I've moved!

Updated my website (well - in progress, anyway). New home for the blog (and new format) over at http://www.katehardy.com/blog/

Happy 2018!

It's been quite a while since I blogged - life basically just got in the way! But I'll try to keep this updated once a week, and I'll also try to update my website (I need a new design!).

Today has been a rather nice skivy day; on 1 January my family likes to go to the sea. This includes Archie (our springer spaniel - if you follow me on Facebook, you'll know that we lost Byron in October 2015 at the age of 14 1/2 and welcomed Archie into our house a month or so later). So today we went to Wells-Next-the-Sea, which is probably my favourite place in the world.

(I would have posted a photo here, but Blogger is not playing nice!)

What's happening in my world this week:

• Work - proofs of Reunited at the Altar (aka M&B 80 - a True Love romance); and writing M&B 81, a medical romance set in the emergency department
• Workout - starting back at the gym (this will come hard after a few weeks off with lurgy and life getting in the way
• Life - taking son back to uni at the weekend (it's been lovely having him home over Christmas and I'll really miss him - so will Archie!)
• Reading - Rosie Hendry's 'East End Angels'
• Cookery experiments - Isa Chandra's red pepper macaroni 'cheese' (link over here at her website) - we enjoyed it but I'd add a second pepper, and swap the herbs for some red chilli

Have a nice week!

Book 67 sold!

My fave workout today - and a nice burn of 520 cals (actually got it up to the peak zone today, too. for the whole of 3 minutes - rest was 50/50 cardio and fatburn). And I have news - book 67 has been accepted. So "Billionaire, Boss... Bridegroom?" will be out in March 2016 (HQ Romance/M&B Cherish). Which means I get to buy another Pandora bead :) Righty. Need to get cracking on the follow-up. Have a nice day!

a good report...

Sorry - not doing so well with the cut and paste from FB! I am trying...

Lovely morning in town with youngest - she had an excellent report, so we went to get her something nice to celebrate it. (Yes, of course vinyl - she was umming and ahhing between Joy Division and Muse.) Also picked up the last bits and bobs for next week's school camping trip, aka insect repellent and a camping mat. (A week without the internet. They're all going to be in major withdrawal by Friday! ... but apparently there will be musical instruments, so as long as she has a guitar she'll be happy.) Paid my tax bill, sorted out electoral roll stuff, and now for tiny tweaks to book 67 - I very much hope to report acceptance, title and release date next week. Have a nice day :) 

revisions finally done

Yes! The revisions are FINALLY done! (I know why I was stuck and dragged my feet for so long - basically I disagreed completely with something my ed wanted me to change. I tried to do it her way and it didn't work. So I've argued my case :) Fingers crossed I was eloquent enough and the rest of it makes her happy.) All righty. Outline for next Med (high five and a big thank you to Michelle Styles​ for giving me a lightbulb - ed has agreed to the setting but we're still 'discussing' the heroine's job, though I know I'm going to lose that particular fight), proofs for Her Playboy's Proposal, and then I can go back to book 2 of the Rom/Cherish duo. Gym today was excellent - the last bit of each accumulator involves a minute on each side (knee drives, kick-outs and medicine-ball woodchops respectively), which I've been doing as four lots of 30 seconds (to keep my heart rate up because otherwise I'd struggle). Lovely trainer Georgia decided I was at the point where I could do the full minute instead, and she was right - which is a nice confidence boost. Stats for today: 502 cals torched, 6m in peak, 28m in cardio and 18m in fat burn. Yay. Have a nice day :)

hot, hot, hot (and Mallory Knox)

Hot and grumpy (and planning to nip to Boots tomorrow for some Magicool spray). Air-conditioning at gym wonderful today - and much needed as it was my cardio 121. Great session - 479 cals torched, 6m peak, 29m cardio and 12m fat burn. And I smashed the reps today, so I'm pleased. Teens have sports day today so early finish; and youngest is playing at the concert next week, so that's a treat to look forward to :) Righty. Work. Coffee. Oh, wait - got something nice in the post today :) (I was going to post a pic of the Venus/Jupiter conjunction from the other night, but my pics are terrible - handheld night shot. But it was worth looking out for...) Have a nice day!

publication day

Forgot it was publication day today. Not because I'm arrogant, but because I've spent the hottest day of the year at the hospital for MIL's assessment and then doing notes for the family and the care home - and it's been pretty rough (though the doctor was lovely). Sometimes being the articulate one with medical knowledge really sucks. Dementia is such a spiteful disease. Anyway. Happy pub day to me - and also to my pals Liz Fielding​, Scarlet Wilson and Susan Meier​. Have a nice day x