I ignored the daffodils and buds on the magnolia tree, in my garden, as I tried to write a scene set in the summer. Imagining the symphony of colour and texture of a summer’s day cheered me up. My writing froze when I saw the snow falling. Desperately seeking summer, I opened digital photos taken in July. A gateway appeared so I peered through it. Thrilled, I shared my experience on my Facebook page. I wrote:
I am standing in this gateway, today, looking into the world of my characters. I am having a great time adding summer colours. Only a few months before the summer returns to our gardens. Where is your writing transporting you, today?
Victoria Connolly recognised the gateway and messaged me:
‘One of my favourite places – you can see this very gate in my FB pic here. I’m just launching the third in my Country House and Garden series today so I’m very much thinking about gardens!’
Thus commenced, my adventure with the authors’ characters.
It was great fun when authors told me exactly where their characters were in their novels. I went to Charnley Acre with Deidre Palmer. She was trying to get her characters to a destination, while my characters misbehaved and asked for more food. Meanwhile, Sharon Booth confessed to neglecting her characters, and we were both fearful of what they were up to. Sharon disappeared, but I think she may have popped over to see Carol Warham in Scarborough.
Angela Petch’s ‘doughty ladies’ discovered ‘interlopers’ in the Sussex beach hut. Sue Fortin’s characters were in Southdowns near, West Sussex. I don’t know what they had been up to, but Sue said she ‘wasn’t sure they deserved such a view’. I was delighted when Sue Fortin and Deidre Palmer’s characters waved at each other. I did wonder if any of these characters were the interlopers in Angela’s beach hut. Caz Greenham’s characters were in Brixham but there was no sign of Eric the Seagull. She couldn’t tell me what her characters were up to, so I can only assume they had also been naughty. I know all about characters behaving badly.
Sue Bentley’s world could not be presented in a photograph. She explained, ‘in my fantasy world of great plains and deep forests – think of parts of Yellowstone National Park coupled with an Amazon rain forest!’ Although I felt nervous of this new world, I knew Sue would guide me through it, and it was fascinating.
Following the adventures in Sue Bentley’s world, it was time to head for a night out, in London, with Lynne Shelby. I stopped over with Sebnem Sanders in Ovington Square, London, before her characters took her to Istanbul. Finally, I ended on a cliff-hanger with Jane Lovering and Mandy James. These authors have created dream seaside locations.
Travelling to the various locations was akin to a mini break, at my computer. However, I was a little worried about Rosemary Noble who told me she was ‘up a gum tree’, in Australia. Thankfully, she is back in the UK and had been spotted in Grimsby.
I had a whistle-stop tour of various authors’ destinations between the pages of my own novel. Thanks to all the authors, I had a lovely day and managed to finish my scene. Who says Facebook is a distraction?
Please see all my adventures at Handbag Adventures and my blog and website at JessieCahalin.com.
