A warm welcome from the WI!

Many thanks to Finstall Cross WI. Last night a large crowd turned out for their first meeting of the year and to hear me talk about my books and the way I write. An enthusiastic audience, they listened intently and asked intelligent questions.


Although I do quite a lot of author talks and books signings in various places, I never lose that enthusiasm I have when talking about my books and the characters within them...they are like old friends, even the nasty ones!


This was only my second foray into the world of WI and I found this particular group to be very different from my previous experience. These ladies were lively, feisty and had a very, very active social life...something I must admit to being a little in awe of.


With so many available groups offering a variety of activities to their members, I had to wonder why so many women isolate themselves as they get older.


Many, many years ago, when I was around 22, I dated a young man who had lost his father at an early age. His mother had remarried soon after, to a very kind, gentle bear of a man called John.
 Unfortunately at the age of 46 [if memory serves] John had a fatal heart attack and died, leaving my boyfriend's mother twice widowed by the age of 45.


I remember the shock and the sense of loss I felt that the world had lost such a lovely man. I can't, even now, get fully to grips with how his wife must have felt, having had to bury two men she adored within the short span of her lifetime.


At the time, 45 had seemed moderately old - having now passed that age myself and also watched the world reassign the concept of 'middle-age' to a yet slightly distant decade, as people strive to stay younger for longer - I had thought that her life was effectively over.


With her role as wife effectively swept away in one cruel stroke and her role as mother diminishing with her brood finding life partners and moving out to homes of their own, I feared for what the future held for this indomitable lady. I wish I had known about the WI then, as I would certainly have steered her in their direction.


But it was another age. People in their teens and early twenties now are used to seeing people in their forties, fifties and even sixties wearing the same clothes as them, frequenting the same pubs and even using modern technology such as android phones and IPods.


Back then there was more of a distinction between generations. People in their sixties did not wear jeans; women over a certain age did not wear high heels or any clothing which did not include a high fibre count in polyester and anyone over the age of thirty-something could not properly understand or work a video recorder.


So when did this change take place? I honestly don't know. It must have been gradual I guess but it was certainly sweeping. I wonder too what prompted the change. Did we all as a nation, nay species, decide that we were going to live more until we died? Or was it something about my own generation, some refusal to let time catch them in it's grip without giving it at least a good run for its money? Perhaps you have your own theory.


All I know is this - I'm glad of the change and in particular I was heartened by the vivaciousness of last night's WI group. So watch out ladies - one day I might just join you!


Until then, Happy Reading!

Hello again!

I have been extremely busy editing today. In fact I have edited so much, I have already had about fourteen cups of coffee and four squares of chocolate and it's not even lunch time!

[And ok I know the chocolate does not help the editing process in any way but let's just pretend!:)]

I thought I should have a break before my head exploded and I was going to use this time to take the dogs for a walk but then I decided to update you a little instead...so where should I start?

Quite a lot has happened recently. I have been approached by a very new publishing company who are interested in one of my children's stories. Since this still requires extensive editing [what MORE editing?] I have shelved the project for a few weeks whilst I get on with what I need to do first of all, which is get the current book I have been working on up to a certain standard.

But what I really want to tell you about is yesterday, when I conducted my author talk at the Women's Institute.

I had never been to a WI meeting before and felt strangely excited at the prospect. The WI holds a strange fascination - images of a secret ceremony reminiscent of the Mason's was almost what I expected, symbolic vestments and ritualistic handshakes what I was on the look-out for and animal-sacrifice what I almost feared!

Instead of any of those things I found a group of exceptionally pleasant and welcoming ladies, who discussed events with the easy familiarity of  long-held friendships.

A slightly older audience than I am used to, they were nonetheless attentive and interested with a notable exception. One elderly lady, well into her late-eighties either fell sound asleep during my discourse or actually died. It was a toss up between the two as to which was the most likely outcome.

Now I am not known for my boredom factor, so I surmised that this narcolepsy must have been due to the lady's age rather than the sound of my dulcet tones, however it did make me start when I looked up from reading my book excerpt to find her with her head rolled forward onto her chest and looking as pale as parchment.

"Oh God, someone get a mirror and let's check if she is breathing!" I wanted to shout but casting my gaze around I found that I was the only one who was wide eyed with panic...clearly this was not a one-off event.

I struggled to continue the reading, worried about the welfare of my elderly listener. So when another of the ladies drifted off, I knew I was done for! I kept my eyes on the page and stifled the giggles that threatened to well up in me.

I think it was only the applause at the end which roused them [or perhaps the vibrations restarted their hearts, who knows?]

But even so they were a truly wonderful group of women and if I ever get to their advanced age, I hope someone lets me nap when I am tired :)

I know the rest of the group enjoyed the talk immensely and I even gave them an extra laugh at the end of the session, when leaving my car in their car park, I popped over to the supermarket a few minutes away and then had to return to the car with two heavy shopping bags in tow, wearing a white summer dress in the sudden torrential downpour.

They drove past me out of the car park, literally rolling in their seats at the sight of the stupid, never-quite-in-the-real-world author with her hair plastered to her scalp and her dress stuck to her skin...

And as for the two old ladies who fell asleep? Well I will forever remain in their memories as that young author with the relaxing voice...

Happy Reading. :)