Since February I’ve been writing book six. My latest Christmas title which is set in the mythical village of Lockton in the Scottish Highlands like book five (The Little Village of New Starts). Only this time instead of blue skies and swimming in lochans there’s snow, baubles, tinsel and lots of it. (Not to mention a romance or two.)
I visited the Isle of Arran last October so I could get a flavour of the stunning Scottish scenery – it was out of this world. I walked up a mountain, visited a lochan (nope, sadly I didn’t swim) and drank a fair few glasses of whisky. 
It’s useful to go to the places you write about. Somehow it helps to bring the stories to life – adding colour and textures which are hard to find purely in your mind.
This time, due to lockdown, I’ve had to rely completely on my imagination – and Google. But I’ve also lost myself gazing at the pictures from my holiday for hours and having a wee tipple as I’ve jumped back into December.
Now I’m midway through structural edits (which is a little like ripping up your favourite shirt, chucking most of it out and stitching it back together with squares of different material) and I’m wondering if I’ll ever finish. But the thing that keeps me going is these pictures and the belief that I’ll get to the other side.
When I do, I’ll be heading back into the summer months again and trying to work out where I’m going to go in my next book…
Donna x
