HAPPY NEW YEAR

We went away for Christmas this year, staying in a hotel in Devon. We did lots of walking after every meal so neither of us have put any weight on – which has to be good. Therefore no need for a New Year’s resolution to lose weight (except that I really could do with losing a few pounds) And now I have my head down trying to finish Vidal and Elena’s story – still half a book to go and my deadline is the end of January. With my rate of words per day it will be hard going. Nevertheless I’m sure I shall deliver on time.

I’ve also vowed to myself that I’ll try and blog more frequently than I did in 2008. Even if it’s only to tell you my word count for the day. And any time now I’ll be setting a new contest.

So – Happy New Year to everyone, may it bring you peace and happiness.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

May I wish everyone of you a Very Merry Christmas
and peace and happiness during 2009

Writer's block

I had to smile last night when I was watching a re-run of an old sit-com. Mother was sitting at her lap top, staring at the screen. She is apparently trying to write a novel. Daughter comes in. 'Stuck, are you?' Mother promptly answers, 'No, I'm not stuck. I have writer's block.'

Better

I'm feeling much better now and have managed to get back into my writing - which is good - except that I'm not halfway through the story yet and it's deadline is the end of January. I'm facing a big black hole in the middle. I wish the Christmas fairy would wave her magic wand and help me through it. I know how it's going to end but what's going to happen in the middle is still a mystery. At least Vidal and Elena are happy in their m-o-c. Perhaps that's the problem. Are they too happy? I think it needs some deep thought.

Bug

I’ve not been feeling well all the week. I caught a bug that’s spreading across the country, starting off with sickness and a stomach ache, turning into a cough and cold that will not be shaken.

I’ve done no writing so have nothing to report. Poor Elena and Vidal must wonder what’s happened to them. They’re stuck on the second day of their arranged marriage wondering where it’s going to take them.

I must get back to them soon.

It's all or nothing

Some weeks I receive several parcels of books and at other times there are none. Last week was a good week. Together with copies of my new book THE ITALIAN’S RUTHLESS BABY BARGAIN due out in the UK in February I received two copies of BEDDED AT HIS CONVENIENCE in Greek. How I wish I could read their language – it looks so fascinating.

And then on Friday I received a copy of an old book of mine POWERFUL PERSUASION – first published in 1996 – in Japanese comic form. It’s wonderful. My heroine, Celena, has such large eyes – and when I say large, I mean LARGE. And Luciano – a Sicilian aristocrat – is quite dashing although he looks a bit younger than I imagined. It must have taken someone ages to draw all these hundreds of pictures – unless it’s computerised. Does anyone know? I’ve only ever had one book published before in comic form so it’s quite an event.

I've just received my advance paperback copies of THE ITALIAN'S RUTHLESS BABY BARGAIN which is due out here in the UK in February. I always love to look at new books and to feel them and smell them. And of course the excitement is increased when they're actually mine! Books that I have written and slaved over and hopefully brought the characters to life...

This is the story of Penny & Santo. Penny begins working for him as a nanny but it isn't long before he has seduced her - and got her pregnant! You can read more here