Settings and seasons

A confession (isn't it odd how this blog so often turns into a confessional?)

I was doing some wandering around the shops in Exeter yesterday afternoon, when I... and steady yourself for this... are you ready?  You sure?!  Ok then, when I...

...did some Xmas shopping!

How's that for organised?  Or just oddly premature?!

It wasn't deliberate, I was just looking in some windows in Gandy Street (for those who don't know it, that's our little avenue full of distinctive, independent stores) and came upon a jeweller's.  I saw something which I thought would make a great gift for my adopted daughter, Niamh, and there you go, before you know it the Xmas shopping is underway.

Like so many such bugs, it took a hold fast and within an hour I'd done a load more. I've even bought and sent my Xmas cards, which will make the remaining relatives in the Hall clan either smile or grimace.  Mind, by sending them early I suppose you get better value for money.  This way they can be on display for a couple of months!

Anyhow, the point of this, before I started digressing (in the familiar manner) was that my little burst of seasonal shopping started me thinking about the times of year in which I set the tvdetective books.  I've noticed most tend to be in the turning seasons of spring and autumn. 

It's another case of something sub-conscious seeping its way into the novels.  They're my favourite seasons, not too hot or cold, and always with something interesting happening, whether it be the leaves coming down as now, or the renaissance of the natural world, as with spring.  For books which tend to be about life changing, they feel appropriate times for a setting.

And that, in turn, made me determined to try a different season for a future book.  So in the usual Hall roundabout way, I'm blogging to say I've got an idea for another tvdetective novel, which will be set in December/January, and in the snow.  I've got a few thoughts about how that could work nicely in a plot and am currently shaping them to see how they'll fare. It's rather exciting, a sort of early Xmas present to myself!

Finally, on the subject of Xmas, if you fancy a signed copy of one of the books as a gift for some poor unfortunate of your acquaintance, I'm doing a couple of signings in the run up to the day itself.  I'm in Callington later this month for the Book Fair, and also in Waterstone's in Exeter next month.  There are more details on the News and Events page - www.thetvdetective.com/news.html