Update, June 2022. Time Flies!

Welcome back! It’s been almost two months since my last post, and the least I can do is offer an explanation and tell you what’s been going on in my life in the last few months.

January 2022

I’ll have to start in January. I spent most of this month in hospital with my mother, who died on the 31st. I’m not yet ready to share the feelings I struggled with at the time, but I’m sure I will, at a later date. I grew and learned a great deal from the experience, and when I’m ready, I’ll share some universal aspects which may resonate with some of my readers and fellow bloggers.

January and February flew by. Fortunately, my husband and my daughter helped me with practical matters, such as paperwork, donating my mother’s clothes, sorting out cupboards and the like.

I’ve also been helping my three children and five grandchildren as needed, which is wonderful, but time-consuming, although I wouldn’t change or give up a single moment I spend with my family.

February 2022

Snow Moon at Eyre Hall, Book Five in The Eyre Hall Series was published on 18th February. Fortunately all the pre-publication work, such as editing, cover design, kindle formatting, etc., was almost finished in January. So the publication went smoothly, although I did very little active promotion, which is probably why it only has few reviews.

Here’s Snow Moon at Eyre Hall on Amazon.com, and on Amazon UK.

Here’s the international link to my Amazon author page, where you can find all the novels in The Eyre Hall Series.

March 2022

Around March I started getting my bearings and some semblance of a ‘normal’ year started.

Last year, I finally decided it was time to publish my first novel in Spanish, Antes de que nacieras. Again, fortunately it was at the printers, ready to see the light in December, so, although it was published 10th March, all the pre-publishing work had been done during 2021. Here’s the cover and for those of you who read Spanish, here’s the Amazon.com link, Amazon.co.uk link, and the Amazon.es link There’s also an International Amazon link here

I haven’t said much about Antes de que Nacieras on Rereading Jane Eyre, because it’s in Spanish and I set up another blog for that purpose. Fortunately, I set up my Spanish blog in 2021. Here’s my Spanish Blog, where you can find out more about this novel, which I plan to translate into English in 2022.

My Spanish blog is called: Descubriendo paisajes infinitos, from a quote by the Chilean author, Isabel Allende. It means Discovering Infinite Landscapes.

I have been busy promoting my Antes de que nacieras (Before You Were Born) on my Spanish blog, facebook, twitter, Instagram, and doing a few book signings, and reading club meetings and discussions, and I admit, I’ve somewhat neglected actively promoting my Eyre Hall Series.

April 2022

I took part in two blogging challenges, one on YouTube channels on Rereading Jane Eyre and one on themes from my novel, Antes de que nacieras on Descubriendo Paisajes Infinitos.

I reached letter K on Rereading Jane Eyre and X on Descubriendo Paisajes Infinitos, which was a feat in itself, writing two blog posts a day, for most of the month, especially bearing in mind that I hadn’t prepared any of the posts before starting the challenges.

May 2022

I’ve been going to German classes for a year, some online, and others face to face, and May is final exam time. So here I am, at 63, learning one of the hardest European languages! I suffered greatly and passed my exam for the first A1 level, which means I’ll torture myself further next year and try for A2.

The reason I’m learning German is that my daughter is living in Munich, Germany, and will remain there for the foreseeable future, which means I spend summer months there and my grandchildren will speak German as well as English and Spanish. I’m hoping to learn enough to be able to interact with neighbours, shopkeepers etc, at a basic level. I’m a retired language teacher, so I know it takes time and patience to (really) learn a language, so I’m investing three years which I hope will be enough!

Kill Your Darlings!

May has also been word killer month! ‘Kill your darlings’ is a quote attributed to Stephen King, William Faulkner and Kurt Vonnegut, among others. It is a hard exercise for a writer, but so necessary.

This is why I’ve been re-revising Ghost Wife, a novel I started some years ago, on and off, and finished last year, but I wanted to tighten it up further, so I’ve completely revised it and reduced it by almost 3,000 words! Which, quite honestly, I never thought I could do without so many words!

June 2022

Ghost Wife is now at the final proof-reading stage, before it can be uploaded on Amazon as an ebook and paperback, to be published on 13th July.

Ghost Wife is a contemporary romantic mystery. I’ve subtitled it as a chilling romantic suspense. It’s available at a special launch price of 0.99. Here’s the International link.

Click on the image for Amazon UK link.

Ghost Wife on Amazon.com

I’ll tell you more about Ghost Wife shortly, for the moment, I’ll leave you with the Blurb.

Ghost Wife: From the Blurb

They call me Maria, and I’m a ghost. Rosewood Hall is my mausoleum, and my room is a dank cell, hidden within its clammy walls.
There are other people in this house. They can’t see me. They know I’m here, but they pretend I’m not, because I don’t exist, not really, not at all, at least not for them. I’m part of the building, ignored but unmoveable, secured to the walls by invisible chains.
I’ve seen them glancing at my window. I’ve felt the terrified look on their faces when they dare to glance up before they shiver and walk away, and it gives me strength because it means I’m still powerful.
They can’t tell anyone about me because nobody believes in ghosts. I’m their dark secret, so they make sure no one comes anywhere near the attic. They don’t know you are coming to set me free.
*****
Lyra Leyton is sleeping on a friend’s couch after losing her job as an English teacher at a language school in Spain. When she receives a lucrative employment offer as home tutor and live-in nanny to 10-year-old Carla, at Rosewood Hall, in Yorkshire, she can’t believe her luck.
Life at the secluded residence is idyllic at first, until disturbing sounds from the attic, cryptic messages from an anonymous sender, and a visit from a private investigator searching for a missing girl, haunt Lyra’s sleepless nights.
A panic-stricken Lyra, hands in her notice, but Carla’s widowed stepfather, who lives in London, begs her to reconsider, claiming wild animals, local gossip, and creaking noises in the ancient house, have caused her unrest.
If Lyra stays, she could lose more than her mind, but can she afford to leave? And can she abandon her young pupil?

So, in spite of these first six months being very emotionally and professionally stressful (I mean it’s not every year an author publishes three novels in six months!!), a lot has been going on and I’m feeling reasonably satisfied.

The Next Six Months July to December

Firstly, as a mother and grandmother, I’m looking forward to holding my sixth grandson, Carlos, in my arms, in Munich, in July. I’d like to finish two children’s books I’ve started writing with my grandsons Miguel. and Alejandro.

Secondly, as an author, I plan to keep up with both blogs, English and Spanish, translate my Spanish novel into English, Before you were born, complete another Spanish book I’ve started, finish my next Eyre Hall series novel, I’ve also started, plus Jane Eyre A to Z, which is almost ready for publication.

These are my plans, but nothing’s written in stone. Who knows what hurdles I’ll meet in the coming months? In the end I just try to enjoy and make the most of one day at a time.

Sorry for the two-month absence and I’m looking forward to keeping in touch with you during the next six months!

What have you been up to and what are your plans for the next six months?