My thoughts about books, writing, life and so many other things….Judy Leigh/ Elena Collins.
How often do I read that phrase in reviews of books? 'I hated that character.' 'I didn’t like that character.' ' The character was horrible.' Some reviewers never do it and are much better reviewers for it. Some do it and qualify their comments – they get that not all characters are loveable. That’s a …
Hi. I’ve been away from blogging for a while, mainly being busy writing novels. Five a year is quite a target, and I always make sure I look after my brain and my creative energy in between writing. Resting and recharging is important. I’ve written the first two novels of the JR Leigh DI Archie …
Reading was my first glimpse of magic. My mother read to me, which makes me very fortunate. On her knee as a baby, a toddler, a preschooler. I was allowed to point to the words, to sound them out, to close my eyes and breathe in the beauty of descriptions, characters, adventures. I read everything …
I was inspired by a photo a friend sent to me of a Ferrari, in all its glorious red sporty shininess, parked outside a shop somewhere in Surrey. It struck me as a sleek bit of unnecessary luxury, and it was open-topped and unoccupied. I’m no thief, but anyone could have jumped in it and …
I’ve been in the writing cave recently. I’ve had two edits back to back – one for Golden Girls on the Run, which is out in December and I can’t wait for you to read it – and one for the new Elena Collins novel, published early next year. I’m really excited about that one. …
The other day on my dawn walk, I thought I could smell autumn in the air. It’s a unique smell, sharp, tangy, new, a scent that tells me the seasons are changing. Of course I could be completely wrong, but I think I’ve always been able to smell it. It’s a sign that summer is …
Sometimes my daily word count impresses people. I don’t seek to impress anyone, but often writers find it difficult to write a large number of words in one go. Or even start writing a novel. That's normal. But for some reason, I don’t have that problem. People say, ‘How many words did you write this …
Continue reading When I Wrote Five Thousand Eight Hundred Words In One Day…
I loved writing The Silver Ladies Do Lunch, and the stand-alone follow-up, The Silver Ladies Seize the Day. I enjoy writing every novel, immersing myself in characters and plots and emotions, and I suppose there are different reasons why each novel feels just a little bit different. This one is number twenty four, but I …
Continue reading The Silver Ladies Seize the Day. (And why we should all do the same.)
This week I went to the RNA Awards Ceremony as a nominee for Historical Romantic Novel. The Wicked Lady. It’s the first time I’ve been nominated, so I had no idea what to expect. I’d seen The BAFTAS on TV and I assumed that’s what it would be like. It was. Pretty much. A really …
Continue reading The Speech That I Should Have Made At The RNA Awards
I spent a long weekend in the Highlands a week ago, so that I could research another book. I don’t want to give anything away at this stage, but part of the research involved standing at the top of a long winding hill and shuddering at the thought of what happened there many years ago. …
That quintessence of dust 