Devon – JO LAMBERT

Contemporary Romance, Cornwall, Costal Romance, Devon, Lost Lights, Norfolk, Walking, work in progress, Writing

January Update…

Posted on February 1, 2021 by Jo Lambert - Author

Well here we are, 1st of Feb already. One whole month of 2021 gone.

Like most people, we had a quiet Christmas. Taking down the decorations on 12th Night, it left me wondering what it was all about. Our usual trip to do some of our Christmas present shopping in either Salisbury or Winchester was postponed, everything bought on line instead. Our pre-Christmas meets with friends for lunch or a drink; our New Year’s Eve plans, cooking for friends at home. All of this cancelled. We didn’t even get the bubbly out while Jools Holland’s Hootenanny welcomed in the New Year with excerpts of past programmes. In fact during the Christmas period I kept looking at the decorations and the cards and feeling everything was somehow out of kilter. As if I had made a mistake and decorated at the wrong time of year. This wasn’t Christmas; it didn’t feel like Christmas. It was like decorating a room for a party that no one was going to turn up to.

One thing I have noticed on our walks during January is that some people have decided to keep their Christmas garden lights going. I think this is a great idea, providing a bit of cheer during the month, which has mostly been dull and wet. I have to say even under normal circumstances, for me it’s the worst thirty one days of the year and I can’t wait to see it gone.

When the decorations were eventually packed back into their boxes, one question still remained. Where was the new set of lights we’d bought last year? In October 2019 we bought a new set of lights. We used them to illuminate the inside of a large lantern in the lounge. During Christmas 2019 we moved them onto the mantlepiece. When the decorations came down, I remember putting them back into the lantern. That meant they didn’t get packed away in the loft. In February 2020 I bought a large candle for the lantern, took the lights out and re-boxed them. Our house is obviously in some sort of UK Bermuda Triangle, because we turned every drawer and cupboard out pre-Christmas 2020 and could not find any trace of them. We still have hopes we’ll discover them, probably in the last place we ever thought of looking.

The one thing I have missed most during all three of our lockdowns is people, as I am sure most of you have. Social media is great but it is in no way a great substitute for actually being with people. Last summer, some weekends we spent time in friend’s gardens (and our own) for a socially distanced drink. It was allowed then, although not indoors. I’m hoping when they begin relaxing the rules that we will be able to do that again. It may be baby steps back to normality, but spending time with friends and family is so important.

Holidays too, are in limbo at the moment. We have a break in Norfolk booked for mid-May. It’s roll over booking from last year when Covid and the first lockdown scuppered our vacation plans. Not sure whether we’ll lose it second time around. Currently it’s all in the lap of the gods – and whatever decisions Boris decides to make. In the meantime, where possible, we have been continuing our daily walks for exercise and fresh air. It’s all about keeping going, making the best of things and staying positive.

BOOK NEWS

I have just reached 53,000 words. As a writer of larger books (120,000 – 135,000 words) there still seems a long way to go. Certainly as far as the plot is concerned, the journey is no where near its end. So at this moment in time I’m not even attempting to predict the final word count. At the very beginning there was a slow start when I reused part of an already written manuscript. A bit like unpicking knitting; time consuming and laborious, but looking at the story so far, I know I made the right decision to re-use it. Currently I’m in completely new territory where the writing is averaging 1500 words a day and the word count is mounting up very quickly. I’m working towards (fingers crossed) a publication date some time in June.

Well that’s all for this month. I will be back again at the end of February. I hope by the time I post again, there will be a glimmer of light at the end of this very long tunnel. In the meantime, take care and stay safe everyone.

Jo x

Cornwall, Devon, MONTHLY UPDATE, Writing

September/October Update

Posted on October 27, 2020 by Jo Lambert - Author

The change from late summer to full blown autumn seems to have happened in the blink of an eye. One moment there we are, sitting having lunch in the garden, the next we’re wrapped up and pondering whether to turn on the central heating, -which as I write has already happened.

This year has been a strange one. Covid, of course, has changed everything. Since emerging from lockdown we have managed three escapes. The first during July to celebrate a friend’s birthday and then just the two of us on a three night stay at Alderminster, just outside Stratford on Avon. Both enabled us to relax somewhere other than home and (very luckily) to enjoy some good weather. Last week we took a break in Cornwall. I’d really wanted to return to South Devon but back in September when I looked at availability it seemed any self catering accommodation for two or four people was fully booked. So I tried Cornwall instead and managed to bag a really lovely apartment in Fowey at The Old Stationmaster’s House. There we had a relaxing week, did a lot of walking and ate some fabulous food. It was good to get away from home and forget about domestic and day to day stuff for a while. But all good things come to an end and here we are, back again. My OH has been busy clearing the garden while I’ve had my eye on the loft and five boxes and three suitcases long overdue for sorting out. Happily two of the suitcases were empty and the third, containing a set of ancient curtains, will go to the local recycling centre once we’ve collected enough items to book a time slot. With the coming of autumn and changing into something warmer it’s also been an opportunity to sort out clothes for the local charity shop.

Last week, our first since returning from Cornwall, turned out to be a little manic. There was just so much activity in those seven days that we even postponed our daily walk. Of course the weather had a part to play in the latter. After my surgery earlier in the year I was keen to get back to full health and walking played an important part in my recovery. Yesterday, the 26th, we had an afternoon walk and it was amazing how everything had changed since the last time we’d been out (8th October). With the clocks going back at the weekend, we were walking at what would have been five o’clock. It was colder, what was left of the sun was well on its way towards the horizon and there were carpets of leaves along the pavement. That is one thing that is noticeable here. Usually the council have contractors out clearing the pavements but not this year. No doubt the Covid situation has something to do with it. It means we really can kick our way through the leaves as we walk.

On the writing front, while I was in Cornwall I had time to think about the current state of play with my WIP. My writing mojo had decided to take itself off on holiday and for a few weeks progress had been very slow. Added to this were the other social media platforms that all needed regular attention. Something had to give and so on my return I decided to take a step back from Facebook. I simply did not have the time to keep up with all the posts. It’s not a total goodbye. I will return at some stage, it’s just that for now dipping in and out of Twitter and Instagram works better for me. Happily I’m gradually getting back into the swing of writing more. Sitting in front of a blank screen, wanting to write a post and having absolutely no inspiration for any topic at all was scary. Even more scary (and frustrating) was having to admit that my WIP simply wasn’t working. After publishing Shadows on the Water I realised I needed to make some radical changes. So it’s been consigned to the bin and I’m taking the characters and location and incorporating them into a completely new and different story. The plotting has been done and I’m pleased with the new version. Now all I need to do is sit and write.

Well that’s about it for September and October. I’ll be back at the end of November, hopefully with the news that the new WIP is going well. Crossing fingers!

And finally, I’ll leave you with a few reminders of our summer.

AT HOME

AND AWAY

Cornwall, Devon, Happy New Year, Holidays, Writing

Another year over…

Posted on December 31, 2019December 31, 2019 by Jo Lambert - Author

When this time of year comes around I’m reminded of the lyrics of John Lennon’s 1972 hit ‘Happy Christmas (War is Over)’ and the line ‘And so this is Christmas, and what have you done?’ It’s that moment when I begin to think back over the previous twelve months and ask myself ‘yes what have I done?’

To be honest 2019 has been a pretty quiet year, although there have been a few unforgettable moments. Thankfully it has been nothing like the chaos last year brought with my broken ankle. That happened in May and took a huge chunk out of 2018. I was in plaster for six weeks, swapped it for an orthopaedic boot for two weeks followed by six sessions of physio. During that time I got used to a walking stick and then progressed to walking without any aids. Happily by January I was walking normally, although it appears my days of wearing high heels are over – and being only five feet tall, heels have very much been an essential part of my wardrobe since my teens. The op I had left my right ankle slightly larger than my left which means any high heeled shoes tend to rub under the ankle bone. However, it’s not all bad. I haven’t found myself checking out all those sensible flat shoe styles available in shops . Far from it. I can still wear heels, maybe not as high but still smart and feminine, which my three inch heels aren’t missed. It seems every cloud has a silver lining.

So back to 2019 and those memorable moments.

a) Stratford on Avon in April to celebrate OH’s birthday with friends and a boys’ visit to the British Motor Museum at Gaydon. We stayed at a great pub with rooms called The Bell at Alderminster – highly recommended not only for its accommodation but for it’s restaurant as well. There’s a bus stop outside just in case you don’t feel like trying to locate a car park in Stratford, which can be pretty busy even in April.

b) Suffolk in early June. A whole week at Aldeburgh where we caught up with friends who’ve retired just over the border in Norfolk. A lovely relaxing holiday. Loved the fresh fish cabins set up along the beach front…

Fish Shack Aldeburgh

The Front at Aldeburgh

Found a bookshop here too

One of Aldeburgh’s Fishing Boats

c) Mid-June also saw the publication of my first novel for Choc Lit/Ruby Fiction A Cornish Affair. The end of a long journey, but well worth all the hard work to get there…

d) Early July for three days in North Wales just outside Dolgellau in an amazing B & B called Pandy Isaf. Tucked into a sheltered valley and reached by a narrow single track road, it was an ideal base for touring.

My previous experience of North Wales had been in 2001 when we spent a very wet week in a cottage in Maentwrog not far from Blaenau. I remember catching the train at Blaenau down to Porthmadog. It wasn’t just raining that day, it was pouring. I had a glimpse of Portmeirion towers in the distance as the train approached Porthmadog station. This year, in complete contrast, we had three days of hot sunshine and cloudless skies and we made that visit.

e) Portmeirion. A magical place and with blue skies above it felt just like the Med. This was probably one of the most special moments of 2019 for me. It’s not only quirky it’s beautiful in it’s own special way. The flowers were amazing, especially the hydrangeas which lined the road on the way in. If you’re in the area and planning to visit it’s best to arrive early as by noon it’s packed. Back in the 1960s the series The Prisoner was filmed her and there’s a bust of Patrick McGoohan, the lead actor in the series (see picture below).

Patrick McGoohan, star of the 1960s dranaThe Prisoner

f) September. Dartmouth. Our annual trip to South Devon. This time we took the ferry up to Greenway House and Gardens – Agatha Christie’s house now managed by the National Trust. Her husband was an archaeologist and the house is full of items brought back from countries he visited. It’s an unusual house and although empty now it still feels like home – as if Agatha and her family might walk through the door at any time. To see her first editions and some TV scripts plus her typewriter and the place she used to write gave an interesting insight into her life. All in all a great afternoon.

Dartmouth

Pathway from the ferry up to Greenways

Greenways

Agatha Christie’s first editions and sample TV script

g) October. Falmouth. Although I grew up fifty miles from the sea, I’ve always loved everything about the coastal towns of Devon and Cornwall. Unlike Dartmouth, Falmouth has a working dockyard so it has a slightly more commercial feel. But the views across the estuary to Flushing are still as atmospheric. The Greenbank Hotel where we stayed has great views, an excellent restaurant and relaxing atmosphere. We had misty mornings and pleasant calm sunny days and made the most of the weather by taking the ferry across to St Mawes as well as the train to St Ives and Truro.

View from hotel towards Flushing

That iconic St Ives shot…

St Mawes Ferry

Main Staircase The Greenbank Hotel

Truro Cathedral

So that just about wraps up 2019. There have been some great times this year, although there was one sad event.

MAX

MOLLIE

We had two cats, Max and Mollie. Sadly Max disappeared and despite extensive publicity and searches he was never found. Mollie had problems with our new neighbour’s two cats which saw her taking refuge with another neighbour three doors away. We weren’t able to entice her back so settled into an agreement that we would pay her insurance and vet’s bills and our neighbour would pay for her keep and holiday boarding in the cattery. This was supposed to be short term, everyone thinking she would eventually return to us. She didn’t and this summer my neighbour suggested after all this time, if we were agreeable, she would take full responsibility for Mollie.

In truth Mollie was no longer our cat. True she would come into the garden and stop for a while, roll over to have her tummy tickled and then wander off. But anytime she returned she never made any attempt to come into the house. So we made the decision to sign her chip registration over to my neighbour and transfer ownership. It was something of an emotional moment but as I mentioned above, she’d stopped being our cat some time ago. And at least I know she’s happy where she is now.

We’d put a hold on having another cat because there was always the chance Mollie might come back and she really is a loner who doesn’t have feline friends. Now we know that’s not going to happen who knows what 2020 will bring. Another cat? Or maybe a dog? The jury is out at the moment.

So that’s it, a year of travel, writing and animals. It only remains for me to wish everyone reading this health and happiness for the coming new decade.

See you next year

Christmas Offer, Contemporary Romance, Devon

Countdown to Christmas…. A Special Festive Reading Offer 10th to 16th December

Posted on December 12, 2019December 12, 2019 by Jo Lambert - Author

I’ve taken a break from writing to post a Christmas Offer for readers. Back in 2015 I wrote Summer Moved On, followed a year later by Watercolours in the Rain. They are linked contemporary romantic sagas set in rural Devon. From 10th to 16th December you can join the community of Lynbrook and follow the lives of those who live there for 99p/99c each (e.book download only)

After a long-buried secret tears her family apart, Jess Hayden moves to the South Devon village of Lynbrook to live with her uncle. Rufus owns the village pub, The Black Bull, and having visited before, Jess knows the villagers well…especially one of them.

Talún Hansen has a reputation, making him the kind of man no decent girl should get involved with. Jess, however, has been under his spell from the moment they first met. Although they always seem to bring out the worst in each other, there is no denying the attraction that simmers between them – an attraction Jess knows she needs to keep under control after repeated warnings from her uncle.

As she settles into village life she begins to learn more about this wild, dark-haired gypsy with the compelling eyes, and realises their lives hold many similarities. Despite her uncle’s warnings, she begins to spend time with him. For Jess, the coming summer holds passion; for Talún the hope that he has at last found someone who truly cares for him.

But as autumn approaches, a dark shadow from Jess’s past returns, bringing far-reaching and unwanted changes for both of them.

On the surface, the heroine Jess has everything she could desire in her boyfriend Zac. Yet she is drawn to moody, brooding ‘Heathcliffe’-esque Talún. And who wouldn’t be, at that age? Is he just what Jess needs in the long summer before going up to university. Or is he the worst thing that could happen to her at this stage in her life? Jess has everything that money can provide but lacks a father’s love and relies on her lovely uncle Rufus to fill in the gaps. Small wonder then that she appears ‘ripe for the picking.’ The reader’s heart is in her mouth as Jess and Talùn’s relationship develops and we worry that it’s all going to end in tears. There’s plenty to keep the reader on side – a warm village community, complete with characters who wouldn’t be out of place in a Miss Read novel, or Cider with Rosie; a best friend, a scheming womaniser, a cold father and a mystery to be solved regarding Talùn’s parentage. Lady Rochford, Amazon Reviewer

PURCHASE LINKS:

AMAZON.COM http://a.co/iamXhV5

AMAZON UK http://amzn.eu/fWGrxb8

What happens to the future when past and present collide?

JESS: Six years ago Jess’s relationship with Talún Hansen was torn apart by one night of deception. He disappeared from Lynbrook village and she headed for university vowing never to let anyone break her heart again. Currently teaching in Oxford, Jess returns from holiday to an unexpected phone call and life changing news which eventually sees her returning home.

Talún: Six years on Talún Hawkeswood, as he is now known, is heir to his grandfather’s Norfolk farming empire. When he hears of trouble in the village due to Lynbrook Hall being put up for sale, going back is the last thing on his mind. But staying away is not an option either, not when someone he owes so much to is about to lose their home and their livelihood.

LILY: Splitting with her husband after her son Josh’s birth, Lily now works as part of an estate agency sales team. She has always held onto her dream of finding a wealthy husband and a life of self-indulgence. When the sale of an important property brings her face to face with Talún, she realises despite the risks involved, the night they spent together six years ago could be the key to making those dreams come true.

As Jess, Talún and Lily return to Lynbrook and the truth about what happened that summer is gradually revealed, Talún finds himself in an impossible situation. Still in love with Jess he is tied into a trade off with Lily: his name and the lifestyle she craves in exchange for his son. And when a child is involved there is only one choice he can make…

I very much enjoyed Summer Moved On, but Watercolours in the Rain is even better.
Finding out what happened to Jess, Talún and Lily – and all the other minor characters – was like hearing about friends and what happened to them.
I was fascinated to see how Jo Lambert managed to get the “right” ending – very cleverly written, I thought. Tina J Amazon Reviewer

PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON.CO.UK Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01LX4GRE5

AMAZON.COM Link: http://a.co/fjQMEo6