“Poetry is the fire burning in a person’s soul. This fire burns, warms and brings light …there are some people who feel the heat, others who feel the warmth, others who just see the light, and others who do not even see the light … But the true poet cannot help burning painfully, and burning others. That’s what it is all about.” Diary entry, 28 October 1870

I was reading The Wind in the Willows for the first time…I know, what took me so long? And found this wonderful passage after Toad’s escape from the dungeon. It struck me as a perfect way to approach the beginning of a new dawn…

“He shook himself and combed the dry leaves out of his hair with his fingers; and, his toilet complete, marched forth into the comfortable morning sun, cold but confident, hungry but hopeful, all nervous terrors of yesterday dispelled by rest and sleep and frank and heartening sunshine.”

From The wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

As per usual I’m trying to break the multiple book-reading record. Also the not-writing record (that one is easy). Just finished the 4th installment in Karl Ove Knausgaard’s memoir My Struggle (addictive) as well as Leaving a Doll’s House by Claire Bloom (tremendously well-written and gossipy); Turnstiles by my talented friend Andrea Raine; a biography of Tolstoy, War and Peace (this is a long-term commitment and absolutely mind-boggling, wonderful, and very humbling); The Wind in the Willows (calming effect on neurotic writers), a biography of Emily Dickinson- well, this is why I haven’t moved forward with my book! So a little more focus and a little less manic reading might help…but still, this is a good/bad addiction and one of life’s enduring pleasures…

Today I’ve been writing while listening to the wonderful music of the composer Adrian von Ziegler. His music has the perfect atmosphere for the early scenes in Book Two of the Dark Spirit Trilogy. My favourite so far is Night Mist in the Celtic Collection. Check out his incredible music at: https://youtu.be/80du9gScaqw

I’m 11,000 words into Book Two. It’s turning out to be much easier to write this one now that the characters are fully developed and the stage is set. It’s just a matter of following them as they move forward to fulfil their destinies.

A few weeks ago I started writing the second of the three books planned for the Dark Spirit trilogy! I was worried about how hard it would be to get started after several month’s hiatus but it was much easier this time around, as all the characters and situations are already in place…just went on from the last scene in Book One and the characters picked up where they left off…have been a bit sidetracked by a sudden obsession with poetry though. Have posted some poems on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. I may gather them all up and post them in a Poetry section here. My Instagram handle is my name all lower case and without a space, my twitter name is Valentina Cambiazo@condor0823 and you can find me on Facebook under my name. Once I get the technical issues sorted, I’ll have the buttons leading to all these sites on this website. But given that I spend most of my time in the 14th century, all of this is a challenge! Oh for a quill, ink and a piece of parchment by a smoky fireplace …well, maybe not.

Amidst a notable lack of fanfare, I’m launching a website for “Dark Spirit”, my historical novel set in 14th century Provence. Finished at last, after 7 long years of hard work, including one year of editing. Don Marquis said: “Publishing a volume of verse is like dropping a rose petal down the Grand Canyon and waiting for the echo.” A first time novelist may have the same problem, but it is early days yet. Will try to keep you up to date on news, although will probably refrain from a gloomy tally of any rejection letters as this would be downright morbid. It’s now doing the rounds of a few selected agencies in New York and London ….stay tuned.