Saturday Sixers: 60 minutes that helped realise a life-long ambition
Author Mary Bale reflects on 60 minutes that helped realise a life long ambition.
At 8 am on 4 January 2012 a storm blew up. It hadn’t been forecast to hit this area. Weeks of rain had loosened roots and tired trees rocked against their foundations in the gale.
My daughter phoned me. She was 3 miles away and surrounded by falling trees. Would I come and get her, please?
I set out. The first road I went down there was a big tree across it. The road was narrow with steep drops on both sides. I gingerly edged the car round to face back the other I’d come. All the time the wind was rocking the vehicle.
There was another route I could take so I went back up to the junction and took the alternative road. I crested the next hill to see in front of me another tree down across the road. I stopped behind the queue of traffic and got out to look at this new barrier. The tree had fallen so heavily it had smashed to bits.
‘We can move it,’ I foolishly observed to my fellow stranded travellers. I started to lift a branch. Soon everyone joined in until enough space was made to creep the cars through.
As the first car ventured along the side of the tree I turned to watch it pass. My foot slipped on a piece of tree and I fell. Instinctively I put my hand out to save myself. It caught a branch which bent under the pressure, and then, instantly, the branch recoiled like a longbow delivering an arrow, pushing my hand up. I heard a snap. My wrist was broken.
So how did that help realise my ambition?
As I sat at home nursing my injury I got an email from Pen and Sword saying that they were interested in my eleventh century crime mystery although some editing would be needed. And here was me with the time to do it!
The book was released 8 April 2013
And, my ambition was realised when I joined the Crime Writers’ Association.
By the way my daughter was retrieved safely.
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