Because I’m all over the place, both cyber and real world, in the next six weeks or so! 

This Friday, 27th June, I’m a guest of the lovely Anna Sugden at Writers at Play, talking about Run Among Thorns.

Wednesday, 2nd July, I’m being interviewed by good friend and talented writer Donnell Bell at the nex group blog, Five Scribes.  We’ll be talking about how Run Among Thorns came about, and what it’s like being an English author writing for a US market.

Then on Saturday 5th July I’ll be presenting a workshop on Sense of Place – using setting in your story, at the UK Romantic Novelists’ Association annual conference, in Chichester.  This will be my fifth RNA conference, but my first as a published author, and my first presenting a workshop!

On Wednesday, 23rd July I’ll be joining fellow romance writers Kathy Love and Julie Cohen at Rumford Library, Rumford, Maine (the joke being that they’re from Rumford, Maine and I’m from Romford, Essex…  ) for a talk and book signing.

And finally, for the Grande Finale, I’ll be joining some 500 other romance writers on Wednesday 30th July at the Literacy Autographing at Romance Writers of America’s National Conference in San Francisco.

Phew.

Do you reckon that’s enough for now? 

I’m blogging today at Romance Bandits, where you can read Kier’s hero interview, and have a change to name a beer… that will appear in my next book!

There’s signed copies and stuff on offer, too.    See you there!

Husband and I are off for a few days on the lovely Northumberland Coast.  Pourquoi, I hear you ask?

Well, it’s our wedding anniversary.  Ten years.

We’re pretty proud of that. 

On Friday, ten years ago, we were exchaning vows in the little church down the road, trying not to stare at the grass stains on the vicar’s surplice.  Considering the whole ordeal was Husband’s idea of a nightmare (standing up in front of a crowd, dressing up, speaking in front of a crowd…) he did fabulously.

Of course, he’d chosen a brilliant bride. 

The sun shone.  I wore a perfectly fitted natural silk gown, with a slight train, and a floor-length veil.  There was a brooch belonging to my grandmother hidden in the ivory silk roses on the back of my dress.  I wore my mother’s pearl ring, and a small piece of blue fabric was sewn into the dress, with our names and dates embroidered, by my hand, in gold thread.  There was a sixpence, donated by the seamstress who altered the dress for me, in my ivory silk shoe.

Husband wore a tie I’d given him, featuring lots of little cartoon sheep.  One of the sheep was wearing wellies.

After the reception, at which neither Husband nor I could eat anything, since we were both too hyper, and also at which I discovered the agony of sitting in layers of net petticoats, my brother, who was my Husband’s best man, gave a speech.  The thanked the bridesmaid, Husband’s sister, and said he couldn’t think of a better wife for his best friend than his sister, or a better husband for his sister, than his best friend.  There was not a dry eye in the house.

We drank champagne, pretended to eat cake, and went outside to our Lancia Delta, which was never to recover from the havoc that was wrought on its full rally body graphics by someone’s lipstick.

It was a fantastic day.

But however wonderful, memorable and perfect that day was, it cannot match the quality of the man I married. 

Since he doesn’t read this blog, I can be as sloppy as I like:  I love you, Ian.  Thank you for making me so very happy.

(The above isn’t a wedding picture, it was taken Christmas 06.  But I love how it encapsulates our relationship… lots of silly grins.)

 PS – While I’m away (back Sunday!) go and amuse yourself at Julie Cohen’s Blog Party!  Win some wonderful books!!!

Just to let you know that I’ll be blogging at Romance Bandits on Sunday 22nd June.  Amazingly, I managed to persuade Kier from Run Among Thorns to co-operate in a hero interview (barely) and between us the fabulous Anna Sugden and myself came up with what might be the perfect competition idea.

Name a beer.

No, we haven’t gone crazy.  You see, in Run Among Thorns, there’s a fair bit of tension between Jenny’s brother Alan, and Kier.  Some of that suspicion and conflict is expressed in their opinions of beer… Alan is a Real Ale fan, and particularly likes the offerings of the Lake District Jennings Brewery - famed beers such as Sneck Lifter and Cross Buttock.

So one lucky commenter on the Romance Bandits blog on Sunday will not only win a signed copy of Run Among Thorns, but will win the chance to have their new beer name appear in Alan’s story, Dangerous Lies, which comes out next June.

Now come on, is that a great prize, or what?

What’s more, it will be the first time I’ve put a made-up beer name in a book.  All the rest – Take the Pith, Old Engine Oil and Cocker Hoop, are real….

See you on Sunday!

I’d been spending the morning trying to creep up on Husband.  Finally, he rushes into the bedroom where I am…

Husband:  [growling] The best form of defence is attack!

Me:  [Screaming appropriately as Husband picks me up]

Husband:  [with effort] Ah-HA!

Me:  I can’t believe you picked me up…

Husband: [in a strained voice]  *I* can’t believe I picked you up…

Me:  Oh you poor love.  Have you fused your vertebrae?

Husband:  No, I think I survived.

Me:  Well, it was lovely.  I made me feel young!

Husband: [muttering]  It made me feel old…

Find out how, why, and how I feel about it over on the Southern Fried Chicas blog!

I’m popping around doing some guest blogs this month and the next.  Details below…

22nd June – Romance Bandits

27th June – Writers at Play

July tbc – Five Scribes, a brand new groups blog.

You can also find out more about me, Run Among Thorns, and my guilty dancing secret on the Medallion Press site, where my Author Spotlight is up!

… to be romantic or creative when the cats are playing with bits of dead rabbit over your naked feet.

And I came into the garden for inspiration…  *shaking my head*