a bit from Kate (aka soggy and grumpy but still seeing the half-full glass)

Quite literally a pooey start to the day yesterday – the dog had an upset tummy and I was halfway through washing my hair when daughter burst in to my bathroom: ‘Mummy, Byron’s had an accident, and he smells REALLY BAAAAAAD…’ I couldn’t leave the poor dog in a state, so I had to give him a bath. Outside. Before the school run. And as we have to go the long way round at the moment (due to flooded roads) and left late, we hit rush-hour city traffic and were late for school for the first time ever. The knock-on effect was that I was late home, so I missed the postie with a set of proofs I was expecting.

Things come in threes – or so I thought, breathed a sigh of relief and prepared to start the rest of the day without any more mishaps. But three more arrived: twinges from the tooth (not sure if it’s nerves settling down or if it’ll have to be root canal work – arrgh – in the meantime am eyeing up my little packet of dihydrocodeine - and yes, this is indeed why I'm posting so early this morning because it woke me up. Better come out of denial, hmm?), thunder rumbling all afternoon so I couldn’t have the computer on (didn’t work in morning due to guitar lesson and talking too much), and torrential rain JUST as I walked into the playground to meet Madam…

However, the glass is always half-full if you look a bit harder. And some nice stuff happened yesterday too:

• a fellow school governor told me that the book specialist from Waterstone’s (aka ex-Ottakar’s) gave me a rave review on BBC Radio Norfolk for The Norfolk Almanac of Disasters on Friday afternoon
• received a copy of Local History Magazine: the May/June issue features a piece by me on house history, giving a bit of publicity to my book How to Research Your House, and I’m v pleased with the way it’s come out (and the lovely, lovely ed has invited me to stay in touch with further ideas/send him review copies of other books – lovely, time to talk to my publishers’ marketing departments)
• had an email from How To Books letting me know there’s an online competition to win a copy of How to Research Your House. So if anyone wants to enter – it’s at http://www.maturetimes.co.uk/www.howtobooks.co.uk (and they also have a competition to win Amanda Grange’s ‘Darcy’s Diary’)
• DH’s Jon Lord DVD arrived (which gives me mega brownie points and means I can probably persuade him into dinner out on Friday or Saturday, to celebrate publication of my 25th M&B)
• Got my US copies of Mistress on Trial (aka Strictly Legal - the Promotional Presents version) and Greek copies of The Cinderella Project
• had a nice long chat with my agent and two of the nonfiction projects I really want to do are looking v hopeful (can’t say anything as I don’t want to jinx anything by talking before the contract is signed!).

Umm… this Scary Kate business (waves to Kate W). Truth is, I like to run nonfiction alongside my fiction, so when I’m having a not-so-good day on fiction I can go and sulk in the archives for the day. This always soothes my soul – a bit like chocolate but without the calories. Except the archives are just across the road from Hotel Chocolat and everybody knows that Kate Hardy has no willpower whatsoever. But then again, you wait until you meet my guest tomorrow...

Speaking of guests - time to introduce today's!