GETTING OLDER; ABNA and NEW IDEAS! by PAM HOWES

The trouble with February is it's too short and means my blog turn has come around quicker than ever On the other hand it means less time between last payday and this one! Thank goodness the sales last longer than a month these days. But what's that got to do with getting older? Well nothing actually, but we’ve got another year stretching ahead of us, fresh, clean and hopeful. A year that can be filled with activities, memories and ambition. A year to maybe take a break from the usual and do something different. But how many of us will? I made a list at the beginning of January of things to do, things to finish, and things to start and how many have I done so far? Not that many, although I've almost completed my next novel, but I'm sure I'll get to December and the list will still be pretty much intact and all that will have happened for sure is I'll be another year older. Life just vanishes in a blink these days. It never went this fast a few years ago.

And talking of getting older, late Beatle George Harrison would have been 70 years-old on the 25th February and today, as I write this, the late Rolling Stone Brian Jones would have been celebrating his 71st birthday. The fact that all my idols from the sixties, who are still alive, are now approaching or have already turned 70, is frightening. This makes me feel old and I don't want to be. Although looking on the bright side, starting a late career in writing where I've been able to revisit my youth, and earning a certain degree of success from it, has given me a new lease of life. 

Today the third novel in my series of Rock'n'Roll Romances, Always on My Mind, is celebrating a number 1 position in the drama genre rankings on Amazon in Canada. The first two are also dawdling in there at #16 and #53. Nice to have a bit of recognition in a country that was my home for a few years.

In last month's blog I wrote that I'd done something I'd never dream of doing at one time and that was entering writing comps. Well I entered ABNA 2013 and am through to the next round. I'm not holding my breath, but was shocked to see my name and title on the list. It was a rather nice feeling. I know there are a few other AE members who got through too, so congratulations and good luck to all involved for the next round on March 12th.

One of the things on my January to-do list is to take a break from writing for a few months after the newbie is published at Easter. With the advent of spring and new ideas I'm planning on reviving my interior design career in a small way. I've been experimenting by renovating some old furniture using Annie Sloan chalk based paints. It's wonderful stuff to use in that it's a time saver, no rubbing down or prep work to do. They say it's great paint for women as you just slap it on with a brush, distress the edges a bit and then wax the furniture when it's dry for a lovely expensive looking finish. By the time I get around to April's blog I may have some pics to post of completed works. The trouble is, while peacefully painting, I have little scenes running through my head, characters interacting etcetera and the seeds of another story begin to take shape. Wish it would all go away and leave me alone for a few weeks. I don't really want to write another book this year, but I guess sometimes you can't win and just have to give in to the ideas as and when they appear.