My Diary – Archive

Here we are again. The older you are the quicker the days race by. I can recall sitting at my desk when a schoolgirl thinking I wasn’t going to be able to survive until half-term  as it was so far away. Now months flash by and I often don’t even know the date. If things weren’t written in my desk diary I’d miss them.

I’ve just heard my garden landscapers are starting next week. It’s going to be a gravel garden, sustainable, drought proof and environmentally and wild life friendly. That’s a lot for a little garden but they are sure it will work The design is great, let’s hope I’m as happy with the end result. It’s going to take almost three weeks and I’ll be videoing, photographing the progress and posting every day.

Don’t mention our appalling government or I’ll explode. Hopefully they will be removed from office sooner than they think.

On the work front I’m about to to the video for the next book, the fourth for Boldwood, The Land Girls at Goodwill House, and this comes out tomorrow. The fifth book is with the copy editor and will be out next year and I’m writing the sixth book now. This will be handed in by the end of this month giving me all of December free from writing. THe seventh and last book in thiss eris will a Christmas book. Then I’m starting a new series but it’s top secret for now.

Three days late this month – I had a double jab on Saturday and, as always with any injections I was completely floored until today. Having long Covid, I’m sure, hasn’t helped with my reaction to the flu and Covid booster.

On the domestic front I was beginning to feel better after three months of long Covid and I hope this reaction to my booster hasn’t set me back. I’m just about to have a new garden installed. I’ve got the design, and the landscaper has been and I’m expecting his quote any day. They should do it at the end of this month. I’m having a Beth Chatto inspired gravel garden – one that is sustainable, environmentally and wildlife friendly and drought resistant. It will also be a lot easier for me to maintain as I become even more decrepit.

On the writing front I’m keeping busy – as always. My fourth book comes out on November 2, fifth book is with with my editor and I’m writing the sixth. I need to speak to my editor about what I’m going to do next as I’ve come to a bit of an impasse with this series. If I continue to write books which only span three months it’s going to take me another three years and fifteen books to finish the series! I’m hoping they’ll agree to let me write a different, shorter series and then return to Goodwill House.

Things are bleak everywhere but especially so in the United Kingdom. I’m so fortunate to be cushioned against all the horrendous price rises in energy and food and am doing what I can to help those who need it. I try not to be political but things are only going to get worse as long as we have this extreme right-wing government – they don’t have a mandate and weren’t voted for by more than a hundred and sixty thousand people –and now they’re in charge of the country. I never thought I’d say this – but even Boris Johnson and Richie Sunak are preferable to those in charge now.

Until next time

best wishes

Fenella J Miller

September 2 022

I’m not sorry to see the back of August. I really don’t like extreme heat, the news worldwide and here in the UK, has been depressing and unrelenting and we’ve been suffering a serious drought in the part of England that I live. Although I record Channel 4 News I rarely watch it nowadays as it’s too depressing. I do watch test cricket and escape from the grimness of reality.

On the home front –  see the reference to my World War II books – I have a mild dose of long Covid which means I have to pace myself and quite frequently need to snatch half an hour “power nap” in the afternoon. However, it’s not all bad news is I’m keeping up with my writing schedule and should be handing in my fifth book to Boldwood next week. My very last Regency romance will be coming out on 6 September – Christmas at Harcourt House – it’s on preorder at the moment. My fourth book for Boldwood is also on pre order – The Land Girls at Goodwill House – but that doesn’t come out till 2 November.

I’m having my back garden redesigned and landscaped. I want a wildlife friendly, environmentally friendly, drought resistant, easy to maintain garden so the large lawn area will go and be replaced with different sorts of plant and trees. The designer has visited and is busy making the new plan and a landscaper will do the work in November.

What else? The children will be going back to school next week so I won’t get the extra day with my wonderful grandson. I’ll still see him every weekend and he spends alternate Saturdays here and we mooch about doing the sort of things that grandmas and grandsons do but everybody else would think were silly. Tomorrow he’ll be ‘killing’ a lot of cardboard boxes for me. He does love to jump in and on a cardboard box.

What do you think of my new headshot? It took two different photographers to get something I liked but I’m very happy with this one.

Until next month

Fenella J Miller

Well July was certainly a month to remember. I got Covid whilst on holiday in France and four weeks later am still not over it. We were almost boiled alive with temperatures over 40c– it’s still unnaturally hot for Britain – and instead of complaining about the rain we Brits are complaining about the sunshine. Not often that happens. Despite the fact that when in France on holiday myself and my companions were ill we still enjoyed it and want to go back to the same place next year if possible.
My cat is no longer a kitten and weighs over 10 lbs – more than 4 kg – and is a constant delight. He’s quite different in personality to my lovely Billy Blue who I lost almost a year ago. He is more affectionate, is never out of the house for more than half an hour at a time, and is very vocal. Billy Blue was a quiet cat. My grandson was terrified of Billy blue – he knew it wasn’t rational but couldn’t bring himself to interact with him which was a pity – because he’s known Loki from a small kitten he loves him as much as I do. If my daughter-in-law wasn’t asthmatic then I’m sure he would persuade them to have a kitten. He has a hamster instead.
On the writing front everything is tickety-boo. I do find it rather confusing doing marketing meetings about a book I’ve just handed in, promotion for a book that came out a few months ago whilst writing another one. I’m absolutely thrilled with how well my books are doing with my fabulous publisher, Boldwood. Joining them was quite definitely the best decision I’ve ever made as far as my writing goes. Duty Calls at Goodwill House came out this week and is doing phenomenally well – already has 150 excellent reviews. I can’t believe how much my readers are enjoying this series. My grandson said to me, “You’re almost famous, Grandma. I think you must be the most famous grandma in my school.” Now that’s praise indeed.
I don’t really like hot weather and temperatures well over 40°C just don’t suit me especially when recovering from Covid. I don’t often complain about the weather but we really desperately need rain. Let’s hope governments and those in power finally see sense and do something to stop this catastrophic climate change.
Until next time
Fenella J Miller

July 3rd 2022

I can’t believe how quickly June has flown by – it’s  been helped by the lovely weather we’ve been having. My garden is looking fantastic and I’m spending so much time out there, mostly deadheading and watering. I’ve held three barbecues – I think they might be the only three I ever have as it’s just too much faffing about for me. Next time I entertain people for lunch it will be a cold collation unless one of the guests volunteers to barbecue.
My cat, Loki, is now officially an adult cat. He is an absolute joy – very affectionate, very vocal, and funny as well. I’m going on holiday tomorrow and I know he’ll be miserable without me but he’d be far more miserable if I put him in a cattery for a week. My neighbour is coming in three times a day to feed and make a fuss of him. She is also going to water the garden twice so he’ll spend time with her then.
My third book for the fabulous Boldwood is coming out on 26 July – it’s already got literally thousands of pre-orders and thank you if you’re one of those readers who’ve done that. The fourth book – the first of three in the Goodwill House series about land girls – has had its structural edits (very little to do ) and will come out on 6 November this year. I’m already three chapters into the fifth book which has to be handed in at the beginning of October and will be out in January or February next year.
Do you like my new avatar? I look a bit windswept, but very happy, which is how I’m feeling at the moment. I can now look back my beloved husband with love

and fond memories. I’ve been making an effort to get fitter – I doubt I’ll ever get much thinner – and it seems to be working. Three years ago as I was using a walking stick because of the arthritis in my feet but I’ve found a combination of herbal products that have made a huge difference. I can now walk a mile without pain and do so most days with my neighbour and her little dog.
I hope you are all enjoying the summer – unless you live on the other side of the world – and do what Monty Don says – don’t just work in your garden but sit down with a cup of tea/gin/beer/coffee and just enjoy it.

Best wishes

Fenella J Miller