you guys! ๐ xxxxxxxxx
Dearest Debby…as if we , the dear little dudes, would… ever do such a thing.
The kind loving
dudes
Debby, I’d be very careful oh sister weapon. These dudes are like Mrs Ferret, Are they good? Are they bad? They are prob planning to pack their little dud oops dude cases and cross the pond to move in with you…..
shey xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
My darling, they are still in floods after the last blog and I fear there will be tears for many blogs to come although they did get into the swing of it with Mrs. Ferret. Of course they are hamsters….
Love yah my friend
Shey x
Shey, I don’t know how you do it! Those hamsters are a riot and will forgive much now I feel as hamsters get a mention in your books and even stretch to introducing Mrs Ferret…Many thanks for the nomination of this award, I really appreciate it. I’ve got a couple on the go but will definitely keep it in mind…๐โค๏ธ
Oh hamsters get a mention in my books. I make it my sacred duty to have one line about a hamster these days. But I don’t know it cuts much ice with them. They were too busy getting out of control today. You are very welcome to the award and no trouble at all if you can’t do it. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
remains a figure of inspiration, success is always for you
Arung. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx May it always be with you
Congratulations on Mrs Ferret getting the award. Just a sec, (gives the Russian contingent back their vodka.) She sounds like a woman of many hidden depths, I am warming to her. Love to you and the dudes. Adele xxx
(Snorts in vodka) Now then Adele, lovely to see you. May your weekend have a few voddies in it. Mrs Ferret is indeed a woman of considerable depth. I did love writing her and like that she would not be binned, so cheers to her I guess. And to you. xxxxxxxxxxx
Have a great weekend. xxx
You too xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I love Mrs. Ferret too! Glad she has so many fans now among your readership. xoxo
Lol, she is quite an awkward soul but I am glad you loved her. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Interview with a ferret and a Miranda Sings award https://bizmarc.wordpress.com/2017/09/29/interview-with-a-ferret-and-a-miranda-sings-award/ via @EslarnerZeitung THANK YOU Bizmarc for the reblog. Always so kind x
Eslarner Zeitung xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx for the reblog
Interview with a ferret and a Miranda Sings award | shehanne moore https://bizmarc.wordpress.com/2017/10/01/interview-with-a-ferret-and-a-miranda-sings-award-shehanne-moore/
Oh how wonderful! Thank you so dearly, Shey. Here’s hoping I can fulfill this award in the next couple of months! x