Margaret Mayo Romance Author

I had just settled down to watch last night’s semi-final of Britain’s Got Talent when my DH said to me, ‘Come and look. Quick, come and look.’ He was pointing out of the French windows on to our back garden. My first thought was that he wanted me out of the chair so he could sit in it. It wouldn’t have been the first time he’s done that. But when I got up and looked there was a hedgehog wandering along our patio. I couldn’t believe my eyes.

A few years ago we bought a hedgehog from a hedgehog sanctuary but our garden is fenced in with no escape route so we had to leave the gate open leading to our side garden where he could get under the fence – and we never saw him again. So how had this hedgehog got into the garden?

It’s a mystery, unless he sneaked in some time when we had the gate open. But that’s only when we’re working in the area and surely we would have seen him. And aren’t hedgehogs nocturnal? Perhaps he was just an early riser? It was half past eight.

Eventually after many tours of the patio and the tubs of flowers he climbed on the wall that separates it from the lawn, walked along it, then explored the bed at the side of the lawn before disappearing into the shrubbery at the top.

We didn’t see him again. Why didn’t I take a photograph?

Don’t you just love the cover of my new book? This is Rhianne and Zarek’s story. Rhianne is English, Zarek is a gorgeous Greek. They met when he nearly ran her over and she blamed him even though she’d stepped out into the road without looking. I’m on her side, though. She’d just found her boyfriend in bed with her best friend. It’s enough to make anyone walk deliberately in front of a car.

This is a very special book because it’s my 75th (shame there isn’t a mention on the cover) and next month I’ll be running a competition to celebrate, so if you want a copy for free watch this space.

The back cover blurb goes like this:

From the Greek’s secretary…
When fresh-faced Rhianne Pickering agrees to work for masterful Greek Zarek Diakos she knows it’s a mistake – no man has ever made her heart quicken and her body quiver like this! But with her life in tatters she needs a job.

To his convenient wife!
Zarek thinks Rhianne makes the perfect secretary. But on a business trip to the beautiful island of Santorini he decides her skills are undervalued. He’s in need of a bride: under the warm Mediterranean sun he’ll show Rhianne it’s a position she can’t refuse!

Next time I’ll give you the excerpt that’s in front of the book.

We’ve had wonderful weather over this Bank Holiday weekend so the writing has taken a back seat – once again! And now, because I know how I want this story to end, and because I’ve hit yet another stone wall, I’m going to take the unusual step (for me) of writing the end next.

I’ve heard of other writers doing this but I’ve never actually done it myself. It should take about two chapters because there’s a lot to sort out, and as I reckon three chapters should finish the book I hopefully won’t have much to fill in. With a bit of luck I might not even need to fill the gap, it might sort itself out beautifully.

So fingers crossed everyone!!

Why is it that two thirds of the way through any book I write I could easily end it? I’ve spent two days writing very little, thinking a lot, getting myself twisted into knots. I’ve made copious notes, a lot of them repetitive, and I’m still not sure which path I’m going to take. I now have another 17,000 words to write and my H&H are getting too close together for comfort.

Usually my subconscious works. Not on this occasion. I feel as though I’m hitting my head against a brick wall. And it hurts!

I do have a ‘black moment’ on the horizon so maybe I should bring it forward!

When I consider how many books I have written – and that book number 75 is being published in July – you would think that I wouldn’t have such problems. So any would-be writers who are reading this, take heart. It’s not plain sailing even for experienced authors like me.