Life is crazy right now as we are all adjusting to a new normal, so that’s why I believe that it’s more important than ever to focus.
On what? For me it’s about throwing myself into activities that make me feel happy, that keep me productive and stop me from worrying about the things over which I have no control. And often it’s as much about the little things, as it is the BIG things. So family, health, work… anything that brings a little positivity into my life is welcome.
Natural fragrances…
This year my French lavender plants were glorious and just before the heads began to turn, I harvested them and brought them indoors. I’m not a great fan of potpourri, but when nature gives us something for free, I’m more than happy to sit watching TV and enjoy the wonderful fragrance for as long as it lasts! It really lifts the spirits in a way that fake fragrances can’t.
Reducing chemicals…
I’ve always been a frequent hand-washer, even pre-COVID, and decided to look for a range of hand soaps with less of the unnecessary chemicals in them. They are also billed as being ‘natural, vegan, cruelty free and ethical’.
I do like a bar of soap, as well as the liquid dispensers, as it’s easy to carry one in my handbag. A friend recommended the Faith In Nature range and I gave it a try. They also do hair shampoos and conditioners, so for me that was a big bonus!
They carry a wide range of wonderful fragrances and my hair and my skin have been much softer since I’ve been using their products. Holland and Barrett, and Amazon, often run special offers on items from this range and I tend to stock up whenever I spot an offer.
Work/Life Balance…
My work schedule for 2019 and 2020 was a busy one under normal circumstances, but with everything that has happened it was obviously going to cause an upset to my carefully laid plans. Parts of the lock down were difficult emotionally, as we lost a family member and post lock down, we are spending more time with family, particularly the kids. If anything made me treasure simple things like kicking around a football in the park or reading the kids a bedtime story – it’s been the first half of 2020!
However, having to make myself focus on work helped me stay sane after tearful online family chats when all we wanted to do was get together and hug. So, I wrote, I edited, I made graphics, I set up a YouTube channel and made videos… anything that kept my mind busy, as grief is a long, heart-breaking journey.
I love being an author, but it is hard work and many writers end up quitting. Why? Because hard work doesn’t necessarily guarantee an income, or success, and when you think about how many books there are out there, it’s hard to gain visibility. Some of my authorly friends began writing in their spare time, while holding down a day job and it takes a toll. And if, like me, you give up work to do it full-time those early years are tough.
I’m lucky enough to work with some wonderful publishers and I can tell you that while an author pens the story, it takes an entire team to edit, polish and publicise every new novel. The process for each publication is usually a minimum of about nine months from writing that first word to seeing it launched – hence the term ‘book baby’!
My good news is that ‘Summer in Provence‘ has been riding high in the charts… hitting #8 in the UK main Kindle Chart and spending over a month in the top 30, so far. It made #2 in the Australian chart, too and became a best-seller in many other countries. And it’s the readers/reviewers who make that happen – so they, too, are a part of my team, as without their wonderful support I couldn’t continue writing!
But there was no time to celebrate, as I’ve been spending time gearing up for the launch of my next book baby… due for release on 3 September 2020:
It’s fun creating the graphics and making a video ready to put up on my new YouTube channel. It’s been a nice break in between writing and editing. You can read chapter 1 here: https://linnbhalton.co.uk/christmas-at-lock-keepers-cottage/ .
What’s next? Well, in 2019 I did a research trip to Lisbon and I’ve just finished the manuscript. My editor is reading it now and I await her reaction. Then the various stages begin… structural edits, line edits, polishing and then onto the production team and the cover designer etc etc. In the meantime, I’m busy catching up with admin tasks before starting my next manuscript.
But in between there will be (hopefully) a few meals out to support our favourite restaurants, a walk between Caswell Bay and Langland Bay, and some sleepovers where ‘sleep’ will consist of a few hours if I’m lucky.
But I am lucky and I’m constantly reminded of that fact. I have shed tears, quite a lot of them recently, I will admit. For now, I’m focusing on being positive and in a world where there is a lot of sadness, anger, and aggression, I’m determined to keep sending out positive thoughts and good karma. And healing thoughts to so many friends out there who are struggling with serious health issues, which serve to remind me exactly why I am so lucky and it’s humbling.
Anyway, until next time… stay safe, everyone and don’t forget to grab those happy moments whenever you can!
Please note – all opinions are my own. Any products/links I share are because I have purchased, or used the product, and I have no affiliation, do not accept free gifts,money with regard to any product/person/organisation. Until next time…