Countdown to Christmas!

It is amazing to think that in less than a month my third novel, the second this year, will be hitting the shelves and popping up on e-readers! Mince Pies and Mistletoe at the Christmas Market was an absolute joy to write. I hope anyone who reads it will be flooded with festive feelings, an overwhelming desire to Shop Local and the urge to create a truly fabulous feast.

A quick round-up...

My Writing Life has been more varied than ever during the last few weeks and I have enjoyed not only being interviewed for and featured in the wonderful NFU Countryside magazine, but also seeing a couple of my short stories published in the My Weekly Countdown to Christmas magazine and the People's Friend Special.

As many of you know, I have enjoyed writing short stories for a long time. They are, in my opinion, the perfect form of writing to indulge in if you are 'between books' or perhaps waiting for edits to come back from your publisher. I always like to have some writing on the go but it isn't always practical to jump from one book straight into the next and short stories provide the perfect distraction. They keep the creative juices flowing and quite often offer the perfect springboard for even bigger ideas.

The Spookiest Time of Year in My Weekly for example features a brooding woodsman with a wonderful lurcher called Wyatt. I have the feeling that in one guise or another this particular hero may crop up again so watch our for the smell of wood smoke when you pick up a future novel bearing my name...

Waiting In The Wings published in the People's Friend, tells the story of an unlikely star who overcomes her shyness and takes her rightful spot in the limelight. Sometimes it can be terrifying to pop our heads above the parapet, but if we are brave and truly believe in what we are trying to achieve, then it is worth the risk. After all, who wants to go through life wondering 'what if'?

Wishing you all a wonderful week filled with fabulous fiction, whether it be reading or writing a few hundred words or tens of thousands!

H x