Vicarious living

My reading matter at the moment includes a bit of vicarious travel. Eloise James' account of her year living in Paris, Christopher Somerville’s January Man, about a year’s worth of walks in the UK. I would never follow in his footsteps, but I am enjoying the book. Cookery books for vicarious eating, and inspiration for what to do with things from the freezer. I’m doing nostalgia, by way of the British Library Classic Crime – I’ve enjoyed two by Michael Gilbert, one of which I had read before, one that was new. I’m sizing up very old favourites to revisit – Mary Stewart, Georgette Heyer. I'm also getting into some cosy crime.

That's the reading lists. I terms of writing, I'm spending at least part of every day on the French Riviera, re-writing the last third of what I hope will be the next book. It has rather an outlandish plot, hence the re-writing, making the whole thing hang together, so I am hoping that the Choc-lit tasting panel will not find it too far fetched and will give it the thumbs up. But in the meantime I am enjoying the hours of vicarious sun and mayhem on the shores of the Mediterranean. As well as hard work, Wedding on the Riviera is providing a lot of fun. Not only the weather and several scams and con tricks being played out, but food, the planning of an absolutely no-expenses-spared wedding (the title kind of gives it away) that includes a chocolate wedding cake, revisiting old friends from Summer in San Remo, introducing a few new ones, who I hope will feature in future books, and sorting out a pair of lovers who while not exactly star crossed, are definitely not finding the course of love running smooth. Researching the wedding cake alone kept me happy for hours. And no one actually gets married!!

I've also reverted to my addiction to holiday brochures. With two holidays abroad planned for this year - research, naturally - that will not now be happening, I'm back to the day dreaming. It's what writers do best, after all.