Life is a little bit chaotic at present. We are at the end of the school summer term, preparing for big changes when my youngest daughter joins the school system. I just released a brand-new novel, and am the process of networking, doing the sales thing, and writing the other books in the series. Our house is still for sale, and despite a few people coming to view it, so far nobody wants to buy. So, we are stuck in a place that is getting smaller as my children grow bigger.

Amidst the chaos of domestic life, where I simultaneously try to nurture a family, support my husband through career challenges, build my own career, and find time for myself, I have reiki. While I don’t find time to sit and meditate at length every day, I at least try to find five or ten minutes here and there to focus my breathing, calm my thoughts, and bring in the healing energy. Sometimes I indulge in a good cry. Sometimes I laugh uncontrollably. The emotion must be released, and acknowledged. I always feel better afterwards.

Yesterday I received a reiki empowerment from my reiki master. I sat in a sacred space, surrounded by fellow students of the craft, and we all experienced the energy differently, and privately. Some needed to cry. Some smiled and welcomed the gentle healing effects. For me it was all about the spirit world. Yes, my ghosts came back to haunt me. Well, they never really went away. Only this time I spoke to a recent ghost, one that I knew years ago. He was content, at peace, and when he left, I felt a sudden sense of realisation.

It all took me back to a beach in Looe, Cornwall, about twelve years ago. I can’t remember the exact date. I was young and in love. I took some photos of my fiancé and our friends as they dug holes on the beach and played in the sand (we were all in our early twenties, apart from my father-in-law). My attention was drawn to the scenery, in particular a hill at the far end of the beach, covered with forest that sloped down to the sea. Back then I was never going to be an author. Those aspirations were far beyond me. But something stuck in my mind. That was the moment when Redcliffe was born. And here is the photo that inspired a British paranormal romance series. Pretty cool, huh?

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