Cooling down…

Normally, I wouldn’t call 26c cool (and apologies to all those who say ‘what? That’s not hot at all.’ I live on the South Coast of England, where the weather’s normally softer, so I’m a bit of a wuss. And, of course, I don’t have air conditioning, and it reached 40c on the thermometer in my garden and 39C in our bedroom at night, so we’re all a bit sleep deprived right now.

I haven’t been for a walk for a whole week, so that’ll be prioritised next week, but I have been working on Christmas stories, both Windy Bay and short ones. Yes, I know it sounds surreal, but that’s what I do in June. I’ve also been planning the next series of Windy Bay for next year, which brings me nicely on to Thursday being the first Thursday in the month, and this month, there are two treats for you.

‘For Better For Worse’ is part of my Amy Hammond series, and focuses on the Grant family. You’ve met Matt, Mark and Luke, so it was time to meet John, and he wouldn’t be a Grant if he wasn’t in trouble, would he? Mark’s in even more trouble, involving a naked, beautiful Russian Mafia Princess and a fast motorcycle! He’s moving over to my Shadows series which I write as Eleanor Neville, because he’s not soft and cosy. He’s big and rough and tough, and he broods. Oh dear, does he brood. But he’s also determined not to let Luke and Stacy’s wedding be spoiled. Stacy’s also not her usual self, but Peter and Amy are there, so what can go wrong? On second thoughts, it’s probably best not to ask that.

Then there’s ‘Fair Winds and Calm Seas’, which is a sailor’s blessing as well as a book of short stories. Ideal for odd moments with guaranteed happy endings. Oh, and there are Gremlins because I like them. They, and the Christians Cross series that they belong to and which I write as Eleanor Neville, are a bit on the daft and weird side and not what you’d expect, which is pretty much me! Have fun till we meet again…

PS, that's one of my pictures, which is something else I never thought I'd say!