Hello again to those muse with Mawsiemaw

                                      
                                 I must apologise for a long absence but I've been much busier than I expected to be. I was working on the revision of my book A Place in the Choir. This occupied almost eighteen months -- not full time but it was there in my head when I wasn't actually working on it. This sort of project is rather like renovating an old house. One knocks a particular wall only to discover that the roof had partially collapsed. I sat for days studying fragments of my book wondering if I'd ever put it together again. I eventually did this and my work is now available on Amazon Kindle.

I know that many have read the original paperback edition of A Place in the Choir with the beautiful cover painted by the artist Balsam Wood. For the moment this is unavailable although it can still be viewed on the Amazon web site.(with reviews) There is a rather sad history attached to this edition of my book. The publisher was unable to continue providing copies for sale and the book went out of print. Perhaps in the future a discerning publisher will read the Kindle version and become duly smitten by my brilliance and want to publish a new edition!

The Kindle edition of my book features a completely revised chapter 10. This is a pivotal chapter in the story of Ellie Dardis and I always felt it was a little weak and didn't move the story forward. The story of Ellie has puzzled some readers who just wish she would stop dithering and take control of her life.

Ellie represents many young girls who grew up in Ireland in the 1950s and 1960s. She loved the family farm and her memories of the place become a source of inspiration and comfort. Her choice as a young woman to enter a convent raises many questions -- why did she do this and why does she continue to live such a restricted and contradictory life?

In later musings I'll tell you more about Ellie's dilemma and show how in certain instances her sense of humour saves her. I may even mention the sequel to A Place in the Choir and my very interesting new book which is set in Crete and which I plan to have on the shelves in about a year.