Blowing It

Instead of handing their money over to their not-so-deserving children, the parents plan on blowing the lot.

Imagine this: you're in your early thirties, settled and sensible, and wanting to move up the property ladder. Your parents -- approaching retirement -- have an ENORMOUS house which is, let's be honest, a bit tatty but worth squillions.

Only your teenage sister Sorrel lives there now and she's just about to go off on a gap year.

So obviously there's some money tied up there, which your parents must be thinking of off-loading onto their children. Right?

Not a bit of it.

The parents have every hope that they will grow old disgracefully. They plan to sell the house and go off travelling. They are, after all, unreconstructed Sixties hippies, and their main income derives from the songs they wrote back then for their cult, psychedelic, soft rock band Charisma.

So with the money from the house their intention is... blowing it!

About the Author

Judy Astley has been writing novels since 1990, following several years as a dressmaker, illustrator, painter and parent. Blowing It was inspired by her inability to be sensible with money. Being a high-maintenance blonde with a serious shopping habit (frocks, books, plants and music) uses up all potential pension-funds and Judy has unfortunately failed to make any plans for her own fast-approaching dotage except to request that her ashes be scattered in the Designers Guild fabric showroom. Judy has two grown-up daughters and the world's best-ever grandson and lives with her equally profligate husband in SW London and Cornwall.