End of Summer

I'm usually quite excited about the start of autumn, my favourite season, as it's a great time to get organised and look forward to a more productive writing time. This year, I seem to be taking longer to get into gear and have been gallivanting again instead of getting fully into the current project. However, the weather is bound to get steadily worse up here so it's probably best to get out and about whenever it's dry.

Last week was Doors Open weekend in Inverclyde and husband and I took the chance to visit the old Fire Station. Now a heritage centre, it has everything we need to know about the history of the fire service in the west of Scotland. A brilliant morning! While I was most interested in anything from the Victorian times, husband thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it. The man who generously shared information with us couldn't have been more knowledgeable and we both aim to have another visit at some time. The photos, fire engines and displays are excellent resource material.

This weekend, we took advantage of a lovely dry, breezy day to visit Largs, one of our favourite spots on the coast. We park at one end so we can walk right along the prom beside the sea and usually end up in Nardini's for morning coffee. This is the famous Art Deco building which has some of the best ice cream around, although I give that a miss these days! Largs is also where the little ferry sails the short distance across to the isle of Cumbrae - more usually called Millport, the name of its small town. That's the island that inspired my tween book, Summer of the Eagles.

As the nights draw in, I'm loving all the new programmes and drama on TV, especially the BBC literary adaptations. I've enjoyed each of them so far and look forward to Cider with Rosie next weekend. Now I just have to find some enthusiasm for my own writing projects!

* I'm delighted that my daughter, Victoria, is having the launch of her first YA novel, Follow Me, on Friday 9th October at Waterstones in Glasgow! Can't wait to celebrate this moment with her and I'll be interviewing Victoria here in October.

Rosemary