Elizabeth Heery Elizabeth Heery

Happy New Year!

Happy belated New Year! So I have decided that I will try and write a blog, counting down to my new book, Betsy’s War, coming out in July. Sometimes it’s helpful to me when I read the experiences of other writers, especially those who write the same genre. I hope to share what the journey is like from where I have handed in my first draft to my editor - I’m currently waiting for notes from my copy editor - to publication day. I always wrote a diary from when I was about twelve to about thirty. Some of it was pretty mundane but I like to find the extraordinary in the ordinary and I’ve often looked back to those diaries in my research - how did it feel, what did it look like, how did it sound. The years after I put the diary away, it seemed like digital took over and so memories were often photographed, everything was so much more immediate. Also my husband Peter always managed to catalogue the family with his video camera. But my New Year’s 2025 resolution is to try and go back and communicate old style, by writing it down here on the blog. I don’t know if anyone will come along with me on this journey, I hope so but I never wrote my diary other than to commit to the page my routines and inner thoughts, so I will write this blog in the same spirit. As a small peek preview, in order to really understand my characters in this new book set in the RAF in WW2, I have taken the decision to do something dramatic and exciting and a little bit scary. More of that in due course….

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BETSY'S WAR

BETSY'S WAR

January 10th 2025

Today I visited the National Portrait Gallery. I wanted to look at this beautiful painting of a young flying ace pilot, Albert Ball, who died at 20. By chance, I met Rob Glen also looking at the painting, aged 91, whose brother-in-law had been in bomber command. We had a lovely chat about that and other war stories, and I took these photos. Aural history and history of art colliding on a January afternoon in London.

January 20th 2025

Went to my local WH Smith and absolutely delighted to see I’m still in the bestselling list seven months after my book came out. Also, they have a dedicated section to romance and saga. That’s the great news. A little sad, to hear they’re closing 20 stores today as they have been so supportive of me. Let’s hope that’s not the beginning of more closures. The high street is really struggling at the moment.

January 27th 2025

How to go from elation to devastation in a week! Just heard that WH Smith High Streets are to close! They have been where I sell most of my books. So a worrying time. I’ll be watching the news closely and seeing how it impacts on my next book.

Here’s a picture of Betsy’s War. Let’s hope she finds a space with her sisters this summer…

My girls…