Like most parents, I’m willing to swear that I don’t have a favourite child, but I’m being honest with you so I’ll admit that there are times when I prefer one child to the other one, or one cat to another one. Sometimes it’s because they need me more, sometimes it’s because the other one is being a little irritating and sometimes it just happens that you are so proud of them that you could burst and you're not sure why because it's sneaked up on you.
My books (ick alert warning) are my babies in a way, so I’m torn between sadness and pleasure that I’ve just uploaded the next Amy Hammond book ‘Crazy for Death’ for September publication. I’m pleased that I’m two whole months ahead on publications because it insures me against the times when I don’t have calm seas and following winds. I’m thrilled because this is the first book that I’ve taken the cover photo for myself as I get more and more into photography. I’m excited that Amy and Peter are going to be exploring a place I love and sharing it with you.I’m also sad because I had such fun writing it. Some books just want to be written. The next two Lucy Williams’ are like that and so are some of the Windy Bay books. Other books are harder because they deal with difficult subjects, and I’m not ashamed to admit that some of my research for Crazy made me cry.
So now it gets moved from the ‘books in progress’ file to the ‘books published’ file and it should be ‘on to the next one.’ And yet, just sometimes, it’s good to take a look back and see what you’ve achieved because otherwise it gets drowned out by all the things that you wanted or needed to do and haven’t. Like, for instance, realising that once this is published in September I shall have 99 books available through Kindle Unlimited. That makes it a bit easier to go on to the next one, which I also love, and which is ‘Between the Sea and the Sky.’ It’s out in October and, which won’t surprise you, that’ll be my hundredth book. Wow! Just Wow! When I decided to follow my dream because I’d left stormy seas behind at least for a while and welcomed busy chaos instead, I never, ever dreamed that this would happen, or that I’d be making a decent living from writing.
So thank you, my wonderful readers for making my dream come true. Thank you for liking my characters and letting me know what you want to hear more of. Thank you for believing in places where they may be trouble, but, overwhelmingly, people are kind to each other and find not so much happy endings as new lives and new hope. May all your seas be fair and all your winds calm, and may you have time for reading and sitting in the sun or snuggled up and enjoying all the little things that make life so special.
Today’s picture had to come from Harbourside, and it’s the boats seen from the Fisherman’s Haven on a calm day. Imagine, if you like, Amy and Peter sitting there and enjoying a well-earned breather and some fish and chips, or maybe an ice cream or coffee and cake from the new horse box coffee shop (Bailey’s Bakes and their cakes are inspirational and not at all good for anyone who’s watching their weight but oh, they taste amazing!) Or me, sitting and sewing and dreaming and planning in the sunshine...
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