Final book for 2020 is out today!

 

After a long wait - since March - the first book in my second series for Aria, The Girls in Blue, is now live.

Click here to find it on Amazon mybook.to/girlsinblue

It is, of course, available everywhere. The paperback will be out in March and the book tour goes live in January.

I love being a hybrid author and Aria is great to work with. I've a good editor, the promotion is spot on and my books have done so well.

I have around sixty Regency books on Amazon and nine WW2. 65% of my income on Amazon is from my WW2 books. I won't stop writing Regency as they are fun to do but will also now be writing two new WW2 for me as well as two for Aria.

This will be my last post until the new year so I wish you a happy Christmas/holiday season and a peaceful and healthy new year.

Fenella J Miller

November Blues!

 I don't like November or February and this year I dislike it even more. A full lockdown starts on Thursday - too late in my opinion - and this means no chance of seeing my husband until December at the earliest.

Also I can't see my brother or my niece, my friends or neighbours. I can still see my son, daughter in law and grandson -so that's one thing I couldn't do last time. 

The nights are long and the days short and gloomy. I have over 250 assorted bulbs to plant but haven't been able to get into the garden.

This book is out next week - thank you if you've already pre ordered it.

 

 The only good thing about this year is the extra time I've had to write and read and watch TV.

Another thing that is depressing is this new layout on Blogger - I apologise for the poor layout but it no longer allows me to put my pictures where I want them.

Take care - this is a deadly illness - not the flu, and it's infecting millions, killing thousands and leaving even more wiht long term health problems.

best wishes

Fenella J Miller

The New Normal

 How much has changed in the past seven months. I can no longer visit my husband in his care home at all – for three months I could see him in the garden – that too has gone and the home is in total lockdown for a second time. If I'm lucky I might get a couple of minutes on facetime a few times a week.
No parties, no family gatherings and no visits to shops, restaurants or other places. I doubt I'll ever shop anywhere but on line again.
This year there will be no Halloween knocking on the doors little ones – I think there's a move where my seven year old grandson lives for people to put up a picture of a pumpkin in their window and then the child can walk around with a parent or adult and every time they spy a pumpkin they get a sweet from the adult accompanying them. It remains to be seen if this works. 

It looks as if Christmas will be different and not in a good way. I can see myself, the way things are going in the UK, sitting by myself watching TV instead of sharing the day with my family. I'm at the vulnerable age where mixing with schoolchildren could be considered dangerous. I'm going to continue to see my family for the moment but that could all change.

The Girls in Blue, was supposed to come out now but has been moved to December 3 to avoid the thousands of books that were delayed because of the virus. This is the first in a three book series about girls in the WAAF. For the first time in my writing career this book will come out in proper paperback format – not POD – and the paperback is out in the spring. I've also sold large print for the first of The Spitfire Girl series and I'm really pleased about that too.

The moment I got my Christmas offering pre-order – A Christmas Conundrum – and this will be released later this month.

Then the fifth and final book in my very popular Barbara's War will go on preorder at the end of this month and come out in November.

The only good thing about the coronavirus is that being trapped at home so much of the time I've managed to write nine books this year. Writing keeps me sane.

I think we have to learn to live with this – the new normal – which will mean restrictions for all of us for many months, possibly years, to come.

Staying and stay safe – we will get through this eventually and things will improve.

I apologise for the random way the covers have appeared but I've not yet mastered the new layout for blogger.

Best wishes until next month

Fenella J Miller

Autumn is my favourite season.

 I prefer autumn to any other season as the weather is usually warm enough to go around without a coat until November, the garden is still full of colour flowers, and the nights are drawing in so more time can be spent reading and catching up on missed television.

I have just released the final book in my short Regency series, The Reluctant Duke, entitled The Duke's Predicament. Another lovely cover from JD Smith. She does all my indie covers and I wouldn't use anyone else.

I just love the cover – don't you? The first of these Barbara's War books was published eight years ago and they are still selling better than any of my other indie published books. I think it's down to the fact that my traditional publisher – Aria 

Head of Zeus – have now published four of my books and a fifth is on preorder. I'm doing very well with them and am so grateful that they invited me to work for them.

There's also the run-up to Christmas – sorry to have mentioned it so soon – but I love the planning and the preparation even more than the day itself. I go overboard with decorations inside and out and have no intention of ever becoming more restrained.

The only good thing about this horrible virus is that I've been able to write far more than would usually be possible. The Conclusion, the fifth book in my bestselling Barbara's War series is with my editor and I'm hoping I'll get it out in November some time.

I will have a Christmas title, A Christmas Conundrum, on pre order later this month for release in October.

I know some people hate the nights drawing in but I like it – it gives me more time to read and watch missed television in the evenings as well as making it easier to write as it isn't so hot outside.

Which season do you prefer? I also love the spring, love the anticipation of my bulbs and spring flowers coming up. The extremes – winter and summer – another two seasons I like least.

Until next time

Fenella J Miller

Writing in a pandemic.

I'm one of the lucky ones in that I've written and published more books this year than I have for a long time. I usually visit my husband, who is in care, five or six days a week but with the arrival of this virus all visits were stopped for eleven weeks.

Unfortunately, the care home is back in lockdown because of a spike in the area and I'm not visiting at all at the moment.

So far this year I've written a book for my publisher, The Girls in Blue, which is due out in December and I'm halfway through the next book for them which is due to be handed in in October. I've also written these two books to finish my bestselling Barbara's War series. A Long Way Back is already published but The Conclusion won't be out until the end of the year or possibly in the New Year.
I've also written three Regencies, A Solitary Duke, is out and The Duke's Predicament, the final book in The Reluctant Duke series, will be out later this month. I've also got a Christmas Regency ready to go in October.

I should be able to write two more Regencies before I have to start the final book in my current contract in the New Year.

If I wasn't a writer I think I would have found it difficult to cope with the isolation of lockdown. I also suffer from bouts of depression but fortunately have only had one episode in the past four months. Writing for me is a lifesaver – literally – and I hope that there are others like me who've been able to get through these past difficult months because they could lose themselves in their work.

I know several writers who've not been able to work at all and that must just have made things even more difficult for them.

I can't see things going back to normal for another year – if then. The only positive thing about this pandemic for writers is that readers are reading more of their books.

Nobody is mentioning the Brexit word but I can't see that going smoothly in January – can you?

If you're a writer keep writing, if you're a reader keep reading and everyone keep safe. The virus is still with us and we need to be vigilant if we're going to eventually come out of this.

Best wishes

Fenella J Miller

Has the lockdown improved things for writers or the reverse?

For twelve weeks I wasn't able to go and see my husband at his care home and this gave me more time to write. In fact, writing was what kept me sane. Also, eating chocolate – I'm now struggling to lose the weight that I put on.
So far this year I've written a 95,000 word book for Aria – Head of Zeus – The Girls in Blue will come out in October. This is the first in a three book series about girls in the WAAF.
Then I wrote the third and final book in my, The Reluctant Duke, series, The Duke's Predicament, which will be out next month.
I have also written a full-length Regency, A Solitary Duke, which is currently on sale and doing very well – thank you to those who have already bought it. And then I've written a shorter book for Christmas, A Christmas Conundrum, which will be out in September.
I have just finished writing the fifth and final book in my bestselling Barbara's War series, The Conclusion, which will go to my editor next month and hopefully be out in November.

I'm about to start writing the second book in The Girls in Blue series as this has to be handed in by October.
This will then give me three months to write the first in a new six book Regency series, The Earl's Inheritance, and this will be out in January next year. I also hope to write another stand-alone Regency – but I don't usually write as much in December so maybe I won't get that done.
I might actually have written nine books by the end of the year and this wouldn't have happened in normal circumstances.Thank God I'm a writer and have something interesting and worthwhile to be doing whilst I'm trapped at home.

Fortunately, I can now see my husband for half an hour every day, if it's not raining, outside the care home in the garden. This will obviously stop when the weather deteriorates and I can't see anyone being allowed to visit inside care homes any time soon. He's very happy where he is – so it's harder for me than for him not be able to go in.
I know that a lot of writers have found self isolation counter-productive and are finding writing impossible. I'm one of the lucky ones.
The positive side for all writers about this horrible virus is that people are reading more.
Whatever anyone says this isn't going to go away unless people continue to take care, socially distance and follow the advice given by medical people.
Stay in and stay safe
best wishes
Fenella J Miller

A Long Way bAck on preorder.

I'm delighted to tell you that the fourth book in my bestselling Barbara's War series, A Long Way Back, is now available on preorder.
This was a completely new way of writing for me as it's not a romance, it's a historical adventure written entirely from the hero's point of view.
Alex Everton was shot down over France and this short book tracks his life over the next few months as an evader.
I'm currently writing the fifth and final book in this series which will take Alex and Barbara to the end of the war.
This book is halfway written and it will be coming out in January next year.
I'll have to abandon it before it's finished as I have a contracted book due to be handed in on October 10th. The first book in this new series, The Girls in Blue, is now with the copy editor and this will be out at the beginning of October.
It's been a very difficult year for all of us and I hope that by the autumn things will be gradually getting back to normal. I'm going to see my beloved husband for the first time in three months this afternoon. They are going to open the double doors at the front and he can sit in his wheelchair and I can talk to him from a safe distance. Not quite the same but I'm so looking forward to seeing him.
Best wishes
Fenella J Miller

mybook.to/longwayback