.
I was tagged by Nicola Cornick over on Facebook to do this meme and had such fun that I'm putting it up here as well. It was just lovely having all Neil Young's songs running through my head again. If anyone else feels like doing it, just cut, paste and carry on!
Using only song NAMES from ONE ARTIST, cleverly answer these questions. You can't use the band I used. Try not to repeat a song title. It's a lot harder than you think! Repost as "My life according to (band name)"
Pick your Artist: Neil Young
Are you a male or female?: Such a Woman
Describe yourself: Natural Beauty
How do you feel: Unknown Legend
Describe where you currently live: (Get Back to) the Country
If you could go anywhere, where would you go: California Sunset
Your favourite form of transportation: Cripple Creek Ferry
Your best friend is: Out on the Weekend
You and your best friends are: After the Goldrush
What's the weather like: Like a Hurricane
Favourite time of day: Harvest Moon
If your life was a TV show, what would it be called: From Hank to Hendrix
What is life to you: Bound for Glory
Your last relationship: Don't let it Bring you Down
Your current relationship: You and Me
Your fear: The Old Laughing Lady
What is the best advice you have to give: Long May You Run
Thought for the Day: Are There Any More Real Cowboys?
How I would like to die: Only Love Can Break Your Heart
Looking for: Where is the Highway Tonight?
If you could change your name, you would change it to: (Once an) Angel
Wouldn’t mind: Words
My soul's present condition: The Wayward Wind
Most Faithful Companion: Heart of Gold
My motto: One of these Days
Love ya, Neil!
.
.
This year I decided to colour-coordinate my hanging baskets. (Alan Titchmarsh, you have a lot to answer for). So on one side of the door, I filled the basket with yellow and white. It's pretty - but would have looked a lot better had all the yellow petunias not died.
The other side of the door, I filled the basket with glorious reds and oranges. Looks fabulous, doesn't it? Just as I envisioned it.
Until you glance upwards.
Did I mention we feed wild birds in our garden? Sometimes they're ever such messy eaters.
.
Wonderful meeting at the RNACambridge lunch yesterday. I've never known two and a half hours fly by so fast. At our end of the table we discussed promotion, series books, why cleavages didn't exist in Regency times - oh and some of us also got our contributor copies of Loves Me, Loves Me Not!
This is the fabulous anthology of short(ish) stories by Romantic Novelists' Association members, put together to celebrate the RNA's 50th Anniversary next year. Contributors include Katie Fforde, Elizabeth Chadwick, too many others to mention and (as you can see in the photo) RNACambridge members Sue Moorcroft, Louise Allen and ME!
44 excellent stories - buy it, it's brilliant!
.
The Good: off to the RNA Cambridge lunch today to have a lovely natter with discuss writerly matters with my lovely local friends
The Bad: physiotherapy on shoulder beforehand which for some reason makes things worse before they get better
The Beautiful: should get my Contributor Copy of Loves Me, Loves Me Not - the Romantic Novelists' Association 50th Anniversary anthology!
.
Aren't friends wonderful? Just when you're feeling all Mondayish, there's a ring at the bell and a sweating delivery man hefts a giant box from Interflora over the doorstep.
And all to thank me for doing something I thoroughly enjoyed doing anyway.
Love you, Katie!
.
I've been out to lunch [no comments, you at the back]. To a literary lunch, in fact, courtesy of the Wickhambrook Women's Institute Reading Club.
Wickhambrook WI are one of the few groups in the country to have their own hall, and very nice it is too. And, oh, the bliss of eating five sorts of sandwiches, two sorts of pastry and my choice of puddings (from three) without having to cook anything or clear it away!
There were a lot of people there, conversation flowed, recipes were swapped, the bookstall did a brisk trade. Then, just as I regretfully decided that I couldn't fit in a piece of carrot cake as well as the most divine chocolatey-cheescakey-tart, the chairman of the Reading Club stood up to introduce the speaker.
And I remembered why I'd been invited.
Fortunately, the WI ladies are an intelligent bunch and not known for holding back, so after a ten-minute introductory waffle from me, the questions came thick and fast. The Reading Club had all read my books (thus increasing my PLR, thank you!) and those literary lunchers who hadn't, were interested in the local area where I set my plots.
So - Angela and Dorothy, thank you for inviting me. I had a smashing time.
.
.
Sorry for not blogging - have been in withdrawal since the end of the fabulous Romantic Novelists' Association conference last week.
However, if anyone would like to read my 'Lemons' story, it's in the Woman's Weekly Summer Special 2 out now!
Right. Time for a big mug of tea and finish off the proofs of Fortunate Wager.
.
I know I'm posting this early, but I'm away to the RNA Conference next week and I might just possibly not find myself with spare time soon.
So - if anyone is near the Lake District on Friday 10th July, get yourself across to Penrith Library where there will be a sumptuous gathering of romantic novelists ready to meet the public, talk about their work and sign books.
Just look at all those names! How could anyone resist?
Many thanks to all the authors involved for freely giving up their time, and also to lovely Helen and Deb of Cumbria Libraries.
Sadly, I'm going to be filling goody bags, pinning lists on notice-boards and doors, and finding new things to panic about, so I'll miss it.
But I will expect full reports!
.
.
The Romantic Novelists' Association has a new blog up, courtesy of blog manager, the wonderful Liz Fenwick.
Go read for monthly releases, craft tips and writerly insights.
.
Anyone lost a racing pigeon? This handsome specimen has been with us for about 3 hours now. As you can see, food and water have been consumed and now the bird-table is serving as a comfortable bed on which to take a nap.
Trouble is - the cats are due to wake up from their nap at tea-time or so...
.
Way back in February, my good friend Julie Cohen (whose new book Girl From Mars has gone into reprint in its launch week!) handed me a 'lemons' award. As in "When life hands you lemons, make lemonade"
Nice pressy, I thought. I could make a story out of that.
So I did. And Woman's Weekly have bought it.
It will be in the WW Summer Special No 2, out next month.
Cheers, Julie, I owe you one!
.
.
A couple of gratuitous Merlin-and-Archer pics (taken four years apart) to wish daughter luck in her exams this week.
You can do it!
(Psst - remember to read the question half-way through just to check you're answering what you think you're answering)
.
You'll like this. This is so cool. I visited the fantastically talented Julie Cohen's site yesterday where she is celebrating the launch of Girl from Mars and found this link where you can turn yourself into a comic-book hero!
So I did.
(PS The title is nothing to do with me - the site comes up with that all by itself)
.
.
Progress so far:
Plants in tubs
Submission ready to go
and, er, books still on floor. But hey, Archer likes them, see?
