The daily readings of Thirteenth Wish are nearly all deleted from my YouTube channel now. You've only got two days to watch what remains.

Log onto my channel to watch: Camilla's YouTube Channel.

I had a lovely message from a mum to say she thought it was a privilege to be able to watch the videos and read along in their signed copy and that it marked a very distinct time in our local history. I loved reading that and has prompted me to say please do get in touch if you need the videos for a school resource or project. 

Thanks for watching and I hope you've enjoyed them! 

IMHO it is impossible to be a writer if you aren't a reader. Reading is probably the most important part of the process. 

I'm taking a couple of weeks break from writing my teenage love story, For The Love of Lambs, as it's being read and commented on by some of my fabulous SCBWI writing friends. This space gives me the chance to read, as I find it impossible to read whilst I'm editing. 

As you know, I don't review books on my website (you can follow me on Goodreads where I do review the books I've enjoyed), but I often get asked for book recommendations. 

The best website is: My Book Corner They give completely honest and unbiased reviews, only featuring the books they love. It has everything from babies to young adult books and is really easy to use. 

If you're looking to buy books for yourself or others, I strongly advise that this is the place you start (not Amazon!)

It's libraries week - yay!

I've made a video especially which will be played today at Baldock Library in Hertfordshire. If you're local pop in and take a look, or you can go to their Facebook Page and take a look (scroll down on the right and you should see all the Libraries Week videos - mine goes up today): 

Baldock Library on Facebook

Felt very strange deleting my recording of chapter one of my third novel, Thirteenth Wish  from my YouTube channel. It has gone for good - please hurry if you want to watch any of the other chapters. One a day will be deleted until they're all gone. 

I've been laid up with this awful virus. 

Just beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel, but oh my word it has hit me hard. I've been so very ill.

Please #MaskUp everyone - you seriously don't want this thing, it's vile.

Sadly the dog picture book project is on hold for the moment. My agent, Laura, says it's not the right time for publishers to take on a big series idea. It may be something I pursue as a family, self-published project, but not sure at the moment. The three books I drafted and the idea is not going anywhere. Things don't always happen in a logical order, so I'm not concerned. 

As for the teen love story, I'm about half-way through my first major round of editing. It's not a complete redraft, as the first write wasn't nearly as bad as I feared. I have, however, decided to set it in 1991. This was mainly to avoid COVID-19, but also to make it a nostalgic (maybe self-indulgent) journey for me. Like my two protagonists, I was seventeen in 1991. I'm hoping it will make the book feel more authentic and will allow me to sprinkle in details to date the story in a particular time in history. I'm not linking it to an historical event, but I'm enjoying researching what films, music and fashion etc was popular during that time. No internet!

​Anyway, this is just a quick check in just to say I'm still working away, even if I can't get out and about as I would be doing.

​More soon!

As I continue with my 'dirty draft' (this is another term for first draft. It allows us writers to give ourselves permission to just write, without worrying too much about the quality of what we are producing. The dirty draft is so that we have a bulk of words to edit and work with rather than just blank screens) I am beginning to realise...

This is NOT a romance I am writing, it's a love story. 

The difference was pointed out to me by one of my SCBWI writing friends, Kitty Kettle. With a romance we only ever hear from our protagonist. This allows the reader to fall in love at the same time the protagonist does. Think Judy Bloom. With a love story the reader is invested in the romance of the relationship itself. Think Eleanor & Park, or Indigo Donut.

Make sense? Well it does to me. 

Anyway, ploughing on with For The Love Of Lambs. I'm about three quarters the way through - the finish line (for the dirty draft) is in sight. 

These books don't just magically appear you know - blood, sweat and tears - that's what it takes. Onwards!

I'm quiet because I'm busy writing. I'm about a third the way into my first draft Shhhhhh please everyone!