My Diary – Archive

Late again – but I have an excuse. Had a birthday bash – ladies only – yesterday, and Friday was cooking and so on, yesterday was partying, today is my actual birthday. Another year has flown past. I actually think I’m in better shape this year than last.  My goal is to remain mobile, fit and active and keep writing for as many more years as I can.  My garden is looking wonderful – pity about the huge extension my lovely neighbours have put up. I’ll ask them to clad it in white or cream and also put up trellis.

Writing is going really well. Ahead of my schedule – that doesn’t always happen and on track for finishing this book before I go away in June. This is the seventh book in my Harbour House series, Love Returns to Harbour House, which is out in October. Bad News at Harbour House is now on Netgalley and out on June 17th. I’ve got a new editor who came down from London to take me out to lunch and I now know roughly what the 8th and 9th books will be. The 10th will be 1945 and Emily Roby’s story. My new Regency series, The Earl’s Unexpected Wards,  is doing okay – but there might be exciting news about this next month. The Earl’s Bride is out, A Scandalous Bride is on pre-order.

I avoid the news if I can as it’s so bad. I thought King Charles made an excellent speech in America, wish Sir Keir Starmer would improve his delivery. What he says is often interesting but he sounds so boring you tend to not listen. We’ve got big local elections – Essex is predicted to get 58 Reform councillors and 28 others. 58 random, ultra right wing, fascists, racists, misogamist  and generally unpleasant people will be taking over the social care of our most vulnerable. God help them and the rest of us.Farage is polling on a platform of ‘Vote Reform. Get Starmer out.’ Local elections are local, nothing to do the government or the PM. But the fact it’s a lie no longer matters. That’s how much this wonderful country has changed.

Until next month,

Fenella J Miller

March fled past as fast as February did. The weather has been better although it has rained on and off. The garden is beginning to look wonderful again after being asleep all winter. The tulips are coming out and the daffodils are almost over. My fruit trees are in blossom had my ornamental cherry tree is also coming into blossom. I’m hoping that I’ll have frogspawn again in the next week or two. I had to have my small wildlife pond relined and the two blokes he did it kept all the water – they used my garden wheelie bin and an old dustbin – and found three frogs and four newts. I’ve never seen a newt so I’m keeping a lookout for them, I have no idea how they found their way to my pond.

I’m delighted to tell you that I’ve been feeling well since the beginning of March after months of ill-health. I do have a problem with one ankle but I’m seeing a podiatrist next week who hopefully will be able to sort it out. I was told that one in three people between sixty-five and seventy develop life changing illnesses – I’m obviously one of the lucky ones. In fact, my osteopath says that I’m actually doing really well for someone of eighty as I’m more flexible, more active and generally a lot fitter than most people ten years younger than me. Two dear friends have life-threatening illnesses and that has made me reconsider my life choices.

In future I’m going to put myself first, do the things I want to do now as who knows if I will be able to do them next year. I just saw something on Facebook that is so true and made me laugh. A very elderly gentleman who does silly, short, satirical songs on Facebook said this. “I always celebrate every birthday as I’m just glad I haven’t been buried or cremated.”

What’s new on the writing front? My Regency, The Earl’s Bride,  has done quite well and I’m hoping when I have my blog tour next month it will do even better. My next book for Boldwood, book 6 in my Harbour House series, Bad news at Harbour House, is now officially on pre-order with its wonderful new cover. It will be out in June. I’m just finishing writing the fourth and final book in my new Regency series, The Earl’s Unexpected Wards, A Biddable Bride, and then must start the seventh book in my Harbour House series next week if I’m going to get it in on time.

It’s hard to be cheerful when there are three wars being fought – all brought about by evil men with no justification. Thousands of innocent civilians have been murdered to satisfy their greed. I pray that by next month at least one of these will be over.

until next month

Fenella J Miller

So far it has rained every day since the start of the year in the UK. That doesn’t mean there hasn’t been sunshine, but it has always accompanied by rain. It’s also been unseasonably warm – this means that spring has arrived earlier than usual. Daffodils are in full bloom and tulips already in bud. They have had freezing temperatures and more than enough snow in the north of England but down south it’s been mild.  Global warming is accelerating and I’m glad I won’t be around when the full impact hits.

My health has improved – I’m no longer on daily antibiotics but I am now on Statins.  I’m slowly prising off some of the weight I need to lose. I can’t do anything about being old but I can do something about being overweight.  You won’t believe that I have actually remained up until almost 10 o’clock several times recently.  As Loki is let out at five a.m. regardless of when I go to bed I’m not always getting as much sleep as I’d like.  Some days I’m out in the afternoon so can’t have an afternoon rest – I’m fortunate that I’m still working full-time at something I love doing but can still more or less suit myself about when I actually work or rest.

The first of my four Regency series, The Earl’s Unexpected Wards, The Earl’s Bride, came out on the nineteenth and is doing far better than I’d expected.  The second one, A Scandalous Bride is being formatted at the moment and that will go on preorder next month  and come out in May . The third one, A Reluctant Bride is being copy edited and will be out in August. I am writing the fourth one, A Biddable Bride, at the moment, and this one will be out in November this year. I’m really enjoying writing my Regency romps again and hope that those that used to love them will enjoy these just as much.

My new Boldwood title,  Trouble Comes to Harbour House, was released at the beginning of February and is doing well.  The sixth book, The Secret Under Harbour House, (This title isn’t confirmed as yet but it will be similar.)is being copy edited right now and will be released on June 3rd. I shall start writing the seventh book in this series as soon as I finish the Regency that I’m doing at the moment.

The only good news this week as far as I’m concerned is that the Green Party beat Reform and now have another MP.

Until next month

best wishes

Fenella J Miller

I think that January seems the longest month of the year – can’t wait for February and can then start thinking about spring. Being classed as ‘old and vulnerable’ isn’t a good feeling – but although my brain is almost as sharp as ever, physically I’m 30% less able than I was in my forties. Excellent GPs at my surgery seem to solve one problem only to be faced with another. NHS have had four armfuls of blood in the last six months – still, glad that my GP’s being thorough. Imagine how much this would have cost in USA?

Onto writing things – have just sent in the sixth book in my Harbour House series, A Secret at Harbour House, the fifth book, Trouble Comes to Harbour House,  is coming out on 4th February. Already know what the seventh one will be about but don’t have to start writing that for at least another six weeks. It takes me about seven weeks to write a book and next one is due in at the end of June. I always allow for extra time as things happen. I’m going on my hols second week of June so need to have handed it in by then.

During the next few weeks I’ll be doing promotion and marketing for the first book in my new Regency series, The Earl’s Bride, which is on pre-order and out on 19th, and hopefully writing at least half of the fourth and final book. The next two are done. My intention is to bring this series out in between my three Boldwood books. I’m really enjoying being a hybrid writer again and there will be another Regency series for next year, hopefully. I’m going to St Malo,the base of the napoleonic priveteers, to do some research and intend to have the hero an English  Frigate captain, the heroine an English girl returning from France who is captured by a privateer. Not sure how this can be the start of a series, but we’ll see.

I’ve lost the Christmas weight and am now almost back to what I was before I was unwell last year. Hoping to get to my target, losing another stone, by June.

Until next month

Fenella J Miller

Christmas was only a couple of weeks ago but as soon as the decorations go it’s as if it never happened. I expect like me that you’re regretting all the extra food you ate over the festive period. I’m so determined to lose the extra few pounds I put on that I didn’t actually have anything to eat until after midday today. I’m hoping that my willpower continues until I’m back to where I want to be. I had a wond

erful Christmas with my family even though it’s always a difficult time as my beloved husband, Dusty, died on Boxing Day five years ago.  we raised a glass of champagne to him and we all shed a few tears. He would have been ninety-four in two days’ time – I’m glad he’s not here for his sake. Dementia is the most horrible disease and he would have hated having to be in care and away from me.

Finally I’ve taken the last of my long-term antibiotics – I’ve been on one lot or another for more than three months but they’ve worked and I’m finally free of infection. My intention is to also make sure I do my hour of seated yoga, Pilates and other exercises as well as meditating each morning. I’m hoping that improving my overall health by reducing my weight and increasing the amount of exercise I take will ease the expected aches and pains of being an octogenarian.

Now to Work-related matters. My next book, Trouble Comes to Harbour House,will be out on 3 February. It’s got us really good cover – I showed you that last month – and although it’s a little different from the previous ones I feel sure that you’re going to enjoy it.  I’m two thirds of the way through my next book for Boldwoo

d – A Secret at Harbour House – and will be able to hand it in early as usual despite the fact that I’ve been so unwell for so long.  this book is really flowing and although I said I’d never have uniforms in my books again because they are so research heavy – the hero in the next one is a bomber pilot in the RAF.

The last book that I let DP Publishing have – An Arranged Marriage – came out last month. The new Regency series that I was originally going to let them publish is now going to be indie published. The fabulous Jane Dixon-Smith has already done the covers and the copy editor will be sending the file back for – The Earl’s Bride– by the end of this week. I’m hoping to put it up on pre order later this month. I’ve written three of the four books and will complete the series when I finish the one I’m writing for Boldwood. Dipping my toe back into being a hybrid

writer is a bit daunting but I really want these books out. This means that  I wrote  six and half books last year – how did I do that?

Happy New Year and I hope it brings you everything you wish for.

until next time

Fenella J Miller