Melissa Barker-Simpson

If we were having coffee, you might be a little overwhelmed by the comfort food I have going on today. You are welcome to any of it, of course; depending on what time you stop by there is pasta, fruit, nachos, biscuits, soup – the big guns will probably come out at some point (I can’t have a pity party without chocolate!).

We would settle in with our beverage of choice, and I would tell you a colleague of mine, Granville, died this week. He was a good man – committed, intelligent, considerate – there are so many adjectives I could use to describe him. But, had you met Granville, you would have formed your own opinion. He had the ability to connect with people on a variety of levels.

If we were having coffee I would admit that, in terms of self-recrimination, I’ve given myself a pretty hard time this week. It’s a heavy cloak, but today I left it at the door. I don’t get in touch with people as often as I should, and though I try to be a good friend, to be supportive, I get lost in my own world far too easily.

I’m not so selfish that I would be the only one talking. Hopefully you know me by now, so you know I’m interested in how you are, and how you spent your week. I would listen to your news, share in your joys and your tribulations. We would laugh, because although I have a pretty dark sense of humour, we enjoy to laugh during our weekly confabs.

If we were having coffee – now the mood is lighter – I would tell you how excited I am about the A to Z Challenge in April. The line-up over at Sourcerer is amazing. I won’t gush about it too much, because that would be mean – the theme hasn’t been announced yet.

I would tell you I’ve decided on a title for the prequel to the Fractured series – I settled on The Contract. Plans are coming along nicely for the serialised fiction, and I’m still leaning toward The Collective for that. I’ve outlined a cast of characters, created a war torn world for them to play in, and am mapping out each episode for Season 1.

After we’d talked about our various projects, we might just sit and enjoy each other’s company for a while. There is nothing quite like a companionable silence, especially when the sun is shining and we can relax. Eventually though, we would head over to Diana’s place and catch up with everyone else.

Thanks for stopping by. Until next time.

Mel