It feels like one story is always opening the door for the next.

The Continental Promise has taken an unexpected but exciting journey. What began as a love story has developed into Women’s Fiction, with a strong love arc at its heart. After a great deal of editing, rewriting and completion, it is now ready to be sent to a different publishing route than I would normally pursue. It has been quite a journey with this book, and I’m looking forward to seeing where it leads.

Meanwhile, The Bookshop on King’s Parade has reached another important stage. It has been fully edited and has now been sent out. So, for the moment, there is nothing more I can do except wait — and perhaps try not to check my inbox quite so often!

And then there is the next story.

The Mile 312 Cafe — currently a working title — is beginning to take shape.

This time, I’m heading back to 1935 and the Dust Bowl, into the harsh landscape of the Panhandle states and Oklahoma. It is a very different setting from my previous stories, and one I am already finding fascinating. There is something about that period — the hardship, uncertainty, resilience and the people trying to hold on to hope — that has captured my imagination.

It is still early days, and the story is developing as I write and research. I’m looking forward to seeing where it takes me.

So, while one book waits, another moves towards its next chapter, and a new story is beginning to find its voice.

More to come as it develops.