Marching on down
It’s bloody March - and yes I know if you’ve followed my newsletters for a while it might seem like I’m constantly surprised by how time works, but it’s not so much that March follows February etc etc. No, it’s more the fact that it happens so blooming quickly. I can’t be the only one who remembers childhoods of long years, summer holidays that felt like they went on forever? And now here I am wondering why, when frankly I have considerably more to do the days woosh past me. I’m certain there is some psychological reason for it, but the fact remains time seems to be going along at an alarming pace.
What have I been doing with that time I hear you ask. Well I’m almost 2 months into my new day job and it seems to be going really well. I like what I do and I like the people I do it with and you can’t really say fairer than that.
Other real life commitments have determined that everything I wanted to achieve in February has bee delayed. However with a bit of luck by the end of March I’ll have a lot more free time, much of that I intend dedicating to my writing and writing related things.
Book 4 - Lies She Didn’t Tell is in the final stages of editing and as soon as I know the release date you lovely people will be the first to know.
Book 5 -Still untitled, is almost two thirds through my first redraft and edit and will be going to my editor and early beta readers soon.
A short story exclusively for my newsletter subscribers is written and awaiting editing and as soon as that’s ready to go I’ll drop you all a quick update.
Book 6 - has sort of stagnated - primarily because I’ve been so busy editing, and also partly because I’ve been a little bit distracted.
I mentioned at the start of the year that I had some big goals for this year and one of those is to release a new series. Book 1 is already written - and is scheduled for some editing later in the year. The plan is to have books 4-6 for the Rowan McFarlane series out there in the world before I release the new series, and just now an idea for book 2 in the new series is niggling at the back of my brain and fighting for room with book 6.
What Am I Reading?
I’ve been delving into some Agatha Christie - with some Miss Marple which has been fun and the second book in the Timber Creek K-9 Mystery series - Stalking Ground by Margaret Mizushima. Last month I said I was reading Nine Liars by Maureen Johnson and I still am - not because it’s not good, it’s great it’s just I’ve been mostly consuming my books via audio and this is a hardback real life book which also means it’s a bit chunky to be taking with me on the train to work.
I’m was also delighted to see that Unforgotten cam back to our television screens this week - I’ve not watched the first episode (aired Monday 27th Feb) yet but I’m really looking forward to this. But not without some trepidation (look away now if you haven’t watched season 1-4 and you intend to spoilers lurk ahead). The end of season 4 broke me and I’m not sure that I’ll ever forgive the writers for what they inflicted on Cassie, also she was a powerful main character and it’s asking a lot of the rest of the cast to pull off that same level excellence without her. I hope they’ve managed it because this is honestly inspirational style story telling .
I’m heading into March full of optimism that my plans will work out and in the words of Colonel John ‘Hannibal’ Smith I love it when a plan comes together!