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I travelled to Seychelles, a long way to go for just nine days. But it was on my bucket list. Again I met really nice people and got a tan without trying, e that is a bonus. I met George 160 years old tortoise, and many more of his friends. I held a Coco de Mer nut, which can only be found in Seychelles. The snorkelling was good I really enjoyed the colourful fish we saw. Now I will give holidays a rest for awhile.

Gosh, the summer has been and gone in a flash. At the end of September I went to Southern Italy on holiday. What an eventful trip, so much to see. To Puglia to be precise; the very foot of the country. We visited Alberobello, a Unesco World Heritage Site with its unique “trulli” houses. And Matera where people used to live in houses carved into he rock. From there the journey went on to Sicily for three days. What I like most about holidays is meeting new people and seeing different places and this time I made friends, with Jane and her mum. Gwen and Jeana. I hope to stay in touch with them as they live near me.

Three weeks later I was off to Florence for five days and very hectic days they were; we visited many art galleries, museums and churches. I have never walked so much in five days before. The highlight of the visit; Michelangelo’s; David at the Galleria Dell’accademia.

I have been to the north of Portugal on a weeks holiday. Visiting the Douro Valley with its beautiful scenery and vineyards. We were 48 travellers, a huge group. Never met such a nice bunch of people on a holiday before. I made several friends, some I will see again. Grace and Jean, who I got to know a little and enjoyed spending time with. Also I enjoyed the company of three ladies, Jan, Jody and another Jean. Not to forget Scilla and husband Arthur. And there was Richard, chatted to him a lot on the coach. So many more, but difficult to remember all names. But they made the holiday, what a pleasure it was to meet them all.

I am now beginning to find time to continue editing my second novel. I am really looking forward to getting it done. I am receiving good feedback from the writers of the group I belong to.

We now have some sort of normality, although the virus is still about. I am off to Sweden tomorrow for three weeks, back just before Easter. This will be my third trip in just as many months. Family business that is taking time. This means I have not done as much editing on my second novel as I would have liked. Looking forward to getting it published soon.

Life is slowly getting back to normal. It feels good to see my friends again and in October we are restarting our writers’ group. Six of us meet to have a good chat and give each other helpful advice on our work. I have been writing my second novel during lock-down and I am now close to finish it. Still have some work to do.

The day at the Maze Garden started with heavy rain and we struggled to raise our gazebo in the strong wind. At one point, before we had had time to secure it, it very nearly took off. Pleased to say that come midday, the rain stopped and the sun appeared, and with it many visitors. It turned out to be a successful day after all, although we had misgivings early morning. We had organised a raffle, the prize a bundle of six of our books. We were happy that as well as selling many books, at the end of the day, we had raised £50 for the Perennial – Gardens Royal Benevolent Society. The winning raffle ticket was drawn by Harry, a young customer, who was happy to oblige. The bundle of books went to Mary from Selsey, and on the Tuesday I drove to Selsey to deliver her prize. I am looking forward to next year already; it’s always such a great day!

I am pleased to have news at last. I will again be at The Maze Sidlesham on August 8th, together with three fellow writers and their books. It opens at 10am-5pm. Sidlesham is on the road between Chichester and Selsy. Two of the books I will bring are new, which have been published since the last visit to the Maze in 2019. That is: The House by the Lake and Tula’s Troll in Witches’ Land. This has always been a great day, with people milling around and I have enjoyed the craft stalls, usually buying up birthday cards to last me a year. Also some bargain plants for the garden. A bundle of our books will be raffled and the money raised will go to the Perennial-Gardeners Royal Benevolent Society.

I hope to see some of you there, let’s keep our fingers crossed and that the weather is good and with no rain.

Just read what I wrote to you in May.

Well, Freedom Day is here of a sort, I would hesitate to call it that now, when I know what it has turned out like. Not what we expected. But let’s keep our hopes up and believe that we can soon put all this behind us.

It is spring at last, although it’s been windy and cold this year. But what does it matter when we have Freedom Day in sight, and I am so looking forward to normality. To be able to meet my friends and talk! Talk is so important. Let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope that all will go to plan.

The good news is that the Pandemic has given me time to write and I have made a start of the fifth book in the series of The Adventures of Tula and her Troll. For the first time I will take the two friends outside England, all the way to my own country: Sweden. In fact they will travel to Lapland in the very north. There they will not meet Father Christmas, as some might expect, but they will meet the Sami people and their reindeers.

Also I am half-way through a sequel to The House by the Lake. At first I had no intention to write a sequel to this book, but never say never. Although I don’t anticipate it to be ready until next year.

So much or so little has happened in the past year, depending on how we look at it. This terrible virus has caused so much heartache and so much damage to many, halted our lives, stopped us from working, meeting friends and so much more. But on the positive side there is light seeping through and with the vaccine and a little bit of luck we should be able to return to some form of normality.

I wish all my readers a healthy and better 2021.

The Kickstarter seems be a long time ago already and was completed on time, with copies of The House by the Lake delivered to my backers. I have since published the paperback on Amazon and the ebook is also available.

I have received amazing feedback from readers of the novel; many tells me it is a page turner; unable to put it down. One reader put the alarm on an hour early in the morning to continue reading before dashing of to work. I know I am blowing my own trumpet here, but I cannot resist it. I am so pleased.

Also good news: Tula’s Troll in Witches’ Land, is now published. This book has been extra fun to write as it has fulfilled a long held wish to write about witches. You will meet five witches, one friendly, another mischievous, and two are greedy, but they have something in common; they are all wicked witches in one way or another. The fifth witch is the most important of all: The Witch of Wookey Hole.

It is the fourth book in the series of:The Adventures of Tula and her Troll, and is available on Amazon.

Or you can contact me through this web site, and I can mail you a copy. I am also happy to answer any questions you may have.

It is time for for the Arundel Festival again, Saturday 18th August until Bank Holiday Monday the 27th, Chindi authors will be outside the Cancer Charity shop. I am really looking forward to this event, as the lovely people of Arundel and visitors to the festival do support us so well. Last year Chindi authors raised over £400 for Cancer Research. We are hoping to beat that total this year and with your support we just might. So do come and see us! We have many books in different genres on display so you are bound to find one you like.

On the 4th of March 2018 I attended the UK Book Show in Worthing. Eight Chindi Authors got together and we shared a couple of tables. Fifty authors were there this day. I am pleased to let you know there will be another UK Book Show on the 28th October this year.

The last book show I went to in June at Hursley Park, near Winchester was very well organized. What the organizer didn’t know was that England would be playing in the World cup that very Sunday. The competiton was too great! Never mind I still enjoyed the day. Last Sunday I aslo spent a very pleasant day at the Maze, Sidlesham. It was a hot day but Chindi authors were able to spend it under cover as we brought our very own marquee. We were provided with a salad lunch and alltogether had a lovely day chatting to the visitors and each other. One lucky lady won our competition and the prize was £70 worth of our books. She was delighted.

I have just published; Tula’s Troll in Dicken’s Land, it is my third book in the series of; The Adventures of Tula and her Troll. In this book Tula and her Troll find themseves in Dicken’s office in 1870. Huva, the troll, uses troll magic to transport them into the books of Oliver Twist and David Cooperfield.

Also just completed is my grown-up novel, but it is not ready for publication yet. It is a paranormal story, with a two-tier time line of 1902 and 2005.

This year at Arundel Festival, Chindi authors had another succesful event raising £427 for Cancer research. I spent part of two days helping to man the stall. This is an event which I enjoy attending. I am already looking forward to next year. Apart from the UK Book Show in Worthing in October I have another event to look forward to; there will be a Christmas Fair in Southsea on the 15th November and twenty local authors will be at Southsea library with their books. A excellent chance to buy a book for a Christmas present and to support local authors.

Here we are, already two months into 2019.

Last Monday, the 11th February, I had the pleasure to speak to a lovely group of friendly ladies in Farlington. I really enjoyed speaking to them, as they made me feel welcome. I talked about my books and what gave me the inspiration to write them. Also I read from two of my books, which was well received. It was a good day.

In April, I went to Portsmouth and talked to members of the Brendon Care group. I told them a little about my childhood in Sweden and of course my books. As recently as yesterday; 5th June I had again the pleasure to speak to another Brendon Care group. This time in Havant, a place I know well as I used to live there. In fact I wrote my first children’s book; The Water People’s Secret in Havant.

It is not long now until the Arundel Festival in August. Chindi authors will be there again this year. I am looking forward to this week. Hope to see you there!

Sunday 4th August it was time for Chindi Authors’ stall at the Maze, in Sidlesham. It was not as hot as last year, the temperature was just right. Four of us had a pleasant day selling our books and also raising money for our hosts. Several Chindi authors had donated books for the raffle to a value of £65. A young boy, by the name of Noah, had guessed the weight of the Oxford Dictionary, and came within one ounce of the correct weight.

Arundel Festival starts on the 16 August until 26 th this year. As usual Chindi will have a stall outside the Cancer charity shop. I will be there on the Monday, Wednesday, Friday and the last Sunday. This is an event I alway enjoy and look forward to.