The return of hugo.
And here we are. Hugo book 11. Can you believe it? Eleven Hugo books! I certainly can’t. I don’t know how it happened, truly, I don’t. I have no idea where these stories come from (and why they’re often so complicated!) but I’ve learnt over the years not to question it and just to go along with it, and I’m glad you have to!
I was a little burned out after writing ‘Prisonnier Dix’ for a number of reasons. The first was purely personal. A difficult few years had left me feeling drained and sad. I’d lost both of my pups and my dearest, oldest friend of over thirty years in a short space of time. I’d hoped writing would give me a break from it but it didn’t really (I should have learnt from ‘Le cri de cœur’).
Of course, I’m always surrounded by love and I took steps forward, but the story of PD was hampered by the killer and the protagonist and a certain children’s writer whose viral tweets and abhorrent opinions really irked me and made me rethink what I was doing. I would not have my story be used as an example of something I never meant it to be. Therefore, I did the only thing I could, I went back to the beginning and rewrote it, scene by scene, bit by bit. It took me a long time and it was hard, but it was worth it in the end I think.
Once done, I thought I’d had enough of these stories, at least for a while, so I went off for a new adventure creating stories and characters I had never thought of. A prequel trilogy and a whole new (and gloriously and unapologetically chaotic and quite marvellous Coco Brunhild). However, I always knew I would have to return to adult Hugo, not out of necessity but because he demanded my attention. And then suddenly we had Hugo book 11. As usual, the idea for the cover came first. A boat at the bottom of the sea. Perhaps a dead body attached to it? It was an exciting prospect, but as I’m sure you know, Montgenoux is a little landlocked (there’s a brook apparently, but I couldn’t really sink a boat in that, could I?)
The story came quickly and I envisaged Hugo working alongside his adopted son. I’d been thinking about bringing back Baptiste for a while as I like the dynamic between him and his two papas. As I began the story and was thinking of new characters, I came up with an intriguing scenario - Hugo and Coco already exist in the same timeline, but why not bring back someone from Hugo’s past, characters who first appear in the prequel ‘Hugo & Josef’? So I did and it was great reuniting with these new/old characters.
Bateau is a book I enjoyed writing very much. It feels like a very different HDI book, but yet the same. I hope you’ll enjoy it. I’m ahead of the game right now, with Coco book 3 and the second prequel book both finished, but if you love you some Hugo, I’m currently writing book 12 just for you. More news on all of that soon.
I hope you’re all keeping sane in these crazy times. Please write to me with your thoughts, I’d love to hear from you. Until next time, sending you love and light.
GXX