Anna Lucia

Surprise!!!

2007-05-22T21:03:00.000Z

Guess what?We have a new place to be!My New Website!Go see, bookmark, link, and tell me what you think on my new blog!

It's Official!

2007-05-20T10:25:00.000Z

For one reason or another, I never got around to going public with some excellent news.I'm delighted to announce that my second book, Dangerous Lies, will be published by Medallion Press in 2009.Let's celebrate by looking at one of the inspirations for Alan....Mmmmmm.I've sold my second book! Can you believe it?!?As you know, Run Among Thorns (available June 2008) is Jenny Waring and Kier

The Nature of Happiness

2007-05-17T20:30:00.000Z

Money can't buy happiness.But it can buy cake.Close enough.

Naughty

2007-05-14T20:13:00.000Z

I've been a naughty girl.A naughty, naughty girl.And wearing them makes me feel even naughtier.Excellent *rubbing hands*.

The Long-Awaited Second Canal Holiday Post

2007-05-07T07:07:00.000Z

I have no excuses. I don't even KNOW why it's taken me so long to post again.On the plus side, we now have the benefit of my brother's (that's Commodore "SuDoKu" Lucia to you) photos, too.Anyway. Shall I re-commence?One of the wonderful things about a canal holiday, is how close you are to England's and (Wales'!) gentle wildlife. As we embarked, the sunlit waters lapping softly at the

Holiday!

2007-05-03T06:03:00.000Z

Let me start by saying this. A narrowboat holiday is no place for vanity. By day two you're resigned to wearing the same clothes for the rest of the week, usually zipped into a tatty waterproof. And you don't care....Here Lock Master 2 "My Hair! My Beautiful Hair!" Scamans is modelling the latest narrowboat fashions. Hey, Lock Master 2? Duck!We had a wonderful time. We had a priorities

Be seein' ya!

2007-04-20T21:10:00.000Z

So I survived the fast-diesel loaner. My own car, however, is still languising in pieces in a garage... poor dear is still cutting out and they can't figure it out.So, once again, we're going on holiday on our old, decrepit, only-bought-it-to-do-short-journeys-in Micra. Happily most of our holiday will be spent on a boat.Doing less than 4mph.This is a pace I can go with.

Today's Learning

2007-04-19T14:40:00.000Z

Today's Learning is this: I should never own a fast car.Don't worry, I haven't had an accident, or even a near miss. Honest.Only the garage leant me this courtesy car for the day, while they fix my Megane. It's not as if it's a Subaru or anything - it's only a Renault Clio. But after years of driving a diesel, and a few weeks of driving a 998cc Micra, I was... enjoying myself. Enjoying

Smooth

2007-04-18T06:56:00.000Z

I adjusted to life without blogging when my computer was defunct, and now I'm struggling to get back into the routine... please excuse some fairly random and irregular musings....So, smoothies. I am moved to broadcast a request for your favourite smoothie recipes after experimenting with a pear, strawberry and raspberry smoothie, with yoghurt and apple juice.Interesting. I was slightly put off

Looking Ahead...

2007-04-14T07:32:00.000Z

I think I misled people. In my rushed confusion I implied we were going on holiday this coming week... it's actually the week after! Must arrange cat sitter...Thanks for the good holiday wishes! I'm very excited. :-DI also have a completely blank blog-brain, so excuse me that. I'll leave you with this view of the canals in autumn...

I'm BACK!!!

2007-04-11T10:26:00.000Z

The computer's back and appears to be holding... but I'm still likely to be scarce for a while, I think. I have 2.76 GB of files to sort through and either restore to my newly wiped hard drive, archive, or delete.Oh joy.And I'm about to attempt to fit about a month's worth of day job into one week. And then we're *bliss* on holiday.So, since I have my eyes firmly on the priorities of life, let

Visits

2007-04-05T13:53:00.000Z

This house is about to have a baby in it for the very first time....Julie is battling the M6 as we speak, bringing herself and her fecklet for a long weekend. On Saturday, I will have TWO big Harlequin M&B talents in my house, when Michelle and her daughter visit, too!Hooray!

I'm still standing....

2007-04-04T06:27:00.000Z

... better than I ever did.But my computer's still not fixed. In fact, they can't find the problem yet. I wonder if, in my regular communications with the IT shop, I'm injecting enough of the earth-shattering panic and soul-searing withdrawal I'm experiencing?The computer in my car is still not fixed, either. So when we've had that done (after Christmas) and finished paying for it (sometime in

You call this a supercomputer??!

2007-03-22T12:30:00.000Z

Computer's kaput.Computer is in the shop.Computer is lucky I'm not kicking it repeatedly in the USB port.Now be good until I get back, you hear?In the meantime, muse on the slogan I saw emblazoned across a passing White Van. "Who's Van is This!!!"Bizarrely, it was actually the lack of a question mark that first gave me chills. The mangling of "Whose" took a little longer to filter through. The

Ahhhhhhhh.....

2007-03-21T07:35:00.000Z

Why is Green so Shy?

2007-03-19T08:39:00.000Z

It's odd, isn't it? Green is the colour of Go. Red means stop, danger.So why are there so many words that mean red, and so few usable ones that mean green?Think about it. Say you're describing a pool of blood – it could be crimson, vermillion, scarlet, claret, burgundy...Now say you're describing new grass. It's... green. Light green. It's not pistachio or jade, lime or couleur de corpse.

'Snow Joke!

2007-03-18T09:27:00.000Z

IT'S SNOWING! IT'S SNOWING!!!please let it lie... please let it lie... please let it lie....

My New Trick

2007-03-15T08:03:00.000Z

I have a new Trick! I've long struggled with resting when I need to, when there's so much I want to do... It's especially hard when I have a day off and want a lie-in. Now, we're not talking about student level lie-ins, I hasten to add. Even dozing till 8am would be good. But inevitably I'm half awake at 7am and immediately thinking that I ought to be doing something. So what's my new trick?

Spring

2007-03-13T22:25:00.000Z

Loreth was talking about spring being on the way in her neck of the woods. It's not quite with us here.A couple of weeks ago, I was down in Shropshire, visiting Mum and Dad. They have spring - the blackthorn blossom is out, misting the hedges in white froth. The hawthorn is about to burst into vibrant green leaf. The daffodils are out, and the crocuses are gleaming like amethyst teardrops in

RTB

2007-03-11T12:28:00.000Z

Well lookee there. I have a post up at Romancing the Blog today.

Love is...

2007-03-11T12:21:00.000Z

... cake.There. Part of my Valentine's gift to Husband, a special meal involving Beef Wellington (a smidge too rare and therefore not completely photogenic!) and Victoria Sponge.The residential was lovely, thank you! Chief memories are sitting in a tent by candlelight, while the darkened woods outside dripped with rain, reflecting on the day, and making trifle from leftovers, served in a

Misc Weekly Catchup

2007-03-07T07:31:00.000Z

The Wardrobe Rides AgainBrother would like to point out (in reference to our Valentine's Day activities) that things Husband and I might do for each other that come under the 'gutter mind' heading are indeed still practical and useful. However, if Husband continues to point at discarded items of clothing and growl awfully, "Put that in your new wardrobe!" when I am stripping for him, all such

Wardrobe - Sleeps Four

2007-03-02T08:38:00.000Z

Last night I dreamed about my new wardrobe. This isn't as wierd as it sounds. No, wait. It IS as wierd as it sounds, but there are mitigating circumstances.Every year, for Valentine's Day, Husband and I do stuff for each other (get your minds out of the gutters, now). Practical, useful stuff. Last year he dug the garden for me. This year he converted our old airing cupboard into a wardrobe

Cover Story

2007-03-01T16:48:00.000Z

There's a really fascinating bit on the Medallion Press website at the moment about cover art. You'll need to click on 'Editor's Corner'.They're showing some of the covers that never made it on to a book, and talking about why. Go see!

Reasons to be Cheerful

2007-02-27T09:25:00.001Z

In honour of the soul-healing Ian Dury song, some Random Reasons to be Cheerful:-1) Acupuncture. The only time needles leave me smiling.2) Strawberries.3) Proper, tea-pot brewed, leaf tea.4) Herdwick ewes, in their rough and grizzled grey fleeces, stamping their feet at interlopers.5) Borrowdale.6) Lindor chocolate eggs.7) University Challenge & Top Gear (Husband and my only two

To Do

2007-02-26T07:40:00.000Z

Thanks to everyone who signed up for my newsletter mailing list! You are all officers and gentle(wo)men. A special thank you and welcome to any visitors from Coffeetime, who thought they might hang around. Make yourselves comfortable!I feel a little bit like I've derailed all my momentum with my days of rest this week. Fun as they were, I feel a little bloated and sluggish, both mentally and

Newsletter!!

2007-02-23T22:08:00.000Z

It's about time I was starting to assemble a newsletter list, yes?I promise I'll be an infrequent newsletter-er, and won't clutter up your inbox.Please join!function validate_elist_648091804(){ e = document.getElementById('elist_err648091804'); e.innerHTML=""; if (!document.getElementById('elistaddress648091804').value.match(/^[-!#$%&'*+./0-9=?A-Z^

Pure Indulgence

2007-02-22T10:32:00.000Z

Well, I'm home, (actually I got home Tues night) sore but happy, having seen my ovaries with my own eyes. Well, a full colour photo of them, anyway. Wow. They're really.... white.Now I have not only permission, but ORDERS to rest for three days.I'm just going to pause for a moment to absorb the wonderfulness of that concept. Ah. Bliss.So, since I've been working really hard lately and because

COME JOIN US!!!

2007-02-19T06:42:00.000Z

COME JOIN US!!!! The Medallion Press authors are thrilled to announce the creation of a Yahoo loop for fans, old/new readers and authors to interact. We'd like all of you to come and join us, chat with us and get to know the talented authors who write outstanding books for Medallion Press. If you have not yet tried the great books from Medallion, then it's time you did! There's something for

Monday, Monday

2007-02-19T06:38:00.000Z

I'm looking down the double barrel of a 14 hour work-day today, and a trip to l'hospital tomorrow for day surgery, so I'm going to post a couple of things and leave you all to amuse yourselves until, say, Weds.Enjoy!Excerpt - DANGEROUS LIESI've known for a while that I needed a, "not quite a kiss," moment in chapter one of DANGEROUS LIES, but I've been struggling with getting the words down. The

Prize Alert!

2007-02-17T10:30:00.000Z

We've heard what the big prize for the Coffeetime Romance e-loop chat is going to be! Teatime and Treasure from Medallion PressOpen our wooden treasure chest and discover a painted porcelain teapot, two matching cups, a selection of fine teas and cookies, and a selection of Medallion books. The winner may choose one dozen mass market paperbacks from the Medallion catalogue. Blimey. I'm jealous

Look Over There...

2007-02-15T17:34:00.001Z

Hey, you really must go over and read Sela Carsen's Valentine's Day free read.It's gorgeous. Short and very sweet.

Reasons to be Squeeful (again)

2007-02-14T08:36:00.000Z

It's a small thing, but nonetheless a good reason to go, "SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" at the top of my voice, and a great Valentine's Day present.Go to Medallion Press's site, and then you can go two ways.You can either click on Genres, Romance, Emerald/Romantic Suspence and scroll down to 2008 releases, ORYou can click on authors, scroll down to the Ls, and click on my name.It's real. I'm real.

Ten Commandments

2007-02-10T21:21:00.000Z

I re-post these on a fairly regular basis, because I think they're worth the reminder.Ten Commandments for Good Mental Health1. Thou shalt not be perfect2. Thou shalt not be all things to all people3. Thou shalt leave some things undone4. Thou shalt not spread thyself too thinly5. Thou shalt learn to say no6. Thou shalt schedule time for yourself and network support7. Thou shalt switch off and do

I don't believe it...

2007-02-10T17:02:00.000Z

This is a momentous occasion! I have just sent off my MS of RUN AMONG THORNS to Medallion Press, correctly formatted in house style. I have done this... *drum roll*... OVER SEVEN MONTHS EARLY.THIS NEVER HAPPENS!!! I'm EARLY for a deadline!!!Granted, the deadline's set to their production schedule, not how soon I can do something, but still. I'm going to enjoy this rare, and wonderful moment...

To Do

2007-02-09T14:02:00.000Z

The To Do List has done some changing since it first cropped up in Jan. I've achieved a lot, but.... it just keeps growing!!! How does this happen???1) Complete website design brief - DONE2) Assemble partial of DANGEROUS LIES - DONE3) Write DANGEROUS LIES synopsis - DONE4) Prep RUN AMONG THORNS for sending in - DONE5) Final proof read of RUN AMONG THORNS - DONE6) Edits to DANGEROUS LIES

Heads Up!

2007-02-08T08:17:00.000Z

So, it's over 16 months before RUN AMONG THORNS will be available, but, hey, I'm nothing if not a tryer! I'll be participating in my first promo event on 23rd Feb.*VBG*FEB 23rd - Save the Date! Medallion Press authors will be TAKING OVER THE COFFEETIME ROMANCE EMAIL LOOP! Please join us for an e-loop chat with your favorite Medallion Press authors on Feb. 23rd from 10am - 8pm (eastern time).

Appearances can be deceptive

2007-02-07T07:41:00.000Z

Take the gravelly River Derwent (The river I swim in in summer), for instance. Look at this picture:-You could swear that's a shallow stretch of water. You can see the bottom! It's clear! Surely you could roll up your trouser legs and paddle across that without getting more than your ankles wet, right?Wrong.Right by where I'm standing, it's two foot deep. Over on the far side, it's getting

Quite time.

2007-02-04T21:20:00.000Z

There's a strange phenomenon about walking in Borrowdale in January. It's quiet. The cafe at Grange Bridge is closed, its only customers wearing fleeces, the lone and intrepid bus runs infrequently. B&Bs are shut until the season, self catering cottages stand empty.But the woods aren't empty. All the wildlife that hides from the bustle and noise of the summer visitors emerges, quite relaxed

How Green is My Valley

2007-01-30T21:18:00.000Z

Because it's a long time till Spring, and sometimes you need to remember how green the world can get...This is Borrowdale, a valley about ten miles from where I live. Childhood holidays were spent here, and it is, in my mind and my heart, quite simply the most beautiful, tranquil, loved and living landscape in the world.

Just hold still...

2007-01-29T22:11:00.000Z

...while I clean behind your ears.

Reasons to be Sqeeful

2007-01-26T20:49:00.000Z

I received a sneak peak at my evolving website today.Oh, wow. I wish I could show you.... but I won't till it's all ready, and that could take some time, seeing as I haven't started writing the content yet! Eeeek!I've also been buying books - I haven't read romance for a few months, been on a Terry Pratchett binge, but I've been collecting recently. I bought Michelle's latest, A Noble Captive

Four!

2007-01-25T08:38:00.000Z

I’m female, so I’m a multi-tasker. This manifests itself in a variety of ways – reading on the loo, writing in the car (via Dictaphone), plotting while praising husband on his annihilation of the Mongols in Medieval Total War II, taking the bean goulash off the stove with the left hand, taking a serving spoon out the drawer with the right hand and closing the vegetable drawer with the right foot

Durham.

2007-01-22T21:44:00.000Z

Durham is lovely, you know.I mean, really lovely. The weather was kind: a little snow on the drive over and back, a little rain while we ate delicious Italian food in the conservatory next to the 15th century bridge. In the darkness, the black river turned into watered silk as the raindrops struck it. It whispered on the glass overhead, and rustles the stately beeches on the steep

Away Day (well, two)

2007-01-20T23:45:00.000Z

Husband and I are having a night away from home... the night they're saying it'll snow.And we're doing it in our second-best car, the one affectionately known as the Noddy Car.This could be fun...Back Monday.

I don't want to talk about it...

2007-01-19T22:04:00.000Z

... about, well, about the interior light not going off in my car, until I'd figured out what was stopping it. About the rain and the wind, and the fuel warning light coming on halfway up a mountain pass while the water was gushing out of the ground, and the road was slick with sleet. About the two closed petrol stations. About the over-long meeting on Thursday night, about stuffing envelopes

The Best Laid Plans...

2007-01-16T07:40:00.000Z

I'm sitting here, eating my warm porridge (not too appetising, but does me a lot of good!) trying to think of something blog-worthy to post.Anyone striking the outside of my cranium this morning would hear a booming echo...As I drove home late last night, my head was seething with writerly-thoughts. What to do to DANGEROUS LIES to improve the partial. When I think I could set up RUN AMONG

Monday Review 2

2007-01-15T07:13:00.000Z

Not as good a week last week, but not bad, either. I'm deleting things from the top of the To Do List once they've been reported done, adding as things crop up, and modifying things that need it...5) Complete website design brief (requested by designer) DONE - just as they e-mailed me to ask if I'd done it!6) Assemble partial of DANGEROUS LIES (yuh-huh. This is the option book) - I'm two-thirds

Visiting

2007-01-13T18:22:00.000Z

It's still windy, when I'd much rather have cold, clean, crisp frosts like these:The wind's not such a bother, because Mum and Dad are visiting. We had a fun but tiring day pottering round shops, and now Husband's playing on the computer, Dad's dozing in the living room (or possibly reading What DVD magazine...) and Mum's snoring can be heard through the wall from the spare room... She'll very

Windy

2007-01-12T09:27:00.000Z

The wind's howling again.And last night it didn't just howl. It shouted, it roared. The trees didn't rustle, they thundered. The windows didn't rattle, they impersonated machine-gun fire.Each gust bore down on the house like a distant train rushing closer. For the really big gusts, you held your breath and it raged down the valley, and gasped when it savaged the trees opposite our house.The

Ta-DAAA!

2007-01-10T16:47:00.000Z

First great writing achievement of 2007? Posted my partial of TAKEN today. Embarassingly, that has to be my world record shortest time between request and post... only five weeks.Actually, that's really rather good, taking into account Christmas!Had one last minute panic, trying to pin down some research details. I've been trying to get this info for months, without success - how can a

Five Crazy Things About Me

2007-01-08T21:05:00.000Z

Beth tagged me with this one, but it's haaaaaaaaard! *whine*But because I'm always up for a challenge, I thought I'd make all mine tree-related. Because.1. I once had a panic attack in a tree. I was rescued by a rather gorgeous chainsaw instructor. Did I say rather? I meant, "very".2. I once lay in a tent huddled together with two other girls, listening to an elephant eat a tree not twenty

Monday Review

2007-01-08T07:37:00.000Z

Well, last week wasn't so bad...Looking at the Panic To Do I posted on Dec 29th:-1) Write author bio (requested by editor) DONE2) Fill out Cover Art Sheet (likewise requeste by editor) DONE3) Edit first three chapters, or however much I can work, of TAKEN (you guessed it, requested by A N Other-Editor) DONE This one ended up at 115 pages, which I'm pleased with.4) Write TAKEN synopsis (see

View from the.... well, me, actually

2007-01-07T09:58:00.000Z

When I'm at my computer desk, if I look down, this is what I see.It's nice and warm, but it's murder when you want to type.(The reason Pippi's eyes are odd is that she was hit by a car and her right eye was damaged. Our vet managed to source some medication for humans which meant she didn't have to lose the eye, but the retina was detached, so she can't see out of that one. She also had to have

They're all grown up, I swear...

2007-01-06T09:58:00.000Z

This is what Husband and his friend, John, got up to last weekend.They are both in their thirties.*shaking my head*

Reviewing Resolutions

2007-01-03T07:55:00.000Z

Last year, about this time, I said:As someone who leans towards the emotional, anxious, thinks-too-much character type, the introspection of New Year's eve can be a tricky time. The perennial resolutions of lose weight, get published and get pregnant weigh heavily (A-ha. Ha. Ha.) on the mind, a kind of leaden Holy Grail.I'd just like to take a moment to shake my fist at my pessmistic self and say

2007-01-01T22:20:00.000Z

I'm learning so fast at the moment. Today I've been working on that cover art sheet. And a new philosophy of time spending. You see, I think the amount of time you spending on non-writing writing-related work breaks down into 5 classifications.I've explored them for cover art sheets, but they could apply to many tasks...LazyYes, we all know you'd rather be writing the latest sex scene (oh yeah

To Do

2006-12-29T09:00:00.000Z

There's a strange temporal effect around Christmas and New Year - I've often noticed it. The week-to-ten-days break seems to stretch away almost to infinity, full of space and time and possibilities."I shall take the time to rest," I think, "I shall play daily with the cats, cook luscious repasts and sit reading before the fire. Yea, verily, I shall essay long walks in the Glorious Countryside

Merry Christmas

2006-12-25T10:49:00.000Z

I’m sitting here wearing new earrings (thank you Cathy) and new perfume (thank you Husband). The cats are alternating between savaging their catnip toys in drifts of wrapping paper and finding as many boxes to jump in as they can.Husband is wearing his head torch in order to install his new flat-screen monitor, while checking the time on his new watch and fretting to load up his new PC game.The

Welcome, Nathaniel!

2006-12-23T13:42:00.000Z

Julie's had her baby - Nathaniel - 8lb 8oz.Go congratulate her and her DH on her blog!http://www.julie-cohen.com/blog

In case...

2006-12-23T08:37:00.000Z

... any of you are wondering why I'm not posting any news of Julie on her blog, it's becausea) There is no newsandb) Her blog won't let me!

Kenya calling #2

2006-12-21T21:23:00.000Z

Tuesday, 1st August.FArm - Kalahari. NOT the desert, but a small swamp on a patch of Uncle's land. Peaceful and surrounded by game. Tawny and Batteleur Eagles, wildebeest, bee-eaters, buzzards etc. A pair of vervet monkeys were scared away when we approached.We returned to find the farm abandoned, harvest having been halted for the day. Turned out Askari-puppy had been locked in the office,

Kenya calling #1

2006-12-19T21:31:00.000Z

The year is 1995. I'm 21, feeling an odd mix of totally vulnerable and completely invincible. Together with my friend, Annagh, I've jetted off to Africa to visit our mutual friend Carla on a farmstead in Kenya.It turns out my travel journal is more forthcoming than I suspected - I have to laugh. Clearly the urge to write is bursting out all over, although it will be another six years before I

A rare and wondrous thing...

2006-12-17T22:32:00.000Z

... Is a photo of me AND of Husband. And a photo that doesn't make me wince, either!So, seeing as this is the season of miracles, I thought I'd share it.(I haven't forgotten about Kenya - glad you liked the post!)

A cup of Kenya, please

2006-12-17T09:23:00.000Z

I’m down in Shropshire, visiting my Mum, Dad and Brother, and very nice it is, too. That’s why the blog’s been quiet, though. I'm eating croissant for breakfast, and drinking too much coffee. Excellent.After two days of brother-related shopping (he asked me out to his Works Christmas party, but the proviso was that I went out and bought him something to wear at it.... And the second day was my

The Little Book of Time Management

2006-12-13T15:10:00.000Z

Page OnePlan to do less.I don't know, maybe it's just me. Do you spend most of your days running round thinking, "I haven't got HALF the things done today that I wanted to..."?And WHY do we apply twisted logic and assume this means we need to work harder, smarter, faster, more conscientiously.Any child could tell you the real logical answer.Plan to do less.If I'm consistently getting half the

Tagged by Sela...

2006-12-10T21:36:00.000Z

... yes, starting to feel better, thank you. :-)Four jobs I've had:1. Sales assistant in H Samuel (jewelry store)2. Weeder at a garden nursery3. Re-writing unclaimed checks for a financial organisation4. Leading practical conservation breaks (as a full-time voluntary officer)Four places I've lived:1. Erith, Kent2. Collier Row, Romford, Essex3. Edderside, Cumbria 4. Chelmsford, EssexFour favorite

View from the Champagne bar...

2006-12-09T15:15:00.000Z

Have you ever noticed how the following things make you feel awful out of all proportion to the injury? 1. Stubbing your toe, for example. 2. Mouth ulcers. 3. A blocked nose.4, A bad cold.And it IS a cold I have. I'm of the, "if I can get out of bed, crawl downstairs and make a cup of tea, it's not flu," persuasion. Last time I had flu, Mum had to take a 3 hour drive to come and look

Old fashioned weepie

2006-12-05T21:14:00.000Z

Ahhhhhhhh.I just happily cried my way through Love Actually again. Sometimes it's good to just wail at something unashamedly romantic, don't you think?Christmas stuff is proceeding apace, although I may just have bitten off more than I can chew by planning to give homemade treats this year. Excellent! Nothing like a challenge, eh?We put up a small, artificial tree in an alcove in the living

Burning Skies

2006-12-01T21:36:00.000Z

Yesterday morning, the sky was on fire.There was the most incredible sunrise, filling the sky with blazing orange and red, backlighting the scudding dark clouds. It was like a scene from War of the Worlds, or some John Wyndham apolcalyptic story.Gorgeous, eh?

Mmmm fun.

2006-11-29T21:34:00.000Z

I nicked this from Shan.Your Name: Anna1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Neither. Egg based drink? Nooooo. And I like the look, smell and even the taste of hot chocolate, but always end up eating the cream off the top and only wanting a mouthful or two of the rest...2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? There is no Santa. But I spend freaking hours wrapping just about

What's New?

2006-11-29T21:18:00.000Z

So I'm slow.... you know this, *I* know this.This blog's been around since June, but I'm only just beginning to cotton on to its significance. What's New in Women's Fiction.It's over in the sidebar if you need the link again.

Christmas comes but once a year....

2006-11-29T08:03:00.000Z

But takes months to prepare for.Of course, I love it. I was shocked and delighted to find our main house lights - a string of white icicle lights - still work after a year of being up in all weathers. Putting them up to gutter height on our lofty house with a set of rickety ladders is so difficult and dangerous we leave them up there. They're white, so they're not too conspicious.Those are the

Wot I did on my weekend...

2006-11-26T22:39:00.000Z

I have three jobs (counting writing) and one of them is with the Cumbria's Cooking project. Cumbria's Cooking is all about connecting local food and local people, and this weekend we were braving the cold weather in Victorian costume, offering tasters and recipes at the Ulverston Dickensian festival.This festival attracts something like 30,000 visitors over the weekend, and it seemed like all of

The Secret of Happiness

2006-11-23T07:31:00.000Z

Husband and I were playing word association games in the car on our way to see Casino Royale (brilliant and brutal).Husband: SadnessMe: Cake...Husband: HappinessMe: Cake!Nuff said.

2006-11-22T07:56:00.000Z

Well, that was an eclectic mix of fun things.I went down to London by train on Wednesday morning (NB - if you ever get a chance to get a cheap first class upgrade, do. There is nothing so soothing to the soul as having someone say, "more tea, madam?" every half hour or so) and met up with scarily close friends Biddy Coady and Julie Cohen.Then we headed off to the Romantic Novelists' Association

Gold Medal...

2006-11-15T07:57:00.000Z

Well, the deed is done, and I feel I can now tell the world that I’ve just signed a contract with Medallion Press!How excellent is that?!I’ve had my eye on Medallion ever since a friend, Jewell Mason’s LADY DRAGON, was one of their launch books. CEO and Editor-in-Chief Helen Rosburg requested McWife after it was entered in the Romance Junkies contest, and you know how it went from there!I love

Catty

2006-11-12T22:17:00.000Z

It's been far too long since I posted about the cats, don't you think?Here, Chrissy is modelling her new bed (which was meant for Pippi, but got annexed by the People's Republic of Chrissy). Pippi is deliberately looking elsewhere, sitting on the arm of the chair.I beg of you, please ignore the atrocious curtains. *shudder* There's some bloke in the chair, but no one pays him much attention...

Reasons to be Cheerful

2006-11-12T16:40:00.000Z

One:- The facial was lovely. Two:- I had a good shopping session this afternoon.Three:- While in the bank on Friday, having a review, I happened to mention my newly published status to the customer service officer. "Oooh," she said, clearly delighted. "Is it a children's book, or..." she hesitated, and then said with breathless excitment, ".. a romance?"It's nice to find a fan of the genre,

Because I'm worth it...

2006-11-10T22:36:00.000Z

This is where I booked a facial for Sunday.Bummer, eh? It's only fifteen minutes drive from home...Stress goes straight to my skin. Usually I take care of it myself, but if I don't devote time to it (and I'm impatient of personal grooming) things deteriorate fast.I've never had a salon facial before - I phoned up, told them I had no idea what I needed, and they said no problem, come along on

A multitude of leaves

2006-11-09T22:55:00.000Z

It’s autumn. The leaves are so many things at once - a swirling of copper confetti, cast down by the waning trees, a shattering of golden ice in the sky, raining down on soft moss and sleeping stone. They are the dancing girls before Winter’s dramatic entrance, and the bright celebration of Summer’s past. They are at once soft and sharp, brittle and pliable. The contrast they show is the

Results are in.

2006-11-06T21:10:00.000Z

Dad has bowel cancer. It's spread to the liver, but nowhere else.He has, at best guess, a year or two if the chemotherapy goes well. Less if it doesn't. We're thinking we get to keep him for another year, but we're setting interim goals in the mean time. Christmas. Family spring holiday.We sat around his hospital bed laughing and crying, trying to remember snippets from Captain Beakey and

Conflicted

2006-11-05T08:47:00.000Z

(Written 4th Nov)I’m conflicted.I’m sitting here in Husband’s friend’s house, watching them play some riveting war game with childlike absorption and enjoyment.On the one hand, all this dice rolling, exclamation over, “you just shot her in the back!” etc is incredible pathetic and infantile.On the other hand, hey, they’re socialising...I think I’ll decide it’s a good thing. After all, anything

Balance

2006-11-04T08:01:00.000Z

Since nothing’s ever relentlessly bad, I thought I’d share some GOOD news with you! As some of you know, I had hyperthyroidism (over active thyroid gland) which flared up in spring 2003, and for which I had radio-iodine therapy in May 2004. By Sept 2004 blood tests revealed my thyroid was working normally, despite medical predications that it would go UNDER active, and I’d be on medication for

Update

2006-11-02T07:45:00.000Z

Well, it's like this. Although Dad is walking around the ward, and enjoying eating soup and jelly, they did find all sorts of nasties when they opened him up.So we're waiting for tests to tell us what's next.I'm reminded of that scene in Futurama, when they're waiting to go into battle and an old soldier goes, "The waiting's the worst part...""What, you mean the battle's not so bad?" says Fry."

Being Somewhere Else

2006-10-31T09:51:00.000Z

There's something empowering about being able to drop everything at a moment's notice and be somewhere else.On Sunday, I had a call from Mum saying Dad had been hospitalised for severe abdominal pain. It took half an hour to shower, pack, make a few phone calls, and be on the road.I should like to register my official thanks to work for being so damn accommodating and understanding. Marvellous

Julie's First Page Challenge

2006-10-28T17:55:00.000Z

Julie Cohen's been doing a First Page Challenge. She's challenged her blog readers to post the first few paragraphs of a story or two of theirs, and add notes explaining how they add character and conflict right away.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From the McAllister book (title tbc)The video footage was from a CCTV camera perched above a courtyard. Okay, so this is something that's already happened,

I'm a winter...

2006-10-26T08:47:00.000Z

There's no mistaking it, winter stuck its cold nose on my bare leg this morning.It was dark when I got up, and the windows (yes, THOSE windows) were rattling in outrage at the gusting wind. Rain was rattling on the skylights and dip-dripping through the Famous Unstoppable Leak in the kitchen roof.Our house sits just off the top of a hill, with big buildings between it and the prevailing wind.

Web Crazy, and From the Mouth of Husband

2006-10-25T17:27:00.000Z

Everyone's talking web pages at the moment. Good ones, bad ones, what puts a site in column a and what relegates it to column b. Shannon's wondering about her own site (which is great) and so's Jaci (worth following the links in that one).Appropriately enough, I've been wrestling through what I want for my own website, a process I've found as exciting as it is daunting. I've been mulling over

Pictorial Evidence 3

2006-10-23T19:31:00.000Z

More...It would take far, far too long to tell you everything about the battle. It raged for over two hours, with waves of attacks from archers, foot soldiers, and Norman cavalry. But it was truly incredible to see something like this acted out in front of you by over 2,000 skilled and dedicated volunteers from more than 18 countries. Here we were just behind the Norman lines, with the Saxons

Pictorial Evidence 2

2006-10-23T19:18:00.000Z

More... I think my favourite part, though (apart from seeing Duke William charge all over the battlefield, a feat I was shamefully too busy gawping at to take pictures of) was the marketplace. Here all sorts of goods were being sold and made, from weapons to armour, leather belts to purses, wooden chests to chairs, animal pelts and fine and homespun cloths. And they weren't just for show,

Pictorial evidence 1

2006-10-23T06:45:00.000Z

There was nothing at Senlac Hill when the battle was fought, no nearby town to clear up afterwards. In fact, a year or two later, when some Normans journeyed back through the area, they remarked on the piles of white bones where the battlefield had been. William commanded an Abbey to be built on the site, and this is Battle Abbey, in the mists of early morning. You could walk through the

More Hastings, Less Saxons

2006-10-22T17:53:00.000Z

(NB - blogger's photo function doesn't want to play ball, so I'll post this introduction and try and get the pictures up tomorrow!)Quick! Quick! Must blog about the Battle of Hastings before memory blurs!!!It's not uncommon to build a holiday around one idea, adding other activities and visits to the core to make a longer break. I suspect, though, that most people build a holiday around a trip

Back!

2006-10-19T17:09:00.000Z

We're back, unpacked, tackling the Laundry Mountain (eight loads and counting) and getting settled back in.We had a lovely time (more details later) and came back to find that the Gas company, Credit Card company and Taxman all owe US money, and that my contract had arrived.Not bad, eh?

And that's it from me...

2006-10-09T15:48:00.000Z

... for now.Husband and I are off visiting friends and family, and shopping, touring battlefields and visiting museums.As you do.Wish me fine food and miraculously little weight-gain... ;-)Back on or around the 20th.See you then!

Things happen when you least expect it....

2006-10-09T15:08:00.000Z

They really, really do.In the second half of 2005 and the first half of 2006 writing productivity came in fits and starts. I had lots of boosts - a great read from the Romantic Novelists'Association's New Writers Scheme for the follow-up to McWife; sponsorship to attend the RNA Conference and to rejoin the organisation; support and encouragement from friends - but I was still somehow in a bit of

Reinventing the wheel

2006-10-07T20:26:00.000Z

Well, the rest of 2003 and most of 2004 passed in something of a blur, and without a whole lot of writing. The thyroid trouble made a mockery of writing in the evening, after the dayjob, and most of the weekends were spent napping. Bearing this in mind, I may have some of my dates, and maybe some of my sequencing wrong below - unintentionally, k?!Eventually I got to have radio-iodine treatment

Waiting

2006-10-05T06:53:00.000Z

Writing is about waiting.Maybe I hadn't had to wait that much for a request for a full, but my training in patience was about to begin.Typically, I received the request for a full MS before I'd actually finished the book in question. This is a bit of a trend for me. Every time I swear it's the last, but I hit that 70 - 80% complete stage and start to yen for producing and sending a query... As

Chocolate Rush...

2006-10-04T11:27:00.000Z

This month's issue of Sainsbury's Magazine includes a free sample of Green & Blacks Chocolate. It's only a small piece, but it's Butterscotch, so it counts.Don't all rush, now.

A Long Time Ago, In An Office Far, Far Away...

2006-10-03T18:09:00.000Z

Actually, our old house is only a few hundred yards away, but it certainly seems like a long time ago that I sat down to write McWife in that draughty, upstairs, back room.I’m going to take a few days and a few posts to take you through the story of McWife (which is by no means over!). It’s a convoluted tale, but I think it's interesting enough to make a good read, and instructional enough –