Merde!

I smashed up my little car! Grey day, raining, grey car oncoming, signpost partially obscuring oncoming traffic ~ and boof. The other car didn't come of too well either, but luckily no one was hurt.
However, now I have guilt. I've never had a car crash before, and I've been driving since I was 29. Sigh. Husband is less than happy.

World Book Day 2010

I've just started putting the word around Welsh schools for my next visit to Wales (yes, I know I've only just come back). But World Book Day (4th March) is a must for me, especially when it's so close to St David's Day ~ tangling in my roots, so to speak.

Several schools are already expressing an interest, and two have already booked, which is great. I'm hoping to spend a couple of days in the south, doing battle with the M4 to visit Cardiff schools, then travel North to the Lleyn peninsula and maybe some Anglesey and Gwynedd schools.

Something that's gratifying is the number of schools using my "Tirion's Secret Journal" and "Troublesome Thomas" to "do" the Stuarts. I'm quite proud of those two books ~ they're the sort of historical novels that got me hooked when I was a kid.

I was very upset to learn that there's a possibility that one North Wales Library Service may have to dump its children's library service because of budget cuts. For goodness sake, what's going on? If we aren't encouraging kids into libraries, how can we expect them to become readers?

I can't imagine life without books: it would be hell.

All right, all right, I give in...

I was just about to give up on blogging because it's like shouting down the end of a vacuum cleaner if nobody (except No.1 daughter) ever leaves a message to say they've visited. But I'm not going to, so there.

This week's been a terrible rush: trying to get the house organised (because of Rome and Ireland (and Wales next week)) I haven't even dusted for weeks; add to that an apple tree groaning with fruit just waiting to be peeled and cooked and fruz. Add to that the washing machine breaking down just after we got back from Ireland, and a meeting being moved from somebody else's house to mine at two days' notice and you'll understand a bit why I'm tearing out my hair. And I'm also trying to organise Christmas presents (yes, really!) to take back with us next week so I don't have to post them from France to Wales which is expensive.

...and I haven't written a word for months. When I get back, I intend to start writing again. I'm sure it's affecting my concentration because there are all these words piling up in my head. I also have an idea for a picture book, and no time to even scribble a rough draft.

Holidays in a cold climate...

Off to Ireland tomorrow to see gorgeous daughter, grand-daughter and superson-in-law. I'm busy packing up my summer vest tops and getting out my fleeces: Ireland (especially the North) is such a long way north of here!

I'm busy trying to decide whether to ask the Webmaster (aka Himself) to update/re-do my site. What do you think? www.robsullivan.clara.net

To change or not to change?

John Deakin

I couldn't let the passing of John go by without creating something for him on my blog ~ even if no one appears to be reading the damn thing!

John taught my children at Raglan Primary School in Monmouthshire. He and his wife became two of our best family friends. He was a one-off, was John: no Oxbridge education, but a gift for teaching that no expensive college course can give. My girls adored him, and we holidayed together, partied together and enjoyed life together.

God bless, John ~ you were one of a kind and you'll be sorely missed not only by your family and ours, but by countless ex-Raglan Primary kids who all adored you.

Arthur and Guinevere ~ a sideways look

Something that's always intrigued and fascinated me was the story of Arthur and Guinevere (or Gwenhwyfar as she's known in Wales). He was an old man, she a young woman, and that fact alone contributed so much to the tragedy of their lives. So when I grew up and became a writer, I decided to write a series of books with the Arthurian story as a background~ and Merlin as a main character because I love (and believe in) magic.

The series begins for readers aged 7-10 with three books "Gwydion and the Flying Wand"; "Magic Maldwyn" and "Betsan the Brave". It continues for children aged 10-15 with "The Magic Apostrophe"; "The Island of Summer" and "Dragonson". Then, for 13-16 year olds (and many much older ~ you'd be amazed at the fan letters I get!) "Who Me?"; Me and My Big Mouth!" and "Dragons and Decisions". Then comes, for 13-16 again, "Nobody Asked Me!", in which the protagonist, Tanith, mistakenly arrives in Camelot. The next two books, "What Part of No Don't You Understand?" and "Tree of Light" complete the series. I've loved writing them ~ and I know people like reading them.

Those aren't the only books, either ~ there are many, many more.

Tuesday...packing

I think I'm talking to myself ~ nobody is reading me at all, at least, not on the blog ~ on the books, however, that's a different story.

Most upset last weekend to discover that the TV film "Framed" was taken from the book that one of mine BEAT to an award in 2006... BBC Wales, what about me, please? Enjoyed the film, though, but thought Trevor Eve/ Eddie Shoestring a bit long in the tooth to pull Eve Myles! Maybe it was Power and Influence that was the attraction!

Packing today for our trip to Rome...

More when I get back!

Bookshelf

Since we're living in France, English language books are hard to come by, but luckily there's an enterprising Brit who has opened up a book exchange about 60 miles away. So we have a day out at the local market, swap books (50 cents a book if you take books back to exchange, 3 euros each otherwise). So we now have books to read for a week or two, and I got an oyster opener in the market so that Himself can open oysters without maiming himself.

Wish I liked oysters ~ they are virtually no calories, but since they look like snot, there's no way I could swallow one, ever. Prawns and langoustines, now, fantastic, but sadly I'm allergic to crab. Also to moules, but since I loathe them anyway (fishy rubber bands) no loss there. I've just eaten a very frugal lunch because I need (oh, how I need!) to lose some weight. The trouble with French life is that Lunch is Important. When Himself was working I'd often skip lunch, or just have a Ryvita, but now he's retired, it's a daily ritual. And there's baguette, and Breton butter, and cheese, and wine ~ which is why I need to lose weight. I also don't exercise enough. Sigh.

Wenesday between the eyes

This is so embarrassing ~ I'm half way through editing my own book, and found myself sniffling at a sad bit and ~ even worse ~ wondering what happens next. I mean, I wrote the damn thing!

Still, half way through the final edit (thank God) and on course to get it off my hands before I go on holiday next week.

Now: fetch in the laundry and chicken for tea!

Fed up with editing

I'm wasting my time ~ I should be editing my historical novel (I may have found an agent :) !) and I'm blogging instead.

I normally love editing, but I've done this particular book so often (for my PhD) I'm almost fed up with it. Still like it and have faith in it, but I've been overcome by terminal laziness.

Sigh.

That's all folks ~ gotta get back to work.

Being a children's author...and growing up!

No. 1 daughter tells me that I have to blog every day, but time has got away from me totally this month, due to visit of No. 2 daughter, which has been great. We've beached, eaten, walked, cycled, eaten, eaten, eaten. Diet starts Monday.

Time for a whinge: I've been a fairly successful children's author for many years now ~ some 24 on the shelves, with four or five more finished and ready for publication. However ~ because my publisher is Welsh, and small, although enthusiastic and growing, their publicity budget is small, so my sales are, quite frankly, fairly crap. And the other thing is, I seem to be sitting in this little pigeonhole marked "Children's author: do not release into adult fiction". Well, fine, except that I've written this great, big, historical novel that earned me a PhD and I can't get anyone to read it. Actually, I tell a lie. One publisher did, loved it, wanted to publish it, but moved so slowly that there was a change of editor ~ who didn't like big historical novels, so four years on I got it back and was sitting on square one again. Agent: read it, loved it, but passed it to her colleague to read, who also loved it but wanted me to rewrite it, take out most of the historical detail (!) and Welsh stuff and put in more sex. "No market for historical novels"; "why should we want another historical novelist when we've got Philippa Gregory etc etc." I tell you, it's soul detroying. But I'm not giving up, so there!

Watch this space...

croesofruitbat

Well, this is something new! Getting blogging, my daughter says, get into the Century of the Fruitbat, Mum ~ so here I am. Blogging.

I'm a writer: children's novels, picture books, poetry, you name it, I've had it published. Daughter says, five minutes out of your life, Mum. Well, we'll see.

I've got three gorgeous daughters, three equally gorgeous grand-daughters, one long-suffering husband and a dog that's adopted me. I live in France.

Anyone out there?