This is the view from my bedroom window and there is nothing springlike about it.

The renovations and de-cluttering of my house slows down as the writing increases. I have a virtual tour involving ten stops that will begin on March 23^rd. That means writing the blogs that are necessary for the promotion. It’s not hard; it just takes time. The surprising thing for me is, even though I spent so much time on Hazards in Hampshire and enjoyed it greatly, I have written two more books in the series since and find I have to keep checking my list of characters for Hazards in Hampshire and my book outline to make sure I’m reviewing the correct book and not making comments about my research in Cornwall for a book that takes place mainly in Hampshire and Sussex, or mixing my plots. I’m presently reading the third book in the series, Perils in Yorkshire, to a tape recorder and tweaking a word here or deleting another there. I find errors that I should have caught earlier–such as the same word three times in one paragraph–and correct them. Of course, there is no end to editing as I even substitute a better word when I’m reading from the published copy of one of my books. I continually want another crack at it.

Perils in Yorkshire will go to the editor when the editor is finished with Crime in Cornwall, the second book. She has edited it, but we are waiting for a reader to send us an assessment of the book, after which it will go to line editing. Then, we can deal with the next book set in Yorkshire. I had fun with Perils in Yorkshire. I sent parts of it to a friend who grew up in Yorkshire and she read over the bits of dialect that are in the story, making it tune to her ear. That was a treat. I like this stage of getting the manuscript ready because no one is expecting it quickly and I can luxuriate in the rhythms and words and enjoy myself.

At some point, I’ll have to get back to getting the hoarded mess out of the house or my grandchildren will be coming in one door while I’m sweeping debris out another.