Time flies!
Gosh! What a year it has been!
And how fast it has flown!
I wonder sometimes if it’s an age thing, that time flies because one is on the downhill run…
But then, being Pollyanna-ish, I think ‘Noooo. It’s because we’re busier, because life is full, because we enjoy every day…’
My year has rocketed along with two books released. As most who read this blog know, a children’s picture book (Nugget) was released along with Book Two of The Triptych Chronicle (Guillaume).
Guillaume was released only 2 weeks ago and slotted into a Top 100 e-book category on UK Amazon yesterday. It comes and goes in the biographical fiction category, but in a market that becomes increasingly competitive and difficult by the moment, I’m grateful for its momentary fame.
This year has also been dominated by plaudits for Tobias, Book One of The Triptych Chronicle. It was nominated as a semi-finalist in the M.m. Bennetts’ Award for Historical Fiction in the UK. M.m. Bennetts was a brilliant mind cut short by cancer and knowing her writing and her ethos, the nomination was perhaps the greatest recognition of my writing that I could imagine.
This was followed later in the year by nomination as a finalist in the Chanticleer Chaucer Awards. This will be announced next year, and together with the M.m. Bennetts’ Award and a gold medal from the Indie Book Readers’ Appreciation Group (Indie B.R.A.G), has given my writing the kind of validation any writer hopes for.
The latter part of the year was rather dominated by family issues. My husband required an urgent operation for a form of cancer and we became so entrenched in the ‘hamster in the wheel’ life that such a thing incurs, that I even forgot the date at which Guillaume was being launched on the world.
It’s entirely possible to be sucked into the negativity of such an illness and operation, but my hubbie and I look at it another way as he reaches Week Two in his recuperation. Firstly his pathology is showing excellent results, so its onward and upward from here – huge smiles all round. But it’s also shown us that life can be short, that one must appreciate every single day, and look for the best in any moment, trucking on, no matter what.
And so we enter our summer – boats, swimming, sun, sand and sea.
But I also enter the beginning of a new novel.
I am 5000 words into a novel that has whispered in my ear for 6 months.
It’s a return to fantasy as I craft The Cabinet of Curiosities. I love writing in summer and this year even more so, because for just a month or so, I have that feeling that I want to escape and that’s what writing does for me.
On that note – here’s to everyone’s festive escape. No matter your beliefs, do enjoy the end of year and whilst I NEVER promise esoteric mind-shattering philosophy on my blog,
I do promise lots of scenic pics of skies and seas in the coming month or so.
Take care all, have fun and see you after Christmas!
Have a lovely christmas with the family Prue, and we’ll look forward to the lovely photos you’ll post as we go through our winter love and hugs to all xxxxxx
Cheers, Libby and thanks so much for all your support.