Reflect, smile and get on with it.

I suppose in everyone’s life  there are moments when we have to decide whether to take a risk, to take a step out beyond our comfort zone and fall into a new orbit. Some are happy to live all their lives with 2.5 children, a car, a nice little home and the same 9 to 5 job for life. There is nothing wrong with that. That is not me though. I have had so many jobs and so many homes in several countries around the world and met such a diverse mixture of cultures and wonderful peoples that I am beginning to believe in fate. As a writer the knowledge I have acquired in the later half of my life has had a really dramatic influence on the gradual increase in quality of creativity and style in my work. Add to that a gradual understanding within myself that I am writing because I want to write for me and that I have (if you will excuse the theatrical term) fallen in love with words and storytelling. No longer do I think of profit although it is nice to earn money but my ambition above all else is to attract an audience of readers. I have an audience of around 3000 at the moment. Small they may be but they are growing very slowly. No price can be put on the feeling of great satisfaction knowing that these readers are being entertained by my work.

When I retired I took a leap and landed in Malta. It was a bad move and it troubled me that I was also sharing that wrong turn with my wife. You reach a moment when you start looking for a way out; another decision and another leap into the unknown. We could not stay on Malta. I loved the place but it was too small, noisy, and the islanders do not mix easily. A flash of inspiration presented itself out of an awkward situation a friend was experiencing with immigration. She had to leave the island due to visa renewal and she chose to spend six months on Cyprus while waiting to return. Two weeks later she was telling me I had to take a holiday there and I would find it hard not to want to stay. I had just had Isia’s Secret published on audio and memories of my visit to the island in 1973/4 came flooding back. Six weeks later I landed in Cyprus and within a week knew where the next leap into the unknown was going to be. On December 3rd we moved to Cyprus after packing our belongings and having them shipped. Unfortunately our initial celebration at moving to such a beautiful home was put on hold. Both Mrellan and I had Bronchitis and so did our friend who came to stay for three weeks. The day before she arrived our belongings were delivered. We put a brave face on things but really the whole period was a disaster, especially with our guest having to go to hospital for a couple of days.

Now as we finally put the house together and get through our first winter here (10 weeks) and after having my publicist Irene  refresh and tweak my web site, I am champing at the bit to get writing. It is very depressing not to write. My first project will be to get a new serial preface to the Story Mint. My second is to work with a young Indian writer who has written a novel and given me the privilege of helping to edit the work. Once done I am sure the juices will be flowing and I can finally get stuck into my last Enda Osin Mystery. My days are now more organized. I have a treadmill to keep me fit and a pool to swim in. My new leap into another orbit looks like it is going to pay off. Next month I will write about Cyprus and the people I have met here.

Regards, Raymond.