Thursday 29 July 2021

The Beginner's Guide to Loneliness Blog Tour

 


Today it is my stop on the blog tour for The Beginner's Guide to Loneliness by Laura Bambrey. You may remember I reviewed this one when it was released on Kindle ( if you have missed it you can Click Here to check it out.

Now this wonderful read is available on paperback and thanks to the book fairies over at Books and the City I have a chapter to share with you and also a UK only giveaway for your chance to get your hands on your own copy.

Chapter 1 Extract

 

True Friends Will Always Be There

 

Warriors Chat Group. April 30. 10.48pm

 

WriterTori: Guys, help!

Nathalie33: Hey Tori! What’s occurring?

WriterTori: Gah. Gah. GAH!

Nathalie33: Drama. Drama. DRAMA ;) Come on. Tell Aunty Nat . . .

WriterTori: Are Sue and Hugh online?

Nathalie33: Who knows . . . who cares . . . ?

WriterTori: Nat!!

Nathalie33: Kidding! Anyway, talk to me. What’s up?

SueSue52: Oi, Nat, you cheeky mare! I’m here Tori. Managed to place any of your articles yet?

WriterTori: No, and that’s half the problem.

Nathalie33: What’s the other half?

WriterTori: Paying my rent! My landlord is being patient, but he said he wants the money the next time he sees me.

SueSue52: Ah, the joys of life as a self-employed writer. I thought you were going to look for a part-time job?

Nathalie33: Nah, she gave up that idea to focus!

SueSue52: How’s that working out?

Nathalie33: How do you think it’s working out? Her landlord’s chasing her . . .

WriterTori: Jeez, thanks guys . . . But seriously – I’m skint. I have a million ideas for articles out, but so far, no interest. AND I’m struggling for rent, hence the landlord issue. Also, I haven’t been paid by puddle.com, even though I wrote six weeks’ worth of content for them before they went under!

SueSue52: Nightmare! Wish I could help you out, but with the twins’ birthday coming up and OH’s hours cut, we’re tight too. Maybe think again about getting that part-time job?

WriterTori: Cheers Sue, but I wouldn’t want to borrow from you guys anyway. And I don’t want to give in and look for a job yet. Would seem like admitting defeat . . . Anyway, this one opportunity has come up, and I need your advice about whether or not to go for it.

Nathalie33: Spill . . .

WriterTori: You know I don’t accept any advertising on the blog?

Nathalie33: If you did, you wouldn’t be having these problems. The Beginner’s Guide to Loneliness is so insanely popular – you’d be raking it in, especially after the recent publicity you’ve been getting. And don’t get me started on all the interview opportunities you’ve turned down . . . !

WriterTori: That’s not what the site’s about! The blog’s anonymous and I want to keep it that way. But, this place in Wales called The Farm made contact a couple of weeks ago. They run wellness retreats and they’ve offered me a spot on the latest course in exchange for a review.

SueSue52: What’s the course?

WriterTori: It’s a mixture of mindfulness and counselling, designed to teach people how to improve their mental health and wellbeing. You work on building authentic relationships, self-acceptance, with a bit of yoga thrown in there for good measure. They reckon my readers are their target audience.

Nathalie33: Erm, yep – I can see their point! So are they going to pay you?

WriterTori: No, but it’s a free three-week course that normally costs £3k, and they provide food, somewhere to stay and they’d cover travel costs too. What do you think? I’m not sure if I should go . . .

Nathalie33: Why the hell not? It sounds like it’s practically tailormade for you!

WriterTori: 1. Because the site’s anonymous! 2. Because it feels a bit like I’d be selling out.

SueSue52: The anonymity thing is easy enough to get around. Just contact them via the blog’s generic email address and say you’ll send ‘one of the site’s reviewers’. Stops them knowing that you’re the face behind all the articles.

WriterTori: Oh. Actually, that’s a good plan.

Nathalie33: And you wouldn’t be selling out by writing about an experience that could benefit so many of your readers.

SueSue52: Have you got a link?

WriterTori: Sure, two secs . . .

 

I paste the retreat’s website address into the chat for Sue and Nat to peruse and then slump back on my sofa. With my computer balanced precariously on my lap, I reach over for my glass of wine and take a gulp. It’s not just my need to stay anonymous that’s making me hesitate. The thought of sharing

my problems, face to face, makes me feel a bit sick. That’s why I need the Warriors’ second (and third and fourth) opinions.

I really don’t know where I’d be without this lot. Nat, Sue and Hugh have been my one constant for the past two years, ever since I lost my mum. Things got…desperate. I didn’t

have anyone I could talk to about how I was really feeling, so I went online and found a grief support group. Nat came to my rescue within minutes of me posting to the communal chat. We talked so much that we were clogging up the thread, and it was gently suggested by a moderator that we shift over to our own private message channel. We chatted for hours on end, and she was just amazing. I credit her with single-handedly saving my sanity that first week.



If you like the sound of this one then here is your chance to win your own copy by entering below.



a Rafflecopter giveaway

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