The Neverending Story[ies]

Oh yes, just in case you thought I had enough on my plate with the two kids, the Captain and returning to part time teaching I am indeed still writing my novels. That's right - there's two of them.

I tend to alternate between the two seeing as I can't decide which one I like more - or which one I like less, whichever way you want to look at it.

Currently this is how they stand -

Pepper Ridge Lane is still coming along swimmingly. I have employed the use of some texts, including:
World Mythology by Roy Willis, Thematic Guide to World Myth by Lorena Stookey, The Collected Sicilian Folk and Fairy Tales of Guiseppe Pitri by Jack Zipes and Families, Lovers and Their Letters: Italian postwar migration to Canada by Sonia Cancian. These last two I was lucky enough to access on
 Google Books.


The stories and the history behind stories (such as myths and legends) are fascinating to me. As are those of the migrants who took their stories with them and passed them on. Thank goodness they did!


So, Pepper Ridge is finding its own voice, which is actually quite descriptive and is starting to weave itself together, which is a bit trickier than I thought as the story is told from two perspectives - young Marisol returning to the family farm after travelling overseas and the life story of Tommaso (Sol's grandfather) who as we learn in the beginning is very ill. It's nice, every time I read I think, geez this is sounding nice I should write some more!


Then I get sidetracked by Orpheus. Can I just say AAAAAAARRRRRGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! Orpheus has more face lifts than Joan Rivers. Most of the time it just drives me crazy until another brilliant flash of inspiration strikes through and I end up starting the whole damn thing all over again!! I tell you, driving me crazy!!!

I have, nonetheless, been working on it again this week and I think I like the new take. It's not about time travel anymore but rather reincarnate souls. I know, another cliche but I think I prefer this one :) And it's keeping me occupied in case I find myself without something to do. Ha!!

Most of my research for Orpheus has already been done and at the moment the historical part of the novel is still set in Renaissance Italy.

With Christmas fast approaching I realise that I'm running out of time to get everything completed, including at least one damn book!

What about you? Got anything on your to-do list by the end of 2011?