The solstice is past. The days are now longer than the nights. It isn’t constantly raining. The trees are coming back into leaf and the tourists are arriving on the Quay. Today, when I went for my walk, I didn’t wear a hat, or gloves, and my coat was unzipped. Tomorrow, I shall get out into the garden and do some serious cutting back and enjoy the feeling of the sun on my face and back.
I’ve finished the pre-order for the next Amy Hammond (Death by Misadventure out on the second of May.) I’m all ready to start the third book in the second trilogy of Windy Bay books that I’ve got ready to go. I’ve got lots of ideas for other books so this ‘I’ll improve my work/life balance’ business seems to be making me very creative.
I’ve been watching quilting videos on You Tube by the amazing Karen Montgomery and planning and gloating and dreaming. And cutting. Lots and lots and lots of rotary cutting. Lots of pinning too because any time now I’ll sit in the garden and sew and think and see what characters want to talk to me.
So the seasons change, and I change with them and there are so many things I want to do. All of them simple pleasures. Not one of them an adventure of the sort I once took for granted, but yes, as you’ve probably guessed, I’m excited as we come into spring.
So what excites you?
Hopefully, it’s knowing you can get books at 99p or 99c this week if you live in the UK or US. If not, have a look at my anthologies, where you get 3 books for £2.95 cos I don’t see why my lovely readers in Canada, Australia, Germany, France, Japan, China and Holland should be left out!
So this week there are the first 3 in the Chistians Cross Series - Bloody Murder, Devil to Pay and The Missing Maiden. A bit different and yet fundamentally the same as Amy Hammond. A vampire private investigator heroine and a painter hero who's older than people realise. A very unusual talking cat. A reluctant witch finder and a very, very unusual Dorset village…
There are also two Amy Hammond books, set in the strange times of the Covid Lockdown. The Perfect Home and the End of the Beginning. The Perfect Home was fun to write because it meant that I could indulge Amy with the sewing room of my dreams and in the purpose realise that I could have two sewing corners of my dreams. The End of the Beginning was fun to write for different reasons and carried on with my fascination with what spies do when they stop spying. You can’t exactly put those sorts of skills on a job application, can you?
So, to finish with today’s picture. It’s Pip Hare’s boat Medallia, hoisting her sails and heading off for her adventure. She’s something of a heroine of mine, and I think her rules for long distance racing work for life too. She reminds us that being alone doesn’t mean being lonely. She recommends keeping morale strong in the following ways:
Build a routine. Structure helps stay focused.
Surround yourself with nice mementos.
Do something you love each day.
Get out and enjoy fresh air on a daily basis.
Stay connected via regular contact with friends, family and colleagues.
You can find out more about here here https://www.medallia.com/medallia-racing/ So have fun till we meet again on Sunday.
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