The Ladies of Low Arvie - Living the Farming Dream

Hi Linda."
Thought your opening chapter very appealling and readable. I would find this a lovely "holiday read". I will continue to peruse the next few chapters but so far so good. My husband and I were in dairy farming. We met at Myerscough college in the '70's so have a thing or two in common. Lindsey J.

Linda I love The Ladies of Low Arvie - not only because my partner and I did much the same thing elsewhere and we were older - but because it is so joyously and well written. Backed without hesitation. My book Freckles the Fawn might appeal to you - very best wishes Balepy (Valerie)

Hi Linda: What a great topic. I loved the first chapter and I myself always wanted to be a farmer. I will read on. please take a look at You-Turn if you get time. Lynne

How brave of you to start a new life in your fifites, but how exciting and challenging. Well done you! Congratulations on your lovely book, it is a fascinating read which I thoroughly enjoyed. I doubt if I could ever get my 88 year old mother to move, she is too set in her ways. I think your book is delightful as well as your 'ladies.' I hope things continued to ge well for you. Backed. Eunice - The Temple Dancer.

Can't help thinking about all that picturesque scenery, the fields seperated by stone walls, little cottages dotted here and there, when I used to watch that old television programme ' All Creatures Great And Small' When you mentioned the cattle auction I thought of Siegfried in his crumpled old suit. All the memories of that programme came flooding back, so you describe Arvie very well. I wish you all the sucess with the Farm and the book, perhaps one day I'll see it on the television.
Backed with pleasure
Daniel Manning
No Compatibility.

There is a writer on here who calls herself "Ipaintwithwords" - that is exactly what you have achieved here. Your scene descriptions are superb - very atmospheric. I can touch to hills and misty weather. However, I think it would read even better if you introduced some dialogue early on in the tale. Backed with pleasure. Colin

thanks Linda have now read the two new ones!
:)
Diane
am going to check you out on youtube too

Linda,
i read all 8 and was taken in by your writing style. I was surprised at how late in the chapters you posted that the ladies arrived. I was hoping to read some adventures you had with the ladies themselves. What are their names? etc.
I think you can condense the pre farm story to a preface or prologue type chapter and then delve straight into the farm story itself.
The easy going narrative puts the reader at ease and ready for a good old fashioned tale about cows!
enjoyed what i have read
Moo to the ladies
:)
Diane

Linda,
Ladies Of Low Arvie Living the farm Dream, is a very touching story and simply written and that and the dream is what has appeal in this story. Not many of us get to live our dreams.
So the house was pink did you paint it? We have a beautiful pink Victorian here in our town and although people made fun of it at first i've grown to like it. I love the way you set up /describe the countryside.
Njoy
*moods and expressions*

I'm not one for reading non-fiction autobiography and I found the pace of this a little slow and the writing to heavy in explanation and detail. I personally would start it when they actually move in, the first 3 chapters feel like a preamble to main the event - anything that is particularly relevant e.g. the elderly mother can be slotted in through dialogue and flashback. But I don't write much non-fiction, so my advice maybe way off. Jake

Linda,
The Ladies of Low Arvie is an entrancing story and I look forward to reading the rest of it.
Nancy Kilgore SEA LEVEL

I would buy this!

Lockjaw

I loved the way the books starts about a dream. It is my wish that everyone pursues their dreams and catches them at least once in their lifetime. I can also see the appeal of living on a farm in the middle of nowhere in Scotland. It is my dream too to move to Scotland so this book touched my heart. I look forward to backing this book very soon. If you don't see a backing in the next 24 hours please contact me and I will rectify it.
All the best, Sana
Saffire Drake and the Three Keys

Linda -

The Ladies of Low Arvie - I admire your adventurous spirit. It's a great read, being taken along into the dream that overcomes obstacles and brings you such special relationship with the land and animals. All worthwhile. Thanks for sharing.

Backed, Pia (Course of Mirrors)

I liked this. In addition to the resonant title, it's a true-life story about regular people--people who dared take that last step outside the confines of easy society and took up the independent existence of rural living. As an American, I also appreciated the descriptions of the countryside, and the details about how you made do there and what you discovered. Barney the Owl was a favorite. Happy to back.
Niobrara Kardnova (Family Irregulars)

I will admit, the intro where you talk directly to "you" put me off a bit, and I struggled to figure out who the "we" was at the beginning of your first chapter. However, this is a matter of personal preference and says nothing of your writing as many people like that sort of thing :)

Writing wise, I am impressed by the literary value of your prose for this genre. The descriptions are great, but especially because they are not static. It all flows right in with the movement of the story, which has a great focus on the importance of place, which I think may reach your readers in more way than one. This isn't the kind of story I would purchase personally, but after reading the prologue and first chapter, I can tell it's a well polished piece that would appeal easily to your target audience. Good luck with it!

xBeccaX
The Forever Girl

This is a beautiful dream which you have shared with others. It gives hope and inspiration. My own mother is 89 years old so I know that you must have had such care in taking her with you and looking after her..
The descriptive style flows effortlessly. The farm stands out vividly for the reader, absorbing the attention.

The trials you went thorugh with out of date machinery as described in chapter five show just how courageous and determined you were to succeed.

Maybe some more dialogue would have helped to make it more vibrant. But apart from that ,well done.
This is an inspiration for others just setting out on their own journey.

Backed with pleasure,

Katy.
Phobic Dawn.

Hello Linda
It is obvious to the reader how much effort has gone into this delightful and entertaining work. You paint a vivid and endearing picture with your sincere writing.
Jane

This is lovely piece of writing...but the introduction is unnecessary, I think, or you could just work it into the story...

Hi
Thanks for the comment.

The introduction was inserted to please the publishers, who felt it was necessary. Someone else on here agreed with you.

Linda

This is lovely piece of writing...but the introduction is unnecessary, I think, or you could just work it into the story...

Hi Linda

What an inspiring story! Makes me want to drop everything and pursue my dream. Oh, wait a minute, that's why I'm here on Authonomy in the first place! Backed.

Nicole
Chosen

Linda, a fascinating memoir that can perhaps give some of us pause to consider whether a sea change is what we need. For me you'd do better starting at your chapter two, where the conversation really begins, but otherwise little to comment on.

Backed.

You've given us an appealing true story with believable characters and vivid settings. Confident narrative. Magical use of language. Assured writing. Backed.

Thank you for your comments and I am glad that you enjoyed reading our story. I know about the paragraphs and was going to do something about them, but have changed my mind. Yes, we do have people stopping by for tea and cake. One man actually said, when I opened the door 'You don't know me, but I know you' with my book in his hand to be signed. (The cheeky devil then told me he had bought it in a charity shop!) But still he had enjoyed our story and that's what i am all about. You might enjoy meeting us and the Ladies (who don't arrive until Chapter 20 of book 1) on our youtube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CR3q8I3ad14 if you haven't already found it.

Linda

What a smile-inducing philosophy you open with. As you then describe the rain-drenched farm I can hear you warming to it, 'patchwork of grass that grew on the higher drums ... broad-leaved woodland where the burn flowed under the road ... bright yellow flowers of kingcup'. Aside from the recurring mention of pink, it is starting to look appealing. That must have been quite a moment: 'unable to think of anything remotely sensible, except that we had a farm'. Coincidences, I see them as fate too. The water questions are apparently cleared up, and the money appropriately juggled. Elderly relatives are a thornier problem. I'd never heard of the Abbeyfield Society...

Some true life stories are just a delight in that they are about positive things, about dreams and ambitions, and overcoming hurdles. They pull you in and make you just a little bit envious, but mostly pleased to share in the achievements of people who come to feel like friends. You'll be having readers dropping by for coffee :^) Thank you for a very enjoyable read, Linda ... backed.

Possible nits: Perhaps break up some of the longer paragraphs to make reading easier.

What a wonderful story! You put the reader right there in the scene and it will be such a treat for others in your family to read about years from now. Hope this succeeds! Jayne

A compelling story, written in a lovely, accessible style. Your voice here is really almost conversational, and I found myself pulled in immediately, sitting by the fire as you did, ready to begin this adventure. Really well done.

---Mary
The Qualities of Wood

Hi Linda,
Dreams are so important.
I've read all seven chapters and really enjoyed them. It was quite a process and you must have felt so pleased when you finally moved in. No cows as yet bout I'm sure they can't be far away and I look forward to reading more, if you upload.
I liked:-
sad and forlorn farmhouse (had the same experience in Wales in 1985)
10th July -- hurray! Great feeling.
1953 Fordson tractor (that is old)
97 year old sister ( sad to leave)
Moving in -- back in touch with the world again

If you want to lose some words and tighten it a little, you could remove Mr. Kellie's name, which you repeat many times in one section, and replace it with 'him' or 'he'. Just a thought.

Backed with pleasure. Good luck.

Barry
LITTLE KRISNA AND THE BIHAR BOYS

Hi jim

Thanks for this and backing. I do know about the paragraphs - am going to try and amend next week. have added you to my wl.

best, Linda

Fascinating tale and something many of us would love to do! :) Other than that some of your paragraphs are quite long, this was an enjoyable coffee time read.
Jim Darcy
The Firelord's Crown

There is huge attention to detail which slows the pace too much, for me, but I am in the rat race and we tend to think in sound-bytes, alas. The writing can't be faulted and this will undoubtedly find its niche. BWP (Backed with pleasure) Lonnie The Tails of Willie Gusty

Hi Jerry,

yes the book and its sequel are published and on amazon.com and .co.uk, also on smashwords and Lebrary as ebooks although i am going to edit these next week according to some of the comments I have had on here - long paragraphs and a bit wordy etc. There is also a Youtube video from our TV appearance, the link is on my 'me' page. Very happy to look at your book.

Linda

You are living the dream I once 'drempt of' ! Congratulations. I am reading all of this later - but made a start with ch. 1 this morning. Very enjoyable so far. Have you actually finished it? I mean, finished the book, not finished living there! BACKED.
Could you find time in your peaceful life to read my childrens' book and give any thoughts!

Jerry [paperbats]

An enjoyable and interesting work. Backed. Chuck

I should say that I didn't write this as a book - just as a record for us. it became a book by chance as told in my sequel 'Life with the Ladies of Low Arvie'. Did you watch the video?

Linda

Linda - I'm sure that this could be a commerical success. Backed.

Basucally, you have done what many people only dream of doing, and then gone on to write about it.

I dodn't see a "Harper true life" tag - you should add thsi to brintg it to the Trulife editors' attention.

There are a number of typos in Ch2. For example:

-The sentence that begins "The vendor gives no guarantees" doesn't make sense.

- same para - "the system bring" - i think you mean brings

I also think that you could caerfullu edit this to eliminate any unnecessary words. for example:

"the Esse range had been left on makingh the atmosphere warm and welcoming {when we had gone in}

{when we had gone in} can be edited out because it's self-evident. theer's a lot you can do like this to make it more frfee'flowing and faster-paced.

Hope this helps

Thanks for your very kind comments about and backing for 'Live Eels and Grand Pianos"

Andy

LOVE the concept, and the fact that you did it, too. The first chapter was concise, clear, great. I've only time to then read the last (on these two I base my backings). Since your narrative is a telling of facts, I understand some of your heavy prose. But because it strikes me as "heavy", I have a vague desire to stop reading. The tale itself, my curiosity over how you created your lifestyle, holds me there, reading. But it won't do that for the basic reader. SO. Forgive me suggesting that you go into your fully packed paragraphs and just cull some words or repetitive thoughts. Great read!

Brilliant. What a great yarn and an original idea! How important the cows! All true as well but for a bit of writer's licence! Superb story, superbly told. Gordon - The Harpist of Madrid

Hi

I am interested to know what you thought was writer's licence. There is none at all - every word is the truth and can be verified by the other members of the cast. Please let me know what you found this to be.

thanks you for your kind comments and the backing!

Linda

Brilliant. What a great yarn and an original idea! How important the cows! All true as well but for a bit of writer's licence! Superb story, superbly told. Gordon - The Harpist of Madrid

The Ladies of Low Arvie is pure indulgence for me - your tags just about describe a way of life that I have all around me. Books of this nature - personal experience - are always in demand because they satisfy the inquisitive, the voyeur, the dreamer and offer/demonstrate that there's always an alternative.
Have you read this out loud, as for an audio book, because I think you'll find that you need to slow the pace and remove the extraneous.

From your opening paragraph it is clear that this is not just about Scotland and IMHO, should have a broader apeal.

This is a book about having a dream and in middle age, making that dream come true. Many people aspire to a life changing dream, but that is all it is an aspiration. Maybe your book will find an audience with those who will find encouragement from it and will be motivated to make their own dream come true.

Hi Declan

Thank you for the comment and the backing. I am very aware of the paragraph problem and have only just realised that I can fix it and upload again when I have time - next week hopefully. The books wasn't written as a book but as a journal (see YOutube vid http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CR3q8I3ad14) and it just got published more or less as it was.

Ferrybridge is near Knottingley and Pontefract - we were coming from Doncaster!

best wishes

Linda

My only advice for the purposes of Authonomy, would be to shorten the paragraphs to make it easier to read on the computer screen.

I take it, Ferrybridge is near Knottingly or Pontefract?

From your opening paragraph it is clear that this is not just about Scotland and IMHO, should have a broader apeal.

This is a book about having a dream and in middle age, making that dream come true. Many people aspire to a life changing dream, but that is all it is an aspiration. Maybe your book will find an audience with those who will find encouragement from it and will be motivated to make their own dream come true.

My only advice for the purposes of Authonomy, would be to shorten the paragraphs to make it easier to read on the computer screen.

I take it, Ferrybridge is near Knottingly or Pontefract?

Hi Linda

Fabulous storyline.Of course, I'm drawn to stories based in Scotland. I have backed your book and can't wait to read it, time permitting. All the best to you. Kate Buchanan (Jenny's Rain)

The Ladies of Low Arvie - Living the Farming Dream

Linda Watson

Delightful and inspirational. Effective in persuading one to follow his dream! Yours was a farm, "a small piece of land that we could call our own, where we could live out the second half of our lives in harmony with nature and at peace with the world, perhaps grow corn or rear cows, whatever the land we bought dictated." I have a similar dream, not identical, but similar - you have provided much inspiration with this touching story. So, okay, won't give up on that dream after all! Well done and good luck in getting this published. A worthwhile read indeed.

This is a very interesting account of your adventure. Just one small point; some of the paragraphs are extremely long and would be easier to read if they were broken up a bit. Very enjoyable. Backed.

This will be almost a tutorial for anyone planning a similar exodus. Enjoyed the start and coming back to read more. Paula Barrett (Cuthbert-how mean is my valley)

I hope you enjoyed writing this because I did enjoy reading what you uploaded. We haven't even gotten to the cows yet. I wonder how your mother did in her new lodgings. Well done.

hullo Linda. your story is exciting and sounds like fun but after the work that must go along. I have a small piece of property that I need to check on so i have an idea what you must have gone through. A great story.
Already shelved and backed.
Please take a look at my book if you have not and thanks for that.
Linda Lou Long
Southern dis-Comfort
http://www.authonomy.com/ViewBook.aspx?bookid=11421

This reminds me of my own journey to find that perfect piece of land to settle on, and the disappointments and the high points along the way. I can relate to this story. It is well written, and draws the reader along. Backed.

Craig Ellis
The Sun and the Saber

Hi Linda, This is exciting to read as you've shared all the particulars about the disappointment in not getting the desired farm and then the anticipation about Low Arvie. I liked the part about the flora on the farm and that it was crying to be grazed. The house being pink - you didn't mention what color you could paint it. The style is warm and made me feel near the farm. It bodes of a delightful story with the difficulties of taking on such an enterprise. Easily shelved - Katherine (The Swan Bonnet)