All at sea...

I’ve been working on finishing the next two Lucy Williams cosy mysteries, which should be out in August and September, so it seemed like a good omen to see this windsurfer skimming across the harbour on a windy walk in a very Luke Grant-ish sort of way, which makes sense because I'm pretty sure it's one of our Olympic team. I’m also enjoying the way that characters from the books are popping up in other series’ , just like people from different parts of your life seem to in real life.

Much to my pleased surprise, what I thought was going to be one new Shadows book, from the series I write at Eleanor Neville, has turned into three and tying in with British news in a way that I so hope will stay firmly in fiction. Eleanor’s books are always darker, so they were the right place for Luke’s brother Mark, who’s also known as The Grant Who Broods, to find a permanent home. He's tall, dark, handsome and deadly, so there was no way he wanted to be a background character or hang around in the same series as his younger brother! Jos Trevelyan, who’s in the book that comes out in August, comes from there too, and Kim and David Kinsella are leading characters there. It makes sense, really, because there must be all sorts of departments of British Intelligence to do different jobs.

The Shadows ones are set in Cornwall in winter and spring. Cornwall’s the famous part of the West Country, and this is a Poldark-ish bit with tin mines and lighthouses and jagged rocks rather than our much softer Dorset Coast. I bet you can guess which one I prefer, but I went on honeymoon in Cornwall, so it has a special place in my heart too.

Anyway, more of that another time. Till then, have a good weekend and see you on Tuesday.