June 8, 2010 | 4 Comments

Forgive me, bloggers, for I have sinned. It’s been over three weeks since my last post. The truth is that I had tons of copywriting and then I went to France for two weeks and also I’ve just finished a book.

I don’t know about you – maybe this is common to anyone who works for themself – but when I go on holiday, half of me is absolutely screaming for a break, while the other half finds it hard to leave behind unfinished projects. Consequently, I spend the first few days with the work adrenaline still pumping wildly. It takes me almost a week to unwind butwhen I do. Zonk. That’s it. Total meltdown of the brain, I can’t even remember the names of people of places or even common things.

But France is such a wonderful place to unwind. The scenery, the food, the wine… simply sitting in a cafe with a coffee, people watching, is entertainment in itself.

We spent the first week on the Cote d’Azur in a lovely apartment which overlooked the Bay of Cannes, the pink Esterel Hills and the island of Sainte Marguerite, ‘home’ of the Man in the Iron Mask. I’m going to provide a link to the apartment here, because it was so lovely. I also did some ‘research’ into luxury megayachts in Antibes and Monaco. How the other 0.00001% live, eh?

Ms Bennet joined us for the second week in Collioure, which is situated in the Languedoc near the Spanish border. Collioure used to be part of Spain and has a medieval castle built by the King of Majorca.

We also drove to Carcassone, a medieval citadel restored by the C19 French architrectural historian, Viollet-le-Duc. Carcassonne features in Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves, as Nottingham Castle.

I also returned to a lovely email from a reader called Kim who made my day by saying how much she loved my books and would there be more.
Watch this space.

Now, I have to go and fill in a frankly, humungous, questionnaire for my US publisher, Sourcebooks, all about Dating Mr December!

May 20, 2010 | 1 Comment

Where are the days going to? It feels as if my feet haven’t touched the ground for the past few weeks.

The Writers Workshop in Wombourne went really well! Despite the FA Cup final and warm weather, we had a great turnout of enthusiatic writers and would be writers. Liz, nell and I enjoyed it so much that we’re almost definitely going to run some more workshops – maybe for longer than 2 hours next time as we were almost literally thrown out of the library, and the discussions continued for a while in the car park.

Some of you know that when I’m not writing a novel, I write commercially. I write features for newspapers and magazines and also copy for companies. I’ve run my own business for a squillion years now and after a quiet spell during the recession, I’ve hit a feast of writing – and you have to grab work with both hands while you can! Luckily, I love writing copy, all the jobs I do are commissioned, you see the results fast and I get to work with lots of enthusiastic clients.

Those of you who know me, will also know we had a bit of drama here the weekend before last. I don’t want to go on about it on the web but we’re all fine.

I’m afarid I’ve been escaping from reality by watching Strike Back on Sky. Apart from the violence, it’s really rather good – and very gripping Any any excuse to show those biceps…

May 14, 2010 | 5 Comments

Well, I’m back down to Earth after a lovely evening in London at the RNA Summer Party. Nell Dixon, Liz Hanbury and I all caught the train together. Now, contrary to what we posted on Facebook en route, I’m afraid we weren’t really ‘quaffing Champagne’ but we were guzzling meat Malt Loaf. Next time, we will take the champers.

After heading straight to House Of Fraser in Victoria to refuel and change into our party gear, we got a cab to Birdcage Walk to the IMechE library.

By coincidence, the RNA party clashed with two other publishing events so editor and agent numbers were slightly down, which turned out to be a golden opportunity for writers to gossip with each other (rather than agents or eds.) Oh you editors, if you knew what you’d all missed…we do share, you know.

The 2010 Joan Hessayon Award for New Writers was presented to Lucy King for her Mills and Boon novel, Bought: Damsel in Distress. Congratulations to Lucy who couldn’t be at the party as she’s in Spain, awaiting a new arrival. Congratulations too, to the other contenders, Georgia Hill and Monique deVere. Last year’s winner, Allie Spencer, gave a lovely, heart-felt speech about how much the New Writers scheme and award means to those who take part in it.

Then it was back home to the Midlands on the Virgin Night Rider (which sounds like the title of an erotic romance but believe me, it wasn’t…)

I hope to have some photos soon, courtesy of Elizabeth Hanbury.

Now I must get ready for the Writers Talk and Workshop I’m hosting with Nell and Liz tomorrow (Saturday) at Wombourne Library, West Midalnds. It’s from 2pm-4pm and the theme is setting the scene. You don’t need a ticket – just turn up!

May 11, 2010 | Comments

Yes, I know I said I wouldn’t blog but for this news I have to make an exception.

The contenders for the Joan Hessayon Award 2010 have been announced on the RNA blog. The award will be made at the RNA Summer Party on Thursday. I can’t wait to go along and give all the authors a huge cheer. And yes, I couldn’t let the moment go by without saying what wonderful memories it brings back of 2007…

Good luck to all the writers and ‘hello’ to Monique and Lucy.

Can I also give a special hurrah for Georgia – she’s another member of the North & South fan and literary site, C19 – and the fifth author to go through the NWS and be published! There are also another three who are RNA members and have been published since joining the site. That Richard Armitage has a lot to answer for.

May 10, 2010 | 1 Comment

Slightly traumatic weekend

+ more copywriting than I’ve had for months and months…
+ RNA party on Thurs
+ workshop on Sat
= no blogging or facebook from me until who knows when!

Off to make a coffee and shriek!

Oh, and I almost forgot. Better late than never, here’s Mr May from 12 Men of Christmas: