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I had my book professionally proofread. But you know even the best can miss a few things, right. Step one!
Then you have to be real careful taking up changes because you can make more errors. Mmmm. Step two!
Well this happened to me and I’m wondering if I will ever learn to read the thing before uploading. I did not read it again after the proof changes. Step three!
What was a vortex, though, was I had another program, that I no longer subscribe to, working in the background and unbeknownst to me it changed things and I didn’t see it. Step four! Vortex achieved.
It’s not that I rushed the proof changes, I didn’t. I took two days and did it slowly. However, obviously I have issues with my eyes, recent surgery, new glasses etc. But I didn’t realise what was going on. I have since removed the offending program from my Mac now.
So what did this vortex do besides leave in and or create errors.
Tal became Tai, or Sal, or I don’t know. Random.
Gen became Get and Ben and random.
Sihe Pel because Sihe Pal, Sihe Sal. Who knows.
Then there was Si that was changed to ‘is’ so I’m left with sentences like ‘is was’ instead of ‘si was.’
Or sihe became she. Eyes rolling here.
There were missing little words. Annoying and hard to catch.
Some sentences I rethought because they were not precise enough so not proofing errors just me thinking What?
So is it all fixed now. I’ve tweaked the cover, too, for the print version. New versions are up everywhere.
I will continue the saga of reading the book to create an audio book. I just keep redoing chapter one. It’s like I’m stuck in a vortex of my own creation!!!!
Apologies if anyone bought a copy with the typos. The new version should update. If not let me know. I don’t believe anyone bought a print version yet so that’s a relief.
Sometimes you just have to live with whatever. Sometimes you might feel you are in a vortex of shit.
On Monday, which was a very lovely day in Canberra, I went for a walk around the lake and then on to the Botanical Gardens with friends. Just near the end of my walk in the gardens, I did not see a step. And wow does landing on your knees hurt! I managed to hobble out there and put on a brave face. When I got home, I asked Matthew to clean the grazes with alcohol wipes. I might have screamed. However, they had to be cleaned. I managed dinner with friends being dropped by the door of the restaurant.
Some pictures from the walk.
I slept with my legs elevated because I expected swelling and the next morning I was not surprised to have jelly knees. I spent the day vegging in front of the TV, eating all the inappropriate food I could find. I contacted the office of orthopaedic surgeon who did my partial knee replacements and he requested an Xray. My view of the Xray is that it’s all okay bone wise, no breaks, the arthritis on the knee cap is worse that previously. I’m guessing it’s just soft tissue damage. The surgeon hasn’t called so I’m thinking there are no issues with my prosthesis either.
A picture of gumnuts!
Anyhow I can mostly walk okay. Occasionally the right knee gives and the right knee does not like leading the way upstairs. The swelling has come down somewhat.
In amongst all this are some family issues, some friends adversely affected by health news and I wonder if the stars are in the wrong quarter or something. The world is pretty shit too and all in all it is quite difficult to stay positive.
I moved out of my craft room on the weekend too. And it looks like I’m going to sell my floor loom. I’m not using it enough to justify the space it takes up. And I’m hoping I kept my craft makings accessible this time but with the knees I cannot assemble shelves and finish the tidy up. The test will come when I want to work on something. These days it is sewing that floats my boat. If you can believe it, I actually culled some fabric and a lot of yarn. It went to the local buy nothing group. I found things too that I had totally forgotten about.
As part of clearing the craft room, I finished the walking bonnet that I started in a workshop at the Regency weekend. It is made from violet dupion silk. I don’t have much in violet so I thought why not.
A little bit of writing has been achieved. Mostly the restructure of Tainted Lady. I have some beta reader feedback coming for Gentleman Magician that I hope won’t take long to address. All in all, I am a bit behind schedule.
I also need to organise a launch, virtual and real of, The Founders’ Legacy. So I must start with a blurb and that requires brain power.
Today I am interviewing Jemima Hardcastle Huntington to gather her views on the revelations contained in The Prudential Light- A memoir of a lady–Mrs Prudence Wainwright.
Me: Thank you for agreeing to this interview, Mrs Huntington.
Jemima: And Monster Slayer. You must not forgot that but do call me Jemima otherwise we will be here all day. I have things of a personal nature to attend to.
Me: And Monster Slayer. (Me dying to ask what monsters she has slain recently). Jemima what was your first reaction to reading The Prudential Light?
Jemima: (waves a hand). I had many reactions. I snuck a few reads of the draft while the memoir was in progress you know. My first reaction was, Aunt Prudence is not as old as I thought. My second was she has been through a lot and I realised that my life was not as nearly difficult as hers had been. I was only an orphan and sent to school aged fourteen. No hardship in that in hindsight.
Me: And other reactions? You being blood related?
Jemima: That was a surprise but I liked it better that way. I have grown fond of Aunt Prudence and she is nowhere as annoying as she used to be. She helped me during my confinement you know. Totally surprising at the time but when you read the memoir you understand better. Now that I have a child, I do not think I could have been as strong as she was when she faced such a traumatic separation.
Me: You have returned now to Willow Park. Do you think that you will spend time such a long time with Mr and Mrs Fulton again in future?
Jemima: I adore Fulton and Milly and we get along so well. I wish that we could all live together all the time. I imagine we will stay together either here or at Hatfield when the rebuilding is complete. As it is I write to Milly most days.
Me: I’ve been dying to ask about the Hardcastle talent that appears to run in your family. Was it a surprise that Aunt Prudence has this so called Prudential Light?
Jemima: I knew there was something about Aunt Prudence that needed explaining, which is why we all urged her to write her memoirs. What was contained therein was certainly astonishing. I am glad that she has the Prudential Light and that she was able to use it in defense of me. As for it running in the family, that is a surprise. I thought my power came from the Emerald Fire and also from the magic leaking into me from my Ruby Heart. It appears I always had some of my own. Edward’s magic is like a life force and as he made my ruby heart and he powered it with magic that has slowly come to me. Fulton has the same thing, except for him, the magic Edward placed into his arm and leg keep him alive and also make him strong.
Me: Now that you know Milly is blood related too, do you suspect her of having the Hardcastle traits?
Jemima: Oh you mean like magic? Milly is a wonderful person and she does not need magical talents. She has Fulton for monster slaying but I dare say Milly will surprise us all with some magical talent all her own. Only the other day I had a letter from her that has me quite puzzled. I believe she encountered a fae in the Hatfield estate forest.
Me: That does sound intriguing indeed. We must finish up our interview now. If you had something to say about The Prudential Light what would that be?
Jemima: Are you asking me to sum up the memoir in one word? How odious! Do you want me to say it is scandalous? Well it is indeed. I am glad for the present that is only circulated within the family. There would be an uproar and sell like hotcakes if it was for public release. It discusses all kinds of private things…come to think of it. How do you know about it? You are not family?
I find them helpful, even though I don’t use them all the time.
The big 100 days to do list fall in a heap for me. I have so many things I want to do that there are too many things to keep track of.
On work days, I use my calendar to manage the things I should be doing. That’s because in my day job I only work two days so I need a way to keep track because I forget inbetween the weeks.
On other days, well it depends on what I have on, what I want to achieve. Between Christmas and New Year I generally switch off so to do lists go out the window unless I’m hosting a deck party. Parties need to do lists. How else can you delegate?
Generally though if I am not doing the day job, I need a to do list to set myself goals or achieve something. Otherwise the day can just fritter away with a little bit of this, some couch/streaming etc. If I’m struggling there might be one or two things on my to do list.
Today (example only)
write a blog post
write Gentleman Magician for an hour
cook dinner.
Now I have done other things. I picked up my glasses, I’ve had lunch with Rob, I went to the supermarket. I’ve also fixed a Chinese character in The Prudential Light, uploaded new print files and new ebook files. They are additional things.
Whether I will write today remains to be seen. I’m giving my brain a rest.
However, that being said, to do lists work for me when I’m enthusiastic, need to get things done. If I’m not enthusiastic, then I’ll put one thing on that to do list that is important for me, just to get me going.
Motivation can sometimes be thin on the ground. There is a push pull-thing going on with what I want to do and making the effort to do them.
I’ve bought a wall planner and a desk planner. I’m going to fix up my workspace tomorrow when the new hutch arrives for my desk. I want to achieve a lot in 2026. However, sometimes it’s hard.
A wall planner is one massive to do list really.
The downside for to do list though can be where you do things not on your to do list. Or as you are marking things off, you add things you forgot! The list doesn’t get smaller.
Anyway, here are my writing to dos for 2026. Wish me luck.
Just waiting on a few little bits to complete the package.
Launch date is December 16, 2025.
My second novel of the year. A good year for the Cry Havoc Series indeed.
I have been looking at the blurb and I think I need to expand on it. However, I just need some brain space. But first I have to find my brain.
Blurb
Aunt Prudence Wainwright, famously daunting dragon lady of the Hardcastle family, has set herself to writing her memoirs. There will be plenty in these pages to astonish her relations: adventures, abandonment, heartbreak, secret loves and dangers and the family’s magical gifts running through her veins. But with new children, marriage proposals, battles with rogue magicians, and the very past she is recalling bursting back into her life in startling ways, how will she ever find the time to finish them!
A few words on writing the book now that it’s packed up, nearly ready to launch.
If you read the book you will see in the author notes that I found this book challenging. You might think this is funny given I have written over 20 books now of various lengths and have been writing since 2000. But every book/story has its own challenges–it’s own problems to solve. If you are panster you do that issue wrangling on the run. If you’re a plotter/planner you do it at the planning stage.
I’m definitely in the panster category and until I’ve written the first draft I don’t know if the story is going to work. A short recap on my story writing for this book. I went off to Singapore to stay for 4-5 weeks with a side trip to China. I walked in the pool everyday, went back upstairs to write. I thought The Prudential Light was going to be a novella of say 30,000 words and 30,000 words was my goal for the month. I drafted over 50,000 words while in Singapore. You see, while in the pool, Aunt Prudence, Mr Chen and even Jemima came to have a word in my ear and the story grew from there. However, there were problems.
The structure of the novel became a bit complex. 1864ish timeline and a 1836-1841 timeline, with some other little bits between, usually Prudence mulling stuff over and some bits of research to add validity. (Note The Prudential Light can also be called historical fantasy).
Meanwhile, I developed a hole in my macular, had to have eye surgery and recover from that. Thanks to excellent beta readers and the amazing editor, Brianne Collins, the story got ironed out from the chaos that was.
During the process though I seriously doubted my ability to write; I felt cognitively challenged and thought my writing career was over.
A bit overwrought wouldn’t you say?
Matthew (partner) thought it was due to me writing a more complicated story, rather than me sinking into my dotage!
The good news is I feel fine now. I have started a new project, The Gentleman Magician and the head wheels and turning nicely. The Gentleman Magician is meant to be a novella but I won’t know that until I’ve done the draft. While I am nearly 10,000 words in, I know I have to give it a punch in the jaw to get the story going. Luckily I have some ideas in mind. I’ll also be covering some of the magic system that Edward Huntington uses: his strengths and weaknesses, methods etc. I may have a bit of thinking to do over the Christmas break.
As for other stories in the Cry Havoc series. I have The Lady and the Magician in my back brain. That’s the story of Wilbur Hardcastle and Elinor, Jemima’s parents and will be a novella (I promise!) And after some prodding from my sister-in-law a Cyr Havoc Book Five featuring Milly and Jemima, not title yet. I have to do a bit of research into English faerie first.
Given tight timeframes, the ebook will be up on the 16th but the print version may be a bit after that. I have to get the cover flats done, upload and so on.
I find to do lists helpful and I do use them sometimes.
Although when you have a lot on, lists can be overwhelming. Just looking at all the things you need to do! Crazy.
I’ve just downloaded an app to help with that called To Do but often I just use my notes function on the phone or a bit of paper.
I’ve tried bullet journals but I then write everything I want to do and it all gets impossible, particularly when you aim to do a bit of each thing per day.
With things like Christmas and birthdays, list can get really out of hand.
Also, when I publish a book there’s a heap of back office stuff to do and a particular order to do them in. For example, grab and ISBN and register it, then set up the book in Vellum, etc. I had a check sheet for publishing and I have no idea where it is. Time to do a new one.
Yesterday, I checked my books page and realised that all my Dani Kristoff books only have Amazon links. When I went back wide I haven’t put the other links up. Also, I found that Destiny’s Blood is not on Kobo at all. Obviously, I have some serious back office admin to do. I realised I could have just unpublished the page, kept all the links and made a new page just for Amazon. As I’ve deleted them all I have to do them from scratch. Ouch!
Balancing that with creating fiction can be hard for me. It’s a different head space. I’ve been drafting Gentleman Magician but then I remembered that I had been revising another book before my edits arrived back. So actually, I should be drafting and then revising the other book because I want to sub it. Also, the proofing changes will come through soon.
It’s a whole out of mind thing. To do list help keep things front of mind. Even here on holiday in Perth, I need to get my list together because there’s stuff I need to do on line for presents.
Also if you want achieve things, tick off things that need doing, having things crossed off the to do list is great for the morale. The queer thing that happens is that sometimes I’m doing things not on the list so have to add them and then cross them off. They are only not on the list because I’ve forgotten they are there.
Anyway, here is my poor forgotten book that I need to take care of.
I’m currently in Perth, visiting a writer buddy (Hi Cat). We have been talking all day, mostly about writing, our process, indie publishing, traditional publishing, ideas, editing, book production. All the things.
We have also been writing.
I’m currently working on Gentleman Magician, which I started in the Hunter Valley. I had a lovely writerly time there hanging with Keri Arthur and Jenny Kew after attending the Next New Book Boyfriend event at the Mecure Hunter Valley.
I’m now just over 4000 words in.
Firstly I had a plot glitch. A character I was going to include could not feature in this story so I had to rethink that and did manage to sort it.
I’m not rushing this project, but aiming for 1000 words a day and I’m getting a feel for the narrative. As this story will be in Edward’s point of view I’m going to have to once again get used to not writing in Jemima’s. She will return to the pages in Cry Havoc book five though so don’t worry. I love Jemima and have so much fun writing her.
The challenge with Gentleman Magician is to work out Edward’s journey in becoming a magician. He has inherent talent but it must be developed and his meeting with Fulton, healing him etc, which are two interesting plots entwined.
As I’m a pantser I have no idea how long this book will be. I have no idea if other plot bits will show up. It’s early days in the words on a page.
However, it is good to be writing, good to be enjoying it and I’m waiting eagerly for The Prudential Light proofreading changes to come back so I can upload the book to retailers.
Like my sewing and craft projects, I have way to many book ideas and projects on the boil that I don’t know whether I will get them all done. However, Cry Havoc is likely to be my focus for at least the first six months of 2026. Then I’ll need to work on a Dani Kristoff novel. Who knows priorities shift.
Meanwhile I’m enjoying being in Perth for nine days and seeing friends.
I am out of editing hell. The Prudential Light is at the proofreaders and is up for pre-order.
I’m so excited by this. It was a challenging book, with two historical timelines. Lots of birthdays to keep in my head and historical research to undertake.
I’d like to thank readers who have encouraged me to write more Cry Havoc stories, particularly Louise who was a 100% champion of Aunt Prudence and is now urging me to write a story featuring Milly.
However, next off the bat will be Gentleman Magician, a Cry Havoc novel. This will take place after Edward inherits Willow Park and his journey of becoming a magician, him and Heaton meeting Fulton and saving his life. Again I’m hoping this will be a novella, but The Prudential Light was meant to be one and became a novel. Also, I’d like to write The Lady and the Magician, which will be Wilbur and Elinor’s story, Jemima’s parents and late Regency/early Victorian setting. Eep! Definitely a novella, but (rolls eyes) who knows. The there will be a Cry Havoc Book Five as I’m getting some hindbrain ideas happening there.
Blurb
Aunt Prudence Wainwright, famously daunting dragon lady of the Hardcastle family, has set herself to writing her memoirs. There will be plenty in these pages to astonish her relations: adventures, abandonment, heartbreak, secret loves and dangers and the family’s magical gifts running through her veins. But with new children, marriage proposals, battles with rogue magicians, and the very past she is recalling bursting back into her life in startling ways, how will she ever find the time to finish them!
A last minute cancellation. An offer of accommodation and lift to the event each day. That’s me. From 16th to the 18th of May, I was at A Regency Affair event in the small town of Exeter, just south of Sydney in the Southern Highlands. Just like a Regency House party only better. I got to use a real loo and go back to our accommodation.
I had an amazing time! Totally, absolutely, enjoyed it. Not only was in unexpected. I only just learned about the event after lamenting for some time that the Jane Austen Festival stopped before covid. I wanted to sew more dresses and things but wondered what for. Now I’m linked back in. As well as this event, there are balls, Historic picnics and other stuff going on. Because it was short notice, I only had time to dig out my gear. There were a couple of bonnets I couldn’t find but I had enough. No chance to make anything new, except I did find my very special soft bonnet only needed a few stitches to finish it so I did that. Sorry about the cross over bra showing. My stays had a malfunction as I have grown somewhat since I last wore them.
I went up on the Friday but there was a dress making workshop on the Thursday that I wasn’t quite in a mental space to sew. Friday I managed to get squeezed into a few workshops. Not all the ones I wanted but hey I was grateful to get the ones I did. First up was thread buttons and then I did historical stitching which was very cool. We learned edge stitch, mantua makers stitch and English stitch, with cartridge pleating as well. Friday night there were no tickets to the banquet but the organiser thought she might be able to squeeze me in. Bronwyn and I went back to the accommodation to prepare. I figured I should get dressed just in case they said ‘yes’. The plan was to drop Bronwyn and use her car to come back if there was space. However, the text came through that I was in so off to the Regency themed banquet we went.
There was music, dance exhibitions, poetry recitals and singing. So Regency. The food was spit roast and a lemony syllabub, which was so yummy.
I did a bit of shopping during the day on Friday. I bought a turban style headdress for the ball, a tea cup set and some lovely gloves. From Bronwyn’s stall I bought sewing notions of many kinds and some long socks. The cup and saucer are so lovely. I just love the green addition to my collection.
Saturday came and we were off again. I had a basket making workshop after lunch. The only downside is that it clashed with the guest speak talk by Caroline Jane Knight, a fifth great niece of Jane Austen who had lived at Chawton House until recent years. It is impressive that any family lives in the same house for generations and the Knights have lived there since her fifth great grandfather Edward Austen Knight inherited it. The cottage in Chawton where Jane, her sister and mother lived was on that estate in the village. It’s a must see if you get there. Next time I’ll go see the great house too. While I didn’t get to hear the talk I did chat to Caroline a bit and bought her book.
Other workshops that I eyed off jealously were the fletching workshop and theatrical sword fighting. I did do some dancing workshop but thought it best I not cause frustration by trying to dance. There were mustet firings and a duel and so many very impressive costumes. The numbers are limited so intimate and I made myself talk to people and made some lovely and interesting new acquaintances. Catering including morning and afternoon tea. Lunch on Saturday consisted of a pie or quiche, whatever you ordered.
We went back to the accommodation for ball prep. I did Bronwyn’s hair and turned her scarf into a turban.
My new turban head dress was so very cool.
Pre ball there was soup and bread and we all contributed something for supper which was around 9pm. To start off the ball they do a grand promenade. I was going to sit the dancing out and hang with Bronwyn to admire the general splendour. However, a lovely young woman came up to me and asked if I would be her promenade partner. She said our gowns would look very well together. So up I went. Then when the promenade finishes it becomes a dance. I tried to offer up a better partner given my fumble footedness in the dance lessons. However, my young escort said she would defend me from bodily harm if people got upset with me. I am pleased to say that we passed ourselves off creditably and after that five set dance, I introduced to a much better dancer that I met in the workshop earlier.
Supper was bountiful. There was Jane Austen birthday cake, in traditional style, fruit, marzipan and fondant. I had two small pieces. Then Bronwyn and I retired for the evening. Sunday was a picnic at a National Trust historic house, with carriage rides, archery, maypole etc. The weather by now had turned a bit brittle and cold. However, we were lucky and it didn’t rain while we were there. Picnic sorted at the hall we drove over to Goldhaven. I did a house tour, got my carriage ride in early and did one set of arrows. I haven’t touched a bow for many years and only had one lesson. I think I am better but the target was way too close! Hahaha.
I scrurried out of there as fast as I could and walked about the beautiful garden, ate my lunch, chatted and watched the Maypole dancers.
I will definitely do this event again.
I did not take a lot of photos as I didn’t want to walk around with my phone spoiling people’s fun but I hope I captured enough. I have this is in my calendar for next year.
Last week, Matthew and I went to see Ryan Coogler’s Sinners at the cinema. I’d heard good things through social media and the press that made me interested to see it. Caveat. I don’t do horror and this one verged on horror in parts.
At the end of this movie, I was impressed. I thought this is effing genius, this was magnificent and wow hard hitting too. Michael B Jordan was very impressive. He was great in Black Panther but here he is playing twins Smoke and Stack. Miles Caton who played Sammie had an amazing speaking voice, looked so young and his voice was so deep and his singing? Wow.
I will try not to give spoliers but it’s hard. Also I never heard of the word Hanked before. So clever though.
This is a story primarily about black lives, poor lives in the south of the USA. It doesn’t dwell on the misery but uses it to paint a picture that is bleak and also beautiful as people live and love and survive there. The KKK are mentioned like pepper in the stew, the lingering threat, the nail in the coffin at the end. There are other people of colour featured. Chinese immigrants, Chaktaw natives, and even Irish who had been downtrodden in their homeland and came to the Americas for a better life. They also came here to Australia and I am a descendent of a number of them.
There is folklore here, real or not, I cannot say, but it is woven into the fabric of the story and the music which is at its heart. Sammie’s music draws in demons and spirits and there is one scene that showed this and it wasn’t time limited. There were ghosts of the past as well as the future. At times, the visual elements could be overwhelming and a little incoherent but then there was a coherency to that. It is a movie that will need to be watched again to pick up the bits I missed.
The way music is used in this film in innovative and compelling. From the boy, Sammie who just wants to play, to those who want to listen and sing, to the bad guys and their music, their lure if you get my drift.
Genius and a must see.
What amazes me is that Ryan Coogler wrote this and directed it. The cast was so good. Every single one nailed it. What an amazing feast for the eyes, the ears and the heart.
Donna Maree Hanson, Author, Phd in Creative Writing 