Since I last wrote there have been some exciting developments. The structural edit has been completed and so the book is now in its final form. The next stage is the copy edit where my self-image as a brilliant speller and grammatician (is that a word?) will no doubt be shattered. Can’t wait! I am currently putting feelers out for gigs at literary festivals and contacting people for reviews and cover quotes, as I will soon have a draft in my hand and a publication date (fingers crossed). If you look at the book page on this website you’ll see that I’ve updated the chapter summaries, so, if you’ve ordered a copy, you will have a little preview of what you are going to receive.

One of my purposes in writing the book is to encourage others to do the same – at least to explore their family history and thereby enrich their lives. As part of this theme, I have contacted a few of the descendants of people who Dad mentions in his account of the battle of Hong Kong. Charles Boxer went on to be an eminent professor after the war and I have made contact with his daughter, who was thrilled to learn a little more about her Dad’s wartime history. I have also found the grandson of Ted Hunt, who was insanely brave and died in the battle. He and his siblings were already proud of their grandfather, but were delighted to have a personal snippet from probably the last colleague to see him alive. I have also been in touch with some long lost cousins of my own. The offspring of my father’s brothers have been rather rare visitors in my life, but I hope this process will bring us closer together. It’s all immensely satisfying.

I think 2018 is going to be a very interesting year for me and I hope it will be for you too.