It's nearly upon us again. How does that happen? We know Christmas always lands on December 25th, and yet still it manages to take us by surprise. Have you finished shopping? Have you sent Christmas cards? (Do you send Christmas cards?) Have you ordered your turkey? Have you put the sprouts on to boil? I can honestly answer "No" to all of these, but there's no need to worry. Our Christmas will happen whether we have mushy sprouts or not.

It's been an eventful year for me, with both HisNibs and I having some health issues - him more than me. (All good now!) In November, I finally retired from the "day job". I can no longer call myself a Cardiac Physiologist (that went a long time ago) or a University lecturer, but I now call myself An Author. How exciting is that? But it also adds a bit of pressure in that I ought to be spending more time writing than I actually am. When retired people have said to me "I don't know how I found the time to work", I didn't believe them. I do now!

At the beginning of December, my second book, Hiding the Flame was published, which was very exciting. (Perhaps The Rose of Florence wasn't a fluke, after all!) I've spent a lot of time sharing posts, learning how to use Canva to create those posts, and trying not to get pulled down social media rabbit holes. (Don't ask how long I've spent watching someone cleaning dirty road signs!)

I have made some progress on Book 3, but I'm at the stage where the story could go in any direction (even though I do have a plan for it). I just have to take a deep breath and let it evolve. I've already had a couple of characters introduce themselves to me. I can't wait to see what they get up to. Of course, I have my historical framework, which I have to follow. In my books, I will sometimes play with historical characters but always trying to make them believable, using my research of what we know of them. For example, Botticelli features heavily in Hiding the Flame, but he didn't say any of the words I put in his mouth. If there are historical events or settings, though, they have to be right. Taking your reader to a different time and place is a responsibility. I can't think of anything worse than a reader going to Florence and not finding the places I took them to in my books. It's a matter of trust.

And so, purely in the interests of research and accuracy of course, I will soon be off to Florence again. HisNibs and I will be spending New Year (Capodanno) and the Epiphany (La Befana) there, while the family looks after our ravenous cats. We will do our best to sample traditional Tuscan fare, and as we will be staying in an apartment, I'll be able to go shopping in the market and try out recipes for the next book.

While I'm there, I'm very fortunate to be able to officially launch Hiding the Flame, in the city in which it (& The Rose) was born, hosted by my good friend and amazing author, Katherine Mezzacappa. (Check out her books!) This is very much a "pinch me" moment, an event I would never have even dreamed of. Who would have thought that young girl, studying anatomy and physiology, would eventually go on to publish historical fiction and launch it in one of the most beautiful cities in the world?

Which brings me back to where I started. Christmas. This time of year, many of us look back to see what we've achieved in the past twelve months. Many look forward to the New Year, with diets and gym memberships that will crash and burn before Valentine's Day (speaking from experience!). But my Christmas wish for you is that you find time and space to discover your heart's desire and to go for it. Yes, I've worked hard, and yes, I've had some luck, but if I can do it, then so can you. You'll never know what you can achieve until you try.

Nadolig Llawen a Blwydden Newydd Dda!

Buon Natale e Buon Anno!