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Good morning and Happy Easter.

Today I’m feeling philosophical.

As I write this letter the sun is shining, although there is still a freshness to the air. Yesterday, my husband and I spent some time gardening. The Easter message of rebirth was in evidence on our roses with numerous new shoots. It was also there in weeds that had proliferated in the beds. A pair of blackbirds are busy collecting nest making materials from our garden to set up home again in the tree at the bottom of the garden. A sign of new beginnings. They are regular visitors, as are the sparrows. Today I glimpsed a robin with a stalk in its beak. Could it be building a nest too?

Last night I watched Sir David Attenborough’s Secret Garden. The episode, about a normal suburban garden in Bristol, was fascinating and made me realise that I probably have no idea how many visitors come my garden. Yes, I see the blue tits eating bugs off my rambling rose, the blackbirds foraging in the bark underneath the fig tree, the bees collecting pollen from my roses and lavender, the queen wasp attempting to set up home in my garden shed again, not forgetting the ants, woodlice, beetles, slugs and snails weaving their networks on the ground, but there are the nocturnal visitors who I do not see.

And isn’t that the same as faith? There is the seen and the unseen. At this important time of year in the Christian calendar and in the coming of spring, let us celebrate all that is seen and unseen. The world is a beautiful place.

This last week we have been blessed with sunny weather and I’ve been making the most of getting out in nature. Spring is a magical time when the earth reawakens after the sleep of winter. There are green shoots on the trees, daffodils nodding their yellow trumpets wisely and snowdrop bells delicately decorating the woods. In Swindon, crocus flowers growing on the verges bring splashes of orange, purple and pink to cheer passing motorists, bus passengers and cyclists. Our Town Gardens put on a beautiful display with multi-coloured flower beds. I love these signs of rebirth that assure me that there is beauty in the world.

Now, you’re probably wondering why I’m waxing lyrical about spring instead of the art of writing?  

For me, the rhythms of the seasons mirror the processes of writing. I have moments in the writing of a novel when I’m in the ‘spring’ stage – ideas come to me like fresh shoots, plots spread like a network of roots and buds of characters start to blossom. When ‘summer’ arrives the book comes together and is near completion. Next is the tough period of the ‘autumn’ of edits – when I know that some of my ‘marvellous’ prose needs to be stripped away like falling leaves to reveal the story’s core, its framework, its branches of characters, plots and resolution. Finally, the nakedness of the tree in ‘winter’ reflects my vulnerability when I launch my novel into the world.

I hope you’ve been enjoying my Paige Harper Mystery series 😊set during different seasons of the year.

Thank you for reading me. Any comments welcome.

Hello, I’ve just finished watching the serialisation of A woman of substance by Barbara Taylor Bradford. I read the book almost half a century ago when it first came out and watching the story of Emma Harte unfold made me think about how an author writes a heroine’s role these days. How does Bradford’s heroine compare to contemporary ones? I write strong, feisty female protagonists who fight to solve crimes and bring justice to those wronged and punishment to those who have committed the murders. The main character is surrounded by a cast of friends and family who give her emotional and practical support. How will my characters be judged by a later generation?

Bradford’s theme is revenge. Revenge for all the injustice and wrongs that Emma Harte and her family suffered at the hands of the local landed gentry. Emma is ruthless in her pursuit of those who have mistreated her and in her ambition to become a successful business woman. But on that journey she makes many sacrifices and hurts and uses those close to her – her best friend, her husband, her children. And in the end, one has to ask oneself – was it worth it?

When the book came out in January 1979 it was the beginning of societal change. Women began to believe that they could achieve in the business world, climb to the top of the career ladder. I went to a girls High School where, even though we were well-educated, we were expected to become teachers, nurses or secretaries. No one would have suggested that we could become doctors, professors or CEOs. How times have changed. And yet are we not seeing another societal shift where the younger generation are more interested in a life-work balance than a successful career?

I’d love to hear your comments on the points I’ve raised.

Christine

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