Birthing a book - and scones, because they do make things better

Been a while, huh? Hell, it's been forever, might as well say it! Truth is, I did neglect this blog like the terrible blogger I am - there was a time I pretty much blogged everyday, but I feel like blogs are pretty much dying and right now, I have so much more on my hands. Last time I published here was in May, and to be honest, I did think about posting pretty much every week during June and July, but life gets messy, and you have to choose your priorities, in order to not drive yourself wild and scatter yourself all over the place. Mine, lately, have been far more centered in my career as an author than my hobby as a food blogger. And the last three months were really rough, if I'm to be honest.

I April was a month where I happened to thrive - writing a novel in 16 days! - May, June and July haven't been all that productive. After last post, I went back to my fantasy duology about Kings and Princes who want to change the world, but struggled to get back to it. In the meantime, an online conversation with a fellow bookgrammer spiked my imagination and planted a seed of a story in my head. It wasn't long before I was making a Pinterest board and a YouTube playlist, noting down character sheets and plotting the whole thing in my mind, while taking random notes. By mid June, this too, was written. A kind of spirit possession/ haunted house tale that I fell in love with, because it led me to revisit places and moments from my youth, little details that marked me in my twenties and that I never did forget. The settings are all very familiar ones - and it's the first novel I've written that's set in Portugal - for I visit them every Summer, even though certain places don't exist anymore.

As soon as I was done with that story, my author's copy of A Darkening Fate arrived, and I dived into the final round of edits and rewrites. My plan had been to publish it early in June, it was the end of the month when I was finally done with the revisions. It wasn't even going to be an early July launch, and to be honest, the sales results I'd gotten from the previous months were really getting me down. At one point, I asked myself if I was sure this was really what I should be doing with my life, if it was even worth it. But, seeing I can't think of anything other that makes me as happy as writing does, I persevered, and on the 15th of July, A Darkening Fate hit the online stores! I have to say, it's not quite the end of the month and the results have been AMAZING, far beyond anything I expected. So I do have to shout from the rooftops a loud thank you to all the readers who took a dive into this crazy story and bought a copy, you have no idea how much this is appreciated. It also helped to dispell a little of my doubtful frame of mind as to whether I should or shouldn't be doing this.

As for the writing... well, it did take a bit of a nose dive. Let me explain, I had a very hard time getting back to my fantasy duology, I did sit down to write, I did add progress to it, managed to write a few scenes, but my head wasn't quite in it. Because another idea was already brewing, and once again, the story was so vivid, the characters too, I simply had to get down to business, which means writing that story down, too. Thankfully, I have managed to come to a shcedule of sorts - which is another thing that's gone out the window with this pandemic and that's been doing my head in, not having the house to myself for most of the day, and having to spread myself thin even more than I did before. Sometimes I feel that my work is always taking second place where it comes to this household, it is always far less important than everything and everyone else. And that does drive me out of my mind. But a compromise has been reached and now I'm able to divide my attention and my time between both novels - with another one already blooming at the back of my mind, of which, dare I say it? I have already made a Pinterest board and taken extensive notes for! I can't wait to get to that one, honestly, am really excited with what I've imagined so far.

But before I do, I've made a vow to finish first draft on my two current WIPs, and with July at an end and August looming near, I'll probably be off on our yearly beachside holidays, where I tend to put in a lot of words - go figure! So before I go and leave this blog abandoned and neglected once more, here are some lovely scones, to celebrate my most recent book launch and its amazing results! 

• 340 gr flour
• 60 gr sugar
• 50 gr melted butter
• 1 egg
• 1 dl milk
• 2 tspoons baking powder
• 1 tspoon salt

Start by sieving the flour and the baking powder into a bowl, add the rest of the ingredients and combine, gently kneading it all together - do make sure you do not knead it like bread, just amass the whole together until it binds. Pour it on a workbench that has been lightly floured and make a roll out of the dough, as if it was a big sausage. Cut the roll into even pieces and set those on a baking tray covered with baking sheet. You can do an eggwash on top of the scones, and then just bake them on a pre heated oven until they're blonde, I skipped that bit though they do look better for having it. Anyway, I hope you have a great Summer, hope that August treats you right, and if you haven't yet, go check my new book, who knows, maybe you'll find your Summer read!