Yikes!
It’s been a long time since I wandered by here and wrote something. Time just seems to slip away somehow, and now here we are, in December.
So, what’s happened since—can it really be that long?—July?
Well, I’ll start with the story that came out on 16 July. People have bought copies! If you are one of them, thank you so much. Some people have put reviews up. Again, thank you to them, because it’s really great to get feedback, not only about what they liked but also what they didn’t.
In September I got to meet some other writers and readers at the inaugural UK gay romance book signing and reading in London. In spite of my trepidation about going, I’m glad I got over my nerves because it was a good day out. I’ve signed up to go to the UK GLBTQ fiction meet in September next year (as a reader) as well. It’ll be my first time doing something like that, so I’m sort of nervous even though it’s still ten months away.
A granny square!
I’ve been doing some crochet classes in the evenings. I really wanted to learn how to do granny squares. My own granny taught me, but I’d forgotten how. Now I have a scarf, some wristwarmers, a hat and part of a hot water bottle cover. Plus lots of ideas and enthusiasm. The classes were held at a local school and there were about 12-14 of us—with one lone man in the middle of us chattering women. Although it’s finished now, another short course was arranged for January and I’m looking forward to learning Tunisian crochet.
And, as I do each November, I took part in National Novel Writing Month, where you try to write 50,000 words in the month. I normally do quite well but this year was a bit of a washout. I made the mistake of coasting a bit in the first couple of weeks, because I’d booked a week off work for writing. Unfortunately, that meant that when a severe cold which turned into a chest infection hit me, I didn’t do any writing that week and very little the week after. It turns out that coughing 24 hours a day is extremely tiring, especially if you can only sleep sat up and for, at most, three hours. Oh well. I still have 13,000 words I didn’t have at the beginning of November and a solid basis for a story.
Oh, and PS—getting published wasn’t a fluke! Dreamspinner Press accepted a short story I submitted for their Advent Calendar set of stories, which is available now. You can buy the whole package or each story individually, whichever you prefer. Here’s mine
Having quit his job, Idris is trying to make it home to his partner of twelve years, Dan, in time for Christmas. Stuck on a train during a snowstorm, Idris has nothing to do but think back on how much he has missed by putting his career first. His job has been straining their partnership for years, and now Idris worries he’s damaged it beyond repair. He desperately wants to get back to the UK and salvage their relationship—if there’s even anything waiting for him when he gets home.
That’s all for now. Hopefully I’ll write a bit sooner next time.
Kristen
xx
