Gone Fishing!

The local beach in Chiclana, Spain

Not literally, of course! No, instead I'm heading off at a ridiculously early hour tomorrow morning to catch a flight with my two girls over to my parents house in Spain. While there, I'm planning on lazing around by the pool, eating lots of tapas and drinking lots of Sangria, while my parents take care of my kids (I'm kidding, Mum, honest!).

Last year, I took my laptop and only opened it once, so this year I'm leaving it at home. Instead, I'm taking my lovely kindle, which is currently crammed full of TBR books, and a brand new notepad. I'm planning on working out some details of a new series idea that has recently inspired me, and maybe even a short story or two!

As for the projects I'm leaving here, well I know everyone is waiting to hear news about the next Serenity book! The  good news is that the first draft is almost done. I've literally just got the final few chapters to write. However, I don't plan on going back to the book until my next novel, Underlife, has been published. I want to be able to focus purely on the Serenity book and I've needed to spend the last month rounding off some open projects. I'm still on for an October release of Dominion though - so don't panic!

So I won't be around for a while, but I will still be checking in (yes, they do have the Internet in Spain!). Hope you all have a great couple of week - I know I will! :-)

An unexpected break!

Our local beach in Spain!

This weekend my lovely parents have very kindly offered to fly both myself and my two girls out to Spain to visit them. Unfortunately, my poor husband will have to work, but he's planning on spending the week eating what he wants, watching whatever he wants on tv, and not having to get up at the weekend, so I don't think he's too upset.

So three weeks from now, I'll be jetting off to sunny Spain and escaping the crappy British weather, hurrah!

Of course now I know I'm going to be away for a week, I have to get organised, work-wise. Alone is now being filtered over to the editor and I'm hoping to have the rest of the book with her before I leave, which I think is do-able. On top of that, I have three short stories I need to finish; one for the Digital Digest blog and publication, one for an anthology, and another for the 'Just One Bite' competition over at AllRomanceeBooks (check out here for info).

So I'm going to be a busy bunny and I need to get focused. Alone is my top priority, but I have committed to the others as well and I hate to let people down. My short for 'Just One Bite' is pretty much done but does need to have a visit to an editor before submission. The continuation of 'The Body Farm' for Digital Digest is probably going to give me the most problems. I still need to schedule all my blog posts plus have the next installment due in by the 15thof next month, just before I leave.

On top of all this, the kids finish school next week so I'll be juggling work with looking after two under fives as well. Phew! So what's everyone else up to? Busy with work, chilling out with the kids, or (like most of us I expect) trying to juggle both!

The Pleasures and Pitfalls of Living in a Foreign Country...

I have been living in Spain for about eighteen months now and sadly the time has come for us to say goodbye... well, I say 'sadly', but to be honest the move back to the UK brings with it mixed feelings.

When we moved out here it was with the dream many Brits have - year round sunshine, a slower pace of life, more family time - but things just haven't worked out that way. We thought we were moving out more prepared than most; my parents have lived out here for several years now and we have been out on holiday so many times that we knew the area and knew other ex-pats to help get us started on our new life.

Unfortunately, being on holiday in a place and actually living here are two very different things. The 'slow pace of life' we had looked forward to quickly became frustrating (it literally takes forever to get anything done here and there are so many bank holidays it's a wonder anyone actually does any work!). We have also really missed being able to communicate with people. While my Spanish has come on leaps and bounds since we got here - frankly it is embarrassing to think how little I knew when we first moved - I still can't have a 'normal' conversation. Being able to gossip with other mums while picking your child up from nursery is one of the pleasures of motherhood, but when you can only comment on the weather and then you don't understand what the hell they've said back to you, it can make gossipping slightly difficult.

Of course here have been other things I have missed - shopping, English supermarkets, books and movies, bars and clubs - just things that make up a normal life. Even so, there are things I am going to miss dearly when we go back and the main thing is my parents. They have been with us every step of the way (probably a bit too closely for my husbands liking!) and it has been wonderful watching them get to know their granddaughter and I am very sad that we won't be around for baby number two. I will also miss Bella's nursery, who have been wonderful, and hearing my daughter come out with Spanish phrases that I then have to look up in the dictionary.

Still, we must look forward and I am excited about starting again, especially being so close to London again, where we spent several crazy years in our twenties, and being near our best friends and their baby-boy.

Advice I can give to people thinking about escape the terrible British weather... do it! Despite everything I am glad we had the balls to give it a go and we didn't just sit around bitching about how life could be so much better. We actually tried to do something about it. Okay, so it didn't work out, but we are returning to the UK with a different perspective on our lives there and what we actually need to make us happy.

Mx