Some good things to share

I apologise for being silent for so long. It is my week to blog every day at Jungle Red Writers (http://www.jungleredwriters.com/) and two blogs a day is just too much with a hand and wrist that still don't want to work properly.
Anyway, I hope you'll pop over to Jungle Red Writers--today I have a really funny piece on quaint sports of the British countryside. Did you know there was a sport called Hedge Jumping? How about Tar Barrel Racing?

And I have a couple of good things to share. One is a blog about Her Royal Spyness, describing it as a "1930s mystery-solving Bridget Jones.'  Isn't that fun?
And the other is a lovely, lovely email I received, one of those messages that remind writers why we write in the first place.

One day last summer I took my three year old daughter to our local county library because she loves books. I have never really liked reading much and I want to make sure she does not follow in her mother’s footsteps (so far so good). During our visit to the library, I thought I’d browse the fiction section and see if anything interested me. As you may know, when you have a three year old with you your time to look around is very limited. I glanced on the shelf and saw Her Royal Spyness and quickly read the back of the book. Sounded interesting and then had to find my daughter who wandered down another isle. Before we left the library I went back and grabbed that book and checked it out. I took it home and reluctantly started to read it hoping to not be disappointed. I was drawn in immediately and didn’t want to put the book down. I finished it by the following weekend and went back to the library hoping to find another book of yours and I found A Royal Pain. Once I found out that this was a series I was even more excited. Needless to say I have read all the Spyness books. I was actually anxiously waiting for the release of Royal Blood. I have never been so excited about a book coming to print. Your writing has sparked a joy of reading inside of me and I am very appreciative!! I started the Evans series, but could only find the first one in print so far at local stores and I found the first three Molly books at used book stores. I’m almost finished with Molly’s 3rd book (three chapters to go) and will be on the hunt to find more of the Evans and Molly books. Thank you for being such a great writer that can get a non-reader like me into reading! Hopefully by next year I’ll be caught up on all of your books and anxiously waiting your new releases.

A Very Satisfied Reader,

The King's Speech

I saw the King's Speech a few days ago. I thought it was wonderful.Of course I never need an excuse to see Colin Firth.. although I liked him better with his shirt all wet as Darcy... in fact he was obviously the inspiration for the male lead in my Lady Georgie series.

The movie, of course, was filled with characters with whom I'm very familiar.I found myself watching and thinking, " no, he didn't really say that." As if the character were a friend or relative-- someone I really knew rather than somebody I spend a lot of my time writing about. It's interesting how real our characters become to us.

In my books Mrs Simpson takes great delight in making fun of the then Duke of York for his horrible stammer, and criticises his wife at her lack of style.She calls her the dowdy duchess. Of course the Duchess made it quite clear that she disapproved of Mrs Simpson and that Mrs Simpson would never be one of them.
When the Prince of Wales abdicated, putting her husband on the throne instead,the new Queen Elizabeth never forgave Mrs Simpson--to the extent that she had never allowed Mrs Simpson back in the country not even for her husband's funeral.

But as I watched the movie I couldn't help thinking irrereverently, that it was a good thing the King George didn't have to use my speech programme. You see, the program types every single thing that I say. So if I stumble or repeat myself those words show up on the screen. And I didn't realise until now that I mutter to myself as well. So things like, "no that's not the right word--what do I want to say ? No don't type that. Oh bugger ,"show up with monotonous frequency in the middle of things I'm writing.

Hopefully I'll be back to typing a week or so.

Wither Molly?

Still typing slowly as left wrist doesn't want to turn to face keyboard yet. I'm trying to tell it who is boss, but it's not listening.
This is annoying as I'm ready to start the next Molly book. I'm planning to send Molly (and Daniel) to the cottages at Newport, RI. I'm sure most of you know that those cottages were really extravagent mansions of the very wealthy where they went to spend their summers. It's now fall and the place is deserted--or is it?

As I look back over the Molly series I can see that some books were smaller in scope, involving the story of a family, or a particular group of people, others were broader. Some were more thrilleresque and others were more cozy. So I'd love to know from my readers which ones you liked best, and why. Do you like Molly in a more intimate setting, as in In Like Flynn or In a Gilded Cage, or involved in a broader story of her time like In Dublin's Fair City? I'm plotting out future ideas....

I'm also gearing up for the release of Bless the Bride on March 1. This story takes Molly into New York's Chinatown and I've learned some fascinating things during my research. Can't wait to share them with you.

Free at Last!

Not a real post because my left hand still won't obey me, but hangs floppily like something that doesn't belong to me, but THE CAST CAME OFF yesterday! Yeah.
Now I am supposed to exercise the wrist and hand so I'm making myself type. Surprisingly hard, but I need to get that hand back in shape quickly as I'm due to start a new Molly book NOW.
Anyway, thank you for all your kind wishes. I'm sure they helped me heal quickly.

Happy New Year

I know I'm a day late but I'd like to wish all my friends and readers a happy healthy New Year.  I've just returned from a flying visit to Houston Texas where old friends were celebrating their golden wedding. They got married at 17 right out of high school, which wasn't too strange in those days. Now it is almost beyond comprehension that anyone would want to settle down at the age of 17.  I remember having my first baby at the age of 24 and the girl in the next bed was 17 ,and I remember thinking I have left it so late!  Now I know plenty of mothers who have their first baby at 40.
Anyway the first thing that I'm looking forward to in the New Year is getting my cast off.  I see the orthopaedist tomorrow and I hope it can come off then. I need to get working again. It's been as it's been strange having a whole month during which I can't write. I'm sure it's been good for me but now there are lots of ideas buzzing around in my brain and they need to be put down on paper. I start a new Molly book this week,and this time I'm going to set it in the cottages in Newport Rhode Island. I haven't come up with a title yet. I may be asking for help so stay tuned.