Oh joy! Never Can Say Goodbye is done! And I mean REALLY done. Edits and all. I've written another book!!! It's always like a miracle to me when that happens because I'm never sure how it actually turns from mad stuff in my head to 400 pages of comparative sense on the computer. And of course it means I can now look at the blurb for NCSG on Amazon and not panic. I always panic when the blurb gets there before I've finished writing the book somehow. It seems sort of scary. Like tempting fate. Although sometimes when the blurb is there really early, I've actually changed the book to suit the blurb, but not this time. This time - phew - it's okay.
Never Can Say Goodbye was one of those books that (once I'd started it - and yes, I faffed around with starting it for ages because I wasn't sure that funny ghosts were exactly what anyone was looking for) just seemed to fall into place (oh, I so wish they were all like that) and didn't give me any real problems. Once I got going it just seemed to work. And for that reason I love it. Mwah!
Now all I have to do is start the next one - which is okay because I actually have an idea... Well, actually I've already started writing it. In fact I started writing it the day I finished NCSG. It's called (at the moment) Only Make Believe. Now it's all getting a bit weird because I'm starting to sound like one of those cocksure writers who knows what they're doing. And I don't. I'm just on a bit of a high. Usually when I've finished writing a book I just slink off somewhere and slump and know I'll never, ever be able to do it again. But this time it's all very different. Oh, the joy of books like NCSG and Hub Bub and Going the Distance and Moonshine that just - well - happen and give me a nice big whoomph of much-needed writerly confidence.
So that's the endings bit of this post's subject line - and a bit of the beginnings. The other bit of the beginnings (and much, much more exciting and amazing) is because I'm going to be a grandmother.
Elle and The Doctor are expecting their first baby on September 1st.
Of course, as The Toyboy Trucker said, we're far too young to be grandparents, which is sweet of him, but to be honest here on the estate, if you're not a Nan and Gramps in your 40s you're considered pretty weird.
To say we're ecstatic would be a major understatement. But I promise here and now that - unlike the wedding - I won't gush a lot and give boring (to everyone else) minute details of the pregnancy. Will just say that poor Elle is currently having a pretty rough time with morning sickness 24/7 but we're all hoping this will soon be at an end. Especially The Doctor who is having the full-on joyous experience. We've seen the scan, complete with little hands and feet - incredible - and although it looks more like a tabby kitten than a baby I'm sure it'll be fine when the whole process is complete. They are determined not to find out the sex, so I'm currently knitting a layette in a nice non-discriminatory mustard...
Now I can saunter off and answer emails (sorry!) and catch up with FaceBook (sorry!) and decide whether I want to be a glamorous granny, or a mad boho writing granny, or a nice cosy granny in aprons and slippers like I had... And shall I be Nan or Gran or Granny or Grandma????
Decisions, decisions...
14 comments:
Hey, Double Congratulations!!!
New book sounds great - can't wait to read it.
Being a grandparent... LOL, you will be such a doting one.
xxPat
Pat - thank you! NCSG was very kind to me throughout the whole writing process - bless it. And Grannydom? Eeek! Hopefully I'll be okay at it - can't wait to find out! Cx
Congratulations on the book and the forthcoming grannification!
Congratulations! Can't wait for the new book-or to find out whether you have a grandson or granddaughter!
Becka x
So many exciting things happening, congratulations :o)
My mum was very insistent on not being a nan or a granny - it had to be Grandma!
womag - many thanks for both! Cx
Becka - thank you. I'm looking forward to finding out too. Cx
Karen - thank you. I will NOT be Nan or Nannie - too, too ageing dahling... Quite fancy Granno. Cx
Hey, fab news on being an Elder in your clan ;) Glad you're getting some down-time now...feet up for a little while eh?! Keep the tea flowing and I'm sure ideas will follow. Respect, Granno! Claire xxx
Congrats x2! My mum has 6 grandkids and rekons she should have had them first!
Can't wait to get the new book! Have you got a publish date yet?
Off to play with our new additions to the family - 8 hens!!!
Sue x
Claire - thank you! Although the "feet up and resting" bit took a bit longer than I'd planned - see new blog post!!!! Cx
alzamina - enjoy the hens! Elle says this will be my only grandchild.... Never Can Say Goodbye out in hardback on 1st Sept (same day as the baby is due!) and Feb 2nd in paperback (by which time I might just have got used to grannydom...) Cx
Hi Christina, I've just found your blog after being a fan of yours since book one. I haven't read them in order but I love each of them equally, your characterisation brings them alive for me. Love them all. Many congratulations on the forthcoming addition to your family. I hope your daughter's sickness stops soon. As long as you keep on writing I'll be happy. Take good care.
Dee - oh thank you so much for persevering and finding me! I'm such a bad blogger! I'm going to try and post more regularly now... And thank you so much for saying nice things about the books - I'm so glad you like them, and very, very grateful that you've taken the time to say so. You've no idea how much it means to me. Elle is feeling much better now, thanks - just fat and hot and waddly... I'm trying to get another book finished before the baby arrives so that I can spend loads of time cuddling it - and then handing it back when it gets noisy/messy! Cx
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