a bit from Kate - my first billboard…

I know, I know, it’s blowing my own trumpet and it’s very un-English of me… but I’m so excited I need to share this! DH did the weekly shop for me yesterday (being a star because my answer to everything at the moment is a whimper of ‘deadline’) and the Evening News ran their piece about Disasters yesterday. So he collected some copies for me (one for my press cuttings file, one for my agent, one for my ed at Breedon, and also one for my eds at M&B and Halsgrove because Derek James, the features ed, is lovely and mentions my fiction as well as my nonfiction). But DH came home with news I wasn’t expecting.

‘You’re on a billboard. In front of the petrol station at Sainbury’s. Big letters. COSTESSEY AUTHOR [mumble mumble mumble]’ (Actually – this is shaming – I can’t remember what he actually said. Thing is, I’m deaf and my husband mumbles - not a useful combo, especially when I’m working, because I turn my hearing aid off and everyone in the house knows they have to tell me if they hear thunder and have to turn my computer off because I won’t hear it.) ‘And our neighbour was on the checkout. She says she’s been telling everyone she lives next to the famous Costessey author who’s in the paper today.’ Am clearly going to have to don dark glasses and slink into Sainsbury’s, next time I run out of G&B.

But actually, it’s quite exciting, being on a billboard. The Evening News piece is lovely (unsurprisingly, as Derek James, the features ed, is a really nice guy), and has my colour pic of the kids next to the flood markers as well as one of the 1912 floods – and a huge one of me, standing next to my bookshelves and holding a copy of Where the Heart Is. Derek describes the book as ‘fascinating’ (good, I thought so too when I was writing it – lots and lots of little interesting stories, and you can look up what happened on your birthday/anniversary/any particular day you like!)

Also had a rather good bit of new yesterday from my lovely agent: another of my nonfiction projects has been commissioned. Can’t talk about it offically until I sign the contract, but it’s not one of the ones I took pics for last summer. Which means the kids and I have some exploring to do over the summer (excellent). Even better, the publisher wondered if I’d consider a project for next year – to be firmed up after Christmas. If I can sell him a book on an eight-word phrase, then he can definitely sell one back me one the same way! Dot reminded me it’s an idea so it might NOT happen, but it’s right up my street (and the publisher knows I’m keen, reliable, and they don’t have to do much to my stuff apart from mark up running heads and pick up typos) so fingers crossed it goes ahead too.

Oh, and my early night turned out not to be one. I'm catching up with my reading, and I started Margaret McDonagh's His Very Special Nurse. And couldn't put it down. Apart from this lovely, warm heroine and a gorgeous but tortured hero (our Mags has written a brilliant weepie bit), there's a really, REALLY horrible secondary character in there - the type I loathe in real life because they treat other people badly. And I was soooo pleased when said fictional character got her just deserts.