2017 – a strange year
2017 was a strange year. The sort of year, where if the events were used in a political drama, you would have said it was far-fetched. Here in the UK we had a general election. [image error]We did not have to have a general election. The government had a majority, but they wanted to increase it. Instead they lost it. During the campaign the prime minister, who called the election, announced she was too busy with Brexit to join in the debate. Afterwards she blamed the loss of the majority on the fact they were not prepared for a surprise election – even though she was the one who called it! [image error]Over in the USA things were no more sensible as Donald Trump’s rants fascinated Twitter, but became increasingly bizarre as the year went on and fake news became the order of the day. We tend to think of the past as more corrupt and less democratic but I don’t think we have much to feel superior about anymore.
A year ago in 2016 – the year I lost a continent but gained a whole world I speculated on whether 2017 might bring a turning of the tide, so do I feel more hopeful than this time last year? I’m not sure. There have been far too many tragic events this year across the world. [image error]However the pro-EU movement has had some victories and to me feels more energised. Will that be enough to stop the slide into right-wing nationalism? I don’t know. The direction of 2018 seems impossible to predict. Anything could happen.
For me personally, 2017 has been less strange and mostly positive. I saw one of my sons complete the gruelling Dartmoor Ten Tors challenge and another perform in The Tempest at our local theatre. [image error]Highlights of the year included a wonderful trip to Scotland which you can read about In the footsteps of Kenneth Mac Alpin as well as catching up with friends in Suffolk and London. I even took on a cameo role in a film! Minyons! The year was not all happy. In May I lost my last grandparent, just a month short of her 100th birthday.[image error] A reminder to us all, even as we look to the future, to cherish those links to the past.
Next year is likely to be dominated by my eldest son’s exams – please think of me on results day in August. I suspect I will have no fingernails left by then!
For Women of the Dark Ages, 2017 saw two new books The Saxon Marriage and God’s Maidservant, both about the same family. [image error]The Ottonians – a family so fascinating it would be possible to fill a whole bookshelf with just the stories of the women alone. The stories of Eadgyth and Adelheid are my most ‘historical’ novels to date [image error]which brought its own set of challenges as well as rewards.
Where will 2018 take Women of the Dark Ages? Shall I stay with the Ottonians, telling more of the stories of the courageous and often formidable women who were born or married into this family? The answer to that is no, at least not yet. God’s Maidservant was emotionally very difficult to write. As a writer, I will often draw on my own experiences when possible. So, as a mother of three sons it was probably inevitable that in any babies born in my books and particularly the boys, I would see my own children. This is fine if they grown and prosper, but what if they do not?
So, where next? The answer to that is backwards – in time that is. The saintly Ottonians completely broke my heart, so I shall be spending the next book with some thoroughly and delightfully immoral Franks. This next one is going to be fun!
But as 2017 draws to a close, all that remains for me to do is to wish everyone, whether you are readers, fellow writers or simply passing by, a peaceful new year and every happiness for 2018!
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Women of the Dark Ages – the series so far!
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Kenneth’s Queen Three Times the Lady
The Girl from Brittia The Saxon Marriage
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