COMPETITIONS GALORE!
If anyone wants to win afternoon tea in the sweetest cafe in Barnsley - Our lovely Potting Shed (Maltstone Garden Centre in the books) just check this link. Closes 2nd Jan - so we're looking at a sunny day next year... when I'll be married to George Clooney and bringing him along with me (NB: part of this paragraph is a lie).
And check here for fab competitions on my publisher - Simon and Schuster's - website
DECEMBER
Well this time last year I was sitting in a Manchester theatre watching 'We Will Rock You' and now I'm wondering where the last twelve months have gone. Bit of an Alton Towers ride, have to admit - but all 'grist to the mill'. Ironically 12 months to the day after my date with the soldier who was helping me with some research, I have started in earnest book 8. In the past month I've also nailed down the titles and plot to books 9 & 10 so no stopping me yet.
White wedding is positively the longest book I've written so far so I'm looking forward to seeing the edit on that. So nice to have Christmas off now - I was up all night finishing White Wedding and then my file corrupted - which was hairier than an unwaxed yeti - but I managed to send it to my editors who received it safe and soundly.
Events just gone - schmoozing at the Mayor's Ball in long frock and wishing I could remember how I got home... but lovely people met and great evening had. Fabulous day at the Clothes Show (give or take the stool incident).
Events to come... oh a wonderful launch for book 8, radio interviews, short stories (I'm in this months 'Your Cat' for moggy lovers - will print details here v soon.
NOVEMBER
October was a whirlwind! Trips to London, Paris - and Wigan (where they always treat me beautifully!). Film talks are back on with the Yorkshire Pudding Club - but until I'm buying the popcorn, I'll be putting that to the back of my mind.
WHITE WEDDING is just about finished and I've loved writing it - though I've had more than my fair share of my writing time being interrupted. But I wasn't going to turn down things like meeting Keith Lemon in London and climbing Eiffel Towers (in a lift, not with crampons) And judging wonderful competitions like PROUD OF BARNSLEY with the super talented - and very funny - artist Ashley Jackson.
Coming up this month...
OCTOBER
26th - I'll be at the 'Off the Shelf' Literary festival in Sheffield. See here for details if you want to book and see me.
19th - WIGAN - Standish library on Cross Street for an evening talk about my career, beginning 7.30.
18th - Just coming back to earth after a whistlestop tour of Paris. Obviously it was 'work'. I'm so proud of myself for managing to negotiate the Metro (okay, okay, it's easy - but not for me!) Just goes to show what you can do when you push yourself.
1st - For anyone who missed my appearance on COME DINE WITH ME along with my four Barnsley contestants, this will be repeated on Saturday 1st October, Channel 4, beginning 16:10.
Lovely Waterstones are holding two signing sessions this month (so far)
1st - 11am -12: Waterstones Wakefield - The Ridings
1st - 2.30 - 3.30: Waterstones Meadowhall (upstairs next to Marks and Spencers)
I'll also be at the Waterstones downstairs next to Debenhams briefly at 3.30 signing stock for anyone who has missed me.
I'll be returning to Meadowhall before Christmas in case anyone wants some Christmas books signing (mine - not Jackie Collins's btw!)
SEPTEMBER
THE BIG NEWS IS THAT AUTUMN CRUSH IS OUT VERY EARLY IN WH SMITHS - ie NOW!.
Where has the summer gone? I think I blinked and missed it - ho ho. At least we got some serious rays in - I was 'working' on board a cruise. I say 'working'... signing books and doing talks inbetween cocktails on P & O Cruises gorgeous Azura. Go take a virtual tour and sigh. The lovely lady who won the cruise competition is currently sailing on her first ship and I can't keen to see how she loved it (she will have).
It's an incredibly busy month for me. Autumn Crush is coming out very shortly now. The first reviews are nice which is great as it's always a very vulnerable time. This book features a rescue cat called Stripies - the chance to name the cat was raffled off to raise funds for Haworth Cat Rescue the charity I'm patron of. The delightful Mrs Daphne Butters won and it was quite a challenge working with his unusual name (especially as he was all black - and had to be for a reason) but I hope my readers enjoy him as a character in his own right.
I'm also doing a lot of talks around, bobbing down to London for pow wows, breakfasting with a Bishop. On the radio too, and have just been asked to be on the judging panel of a fabulous school project 'Proud of Barnsley' run by the MP Dan Jarvis. I'm so thrilled to be asked - it's my kind of competition. More on that later.
Thank you to all the delightful people who are supporting my fundraising launch nights with prizes. I'm always stunned at the generosity of people. Author Miranda Dickinson has sent books and chocolate and mirrors, Lucy Diamond and Debbie Viggiano, Tara Hyland, Cesca Martin, Kate Hardy have all sent signed books. The Holiday Inn (Brooklands) are giving a meal away (and wine!) Bannatynes Gym have given a spa voucher, Lovely Lou at the Lamproom has given us some theatre tickets. There are vouchers from Picture Proud, gorgeous bookmarks, a spa voucher, jewellery, a facial steamer, booze... and of course I'll be giving away book bags with book purchases. AND lovely Douwe Egberts and Walkers are sending coffee and shortbread to commemorate those nights when I relied on them to help me work through the night to finish my first book - aw bless them.
As there are a lot of people who wanted to come but can't fit in - I'm doing a 'Christmas special' in December with a slide show. More details on that later.
And next month, I'm shooting off to Paris. With Johnny Depp. (One of these is a lie.)
26th - 11am - I'll be on Rony's Panel on Radio Sheffield.
