Interview Series - my interview with an Indie author

                         The Light Cannot Belong Without The Dark


I have come across many authors over the years, Jk rowling being one of my all-time favourites when I was younger, with my imagination running wild what better way to act out a childhood fantasy than through the Harry Potter series, with so many genres out there today there is always at least one book for everyone to get their claws into. What makes it even better is if you enjoyed a book by an author to then discover that there are plenty of other books waiting for you by the same writer you soon become hooked. This is where I would like to introduce Indie author BC MORGAN, I had the privilege to sit down with BC MORGAN and interview her over skype on her journey, how did it feel when her first book became published and what gives her the inspiration to write her books. These are the questions I asked and the answers Bee gave.

Q  When did you realise you wanted to be a writer?

A    I have always known I wanted to be a writer when I wrote my first poem at the age of 9, I then went on to write my first story at the age of 12.


Q  What was the poem that you wrote about at the age of 9.

A    The poem I wrote was about love, Bee decides to tell me this poem so what better way to share it with you than to include it to our Q&A .

                                      The poem was written by BC MORGAN age 9

If love is true, then love is here, I found my love forever dear, although my love has no idea, and thou I won't reveal thy  name,  I prove my love through thick and thin
and rain and sun, no storm to high, will keep me far, for my love is true forevermore.


Q  what was the story that you wrote at age 12?

A      It was about a girl who was kidnapped and locked in the basement ( BC MORGAN was laughing at this point)

Q  How long does it take you to write a book?

A    The longest it has taken me is 1 month and the shortest time has been 8 days.


Q   What is your work schedule like when you are writing?

A     Normally I will write whilst my children are attending school however, with everything going on at the moment I am writing in the evenings when the children are in bed and between my uni course.

Q  What course are you studying at the moment?

A     creative writing and English language


Q  What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

A   each chapter of a book has its own song and each book has its own playlist.


Q  Could you share some of these songs?

A    This girl is on fire which is from ebony child series, arms wide open which is dedicated to absolution the last chapter. Foo fighter pretender which is dedicated to my book pretender.

Q  Does writing energise or exhaust you?

A  A little bit of both, if I am in the zone then I can write for hours and lose track of time, if I am writing a scene that I am struggling with then it wears me out.

Q  How do books get published?

A   I went through KDP its a way to self publish through Kindle, You set your own price, in control of your own content and you get a high percentage of royalties. although royalties are not important to me to be able to write my own stories the way I want to tell it is the reason I enjoy being an indie author.

Q What was the first book that made you cry?

A   First book that I read that made me cry was thornbirds because the priest wanted to be with the woman that he loved Maggy but he could not. he realised too late that he had a son with her but then he died and couldn't be with his family.

(Sharleeigh responded to Bee answer) Wow, that is deep.

Q  Do you try to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?

A    Although my stories are all written with an original concept the genre will sometimes fit with what the audience is hungry for.

Q  Do you think someone can be a writer if they don't feel emotions strongly?

A anyone could be a writer but they couldn't just write any book.

Q  What type of writer are you?

A   I am a mixture, I write anything from paranormal to contemporary including dystopian and conventional relationships and reverse harem.

Q  If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

A   Don't let the fear failing stop you. There are people out there that enjoy reading your books so keep doing it for them and yourself.

Q   who do you base your characters on?

A    I based on people I know whether it's a full character or aspects of a character or personality.

Q  chose a book an o the book you have decided to go with what have you edited out of this book?

A    ( SPOILER)     I choose Pretender, there is a character in the book called Gregg, now if you have read this book you will know that he dies however originally Gregg lived and Nate died but the reason why their roles reversed was that my friend's brother is called Gregg and she would rather read about Gregg getting killed then reading about one of his sex scenes.

Q If you did not write, what would you do for work?

A  editing or formatting.
























Q  What is your favourite childhood books?

A   The Gruffalo, Room on a Broom and The witches


Q What one thing would you give up to be a  better writer?

A   Free time, I would give this up to be a better writer.

Once I had finished asking my question I finished this interview with,


Q  Where do you see your self in 5 years.

A   with a lot more books published completed series and new series.


Q  If you could say anything to your reader right now what would you say to them?



   PERSONAL MESSAGE FROM BC MORGAN

"Thank you for every book you have read, whether you are someone who reaches out to me on a personal note, joins into my group or follows me on Instagram your support means the world to me and I wouldn't have gotten this far without you, whether you're new to my BC MORGAN family or have been with me on this journey from the very beginning and the last thing I  would like to say is as an author the reviews we get are our lifeblood whether it is a single word positive or negative we can't make it without them. you help us be found by other reader and I personally need every review that I get so from me to you my black heart loves you. 
LOVE BEE x"





Eternal- Ebony Child
Decent- Ebondy child
Retribution- Ebony child
Survivor
Pretender
The never series
The never series
The Never Series

IMMUNE BOOSTING

                                              Ginger Lemon & Lime 

Tuesday morning, no better way to wake up than heading downstairs to the fridge to pour myself a cheeky boosting shot. My Immune- System is low, so for me, it can take a while to get over infections/ illnesses. I try to stay clear of tablets when I can and use organic natural remedies. A long time ago when I was just a little one I was staying with my Grandparents, I was suffering from a virus and feeling pretty unwell. My Grandmother came into the lounge where I would spend most of my time recovering with this cup, strong scent as she handed this cup to me. My Grandmother then told me to drink it, without telling me what was inside I tilted my head back pinched my nose and drank it. My surprise I actually really enjoyed it. My Grandmother was surprised but I always did like strange foods or drinks. It turns out that this drink was made with fresh Lemons, fresh Ginger, fresh limes and a little sprinkle off Tumeric. My Grandmother would call it her booster, she was right it certainly gave me a boost and I felt better in no time. I would drink a little with hot boiled water drinking it like a cup of tea, or you could put a little in a glass drink it without water like a shot, either way, it still does the same thing. This drink is a strong taste but if you love ginger like me then you will love this blend off Ginger, Lemon Tumeric and limes.

How does this drink help? you may ask,

Well for me anything natural/Organic is a plus because I don't like taking tablets, not if I can help it anyway, this blend gives me a reboot every morning, ginger booster starts my day, I feel awake more energetic and the kick of the Ginger sure gets my blood flow going ready for the long hours ahead, I take a shot off this every morning however I do have this throughout the day as well sometimes adding fresh mint leaves, waiting for the ginger boost tea to cool down and consuming this as an ice tea by adding in ice cubes. There are so many ways to enjoy this tea and I can promise you it really does not taste bad at all.

Ginger & Tumeric 

combination of the 2 work well together because they have been traditionally used to treat conditions like coughs, colds, body aches
 and indigestion when I have had Ginger and Tumeric together it has helped with sickness and stomach cramps, I wanted to find as much information that I could because even thou I felt the effects off consuming this drink I still wanted to know about the different ingredients used, I did however come across a study which showed that using Tumeric and Ginger together, both can help reduce sickness and pains. So perhaps it is not just me that experiences positive effects from using these two ingredients.

Lemon, who doesn't like these bitter fruit, a great ingredient for many dishes, used for homemade lemonade, I use these for my booster. Lemons contain a high amount of vitamin c, fibre and plant compounds meaning these nutrients could be responsible for several health benefits. Again I have been looking at a lot off information over the years and even spoke with health professionals to see if what I had already researched, was there anything new to add to this. I was told that lemons MAY support heart health, digestive system, weight control, help to prevent kidney stones and protect against Anemia.  I have been told a lot off the same things regarding benefits of these ingredients over the years, I have been drinking my booster for many years and I feel like it helps kick start my day, Always my go-to drink when I am down with a cold or virus, I believe there are so many great benefits. however, this is my opinion and I can only write what I have either been told or researched over the years. I would love to know if I have missed anything out, maybe one of you can help?  is there any other health benefits which you know is a fact? or even your opinion? 

 BOOSTER recipe

3 fresh ginger root
4 fresh Lemons squeezed
1 fresh Lime squeezed
pinch of Tumeric
( also fresh mint leaves, ice cubes, a pinch of cinnamon or cumin can be used or even sliced cucumber) not all at once but mix things up a little.


Slightly peel the ginger root and grate into the pan of water bring to the boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes, once finished leave to one side to cool for at least 30 minutes, I normally leave this for a fair while to absorb all the nutrients and flavours of the Ginger. Once finished I would use my sieve to separate the ginger from the water and then squeeze the fresh lemon and limes into my water, sometimes I will add some of the Ginger pulp to my drink with a little sprinkle off Tumeric. once put together I will then add to a glass airtight bottle and place into my fridge. I normally make enough for at least a week sometimes 5 days, and that will be enough for e to have my shots every morning and to add my mint leaves and ice cubes throughout the day or if I'm feeling cold or run down I choose to have as a hot tea instead. I enjoy spending the morning in my kitchen making this so hopefully
you will as well.

with love sharleeigh xx

t56

#IdontSUFFERinSILENCE

                             MONDAY FEELING



How is everyone's Monday going so far? This blog will probably be me speaking about everyday struggles, Sitting at my desk whilst the rain pours outside hitting against my window sill a little jazz playing on my record player and the sweet scent of misty watermelon candle flowing in the background,  have you ever just sat for one moment when it's all silent and thought about things in depth, when your mind works overtime, it's easier for me to write it all down step by step to work out the best actions to take to make things better again, everyone has struggles whether it's health, breakups, family law matters, social services, debt life can be a minefield of stresses, most people will look at me and either see a Closed book or a happy full of life lady who wears a smile every single day, however, this is not correct actually it's far from it I have my weaknesses I have my moments where I feel as though everyone has failed. I feel as though no one understands as though I am at war with everyone, fighting against the clock to make sure things return to normal because 6 months ago they were. Before this everything was perfect well as near to perfect as they can be.  now I'm trying to get that back, stress to me is feeling defeated every single day it plays around in your mind overthinking things, feeling drained and exhausted because the situation a person can be in. Stress can make you ill if you can't manage it right. A support network helps manage stress which helps me make peace with stress,
I am just an ordinary person with two beautiful little boys always busy and taking time to make sure others are okay, never thinking I would be sat here now explaining to myself where things went wrong. LIE  is the big key here to work out how to make all the wrongs right. because this is exactly what happened someone lied and I had to suffer which is easy to fix because the person came forward so that can be marked off, however, what if it's too little too late? this is exactly how things are now was too late these people had an opinion. People fail all the time when They don't do what they have learnt to do be professional. there are so many people out there going through such a bad time at the moment I needed you to know your not on your own. people suffer In silence because of guilt or feeling embarrassed whatever the reason and how stress is affecting your life we should be able to fight it together. I was writing this today for myself for no one to read it or to judge me but after realising I have nothing to hide or to run away from my blog is all about me the goods and the bads if I were to erase this now then I would be setting the wrong example I would be FAKE which I am not I was told not that long ago that speaking to a stranger sometimes helps more because they don't know you and easy to switch off and return to normal life. so by me expressing my feelings to hundreds of strangers because then I can switch off, I can return to my day to day life without worrying that I have upset someone or someone I know is judging me.Its been six months since I started writing this and for some reason, I switched off I went blank I lost all motivation, I did not believe in myself anymore and that is the problem if you can’t believe in yourself  no one else will, there are so many people today who feel alone, worried, stressed even scared and it’s worrying to think how many people today actually have support, Through my journey, I have met some incredible people who once upon a time did not have support struggled on their own self doubting their selves see life is a pathway and a lot of the time people Get stuck they freak out and change the direction. the problem there is they end up on the wrong path even through no fault of their own. just to reach out to one person and ask are you okay? It only takes a few seconds to ask that yes you may think it’s simple and easy but to others it’s actually the start to a new beginning  why you may ask, well that’s because a few years ago everything was bottled up so much over such a long period of time that I was never asked that simple easy question and then one day I was asked are you okay for a moment it was silent but for that one person asking me if I was okay made me realise sit back and think my reply was no I am not  it was then that I realised that actually I am not on my own even though  I felt I had been for so long, that was the start of my beginning he remains in my life to this day and has always been that  one person who can sit in a silent room but Just him  being there makes it a lot more Exceptable, I except that not  all things can not be fixed however you can appreciate life to the your best ability and work alongside things instead of against them, I am not perfect and I have messed up just like everyone else has but my problem is I hate on my self and can’t get over things unlike some people can, I could lock my self away and hide which I did do on some occasions when I thought it was easier to do so, it is sometimes good to take time to your self enjoy your self  find that inner friend in your self so it isn’t always a negative being on your own, I can be on my own and enjoy my own company doing things that only I like to do with out any hassle. But now looking back I believe I was truly blessed because in April 2009 my whole life changed for the better and Actually looking back now I actually lead a boring life because I’d prefer to spend all my days with my little darlings than by my self, life experiences can only make a person stronger He made me feel unconditional love, he made me feel worried, anxious he made me feel tired as well as so much joy and happiness he made me a mum and for that, I am truly blessed. Even the hardest times around our little bubble would never stop that feeling and bond a mother and child have it just makes the mother protect and fight that little bit harder and boy I certainly did that, and to think in 2013 I was blessed again by my youngest child, I always think what did I do to deserve them they are just perfect little beings, see self-doubt again. I could talk about my children for hours because together they make the perfect brothers look out for one another, the oldest sibling always looking after the youngest sibling, playing nicely together I could sit and watch them play for hours before I jump in and ruin it by being an annoying mummy, that happens quite often but I can not help my self lol. see if I were to say now if I could go back and change the past then know I would not because if I did then my little boys would not be here today I’d take it all again because I know they are my future, things happen for a reason and I would like to think good things happen to those who wait,  life isn’t easy and sometimes things get worse before they get better but life is how you make it I believe that now. No one needs to feel as thou they are on their own because you don’t need to be there is always a listening ear if you want it, but you need to want it first believe me it can take a long time to reach out but a weight gets lifted when you are finally ready all the built-up anger releases the weakness goes you finally find yourself again, don’t suffer in silence! which leads me to today things have changed not always what you expect or want things to plan out but it could be worse my little boys are10  years and 6years old and spend a lot of time with me they are proving to be quite the little charmers, both Blossoming in school and after school activities which I could not ask for anything more, they make me so proud to be able to see, I suffer from anxiety And panic attack’s often high drives me I am finding ways to chill and control them which is good and my support network is brilliant nowadays which it never used to be, see I did not want to go into the full depth of my story because I still now believe that I would be judge however just know that you don’t have to alone,  just taking those small steps at the beginning helps, it takes time but I believe things can only get better now it’s taken a long time to get to this stage in my life but I feel positive and loved and also understood.


A quote I like to say is
It’s okay to feel unstable.
It’s okay to disassociate.
it’s okay to hide from the world.
It’s okay to need help.
It’s okay not to be okay
Your mental health is not your personal fail


Anxiety, so many of us suffer from some form of mental health, is it just me or has there been a time where you could be sitting down watching the tv, or playing a game, even cleaning the house or outside socialising when all of a sudden it hits you, you feel as though your heart is trying to escape your chest, feeling every single beat your heart takes, palms become sweaty and feel a slight head rush. Yes, I have been there I was out shopping just at Aldi and whilst I was putting the shopping on the till it started, not feeling comfortable in my surroundings, Aldi being extremely busy did not help the situation at all. The heart was pacing, I could not sit still and I felt light-headed, I thought everyone was looking at me, a sudden feeling of not knowing how to breathe it was horrendous, luckily everyone in the store was amazing and helped me, kept my mind busy which also helps. I managed to leave Aldi and arriving home I cried to my partner, my partner just being there listening to me explain what had happened. He gets me and I  appreciate him so much for just sitting there and Listening. through my life experiences, there have been quite a few different events in my life which have caused a lot of pain mentally I know that all of us are different and handle situations differently but I would like to know that if anyone is reading this now and feels like they have nowhere to turn, I just want you to know that even thou there area lot off support charities out there, friends and family even wok colleagues, I am just a message away, I want you to know that I  am here to listen to.

I'm looking forward to finishing off my counselling course, I have always wanted to work with families, single persons. why do I want to help people may you ask?
well, the answer is  I want to offer my support that I  did not receive at the time and made me get to the place I ended up, yes I had support in the end but was later on down the line, it was not as easy as it is now to ask and receive support.



There are a few things I like to do which helps me, it may work for me but not for you however any strategy is worth a try. 1st thing I do is drink lemon and ginger shots, this drink is great for overall health, I will be writing my recipe and the benefits of this drink very soon, I drink this in the evening before bed with hot water I have been drinking this every day since my youngest son arrived on this planet. and I also take a shot on its own from the fridge in the morning. extremely refreshing with a little kick to it.

2nd thing I do, go to bed in the evening listening to 2 different hypnosis for anxiety and positive minds I mix it up a little and chose between Micheal  and Francis, can find amazing hypnosis on youtube as well which I listen to as well
3rd thing I do I switch of from Facebook social media early evening because, to be honest, there is always something negative that pops up I choose to watch comedy instead or I use my notebook to reflect and write things down, or you could find me on my laptop, I  always have something I want to write down for my blog, I always find my self in my children's art cupboard going for the coloured pens, I am really into my adult colouring book at the moment I can spend hours, music on in the background whilst I am colouring in, its satisfying when you actually finish the full picture, I even take this time to have my two little boys involved with arts and craft, building tunnels, dens, colouring or painting we have so much fun making a mess, just small things like this keeping your mind active it really does help.

also please remember if they actually care about you then they will always understand that when you are having an of day,  and rather have some time to your self it does not mean you don't care and not interested in your friendship or relationship and they will wait for you to be ready, without giving you a lecture.

remember DO YOU, everyONE else can wait

all my love sharleeigh xxx

Mylee experience (beauty at home)

When you have bitten your nails for so long it does not matter for what reason but for me, it was always a comfort, I have always been a bitter due to stress to the point where there was literally no nail left so I would start on the skin around my nail. Yes, it hurt, very uncomfortable and sometimes too sore to even use my hands for everyday tasks such as washing up. I have tried all sorts off remedies such as nail dip which was disgusting in the mouth however that did not help. wrapping my nails in plasters which throughout the day would just get wet and peel off, it has been a battle me against my nails for so many years however I always wanted pretty hands, you know ladies hands soft to touch and pretty to look at. that was my end goal, so to achieve this I had to change my mindset think of this in a different approach, I started to put a clear Helly Henson nail strengthen gloss all over my nails and for some reason it also helped me stop biting my nails. Once my nails had become stronger and more visual I started to have just acrylic over my nails which were strong so no biting into them, it took a while however after around 4 months I could start using gel polish and even gems to make them pretty which was amazing. I would go to have infills or to change my nails completely, I know a lot of people go to the salon to have their nails done because it is some pamper time to relax for a little while and leaving with beautiful hands. that's exactly why I carried on going because it had taken me nearly 26 years to get my self out off this dirty habit of mine, so now being able to show my hands off looking the best they have in many years had a positive effect on me.

 

For many reasons due to work commitments or my appointment being cancelled at the last minute, this would go on for a while I decided to have a look into purchasing a home nail kit to practise what I have watched over the years and to start doing my nails at home, I came across a company called MYLEE, the website itself was easy to follow, with so many kits to purchase which for me was great because I needed everything to get started, I  decided on the kit which encluded
Mylee pro led lamp
nail&cuticle oil
gel remover
nail prep&polish wipe
top coat&base coat polishes
plus 8 gel polish colours which were highly pigmented and the colours are stunning
nail file&nail buffer
nail pads 

Everything I needed to start doing my own nails at home, easy to purchase and once I did this I just had to wait for it to arrive. My Mylee kit arrived just in time for Christmas 2019, well packaged when my kit arrived,  unboxing my Mylee kit I see the instructions inside the box which was easy to follow, the hardest bit was choosing the colours I wanted to apply to my nails. I decided to use ocean deep blue and seashell on my nails. So to start you use the nail cloths and the prep and polish wipe to clean your nails giving you a clean base to work with, once completed this step use the file to give your nails your desired style, I like the oval shape which I did, then I used my nail buffer to smooth over any sharp edges and to smooth my base, then I plugged the Mylee led lamp in and on the back, there are 3 settings 15 seconds, 30 seconds and 60 seconds, so what I did was apply the base coat and put into the lamp and put on for 30 seconds, this also says in the instructions book that 30 seconds on all applications accept the last application which is the final coat and that's the topcoat clear gel. So putting my hand into the lamp waiting 30 seconds before removing my hand and applying my chosen colors applied one coat before putting back into the lamp again waiting for 30 seconds, I do normally apply 3 coats off my gel color, once I finish applying my colors I apply my topcoat making sure I cure it at the tops and edges I then put back into the lamp, however, this time I put on for 60 seconds,  sometimes once it's finished I do put them back in for 15 seconds for that extra time however you don't need to, once finished try not to touch anything as they are still tacky which is why you need to clean over your nails with the nail prep&polish wipe this will remove all tackiness and leave your nails super shiny and as high quality you would receive if you attended the salon. When you have finished your nails you then use the nail and cuticle oil which moisturize nails and cuticles, do you know that applying cuticle oil can increase your nails, stimulating nail growth, it can also protect your nail and cuticle against trauma. Oil can also help improve the health and appearance of your nails as well, which is always why you apply at the end. Once you have completed your new set of nails at home, that and it also gives a shiny finish to your nails. I also do my toenails as well, the lamp is wide enough to place one foot in at a time which is great because why stop at just giving your nails a pamper when you can have matching toenails as well. The Mylee kit has been a great small investment to my beauty routine as well as saving me money each month as I was spending between 25-30 pounds each time I visited the salon but they last just as well as if I was having my nails done professionally, my toenails last anything up to 4 weeks which is crazy because of they last longer with myself doing them than when I was having them done professionally however I have only had my toenails down once for that period of time just so I could give my honest review, I  normally leave my toes and my nails for a period of 3 weeks before I do a fresh set.

Mylee has so many different color options, Christmas colors glittery and pastel colors, colors for spring and summer which are highly pigmented and stunning colors.
whilst I was looking on the Mylee website I thought it was just a company that offer nail products however as I scrolled down further I came to the  brow&lash tint and waxing products, I have not purchased the waxing products just yet however I did purchase the brow&lash tint, I have not tinted my lashes but I have tinted my brows, you get everything needed in the set which contains

brow&lash tine activator
brow tint
mixing dappen and small glass dish
2 tint brushes 

Once my set arrived I did do a 24-hour test behind my ear and waited to see if I had any reactions which I did not so I was happy to go ahead and apply, there are instructions which you can follow but it was pretty straight forward, I have very small brows which don't ever seem to want to grow however this tint gives my brows more color and looks a lot healthier, my brows last anything up to  1 week to 2 weeks but if I feel they are looking lighter I just re-apply, this has also saved me a lot of money and time because now I don't need to wait for an appointment because I can achieve this at home with only a couple of simple steps. I highly recommend Mylee if you want to save money in the long run, or if your someone like me that gets bored off there nail color easily or even if you want to add something special to there beauty routine, then Mylee is the brand for you. I would like to take this time to let you know that I am no way at a professional level, just shareeligh who loves to gel her nails. I do like shopping around for high-quality thou so maybe this will help even just one person who is addicted to their nails but sick of paying high prices. achieve the nails that they want.

cheers guys for reading xxx