My Diary – Archive

Finally, spring is here and the garden is beginning to bloom. Despite the mild weather and sunshine we’ve had for the last few weeks according to Amazon last year my fruit trees were in blossom and they aren’t today. I’ve some tulips, some daffodils and narcissi and lots of shoots coming up of plants that I don’t know the names of. I think in a month the garden will be looking wonderful again.

I can’t remember what I wrote about last month but I think I must have told you that I signed up with a second publisher for Regency only. That seems to be going all right, but I’m struggling a bit to keep up with the workload. I’m having to write a Regency and a World War II at the same time – I don’t recommend it. I’m trying to push on as in a couple of weeks I’m going for my second cruise with my best friend – the last one I was unwell the whole time – so I’m hoping it’ll be better this time. A whole week with no writing, just talking to a friend, visiting Honfleur, Scilly Isles and Cork. The cruise is also a crafting cruise but I don’t think we’ll bother with that.

Spring must have gone to my brain – with the able assistance of my neighbour (who is in fact older than me) I’ve emptied five of my kitchen cupboards, cleaned and sorted everything, and Stacey Solomon would be proud of me. I’ve given all my precious French white porcelain china that we used when we had a French style bistro thirty-five years ago away to a friend who’s just opening a restaurant. I’ve not used any of it since I moved here five years ago but it had fond memories for me as Dusty and I bought it together on our many trips to France. These are the before and after pictures. Aren’t you impressed?

I’ve just one more cupboard to do – my neighbour is coming next week sometime – and then I’ll be able to open doors without things falling out. I turned the central heating off yesterday – I expect I’ll have to put it on again at some point but I really don’t need to be 26° in my main living room.

I’ve got the return of Long Covid, I didn’t know that was the thing but my GP said they are finding people who had long Covid at any point can get a relapse if they are unwell or under stress. I had an armful of blood taken – I think they must have tested for bubonic plague and leprosy they did so many. Everything was tickety-boo, which is good to know. I’m going for my spring Covid booster tomorrow which will mean I won’t work Friday as I’ll be in bed with a temperature of 38°. It only lasts a day or two that I’m going on a cruise I think it’s essential.

Until next month

Fenella J Miller

Lots of exciting news to tell you this month. I’ve just signed a nine book contract with a second publisher, dp digital, they have taken five Regency backlist and four new Regency titles. I shall continue to write World War II sagas for the fabulous Boldwood.  I also signed my third eight book contract with Boldwood so I know what I’ll be doing until 2028.

I’ll be an octogenarian in May – twenty years after I had my first book published I’m about to write my hundredth book – that will be out in the summer some time. I’m proud of what I’ve achieved and it just goes to show that age is no barrier if you’ve got the ability and the drive to achieve your dream. Every day I’m grateful that I write books that people want to read, that I’ve got a circle of wonderful friends and neighbours as well as my beloved family close by to support me in everything I do.

There are not many people my age who can still work full-time and earn three times the amount that they did when they were working full-time as a teacher. The adage that you can’t take it with you when you go is forefront in my mind. Therefore, I’m going on two cruises, a two-day trip to London and a five-day trip to Bath this year. I might even book another cruise for the autumn but I’ll wait and see how things go on the one in April.

I’m busy writing – I have to do two more books for Boldwood and three more for DP digital to hand in before the end of the year. This means that I’m writing a World War II book one day and a Regency book the next – hopefully this will mean I get everything done and in by my deadlines. Obviously, I won’t be working when I’m on holiday which takes three weeks out of the equation. My health isn’t always wonderful – very few people of my age are tickety-boo every day – but generally I’m not too bad.

The first two of my six book The Duke’s Alliance series came out last week, the second two  come out next month and the last two in April.  If you didn’t read them first time round I can highly recommend them – I think they are the best Regencies I’ve written to date.

My Harbour House series seems to have taken off and I’m delighted about that. The first book, Wartime Arrivals at Harbour House is ranking at 345, the second one, Stormy Weather at Harbour House which came out at the beginning of this month is 342, and the third one, All Change at Harbour House which has yet to have its proper cover and isn’t out until June is ranking between two and three thousand. I’ve just started writing the fourth one which will be out in October this year.

until next month

best wishes

Fenella J Miller

Thank goodness January is over – for some reason it seems to last for months. What’s new on the writing front I hear you ask? Well, I decided that as this is a significant year for me – twenty years since my first book was published with the wonderful Robert Hale, and this year my hundredth book will be out with Boldwood. They haven’t had a hundred books from me so far, although it might seem like that. In fact, I’ve written so far fourteen new titles and they’ve taken twenty-four backlist. I’m about to sign my third eight book contract which will take me into 2028. I also decided that this year I want to challenge myself – I’ll be an octogenarian in May – so another significant milestone.

Therefore, I dug out the two books I’d written in a romantasy series about a decade and a half ago, and see if they could be made publishable for today’s audience. They’ve never been published not even as indie books. At the time I wrote the required book of rules for the alternative universe which fortunately I’ve still got. My lovely editor listened to my pitch and said she’d read the first one and get back to me quickly. I’ve not heard and am not sure if this is because she doesn’t want it or she is actually reading the rest because she thinks it might work. The second book hasn’t been updated or rewritten and I’ve just got a brief outline for the third and possibly fourth book in the series. Watch this space.

My other project that seems to have overtaken the romantasy one is to start writing new Regency romantic adventures. Now I’ve dropped back to three books a year I’ve got plenty of time to write at least two new titles, possibly three, in between my World War II sagas. Ten of the backlist books that Boldwood took are Regency and they’ve not been gaining any traction at all although they are, if I may say so myself, excellent books in the genre. Four are Jane Austen variations around the main characters in Pride and Prejudice. The first one, Return To Pemberley, had a bookbub promotion yesterday and from nowhere it’s now ranking under two thousand. My editor and I discussed whether it would help the sales of these backlist books to publish new titles. As I can write a Regency in about three weeks you can see why I could make this work. I’m two thirds of the way through the first new title which I started last week and at the moment I don’t know if I’ll be indie publishing it or if Boldwood will want it. As it’s the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth this four book series is set in Bath.

Considering my antiquity, I’m in remarkably good shape for someone of my age. The usual -itisis, associated with getting old but apart from that nothing serious. I decided last year that this year I’d get everything organised for my departure from this world. I’ve prepaid my funeral and have everything ready. I’m starting to clear out things that I know will just be upsetting and unwanted by my son – I’ve still got literally hundreds and hundreds of photographs that my dearly departed husband took, and used to sit and sort out and put into albums when he was unable to do anything else. I couldn’t bear to part with them initially. I’m definitely going to take out the few that might be wanted and throw away the rest sometime this year.

I’m also going on my second cruise with Ambassador, might have been ill 80% of my five day cruise last year but I still enjoyed it. I’m sharing with a friend which will make things easier and we are going to Honfleur, Scilly Isles and Cork. France is my favourite country, the Scilly Isles should be beautiful with all the spring flowers in April, and my mother was born in Cork and I’ve never been to the Republic of Ireland. Also the last cruise was pop music themed which meant the other passengers had come for the music, the discos and the beer. This next one is a craft themed cruise so I’m sure those that those passengers who have chosen to come on this will be quieter as will the ship.

In August I’m going on all-inclusive incredibly expensive once-in-a-lifetime cruise with Saga to Norway. On this cruise I’m going with three other writers so it’s very much business related. The cruise ship is  going to put in their itinerary that four writers will be in the library on sea days and happy to speak to anyone who cares to come along. It’s not to sell books, it’s too get to know possible readers.

The Regency books are out at the end of this month and Stormy Waters at Harbour House is out next week.

I’d better stop rambling as I’ve already written far more than usual,

until next month,

best wishes

Fenella J Miller

Well, that’s another year gone. I’ve always thought of time as being somewhat elastic, if you know what I mean. I can well remember being at school and thinking I wasn’t going to survive the six weeks until the next break, now six weeks is gone so fast my head spins. I don’t know where December went – I can’t believe it’s January already.

I had an excellent Christmas – I don’t celebrate New Year – with my wonderful family and ate too much food. I’m determined to lose another 10 pound before I go on my second cruise in April so I’m eating more sensibly now. A friend of mine has joined a gym and actually visited a couple of times – any bets as to how long she’ll continue to go? I got three big metal birds to go in my garden for Christmas gifts – I’m so lucky to live where I do and have such a beautiful garden to put them in.

I’ve now got someone who takes down my Christmas decorations for me – worth every penny – and he also tidied the shed when he put the boxes and the tree away. I’ve already booked him for next year to put them up as well as take them down. For the first time since I moved here – five years ago – I remembered to tip the two lots of dustmen – I don’t know why I haven’t done it before as I always used to do this at the old house.

I’ve been working hard on the third book in my new Harbour House series and it should be handed in to my editor sometime this month. It’s not actually due until March but I like to have a few weeks in between books when I can relax and read fiction instead of research books. This book will be out in May or June I think.

2025 is a significant one for me – I’ll become an octogenarian in May – I don’t feel or look that old but I do notice I get tired more easily than I used to. As I was never particularly sporty, the fact that I couldn’t even run for a bus now doesn’t bother me. I can do my hour of gentle exercises every morning, take a short stroll with my friend and her little dog when the sun is out, and still do my own housework. I’m holding a party on my birthday for thirty of my friends, fellow writers and family – it’ll only be the second birthday party I’ve had outside my home. The last one was when I was twenty-one! It will also be the last one so I’m going to enjoy it.

My brother who is two years older than me keeps saying that people over eighty are living on borrowed time! I’m determined to be here when I’m ninety just so I can say that I’m older than my horrible stepmother was when she went. I also intend to  to keep writing for another five years at least, maybe not as many books, but as long as I’m enjoying the process and my wonderful publisher, Boldwood, is still prepared to put them out then I’ll still write them.

I’ve got no new books out this month but the second book in my Harbour House series is out beginning of February, Stormy Waters at Harbour House, and also the first two of my six book Regency series, The Duke’s Alliance will be out as well.

Until February

best wishes

Fenella J Miller

Are your decorations up? Mine are. Always up on 1st and own by 30th as I don’t like them up in the New Year. We’ve decide not to give gifts to anyone but close family this year – so much easier for everyone. I donated to charity instead. I finished my gift shopping yesterday -thank goodness for Amazon!!

Has been a poor month healthwise as I’ve had one thing after another. GP said it was a compromised immune system, that I’d pick up and feel better soon. Hope so.  On the plus side I’m losing weight and will be where I want to  by the spring, if not before.

I’m 21K into the third book of my new series, Harbour House, and the first book, Wartime Arrivals at Harbour House came out two days ago.  I’ve already got 79 reviews and all of them good. I was going to write Victorian sagas next year but have decided to stick to Harbour House until it’s completed. The second book, Stormy Waters at Harbour House is also on pre-order. Not sure how many books, but probably seven or eight. The first two of my Pemberley series came out last month, and last two next week. Do  try them if you didn’t read them when they came out a few years ago. If you liked Pride and Prejudice you’ll love these too.

Return to Pemberley, Trouble at Pemberley ( a ghost story), Danger at Pemberley and Scandal at Pemberley.

https://mybook.to/atpemberleyone  https://mybook.to/PemberleyTrouble  https://mybook.to/PemberleyScandal  https://mybook.to/Pemberleydanger

I hope you all have an enjoyable  festive holiday and a peaceful and healthy New Year

Until 2025

Fenella J Miller