A bright spot

... in an otherwise sticky day.

I wasn't going to blog at all today because today is difficult (related to the first crisis of the summer holidays) and it's hard to concentrate, but I was loafing with the local paper ten minutes ago, while I was waiting for the kettle to boil, and came across the headline BOOK AWARD FINALISTS.

Uh-huh. Sounds interesting, I thought, so I read a bit further. The story was about the shortlist for the inaugural East Anglian Book Awards. (Sponsored by the EDP - and Jarrolds, at whose store I'm doing a booksigning in November.)


Then I remembered that my eds at Breedon and Halsgrove both said something about entering me for the awards.

So I skimmed down the book jackets.

Stopped.

Looked again.

And I saw...

I'm so very pleased and honoured to be shortlisted. I own some of the others on the shortlist and have thoroughly enjoyed them (and one of my mates has been shortlisted, so I'm very chuffed for her). And this is extra-special for me because it's close to home - actually, no, it IS home. And it's wonderful to have some good news to share on what otherwise is a rather difficult day.