Lexie Conyngham's Blog: writing, history and gardening.

Thursday 27 March 2014

Done it!

Just finished the first draft of The Tender Herb: A Murder in Mughal India (changed the spelling). Yippee! Now for rereading, adding in bits I thought of after I'd written certain parts (I think I write in loops rather than in a straight line), trying to put on paper the cover I have in my head, finishing that short story about dogs and apple trees ...

Then what? I have an outline for the next Murray in my head, and a good reason for working on with it. Or I have three partly finished standalones, any one of which could  potentially be finished and out there. They are (subject to some changes!):

A. Dr. Christy Kilgour leaves the London Blitz for the sanctuary of an Aberdeenshire village. But when a German bomber crashes nearby, an extra body is found with the wreckage. In a village where everyone has a story to tell her, Christy must find her way through the maze to solve the mystery, before she can tell a story of her own. (about half finished)

B. X is a bad-tempered merchant with a shady past, feeling under the weather.
Charis is an archaeologist, leading a student dig, when she finds something unexpected.
Steve is a microbiologist, investigating a new and terrible disease with a stigma.
Together, their knowledge could save thousands of lives - but someone does not want them to ... (about two thirds finished)

C. When Toby's mother, Tibet activist June, dies, he is determined to honour her memory. He finds her diaries and decides to have them translated into English. But his mother had a secret, and she was not the only one: Toby's decision will lead to obsession and murder. (about three quarters finished).

Any ideas?