Hedgehogs

I had just settled down to watch last night’s semi-final of Britain’s Got Talent when my DH said to me, ‘Come and look. Quick, come and look.’ He was pointing out of the French windows on to our back garden. My first thought was that he wanted me out of the chair so he could sit in it. It wouldn’t have been the first time he’s done that. But when I got up and looked there was a hedgehog wandering along our patio. I couldn’t believe my eyes.

A few years ago we bought a hedgehog from a hedgehog sanctuary but our garden is fenced in with no escape route so we had to leave the gate open leading to our side garden where he could get under the fence – and we never saw him again. So how had this hedgehog got into the garden?

It’s a mystery, unless he sneaked in some time when we had the gate open. But that’s only when we’re working in the area and surely we would have seen him. And aren’t hedgehogs nocturnal? Perhaps he was just an early riser? It was half past eight.

Eventually after many tours of the patio and the tubs of flowers he climbed on the wall that separates it from the lawn, walked along it, then explored the bed at the side of the lawn before disappearing into the shrubbery at the top.

We didn’t see him again. Why didn’t I take a photograph?

The Santorini Marriage Bargain

Don’t you just love the cover of my new book? This is Rhianne and Zarek’s story. Rhianne is English, Zarek is a gorgeous Greek. They met when he nearly ran her over and she blamed him even though she’d stepped out into the road without looking. I’m on her side, though. She’d just found her boyfriend in bed with her best friend. It’s enough to make anyone walk deliberately in front of a car.

This is a very special book because it’s my 75th (shame there isn’t a mention on the cover) and next month I’ll be running a competition to celebrate, so if you want a copy for free watch this space.


The back cover blurb goes like this:

From the Greek’s secretary…
When fresh-faced Rhianne Pickering agrees to work for masterful Greek Zarek Diakos she knows it’s a mistake – no man has ever made her heart quicken and her body quiver like this! But with her life in tatters she needs a job.

To his convenient wife!
Zarek thinks Rhianne makes the perfect secretary. But on a business trip to the beautiful island of Santorini he decides her skills are undervalued. He’s in need of a bride: under the warm Mediterranean sun he’ll show Rhianne it’s a position she can’t refuse!

Next time I’ll give you the excerpt that’s in front of the book.

Unusual step

We’ve had wonderful weather over this Bank Holiday weekend so the writing has taken a back seat – once again! And now, because I know how I want this story to end, and because I’ve hit yet another stone wall, I’m going to take the unusual step (for me) of writing the end next.

I’ve heard of other writers doing this but I’ve never actually done it myself. It should take about two chapters because there’s a lot to sort out, and as I reckon three chapters should finish the book I hopefully won’t have much to fill in. With a bit of luck I might not even need to fill the gap, it might sort itself out beautifully.

So fingers crossed everyone!!

I went to my art group this morning and whether it was because I’d got my creative juices flowing I don’t know, but the words began to flow once I got back. I even forgot about lunch. And now I’m hungry, I’m going to make myself a cup of coffee and a sandwich (DH is out which is a help) and come back to my desk and hopefully the muse will still be there.

Someone once said that when you stopped writing for the day it was best to leave it in the middle of a scene so that you knew exactly where you were going the next time you sat down to write. There’s a lot to be said for that because I usually finish a scene, don’t know where I’m going next, and the inevitable happens.

Brick walls

Why is it that two thirds of the way through any book I write I could easily end it? I’ve spent two days writing very little, thinking a lot, getting myself twisted into knots. I’ve made copious notes, a lot of them repetitive, and I’m still not sure which path I’m going to take. I now have another 17,000 words to write and my H&H are getting too close together for comfort.

Usually my subconscious works. Not on this occasion. I feel as though I’m hitting my head against a brick wall. And it hurts!

I do have a ‘black moment’ on the horizon so maybe I should bring it forward!

When I consider how many books I have written – and that book number 75 is being published in July – you would think that I wouldn’t have such problems. So any would-be writers who are reading this, take heart. It’s not plain sailing even for experienced authors like me.

Busy weekend

We’re about to have a lively weekend. Grandson number one is visiting. At the age of thirteen he is already taller than me (and I am five feet six). He has a wicked sense of humour, taking after his grandfather! And I know that between them I’m going to be terribly tormented.
Unless, of course, it’s meal times, or inbetween times. When his stomach is craving food. Then he butters up to me. He’s a real pleasure and we’re both looking forward to taking him on holiday later in the year.

Last weekend grandson number two visited. He’s thirteen as well – but only thirteen months and he so entertaining. Hasn’t time flown? It seems like only yesterday that I posted a photo of him when he was only one day old.

Happy weekend everyone.

Pencil and paper

I’ve had three days of good writing, no, correction, three good days of writing. Who knows whether it’s good or not at these initial stages? I’ve written two thousand words each day, and now I’ve come to a full stop. Is it because the weather’s changed and it’s miserable outside? Does sunshine help? Is it because Adam & Sienna are getting too close together too quickly? Or is it because I need more careful plotting? Or is it even because we went out for a meal last night with friends and I drank more wine than was good for me? The creative juices certainly aren’t flowing this morning.

Last weekend I sat down with a pencil and paper and worked out where I was going next. I’ve now reached the end of that and need to get my thinking cap on again. So perhaps it’s back to pencil and paper?

Heroes

I’ve been reading with interest Kate Walker’s series of blogs on Alpha heroes. I have just such a hero in Adam. He can be irritating and he can be kind. He can be arrogant and he can be romantic. He’s also something of an enigma. There are things Sienna never knew about him even though they were married for a few years before they split up. It is only now that he is back in her life that she is finding out exactly what makes this man tick.

DH has gone out so that I can get on with my writing but as usual I’m procrastinating. Why is it that when he’s at home I work harder? Is it because when he’s out I can get on with all those little jobs that are hard to do when your man is around the place?

Inspiration

You never know where you might find inspiration. I’d come to a place in Adam’s and Sienna’s story where I felt it was going flat. Then I read Anne McAllister’s blog about an unfortunate accident that happened to her little granddaughter. Poor Ellie fell and cut her head and was rushed to hospital. This could happen to four year old Ethan, I thought. And with Anne’s kind permission I’ve used a similar situation to up the tension, taking me in a direction I had never planned.

Many thanks, Anne, and I hope Ellie continues to recover.