Top of the bestsellers

Current work: nonfic; MH duo book 2
Listening to: Kathryn Williams
Reading: Next on TBR pile

Am delighted to report that my latest local history book is at #1 in the Jarrolds bestseller chart. (I also have another in the top 5, so am very pleased.)

And there was a second lovely piece about the book in the Norwich Evening News – online, you can see it here (and there’s a fantastic pic of the cathedral).

Apologies for the trumpet-blowing. Not that I’m arrogant and enjoy boasting; I need some good news to cheer me up after the last three awful weeks. Things are starting to resolve, slowly (though some of it is unfixable and it’s a matter of drawing a line and moving on).

Had some more good news on Saturday – emailed my publisher to let him know about the book's position in the chart, and he emailed back to say they've made a decision on the pitch for the follow-up: all systems go!

Went out to do some location research on Saturday with DH and the kids. Despite the threat of bad weather, we went to the beach (where Madam managed to trap her hand in the car door - not broken, luckily, but is bruised - and this is despite the fact that all day I'd been doing the "mind your fingers" nag).

This is at Hunstanton, where the sky was grey but the sea was silver from the sun.

Hunstanton is the only east-coast resort that actually faces west, so the sunsets here are gorgeous. It's also famous for the stripy cliffs (and yes, this is a very blue sky, and this pic was taken about 5 minutes later than the one above). Top layer is chalk, middle (red) layer is clay, and bottom layer is carrstone (aka 'gingerbread stone', named for its colour - about the only stone local to Norfolk).

Obviously the research involved some churches. We went to Burnham Deepdale, where they have this incredible Norman font carved with the labours of the months. And this piece of 15th-century glass also took my eye. Just gorgeous.

I also rather liked this one of St Ursula (though Simon Knott, on his wonderful site about Norfolk churches, says she's the Queen of Heaven, so I need to double-check - he's usually spot on). In this particular window there's also a merchant's mark, clearly one of the donors of the window.

Sunday was a day of chilling out at home. DH's brother popped round, as did my sister on the way back from visiting Dad. This week is a crunch decision week on that particular crisis, so am keeping my fingers crossed we get the one that's right for everyone.

Plan for today: it's pouring, and I think the kids need a bit of cossetting, so we're going to the cinema.