Away, Home, Away, News.

I never take Tom’s support for my work for granted and always count myself lucky to have someone who puts up with me and my imaginary friends. However, it’s always good to return the favour. Tom’s about to complete his MA in music and last week we did an overnight stay in Milton Keynes where he was presenting an academic paper at the Open University. I worked in the Hub which was very comfortable though strangely devoid of what I would recognise as students. Whilst I couldn’t attend the lecture it was just brilliant to be there to see Tom’s face when he came out and know that his presentation had gone well.

The view from the Hub

On the home front, we’ve been enjoying this rare spell of glorious weather with visits from MiL and DiL and Lily and Russ.

DiL, MiL and Tom at Fishguard, post-ice creams!

I’ve also been reorganising my study which involved moving what felt like a never-ending pile of books into the hall. There are bookshelves all over the house, but these are just some of my ‘keepers.’

On Friday morning, I’m leaving at crack of doom (trying not to faint on the train this time) to attend the Romantic Novelists’ Association Conference in Sheffield – further reports to follow! Then the following weekend, it’s Tom’s turn and a trip to London for a music conference.

Between visitors and trips, I’ve been playing with ideas for a novella and Book Four. This is the ‘coasting’ stage where I pick up and discard ideas until it all starts to hang together – a real contrast to the other end of the creative spectrum when I’m living and breathing every moment of my imaginary world. All the intensity of those last weeks feels worth it when your publisher writes to say ‘yes’. I’m delighted – and, yes, it feels just as brilliant and thrilling as the first time – to say that Book 3 – new title and cover to follow will be published by Choc Lit in July 2014.