Have you ever reached a point where you thought ‘life can’t possibly get any busier’ only to be proven totally wrong? I’ll be honest, it’s been a week where I’ve shed a few tears for several different reasons, not least that when two people you know well break up it’s hard to be the listening ear. This last week has had everything from groans and moans to ‘yes!!!’ moments, and been draining to say the least. However, I firmly believe that we can only fully appreciate the ‘ups’ if we have the ‘downs’ too. It’s just that they are sooooo painful! It also very hard sometimes to be on the outside looking in, when the decisions are not yours to make. But that’s life!
It was half-term here in the UK and the steam trains were running at the Avon Valley Railway. It was a grey day but no one was looking at the sky. We watched as the ‘steamy’ (I assume everyone knows the Thomas The Tank Engine books) was loaded with coal. The boiler was stoked and it let off it’s first “wheesh” of steam to the delight of all assembled. My little charge stood there in awe and said “That’s amazing,” which, for someone who isn’t yet three was rather spot on! It WAS amazing and I was equally as excited by the smell and gush of the cloud that engulfed us.
We had two rides, as the station sits in the middle of the length of track that has been restored. So first you go one way, stop for a few minutes and you head back to the station. Then you travel in the opposite direction. At each end everyone scrambles out to watch the locomotive being uncoupled, reversed back, the points changed and it chugs around to the other end of the very grand, restored carriages. It is then coupled up again. All fascinating to watch, especially as the man has to lie on the track underneath the rear of the loco. A little gentle reassurance had to be given at this point – children are so health and safety conscious today! But it was an amazing day out I wouldn’t have had it if wasn’t for my babysitting time and it’s about the only thing that gets me off of my typing stool!
I’ve been so caught up with things, many unexpected, that I had to write my post whilst having my hair done this morning. I always work when I’m there, so no one thinks it’s strange. It seems all my spare moments are spent answering emails to do with the websites and social media, so when I have a new book coming out it’s a lot of pressure. There were posts to write for up coming guest features for Ceri’s journey: Angels.
I have been anxiously awaiting the beta reader’s comments and three have come back so far. Well, I’m not at liberty to share those comments yet as I have to wait for the reviewers to post them, but let’s just say I was floating on cloud nine! It’s so close to the official launch that there isn’t time to make any major changes, but in all honesty a writer simply doesn’t know how a story will be received until it’s in the hands of the readers. My lovely beta reviewers are all very experienced, so it’s a tough test to pass. If and when the occasion arises I do make adjustments to reflect any comments they make. It sparked a blog post ready for my tour – to those to whom this means something, “The man from Del Monte says ‘yes'”. All will be explained very soon.
Another part of my tearful week was to do with writing the second part of Ceri’s journey, Truth. It’s a psychic romance, but I’ve hit a dilemma. The story has taken me somewhere I didn’t intend and it has raised an issue that is personally very difficult for me to think about. I have two choices – take the story in another direction (which feels a bit like grabbing the steering wheel when someone else is in the driving seat), or grit my teeth and continue: keeping the tissues at hand. I decided to ask a couple of people whom I felt could assess it from the reader’s viewpoint, bearing in mind my stories are mostly romantic and uplifting. I do address serious issues and The Quintessential Gemini touched on breast cancer and a lonely old war hero, even though it’s been described as ‘chick lit without the fluff’ – or maybe that’s why it was describe in that way. I suppose the dilemma is my own emotional reaction. Would the story be the same without it? I haven’t yet decided. I’ll wait for the responses to my ‘call for help’ and in the meantime scrutinise what my fingers decide to type today.
This time next week I will be here:
We’re spending a part of our French holiday staying in a place we first visited last year. In my next post I will share the location and if you are thinking of visiting France there is no lovelier place to stay for the French experience!
I’m off to do the things writers do that, sadly, doesn’t involve working on their current work-in-progress – so it’s a bit of a case of ‘wish I was there…now!’
Have a great week,
