Lisa Jewell: Diary December 2005

Diary

December 2005

Helen Lederer, myself and Fiona Walker signing books after appearing at the Guildford Book Festival's Girl's Night in, October 2005 (with thanks to Victoria Connelly)

What's going on? I'm cold! It's freezing! I've just looked at my last diary entry and can hardly believe that eight short weeks ago I was roasting in the garden with my feet in the paddling pool. I'm sitting here in furry socks and fluffy slippers and half my wardrobe and I'm still cold. But the sky's blue and life is good, even though I'm in what I refer to as ‘deadline hell' at the moment. Because it takes me so long to build up any momentum when I'm writing, my deadline always catches me with half a book to write in two months. So I'm churning it out now, thousands of words a week, with the beginnings of RSI in both my hands (I'm having to write with elastic bands wrapped around my fingers – oh, the glamour). I'm also getting writer's bum (fat) and writer's shoulders (stiff). I showed the first two thirds of the book to my friend Sarah and she said it was ‘different'. Hmmmm …. She later clarified that she meant good ‘different' but I'm still nervous about what my agent, my editor, and then finally, more importantly, what YOU LOT are going to make of it. Here's a tiny synopsis type thing:

Toby's House is beautiful. Or at least it would be if it wasn't falling down and full of free-loading strangers. So when his long-lost father suddenly announces that he's coming back to England and wants to see how his only son is doing as he approaches his 40th birthday, Toby realises it's time to sort out not just his house, but also his life.

Publication is due in August again (unless my publishers hate it and make me write another one instead) – so wish me luck!

I had some great news in October. I have an American publisher for Vince and Joy! It will be published by HarperCollins and is due out in Fall (as they say) 2006. They've also bought my new book, too. It's so nice to have a home in the States again.

As you can imagine between writing like a demon in the mornings and hanging out with Amelie in the afternoons, I haven't really had time to get up to anything much, so I'll bore you all with the details of yet more holidays instead . Amelie and I had a brilliant long weekend in Italy at the end of September with my sisters, even though it was so cold when we got there that we had to wear everything we'd packed. By the last day though it had warmed up enough for Amelie to be able to strip off and indulge in some serious ice cream eating:

That's my girl. Life's too short for one at a time, after all.

Yay! The sun's out! I'm in Italy! There's ice cream everywhere!

Portugal was as enjoyable as ever and just like last year we were blessed with unseasonably hot and dry weather. The boys golfed and Katy and I hung around in town watching Anna and Amelie go round and round the carousel, again and again and again and again …..


Lagos at sunset. Possibly my favourite view in the world.	Anna and Amelie go round for the thirtieth time. Nope - still not bored.

Suffering from holiday withdrawal symptoms (it had been nearly three weeks, after all), we spent a superb weekend in Norfolk at the end of October with my
in-law's at their lovely thatched cottage. We went to a great place called
Wyken Vineyard (yes, English wine. Very nice but not very strong. I like my wine at least 13%). The food was superb and the grounds were stunning in the late afternoon sunshine. The next day we went to Bressingham Steam Museum
and went on three different miniature trains. Rock and roll.


Four o'clock in the afternoon at Wyken Vineyard. Gorgeous.	Choo choo. Mean and moody on a miniature steam train

And so the holiday season finally draws to a close … until next year, of course. Christmas this year is going to be a very quiet affair, just me, Jascha and Amelie at the in-law's up the road. But I'm glad about that. Last year we had my entire family and Jascha's entire family here for the day and it was mayhem. It was also the last Christmas with my mum around and I think it will be good to be doing something completely different this year, so I'm not reminded too much of her absence.

Hope you're all keeping warm (unless you're in Australia in which case…. I can't bear to think about it actually). Have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year and I'll write in 2006!

Much love to everyone,

Lisa xx

Subscription Service
Leave your email address and get news from Lisa Jewell, her upcoming projects and events delivered directly to your inbox. You can unsubscribe at any time (if you wish). To finalise your subscription, you will be asked to reply to our introductory email.

How do we use your email address? Click here for Privacy Policy information.

Do you
Yahoo! Mail Spam Filters automatically move our introductory email to the Bulk folder. Please look there to complete your subscription.

Previous updates: