pleasures (and a big congratulations!)

Current work: nonfic and Modern Heat
Listening to: Kate Rusby
Reading: Next on TBR

First off, the congratulations. Somehow, Kate Dopey didn't read the RNA longlist properly. And she missed noticing an important name. (Big slap.)

So please go over to my mate Milly Johnson's blog and congratulate her, because she's on the longlist for the RNA Romantic Novel of the Year 2009 with THE BIRDS AND THE BEES (which I thoroughly enjoyed, back in March. I think she needs to stop slacking and write faster so I don't have to wait a year between her books - got that, Milly? *g*)

Pleasures - well, Michelle was talking about guilty pleasures, last week. The little things that make life so wonderful.

Some of mine are quite similar to hers. The only thing is, I don’t actually feel guilty about mine. (So either I'm a hedonist or I'm well adjusted. Or even both.)

Here, in no particular order, are seven of my favourite pleasures.

Romance novels. Not just because I write them. I really, really enjoy reading them. What I look for is a story with a hero I could fall in love with, a heroine I’d like to be friends with, witty dialogue (oh, how I envy Liz Fielding’s deft touch here), a good plot (I like a bit of external conflict to mirror the internal conflict) and that little touch of magic that takes me into a different world for an hour or so. (Sixty minutes for a book? Um. I’m a fast reader. And when I’m under the weather, I’ll go to bed early and then read three or four in an evening. Greedy. But good for the soul.)

Chocolate. I’m going to be specific here. Gianduja – which is a mix of ground hazelnuts and cocoa butter. It’s the stuff I referred to as ‘better than sex’ chocolate in my London City General trilogy. (I sent my editor some, because she didn’t believe me. Immediate convert.) It’s also very rich, so I can’t overindulge. So actually, it’s probably quite good for dieting, despite the fact that it doesn’t have the catechins that you get in dark chocolate (70%). This stuff is good for the soul.

Music. Whether it’s a snatched ten minutes playing the piano or the guitar, or listening to something on the radio or CD – music is one of the great joys of my life. Especially now I can hear it properly: my hearing aid has made a huge difference to my life. I have a very eclectic taste, from classical to jazz to rock to pop. (I’m not admitting to how many CDs I have. Let’s just say that there are 5 full floor-to-ceiling cabinets in my living room, and a few CDs more scattered round.) One of the wonderful things about writing and using a playlist for inspiration is that several of my friends do the same. Take a bow India Grey, Ray-Anne Lutener, Jill Shalvis and Michelle Styles for introducing me to some wonderful music.

Coffee. OK. I know it’s not good for me. But I adore lattes. I don’t overindulge (it’s only on days when I’m in the city or on a research trip and my research team demand payment in chocolate cake in the nearest café, so it averages out at one or two a week) but a good latte is utter pleasure. (Especially when a bacon sandwich accompanies it…)

Baking. It’s something I loved doing with my late mother, and something I love doing with my children. Experimenting. Reading recipes and adapting them. Madam’s godmother bought her a set of cookery cards last year, and my daughter makes wonderful brownies. The scent of vanilla, cinnamon or chocolate in a warm kitchen… now, that’s pleasure. (And yes, of course taste-testing everything when it’s still warm from the oven. Though that probably should be a guilty pleasure.)

Ruins. Actually, in this category you also need to add stately homes, castles and churches (albeit not in a ruined state). I love visiting them. Fossicking. Finding the hidden treasures (especially stained glass windows and brasses). I get to call this ‘research’ and ‘work’ (which it is, for my nonfic), but it’s truly a pleasure. Especially when my entire research team comes with me and we make it a family trip.

The sea. I live about forty minutes away from one of the nicest stretches of coast – north Norfolk. If I’m feeling out of sorts, the best thing I can do is go to the sea and walk along the beach, with the wind whipping through my hair (winter is my favourite for this) and the sea swishing beside me. And one of my greatest pleasures is walking on the beach, hand in hand with the love of my life, watching our children racing along the sand in front of us. (OK, so I’m mushy. I’m a romance author. I believe in living the dream – in looking for the good things in life rather than dwelling on the bad. Not a head-in-the-sand approach: just not letting the bad stuff weigh me down.)

This is a meme of sorts, but as it's a busy time of year I'm not going to pick on anyone. But enquiring (all right, nosey) minds would like to know: what are your simple (or guilty) pleasures? Tell me here, or put a link to your blog so I can come and be nosey!

Plan for today: writing, and making tea for the builders. (Still not going to be straight before Christmas. But we're on the way.)