Newsletter
News for June, 2017
Here’s an overview of what I’ve been doing:
At the end of March, I went with my husband to Dublin for a short break. Afterwards, he went home, and I flew on to the USA, Los Angeles to be precise. I had a wonderful time there, and then we drove to San Diego, and I went to the zoo. After that, we flew to Boston, where Megan Bamford and I stayed with the wonderful Dalton Diaz, and Samantha Cayto came over to see us. Then we drove to New York, met with the RT people, went to a Broadway play, and then flew to Atlanta. That was where the RT Convention was this year. After that, I flew back to LA for a few days, and then came home.
Phew!
So I’m not going to get all that in one newsletter, much less talk to you about writing and my books. Of course it all feeds in, since I use my experiences in the US to help me write the books, especially the contemporaries. Bit by bit, or I’ll exhaust you with traveller’s tales!
Maybe I should start at the beginning, with Dublin!
I’ve never been there before. Can I say it was wonderful? Mostly, anyway, but when we went Dublin was one big building site. They’re extending the tram network, which entails digging up all the roads. So there was that. If you’re visiting Dublin, don’t plan to drive!
The city is full of wonderful buildings, mostly from the eighteenth century, gracious and beautiful. We went to the museum and saw the bog people. Astonishing to see the level of preservation of those bodies, and not a little creepy, too. But I loved the treasures that have been unearthed, the huge torcs and the jewellery belonging to the proud warrior nation.
My favourite place was, not surprisingly, Trinity College Library. Ranks and ranks of books. My husband wanted to take a picture of me reading, but I only had my tablet with me. Still, it makes an interesting comment on the way people read, and for me at least, it’s the message and not the medium that matters. The story is the most important thing, how you read it comes a distant second.
We visited pubs. Oh my, did we visit pubs! My favourite was The Brazen Head, close to the river. It was first built in 1195, but it’s holding its age well. It was packed, always, but you never had to wait for a drink, and the Guinness was wonderful. We did go to the Guinness Storehouse, that was fun, and the price of admission includes a free pint of Guinness.
Of course Dublin is touristy, but if you accept it and go with the flow, it’s a wonderful place to visit.
Then came America!
At the end of March, I went with my husband to Dublin for a short break. Afterwards, he went home, and I flew on to the USA, Los Angeles to be precise. I had a wonderful time there, and then we drove to San Diego, and I went to the zoo. After that, we flew to Boston, where Megan Bamford and I stayed with the wonderful Dalton Diaz, and Samantha Cayto came over to see us. Then we drove to New York, met with the RT people, went to a Broadway play, and then flew to Atlanta. That was where the RT Convention was this year. After that, I flew back to LA for a few days, and then came home.
Phew!
So I’m not going to get all that in one newsletter, much less talk to you about writing and my books. Of course it all feeds in, since I use my experiences in the US to help me write the books, especially the contemporaries. Bit by bit, or I’ll exhaust you with traveller’s tales!
Maybe I should start at the beginning, with Dublin!
I’ve never been there before. Can I say it was wonderful? Mostly, anyway, but when we went Dublin was one big building site. They’re extending the tram network, which entails digging up all the roads. So there was that. If you’re visiting Dublin, don’t plan to drive!
The city is full of wonderful buildings, mostly from the eighteenth century, gracious and beautiful. We went to the museum and saw the bog people. Astonishing to see the level of preservation of those bodies, and not a little creepy, too. But I loved the treasures that have been unearthed, the huge torcs and the jewellery belonging to the proud warrior nation.
My favourite place was, not surprisingly, Trinity College Library. Ranks and ranks of books. My husband wanted to take a picture of me reading, but I only had my tablet with me. Still, it makes an interesting comment on the way people read, and for me at least, it’s the message and not the medium that matters. The story is the most important thing, how you read it comes a distant second.
We visited pubs. Oh my, did we visit pubs! My favourite was The Brazen Head, close to the river. It was first built in 1195, but it’s holding its age well. It was packed, always, but you never had to wait for a drink, and the Guinness was wonderful. We did go to the Guinness Storehouse, that was fun, and the price of admission includes a free pint of Guinness.
Of course Dublin is touristy, but if you accept it and go with the flow, it’s a wonderful place to visit.
Then came America!
