Despite the Angels (52 page)

My husband George Gogan, who put a line through a whole day per week in my appointment book and insisted that I ‘get that book finished’. This is for you, too.

Gerry Clab
by who, when we were on a story-telling course together, asked me ‘How long have you been a writer?’ which gave me the courage to start.

Mme Micheline Cassou-Mounat of Bordeaux
University, who gave me very useful information about the economic situation in the Médoc at the end of the 18th century.

Members of the Dalkey Writers’ Workshop, of the ‘BeCreative’ e-publishing course, of the Facebook groups Alliance of Independent Authors and Indie Writers Unite, for many pieces of information and encouragement.

Fergal Holmes, Derek Palmer and Maire Iremonger for their participation in the forthcoming book trailer, ‘Listen to your Angel’. Find it on youtube.

Andrew Brown of Design for Writers, for the cover design; Jane Adams, of The Literary Consultancy for her sensible editorial advice; and David Heap for checking that my spelling and grammar are up to scratch.

Many other friends who put up with me in their different ways while I was writing this book. They have promised enjoy it; I hope they do!

If you have enjoyed “Despite the Angels”, you will want to look out for its sister novel, which will be published in 2014.

There is a preview on the next page

I need your help. Well, actually, anybody’s help, so if you know anyone who is good at solving problems, please rope them in. I’m beginning to feel desperate.  Of course I should be able to sort this out this on my own, I've had all the training, and plenty of time to think about it, but maybe that is the problem. Too much time and too much involvement. I care such a lot, you see.

I love Gina, and I don’t want to see her make a mess of this, and at the moment she is poised to make one huge cock-up. So huge it will ruin this life for her completely, and it might have worse repercussions than that, which would really piss me off. She is letting emotion run away with her over something that should be nothing. But that is the way with humanity, making mountains out of molehills and storms in tea-cups all the time. Of course, she doesn’t have all the information. She would be calmer if she did, but I can’t tell her.

So I’m telling you. It’s not a mystery, you don’t have to work out ‘whodunnit’. I’ll give you all the facts, and at the end, you give me your opinion. Okay?

Now, my Gina. I think of her as Ayolo, of course, because that’s what we call her here on what fanciful humans call the ‘other side’. As though this wasn’t the real place, and all those earth lives just learning opportunities. Ayolo has been friends with Halla ever since they were both put into the same group as infant souls, and both of them are living lives in Dublin now. Halla is called Alan this time around, and Gina and he are married.  Because Ayolo and Halla have been together for millennia, I know Alan pretty well too, and really care what happens to him. Usually his guide and I make a good team, but at this stage we’re both stumped.

I think it’s time for you to meet Ayolo and Halla. I mean Gina and Alan. I need to take you back about five weeks, - no, let’s go back six, to before Clive came. To an ordinary average evening.....