When I returned from my visit to Elounda last September my friend, Monique Brooimans, asked me to write a book using her name as the title. She and her husband have the gift shop ‘Plaka’s Ilios’ in Plaka. I agreed to do this on the proviso that she had her photograph on the front cover.
I had no idea what to write, but ideas gradually came to me and I made a good start. I then realised that the book would end up as large as a copy of ‘Yannis’ so I cut various parts out. I was still dissatisfied and once again the book was growing out of all proportion so I started again. On the fourth re-write I was finally satisfied.
I was doing so well. I was able to visualise having it completed by the end of March which would give me a month to catch up on various jobs in my house before sending it to my type setter at the end of April. The best laid plans ......
The next thing I knew was that there was a ‘party house’ planned for two doors away from me. Horrifying thought ! Of course we met as neighbours and began to plan our protests against the scheme. It meant writing many letters to the various local councillors and answering their replies. We also organised an on line petition and a paper one. Very time consuming.
We still do not know when a decision will be made regarding having a ‘party house’ in the street.
Then the end of the financial year arrived. A week had to be spent getting my accounts in order to send to my accountant. However careful I am with all my records, checking them every month, somehow a gremlin gets in and the final totals suddenly disagree. Would anyone else like to give this gremlin board and lodging?
Finally I was able to return to writing ‘Monika’ and I had completed it by 30th April and sent to my type setter. Of course, James was not sitting there waiting for my work. He was in the midst of other work that had to be completed first. This put my projected publishing date a week behind and I had also forgotten that there was a Bank Holiday towards the end of May.
I took advantage of the wonderful weather we had in May and the beginning of June to spend some time trying to get my garden tidied up. I have to wage a continual war against wild garlic. It is very pretty when it is in flower, but it does think it can take over. Being ambitious I began to paint my low front garden walls, but found the sun was so bright I could only work out there for a short time before I was unable to see where I had painted. They still need to be completed and the back garden needs some more attention. If I turn my back the wild garlic has sprouted again !
This is certainly not Monique’s life story, but totally a product of my imagination. All the characters in this novel are entirely fictitious. I do hope my readers will enjoy this book. I have started the next one and plan to have that one completed for publication in December.
I had no idea what to write, but ideas gradually came to me and I made a good start. I then realised that the book would end up as large as a copy of ‘Yannis’ so I cut various parts out. I was still dissatisfied and once again the book was growing out of all proportion so I started again. On the fourth re-write I was finally satisfied.
I was doing so well. I was able to visualise having it completed by the end of March which would give me a month to catch up on various jobs in my house before sending it to my type setter at the end of April. The best laid plans ......
The next thing I knew was that there was a ‘party house’ planned for two doors away from me. Horrifying thought ! Of course we met as neighbours and began to plan our protests against the scheme. It meant writing many letters to the various local councillors and answering their replies. We also organised an on line petition and a paper one. Very time consuming.
We still do not know when a decision will be made regarding having a ‘party house’ in the street.
Then the end of the financial year arrived. A week had to be spent getting my accounts in order to send to my accountant. However careful I am with all my records, checking them every month, somehow a gremlin gets in and the final totals suddenly disagree. Would anyone else like to give this gremlin board and lodging?
Finally I was able to return to writing ‘Monika’ and I had completed it by 30th April and sent to my type setter. Of course, James was not sitting there waiting for my work. He was in the midst of other work that had to be completed first. This put my projected publishing date a week behind and I had also forgotten that there was a Bank Holiday towards the end of May.
I took advantage of the wonderful weather we had in May and the beginning of June to spend some time trying to get my garden tidied up. I have to wage a continual war against wild garlic. It is very pretty when it is in flower, but it does think it can take over. Being ambitious I began to paint my low front garden walls, but found the sun was so bright I could only work out there for a short time before I was unable to see where I had painted. They still need to be completed and the back garden needs some more attention. If I turn my back the wild garlic has sprouted again !
This is certainly not Monique’s life story, but totally a product of my imagination. All the characters in this novel are entirely fictitious. I do hope my readers will enjoy this book. I have started the next one and plan to have that one completed for publication in December.
