Hello America

It’s exciting to have readers in America and to read their blogs and books written in America. We have had many long holidays in California driving from there across Arizona, visiting Las Vegas and being amazed by the Grand Canyon. We were delighted to drive the PCH ending up in San Francisco on July 4th. We stayed on the Little Venice Canals and rode bikes on Venice Beach. As I write the list, I think about how thrilling it was to stay there. Life isn’t long enough to go to all the wonderful places. I would love to see more of the US and the rest of the world, but I have been lucky and I guess you can’t see eveywhere. Sri Lanka takes up our travelling time, with my husbands research programme and my teaching there. These are the children at school last Christmas. The children at school are 80% Buddhist, and the rest are Hindu, Muslim and Christian. They all celebrate each others religious holidays.

Well behaed children in school — Well behaved children in school

Who knows if we will have the opportunity to return to US. We hope so. The book Marriage journey and A Dog is undergoing its own journey into print and I will let everyone know when that happens. I hope my updated book will reach readers in America. It is due to come out in April – all professionally published this time.

When I’m not travelling

Sri Lanka has become our second home, but the U.K is still home. It is where the family live and we enjoy our own house. In Sri Lanka we rent and the standard of comfort is not the same. An interesting challenge at times.

In the U.K the animal minding continues and so does does the child minding. Travelling is on hold until the new family additions grow up a bit. A quick trip to Paris was fun, and a week in Provence. I love France!

It is easy to write about a place you enjoy. I can relive the pleasure of beautiful places and they carry me along with my characters.

Right now, dog minding, while my children are away on holiday. I’m not a lover of domesticated animals, but argue they thrive with me as I am very practical and don’t spoil them.

Dogs have joined my factual life and my writing, even though I tell them to go away.

Continue reading “When I’m not travelling” →

About being 40

Natalie, is 40 and her life changes completely. This is the essence of the story.

I remember thinking that life wasn’t what I wanted it to be at 40, but that it would stay the same, but my life did change completely. How do you know when you make changes that they are for the better? You hope, but plan thoroughly, keep your thoughts sober and chat things over with trusted friends.

Natalie is forced to take steps into the bigger world and she starts from Portsmouth, near her home in the South of England.

This is the view of the Spinnaker tower, an icon of Portsmouth West Quay shopping area and docks.

France and Spain take Natalie on a personal journey that opens up her future and closes her past. She returns home for her 40th birthday party and her whole life turns upside down.

The book has been updated and will be professionally published in April, both as an ebook and paperback. More news on that as the weeks go by.

Thank you to everyone who downloaded the original version and for all the encouragement.

Bull Fighting

I like to research before writing anything in a book, even if it is a small part of the story. When Natalie, in Marriage A Journey and A Dog, visits Barcelona, she stays at the home of Linda and José. The father of José was a bullfighter and was killed, so there was reading to be done.

I can understand the excitement of the crowds, and the headiness of the arena, but not the cruelty to the animal. I knew a man who was involved in the finances of bull fighting and he gave a lecture. He spoke about how the bull didn’t feel anything after the first spear accurately entered the neck. Nothing will convince me it isn’t cruel and unnecessary.

I came across this Torero Alvaro Muner’s story on Facebook. He was a matador and this was the moment he was filled with remorse at the suffering of the bull. It changed him into an anti bullfighting campaigner. I found his story on the site of this man.

Dzigar-Kongtrul-Rinchopche

Researching, even the smallest details can lead onto a trail of interesting discovery. I often have to remind myself that the job in hand is writing.