Alert the media! I have a title for Book 3. From now on I shall refer to it as 'Unbroken Spirits'. I'm now onto Chapter 3, but need to decide which path it will go down. Without giving anything away, there will be some characters from the first two books, although I did kill some off, so that's a problem. I want to continue the theme of self-discovery, so it's just a matter of choosing the protagonists. All I know at this point is that the dual time-line will continue, so Ngaroma will feature once again, and the action will still take place in New Zealand and England. Here is the blurb, minus the second paragraph, which would be too much of a spoiler for Book 2:
Detective Constable Ngaroma Greenwood's connection to her past lies in an unexpected place: a lead-lined coffin in London's Highgate Cemetery. It's 2018, and as she begins her second year with the Metropolitan Police, she carries a precious greenstone pendant—a taonga passed down through generations since 1873. Her four times great-grandfather Hōhepa, the illegitimate Māori son of Major Joseph Greenwood, first wore it.
Meanwhile, in 1889 New Zealand, Lucy Greenwood .......
As Ngaroma, supported by her partner Natalie, unravels the threads of her heritage, these two worlds, separated by time, begin to converge. This third instalment in the series that began with 'Finding Miriama' and 'Of Greenstone and Violins' continues to explore the enduring themes of identity and self-determination.
Now, back to 'Of Greenstone and Violins’. It is apparently due out on 13th March - getting close! Here is the cover:
Whilst still in Brisbane, I attended two workshops, one at the State Library, organised by the Queensland Writers Association and the other at the Brisbane Square Library, through Women Writers Qld (which became a group in 1925, even older than me!)
Kim Wilkins led the Novelists' Bootcamp at the State Library over a weekend, and Anna Campbell was guest speaker at the February meeting of the Women Writers. Anna actually mentored me back in 2022 when I was getting close to publishing 'Finding Miriama', and she pointed out that my love scenes were not steamy enough. I'm still trying to perfect that. Obviously she knows what she's talking about, if you look up the mountain of romances she has published all over the world.
At the moment I'm listening to Kate Morton's 'The Forgotten Garden', and after 13 hours I'm still not tired of it. I'm not sure how I'd go if I had to actually read it though, being easily distracted (hence my preference for audiobooks). Interesting fact though, Kim actually mentored Kate when she was first starting out. She did a great job!
Since I've been back in NZ I've spent my time attacking the jungle that is my garden, and reconnecting with friends. I will have visits from my daughter, grandson and husband before I leave again in May, which will be good.
Last week I spent 2 days in Hamilton at the annual Arts Festival. I went to an amazing concert by celebrated jazz musician Nathan Haines, and earlier in the day I listened to historians Monty Souter and Vincent O’Malley speak in the Medici Court area of the Hamilton Gardens. Monty, like myself (haha), is onto his third historical fiction novel based on real people and events in Aotearoa. I’ve read ‘Kawai’ and am in awe. If that were an audiobook it would be 24 hours long!
In April I shall be attending the Ages of Pages day in Hamilton again, and hopefully I will have copies of both books to sell.
And on the week before I head back to Brisbane, and then onto the UK, I'm taking part in the Northern Coromandel Writers Escape. A week in the bush. But not like Australia. I hope. There might be a few wētā, but that should be all the scary stuff. We'll see.
So until next month, when I plan to have 'Of Greenstone and Violins' in my hot little hand, it's
Arohanui
Donna
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