Let it shine...

Current work: Modern Heat
Listening to: John Martyn (DH's car has, um, limited choice - he's currently on a John Martyn fest, so John Martyn it is!)
Reading: next on TBA

We’ve been really lucky with the weather, this bank holiday weekend. I’ve been working (and the book’s flowing nicely at the moment – hope I haven’t jinxed it by saying that!) but also going out and about with the family.

Admittedly some of that’s been work, too – research trips. One was to Hethel, to visit the old thorn (which is also one of the smallest nature reserves in the country); as it was just behind the church, we did a teensy bit of churchcrawling. In this part of the world, a square 11th-century tower is a bit unusual (they’re usually round).

There was also a stunning 17th-century alabaster monument I couldn’t resist. (He's wearing lawyer's robes.)

Sunday was a lazyish day. And I knew the azaleas would be out at one of my favourite places (which happens to be in one of the new nonfics as well, and I really needed a new updated pic).

This is Blickling Hall, the finest Jacobean house in the country. Actually, we didn’t wander through the house yesterday, just the garden. I wanted to go last week, when the bluebells were out, but it was rainy and DH wasn’t in the mood. This week, it was just lovely. The wisteria looked stunning (and oh for a corner of a garden like this, for writing purposes).

The azaleas were out. This is my youngest flower - dreadful pun intended. Eldest had his eyes shut, or he'd be there too.

The sky was so blue that the lake looked fantastic.

(My RNA-shortlisted book, Sold to the Highest Bidder, features a lake that looks remarkably like this.)

Both kids like Blickling as much as DH and I do. Madam summed it up as 'a place that makes you feel all warm inside'. And I have to admit that there’s something magical about the place. Lying on the grass in front of the lake (well, a bit further back, where it’s cleaner and the geese haven’t, um, marked their territory) with DH as a pillow, drowsing in the sun… Now that’s a perfect afternoon.

In the evening, DH insisted on a barbecue. Daughter was desperate to watch Britain's Got Talent afterwards, and as it’s half term we’re allowing her to stay up late and enjoy it. It was good entertainment (well, I had to walk out during Nick Hell's spot - a bit too much for me), until the very end. when I think most parents watching that probably had the same ‘arrgh’ moment as I did.

Poor little Natalie really needed someone with her on stage when the judges cast the final vote. The moment when the presenter asked her how she felt and the camera trained on her as she burst into tears – that was NOT good television, in my view. Just mean. Why on earth didn’t one of them just give her a cuddle and quietly help her off stage without the cameras? For pity’s sake, there were two of them, and she was ten years old, on a huge stage, with millions of people viewing at home, just as her dreams had been burst. A little kindness would’ve gone a long way. She did so well to get that far (and if she'd performed a song that showcased her voice better, she probably would’ve gone in to the semis, which made the result even sadder). I could imagine my own child in that position and it was just heartbreaking.

The three I’d most like to see in the final are singers Susan Boyle and Jamie Pugh, and saxophonist Julian Smith. It'd be so wonderful if the judges could break the rules and give all three of them their moment in front of the Queen. I hope they all get wonderful recording deals. (Sorry, dancers. I know you work incredibly hard and an awful lot goes into choreography; but dance doesn't move me the way music does.)

I certainly wouldn’t have the nerve to get up and sing or play in front of all those people, so hats off to all of them for giving it a go.

coming up for air

Current work: Just finished Penhally revisions, second round
Listening to: Corelli
Reading: Sarah Morgan, The Prince’s Waitress Wife (lovely fast-paced read – a real whirlwind of a romance, with a gorgeous hero and the most lovely heroine – recommended)

Been busy with second round of revisions. It’s been a while since I’ve had to do revisions on revisions, so as I’m a paranoid (read: typical) author, I had a slight attack of the crows over it. My ed was away, so one of her colleagues briefed me, and was utterly lovely about the way she explained what they wanted. The way my head works means that I needed a day or so to let it brew in my head, before getting down to actually writing it yesterday. (In the meantime, while that was brewing, worked on my nonfic. Which also has a tight deadline.)

Finished it at lunchtime, and my ed is back - as she said, it was a matter of making the most of the opportunities I'd put into the book, not that I'm rubbish and have completely lost it :o) (And I imagine other authors out there are nodding sagely. You KNOW that feeling. It's illogical, but it feels all too real.)

Today is wet and miserable (it's meant to be Blue Monday, where everyone's got a cold, is broke and feels miserable - hmm, why am I hearing New Order? Oh, yeah. I grew up in the eighties), but yesterday afternoon was glorious. I needed a shot of the Broads, so I begged for a quick trip out to Ranworth. The ducks and geese were out in force. As were the swans. As soon as I neared the water’s edge, up they all came. And when they realised that I didn’t have any goodies for them… Let’s just say swans are big birds, and when they hiss they're a little intimidating. So I took my pictures and vamoosed.

The winner from the draw for a signed copy for Sold to the Highest Bidder is Carol. (Please let me know your snailmail addy, Carol – kate dot hardy @ btinternet dot com – sorry for the longwinded way of putting it, but it does help to avoid spam!)

And I have three bits of nice news. Number one is the one I was really hoping for: my stepmum was under threat of redundancy, but she's just texted to say her job is safe. Good. Number two, the utility room should be fixed this week. (Yes. My house completely back to normal. At last.) And number three, I had a lovely review of The Greek Doctor's New Year Baby - but I'll share that tomorrow as my deadline is nagging.

And a giveaway...

Obviously the cold snap has slowed my thought processes.

Last year, when I was celebrating being shortlisted for the RNA Romance Prize with Breakfast at Giovanni's, I ran a competition offering a copy of the book. So I'm going to do the same thing this year.

My heroine, Lissy, has a dog. Although Saffy's a yellow Labrador rather than an English Springer Spaniel, she was inspired by something I often see Byron doing (he has a habit of raiding the children's bedrooms and stealing something in particular - which I've mentioned in previous posts when I nicknamed him Kleptodog).

If you want to be in with a chance to win a copy of Sold to the Highest Bidder, simply answer a question: when Jack meets Alicia, what is the dog carrying?

(Give you another clue: this also inspired my heroine's name. Because Alicia sounds very like Aloysius, yes?)

(And if you're really stuck, click on the link and read the excerpt!)

Post your answer in the comments. I'll leave this open until the weekend, to give everyone in various time zones a decent chance, and my daughter will pick the winner's name out of a hat on Sunday evening, UK time.

Exciting news!

Current work: revisions to Penhally book
Listening to: various classical
Reading: Paul Doherty, The Field of Blood

I’ve been teasing everyone for weeks about having a secret. Finally, I can share. In fact, I’ll let the press release do it for me:

Romance Prize celebrates shorter fiction alongside the Romantic Novel Of The Year

The Romantic Novelists’ Association, who will announce the shortlist for the Romantic Novel of the Year award on 13th January, is also honouring writers of shorter romances such as those published by Harlequin Mills and Boon.

“Although both awards celebrate novels with a high romantic content,” explains Catherine Jones, Chairman of the RNA, “the Romance Prize honours the most memorable stories set around a single theme that concentrates on the developing love affair.”

The Romance Prize will be presented at the RNA’s Awards Lunch on 10th February 2009 at the Royal Garden Hotel, Kensington. The winner will be selected from the following books:

What's Love Got to Do With It? - Lucy Broadbent (Little Black Dress, Headline)
The Wild Card - Beth Elliott (Robert Hale)
Mistress: Hired for the Billionaire's Pleasure - India Grey (Harlequin Mills & Boon)
Sold to the Highest Bidder - Kate Hardy (Harlequin Mills & Boon)
Saying Yes to the Millionaire - Fiona Harper (Harlequin Mills & Boon)
Promoted to Wife and Mother - Jessica Hart (Harlequin Mills & Boon)

Fiona Harper has been short-listed before, and both Jessica Hart and Kate Hardy are past winners. Kate Hardy, who won in 2008 with Breakfast at Giovanni’s, had this to say: "Winning the Romance Prize has been the highlight of my career to date, and it's certainly opened up opportunities. I'm very proud to have won the award and to be part of the RNA - and have been delighted by messages of support over the year. I even had a personal letter of congratulations from the chancellor of the University of Leicester!"

The shortlist will be judged by Margaret James, creative writing teacher for the London School of Journalism and regular columnist with Writing Magazine; Paul Reizin, writer, producer and journalist; and Linda Leatherbarrow, prize-winning short story writer, reviewer and MA lecturer at Middlesex.

________________________

So now, finally, I can say congrats to my fellow shortlistees!

I’m especially pleased about being shortlisted with this book, because Sold to the Highest Bidder is set in my favourite part of the world, i.e. where I live. And now I can confess why the third bead on my Pandora bracelet is a pointsettia that looks like an iris: it’s one of my heroine’s favourite flowers, and Lissy is a horticultural lecturer who wants to restore the lost gardens of her family home. Jack, the hero, buys her some gorgeous jewellery based on an iris, and how he proposes to her… Well. You’ll have to read it. But let’s just say that the heroine shares my taste in flowers, and that particular bead suited the book very well.

I’m not expecting to win. (I mean, two years in a row? That’d be greedy.) But I’m really looking forward to being in London, the day before my birthday, drinking champagne with my agent and my editor and having a lovely lunch at a wonderful hotel. Especially as I’m staying in London the night before; I’m planning a trip to the Hunterian museum and then meeting up with my best friend.

Definitely a nice start to the new year.

following the dust

Current work: Medical, chapter 10/11 (dirty draft)
Listening to: Corelli (soothing stuff needed)
Reading: next on TBR pile

Everything here is chaos. Conservatory: full of cabinets from utility room. Dining room: full of stuff from half of said cabinets, plus stools from kitchen breakfast bar. Kitchen: full of stuff from other half of utility cabinets. Breakfast bar: taken up by beer fridge, and dehumidifiers underneath. Kitchen bin: buried somewhere, so have temporary bin (aka recyclable carrier bag) on worktop next to sink.

And over everything is a fine layer of dust. You can clean it up with a damp cloth and, ten minutes later, it’s back just as thickly. So there’s no point in doing it, and even less point in getting stressed about it. Though I have to say it’s a tad beyond my mess tolerance limit (which is pretty broad to start with). The smell is horrible – it’s back to living in a building site. I’ve had to cancel plans for the weekend (‘early Christmas’ with the godmothers) because I cannot ask people (even if they are my closest friends) to stay in this mess, and I don’t want to cook a proper Christmas dinner (turkey and trimmings) in a kitchen that reeks of wet concrete/screed/plaster and has dust settling everywhere.

Amazingly, I’m still working. It might only be one chapter on from yesterday… but I tinkered with some earlier ones as well. And I hit the wordcount I need to be on track for finishing the book this week.

OK. Distraction time. Very interesting news here at NASA about a discovery through the Hubble telescope: a planet orbiting another star. (They’re 25 light years away, mind. 147,000,000,000,000 miles.) I particularly like the quote about “following the dust” – yeah, that’s what writing a book is like, for me. Something small that leads you to something bigger.

At the moment, I keep coming across references to glass. I’ve used fulgurites before (in One Night, One Baby); and my plan for the current contract’s books involved a storyline around glass. Murano glass, maybe. (This is possibly an excuse to write a Venetian book and therefore buy a glass bead for my Pandora bracelet – but note the original idea came to me about a year before I discovered Pandora.) Or dichroic glass, which was in my original notes for the storyline. And my mate Michelle Styles has recently fascinated me with this Claude glass business (see her recent book, An Impulsive Debutante, for more details). I’m also researching stained glass – this is for a commissioned nonfic book, but I have the distinct feeling that I’m going to be writing a novel involving glass in a couple of months’ time, because this seems to be the pattern right now.

Um. This seems to be turning into a craft post. So let me state here, yes, I know that this is not how a romance writer is supposed to work. A romance is about the hero, the heroine and their journey together. The characters always, but always, have to come first.

But this is my take on how it works for me. It’s the little things (aka following the dust) that lead me to the characters. My imagination clearly works in an oblique fashion, because I don’t always start with the characters. It’s more likely that something else leads me to them – usually something involving science or history. It might be the fact that I’m fascinated by clouds (One Night, One Baby); or the fact that my dream house came up for sale and was way beyond my means (Sold to the Highest Bidder!); or the fact I was organising a firework display and wanted to know how glow-sticks work (Seeing Stars); or it might be something I uncover during my research for my nonfiction books. (We’re back to glass, again…)

The lightbulb (also glass?) goes on. And then the characters come in and say, ‘Hey, that’s my story.’ When I wake up with the first (or last) scene in my head, I know I’m ready to work on the book.

I know this goes against what all the craft books say: I’m supposed to start with the character and the conflict and ignore everything else. I’ve told my head this, but it’s too busy following the dust – so I’ve learned to stop worrying about the way I’m supposed to work, and to work in the way that’s comfortable for me. (If anyone else out there finds craft books paralyse them: you’re really not alone. They give me a bad case of Impostor Syndrome. Should I be reading them to raise my game? Should I be worrying? Um… The lowest grade I’ve ever had in an exam is the one for which I worked hardest. So I think it’s maybe better to stop worrying and trust my instincts.)

Given that my next book is the Norway book (my lovely, lovely ed has OK’d the revised outline) and the one after that is a Med, this means that this glass business is two books away. Which gives it time to bubble nicely in the back of my mind – and also gives me time to persuade the kids that we need to go and see a glass-blowing display in the next school holidays. They won’t need much persuasion, provided the place I have in mind is near a café that sells chocolate cake – the younger members of my research crew are very predictable.

Glass. Tougher than it looks. (I think that’s my heroine.)

Wonder what my head’s going to find in the huge amount of dust in the building site formerly known as my house?

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.)

swans and bluebells

Current work: MH duo book 1 /proofs of Med duo 1
Listening to: Sheryl Crow
Reading: Karen Maitland, Company of Liars (absolutely excellent – the period details are spot on, the characters are compelling (there are two I’d like to strangle) and the pacing is fabulous: a secret is discovered here and there, which keeps you wanting to know more and see if you’ve guessed the next secret)

I’m afraid I spent yesterday loafing, too. We went to Blickling Hall. And the title of this post will give you an idea what we saw…

These are the bluebells under the plane tree.

The swans on the lake (this is the lake that inspired Sold to the Highest Bidder) – one of the swans was a real show-off and kept flexing his wings. They were all fairly young as they still had some brownish feathers.

And here they’re more serene. (Actually, I think they were going to annoy the ducks, because shortly after this there was a lot of quacking. Someone threw some bread to them and they were most disdainful: the expression on their faces was along the lines of, 'What do you think we are, ducks?')

Oh yes - and when we went into the shop, guess whose book was on display? Now I know I've arrived, if the National Trust is selling my books... (And yes, of course I was overexcited about it. It was the first thing we saw!)
Plan for today: school run, guitar, proofs, school run, Madam’s swimming lesson, a bit on the new book.

bluebells

Current work: Med duo 2/nonfiction
Listening to: Bryan Adams
Reading: being naughty – dipping into my academic book on early art in Norfolk (my wallpaintings book is apparently also on its way, so I am a tad overexcited about this)

School holidays + bright and warm outside = itchy feet… So yesterday I suggested to the kids that we went for a wander round Blickling in the afternoon. It’s a tad early for the bluebells but, given that spring seems to be appearing earlier (this year, bluebells have been recorded flowering in England during February for the first time ever), I wanted to go just in case.

And guess what we found?

Not a bluebell, admittedly. This was in the formal garden, not the woodlandy bit. But squill is my joint favourite spring flower (which is why it features in Dragan's garden in The Doctor's Royal Love Child), along with the bluebell and the grape hyacinth. My absolute favourite flower is the iris. And I also love delphiniums and white roses (ha, you thought I was going to say the ‘Blue Moon’ rose – actually, I do, but I can’t grow it) and Californian lilac.

Blickling Hall is a special place for me. I borrowed bits of the garden and the lake for Sold to the Highest Bidder, and I have wonderful memories from my teens of wandering round the rhododendrons and the library here, then having a cream tea with my mum. I also have wonderful memories of taking the children here with my dad, when they were small, and feeding the ducks; of walking hand-in-hand with my husband in the gardens in the days before we were married; and later of bringing son with us here as a toddler, on reins (because he was a terrible absconder – luckily, Madam never needed them and was happy to trot along holding your hand. Son just had to run full pelt).

We had a lovely time. Blickling has the most fabulous picture of Henrietta Hobart, which is my favourite pic in the house (hmm…lightbulb) and I’m delighted that the library is almost back to normal now following the mould problem and repairs. We were a bit self-indulgent and focused on our favourite bits. Madam decided she was going to read poetry in the library... except the book whose illustrations form the plaster ceiling was printed in the days of the long S, so the laminated copies of pages were not in the type of print she's used to. I explained about typographic changes between now and the Renaissance, and iambic pentameter, and she had a second go at reading - and she was really, really good. A few people smiled as they listened to her. (I really do have a future princess of theatre here.)

We also discovered the new sitooterie:

(! yes, that’s really what it’s called). You can’t see it properly on the pic, but in front of the children there's a mandala made from recycled copper, and behind the yew-and-copper canopy are lots and lots of hyacinths. Breathing in reminded me of wandering through the rose garden at Alnwick, where you really can taste the air.

And, as you can guess from the title of this post, this is what else we spotted:

A single bluebell among the primroses and daffodils. Means we’ll have to go back in about three weeks when the rest of them will be out… and then again in mid to late May for the rhododendrons. (This, by the way, is a hybrid bluebell rather than a native one.)

Given that I’m in Kate-the-encyclopaedia mode today (wobbly lip, I want to start my new book, but I have two to finish first), here are a few facts you may or may not know about bluebells:

• they’re a protected species (i.e. do NOT pick them)
• half the world’s bluebells grow in Britain
• blue is rare in nature. This is because the colour is associated with organic molecules in alkaline conditions, which are rare - hence the morning glory flower starts off as bright blue, but as the flower becomes less alkaline during the day its colour fades to mauve
• most bluebells in gardens are Spanish or hybrid rather than native bluebells – Spanish ones were introduced in the 17th century and have gradually formed hybrids with the native ones. (Native bluebells are darker blue and the flowers form only on one side of the stem so it droops to one side – the leaves are also narrower. Hybrid and Spanish bluebells stand upright or droop slightly, and may be white or pink; the flowers are open rather than being a narrow bell shape and rolling back on itself; and they don’t have much scent.)
• in folklore, you can summon fairies by ringing a bluebell. (But if you hear a bluebell’s chime you don’t have long to live …)

If you go looking for bluebells in woodlands near you, you might want to help with a national survey – see www.nhm.ac.uk/bluebells for more details.

busybusy

Current work: Med duo 2
Listening to: Coldplay, Snow Patrol and Bach
Reading: Neil Gaiman, American Gods (very interesting read – good pace,too)

Finished the revisions this weekend. Back to the other two books which are both on deadline… Nothing exciting of my own to add so here’s a link to something I found at Shirley’s blog and which amused me greatly (dogs would never, never do this):



And the winner of Sold to the Highest Bidder, picked out of the hat, is Ann M (platypus facts!). Ann, please email me ( kate(at) katehardy(dot)com – replacing the bits in brackets with the symbols) with your snailmail addy and I’ll get the book in the post.

lovely review

Current work: revisions (nearly, nearly, NEARLY done – I ripped out more than I thought!)
Listening to: Sheryl Crow
Reading: Judith Lennox, A Step in the Dark (finished last night - enjoyed it very much)

Lovely review from Cataromance for Sold to the Highest Bidder (Thanks, Julie Bonello, for making my day) :

Jack Goddard is definitely interested in buying Allingford Hall – and he’s even more interested in Alicia! Smart, funny, and sexy, Jack hasn’t been this attracted to a woman since his ex-wife broke his heart. However, the two immediately get off on the wrong foot for Alicia is appalled when she hears Jack’s plans for her beloved house: he wants to use the grounds of the Hall for rock concerts and thus destroy the beautiful land which surrounds the estate!

But Alicia’s shock soon gives way to a sizzling attraction when she realizes that she finds Jack absolutely irresistible. Jack may be seven years younger than her, but his charisma and drop dead gorgeous looks make her go weak at the knees. Alicia knows that she should resist his advances, and not act on the powerful flame of attraction which throbs between the two of them, but when a passionate kiss leads to a steamy night of passion, Alicia realizes that she’s in danger of falling head over heels in love with a man who has made it quite clear that he doesn’t do commitment!

When Jack seduced Alicia, he thought that theirs would simply be a no-strings affair – he certainly never thought that he would develop feelings for her! Has the perennial playboy decided to settle down? And will Alicia consent to becoming his partner both in and out of the bedroom? Or will she allow her doubts and fears to get in the way of her future happiness?

Kate Hardy is an amazingly prolific writer who always delivers fast-paced, entertaining and feel-good romances! In her latest Modern Heat, Sold to the Highest Bidder! Kate Hardy has written a poignant and emotional page-turner that will tug at her readers’ heartstrings and leave them breathless as they fall in love with the deliciously sexy Jack and the earnest and lovely Alicia.

Warm-hearted, sensuous and wonderfully romantic, Sold to the Highest Bidder! is a splendid romantic tale by the hugely talented and always fabulous Kate Hardy!

Thanks again, Julie: it's always good to know when people enjoy my books.

Plan for today: library, interview with the Eastern Daily Press, library, home to finish revisions, school run, revisions. I am determined to finish the book today. Funny how what at first seems like a small tweak changes all the dynamics. I've ripped a good 10k out of this one so far.

making my own sunshine

Current work: revisions (yeah, still - I'm finding it hard to work at the moment)
Listening to: Sheryl Crow
Reading: Judith Lennox, A Step in the Dark (one of her beautifully drawn multi-generational novels)

Thanks to everyone who’s emailed me interesting stuff or jokes to keep me sane. Really appreciated. Please keep them coming – it’ll put you in the draw to win a signed copy of Sold to the Highest Bidder. (There’s also one up for grabs at Love is the Best Medicine, along with a copy of The Doctor's Royal Love-Child … and I’m talking about food (aka something you see a lot in my books) over at eharlequin).

Life is still fraught (and I am so glad I have such a wonderful, supportive husband), so I’m making my own sunshine right now. It’d be wonderful if it could also calm down the gales we have around here… the wind in the trees is so noisy I can even hear it without the hearing aid).

And how am I making said sunshine? Anyone who guessed ‘music’ would be spot on. Sadly YouTube didn’t have ‘Rise Up’ (my fave track on the new Sheryl Crow album) but this is a close second – a George Harrison song I like very much, and it’s a rather nice version by Sheryl Crow. Enjoy.

interesting stuff

Current work: revisions
Listening to: Kathryn Williams and Neill MacColl, Two (still enjoying it hugely)
Reading: Judith Lennox, A Step in the Dark (one of her beautifully drawn multi-generational novels)

Real life is, um, rather difficult at the moment and I’m not whining about it here – instead I’m going to give you something interesting to read during your next coffee break. I had a really interesting email from a friend today (waves to Michelle - thank you) with the kind of nerdy facts that fascinate me – things such as the milk of young coconuts being used as blood plasma, and a duck’s quack doesn’t echo.

All lightbulb stuff for me, but how true are they? Find out (along with all the other interesting facts) here.

Remember I’m still looking for things to make me smile. Tell me a joke here (or something nerdy and interesting – yes, I do watch QI and enjoy it thoroughly, not least for the fabulous Stephen Fry; DH usually fishes me out of my office when he discovers it's on) and I’ll add you in the draw to win a signed copy of Sold to the Highest Bidder.

And please come and see me at eharlequin and Love is the Best Medicine!

battening down the hatches

Current work: revisions (real life got in the way this weekend)
Listening to: Kathryn Williams and Neill MacColl, Two (still enjoying it hugely)
Reading: Judith Lennox, A Step in the Dark (one of her beautifully drawn multi-generational novels)

Meant to be gales today. It’s quite windy outside. Hope the electricity doesn’t go off – I know I could cuddle up with the dog and a torch and read, but I really need to get my head into work mode today. We have candles on standby. Did two sets of proofs over the weekend (am pleased with both) but actual creative stuff didn’t happen (Dad’s not well, and that’s all I will say on the subject - and that Parkinson's is a very cruel disease and sadly it's rather more than just a tremor in the hands). Still have my hacking cough, so it's just as well I didn’t buy tickets to see Karine Polwart tomorrow night. I’ll see how my throat is tomorrow evening before I decide whether to go; I don’t want to spoil it for other people by coughing all the way through it.

Am talking at eharl later today, so I’ll post the link here when it’s live – come and talk to me about the appeal of Mediterranean men! (And if anyone has heard a good joke recently, I could do with a smile right now. Feel free to post. Best one by the end of the week gets a copy of Sold to the Highest Bidder.)

Edit: the link to eharlequin is now live. Come and say hello!

Belated happy mother's day

Current work: revisions (depends how daughter feels today)
Listening to: Katie Melua
Reading: next up on my TBR pile

Nice weekend, though I didn’t get much done. Friday, spent most of the day sleeping; Saturday, went out to get last-minute bits for son ready for today - and I'd almost forgotten what week it was. Publication week. So this is what I spotted on the shelves. Sold to the Highest Bidder is out now...

In the afternoon, went to see my stepmum to give her flowers and Mother's Day cards, and to put some flowers on my mum’s grave. Dad’s not too good at the mo but am not blogging about it, in fairness to him.

It was Mothering Sunday yesterday, so I’d promised not to work and we went out for the day. (Had gorgeous flowers and the new Katie Melua album from the kids.) I had some pics I needed to take for the current nonfiction, so as it was a sunny day DH was pretty indulgent. ‘This is another lump of masonry, isn’t it?’ No, it’s a whole arch. (In the middle of lots of geese!) It also involved a few tiny churches. He’s really good-natured about my trainspotter tendencies.

Then, as promised, we went to the beach. I love the way the seagulls sit on the sea defences, looking down and waiting for someone on the beach below to drop a chip. Definitely blew some of the cobwebs out (as you can see from the waves).

Son is off on his first residential school trip today. School said he needed a ‘small’ suitcase… then proceeded to list all the things he needed, which would NOT fit in a small suitcase. It’s one of these ‘outdoor bound’ places and the kids are going to get wet and muddy, therefore need a change of clothes as well as their outdoor ones; then there’s the sleeping bag and the wellies and… and… and… He’s going to have a great time but this is the first time he’s been away from home without us, so I’m going to be immensely fidgety. (Woke up from a nightmare this morning and could NOT go back to sleep.)

Madam looked very pale and unwell last night, so she might end up staying home today. Which rather puts the dampener on my plans to sort revisions, but hey. Better to be ill now than in three weeks’ time when she’ll be flower girl at my cousin’s wedding.

treasure hunt reminder

Current work: research day at library
Listening to: Corelli’s concerti grossi
Reading: too tired to read last night (hmm – getting to be a bad habit, this)

Last clue in the Modern Heat authors’ Valentine’s treasure hunt went up yesterday. Just in case you missed any, nip over to Sensational Romance where you’ll find links to all the clues. Send ALL the answers to win@allyblake.com and you’ll be entered in the draw to win all the books, including two from me: Sold to the Highest Bidder and the award-winning In Bed With Her Italian Boss (aka Breakfast at Giovanni’s).

Plan for today: school run, library, meet David Dane to discuss painting, back to library, school run, pick up Madam after guitar lesson, write up library notes.

be my valentine?

Still being thoroughly spoiled: my dear friend Michelle sent me a beautiful orchid yesterday (thank you again, Michelle), and my best local friend came over with, ahem, special chocolate and a treasure pot marked 'handbag fund' (and yes, it's pink... I'm just surprised she didn't customise it and write 'Radley' on it, too).

Today I’m off to London to see the Tutankhamun exhibition, but meanwhile nip over to Nicola Marsh’s blog to be my valentine, and you’ll get the chance to win a signed copy of my new book, Sold to the Highest Bidder.

And remember the Modern Heat Valentine’s Treasure Hunt is still going! I’m back again later in the month – with a chance to win ‘In Bed with Her Italian Boss’, aka Breakfast at Giovanni’s, my award-winning book. (And how fantastic it feels to be able to write that!)
Now for something a little less nice. UK authors: you may have read that the government is considering reducing PLR. This money is an important source of income for many authors (note that, as with the music biz, big advances and authors who need to become tax exiles are news precisely because they’re rare), so please go and sign the petition asking the government to keep the funding as it is.

Son has decided he can't wait for his birthday to get a Digiblue camera and is using the family DVD camera instead. Discovered he has recorded the same scene over and over and over again today. Why? ‘I had keep going until my sister got her lines right.’ Uh-huh. Actors of the future, start trembling now. If he switches from animation to movies, he’s going to be a very, very pernickety director...

Your clue in the Modern Heat authors’ Valentine’s Treasure Hunt

Current work: TCVB
Listening to: various cello pieces
Reading: will decide my train book when I've packed…

Assuming you visited Nat yesterday (and if you didn’t, go back now!), I’m the next stop on the MH Authors’ Valentine’s Treasure Hunt.


I’m giving away a copy of Sold to the Highest Bidder (my March UK release, but you can get an early copy from the M&B website right now – click on the link in the sidebar to the left).

What you do is have a look over here to find out about the book (and you can read the first bit too, if you like), make a note of the answer to the question below, then head over to the next author’s blog to collect their clue. At the end of the month, send ALL the answers to win@allyblake.com and you’ll be entered in the draw to win all the books.

My question: in which part of England is Sold to the Highest Bidder set? (I’ll accept either the county or the city as the answer.)

Next stop from me is the lovely Ally Blake - and if you want to reminds yourself of the 12 fabulous books up for grabs, have a look at Sensational Romance. Happy hunting :o)

I will be back from London on Tuesday with a full report of the RNA awards lunch and LOTS of pics.

win lots of stuff

Current work: website coding, book outlines
Listening to: Corelli
Reading: Sarah Morgan, The Sheikh’s Virgin Princess (I really enjoyed this and it isn’t just because she’s one of my mates – fast pace, good plot, gorgeous hero, and I thoroughly enjoyed the heroine)
Steps yesterday: 14,214 (and apparently I walk fast… so how how HOW is the flab not melting? oh, yeah, the biscuits that made me buy them in M&S yesterday)

Dog is very pleased that I’m home and life is back to normal (ish). He is currently lying on his back in my office, snoring, in a state of doggy bliss. He’s going to be disappointed at lunch, though, as I’m having ravioli and salad rather than chicken…

I have two books in my head at the moment – the one I’m supposed to be writing and the one I was originally going to write this month (given that the former should have been written by now). The latter is currently winning – especially as I’d like the heroine’s job and I like even more what she really wanted to do as a career but couldn’t due to circumstances… I might have to give in and scribble down the bits in my head (would be a shame to forget them and waste the time). However, I need to get back to my lovely Welsh doctor as I want Med Duo #2 (working title TCVB) in a state where I can work on it on the PDA on Sunday/Monday morning before the lunch.

Blimey. I’m sounding like me again. (And it’s so lovely not to wake up every day worried sick, going to hospital after the school run, and then being too drained to work in the evening and getting miserable about it.) (The worries are still there, but not quite the same, and I’m not blogging about it because it’s not fixable stuff and moaning about it will achieve nothing – I’d rather stick to making lemonade and being my usual Pollyanna self.)

Anyway. The point of this was to talk about all the exciting things coming up in February.

Apart from the RNA awards lunch on Monday (where, just in case you didn’t know, I’ve been shortlisted for the Romance Prize 2008 with Breakfast at Giovanni’s, which will be released as In Bed With Her Italian Boss in the US in April), there are some exciting competitions where you can win stuff – including books by me.

First off, there’s the Modern Heat Authors’ Treasure Hunt.

Follow the trail, answer ALL the questions, and send in your answer at the end of the month and you’ll be in with the chance of winning a stack of fabulous books! Mine include an advance copy of my March UK release, Sold To the Highest Bidder, and a copy of my US April release, In Bed With Her Italian Boss (though you’ll be getting the UK version, Breakfast at Giovanni’s – everything’s the same except the cover!). Want a sneak preview? Nip over here…

Secondly, Nicola Marsh is running a ‘Be My Valentine’ competition from February 1 to February 14.

And again you have a chance to win books by lots of authors (including mine) as well as a grand prize on February 14. Go over to Nic's blog to find out more about the rules and how to enter.

I will be reminding you about these exciting events throughout February...

another week

Current work: Med duo
Listening to: not decided yet – probably Corelli as I need comfort music (superstar DH cleaned my car yesterday; I think he may have taken all the CDs out and put them back in the rack).
Reading: Bittersweet Deception by Liz Fielding. Another fabulous read, especially as it was set in my part of the world and I recognised bits in the book. Bits which, in fact, I’ve used in Sold to the Highest Bidder. (And yes, I am reading a lot of Liz Fielding’s books right now. I find that when life is rough, a seriously good short romance is just what I need to put a bit of sunshine in my day. I’ve had readers say that to me about my books… and all I can say is I’m very glad that my books have helped to lift someone, the way Liz’s are helping me right now.)

Um. Nothing much to report because I’m not blogging about the two big issues in real life. Nothing much to report on the work front (and my poor ed must be as frustrated as I am). I sincerely hope that this week is much better than last week on those three fronts!

Glass half full. Righty. I had to research Greek chocolate yesterday… and as it’s about 15 years since I last visited Greece and ate chocolate, it was a bit of a trip down memory lane. Oh, and the Tooth Fairy visited our house last night. Someone got a little impatient and wobbled her wiggly tooth until it came out… and then moaned that her mouth was sore! No doubt all will be well this morning when she finds the tooth gone and the pound beneath her pillow. In my day, it was 10 pence…

Oh, yes. And I had another ‘tough go shopping’ moment yesterday, albeit from my desk. And my goodies should arrive on Wednesday. (Certain friends and style queens have been a bad influence. I bought myself a string of black pearls… and a string of lavender ones. To celebrate the shortlisting.)

And finally… Winner of the signed copy of Breakfast at Giovanni’s is Lou Gagliardi. Lou, please email me with your snailmail addy (see the first comment below as I’m trying to avoid spam!).

And some nice stuff...

1) Harlequin are having a special 'open house' Christmas party where you can come and chat with authors and win stuff (I'm giving away a copy of The Doctor's Very Special Christmas and One Night, One Baby).



2) Go and see India and wish her happy anniversary (she was a child bride).



3) My fabby new cover for my March title, Sold to the Highest Bidder (ignore the mountain - there are none in my part of the world, where this book is set - but at this angle you wouldn't see the lake from his bedroom!)