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The Blog is Back

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I missed writing my blog, so I'm back.  I wilted a little in the heat of the summer and sharing Menton with the thousands of tourists—vital to the economy but wearing on the soul (my own and the soul of the town)—is exhausting. After a rainy October, November is giving bright warm sunny days and cool pleasant evenings.  I apologise that this is more photos than words (I promise I will omit my holiday snaps from the Costa Brava).  My mind is full of ideas for my new book, a sequel for Hidden. In October I gave a talk in the St John's English Library in Menton to introduce  Hidden . I was overwhelmed by the numbers who attended—we ran out of chairs and had to bring a pew from the church—and I continue to be touched by the positive comments from those who came, bought the book and have read it.   For reasons that belong in another story my books didn't arrive in time for the talk but that didn't mean I didn't sell any! Life in France has settled into a very pleasant ro
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Last Word

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All of a sudden and as if by magic,  HIDDEN is available on Amazon, as paperback and on Kindle. Here is the blurb:- It’s 1988 in England, and Florence has decided to retire from her longtime nursing career. Fancying herself a modern-day Sherlock Holmes, she takes a job as assistant in a one-man private investigator’s office. Tired of answering the phone and filing, she’s desperate to solve a real case. The opportunity finally arrives when her friend Andrea suspects her husband, Geoffrey, is having an affair.  Florence works diligently to get to the bottom of Geoffrey’s strange behaviour and disappearing acts, even involving her reluctant boss, but comes up empty. However, Geoffrey’s secret is revealed to Andrea following a shocking event that changes both their lives forever.  Hidden is equal parts cosy mystery and domestic drama, and explores the secrets we keep from others—and ourselves—and how much we allow others to see, even those closest to us.    I feel that this blog has draw
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Trust

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 Sending my manuscript to someone that I didn't know, on the other side of the world, felt like a leap of faith. What was to stop him claiming it as his own and publishing it? But sometimes, you just have to trust.  Like the time in 2006, when I transferred several thousand pounds of my own and other peoples’ money to an office in Bangalore. I was organising a trip for six of us to travel to India the following year.  The trip that had started out as mahseer fishing on the Cauvery, morphed into an adventure that included a spa in Coorg (while the men fished), before travelling by car to Trivandrum via Mysore, Bandipar National Park, Niligri, Coonor, Ooty, Cochin, Kumarakom, and Thekady.  With trepidation I transferred the money for accommodation and transport to an office whose address in Bangalore included phrases like,  down the alley and behind the shop. ..  I was understandably a little worried when, after a few days, I had not received any acknowledgement.   When Stuart found
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Last few words on the Camino

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I’m back home now. With feedback on the blog, it felt as though you were all walking with me. Thank you for your company. I felt very sad putting my rucksack away. I left a few essentials inside ready for the next adventure. The washing took very little time and of course, in glorious sunshine it dried in no time at all. I can't believe how quickly the trip has gone. Who would believe that I could walk 107.4 miles in a week?  It feels as though I’ve been away for ages. There were certainly a lot of emails to go through and the garden has taken on a slightly neglected appearance. Walking the Camino was a great experience. The weather was wet but it couldn’t dampen our spirits or drown our laughter. Thank you to all my Camino buddies and to everyone who sponsored me.  
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