"Are you Daphne?"

Someone had to ask.

If you're a fifty-something female writing characters of the same age, I suppose readers are going to be curious about how much of yourself is tucked away in little corners of their personalities, and how closely their experiences are based on your own.  If I'm really not a well-disguised version of the sophisticated, sexy, compassionate and slightly vain Ms Carrington, am I in fact her old university chum, the opinionated, beer-swilling skipper of The Lady Eowyn?

Well no; no more than I am Hilary.  Or to put it another way; yes, to some degree.
  
Except I really don't like beer, unless diluted with quantities of lemonade that folks serious about their real ale would find utterly heretical and, while I occasionally enjoy a Guinness, a half tends to be enough.  I've never, ever dyed my hair any colour at all, let alone candy pink or kingfisher blue, and I'm a long, long way from being a Geordie, being Hampshire born and bred.  But I do have a narrowboat and, although it's not my only home, Mr H and I did complete the very journey undertaken by Daphne in Grand Union, if in somewhat milder peril, and others that may yet turn into excellent adventures for 'wah lass'.  

Lock 92, Rochdale Canal, Manchester

I turned some of the photos into a little slideshow with music and 'Grand Union - The Movie' (which is too big a file to share in a blog, apparently) has been quietly doing the rounds of Facebook, clocking up over 3,000 views and attracting perhaps - er - 2 downloads of the ebook.

You can understand why none of my 'strong female characters' are marketing executives...

'Uppie' at Little Venice, London

I need to find a way to promote Grand Union and, despite previously slating them in much the same terms the entirely fictional Daphne Randall slates the entirely fictional Six Towns Gazette, my best bet is almost certainly to drop a copy of the book with a suitably up-beat, eye-catching press release in to the local newspaper office.  There's at least one local journo who's championed another local writer and also been a sympathetic voice covering 'welfare reform' issues, so that's seems as good a place to start as any.

I probably do need to reassure him that I won't be dragging him off to the pub, or back to my boat afterwards, though - just in case he thinks I might be Daphne too!

You can read the first few chapters of Daphne's adventures here: completelynovel or here: amazon