Bernardine Kennedy

A chatty and newsy blog about author Bernardine Kennedy, her books, her writing career and her life. Check out the latest news, views and recommendations along with the occasional irrelevant photo.

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Heading for Easter.

Here we are again. See? I always turn up eventually! I hope you're all well and looking forward to Spring and Summer? I know I am. The weather's really rather gorgeous at the moment, very Mediterranean, hope its lasts through to Bank Holiday Monday and then for the Royal Wedding. Fingers crossed!

I'll start off with the cat info as so many people has asked! Yes we did it. We got another cat. Not a replacement for Ollie of course but its hard not having a cat in the house!








This is how she looked when we first got her at nine weeks old; she's a X Bengal and is a real feisty Essex girl.














and this is how she looks now ... she's five months old growing fast!








we're all so pleased with her and she's spoilt already. She has a gorgeous, affectionate temperament and had settled so well but oh the stress of letting her into the big wide world of the garden. But she's been out there and comes when she's called and is locked in all night so lets hope she's okay. All we can do....

But enough about cats.... :)

Writing!

The good news is that:

1) All 7 books on my backlist with Headline are going onto Kindle this summer. I'm really pleased as eBooks have taken off in a way none of us anticipated and the market is worldwide.

2) TAKEN and SHATTERED LIVES were both published in Portugal in January with gorgeous covers.... I think they're really attractive (see below) so I hope they do well.





















3) The title of Book One in the Avon Harper Collins quartet is going to be RUBY, the others will all have 'girl's name' titles as well. Fingers crossed for them, everyone is very enthusiastic at the moment and the planning is ongoing with the covers being designed and modelled as we speak! The other names are chosen (sort of) but I'm not absolutely convinced. GRACIE, MAGGIE, VIOLET. Let me know what you think....

RUBY starts in 1945 when she returns from evacuation and continues into the fifties when she is living in Southend.
The next books will then move forward to later in the fifties and then into the sixties.
The research for them is really interesting but very time consuming. So much I didn't know about the history of Southend and the various areas around the town despite living here! I've read so many books and webpages I could be a bit of an oracle if I had a half decent memory but its currently overloaded. And of course, every so often I find out something I didn't know and I have to go back to alter what I've written to accommodate it.

As I think I've said (senior moment?) my name for these books will be Megan Maxwell, or rather 'Bernardine Kennedy writing as Megan Maxwell'.


Whatever the Cost has been on the back burner while I get on with Ruby but I'm back to it in the summer. Maybe I need another cruise first to just confirm my research???

In the run up to the ESSEX BOOK FESTIVAL I was interviewed on BBC RADIO ESSEX. I love doing radio and it all went quite well. (I think!) By chance it coincided with the announcement about library cuts....... this is something close to my heart, I think libraries provide such an important community service that it would be a crime to have a swathe of cutbacks, staff losses and closures. I was asked about it so said what I thought.

Then I did a talk at Hadleigh Library about my new books and the research I've had to do. There was a good turnout and a brilliant audience who asked lots of questions (I love question time). Thanks everyone... There was also the support of a group from the Hadleigh and Thundersley Community Archive Group who have so much information about the area.

Library talks are always such fun... a big thank you to the staff who put so much work into organising the event.

In other news: my website http://www.bernardinekennedy.com/ is currently being revamped so watch this space.... later in the year I'll have the Megan Maxwell website linked in.

Getting a bit complex eh?!
Thats it for the moment. Have a really good Easter and a relaxing break in the sunshine.

Don't forget you can also find me on Facebook and on Twitter @BerniKennedy


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