"While relaxing on a sun lounger, nestled between a mojito and a laptop, I gazed into the turquoise sea of the Maldives enjoying this piece of heaven on earth. It was indeed the perfect place to unwind and let my imagination run wild. Perhaps it was the panoramic views, the colourful marine life, or the towering palm trees (most likely the mojito!) which triggered the first bursts of creativity. I opened my laptop, and started clicking away; the first chapter of my new book - Sliema Wives: The New Breed. The idea had been simmering for some weeks, the characters slowly taking life inside my head, the plot coming together like intricate lace-work. And then, just like magic, the first rush of adrenalin, and as my finger-tips tapped away, I knew this was going to be a very entertaining ride, both for me and for my readers
Two days before I was scheduled to fly back, the first case of Covid-19 was registered in Malta. So, basically, I flew back to an island coming to terms with a pandemic, and I felt relieved I managed to land on Maltese soil before airports were shut down.
The inviting white beaches, the dreamy turquoise ocean, and the refreshing mojitos quickly forgotten, I had to dive head-long into a new reality. Not necessarily one I liked, but one I had to adapt to. Luckily, I had my New Breed of Sliema Wives to keep me company throughout the long, long days of the partial lockdown. I was determined to make them as beautiful, ambitious, capricious, and (my-oh-my) vicious as ever. Apart from the thrilling plot, and the murder mystery, I wanted to inject this book with some razor-sharp humour because I felt that post Covid (post did I say?) people would love to have an entertaining read.
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My days were made of croissants, cranberry juice, and light snacks as I perched on a sofa writing about palatial villas, fancy cars, designer labels, and the people who owned them; throw in a ruthless politician tipped to become Malta's new Prime Minister with a dark secret and an ambitious wife... A former beauty queen who discovers her inheritance is not what she had been hoping for... and a socialite who is having a clandestine affair with her brother-in-law .... And yes, the days become much brighter, and much more exciting.
I admit I was a pain (...), because I had a lot of "please-do-not-talk-to-me-now" moments, while I was writing this book (it drove my partner up the wall). But, I had a goal. I wanted to finish off this book while I had the time to do it.
And once it was completed (phew!), sent to my publisher, then re-directed to a copy editor, a new challenge loomed: I needed to have a stunning book cover, an impressive book-trailer, and some great models with the right look (and attitude!). Having an artistic gene, with a mind always buzzing with ideas, I always want to have some kind of control on the visual presentations for my projects, be it books, or songs. That is A LOT of work - especially coordinating everything during Covid times, but I knew what I wanted and I got exactly that. A fantastic team was put together and I can never stop thanking them for their support with this project. Despite the challenges we pulled it through, and when it was all done and dusted, I flopped on the bed (thank goodness for good bed-springs) and breathed the biggest sigh of relief, ever.
It's always exciting to present your new creation to the public because you have no idea which way it will go. I've experienced this with song writing; you create a song, design the frills around it, and present it to the public. Then you take a back seat and watch, listen to reactions. Sometimes they are what you hope for, other times they are not. It's part of the package, and you have to be ready to accept the outcome. On a few occasions I had to go back to the drawing board and analyse why something did not work as I had hoped for. Luckily, most times my ideas worked to an umlaut! But just like anybody, there were times I failed, pulled myself back up, and came back strong. It is part of life. You just need to find the drive, desire, dedication and determination. Find your dream, catch it, make it yours, and never let it go.
Which reminds me - I've always been a day dreamer. I've always been very passionate. As a kid I wanted to be a fashion designer and at twenty-four my hobby earned me a front-cover on an international magazine. I then wanted to write songs and do Eurovision - which I've done - and then I wanted to transport my creativity into writing books that would be a little bit different, and a little bit out of the box.
Meanwhile, Covid is still around, and I am still trying to adapt to unfolding situations, but I cling tight to my creativity and wonder what will come next....
And now, since I've (temporarily) given up on mojitos and hammocks, I'll grab a cranberry juice and take this opportunity to wish you all an interesting year ahead. Cheers!