Folks, I am suffering from cottage envy. Author, Helen Christmas sent me pictures of her chocolate box cottage, with an English country garden. She has an enviable writing room, with a view. The colours of her summer garden will lift your spirits. Indeed, Helen’s sunny letter provided me with the desire to write and the need to purchase a new home. I invite you to retreat to Helen’s life, in the country, via her blog post. Let’s dream about the idyllic writer’s life…
My husband, Peter and I are blessed to live in a 17th century thatched cottage passed down through five generations. We not only love our home but live near close to Bognor seafront. I escaped the rat race in 1999 by which time we had set up a small website design business at home. In summer we spend time maintaining our walled back garden, growing vegetables whilst sharing our home with a beautiful white cat, named Theo (after Peter’s Great Great Grandfather) and doting border collie, Barney.
In the time I have lived here, I’ve become fascinated with the conservation of period property as we endeavoured to protect our cottage. We did come up against the might of our local council who purposefully made planning applications difficult. In fact there was one planning officer in particular whose underlying duplicity astounded me and was perhaps the inspiration behind some of the scenes in my book series, ‘Same Face Different Place,’ a mystery thriller which spans 4 decades.
I began my writing journey in 2011. Working from home gave me the freedom to reflect on life, especially when walking Barney along the beach; such musings included the various social changes I’d observed. I remember the 70s when Labour were in government and despite the power of the trade unions and strikes, there was more camaraderie. People looked out for each other. Next came the 80s. As a student, it was an exciting time, the clothes, the outrageous styles and the music; a time when everyone craved more money but sadly, it turned into an era of greed. With less compassion in society, it makes me wonder if people forgot life’s simple pleasures, something that our home has made us appreciate. It made me want to write a novel that embraced all these different decades.
I have always loved reading and cannot deny the influence of certain authors: Leslie Pearse for her loveable characters and unforgettable stories; Martina Cole who opened my eyes to a world of psychopathic gangsters. But most poignant of all was Ken Follet’s ‘Pillars of the Earth’ a saga which explored the conflict of Medieval times and the impact wielded by men in power.
Going back to my own writing, once started, I began to get up at dawn to get at least a couple of hours in before work. Much of my writing takes place in our peaceful office with Barney curled up at my feet and nothing but the cry of gulls on the beach.
Whilst thinking about my writing space, there is just one more thing I would like to mention; there is a very special picture in the office of Peter’s ancestors, all of whom lived in this cottage. In fact this inspired a particular scene in my second book ‘Visions.’
The misty faces of three generations (including their father, just a baby at the time) added an element of comfort to the atmosphere and even though the sepia-toned picture contained an eerie quality, it emitted the sense that someone was watching over them.
I definitely feel something when I gaze at that picture; it breathes a sense of nostalgia into my world and feels very reassuring, which is wonderful for a writer…
Helen is certainly blessed with inspiration, and it is wonderful she appreciates her life. Helen writes romantic suspense. She has written a saga spanning decades. Her work sounds fascinating. Interesting, how the environment and experiences make us and inspire us. Many thanks to Helen for writing to my blog.
About Helen
Helen J. Christmas lives on the south coast of Sussex in a very old thatched cottage with her husband. With a love of writing since childhood, she started her decade spanning thriller series ‘Same Face Different Place‘ in 2011. Her first book ‘Beginnings,’ set in 1970s London, combines romantic suspense with a hard-hitting conspiracy thriller.
Writing is something she juggles around family and social life. Helen is self employed and enjoys running a web design company from home with her husband, accompanied by their faithful border collie and a fluffy white cat.
We have busy lives and among my many hats, I am a writer, a blogger, photographer and website designer. I love networking with other authors and readers and when I’m not engrossed in work, I enjoy gardening, cooking, reading books, films and fine wines.
The Series: Same Face Different Place
Same Face Different Place is a mystery suspense thriller, set across 4 decades. The first book ‘Beginnings’ is based in 1970s London against a backdrop of organised crime and police cover-ups. Part thriller and part romance, it has been likened to books by Martina Cole and Kimberley Chambers and received some pleasing reviews.
The next part of the saga, ‘Visions’ resonates through the 80s, packed with nostalgia from the music and fashion to the politics under Margaret Thatcher’s government.
Book 3 ‘Pleasures’ continues where ‘Visions’ left off, a thrilling coming of age story, where the younger generation are drawn to designer drugs and raves. This book ends with a dramatic trial at the Old Bailey, where pieces of the mystery are unpicked and justice is served…
But nothing is straight forward with this complex cast of characters; as the main heroine, Eleanor, must once again protect her family from the evils of her enemies. The final episode, ‘Retribution’ concludes with a terrifying campaign of revenge and is published in 2 parts, ‘Retribution – Phase 1’ and ‘Retribution – End Game.’ With the characters reunited in an epilogue in 2012, I am pleased to say, the series was completed in summer 2017.
Please see all my guests’ posts at Mail from the Creative Community and my website and blog at JessieCahalin.com.