The Matfen Affair

Some people claim to write without planning their books so when I recently began a new book, tentatively called the Matfen Affair, I had only a loose plan for it but didn't think it would be too difficult to work out as I went along. 

Hah! I have been obliged to change the ages of characters and their parentage several times already and I'm only 40,000 words into the story. The smallest thing can become a problem. An example would be that because I couldn't recall if cousins could marry in 1803, which is when the book is set. I had, in the first line of the book, my heroine address the hero as Cousin Robert. Then I decided I didn't want cousins to marry even if it was legal and the church allowed it.

To be on the safe side I decided the relationship would be within the same family but so far back that they are not first cousins, or even second cousins. That led on to a change of surname and working out a sensible family tree. It also made a great-aunt out of a grandmother. 

I am now regretting not planning more carefully before I started! My only excuse is that I was so keen to start writing the actual story.....

I want to have this published on Kindle before Christmas. Will I make it? I think so. The cover is already done. I went out one sunny afternoon and took a picture of the building I wanted as my "Matfen" but I may fiddle about with the heroine's hairstyle before I upload the cover pic here.  On the whole the story is coming along very well. Even if my ghost has suddenly turned vengeful rather than pathetic.