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I read an article recently about social media, and never knowing when our content could be whipped away from us, if our favourite sharing sites could massively change, alter or just delete everything... (Current changes at the 🐦 app proving this point...) That ultimately we are sharing on a platform that isn't our own and maybe we want to take a bit more ownership and bring back blogging.
My favourite social media is Instagram. I always loved the longform writing with a static photo accompanying it. That Instagram seems to be a thing mostly of the past now, but it's still how I mostly connect with my fellow creatives and listeners.
But I think I'm going to try sharing here with a little link on Instagram to bring people here to read more. I don't know if my people like to click outside of the app, but I do like the idea of all my musings and sharing and work being shared somewhere that I have cultivated, that is my little corner of the internet. And that only disappears if I don't pay to keep my site active 😉
So here I am.
The last time I shared on IG I was desperately unwell with COVID. The exhaustion, malaise and existential dread were debilitating. I did not expect to feel so unbearably low, and to have zero control over my energy levels. It was so debilitating, scary and rough.
I am feeling a lot better than I was. I am not 100% but neither am I needing to sleep most of the day. My wonderful friend Curtis recommended some Chinese medicine that is commonly taken by people in Hong Kong where he lives for COVID symptoms. I ordered some online and it arrived 3 weeks into my COVID journey. I made this special tea and drank it, became extremely gassy (which Curtis said was great, a sign of my body expelling the bad energy) and somehow found enough energy to finish recording a book for Tantor through Deyan that I had been unable to record for 3 weeks. Hoorah!
Then I boarded a plane to Italy and a taxi to France and spent a week in the French Alps for my mum's belated 60th birthday. I didn't expect to be able to do anything beyond sleep and eat, but I did actually manage to ski 2 out of the 6 days.
The snow was beautiful. My favourite day by far was a gift from Steve - 2 hours in a natural spa, alpine water, Roman baths, Hammam, a musical pool - we lay down in a cave, put our ears under water and listened to beautiful music underwater while looking at colourful light reflecting off the ceiling, hot marble stones to lie on. And an outdoor natural spring hot pool with views of the surrounding Alps. We followed this with a beautiful walk through the local village, vegan crêpes and hot chocolate and Rummy. It had been a month since either of us felt human and longer since we had had any quality time alone together. I felt so calm and loved and relaxed and grateful. ❤️
While away I was offered a super exciting amateur sleuth historical mystery with PRH via Deyan; My first full-length PRH title! It is such a brilliant book, I have already devoured it and I am so excited to have the opportunity to narrate it, I literally can't wait 😁
The nausea and dizziness symptoms have gone! I was able to prep 2 books on holiday, which were both a joy. I normally keep work and family time seperate. This is really important to me for my overall well-being. But as I had been unable to read anything for 3 weeks, and didn't have the energy or inclination to ski for 6 days it was a pleasure to read for work. I am so grateful for the awesome books entrusted to me from Dreamscape and Deyan 📖 Thank you to Michael Jones and Khai Dhattoli for finding books for my voice that make me feel so much ❤️
I am finishing off writing this flying out of Turin in Italy. We just spent 90minutes sat on the tarmac while the front tyres were replaced on our plane so we could safely fly home. Thankfully I had enough charge on my iPad to finish off prepping my new PRH book and then write this post. We are now in the air above the clouds. I can see the Alps poking through the white and it is beautiful ❤️
I am so excited to be home and to hug my Pippin. I have missed him so so much. I am so happy to feel well enough to feel excitement again! And I get to be back in the booth on Monday with a heartbreakingly beautiful dual narration of a historical fiction The Bride's Sister by Kate Hewitt. It is absolutely gripping, poignant and beautiful and I am so honoured I get to narrate Sarah's chapters 😊
See you soon my loves, if you enjoyed reading my little update please let me know ❤️ Until next time!