Monday, July 14, 2008

Blue Remembered Heels Party


Hi, I'm Abbey Gifford and Nell asked me to be here to tell you all about Blue Remembered Heels. It feels a bit awkward if I'm honest - oh wait - I have no choice but be honest do I? Ever since that lightning bolt hit me I've only been able to tell the truth.
I still haven't figured out what happened with the whole lightning thing. I mean I wasn't out in a storm, or under a tree, or in the middle of a golf course when I got hit. I was standing on the pavement outside Debenhams looking at this really nice top in the window. There was a few rumbles like when your stomach growls really loudly and then wham! Next thing I knew this old smelly bloke was slobbering over me while I lay flat on my back feeling like I'd spilled boiling water all down the side of my neck. I remember people staring at me and the paramedics but then nothing. I woke up in hospital with Charlie and Kip, that's my brother and sister sitting next to me and a nurse calling me Henrietta.
oops, I got a bit sidetracked there, this is supposed to be a party. Nell said she has some cool door prizes and she'll pick a few people from the comments for those. She's also giving away a signed copy of Blue Remembered Heels for the person who confesses to the weirdest/funniest thing that ever happened to them. Personally, I think being hit by lightning is going to be hard to beat but Nell said I wasn't eligible because I'm a fictional character. She can be such a drag. She got stuck on a rope suspension bridge once on an army assault course and had to be rescued by this army cadet instructor - she doesn't like heights apparantly.
So come on in, leave a comment and tell me and Nell what happened to you.
Oh, and Nell said Blue Remembered Heels is available from Amazon and most good book stores - visit HERE and click on the new releases tab to read an extract.

25 comments:

Janice Seagraves said...

Do I get a prize for being the first one to comment?

Um, no? I wasn't the first?

Okay, the funniest thing that ever happened to me?

Hmm, okay I think I got one:

I shuffled out on the door PJ clad and wearing my slippers. My elderly dog clutched firmly under my arm. I set my foot on a green spot near the stairs, and swoosh there went my feet.

For a moment there I was suspended between earth and sky.

"Hey, that cloud looks dark. I bet it's going to rain more." I thought as I viewed the heavens between my slippers.

Eventually earth gravity took firm control, and down I came dog and all.

I had the presence of mind to relax my hold on the dog. She dropped delicately onto her four feet. While I slammed on my back toes still aiming sky word.

I sat slowly up and looked down at the dog. We both were shaky with that puzzled expression that says "WTF just happened?"

I shook my fist and vowed, "The next time the dog needs to go pee; I'm walking down the step a different way."

Nell Dixon said...

Ouch, that sounds so painful and so embarassing if anyone saw you. Welcome to the party and great to meet you!

Julie Day said...

I can't wait to read the book now. Have you read Meg Cabot's books about a teenager who got struck by lightning, and from then on she could find a picture of a missing person if she saw their photo. They are really good and your book reminds me of that premise.

The funniest thing that happened to me, was probably the stupidest thing I've ever done. And that was put a bull dog clip on my nose to find out if it hurt, and it did, of course. Hey ho. What can you say?

Nell Dixon said...

Sorry, Julie, I have the giggles now picturing you with a clip on your nose.

Phoebe Jordan said...

I can't remember the funniest thing that's ever happened to me right now.

I did want to stop by and say that I have your book on my wishlist ever since you guest blogged for me. I can't wait to get your book because it sounds wonderful.

Nell Dixon said...

Hugs, Phoebe, it was fun!

Tori Scott said...

Funniest/stupidest thing that I can think of...

When I was a teenager I had to go to court to contest a traffic ticket. I dressed up, including those thigh-high hose that were supposed to stay up on their own. Remember those? They didn't stay up.

When I stood up, they went down. I walked to the witness stand clutching the tops of my hose through my dress. I think that judge thought I was doing something unlawful. The ticket stood.

Congrats on your new release, Nell!

Nell Dixon said...

I remember those. I had a pair once that had broad elastic around the top and kind of concertina folded themselves down my legs.

Unknown said...

Nell, why were you on an army assault course if you're afraid of heights?

Nothing humiliating is coming to me...nothing I would cop to, anyway...

Congrats on your release day!!

Nell Dixon said...

Hi Jenna, well I knew I didn't like heights but the combo of being able to see the ground between the gaps of the net stuff that this bridge was made of and the swaying movement of the breeze and everytime you moved, it moved. Not Good.

Barbara said...

hi Nell. Your book sounds great and can't wait to read it. There have been a few "funny" things that happened to me, most of them I've forgotten. Old age does that I understand. One of the most embarrassing was when we had first moved into our house, and we didn't have curtains on a specific high window and my neighbor told me they could see into my room from that window and I shouldn't walk around undressed!

Nell Dixon said...

Ooh, creepy having the neighbours spy on you. Unfortunately I'm prone to disasters, a lot like my poor heroines.

EllenToo said...

How about talking your brother into taking you to a dance thinking since he was 4 years behind you in school (altho he looked older) no one would know who he really was??? Yep you guessed it one person there knew him because of his friendship with her brother. Remember I was a teenager.

Anonymous said...

Big congrats on your new release, Nell! I've got it on my wishlist at Amazon.com, just waiting for them to get stock.

Hmmm, I tend to be so unaware that if I ever embarrass myself I'd hardly know it. There was the time I exited the ladies room at work with the back of my skirt neatly tucked into the waist of my nylons. Luckily I noticed the extra breeziness back there before anyone else did...

Dulcie Anne

Lis said...

*sets down a bowl of punch for the party* Lovely party, Nell! Good to see Abbey blogging :o)

Well let's see embarassing, there's a lot to choose from. On an after school ski trip in Jr. High, I got stuck on the bunny slope on the rope tow. My gloves froze to the rope and the instructor had to yank me off before I hit the return at the top and could make my way back down still attached lol Completely mortifying then and kinda now when I think about it. I think I feigned injury and spent the rest of the night in the lodge.

Nell Dixon said...

I feel so much better about some of my disasters now I'm reading everyone elses. Ellen, ooh that must have been cringey. Dulcie , it was a good job you noticed that before anyone else did.
Lis, that sounds equal to my suspension bridge disaster

Judy Jarvie said...

Fab party!

I have two funnies - both painful, scarred for life scenarios. The only one I'm prepared to tell is at the theatre with friends in teens we decided to have a polo mint sucking contest. I was winning...mine was at wafer thinness...easily pleased that's me.

Sadly I boastfully showed it off then sucked/blew too hard and the polo mint landed in the ear of the man in front snogging his girlfriend. I wish I was joking but this really did happen. They both ridiculed me. Then my friends joined in while the man took the mint out of his ear and handed me it back.

I'm shuddering. Can't believe I just relived that one. Emotional scars even yet. Why do these things happen to me?

Nell Dixon said...

Oh, Judie that is so funny but I bet you wished the ground could have swallowed you up.
I'll announce door prizes and the winner of the signed copy of Blue Remembered Heels tomorrow to give everyone chance to stop by. I'm so enjoying this - you all are great!

Jessica Raymond said...

*Walks in and dives on Lis's punch*

Hmm, embarrassing things... One comes to mind -- I was at a barbecue party once and there was a guy I quite fancied. I was handing around a plate of bread rolls to go with burgers and nibbling on one at the same time. I took the plate over to this guy and as he said "thanks" I went to reply "no problem", but the teeniest (and tickliest) crumb of bread got stuck at the back of my throat and I ended up coughing/hacking all over him -- and the plate of rolls -- just like Bob Fleming from The Fast Show.

*shudder*

Amanda Ashby said...

I would love to have told you but since I'm a big fan of denial, all of my most embarassing moments have been buried far too deep for me to access!!!!!

Tanya Hanson said...

Congratulations on your new book, Nell. It sounds like a winner!

I remember slipping down the stairs at the Pantages theatre on a date with a hot guy. Broke the heel off my shoe. Oh well, survived it LOL.

Here's to many more best-sellers!

Kate Johnson said...

Hi Abbey! I read BRH the other day (sneaky me, got a copy at the RNA conference although I forgot to get Nell to sign it!). wow, your life is almost as embarrassing as mine--but a lot funnier!

I embarrass myself and those around me on a nearly constant basis, so picking out one incident is like choosing one breath from all the ones I take each day!

But as for weird things...well, there was the time the car got covered in some white powder, while outside the house. My dad said, "Ooh, I bet someone threw a bag of drugs out of a plane!" (we live near an airport). Putting aside the fact that planes don't really have windows that open, I didn't think anyone would be that stupid. But I thought I'd taste it to find out (like I know what I'd be tasting anyway). Tasted salty and chemically. Didn't kill me. Or get me high.

Turns out it was fire extinguisher powder: some kids had nicked one from the petrol station round the corner. Moral of this story: don't taste everything!

Terra57 said...

Hi Nell,
Congrats on your release. I bet it feels fantastic.

As for the funniest thing I've ever done I do think I have one that takes the cake. I haven't lived it down in the last half century but everyone I know still has a good time over it.

When I was a toddler ohhhh so many moons ago I had this constipation problem. My mom tried everything from prunes to castor oil and let me tell you I can still remember having to digest that stuff. YUK!

Well as we would have it one day I put my potty seat onto the big persons toilet seat as that is all we had back in those days. (I can hear the snickering now). Yes I did the poopie and after cleaning the toosh and pulling my pants back up, I looked in the toilet with said potty seat still attached and yelled to Mom that I did a "Big Poopie". Hah, as would have my luck I got to close and got my head stuck in the potty seat which scared the living day lights out of me.

Next thing I know Mom is yelling to Dad and my dearly loved father comes in weilding a hack saw to cut the stupid thing from my head. Now to say I had a fat head would be okay and to say I was a wee bit too curious and anxious to prove I went poopie would be an understatement.

My family has the perfect ammo for when we go on one of our most embarrassing moment kicks. I know if I have the pleasure to live another half century I still will not live this one down as long as one person on this earth knows my most embarrassing moment.

Meg Allison said...

Congrats, Nell!

Can't think of anything particularly funny at the moment -- but I know I've done a lot of stupid things in my life. ;)

Here's hoping you have tons of sales!

Christina Phillips said...

Nell huge congrats on your book signing - I love the photos and you looked absolutely lovely and authorly!

Glad you're having a fun launch party and can't wait to read BRH!