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Many a Moon was my last book. It was also the final book in my Mapleby Memories trilogy. For a lot of reasons I haven't written anything since then, so when I said I had an idea and was ready to start again, my BWL publisher was very supportive. And when I explained that actually I wanted to edit and rejig an old, unpublished manuscript, which shouldn't take too long, she offered me two dates for publication: February or December 2026.
I've written a lot of books and as this one just needed editing, I chose February. Far better to work to a deadline I told myself. If you say December you'll let it drift, thinking you have all the time in the world to finish it. Besides, in the summer family will be visiting from overseas, the garden will need attention, and, if it is as hot as last summer, you'll want to sit in the shade, not sit indoors with your nose in a manuscript. Far better to work through the cold, wet winter months. So far, so good.
Now, however, at two-thirds of the way through retyping the manuscript, I find I have given myself something of a challenge. The story is fine. The facts are fine. It's just that it is set in the 1980s when times were very different. So I have had to make a decision. Do I update it or do I add it to my 4 Retro books already republished by BWL?
The further I have been working through the manuscript, the more Retro has won out. Firstly, I'm old enough to remember what life was like in the 1980s and I have to admit I'm enjoying the trip down memory lane. Secondly, the story is about a composer and her journey towards writing music for film. Of course, because this is a romance, there is also a music arranger who works with her. In the 1980s, however, they worked very differently.
When I wrote the book I researched it thoroughly (the hard way, pre Internet) and I'm glad to say, having checked it out all over again, that the facts have held up. What makes it almost impossible to update, however, is how much the music and film scene has changed since then. It's almost as if it's an entirely new industry. Digital audio workstations, virtual instruments, sample libraries, remote collaboration - even the language is different from the days when tape machines, live orchestras, hardware synthesizers and handwritten scores were the order of the day,
Today, film directors can hear near final versions early in the process, whereas in the 1980s music was mainly composed on paper so they often had to imagine the final result via piano demos or rough tapes. This was a time devoid of cell phones let alone iPhones and computers. A time before dating sites when meeting someone outside your immediate circle and falling in love was a happenstance. A time when letters were written, and when landline phone numbers were dialled on heavy handsets. A time when gender roles were more traditional and miscommunication more common. Truly a different age.
Joanne, the heroine, has to fight to escape society's expectations before she finds success. Something that wouldn't happen nowadays. She also has to negotiate falling in and out of love when everything has to be face to face. No ghosting. No texts. She has to be brave.
When it is published, I hope you will read it and enjoy it. 1980 is probably too recent to be considered an historical novel but it sure is different from the modern day. Travelling back in time can be challenging but it can also be interesting and fun.
