The Calm Before the Storm

And why finishing Book 2 was so important to me

Photo by Mick Haupt on Unsplash

Hello and welcome.

Following my minor RTA a couple of weeks ago, I have been easing myself through the days. Lower back and neck pain have slowed me down, but I am determined to keep positive. After all, it could have been a lot worse.

Storm Darragh hit the UK this weekend, just two weeks after Storm Bert wreaked havoc. I know that compared to the U.S. and other places, our storms here in the UK are quite docile. But, they seem to be getting worse. And much stronger. Winds of up to 90 mph were reported in some places and, as you can see from the link above, a chapel had it’s roof blown off. A government warning was sent to 3,000,000 people’s mobile/cell phones advising them to stay indoors if at all possible, because it wasn’t safe to drive in the stormy conditions. Several people died, two of them when a tree fell on their car. My heart goes out to their families.

Global warming is really happening and it is frightening. I can’t ever remember having storms with such high winds, heavy rainfalls and difficult driving conditions so close together. Extreme weather has now become a reality in a part of the world that rarely experienced it before. But, as I said previously, it could have been a lot worse.

I didn’t know if I was going to be able to post this piece today. Yesterday at 5:00 pm GMT our lights went out and a recorded message from our electricity supplier told us it wouldn’t be back until 6:00 pm the following day (today). So, I am drafting this in daylight, and once the power returns, I can get back onto the internet and post it.

Which got me to thinking how much we rely on electricity in our everyday lives. I kept going to switch the light on when entering a darkened room. Then I thought I would crack on with a pile of ironing…then I thought about all the writing I had planned for the day. Yippee! Thankfully, my laptop was fully charged so I am typing at lightning speed to get all the words down so that I can post my regular Sunday evening piece. Before then continuing to edit book two. More of that below.

Fortunately, our house has a log burner so we can boil water on the top for tea and coffee, and my husband made himself some rather delicious scrambled eggs on there too. Recently, we looked at moving house (but then decided against it) and the only form of heating was via air source heat pumps. So, when the power is down, not only does the electricity go off, but the houses don’t have any way of being heated. Which must suck.

Luckily, we have a resourceful pub in the village which has a generator and so is able to serve hot lunches. As does the local garage. Have a generator. Not to serve hot lunches but to serve fuel and also has an amazing mini-mart where you can buy just about anything. We are very fortunate to live where we do.

We daren’t open the freezer so food is limited to what’s in the fridge/ice box. Luckily, I had a supermarket delivery yesterday so we won’t go hungry. Candles aplenty were dotted around the house last night, and we were able to listen to audio books on our phones. Then, this morning, we charged our phones up in our cars. Voila! Fully charged mobiles so at least we can keep in contact with the outside world and keep ourselves occupied. I am even going to wash my car later, before it get’s dark. I usually take it to one of those hand wash places in town but I figured I have so much time on my hands that today, I will do it myself.

This morning, the thought of an entire day without power filled me with dread. What would I do all day? Turns out that it wasn’t half as bad as I thought it would be. The first hour was spent tidying up the garden. Our garden furniture had ended up in a flower border after being blown off the terrace. The water butt was half way down the garden, the drainpipe had blown off the shed and several shrubs had keeled over, listing at awkward angles. Again, it could have been a lot worse and we are grateful that no large trees had fallen. Indoors for a warming cup of coffee, then back outside to wash the car. It was absolutely freezing, but as I have only had the car for a few days, I want to keep it looking nice and clean.

Back indoors again, thankfully to a lovely warm lounge, where I finished writing my Christmas cards. A job I had been putting off as I had so many other things to do. But the lack of electricity presented a perfect opportunity to get the job done. Earlier, I had wrapped some baking potatoes in foil and nestled them on top of the log burner. I had no idea what they would turn out like, but they were delicious. Crispy on the outside and light and fluffy inside. A dollop of butter and a grating of Cheddar cheese and a hearty lunch was enjoyed. It’s amazing how resourceful you can be when you have to be. After our quick camping-style lunch, we were off out for a brisk walk around the village. As the afternoon loomed ahead, I decided to lay on the sofa and read a book. I had to use a torch to see the pages more clearly, but that reminded me of the times when I used to read under the covers by torchlight when my parents sent me to bed early, and all I wanted to do was read!

Not having enough juice in my laptop to do much editing after writing this piece, I was beginning to feel at a loose end. The pile of ironing was still staring at me but I carried on reading. This time I chose to read a book on the Kindle app on my phone so no need for a torch. It’s a brilliant story and I am absolutely hooked.

Freida McFadden has written a second book called The Housemaid’s Secret which I can’t wait to get my hands on, as soon as I have finished this one.

Which brings me to my second book. After the roller coaster ride of having The Mysterious Disappearance of Marsha Boden published, I am keen to keep the books rolling out. By the way, you can also buy it on Amazon but for some reason, the cover doesn’t show up on the UK website and on the US website, I can only find the Kindle version. It also only has 6 reviews whereas on the UK site, there are 17 reviews. Go figure! I have tried to rectify the situations, but it isn’t down to me and I have no sway whatsoever. Despite it being my book. Anyway, I am sure that one day the beautiful cover will show up on the UK Amazon website, and I know the paperback version is available to buy in the US because some very kind subscribers have sent me photos of them holding it. What a thrill! My book. Out there, being read. Ta da!

I have finished editing the second book, which is another cozy crime novel and have been spurred on by all those asking me, ‘When is your next book out?’ Such a compliment and, being as all I ever wanted was to be an author, I feel the pressure to move things along. I still have some edits to do as I want it to be as near perfect as I can before I submit it. What I don’t want to do is get on a treadmill of having to churn out books for the sake of it. I would rather have one book a year published (fingers crossed!) and make sure they are a good read. That is so important to me.

I have a FaceTime booked with my brilliant friend, Jeannie, who is in the U.S. We have been friends for almost thirty years and keep in touch quite regularly. I had thought I would have to go sit in my car and FaceTime her on my phone, but thankfully the power has just come back on, so I can chat with her in the comfort of my own home. And on that note, I see the clock ticking away, so I am going to schedule this post to go out at just about the time I hope to see my friend’s face on my screen.

I hope you are safe, wherever you are in the world, and have not suffered from the effects of any severe weather. Or anything else, for that matter.

Best wishes,