As I wait for Rosemary, my proof reader, to send back Stranger on the Point, I'm pausing to reflect on all the support I've had in the last year. Much of it comes from people who are new friends. Of course there have been people who have been there for me throughout my writing journey, but this is for the people who have come into my life in the last year.
When I joined Facebook a year ago, with the intention of promoting myself, I wasn't actually brave enough to do it! So huge thanks to Neil who insisted I join groups, tell people about my books and has been a great supporter. He even featured my novel in Lydd Panto!
I've has so much support from my new Facebook friends and it makes a massive difference to sales. All your positive feedback encourages other people to buy. I can't mention you all, but special thanks to Alec and Caroline Hobbs who took a chance on buying books from an unknown author and have been constant promoters of my work.
It's tough recognising that you're good enough, so a big thank you to Dave who told me never to put myself down for being self-published. I listened and I don't anymore! I'm really proud of my books and their quality.
Last spring, I met Mary from Mary's Tearooms in the post office. She offered me an author talk (my first!) and sells my books, taking nothing for herself. Of course I now have to keep going and buying tea and cakes in the tearooms, it's a tough life...! And also thanks to Grant from the post office who sells my Dymchurch novel; it's great to have local support.
Also on facebook, I've met authors James Collins and Chris O'Donoghue. It's been great to chat to you both, to gain your support and advice.
I could go on and on, I am over-whelmed by all the lovely people I have met this year and the interest there is in my books. I appreciate every comment on facebook and every time someone goes out of their way to come and meet me at a book signing. Thank You!
The picture shows me signing a book to the lovely Sue Parry at the New Romney Day Centre talk.

I started my blog in February, when I had just finished But First Maintain the Wall and was thinking about the next novel. So here I am, about seven months later and I've just finished Stranger on the Point.  It's been an amazing seven months with But First Maintain the Wall selling really well. More and more people are hearing about my books and supporting me, which is fantastic. For the first time I really made an effort to promote a novel and I've loved meeting so many new people, chatting about my writing and passion for Romney Marsh. 
Now, I'm back where I was last February, but with a new book. It's just gone to the proof reader and I'm thinking about cover designs. Hopefully I'll be ready to reveal a cover design very soon and the novel should be ready by the end of November! I'll be planning some meet the author events and book signings, as well as promoting through Facebook.
But as before, my thoughts are also on the next novel. Another sequel to Secrets of the Shingle and Stranger on the Point, this one will take readers to the Second World War. I'm going to need a different approach this time though. Usually I start a novel with an event and just see where the characters take me. I work hard at making it historically accurate within the Romney Marsh setting, but don't plan the plot. But now I need to study Romney Marsh at War and make a timeline of key events, and have an idea of what to include. I guess my characters will still do whatever they chose to do, but the framework will be more structured. I've decided on the opening scene, and the ending. Just got to fill in the other eighty thousand words!

A few months ago we explored the uses of hagstones in Marsh Ink Writers' Group. These stones, found on local beaches, have holes running through them, worn through many years of erosion. People often collect them and sometimes thread them with wire or string. A book of local anecdotes educated the group about some of the magical purposes of hagstones and inspired our creative writing.
Did you know that placing a hagstone under your bed could relieve cramp or rheumatism, possibly caused by a hag or witch sitting on your stomach at night? Or that milk passed through a hagstone will not curdle?
In my novel, where I return to Dungeness, there are hagstones aplenty and I decided to feature them in my writing. I'm using a Scandinavian custom of pouring ale through the stone in order to ease birth pains, and a cord of stones which is whirled to dispel bad weather. But for my character, the most significant use will be as a pledge stone. 
I'm coming to the end of the novel now. Stranger on the Point is booked in with my proof reader for mid-September and then I'll need to be thinking carefully about the cover design. I can't believe it is almost finished; it wasn't that long ago when I was blogging about my first chapters!

This weekend Dymchurch celebrates the novels written by Russell Thorndyke with re-enactments and events throughout the village. I was offered the opportunity to sell my books in the village hall, alongside the Dymchurch Art Society who were displaying their work. They made me so welcome and it was lovely to join them; we had lots of locals and visitors through the door which was fantastic. Heavy rain one afternoon forced the Romney Marsh Morris to dance in the hall, and so we had some entertainment too. I met people who had already read some of my books and some who were new customers. A fantastic weekend with some lovely people. The photo shows a selection of cards I bought. Good to support local people.

Last week I moved away from Romney Marsh and wrote two Ashford based chapters to be included in my new novel. Secrets of the Shingle had two chapters set in Willesborough, Newtown and the town centre. The sequel includes Eastwell Lake, Victoria Park and the town centre. The Eastwell Lake scenes were inspired by my editor who spoke of a marble figure which used to be in the church when she was younger. She recently found the same figure in the Victoria and Albert museum. I'm hoping she'll have a lovely surprise when now finds her in my pages.
I joined an Ashford facebook page and soon had some of my queries answered; now the tearooms and local newspaper have names rather than highlighted ???? in the text. So, the Ashford pages have been competed to my satisfaction and my characters are once again back in more familiar surroundings.
I also re-visited Newtown earlier this month; it was an area which really interested me when I wrote the earlier novel and as I re-read it, I was once again drawn to explore the area. One of my photos shows Newtown Green with the tall building being the public baths. The other is the marble lady of Eastwell Lake - isn't she grand!

This week I went on the Romney Marsh Historic Churches Tour as part of JAM on the Marsh. We visited four churches and learned a huge amount about the history of these gorgeous buildings, thanks to Joan Campbell. In the past I learned about a possible anchorhold at St Nicholas in New Romney. Joan spoke about the belief that only the most saintly went straight to heaven on death and most of us had to work our way through purgatory. The more the living could do to ease the deceased through purgatory, the better. One of the most extreme examples is to brick someone up in the walls of the church, with a window towards the altar and another to the churchyard. The anchoress' whole existence was devoted towards praying for the dead person in order to speed up their journey to heaven. This inspired me to place one of my characters in an anchorhold in What the Monk Didn't See.
What inspired me this time? I love East Guldeford Church. It is so different to the other Marsh Churches and equally beautiful. The freeze of angels shown here is high up on the walls. Joan suggested they were painted in Victorian times at a time when the fashion was for the 'less advantaged' women of the parish to become engaged in pursuits to improve their minds. Wouldn't you love to know who painted these angels and what impact it had on their lives to be involved in such a project? Maybe one day I'll put these women and their painted angels into a novel.

. Not a first review for the latest novel but a sneak preview of what's coming up! I've been working really hard at my sequel to Secrets of the Shingle and have just shared the first seven chapters with a good friend who reads as I write. So what did she have to say about it? 
 Dear Emma, I have been keeping greatly entertained with your Dungeness novel. 
I was on the lookout for your repeating Secrets of the Shingle in a formulaic way, but not at all! In fact, I kept thinking "What, no murders?", then you plunged the reader into the dreamlike tale of  *******. You very cleverly suggested a hypnotic state in Lily through the grey tea, but the outcome of her state is quite unexpected and original. 
What no murders? Could any sequel of Shingle continue without some random bodies strewn about? I have assured my friend that there would soon be a body on the shingle and as I write this I have left the story in limbo. A body has just been discovered, but I have been delayed and so there he/she remains until I have time to continue!

It's been another busy week for me as I continue to promote my novels. On Thursday 7th, I was at the Romney Marsh Visitor Centre, which is always a lovely place to visit and the staff are so welcoming. I was there for a book signing/meet the author event. As always it was good to meet and chat with people. There was an extra bonus as the Goddard Family were displaying their art there (they are there throughout June) and after the book signing I went to meet Philippa and Terry. It was lovely to meet them and to look at all the art by different members of the family. Two days later I went back and bought a print by Emily, but have a feeling I might be back for more.
On Sunday I had a stall at Honeychild Manor for an open farm day. Again, I met some lovely people - the highlight being a man who thought he recognised me from being on The One Show! Not me, I admitted.
On Thursday 14th, it was my first author talk in Mary's Tearooms, Dymchurch. Huge thanks to Mary for inviting me. I had prepared bullet points and some props and spoke about my author journey. It went well and I think everyone enjoyed it. A really good evening in a gorgeous place.