In my last post I introduced the first book in the Hartdale Brides series. The Clothier’s Daughter … but that was in 2020, way too many years ago.
I am very sorry about the delays in publishing a new book and more books in the series. I know it’s not great for an author to have really long gaps between books. Believe me, I know. Readers will have forgotten me, given up on me, been disappointed. I’m disappointed in myself. But life has been, well, Life. Paid work, family, health and the difficulties in this crazy world of finding the mental space to focus on creating a rich, well-written and engaging story have slowed down my writing. To be honest, I was pretty-much burnt out. Just when I thought I was getting back on track, my older sister was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer in late 2023 and died a few very distressing weeks later, leaving a lot of grief and a complicated estate situation to be sorted out. A few months after that, I received some great but life-changing news, and it’s meant packing up all my belongings and putting them in storage, staying with family for 5 months, and moving 1400km (900 miles) from my bush home of 36 years to a regional city near Melbourne.
Through it all I have been trying to write, and more books will come. They’ve been bubbling inside me all this time. If I could just download my brain and soul into actual, compelling words and sentences instead of ideas and emotions, it would be so much easier! (No, I am not going to use AI to write my books. Never, ever. Every word and word placement in my books comes from my brain and my heart.)
I’m really hoping that the new Hartdale Brides book will (finally!) be out before the end of the year. The working and probably final title is A Spy’s Honor. I love the lead characters – David Penry and Lucy Shelbourne, née Braithwaite – I just need to get their somewhat complex story under control and to the finish. When I’ve hit road blocks with it, I’ve worked on another story in the series. And I have notes for (at least) two others. And ideas for just about every character who appeared in The Clothier’s Daughter.
I haven’t given up. I hope you haven’t given up on me, either.