Autumn

It's Autumn here in the UK and the colours are stunning. The very cold winter we had last year did everything good. The spring and summer blossoms have been outstanding and now the autumn colours are breathtaking. I wouldn't be doing them justice if I called them red and gold and brown. There's scarlet and crimson and damson, apricot and mustard and honey, copper and ginger, as well as olive and lime. And wouldn't you guess it, I never seem to have my camera with me when I need it. The one in my phone doesn't do them justice either.

My second book, published in 1976, was called Shades of Autumn. For the simple reason that it took place at this time of year. It's my favourite season - although when Spring comes around and we have all the fresh shades of green I like that too. Do you have a favourite season?

The Waiting Game

While I'm waiting to hear from my ed about the new synopsis I've been doing very little as far as writing is concerned. I've been catching up with other stuff instead, like visiting relatives, and doing a little Christmas shopping. Yes, I know it's early, but all I've done is pick gifts up as I've seen them instead of traipsing around the shops wondering what to buy for a particular person. If only I could do them all that way? Do you enjoy Christmas shopping? Do you do it early, or wait until the last minute when the shops are busy and everyone's in the holiday mood?

Foreign editions

I've just received copies of my book The Wife Seduction in French. This book was first published in 2000 so it's exciting to see it once again.

I've had a lot of foreign copies in the last few weeks - my postman always smiles when he hands the boxes to me. He has no idea that the books are actually ones that I have written.

Bird feeders

To foil the pigeons who keep eating the food we put out for the smaller birds we bought a stand with three hanging feeders which are too narrow for the pigeons to perch on. The pigeons looked a bit dismayed to start with, studying it hard, trying to land on the perches, but without success. We're not being cruel you understand, we do throw stuff out for the pigeons separately, and they do eat the food that the sparrows and finches, etc, drop.

So all was well.

But - my DH was watching them the other morning and could hardly believe his eyes. A sparrow was on the perch, a pigeon below. The sparrow looked at the pigeon, picked up a seed or a nut, and deliberately dropped it down to him. Not once, but several times.

How clever is that?

Synopses

I don't find writing a synopsis easy. When I first started writing I used to know how my hero and heroine met, what the conflict between them was going to be, and perhaps one or two things that might happen along the way. And that's as far as it went.
Now my editor likes a synopsis of the whole story - I have a feeling she doesn't like surprises. (sorry, ed, if you're reading this) And I find it very hard to develop a full version in these early stages. How do I know what is going to happen? Characters have a mind of their own, sometimes going in way you never expect. It's part of the excitement of writing.
Does anyone else feel this way? Do you like writing synopses? Or do you prefer to let the characters write their own story along the way?

Foreign editions

I've just received a copy of The Italian's Ruthless Baby Bargain in German.

Don't you just love the cover?

And the title?

Good news

My latest book has now been accepted and is being published in May 2011 here in the UK under the title of A NIGHT WITH CONSEQUENCES.

The consequences were the night Kara spent with Blake - her boss. She had been working for him for nearly twelve months before he discovered that beneath the drab clothes she wore for work was actually a beautiful woman. It happened when she reluctantly accompanied him to Italy for the company's annual convention. I expect you can guess what the consequences were!

I am now supposedly taking a rest from writing to spend quality time with my long-suffering husband, but already my mind is busy working out a new plot. It's very sketchy yet but I keep adding. Very often I go to bed before my DH and then I'll sit up with a notebook and pencil and scribble down ideas. Often they get erased but there's always something that excites me, something that I can expand on.

This part of the process is the fun part. Creating new characters, giving them a history, leading them into the ups and downs of their new life together.