Hurray for holidays

I'll be missing for a few days as Mr Nell and I are taking the belles away to the seaside in our tourer. Am hoping a freak heat wave will hit Dorset while we're there or we may be returning with less teenagers than when we started. In the meantime, you might like to pick up a copy of Radio Gaga for your reading pleasure!

Over the airwaves everyone can hear you scream!

Radio researcher and part-time presenter Chloe Lark is certain her big show biz break is just around the corner. Live it Up radio may not be the big time, but surely - one day soon - fame will come her way. And, if she could convince the hunky guy next door to give her a chance, her love life might improve too.

Ex-soldier Ben isn’t sure if his new ‘Z’ list celebrity neighbour is crazy or on medication. Either way he’s looking for a quiet life out of the spotlight. The last thing he needs is an accident prone media hungry blonde complete with mystery stalker. Problem is - Chloe doesn’t seem to have received that particular memo…

‘Great characters, exciting writing and a beautiful love story - a definite must have for your Kindle!’ 5*

Here’s an excerpt!

I knew it wasn’t burglars when I noticed the large empty space next to the bay window. No self-respecting burglar would break into someone’s home just to steal a life size cardboard cut-out of Darth Vader would they? No, it wasn’t burglars who’d nicked Darth or who’d cleared the shelf of the Queen CDs. It was Neil. He’d finally moved out, and taken Freddie Mercury and the Dark Lord with him as he went.

For a moment I stood trying to decide how I felt. Angry? Broken-hearted? In the time it took me to cross the room, enter the kitchen and dump my handbag on the worktop I decided my overwhelming feeling was relief.

Neil had raided the kitchen too: his state of the art coffee maker which I hadn’t been allowed to touch was gone, along with his juicer and his super fancy wok. Only a couple of spilled coffee beans on the countertop showed where they had been. I looked at the clippie magnet on the fridge to see if he’d left me a note. We’d always left messages for each other one there. A few months back they had been little love notes with kisses and pictures of hearts. Now the only thing on there was the ratty message I’d left for him yesterday asking him to pick up some milk on his way home. I walked back through the lounge to what had once been our bedroom. The wardrobe doors were open showing the empty hangers and his rack of immaculately arranged ties had gone. My mobile vibrated in my trouser pocket telling me I had a text as I sank down onto the edge of the bed. I knew what it would be before I even fished it out of my pocket.

‘Chloe, guess you know by now have moved out, thought would be better this way. U know it wasn’t working, sorry, N’ © Nell Dixon 2013

Available from http://www.amazon.com/Radio-Gaga-ebook/dp/B00BK7TY7C/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_t_1_GS4P And http://www.amazon.co.uk/Radio-Gaga-ebook/dp/B00BK7TY7C/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_t_2_6E46

Holiday!

Bet you have the Madonna track going in your head now! The house sitters are here, the fish feeding instructions are done and we're packing the caravan for our holiday in Devon. Looking forward to Torquay, Brixham, Paignton and Exeter - some of my favourite places. The kindle is stuffed full of lovely books, the fridge is loaded with goodies and I have a pad and pen to scribble down the new 15k Christmas novella I have unfolding in my head right now - another new Bay story hopefully. Never too sure how much net I'll get while I'm away so you might see me - you might not!

A bit of a catch up!

I've been a bit of a bad blogger lately. My excuse is that time seems to be whizzing past and I have been horrendously busy. Things are moving swiftly with Renovation, Renovation, Renovation - edits are due anytime soon and yesterday I saw some of the cover concepts - all of which are gorgeous and different and lovely. As soon as I get the official release dates I'll be shouting about them on here. I'm halfway through writing the second contracted book for Myrmidon so I'm having to pick my way through the various complicated plot threads at the minute to make sure i don't end up with holes.
I'm also still writing Sour Grapes, my shorter novella. I have the next week off from the day job so I may do some more on that then. That's also half done. Then there's my secret, not supposed to be writing it at all book. All I'll tell you is that it's Jane Austen inspired contemporary rom com.
The belles have been busy too with my eldest dd sitting her AS level exams, and the two younger ones taking part in the annual dance show, plus my middle dd working with her theatre group ready for the summer festival.
I'm really looking forward to a week just puttering about, tinkering with my wips and tidying up the house. It'll be so nice not to have to rush around everywhere.

Hi Honey, I'm home!

We arrived home yesterday. Had a lovely holiday, not really long enough sadly but still can't have everything. The weather was pretty good all week with the exception of Wednesday.
Coincidentally Wednesday was the fabulous Julie Cohen's birthday and we met on the Cobb at Lyme Regis at Midday with Julie, the Fecklet and the Rock God (Julie's son and hubby) for fish and chips on the beach. After a lovely, if a bit chilly, lunch we adjourned to the pub to warm up before hitting the town to cause chaos in Serendip - the bookshop. (Pictures to follow).The Fecklet was very taken with my eldest belle who has a sort of magic spell that she always manages to weave over small children. We had a nice few hours before the heavens opened.
We spent the week pootling around Sidmouth, Seaton, Lyme Regis, Honiton and one of my favourite places, Exeter. We did jigsaws, hunted for fossils, metal detected on the beach, shopped and visited the town museum. Lovely.

Errands to run

Monday is my desk and errand day. It's when I sort out 'stuff'. It's amazing how 'stuff' builds up and multiplies in a week, kind of like dustbunnies under the bed or hangers in a wardrobe. I also turned over my calendar and realised I'm off to the seaside at the weekend - yay! I love being by the sea especially early and late season when there are just a few people around. I always feel inspired to write and read when I'm there. Fingers crossed we get a few sunny days, my middle belle has already found her metal detector ready for the beaches.
What settings inspire you? Are you a seaside person or more lakes and mountains? or perhaps you like to travel to foreign countries?

Catching my breath

I'm sorry, I know I've not posted for a while. I had one day between getting home from holiday before I had to sprint off to Oxford for a course for two days. We had a fab week away, we did some Christmas shopping at Clacton shopping village and at the designer outlet village near Stansted. We went metal detecting on the beach at Walton-on-the-Naze. We played bingo on Clacton pier with the caller dressed as a monk. We climbed to the top of the tower at Orford and walked around the walls of Framlingham Castle. We went swimming in the pool at the caravan site (indoor). We visited Frinton and went bird watching from the sea walls at Point Clear. We played scrabble, did jigsaws and laughed a lot.
In short we had a great time. What do you like doing best on holiday, and where is your ideal spot?

Off we go

This will be my accomodation for the next week, our lovely caravan. Planning all kinds of nice things whilst we're away. The house/fish sitters will be taking care of things whilst were gone. When I get back it will all go a bit mad again. I have a two day course at Oxford UNI on evaluating qualitative research, the belles have dance exams, sports tournaments and a play to rehearse. Most importantly though I'm going to be meeting Kim, my cp for the first time on November 17th in London! Squee. Her wonderful book, Ask me If I'm Happy is releasing from Diiarts press that week and I'm going to the RNA winter party - extra squee!

Five go off to Devon

Hopefully this afternoon we're collecting the new to us towcar - a lovely Volvo XC90 in shiny metallic black - then we're finishing loading up the caravan and we're off tomorrow morning. Notes have been written for the house and fish sitters, Miss La's case is ready for when she comes back early to go to France with her friend's family. I still have my taxes to do but all the bits of paper are now in one pile in my office ready for me to check they've been entered in my notebook so I can fill out the forms.
I must remember to collect my holiday reading books from the boot of my car where I'd locked them to stop me reading them before I left. I've Veronica Henry's the beach hut and a collection of short stories from Maeve Binchy to look forward to. Should last me at least a day.
My Mum has her surgery this afternoon so all good thoughts for her are much appreciated

Off to the Channel Islands

Well, we're off to catch the plane early tomorrow so we should be in Jersy by lunchtime - volcanos and fog permitting. I don't think the weather forecast is very brill but then again it is a bank holiday so..
Moments panic when Mr Nell couldn't find the paper bit of his drivers licence but luckily it's turned up. He doesn't like my driving - sometimes I don't like my driving but I'm worse if he's with me as he drives for me and he's a fiddler - he will keep playing with the heating, the radio, the windows argh.
I'm looking forward to revisiting some of our favourite places, Gorey and Corbiere and even if it piddles down I don't care - the hotel has a jacuzzi and a bar. I can stock up on reading materials and be perfectly content.
So, be good while I'm gone and why not visit HERE while I'm away and listen to a snippet of The Cinderella Substitute.

Sun and showers

Today we visited the Welsh national botanic gardens. The rain held off until late this afternoon which was good. The gardens were quite nice, especially the double walled garden. Sadly the food in the restaurants wasn't so great so we were all starving by the time we left. Tomorrow it's forecast to be a dry day so we're hoping to hit the beach again.

By the seaside

At last T moanbile has finally let me onto my own blog! We're here beside the sea in lovely and, at the moment, slightly damp Wales. Today we visited Swansea, where there is a lovely Waterstones but it had a very tiny romance selection. Yesterday we visited Camarthen, where with the exception of TK Max, we had a lovely time. If you go to Camarthen, only shop in TK Max if you have a lot of time to spend standing in a huge, huge queue. The beach here at Pembry Country Park is beautiful and the sea is gorgeous and warm. We've had a couple of lovely hot days mixed in with the rain.
I haven't done any writing as yet but I have so many things working out in my head that I can't wait to get home and get cracking.
In other news - Big Brother! Save Marcus - vote out Noirin!

Travelling

Yes, we're off again. This time to Devon for a week leaving the house with our fish sitters. Fingers crossed my laptop thingy will work and that I can update the blog while I'm away. Maybe T Moanbile will believe I'm over eighteen this time. Have a nice bank hol and if you're visiting from the US - a good memorial weekend.

And today

I'm posting from the Apple store in Exeter! So this is just a quick catch up. Thanks to the lovely Julie at Singletitles.com for a wonderful review for Blue Remembered heels. I promise once I'm home late on Friday i'll put up proper links. But for now it's back to the shopping and hoping my plastic card doesn't melt under the strain.

sun and sea

So far so good with the weather. Yesterday was a lovely sunny day so we visited Woodlands leisure park where the belles and mr nell slid down various slides and rides. Today we're in Torquay so I'm at the internet cafe which does great sandwiches and coffee and has lovely staff. Unlike the staff in the shops at Dartmouth who are universally bored and unpleasant. Speaking of bored and unpleasant Hooray that Nicole is out of the Big Brother house.

By The Sea

I'm posting this from the Shoreline Cafe on Paignton sea front. The sun is shining, people are on the beach. It's a little breezy but warm. I love this cafe as they have wifi, great food and an excellent view down the esplanade. I suspect it may rain later but for now it's all good.

Five go off to Devon

We leave for Devon tomorrow in our touring caravan to stay near Brixham. As I'm using Brixham as my setting for Crystal Clear this is a bit of a working holiday. I've loaded the caravan up with my nice new books, some nice wine, and bought healthy treat snacks so i won't wander off my new health regime too much. Now I need Mr Nell to finish work so he can come home and totally repack everything I've just packed and add in all his stuff.
I'm hoping to get some net access while I'm away as i found a nice internet cafe last time and I've invested in a wifi finder gadget.
I found out yesterday that WH Smith in Merry Hill had sold out of Blue Remembered Heels and Waterstones only had a couple of copies left which made me a very happy bunny.
I'm really looking forward to this holiday as I love Devon and I've been working hard lately in the day job - lots of exciting but massively big projects on the go! I'll pop in and post when I can - be good!!!
And if you can't be good, don't get caught.

Home!

Back to a mountain of dirty laundry and an empty fridge. Nothing new there then! Everyone I've met since we got back yesterday evening seems amazed that I look as if I've caught some sun. That would be because despite a couple of damp days we actually had some really nice ones and the belles got to spend quite a bit of time at the beach, in the sea. We visited some new places as well as some old favourites. This year we didn't have the added excitement of hunting for Colin Firth but you can't have everything.
I didn't do any writing at all while I was away - the first time in years - and I didn't read as much as I'd planned either. I read some short stories but even though I had Olivia Gates new book for Desire, which, incidentally has the most gorgeous cover, I didn't read it. I'm keeping that for when I get some nice quiet time so I can savour it all in one go.
Hopefully, I'll now be fully refreshed and ready to start my other projects.

Holiday

On holiday in my beloved Wales, back in a week!

Normal service is resumed.

I'm home, with a mountain of washing to do. We've had such a wonderful break, lots of sun, swimming and just lazing around. Well, I say lazing, we did spend one day walking the nature trails around Becky Falls on Dartmoor. Climbing and boulder scrambling so I guess that wasn't very lazy.
Jess has been brilliant and critiqued all my chapters and I'm busy editing and rewriting to make my story stronger. I'm now just 4k short of my original target with seven chapters to polish so looking good to finish in the next few days.
I appologise to anyone who emailed me while I was away. I promise I'll reply. I had some net access while I was gone but it was limited when it came to responding to anyone. The only place I could access the net was the bar - mmm, maybe that wasn't such a disadvantage - but I had to work using the battery and it kept booting me.
I'll be back later with some pictures and details of where we went.

I had a day off!

Shocking, I know especially as I'm on holiday. I've been thinking of what I need to do to Blue Remembered Heels and I need a bit of distance before I start polishing. Jessica is brilliant as usual at seeing things that I miss completely. I have a rough plot now for my next one and a working title - Animal Instincts. So, I'll be roughing out a synopsis soon.
The weather here is sill gorgeous so lots more pool time. Today we went to Buckfastleigh to see otters and butterflies. Tomorrow we plan to go to Exeter, I'm hoping we can go to the cathedral but the girls want to hit the shops.