I've had a spot of trouble with my blog. Regular readers must have given up on me and I would not blame them. The trouble is that I am getting old and I could not remember the passwords for this blog - even though I have been writing it since 2006! Blogger could not help as to get assistance I had a series of security questions to answer - and I could not remember the answers! So, no blogs on this site for five months - until now when, with a flash of inspiration, all came back to me and here I am!
Hello and welcome, belatedly, to 2012.
I usually do a recap of the year at the end of each year. 2011's round up will have to be brief as there is so much to say about 2012 all ready.
January saw me working on my book of reminiscences from the people of Southampton (what a super bunch!); still working at the Diplomatic Service Families Association (DSFA), where I am the Publications and Communications Officer and eagerly awaiting my book of ghost stories,
Haunted Southampton, to be published. The
Writing Buddies came back from their Christmas break full of writing enthusiasm.
February dawned and I started teaching a creative writing class for Age Concern Southampton and met a lovely set of septuagenarians in the process. I held a small launch party for
Haunted Southampton. I joined in a ghost hunt with
Haunted Southampton Ltd , a group I have now worked with several times and look forward to doing so again in the not so distant future. I finished my Southampton reminiscences book and, later in the month, spent some time book signing at Waterstones.
March saw me at more bookshops signing books; teaching at the York Festival of Writing and enjoying an evening of ghostly encounters with 120 fans of ghost stories at Waterstones Above Bar, Southampton.
April came and with it a talk at the Lordshill History Society. More books signings were interspersed with a visit to the London Book Fair, which proved very useful and was to ensure I was a busy writer for the rest of the year.
Winchester: History You Can See came out. This is my favourite book so far. Attending the Bitterne Historical Society History Fair was useful.
May came and I was beginning to start work on my biggest project to date -
Under the Queen's Colours - a commemorative Diamond Jubilee book of service personnel's reminiscences. It was very busy at the DSFA.
June saw me giving interviews, interviewing for
Under the Queen's Colours and stopping respectable men and women on Weymouth sea front in the quest for service personnel to contribute to the book. Great fun!
July passed by in a blur. Interviewing, book signings, more interviewing and writing, which all stopped when my husband and I went to Buckingham Palace for the Queen's Garden Party. This was delightful, despite the rain.
August saw me on BBC Radio Solent as a guest on the Katie Martin show. I joined the lovely ladies of the Wordwrights of Titchfield as I guided them through a day-long workshop. I met some more super (ex)servicemen and women for
Under the Queen's Colours.
September saw the launch of
Life to the Full magazine for Age Concern Southampton. This was a vehicle for my students' work. They learnt all aspects of writing for publication and slowly understood the concepts of word counts, layout, content etc. They are a lovely bunch and I loved every minute working with them. This month also saw the publication of
Voices of Southampton, my fifth book.
October soon came along and I recorded a 'Spooky Solent' slot for Katie Martin at BBC Radio Solent. The Age Concern Southampton magazine gained momentum and I was busy at the DSFA.
November was busy.
Wordfall, the Writing Buddies's anthology, my lovely group of writers, came out in the middle of the month and the Mayor and Mayoress came to the launch at Waterstones, Above Bar, Southampton. I edited this book, which is the work of the group.
December, end of the year, and I was scrabbling to hit deadline for
Under the Queen's Colours. It had to be at the publisher at the beginning of the month. I was so happy when it was ready! It was the biggest of my projects and the one that I have had least time to complete. I can't wait until I see it on the bookshelves. It is full of super stories from a range of fantastic men and women. It really has been a privilege to work with them. The book will raise money for service charities.
December also saw the launch of the first edition of
Life to the Full. The Mayor and Mayoress came along to help launch it, which was great. The year ended with a deadbeat Penny enjoying a quiet Christmas and New Year with her family. Phew!
Now I have the blog back, more blogs will follow.
