Author: Debbie Ward

After a fabulous two weeks on the island of Zakynthos, I came back buoyed up with enthusiasm and ideas for the second half of the new book. Unfortunately, we had no sooner got home when my Dad was rushed into hospital. The last week or so has been spent back and forth to hospitals, meetings with social services to get a care package in place and constantly worrying about his welfare, so all thoughts of writing have been put on hold. Hopefully, I think we may now have turned a corner and he seems to be getting back the will to live – fingers crossed.

One positive of all this, is realising that life is too short to put off anything that is important to you. Yesterday I met up with my cousin and her husband who I hadn’t seen for over 4 years, after they visited my Dad. It was great catching up and we have promised to all meet up again in the very near future.

Now verything has calmed down, I can now hopefully get back on track with finishing my second book. I will keep you posted as to my progress.

As we have now reached the month of August, I can finally say that I will be going back to Zakynthos next month (in 31 days’ time to be precise). To say I am looking forward to it is an understatement. I think this year’s trip is even more special as I have spent the last few months writing my latest book which is set on the island. This has made me want to be there even more.

I have already started on the obligatory lists for toiletries to buy, things to pack, etc. Decisions will soon have to be made as to what clothes to take, exactly how many pairs of sandals do I need, and how much extra luggage allowance to buy. The lead up to the holiday always ends up like a fine-tuned military exercise. Every year I say I will cut back and adopt a more ‘less is more’ attitude to packing but every year, I swear I end up taking even more, if that is even possible. I mean, how many people take strings of fairy lights to decorate their balcony with?

I have also set up another Facebook page, as well as the one dedicated to the hotel we always stay in – this one is all about eating, another one of my great loves, especially on holiday. So if you want to keep in touch with what’s happening in Kalamaki or need to find somewhere great to eat on the island, take a look at either ‘We love The Venus and Kalamaki’ or ‘Eating out in Zante’.

If you remember on a previous post, my brother was waiting to buy his first property. Well that was actually back in April that I posted and it is only in the last couple of days that he has completed and moved into his new home. He is, understandably, over the moon and glad the long wait is over. I can’t wait to see pictures of it.

Not long back from a well-deserved break to the Greek island of Skiathos and I seem to have brought the weather home with me. Unfortunately 30c doesn’t bode well sitting in an office and travelling on busses. It certainly isn’t the same as sitting round the pool with an ice-cold Mythos to hand, that’s for sure! Still, we mustn’t grumble, winter will be upon us all too soon so we must make the most of this glorious weather.

My home office, you’ll be glad to know, is finally finished. New carpet was fitted just before we went on holiday and the room is now complete with new desk, chair and printer table. All it needs is a couple of pictures on the walls and it will be perfect. Another bonus is that it is the coolest room in the house, which has been a godsend this week.

I was hoping to have finished my new book by the time I went to Zakynthos in September but I think I may have been a little too optimistic. At least I can fill in some gaps where my memory fails me while I’m there and maybe even get some more ideas before I finish the book. It will definitely be finished by Christmas, I promise you.

For some unknown reason, I have started writing a different way than my usual style. For “It’s all Greek at Sea”, I wrote in a linear way of starting at the beginning and not deviating from the timeline until I had finished. For my new book, I seem to be writing chunks of storyline as and when I get an idea for a character and then putting them together and writing around them. Whether this will work, only time will tell but I seem to be getting more ideas this way so I think I will persevere for now.

Since drafting this, not only has the weather taken a turn for the worse but I have somehow managed to rip a tendon in my leg. To say this is painful is an understatement and I have been told to rest up for a few days. The one positive side to this, is that I can sit on the sofa, leg safely propped up and write to my heart’s content – hopefully this will take my mind off the pain!

So, we’re well into May now and most of the hotels, bars and restaurants in the Greek islands are now open for the new season. Facebook has come alive again with pictures of tables groaning with food, colourful cocktails and the obligatory feet on the sunbed photo!
I love this time of year, the pre-cursor to, hopefully, a long hot summer. Unfortunately, this is likely to be interspersed with cold spells, rain and wind, but this is the English summer we’re talking about. For those of you lucky enough to be able to go abroad for your holidays, hopefully a week or two of unbroken sunshine should await you.

Although saying that, in Zakynthos last year we witnessed one of the biggest storms we have seen in years. Stuck in Zante town with deafening thunderclaps and lightning strikes that were frighteningly close, we walked the length of the harbour in the hope of getting a taxi back to our hotel in Kalamaki. Unfortunately, everyone else seemed to have the same idea and we waited, for what seemed like an eternity, to finally get out of the rain. By the time we got back we were soaked to the skin and jumped in the shower to warm up before getting changed and having some well-deserved lunch in the hotel restaurant. The storm lasted all that day and well into the evening, even throwing up a twister at sea that could be seen from our balcony. This year we will be taking a mac and umbrella – just to be on the safe side!
Talking of Zakynthos, my latest book, which is set on the island, is progressing nicely. I’ve not written quite as much as I would have liked to but, when you have a full time job to hold down, plus housework, ironing and shopping, it’s difficult to find the time to write. It’s also hard to write when you don’t have a designated writing area. My newly decorated office should have had the finishing touches to it weeks ago, had it not been for a certain carpet company that promised a delivery date that they couldn’t keep to. We finally have our carpet but now find that our fitter is on holiday! Fingers crossed I may have an up and running office before I go to Skiathos – you never know your luck!

Had quite a busy couple of days this weekend as my little brother and his girlfriend came up from Essex to visit. Finally got to hand over the present that I got him for his 50th back in February!  Yeh, I know, don’t ask! Well it’s something he wanted so he’s happy.
I think it actually took his mind off the stresses of buying his first property – something that hadn’t been going very well but hopefully, fingers crossed, will soon see him owning a lovely place of his own – better late than never! Someone else who has been getting stressed out with the moving process is my good friend Sally who has now, thankfully, exchanged contracts and will be moving up to Norfolk next Thursday. It will be great to have her just down the road, meaning lots of girlie shopping trips for holiday clothes lined up – much to the delight of Dave who won’t now get dragged round Norwich on his day off!

Talking of holidays, it’s now less than 7 weeks until myself and Dave go to Skiathos, a Greek island that we’ve never been to before. We are so looking forward to it and will definitely be going armed with a notebook and pen to jot down ideas for another book!

Right, as much as I’d love to sit here writing all day, I still have a pile of ironing to do which, unfortunately won’t do itself!