Spring!

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Well, it's taken a while, but it's finally here. Just as British Summer Time kicks in.

2010 RNA Awards Lunch

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Last week was the Romantic Novelists' Association Pure Passion Awards Lunch. Every previous year I have arrived early and scurried around putting out place names or tying balloons on books or doing anything else I was asked to in order to get the room ready.

This year was different. Yes, I arrived early - but then was ushered into the Author's Room and given tea and hugged the other shortlisted authors and had my photo taken. [Shortlisted Love Story of the Year authors shown with lovely chairman, Katie Fforde] It was all a bit surreal, really. At any moment I was expecting someone to draw me apologetically to one side and tell me there had been a mistake and I wasn't supposed to be there after all.

Once all the photos had been taken and we had caught up with one another, we were released into the wild - sorry, the anteroom - for a glass of champagne and even more catching up with masses of pals. The Royal Garden Hotel was jammed! Amazingly, my editor managed to find me (they are such a clever breed) and we moved into the gorgeously decorated main room for lunch.

Fair Deception didn't win - that accolade went to Nell Dixon's deserving Animal Instincts, published by Little Black Dress - but it was such a wonderful day the awards seemed the least of it. And one of the very best bits was this dessert: 'Pure Chocolate Passion'. created especially for the 50th Anniversary.
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Procrastinating, moi?

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I have a novel, a revision, a serial, three short stories and a raft of critiques to get on with. I have a To Do list rather longer than my arm. I desperately need to decide whether to wear sensible apricot or swirly scarlet to the Pure Passion Awards Lunch (I have mentioned Fair Deception is shortlisted for Love Story of the Year, have I?).

So I thought I'd ignore all of them and go to a nice soothing lecture on "Historical Bury St Edmunds through Paintings and Prints" instead.

These photos are of the remains of the old Precinct Wall in Bury St Edmunds. Look at the thickness of it! I just love the way all the buildings butt onto it and have grown around it.

The past in the present.
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Penny Grubb's launch

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It is always lovely to help a fellow author celebrate, so I was delighted to be invited to new Hale author Penny Grubb's launch for Like False Money, the first in a series of crime novels.

The launch was held in the splendid 'penthouse' apartment of the ALCS building in London.

Wine and nibbles were consumed, Penny gave a very funny talk on how she and the book progressed from the initial idea to eventual publication, books were signed, photos taken and networking done.



It was especially nice that the gang from Hale (our joint publisher) were there to cheer Penny on, and that being the case I grabbed a photo opportunity of my own...