August / September Newsletter

This month, my life has been taken over by books! Crates of boxes have arrived and are now piled high in the summer house.  My new task is to dutifully send out packages with copies to reviewers and independent bookshops, then wait with fingers crossed. I feel a little sad that I haven't had a chance to paint, and a little nervous about how my stories will be received, but I'm trying to keep my hopes up and working on the outline for book four.

Here are some of the boxes on my kitchen table.

My stomach has been in knots wondering how Quentin and Robin are faring on their travels to the Newstead Abbey Potting shed, and finally, yesterday, I received a letter from them. Robin took a very small camera with him and a roll of old film and has kindly recorded some moments of the trip so far, and although I was delighted to hear from them, I'm afraid my anxiety is little better after reading the letter. I trust they will look after each other and everything will be fine, but it's more than a little nail biting...

Greetings from Rabbits Lodge. By the time you read this, we will be well on our way to The Old Badger Set. The charming Miss Edie Rabbit has kindly offered to post a letter for us, so I'm being good as gold and writing to you this afternoon, when I could have been taking a dust bath...See what a dedicated friend you have!

It's been quite the adventure so far, and not all of it in a good way. We set out in fine weather and were enjoying our ramble through the English countryside with not a care in the world, stopping now and then for an impromptu picnic and the occasional nap with not a care in the world. The skies were blue, the damsons succulent, and our hearts were light until, that is, we arrived at Rabbits lodge.

When Miss Edie opened the door to greet us, you should have seen her face! She urgently beckoned us in and closed the door, then peeked nervously through her neat net curtains before ushering us into the kitchen. Being new to the area, we had no idea we were in such danger, that there were unpleasant monsters who stalked the fields and thought that killing pheasants for fun was some kind of sport! I was horrified and almost fainted away; thankfully, Robin was preoccupied with a spider and did not fully grasp the gravity of the situation. I have spared him the details.

Later in the evening, when Robin was safely sleeping, Miss Edie rummaged through a kitchen drawer and handed me the picture that I have included with this letter, it was taken by her great uncle when he snuck into the Great House to look for his lost brother. Once you have seen it, please dispose of it as you will; I hope never to see it again.

I didn't sleep well that night, but in the morning, Dear Miss Edie had made me a cape from sackcloth covered in leaves and dried grasses and had fashioned a wonderful addition to my hat so we will be well camouflaged.

Thankfully, we only have to get to the Old Badger Set, which is just a day's walk, and then we will be safe.  By the time you settle down to read this, the danger will be long past and we will be enjoying the company of good friends once again.

We’ll set out at dawn and keep tucked between the bushes, and if we hear commotion, we’ll lie down low and stay quiet until it is safe to continue.

Please don't fret, I’m sure we will be fine, and what's an adventure without a little danger?

I'll hand you over to Robin, he's dying to say hello.

Until next time, Beak up and don't spare the treats

Quentin.

This outing to Newstead Abby has turned out to be a bit frightening so far, and I think once we get there, we will come back home by cart or train after the party because the countryside here is no place for birds.

When we got to the Rabbit Lodge, Miss Edie was shocked because when she saw us, she said, "Oh dear, do come in, I had no idea you were game birds," which sounded nice because I like games, but Quentin told me that it means that you are in danger of being stuffed and put under glass in someones study... I like studies, but I wouldn't if I was under glass because then I couldn’t read the books.

The Rabbits made us very comfortable and gave us peppermint tea, and there was a big spider in the kitchen, but he only had seven legs, and I wondered where his other one had gone, I was going to make one for him from a little piece of wire, but when I looked back up, he had gone.

On the way there, we walked over an old wooden bridge, but thankfully, there wasn't a troll under it, I wouldn't want to be rude to trolls but they do frighten me when I see them in books in the library and I think they shout at people.

Miss Edie had made a nice costume for Quentin, and there was room under it for me to tuck in too. I think it might be for Halloween, it seems a bit early, but Quentin says we are going to wear it today and play a game of hide and seek if we hear any strange noises, which sounds like fun. I took a picture of Quentin in his hat with the seeds on the top; he didn't have his cloak on in the picture, though, because he hadn't put it on yet.

He looks a bit scared because I think he is, but he needn't worry because last Christmas I got a fortune in my cracker that said "A merry heart doth make a long life" and my heart is very merry and I'm still young so we have lots of years left.

I hope everything is happy in your life and that you are having adventures too.

Quentin says it's time to go. I hope we find more damsons today.

Robin