So now it’s December and Christmas will be a welcome distraction for most of us. We may have experienced a sinking sensation over the past year and a half, as our savings, pensions, property and lifestyle must have been affected in some way. But if you’re reading this, somehow you’ve made it through. Spring will be on its way; just the mention of this beautiful season fills us with hope. I began writing my eighth book IN THE DEEP MIDWINTER just after last Christmas. This book is set in 1919, just after the Great War. As the title implies, my heroine is struggling through a cold, lean, tough time, desperate for her man to slip a ring on her finger. Then, as he pops the question, everything goes pear-shaped. (Just as it was doing in this country at the very same time in 2010). All my characters were embroiled in a struggle for survival in 1919, just as we are in the 21st century. I couldn’t fail to feel the zeitgeist then and now. And I do hope this book will be a glimpse into the life of gutsy, exciting, resourceful characters who challenge the corseted and often corrupt morals of the time and the heartrending poverty imposed on society. Sounds familiar? Hmm, guess it does.