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07 November, 2012 / News

NEWSLETTER September 2007

Hi,

Well, I can’t believe that summer’s nearly over. Now there’s no excuse not to sit down at my PC and get cracking on a new book. The school hols form a nice natural break in writing, and I took most of the summer off to be with the kids. Our twin boys are now ten and, in a few years’ time, they’ll be badgering us to go to Ibiza with their mates and won’t want to hang out with us any more. So I want to make the most of it.

Like the rest of the UK, rain gushed on Scotland so I was relieved that we’d booked our favourite cottage in Brittany for a couple of weeks. It’s near Quimper and is gorgeous – in the middle of nowhere and surrounded by cornfields and sea. I took my laptop, intending to beaver away in the evening, but only switched it on for half an hour in the whole holiday. My brain had shut down completely.

We also had a week up north in Dornoch on the East coast, which was lovely – including a rather choppy ferry trip to wild, breathtaking Orkney. Now we’re back home, and the kids are back at school, and it’s all whizzed by far too quickly.

My next novel comes out in the UK in February, so I’ll give details nearer the time. In the meantime, I’m trying to crack on, and seem to have reached that ‘difficult’ middle-of-the-book stage when I’m not sure how it’s all going to turn out. But I’ll get there in the end… won’t I?!

Bye for now,
Fiona x

07 November, 2012 / News

NEWSLETTER March 2007

Hello,

Agh, I’d intended to write a newsletter far more frequently than this, but three months have flashed by. January was pretty hectic with finishing my forth novel – lots of late nights, and diving to the PC every time the kids settled down to watch the Simpsons. I made my deadline – just. My editor was very positive about the book, which always comes as a huge relief – it’s so nerve-wracking, sending off a manuscript. The instant I’ve pressed ‘send’, or handed it over to the post office lady, I remember some terrible glaring error that I’d meant to fix.

Anyway, the novel isn’t due for publication until March 2008, so I won’t mention the title just yet. And it might change a dozen times anyway as I, my editor and the marketing department battle over our favourites!

We had a local launch for my third novel, Lucky Girl (now out in paperback, see ‘books’ page for its Amazon link). To my relief, plenty of people showed up. I’d brought along my entire family, kids included, and ordered them to run around a lot of the place was deserted. We had a Q&A session, and my kids’ hands shot up – I prayed that they wouldn’t overdo it and take over, but people seemed to enjoy their input. Dex, aged ten, wanted to know what happens to Frankie, the has-been celebrity chef, at the end of the book. He knows, the wee tyke, and just wanted me to give away the ending! I’d been talking about how it’s a good idea to carry a notebook wherever you go for scribbling down ideas. Erin, my six year-old, put up her hand and asked, ‘Why don’t you let me draw in your notebooks?’ My precious Paperchase notebooks? Not a chance, lady…

So now I’m… bookless. There are a few ideas milling around but nothing I’ve started on properly. I feel rather bereft, but it’s been lovely to have some time with the family without feeling harassed. We had a great few days in Pitlochry in the Highlands and are planning to head north again to Dornoch for Easter. I’ve been running with my mate Tania – pounding the country lanes instead of the keyboard. We’re training (I use the term loosely) for the Glasgow women’s 10k, and I hope to pant my way round the half marathon course in the Great Scottish Run in September. Which means going easy on the wine in France this summer. Sort of…

Well, that’s all for this month. Without coming over all blubby, I’d like to say a huge thanks if you’ve bought or read Lucky Girl – I’ve had some lovely feedback, including some glowing reviews in the mags, which is always boosting. It’s the book I’m most proud of so it really means a lot.

Bye for now,
Fiona

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