December 18, 2011
Hurrah – Carrie goes off the Map is the Featured Starred Review today at Shelf Awareness – the US trade and reader book site!
They called it: ‘A romance between entertainingly cranky protagonists, madcap without lapsing into lunacy.‘
I had a lovely email about it while we were in the Lake District over the past few days. The rest of the time we spent walking, eating too much and doing some Christmas shopping in Ambleside. It was beautiful up there, with snow on the fells and we managed to see a red squirrel close up -he was raiding a bird feeder above Grasemere. There are only around 1,000 left in England and most live in Cumbria.
Now, if Mr B could get the pictures off his i Phone and onto the Internet, I could post one…
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6:37 am |
December 9, 2011
I’m over at A Bookworm’s World, today – blogging about travel and recommending some must-see places to visit in the UK today.
Luanne also gave the book a lovely review:
“Phillipa Ashley has crafted a wonderfully entertaining escapist read in Carrie Goes Off the Map that any chick lit fan will enjoy. Everyone enjoys a happy-ever-after ending and Ashley has made the journey there is lots of fun. I especially enjoyed the descriptions of the places that Matt and Carrie visit.”
Mr B is now at home and wanting me to help him decorate the house, write the cards etc I keep telling him I’m on a blog tour! Doesn’t he know who I am? 
Yesterday the Sourcebooks team ran a contest to win ‘a Phillipa Ashley prize pack’ on the British Book Babes page. The books look lovely, tied up with curly ribbon. Hmm. I could do with some gift wrapping help myself. I haven’t even started wrapping yet – but I have got most of the presents.
How are your preparations coming along?
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8:04 am |
December 7, 2011
I’m blogging about how our research trip in the campervan affected the finished novel of Carrie Goes off The Map at Laura’s Reviews today. There are books to be won too.
Yesterday, The Coffee Crew – that’s me, Elizabeth Hanbury and Nell Dixon – had our Christmas Lunch at the Vineyard. This time last year, we were all feeling pretty down and demotivated about our writing so we decided to mentor each other during 2011.
The results have surprised even us, with new projects started, finished – and sold to publishers! We’re going to blog about motivation and mentoring on the Coffee Crew Blog later this year and give some details about some Get Writing and Get Published workshops we’re running in the New Year.
Now, back to the Christmas preparations. Nell and Liz gave me their Christmas cards yesterday – I haven’t even started mine!
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4:55 am |
December 5, 2011
Last night, I was lucky enough to attend a dinner with some of the other British Sourcebooks authors at The Reform Club in Pall Mall, London. It was hosted by Dominique Raccah, the CEO of Sourcebooks, the US publisher of my LBD books including Carrie Goes off the Map.
Dominique Raccah
The Reform Club was founded in 1836 for those who pledged support for the Great Reform Act of 1832 and it was the political headquarters of the Liberal Party.
The club isn’t associated with any political party now and serves a purely social function – like holding a dinner for around a dozen very happy authors including Francesca Simon, Jane Odiwe, Helen Hollick, Elizabeth Chadwick, Amanda Grange, Ali Macnamara, Monica Fairview, Erica James, Wendy Holden, James Forrester, Gabrielle Klimm – and me!
Dinner in the Strangers Room
The club was made famous by the book, Around the World in Eighty Days. More recntly, the fencing scene between Pierce Brosnan, Toby Stephens and Madonna (from Die Another Day) was filmed here.
The day started when I got a cheap first class rail ticket to London. It wasn’t quite what I expected but it was a treat to lounge around in an almost-empty carriage eating biccies and Virgin Rail tea. Oh, the luxury…
Then I was collected from Euston and taken for more tea and crumpets at Duckface’s house and met her gorgeous little toddler, Harry. I want to thank Duckface for running me all over London, she drives like a cabbie and thought nothing of chauffering me down a heaving and very Christmassy Oxford Street to the Reform Club.
Dinner was served in the Strangers Room. We had game terrine, halibut in lobster sauce and pecan pie accompanied by champagne, wines and hand made truffles. Dominique gave a very upbeat, rallying speech about Sourcebooks – such a change to hear some good publishing news. 
Here are some photos courtesy of Monica Fairview, who also has a report on her blog.
Helen, Elizabeth and James
PS Carrie Goes off the Map is featured book on the British Book Babes Facebook page – you can win one of three copies by telling us your favourite destination right now.
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12:53 pm |
December 2, 2011
Told you there’s be giveaways of Carrie, didn’t I? There’s one HERE at Debbie’s Book Bag today – and Debbie has interviewed me about my writing life, what I love to read and how the book came about.
The TRS prize draw is also ongoing.
I’d like to give a big thank you to all the people who have been sending good wishes for the book launch.
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10:12 am |
