My writing is in an interesting position at the moment.  I have one ‘Saltbury Chronicles’ book (‘Gold’) totally finished and ready to publish, but it can’t go out yet.  It was an idea I wrote out of sequence well over a year ago now, so there are two more books to publish beforehand.  These are ‘Debbie’s Gift’, a Hazel story, which is now complete in first draft and will hopefully be out in time for Christmas.  Then comes ‘Fracture’, with Tina Burns as narrator.  I have about half the first draft written for that one and the book should be published in March 2023, leaving ‘Gold’ to come out next July.

After ‘Gold’, I have two more books complete in first draft.  The loving saga of Hazel and Annie continues in ‘Wyeburn Station’, and we then have a new departure in ‘Sofia’, narrated by a now grown up Sofie Fauld (still a.k.a. Monster!).

But then what?  Or do I quietly shut the lid on Saltbury and think up some other series?  The trouble is, I’m still in love with my Saltbury Characters, so I’m reluctant to say goodbye.

I have various ideas, and would be interested to hear what my readers think.  I started one book a couple of years ago and even have a cover, but then shelved it, at least temporarily, with perhaps 40% of it written.  It’s called ‘Debbie Speaks’, and rather than being a conventional novel, it takes the form of a series of interviews.  Real-life Rock star interview books are a well established format after all, and in the Saltbury universe Deb is an absolute mega star.  So we would learn a lot more about her deeply dysfunctional childhood, her sexist, bullying father, then her career, her loves, her struggle for children, not to mention her musical philosophy.

Another possibility is a novel, or even a sub series of Saltbury detective novels.  ‘Gold’ already has an element of that, as Tina and Carol are dragged into a doping scandal in athletics.  Even so, they remain on the fringes of the investigation.  But we know that Tina will soon qualify as a lawyer, whilst her girlfriend Carol’s career at the very apex of sport is now drawing to a close.  What do you think then, to a book, or books, where the couple form a detective team with Tina the legal brain and Carol the ever fearless muscle?

More ideas will no doubt occur to me but I’d be interested to know what you think.