All my intentions of slowing down in my older years have come to nothing. This year seems to have been busier than ever especially this last couple of months. I’ve still got all my usual weekly activities – something every day of the week – plus several immovable deadlines.
My plans to publish another novel this year have sadly not been possible. Back in January, I had high hopes that the ‘Shadow of the Sphinx’ might even be available on Amazon by the autumn. It seemed a realistic proposition especially as I’d been working on the manuscript for several months once I’d completed the last rewrites of ‘Journey to Casablanca’ last year. Life has thrown several spanners in the works since then. We already had a family safari to Africa booked for March for over a year and then my husband and I were offered a chance for a much-reduced last-minute cruise around South America. Chile and Argentina had been on our holiday wish list for many years, and this was an opportunity just too good to pass up. I was then given a cruise speaker role. The cruise company must have been happy with what I’d done because I was offered a second at the end of the year.
This next cruise I’m giving talks on famous writers. Because I like to link them with the countries we’ll be visiting, I’ve needed to research, write and find illustrations for two new lectures – one on Hans Christian Andersen and another on Nordic Noir and Stieg Larssen. Each has taken about 80 hours to complete. I’ve really enjoyed the research, and I think looking at the lives of great writers helps me improve my own writing, even if it’s meant not being able to finish the final edits my alpha reader suggested.
In mid-November I took a stall at Chippenham Lions Christmas Bazaar which created another deadline, ordering books to sell and making arrangements. It was a successful day in terms of book sales but very long and far from plain sailing. We left the house at 7.45 am and we didn’t get back home until 5.30pm and had problems with carparking and I lost sales as I couldn’t connect my card reader.
Christmas looms large and all the cards will need to be written, and all the other associated activities completed in the next week. No homemade cake, chocolate log, mince pies and sausage rolls (I make my own pastry) this year! For the first time, I’ll be relying on the supermarket specials!
Have a wonderful Christmas everyone, peace and joy to you all.
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