The Gaby saga started just over 12 years ago, 2 years later Maddybell.com was started - primarily to showcase my writing but at different times it has become a focus for Fan Fiction and numerous other sidelines. The presence of the whole thing has been facilitated for all this time by Piper assisted by Cat for which i am eternally grateful. Regular visitors will know that since January there have been issues with the ftp interface that allows me to update the site, this has meant that i cannot access the server to upload new stuff.

It is therefore with heavy heart that for now I'm calling it a day with this project. Hopefully in the coming weeks we'll get things sorted out one way or another - there is talk of a revamped website but everything hinges on others input at the moment. For now then this is the last update here, you can still e-mail here and I will post regular updates on Big Closet but in the meantime, thank you all for supporting Maddybell.com.

Mads

Yes its that time of year again and in real time the Wunderkind has reached 25!

Rather than jump straight into posting the start of Book 12 this week there is a short interlude from the saga. Instead of tales of derring do this week we open the covers of Gaby's Comfort Food for a recipe to celebrate Gab's birthday, click on the image to see what the birthday meal is!

We'll be back to the saga next month

Whatever is causing upload issues is still causing, um, problems but i'll persevere for now. The weather has broken, we've had some sunshine and there isn't much snow left so i'm now in training mode for all the sportives i'm entered in, the first in just over a fortnight! No panic, its fairly flat and i'm up to a couple of quite hilly hours already and its only 100km after all.

I'll try to fit some writing in this week, not sure what yet but the plot for a new Nena tale is pretty much in place - watch this space.

Gabycon 2015 - provisional dates are July 4/5th, location Dorchester, England. Expect the usual sort of programme, eating, cycling, sightseeing and of course story telling from myself and Angharad! If you are interested in taking part please email me so we can get some idea of numbers, everyone welcome.

Of course the main reason you are here is for a Gaby update and indeed this time you get the extended final chapter of Book 11, Alpine Maid. I hope you enjoy it, i'm always keen to hear your comments so please don't be shy to drop me a mail with your thoughts.

Sorry for the lack of updates, i couldn't upload to the server which put the future of the site in doubt. If you are reading this it means its sorted, for now at least.

I'll keep it brief, go here for the penultimate chapter of Book 11.

Well for now the white stuff has retreated but in its wake it has left me with a stonking cold and bad chest, bad enough to keep me off work! Time to do some stuff? no chance, sleep and mind numbing discomfort has effectively just wiped the days from my life. Think i've turned the corner now so i'm finally getting back in gear.

Which means that from today Gaby's Comfort Food is available through Lulu and by tomorrow, on Amazon for Kindle. Its not part of the saga as such, instead its a cook book of a dozen recipes that the wunderkind enjoys. Nothing is too technical and everything can be made by even quite inept cooks, no fancy ingredients or equipment. We hope you enjoy making and eating these dishes.

There is of course a new chapter today and you can read that here!

The white stuff has visited these parts several times this week, the current load being the biggest fall since Christmas. It has been pretty cold with it, temperatures struggling to get into positive numbers - am i glad for the central heating! I'm working hard on the Gaby cook book - it's forcing me to do some cooking, i enjoy doing it but i'm generally rather bone idle! I'm not going to tell you what i've been cooking, you'll find out when i'm done but i am about halfway through the menu!

Work is a bit of a pain at the moment, i really could do with a change of scenery, i've lost interest in working there, not that i'm alone, but its getting quite acute now. Watch this space i guess.

But you don't want to read my whingeing, you want Gaby so here you go, chapter 437 in the saga.

I've also updated the Gluhwein Mug Museum page as i was gifted some extra examples in the New Year!

Its turning out to be a slow start to 2015, a combination of nasty weather and seasonal unhealthiness is keeping me from doing much on two wheels and stuff like exploding microwaves has meant expense i could've done without! on the plus side i'm entered in 3 sportives so far with a further two in the diary awaiting entry information, i've started my retro bike project and the summer holiday planning is coming along nicely. Not only that but the current writing project is coming along nicely, i'm hoping to have it ready by the end of the month.

There is of course a new Gaby chapter today, number 436 no less!

So here we are, 2015 and the start of a year which promises to be every part as exciting as 2014. The immediate news is that i've fixed the problems with last weeks chapter link and Culture Clash is now available in the full version for your Kindle, as a pdf and a paperback. If you click here you can get the next chapter.

Rather than give a timetable here are my aims for scribbling for 2015

• Gaby Cookbook
• New Nena story
• Gaby book 14
• completion of Anja & the Druid

I would like to do more than this but its very dependant on available time!

Notable events in my diary so far for 2015

• Spreewald Marathon in April
• Tour of Yorkshire in May
• Gabycon in June/July in Dorset
• Summer holiday along the North Sea Coast in August
• German Weihnachts trip in December

I'm expecting to do 6 or 7 Sportives this year and there may be extra foreign excursions too!