Nerd Church - The Writer Diaries: Relocating Cymru

If you're familiar with this blog, you're probably aware that I'm Welsh.

(If not, then how on Earth have you managed to miss that? That's actually impressive!)

We win flags, ok?

So it may come as something of a shock to you that in the past I've rarely, if ever, set stories in Wales.

Nope.

In fact, I was more likely to set a story in London than Cardiff - and I've never set foot in London.

History nerd that I am, I probably know more about London 150 years ago than I do London today.

Month in Review(s) - January 2019

January went by in a flash - and not the cool, Barry Allen, kind. (You gotta love nerd humour 😁)

I guess it's because I had an awful cold for half the month...? 😷

And aside from that, I've just been doing the usual, hectic, working-my-a**-off, stuff.

Nerd Church - Rebel Valentine 3: Revenge of the Roses

Is it just me?

No, really, is it me?

Is there something fundamentally unlovable about me? Am I undeserving of romance or love? Is that why no-one’s ever been ‘in the picture’?

Am I broken?




These thoughts are, of course, utter b*llsh**.

But part of me still kinda believes them.

Welcome to Rebel Valentine 3!


If you’ve read previous Rebel Valentine’s posts, you probably know where this is going.

If not, buckle up and prepare for potentially TMI. (I’ll try to keep it lowkey, but no promises!)

Nerd Church - A Few Ruminations on Perspective

You can see exactly the same thing as someone else... and somehow you both see it differently.

Sometimes that's because you were looking at what happened from a different angle - a physically different angle, where you literally saw things differently.

For example, videos taken from different angles lead people to believe different versions of events.

People see details that are blocked from the view of others, but in turn they lose details that others can see.

Nerd Church - Caffeinated Current Events: Dear Lord, the Breakfast (Brexit)

I swear to God. I swear to Iesu Grist. Wtf parliament dudes?! Wtf?!

Breakfast (or, as some people call it, Brexit,) isn't going too well, so I'm hear to explain in a caffeine-fuelled, (hopefully) satirical fashion!

(Note: these are my opinions, you can totally disagree with me, I don't mind.)

Yep, this is another 'Caffeinated Current Events' post - 'cos you lot seemed to like the last one.

(It's a little like Drunk History - only sober and present-day, so... not.)

Nerd Church - Media Overload: Quality, Quantity, and Diversity

There is more media and entertainment in our world today than ever before.

Even putting to one side the numerous web-pages and status updates that are published every single second, the rate at which new books, films, TV shows, songs, etc. are being created and published is immense.

Nerd Church - The Writer Diaries: I Need To Be More Patient With My Writing

I've recently started re-writing a story/novella/novel* that I started writing when I was a teenager... about a decade ago.

And I want it to be finished.

But I know that there's a butt-tonne of work to do to it (I'm basically re-writing the whole thing and making it less... melodramatic...  as well as changing the focus a bit.)

*It's been the length of all of these at one time or another 🙈

Nerd Church - Listen Up, 2019, We Need To Talk

Dear 2019,

We gave 2018 plenty of time and patience and care. And it still stabbed us in the back (and possibly some other places...)

So, despite the efforts of your elder siblings (years 2016 through 2018,) we're still standing, and still not giving up on hope.

But how about you make this easier for us?

Nerd Church - Why Christmas Is More Important To Me Than Ever

I love Christmas. I adore Christmas.

Christmas. Is. Amazing.

More than that, this year, I NEED Christmas!

Nerd Church - 50+ Things It's OK To Feel When You're Grieving

Grief doesn't care about 'should.'

Grief will feel how grief feels.

Nerd Church - Perfect Imperfection

I've written and re-written this week's Nerd Church post about a hundred times.

I've attempted several different topics, several different ways, and nothing seems to be right.

Month in Review(s) - November 2018

Maybe you should all just assume that it wasn't a good month, unless I tell you differently? 😅

It'll save a lot of time and make me feel like I'm whining a lot less!

Nerd Church - Seeing People

"Hang on," I told my work-colleague, then I strode off.

"Where are you...? There's nothing over there! What are you gonna do, get a taxi?"

"No..." I call back over my shoulder; why the hell would he think I was gonna get a taxi? We had like, five minutes to get back from lunch.

I count out pound coins as I walk. 1... 2... 3. I head towards the guy in the red tabard, smiling, "I'll have one!" I call.




He smiles at me, and I wonder how everyone ignores that smile.

How could you?! I've heard of smiles that light up a room, but his lights up the street.

"Thank you darling!" he says, his voice almost a song, "God bless you!"

This is the Big Issue seller who helped me get through at a time when life was darkest.

'It's A Superpower!' - A Discussion On Synaesthesia With Evelina From Avalinah's Books

Synaesthetes are basically superheroes. (I’ve decided. #DealWithIt.)


We have two or more senses linked together - for example, some of us see music, or feel colours - and we each generally view the world in our unique way!

So what happens when one Synnie comes across another?

And what happens if they both happen to be book bloggers?

Will they write the longest post either of them has ever written in a random ramble of awesomeness?



Welp, we’re about to find out! 😉

On Dora Reads today we have the amazing-ful Evelina from Avalinah’s Books - a fellow Synnie and all around awesome-sauce person! 😆

Nerd Church - If You Change Your Mind, You Know Where I Am

(Re: the title - yes, I spotted a chance to quote Panic! lyrics 😅)


Why are we, as hooman beans, so reluctant to change our minds?

Do we think there'll be some sort of moral judgement if we do?

Do we think we'll look bad or unintelligent?

Nerd Church - Hope in the Butt-End of the 2010s (or, the News is Always Awful, But We Can Still Smile Sometimes)

"Have you seen the news?"

"No... what's happened now?"

...We all dread it.

Because everything in the world just seems to be going downhill continually.

Month In Review(s) - October 2018

Argh. October.

October was pretty much like the previous months - stressful, full of family worries, and working uber-hard.

My grandparents are both still in hospital. Life is still hectic.

Only October also managed to give me the gift of about four or five different colds. I'm one of those people who get colds on a rotating-door type basis. 😷

Four Years of Blogging, Dearest Nerdlets, and Many More To Come (+ FREE Printable Bookmarks PDF)

It's Halloween, and you know what that means:

Dora Reads is four years old!

And yes, I'm gonna gush like hell. Cos y'know I looooove all of youuuuuuu!!!!!!!!!!!!

And I don't mean that in an 'OMG, I'd like to thank my fans, the little people' kind of way.

I MEAN I ACTUALLY LOVE ALL OF YOU.

Even if you've never interacted with me, never let me know that you're out there reading my words, I still love you.

Because you care enough to read what I'm writing.

And that earns you a v. special place in my heart.

A special shout-out to everyone who's commented, shared, chatted on social media, and generally supported me!

I've met some awesome-sauce friends over the years, and I wish I lived closer to some of you so I could give you a hug IRL.

Nerd Church - My Real-Life Ghost Stories

It's Halloween on Wednesday... let's make this week's Nerd Church spoopy!

Do you believe in ghosts?

I do...

Kind of.

(You know nothing is ever simple with me!)

Nerd Church - That Feeling When... Why Labelling Emotions Is Healthy (Ft. #Science)

(Warning: this post discusses mental health stigma, and grief.)



In the UK, there's a TV programme live on Sunday mornings sometimes called Sunday Morning Live.

(I know, right? How did they come up with that name?!)

It's a sort-of chat show with a moral/social/ethical/semi-religious basis.

It can be decent. It can be awful.

Largely I only watch it because before 1pm on a Sunday I don't exist beyond zombie coffee-drinker; my anger at the more extreme guests tends to help me wake up while the rest of the programme is still happily sleepy.

Anywho, last week, they were asking whether there's a mental health crisis in the UK.

Now, you can argue statistics and definitions on that one until you're blue in the face and unable to look at another decimal point or percentage sign for a good long time...

...but we can all agree that good mental health is... well... good.