windy days.
So, summer’s over? It must be. This morning I finally hung up my shorts and flip flops, admitting defeat with tremendous reluctance, which, believe me, takes a lot, I have, after all, just spent a week at the ‘great’ British seaside, where the wind could have blown me across the sea, landing in France.
How are things? I hope you’re all well, or as well as you can be in a world gone crazy and getting crazier by the day. I try to tune out the horrible things that invade all of our days, but it’s impossible; instead, I try to do what I can to make my own impact, to stand up when necessary, and speak out when I can. It’s not easy for any of us anymore, primarily when so many people are determined that the only thing that matters is dissent and hurt. What do you do when the world is burning? We use our voices and pray (if that’s your thing) that common sense will prevail. I hope it will and that one day, hopefully in my lifetime and certainly in theirs, that people like Trump, Putin, et al, will be held accountable for their crimes.
Until then, I take time to enjoy my life and be thankful for what I have. As mentioned earlier, despite the occasional thunderstorm and ever-present wind, I managed to have a lovely holiday by the beach with my family. I left for it with a book half-written, and since my return, I’ve been concentrating on editing the final draft of the next book. So, at some point, I must write and pick up the thread before I forget entirely what I was up to!
I want to thank everyone for the feedback on ‘Cité de la Haine.’ I adore writing Coco; there’s never a dull moment for me in her books! I’m itching to get started on the next one, which I think I will do once I’ve finished Hugo book 15 (La Ferme de Noé / Noah’s farm). I was going to start a new trilogy next, but I think another Coco calls me before I get bogged down in a new three-book cycle (which, as it goes, may have a cameo or two… watch this space!)
The French translations have also been finding their way, and I’ve also had some fantastic feedback, and I’ve recently agreed to do so more… but that won’t be until the end of next year for release in 2027 (where is the time going!?) I’m just thrilled that there will be more.
We’re heading towards our tenth anniversary, which will culminate with the next Hugo book, ‘Souvenirs Négligents’, and I may have another surprise up my sleeve. I’ve been talking about releasing a book of unpublished work before 2015. I’m trying to figure out the best way to do it, as I really want it to be a gift to everyone who has stuck by me, so at this stage, the plan is to release it first as a downloadable PDF on my website so that you can download it and read it on your Kindles, etc. I’d love to do a hardback version of it, but that’s a little more complicated, so we’ll have to see, but in any event, it’s finally on its way.
That’s it for now. I sit here in my long trousers, socks and slippers and ruminate over the fact that it will be a long time before my Julien Doré shorts come out once again.
Lots of love and warm thoughts. Don’t let the world drag you down. Use your voice and do what you need to do to ensure that you’re safe and happy.
Gx