Monday, June 16, 2008

the stuff of fantasies

Current work: Modern Heat duo book 1
Listening to: Coldplay, Viva la Vida (is growing on me – the last track is fantastic, the rest I’m getting used to. DH hates it)
Reading: not – am VERY busy writing :o)

One of the things I love about writing is the setting. Most of my Modern Heats are set at least partially in London (actually, I have a feeling all of them are bar the last one), and this one is no exception.

But I have fallen in love with my hero’s flat.

Given that my dream home is a 16th-century house in Norfolk (which is the basis for the house in Sold to the Highest Bidder - sadly, last time it was on the market, it was £1m more than my house is worth, so the chances of me living there are pretty much zero), you’d think I’d run a mile from the idea of an ultra-modern place. But… I do have a thing about glass and light. I really like the Forum in Norwich (see here, top left) because it’s so light and airy, and I love the Millennium Court at the British Museum (pic taken Sept last year)

for the same reason. (Don't get me started on churches and stained/painted glass. This is my current nerd obsession. The chances of me being able to have a wall painting restorer as my next MH hero? ... ha!)

My current hero happens to live in a fantasy flat that’s all about glass and light. Floor to ceiling windows. The best room? His shower room. It’s a wet room. And I’ve had immense fun this weekend furnishing that room… (yeah, of course there’s a love scene in it). I’d dearly love a room like that, but as the shower and fittings alone (excluding the actual plumbers’ fees for putting it in) are the best part of £5,000 - and we’d need a new floor and it wouldn’t work anyway because our en-suite happens to be next door to the airing cupboard - it’s a no-no. (I did sort of mention it to DH, who loved the idea until I mentioned how much That Shower cost...)

But I can fantasise.

I think this is the bit where my ed is going to fall for the hero in a big way. (Well… if I can get my lovely nerdy science stuff through, but I’ve bound it up with his emotions so hopefully it will stay put.)

He’s a sheik. How can he be a scientist? Easy. He’s a Kate Hardy hero. Or, as my lovely former ed Tessa Shapcott put it, 'A clever man with a heart.' I'm supposed to be blogging elsewhere about the squishy side of heroes... Later. I have words to write first.

Oh yes - nearly forgot. Am at #2 in the local best-seller charts again this week with Heroes, Villains and Victims of Norwich. And Waterstone's had a really lovely display of my new book IN THEIR WINDOW yesterday. (Didn't have camera with me. Smack on head to self.)

2 comments:

Unknown said...

You could always make the heroine the wall painting restorer... then you get all that lovely research and probably some good conflict in there as well.

YAY on the window display!

Melissa Amateis said...

Congrats on hitting #2, Kate!