Tough Times

I would like to introduce you to my grandmother, LILY.

CLICK HERE and start reading her story.

Were Nan still alive she would be 128 years old.

She lived through some very tough times. Lily and those tough times are at the centre of my book THE BRIDGE HOUSE.  CLICK HERE and start reading her story.

I have not written a blog for a few days. I have felt a bit low, I have been going though some tough times this past week, I feel I have been let down by some people. I am so tempted to name and shame a few but NO I am resisting the temptation. 

I will, however, go back to that hard hitting blog I wrote on Wednesday challenging society's attitude to homelessness.

The beautiful comments posted by special people after reading that blog are heart warming. THANK YOU.  This morning Josh and I are meeting with the Milton Keynes Council Cabinet Member responsible for adult services, housing and homeless prevention. He is giving up his Bank Holiday Sunday morning to come to my home and talk. That's a bit special, don't you think ?

Back to my Nan.

Here's Nan holding her first grandchild. Wasn't I a good looking baby ?

Nan, Lily, had three sons but never the daughter she longed for.

Nan had four grandsons but no granddaughter.

One, two, three great grandsons came along but no great granddaughter. There had not been a girl born into the Ashford Family for one hundred years. That changed on 20th February 1983 when Rebekah was born.

The Bridge House begins shortly after Lily's 11th birthday and the death of Queen Victoria. It ends with the birth of Rebekah.

Normally I can write a book in about three months but I have been working on The Bridge House for almost eighteen months.  It will be published within a week. As I am preparing the final edit I would like to share the story with you and invite you to read the draft chapters.

CHAPTER ONE, you can read this by CLICKING HERE, starts in January 1901 and ends in April 1912.

I will not give too much away, read it for yourself.

All of my books have music in them. Life for me without music is something I could not contemplate. Chapter One introduces a theme which continues throughout the book. It is taken from a CD Beck was going to give to me as a gift. She died before she could give me that gift.

Chapter Two covers the years and those immediately after of World War One.

Nan lost her husband as a result of a disease he contracted while serving in the trenches of World War One.

William suffered with tuberculosis for years after the war before finally passing away. He left Lily a widow with three young sons to bring up on her own.

Lily lost her husband as a result of the War To End All Wars. World War Two took her oldest son, Billy, from her.  Billy's Lancaster Bomber was shot down by enemy fire weeks before VE Day. Billy and the entire crew were lost.

The next chapter centres on my father, I am convinced my

Dad was a spy ! In Chapter Four I explore this idea.

Each chapter takes the reader through a different time in Lily's life. She is, of course, central to the story but is assisted in each by a different member of her family.

In the penultimate chapter that assistance is given my myself.

Mine is the first generation not to have had life dominated by war.

The past week has been a tough week for me and, yes, I have been let down by too many people.  I am itching to list them but what's the point. Have no fear, if you are reading this blog you will NOT be among those who let me down.

The chapter ends with the birth of Rebekah, the first Ashford to be born for one hundred years.

Tough times ?  I do not understand what tough times are.

Lily's life was one tough time after another yet she NEVER stopped fighting, she never stopped loving and caring for her family.

I said the book ended with the birth of Rebekah. In a way it does but there is a final chapter. I am not going to say a lot about that for to do so would spoil the one hundred thousand words that precede it. You'll just have to read the story for yourself.

I have finished editing Chapter One so CLICK HERE and start reading.

Tomorrow I will bring you Chapter Two.

Think of Josh and I at our 11am meeting today.