Hello, and thank you for visiting my site. I hope that you'll return often and always find something of interest about my world and what inspires me to pick up a pen. (This is a figure of speech, unfortunately. My handwriting is terrible!) Here's what I've been up to recently...

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Jean Claude et moi - Noisy 1965

Regular visitors to my website have probably been wondering why there have been no postings so far this year. This isn’t because of inertia on my part – far from it – but because I’m determined to get my novel (working title Shadows Of The Past) finished before the summer.

This story, partially based on my own experiences in France when I was only 17, has been long in the telling. I began work on it over ten years ago and it has been through many drafts and very significant changes. Now that I’ve made some firm decisions about its form – the content was never in doubt – it’s all systems go!

The one thing I regret, is that my dear friend Jean-Claude Quehan, seen with me in the photograph above, passed away a while ago and will never see the finished product. He knew about it, though, and was highly amused to be cast as the saviour of the female character upon whose uncertain fate much of the story hinges.

To what extent are the events depicted autobiographical? Well, Jean-Claude and I lived through some of them together certainly, but I haven’t been afraid to use artistic licence in a way I think would have made him chuckle. He helped me with my research into the history of the area in which the story is set and many of the characters have been inspired by real people, although they won’t be slavishly depicted.

24 January, 2015 - There are 8 comments on this story

  1. It sounds very interesting. I’ll be reading it! Good luck with it.

    Shirley Anne Cook - January 24th, 2015

  2. Thank you, Shirley. Just watch this space!

    Maggie Cobbett - January 24th, 2015

  3. What a wonderful project – it sounds so moving and a labour of love for you, I’m sure.

    Helen - January 24th, 2015

  4. Indeed it is, and I only wish that I’d been able to complete it sooner when my old friend was still alive.

    Maggie Cobbett - January 24th, 2015

  5. I am looking forward to reading it, Maggie!

    Gayda Jackson - January 24th, 2015

  6. Me,too. Wishing you good luck and loads of perseverance.

    Veronica Bright - January 25th, 2015

  7. Your support is much appreciated, ladies.

    Maggie Cobbett - January 25th, 2015

  8. Sounds fascinating, Maggie! I lived in France for a year in the late eighties as part of my university degree course and still think of it as a life-changing time in my life, so I’m very interested in your story. So sorry to learn that your friend won’t get the chance to read it 🙁

    marion

    “So much universe, and so little time” – Terry Pratchett

    http://seaviewwarrenpoint.wordpress.com

    Marion Clarke - March 14th, 2015

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