Monday 28 December 2009

Sale time!

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Due to the unaccountable absence of any liqueur chocolates in either my birthday bag or under the tree, I felt impelled to visit Waitrose this morning and browse the sale bay. (That and the fact that we only had an inch of milk left in the fridge.)

Have now spent another £2 of my birthday money and feel nicely mollified. There were bigger boxes, but I do love these miniature chocolate bottles with an appreciable amount of liquid inside.

So, what didn't you get this Christmas and what are you going to do about it?

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Friday 18 December 2009

Hello, snow!

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East Anglia has turned pretty overnight.

Later on it will no doubt be slushy and not pretty at all...



but for the moment it's all rather beautiful.
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Tuesday 15 December 2009

Longlist for Romantic Novel of the Year 2010

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Longlist time! This is for the RNA Romantic Novel of the Year 2010 and there are some terrific names on it.

Who am I going to be rooting for though? There are my RNACambridge pals Judith Lennox and Mary Nichols (how good is that - a tiny chapter and TWO longlisters!)

There are also chums Julia Williams, Jean Fullerton, Veronica Henry and Sarah Duncan.

And lots of other good books too. I foresee the Santa's Christmas book sack straining at the seams.

Full story on the RNA Awards page.
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Friday 11 December 2009

RNACambs Christmas Lunch

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Lovely RNACambridge Christmas lunch on Wednesday, with a whole bunch of talented mates, food, wine and a Secret Santa as well. I had every intention of taking photos, but then I got so involved with the million conversations all going on at once that I, er, forgot. So no pic of us in all our finery, I'm afraid. Or the beautifully wrapped pile of Secret Santa pressies. Sorry.


I did photograph the food though. My Xmas dinner at the top ... and Kate's Christmas-Vegetable-Omelette at the bottom. Look at it: carrots, parsnips, sprouts, the lot! Definitely not something you see every day.

Wednesday 9 December 2009

Surprise review!

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How lovely is my friend Kate Hardy! I clicked on her bog this morning on my usual round up and saw this!

Reading: Jan Jones, Fortunate Wager – read this in one sitting. I love Jan’s Newmarket books because she has the place spot on. I also love her characterisation (Caroline is a tad unconventional and utterly lovely – the kind you’d want to be your friend; and Alexander is just gorgeous), her dialogue, the way she writes the most horrible villains, and the rollicking good pace of her stories. (Jan, you’d better have the next one almost complete now. Impatient readers – i.e. me – want the next one…)

Thanks, Kate! And congrats to you for being nominated for "Best Presents"

(Oh, and the next Newmarket Regency is, er, in progress. Ish. Very ish.)
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Sunday 6 December 2009

Another lunatic plant!

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This is such crazy weather for this time of year. This poor, deluded Daphne shouldn't be out until the Spring!

Tuesday 1 December 2009

December?

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This is my idiotic fuchsia which has been delighting me on the patio since May. It clearly has not realised that it is now December!