It's been a while since I blogged here so it's nice to have the opportunity to sit down and have a chat. I've been busy with researching the next book I'm working on for Pen and Sword - Birmingham in WW2 - which has involved travelling by train to Birmingham archives and library and poring over many different artifacts and old record books, etc.
While I've been doing this I've also been trying to organise and undertake book launches and book signings for the Ludlow in the Great War book that came out a couple of months ago and the Kidderminster in the Great War book which is due to be published imminently! Part of these preparations involved going on local radio (live - eek!).
It's certainly been a fantastic experience writing three books in 18 months for Pen & Sword but it's also been a lot of hard work and co-ordination. While I am moving on from the three books I am trying to write the Birmingham book which is a bigger book than the other three by some 10,000 words or so plus Birmingham is a much bigger area to cover. Thank goodness for the Internet, social media, newspapers and the radio! If it wasn't for them research would be much more laborious and time consuming. As much as I love discovering new places and researching - I like to get it done as thoroughly and quickly as possible so I can get down to the business of writing.
If you are on the look out for a speaker or a workshop on the various aspects of putting a historical non-fiction book together or the writing process, or you would like me to visit your group to talk about WW1 and the home front, do get in touch.
But for now, back to the research.
