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Sorcerers and Dog Coats.

The Faerie Pond, Stapledon Woods
I've been busy writing Fabian, and was wondering how many further books this series might run to.   The answer suddenly popped into my head, which is something that tends to happen if I don't block the process somehow by trying too hard to make this work.  If I set out thinking something like, "Ok, I now want the answer to X" regards my writing, nothing happens.  If I just open my mind to possibilities, ask the question and then immediately let it go off into the ether - to use a term which is vague but sufficiently useful - and forget about it, then more often than not the answer flashes back.  Is my brain a cosmic postbox?  (That might explain the amount of 'junk mail'...!)

So, the Artisan-Sorcerer Series will run to seven books in all.  I have the titles of the last three.  Each is named after the main character in that particular novel, eg. Tamsin, Rowan, Bethany Rose and the fourth, which has around 30,000 words left before it will be finished, being Fabian.  I'm not going to announce the last three titles yet, as I don't want to give away even the slightest hint about unfolding sub-plots, but now I have a clearer structure to work with I feel more confident with where the series is heading.

While America is experiencing major snow and blizzard conditions, here in Wirral the weather has been mild - save for a storm which co-incided with a hide tide, causing some flooding and structural damage along the promenades at West Kirby and New Brighton in particular.  While the storm offered some striking photographic conditions, I felt bemused by how many people risked their lives just to make a YouTube video or a Facebook photo update.  Some people seem to underestimate the tremendous power of water, which can easily bowl an adult off their feet.  If the waves you're filming can throw around a four-wheel drive Range Rover as if it's a paper box - as was shown in one video - is it wise to be standing in them?  Perhaps this is my inherant cautiousness showing; even as a child I was always very aware of potential hazards re. personal safety. 

I enjoyed a fabulous walk through Stapledon Woods with my two dogs, though it was a bit boggy underfoot in places.  The Faerie Pond is full now, reflecting the skeletal trees all around it.  In the photo you can see Poppi trying to pluck up the courage to have a paddle.  I'm glad she didn't as she's wearing her new coat.  The dogs' old coats were totally worn out, with ragged hems from several years of mad adventures in the woods.  Poppi had been wearing-out Ygraine's old coat, and it was too big for her really.  Wearing it, she looked like a coat on feet.  Anyway, now they've cute pink tartan coats which fasten with Velcro straps and which hopefully will wash easily enough.  Here's hoping some fruit-cake doesn't invent a dry-clean-only dog coat.  Well, they can if they want to, but just don't expect me to buy any.
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