How can it be a whole year since I wrote my last review! It was at a half-full show which just snuck in before lockdown. So, I took advantage of the extra time off during the past 12 months and finally put pen to paper to write my debut fictional book – The Gypsy Diaries.
I know it’s a controversial title, but I was inspired by a reading I had with a fortune teller who I stumbled upon whilst visiting a travelling fair. I was aged 10 and her words stayed with me for many years. I’ve always had a curious interest in the unknown; maybe I was looking for answers? Could there be life after death, can psychics really read our futures or do people have a sixth sense? I wonder if this pandemic has encouraged us to seek answers, as there’s been a 136% rise in psychic readings alone!
Here’s a brief synopsis of my book:-
A gifted Romany Gypsy shares tales of the psychic readings she has foretold over five decades. These date back to 1959 where, in her home town in Bulgaria, aged 10, she first discovers her gift, with tragic consequences.Her family’s Romany roots date back to the early twelfth century where tales of sorcery and witchcraft precede them. But Lavinia is different. She discovers that her sacred heart is unique and renders her fearless, playful, rare and true.
Her nomadic lifestyle serves her well. But for the first six weeks of her life, she solely bonds with her Mother and is isolated from adult men. After this period of time, she is then considered to be innocent of defilement, shame or social responsibility. This is the way of the gypsy.Her profile and back story features in the initial chapters and follows on with her most profound readings – The Crystal Ball, Roma Returns and Lucky Heather.
The power of a full moon has a profound effect on Lavinia’s emotions and, as her gift develops, she embraces a divine spirituality beyond her own imagination.
I’ve written for numerous lifestyle magazines over the years, but I found the book-writing process brought a whole new set of challenges. There have been moments of sheer euphoria and excitement, plus an urgent need to get the words down, but these have been paralleled with flashes of self-doubt and imposter’s syndrome!
I’m encouraged that my story will be featuring in Take-A-Break’s Fate and Fortune magazine in June/July where they will detail just one life-affirming message that was given to me at that initial psychic reading. It certainly shocked me when I discovered that it was true!
A digital version of my book is available now on Amazon and the paperback copy will launch later this year. If you do get to read it, then I hope you enjoy a sense of escapism and maybe a bit of magical realism as the story unfolds. Here’s the link –
Janey On The Move 