Time flies by when you're the driver of the train . . .

Well, almost six weeks have passed since I last published an entry on this blog. That is not to say I haven't written numerous blogs during that period recalling a number of writing sessions and publicity sessions, I just did not post them.

I'm not entirely sure why, but this much is true. I'm right in the middle of a complete self confidence failure right now. I don't intend to use this blog to relay my woes but enough is to say that life gets in the way sometimes - I'm sure I'm not alone when I indicate the frustrations and distress faced when all of a sudden, the life you know changes so dramatically, that you focus down on getting through each day rather than allowing yourself the luxury of creativity.

Unfortunately, whilst in survival mode, my creativity dried right up and I was left with something resembling cheap muesli (the stuff we've all tried on a budget and discovered that muesli without nuts, raisins and dried fruit is as tasty as cat litter)

However, during this time, I have written in my notebooks at any given opportunity, considering a prequel for Driftwood and Amethyst where the backstory of Holly Dawson, the kindly old guesthouse owner with a penchant for natural magic, is explored. As I wrote, the story seemed to be taking two completely separate directions and I soon discovered I was also intertwining the prequel with another story.

As I raise my head nervously above the parapet of my little existence, I now am beginning to see my way forward and out of the quagmire of self doubt and insecurities, sadly brought on by the crumbling of significant aspects of my old life.

But what doesn't kill you makes you stronger and while I apologise for the heavy reliance on simile and metaphor, these well worn sayings have allowed me to outline my present state. My notebooks are full of hopeless doodles and scribbles from many of these equally hopeless moments and are now being carefully dissected from the prequel and are steadily being stitched together to create a sequel for the two main characters, Danny and Sophie; a new adventure where their reality becomes enchanted and fantastically unpredicatable once again.

A little like my life, as it happens, so there you go. Maybe in some ways life does imitate art after all.