Phew! What a year this is turning out to be! In January Choc Lit published the second book in my trilogy – EMMA: There’s No Turning Back – in paperback and as an ebook. And then, a couple of weeks ago, RED IS FOR RUBIES, came out as an ebook. The first is historical, and the second is contemporary.

Many moons ago, when I began writing, a wise and much-published person who has now become a very good friend advised me never to throw away anything I write. I thought she was mad at the time because, well, some of my early efforts were very amateur. But there was something in the way she said it, and also the fact she was much-published (and even more so now) that stopped me tearing efforts I was frustrated with to pieces, and putting things through the shredder, or confining it to bedding for the hamster.

There is an awful lot of stuff now. And RED IS FOR RUBIES is something that came out of, what I call, my Blue Peter files – you know, the one I made earlier. I enjoyed writing it at the time but was told by an agent or two that my heroine was too old – she is 49 – for the market. Well, that was then and this is now and it seems my Lydie is bang up to date again.

And then there’s the mojo thing……not many of us can come up with brand new plots and brand new ideas and riveting characters every day, can we? Life gets in the way sometimes…..and there’s been a lot of that around here lately. Sometimes other people and their needs have to come before one’s own. But, the longer I’m away from writing, the harder it can be getting back into it. So that’s when I remember, in the far recesses of my mind, that I have this pile of stuff I wrote and was ordered not to throw away. And do you know what? – there’s lots of good stuff in there, even if it is only a line or two of description, or a bit of sharp dialogue. So, I’ve been looking through some of it. I’ve found something that has a fantastic setting but some very dull characters, so what I’ve done is write up some new characters in that setting and hey ho, it is all Mr Sheen shiny and new.

Choc Lit have given me a contract on a second, contemporary, full length novel. It’s called ALL THE BLUE SAPPHIRES  – at the moment, although that might change – I hope it doesn’t though because I’ve just had another idea…..there’s something somewhere in that pile with emeralds in it….a JEWEL SERIES…..oh, why not?

So….if you’re starting out and want some advice from someone who is, at last, getting published on a regular basis, it would be to not throw anything away. Anything!

And may you get your buses moment, everyone.

I’m getting some lovely reviews on Amazon for EMMA. And RED IS FOR RUBIES has just picked up its first. http://www.elderparkbookreviews.wordpress.com/ is first in the queue for RIFR….who’s next?