Silver Gums; a sneak peek and farming

Silver Gums – this majestic bloke is just down from out house

It has been so long since I’ve posted a blog and I really must apologise! I don’t think I’ve ever been quite as busy and that is really saying something.

Silver Gums is due at the publishers in exactly 29 days. I’m still putting the finishing touches to it, so I have been head down, bum up working on it.

The farm has been frantic. This year we’ve marked the most lambs we’ve ever had. We had 7,000 ewes scanned in lamb. Even if all of them had just had one lamb, that would have been the most we’ve ever lambed down. However, everywhere I look, there are twins and triplets! A single lamb is a rarity in the paddock! Most mobs we’ve marked have been up around the 150%, which we are thrilled at, but marking them takes time and for the last two months, I’ve spent more time standing at the lamb marking cradle with the ear taggers and ear markers in hand, than anywhere else!

We usually make the most of having the sheep in the yards. The ewes get a drench (if they need it) and any little problem like grass seeds in the eyes or similar get fixed. All of this saves handling them twice.

I guess every farmer has their own little peculiarities when dealing with stock and ours is, we have to finish marking by lunch time so the mums have  chance to find their babies, have something to eat and settle down before night fall.

Back to Silver Gums – I have been working on this manuscript every spare moment I get and although time is getting away from me, I’m sure I’ll make it in time… (I hope!)

Here is a sneak peek of the first page of the first chapter (subject to change after editing!)

Silver Gums by Fleur McDonald (c) 2012

London, 2009

As Tessa slipped into consciousness her first realisation was her head hurt. Not just hurt, felt like it was going to explode.

She carefully opened one eye and was blinded by a bright light. Shutting it again quickly, she felt the familiar feeling of bile surge up her esophagus. Swallowing hard trying to keep it down, she tried to work out where she was and what the hell had happened last night. Her mouth was dry and she craved water. She would have to get up.

She slowly turned over in the tangled sheets but froze as she heard a sigh. Shit.

Her hand inched slowly across the sheet and made contact with a warm body.

Tessa’s eyes flew open. ‘Not again. Please, Lord, not again. Don’t let me have done it again.’ The words screamed silently through her head.

There was no mistake.  A man; his face half hidden by the bedclothes. She could see a golden ear ring in his left ear and a thick gold pinkie ring on the hand that was thrown carelessly across the top of his head.

‘No!’ The word burst from her but before she could say anything more, her stomach gurgled, then heaved and she shot out of bed and the bedroom, frantically opening doors until she found the toilet.

(c)

Hope you’ve enjoyed!