What’s that famous saying about March? In like a Lamb and out like a Lion? Or vice versa. Well, now we are about to wave goodbye to the third month of the year, looking back, my lasting memory will be one of rain, rain and more rain. Yes, we’ve had one or two days when you get the feeling warmer, dryer days are about to arrive, but sadly, we’re eventually back to rain again. With the bank holiday imminent, and the fact British Summertime begins on Sunday maybe the weather might start behaving itself. Who knows? Miracles might happen.
I may in the past have mentioned that we look out onto green fields. A couple of years ago this came under new ownership and has been undergoing planting to turn it into a conservation area. During this last week in March, tree and hedge planting has been on-going, interspersed with visits from Roe Deer, pheasants and squirrels. Oh, and the pigeons have returned, which means once they begin nest building we’ll be back to having them wake us up each morning with their special version of the dawn chorus.
Writing News
I’m still working steadily on my new book. No title as yet, which is unusual as I normally have something in mind during the early days of my projects. I’m not duly concerned at the moment, what is more important is getting the story written. Looking back on my notes, it’s interesting to see how things have changed since I wrote my original outline for the book. As writers all know, inspiration comes at the most unexpected moments and can take you in new and totally surprising directions.
In 2018 I signed a one book contract with Choc Lit, under their Ruby imprint. A Cornish Affair was published in 2019 and I was working on a sequel until the moment I received a cancer diagnosis. All writing was understandably abandoned. I parted company with Choc Lit and the book remained available as an e-book. I am happy to say that after three years of monitoring I appear to be clear, although I have to return for a final procedure next year. I did pick up my keyboard again, but as an indie author and wrote my Cornish Coastal trilogy, the last of which was published in April 2023.
Last year, award winning Joffe Publishing took over Choc Lit and have been working with its authors. All previously published work has been given a new cover, some a new title, and been republished. A Cornish Affair, my first novel set in Cornwall (on the north coast) will join the others soon.
And finally, I’ve just joined a group working with Birmingham University as they explore Reading British Romance in the UK and Australia. The group will run for five weeks. During that time we read and share our thoughts on Shirley Conran’s successful 1980s novel Lace. Books in this genre became known as ‘bonkbusters’ because of the amount of sex they contained. I had originally read this back in the 1980s when it was first published and doing the rounds with it again, forty plus years later I’m reading it from a different age perspective, and very much seeing it with different eyes. So far it’s been interesting to see the thoughts of other members of the group. As I do a lot of reading and reviewing, it’s also interesting to see how different the structure of the novel is compared with modern day novels and also how female characters have changed.
So that’s it for now. I’ll be back again at the end of May, fresh from a holiday in the Peak District and hopeful we’ll be treated to some decent late spring weather.
Best wishes
Jo
JO LAMBERT 