sky blue pink

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As a child, I often used to wonder what colour 'sky blue pink' really was. I reckon this might be it, don't you?
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Off at a party

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Today is the first of the month, so I am over at Historical Romance UK talking about one of my very favourite places, the Theatre Royal in Bury St Edmunds.

William Wilkins (1778-1839)

As yesterday was the birthday of William Wilkins, architect, theatre proprietor and all-round control-freak, the post is about his present to the town - and how it nearly went horribly wrong.

Happy birthday for yesterday, WW.
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Final part of An Ordinary Gift

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The issue of Woman's Weekly containing the final part of An Ordinary Gift is now on sale!

Ely museum

In this episode Clare visits Ely museum (housed in the 13th century gaol),

learns about 16th century witchcraft ...




and finally understands her 'ordinary gift'.
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Ely serial - part three

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Part Three of An Ordinary Gift is now in bookshops and supermarkets. I've really loved writing my 'Ely' serial and getting the atmosphere of this island town into the story (no, really, it honestly was an island until the Fens were drained in the 17th Century - hence the name, "Isle of Eels") .

Amongst the things Clare comes across in this week's episode are a plaque to the Wisbech Martyrs

and a cannon presented to the people of Ely by Queen Victoria. [Note: very nice of her, but Clare and I can't help wondering what QV thought the people of Ely would do with it!]






Oh, and a priest hole with old, old, memories...

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RNA Blog

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Conference

If anyone wonders what goes into organising the Romantic Novelists' Association annual conference, pop over to the RNA blog where I am being interviewed this week.

Mind you, the conference seems a very long time ago now!
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An Ordinary Gift - part two

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Part Two of An Ordinary Gift is out now!

In this episode, Clare visits Ely cathedral, meets some choristers and looks out of her window at a garden.

None of which is as it sounds.

Except for the cathedral.
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Warning - VERY cute cats photo!

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Brotherly love

My cats are quite ridiculously photogenic - and also remarkably cute at times. Being brothers who have never lived apart, Archer and Merlin often curl up together, but this was a particularly sweet pose last night.

All together now... Ahhhhh.


[PS: I'm blogging today over at Historical Romance UK]
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An Ordinary Gift

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It's out! The first episode of my four-part serial for Woman's Weekly is in the shops this week.

It is called An Ordinary Gift, it is set in lovely Ely in Cambridgeshire and it is a slightly spooky paranormal mystery.

The main character is Clare Somerset, an ancient-music archivist, who arrives in Ely to start a new job and a new passage in her life. As far as she knows, she has never visited Ely before, but almost from the first moment she starts to experience near-memories...

I set the serial in Ely because it is local to where I live and is one of my favourite towns. Here I am taking tea in Topping&Company Booksellers with a view of the Cathedral filling the upper windows. Anyone who has ever visited Toppings and been entranced by the interior will notice a certain similarity to Clare's new workplace!

Enjoy.
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Before the Conference...

Jan Jones with workshoppers

With pre-conference tasks to do, I went to Caerleon in advance of the main RNA crowd. While there, fellow organiser Roger Sanderson and I gave a talk at beautiful Brynglas House in Newport on "Writing Romance".

Entrance Hall

This elegant building, built in 1852 and now a community learning and library centre, has been lovingly restored and is a wonderful local facility. We were very flattered to be one of the inaugural events.

The talk went well - but I was mostly blown away by the architecture. Why don't I have a house like this?

Or a fireplace like this?







[If you are wondering why there are no photos of the front of the building, it's because it was raining. Well, we were in Wales.]
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A different way with words

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I have been  busy getting ready for the next RNA Conference, but took time off a couple of weeks ago to visit a small, but perfectly formed, exhibition in a shop - yes, a shop, in South Audley Street, London.

Information is about it here and it has been so popular that it is on until the end of July.

The exhibition is by textile (amongst other things) Rosalind Wyatt. One window holds inspirations and the tools of her trade

"If Shoes Could Talk"

The other window contains a beautiful exhibit of Georgian shoes set in a living garden. At the back of the shop, a recording of Bill Nighy explaining the story of the girl who inspired the piece can be listened to from the comfort of a deep armchair.

Rosalind paints, appliqués and embroiders words onto her pieces. They are tender, thought-provoking, and quite, quite beautiful.

Rosalind Wyatt

My next serial involves a textile artist, so it was especially useful and interesting for me to visit this gallery of words, but you don't need an excuse. Really.

RNA Summer Party 2011

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What a fabulous Summer Party it was this year! Gorgeous frocks, wonderful shoes, wine, canapés, an award presentation and the best of all company.







I gave my LSotY shortlist dress another outing - here I am looking almost grown-up as I warm up the crowd ready for the presentations.

In an all-change moment, RNA outgoing chair Katie Fforde handed over stewardship to Anne Ashurst,

outgoing president Diane Pearson got an IMMENSE round of applause for her years of service, and then we moved on to the Joan Hessayon Award for the 2011 best début novel.

Joan Hessayon contenders l-r: Molly Hopkins, Kate Jackson, Paula Williams, Charlotte Betts, Sally Clements

and the winner was announced as Charlotte Betts with The Apothecary's Daughter.

enjoying the speeches: Lucy King (winner 2010),
Kate Johnson, Lyn McCulloch, Talli Roland

Impossibly glamorous Danuta Kean with me

Carole Blake and Jan

Then it was on to more partying, more catching up with friends, more networking with editors, agents, journalists and PR gurus.

The Joan Hessayon trophy

God bless the Romantic Novelists' Association and all who sail in her.

(Most pix taken by Marte at mlr photo. Others taken by me or Liz Fenwick)

Off visiting...

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While I was at the RNA Summer Party earlier this week (blog post soon, I promise), I popped into those Minxes Of Romance to do an author interview. The miracles of modern science, eh?
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Mugs and mementos

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Have you seen my awesome mug from the Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds?

It starts like this........

and then, as soon as hot tea is poured into it, it turns into THIS!

(So naturally, I have to keep it filled up often)

It's all glowing and glossy and shiny and a pleasure to drink out of. Quite the nicest memento I have.

What's yours?
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Just because...

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Just because the sun is shining and the wind is warm and I was once very young and unwisely in love, here is a poem I wrote then (many years ago)...

So Few Hours by Jan Jones

Just one afternoon
Stolen from the confines
Of these cold walls
And high ceilings
Just one afternoon
Speeding along motorways and
Narrow lanes
Wind in my hair
Your hand over mine.

And always now when I see your face
It will be above mine
Sun filtering through the arches of trees overhead
Always now when you touch my arm
I'll feel stones pressing into my back
And plants stinging my shoulders
Always now when I brush my hair
Leaves and twigs will cascade around me
Always now when I reach for a needle
I'll mend the rent in my skirt.

And nothing now will ever teach me to think of you
With less than a smile on my lips
And nothing now will ever teach me to think of you
With less than an ache in my heart.


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Magnolia!

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My magnolia tree has a history of getting it spectacularly wrong with regards to blossom/frost.

This year, however, it has got things spectacularly right.

Enjoy!
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