It’s 20 days into 2024 and it already feels like a lifetime ago that it was 2023. I think that i always start out the new year with good intentions, with ideas to make this be MY year, the one that is going to change my life forever.

Sometimes, this has happened, not always for the better when we think of people who we sadly lose, and who we really want to still be around us. But, most often, the good intentions peter out as the months drag on and we revert to old habits and the safety of our comfort zone. Sound familiar to you too? Thought so.

It’s been a while since i’ve done a blog post, this site is sooo out of date (one for the to do list i guess) and so much has changed over the last couple of years since i last wrote about my exploits. A quick summary is that of getting the second Cornwall Writers anthology – Secret and Hidden – out into the world, becoming the performance signer for Rock Choir Cornwall – that was so out of my little introverted comfort zone you wouldn’t believe it - Boardmasters was amazing…ly scary… but so much fun!

I also signed a two book publishing deal with the fabulous Spellbound Books Ltd. My debut novel, Behind The Curtain, is set to be published in August 2024. I still pinch myself regularly about that one, whilst i am tearing my hair out as i’m writing the first draft of my second novel. I’m keeping that one under wraps at the moment though, so you’ll have to keep checking back to see if i let out any spoilers for it.

SpellBound Books Ltd

𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗔𝗨𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗥 𝗔𝗟𝗘𝗥𝗧 !!

𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘄𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗪𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 , 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗔𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗮 𝗛𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗕𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱!

𝗔𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗮 𝗛𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗹. 𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗪𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗼𝗲𝘁, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗪𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗔𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀. 𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗮 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗪𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺.

𝗔𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗮 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗛𝗦 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗹. 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗽𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗶𝗿.

𝗜𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗳𝘁, 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗸𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝗴, 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁𝘆. 𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 ‘𝘀𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝗺𝗽𝘀…’

𝗔𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗮 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁.

𝗛𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸, 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 , 𝗮 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰.

𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗕𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗮!

So what does 2024 have in store for me? I haven’t set any resolutions but i have some intentions.

They start with the publication of Behind The Curtain and the writing of novel two – nope, still no spoilers!

I will continue my signing journey, i just love bringing the joy of music alive to those who need support to understand and enjoy it. Regardless of my not being a natural extrovert, it is moments like these, with Florence who was non-verbal for the first few years of her life, copying me and engaging in every song, that keeps me determined to continue on this road. I’m thinking of expanding this further, taking it into my writing and maybe performing for others. If this interests you, get in touch.

There are ideas around supporting the start up of a dementia choir locally, getting a book of my poetry out into the wide world and continuing to expand the memory sessions books and activity resources for adults with cognitive disabilities. There is also the third Cornwall Writers anthology in the final editing stages as i type and will be published later this year.

It’s definitely a new year, i’m not sure if it’s a new me – more of a sort of renewed one who is learning that the world is actually hers for the taking and if she doesn’t do it now, when will she?

And as for ‘All that Jazz’?

Well, music feeds the soul doesn’t it?

Let me know if this resonates with you. what are your intentions for 2024?

Have a happy day,

Anita x