One more

I'm on the last chapter of Just Look at Me Now. I plan to finish the first draft this week then let it rest for a couple of weeks before I start going through redrafting, fixing the plot holes, perking up the pace and getting my emotional and descriptive layers in place. Then, when I'm happy with that I go through and look for my repitions, my favourite words and kick all those into touch. Finally, I do my backwards read - this is the real tightener as I catch things I've skimmed over on the forward read. I make sure every paragraph adds something to the story, that I'm not repeating myself and that the emotional heart at the end of the story is as strong as it can possibly be. Only when I'm happy do I then send it off to my agent and my editor. My deadline is April so I have a month to adit and then a few weeks for my agent to check it out before it lands on my lovely editors desk.
But first I have to write the big finish and tie up the loose ends of my plot.

Crystal Clear review

The lovely Julie at Singletitles.com has reviewed Crystal Clear! She always writes lovely, thoughtful and honest reviews so I always hold my breath a little to see what she thinks. READ IT HERE I got a beautiful review which made me feel a bit teary and 4.5 stars!

The end is nigh

Two and a half chapters to go on first draft of Just Look at Me Now. I would have been done but my day job is really busy right now so I'm exhausted when I get home and my brain is too fried to work properly on fiction so I'll have to bide my time till the weekend and then really try to nail the last part down.
At least now the nights are drawing out so I'm coming home in almost daylight. It makes such a difference to feel as if Spring might be on the way. The snowdrops are just beginning to poke out of the ground and open and the squirrel was in the garden again the other day. Makes everyone feel better I think when we get more daylight.

Getting organised

Today is my one day off from the day job so I need to tackle my to be done list that's next to my computer. Why is it that as fast as I cross one job off another two get added on? I also have to go visit gorgeous George - my dentist.
Still two and three quarter chapters to go on Just Look at Me Now and I'm heading into the black moment. My poor heroine, everything is coming crashing down around her right now.And if I don't hurry up and finish this first draft everything piled around and on my desk will come crashing down on me too!

Phone-o-phobia

I'm rubbish on the phone. My dearest and closest friends and family know this - they don't call me and I don't call them. I write/email/drop in but phone? no. I possess an ancient mobile that is never turned on and the belles call it the dinophone as it's so old. I spend less than £10 a year on my mobile - mostly when I'm away at the RNA conference or ringing from a train to arrange for my lift from the station. I can't text as my dyscalculia makes it nigh on impossible. At work I have to brace myself to make calls because I know I will ramble, stutter and make a fool of myself.
So when I arrived home on Thursday to be greeted by Mr Nell with the news that my editor had rung and could I call her back...
Dear Ed, I appologise if I sounded not quite the full ticket. I'm sure you had a much more coherent conversation with Mr Nell.

Dear Radio 2

I've tried, really I have. I've made allowances - he's new I thought, he'll get better. Maybe he'll calm down when the excitement wanes. I tried to be positive, I'm a big fan of Moira Stuart. But I can't take it - I've switched my early morning allegance to another channel. It was bad enough losing Sir Terry, but I also lost my ten minutes of calm with the delightfully dippy Sarah Kennedy. So to be exposed to Chris Evans still in full manic drivetime mode at 7.20 am is just more than I can stand. I hate the posh little kids talking about their first fencing lesson or having a fwend to tea, I miss the Terry's calm voice of reason and worst of all the music is crap. I mean seriously crap. I loved Chris in the Drivetime slot - I liked hearing him as I drove home but undercaffinated, in the dark and the fog stuck in the traffic at the buttcrack of dawn he makes me want to kill someone.
Please save me, bring in Johnny Walker or at least improve the playlist before I succomb to the darkside and stick with commercial radio and fail to turn back for Steve Wright in the afternoon.

Four

Four chapters to go! I think if I knew how this story ended that would be helpful right now. I wish I was more of a plotter but I've tried and failed dismally. I have several scenarios playing out in my head but I need to find the right one. The finish line is looming into sight though now. I don't know how much I'll get done in the next two days as my day job has picked up pace and I'm shattered when I get home which makes writing hard. I've also got two busy day job weeks coming up where I'm working extra shifts - as my bank manager and gas company need the money I can't afford to turn the work down. Sigh - the writers dilemna!
Crystal Clear is out of stock again on Amazon - this is good and bad. Good for all you lovely people who are buying it and bad because it'll take a day or two longer to reach you. Remember if you spot it anywhere or if you have a copy send me a pic of you holding it, or on the shelf in a shop and I'll send you one of my shiny new purple Nell Dixon pens. (Disclaimer - They aren't actually shiny but they are purple)

Writing up a storm

My fingers ache. I am not a quick typist - nor am I a touch typist. My word count is however creeping higher. I've four and a quarter chapters left to go now roughly to complete my first draft of Just Look at Me Now. It will as usual be about 10k short of the finished book, but by the time it's sat and I've edited, polished, rewritten and made it good with my aditing process it'll be fine. At least I hope it will be fine. Sigh, I can never judge my own work and I haven't written a book this length in third person before - so that's pretty scary.
Thank you to everyone who is buying Crystal Clear. Amazon got some stock in and then it went again but they should get some more very quickly and there is always book depository, etc. If anyone spots it in a book shop anywhere on a shelf please let me know! Better still send me a pic - I might even give prizes of my fabby new purple Nell Dixon pens.

Counting down

I've six chapters left to go now on the first draft of Just Look at Me Now - well, I think it's six chapters - my books have a habit of growing. I'd really like to finish by my birthday on Feb 8th as I'm planning to have a party here that day for Crystal Clear! It'll also give it time to sit for a week or so before I rip it to bits to get rid of the plot holes and anomalies and make it shiny, polished and pretty ready for my agent and editor to read. Where is January going to so fast?

Top 100 baby!

OMG, you can probably hear me sqeeking with delight no matter where you are in the world. Crystal Clear is temporarily sold out on Amazon and it's at 88 in the top bestselling romance 100. The one with Nora Roberts, Stephanie Meyer and Jane Austen in - that chart. Yes, really, I know, I'm pinching myself. You can still order and I'm sure they'll have stock sorted quickly or try book depository or WH Smiths/Waterstones. Okay, deep breath, calming down now.
Okay no I'm not really - squeeeeeee!!!!!

Crystal Clear in Brixham!

It finally occured to me last weekend that I should get organised and actually tell people that Crystal Clear had been released. I mean, I know I told you but I should make an effort to be more authorly. I'm rubbish really at that kind of thing but anyway, the lovely reporter from the Torbay Herald Express has done a fabulous article! READ HERE on Crystal Clear and the places I went to when I was researching the book. I do so hope the people in Brixham approve of the story. It's such a gorgeous place and I can't wait to go back there. Here's one of my research pics so you can see where I was. This is the view from Drew's flat aka The Lemon Tree cafe in real life!

Everything is froggy

When my eldest belle was little we woke one morning to find fog outside and she rushed to tell me that everything in the world had gone dusty. This is probably a reflection on my housekeeping abilities - or lack of. My middle belle always used to say it was froggy. Today it's very froggy outside my window. I'm just glad that when I drove back from the day job that it wasn't freezing and froggy.
At least the snow seems to be moving and the belles are back at school.Hopefully my brain will thaw out along with the snow. I stalled on Just Look at Me Now so I really need to crack the whip and get it finished. I always hate wrapping stories up so it's no surprise that I'm procrastinating - curse you bejewelled blitz and midas mahjong! I promise I'll be back on track by the weekend.

His Darling Nurse

is on Fictionwise! Yay!!!HERE
BTW Did you know that you can get e book and kindle versions of Little Black Dress titles?

Happy Birthday Eldest Belle

My eldest daughter is 16 today. To celebrate we sent her sisters to school and then I went with her to her first interview for a sixth form college place for September. The lovely head of the form said at the end of the interview that he intended to offer her a place so she skipped off back to school a very happy bunny. This college is more distance to travel but would offer her far more opportunities than many places. She has another interview later this month at a nearer college that she also really likes but at least with one under her belt provided she gets the grades she's predicted then she'll have a place in the Autumn.
It's still freezing cold here and a lot of the roads are icy. Tonight we're taking the belles and a few of eldest's friends out for a meal and then bowling. This means I have to drive as we won't all fit in Mr Nell's car. I hate driving at night even without the ice - good job we aren't going very far.
For her birthday - and I know Kate Hardy will approve - we bought her a Pandora bracelet and three charms to start her off, one with her birthstone, one with a sixteen charm, and a breast cancer one as she collects all the pins and it's a cause close to us as her godmother's mum died from breast cancer.
This week is looking hectic as I'm at the day job for four days and I have a family funeral to attend on Wednesday afternoon too. We've also got something on Saturday so by Sunday I suspect I'll be pretty exhausted.
I've roughly six and a half chapters to go now for the first draft of Just Look at Me Now but at least I can see a way to the ending now where a few chapters back I was in the depths of despair, convinced I'd written my way into a corner.

All white mate?

It's still snowing here even though rather oddly the sun is shining too. The main roads are okay at the moment - you just need to look out for ice patches and people who can't drive in bad weather. I made it into the day job yesterday - did as much as I could but since a lot of what I would have liked to have done depended on others and those others weren't available I was a bit stymied. Still, it was good to get some stuff out of the way.
Despite the weather I've started this year in a really positive mood. I'm determined to make the most of this decade and I'm feeling pleasantly bouncy and optimisitic even if my healthy eating plan hasn't got started yet, due to a surplus of Christmas goodies still inhabiting my house and an overwhelming desire to eat fresh crusty bread with pies and casseroles because it's so cold out.
I've 7.5 chapters of Just Look at Me Know to go before the first draft is finished and the real work starts and it's driving me nuts as I know what I need to do to change it and shape it and make it shiny and pretty.
Thank you to everyone who's contacted me about Crystal Clear! I do hope you enjoy it. At least as it's set in a beautiful Devon seaside town in the height of summer it might help chase those cold, wintery blues away!

Publication Day

It's now officially out! In a bookstore near you (hopefully!) and available from Amazon, Waterstones, Book Depository, WH Smiths and others on line.
I'm planning a party with chances to win stuff in early February - I thought I'd combine it with my birthday! You can read the unedited first chapter on my website (see sidebar for link) and especially for you all here's a little snippet!

“It’s your mother.”
Three simple words that chilled me to the core as I accepted the phone from Joyce, the school receptionist. Point one, my mother never ever called me at work, and point two, she’d never say she was my mother. She was always Marla – even as a child I had never been allowed to call her Mum.
“Hello, this is Zee.” That was something else that was annoying – my name. My given name is Azure Dawn Millichip, but everyone calls me Zee. Who in their right mind would call their child Azure Dawn? Marla, that’s who – and no, I’m not sure she’s ever been in her right mind.
“Darling, your mobile was switched off.”
“I was teaching in class. I always check my mobile for messages at lunchtime.” Marla has always struggled with the concept of time. As a child I’d frequently been either too early or too late for everything until I was old enough to request my own watch. Then I’d taken over the task of getting us to wherever we were supposed to be at the right time.
“Oh, isn’t it lunchtime now? I hate bothering you, sweetie, I know you have a very important job, but I really need you to pop home this weekend. If you catch the traffic at the right time you could be here for supper.”
I ignored the implied criticism in her tone, since something was definitely very wrong. Marla never asked me to visit. She knew I would come down to stay anyway in a couple of week’s time during the school holidays. “What’s the matter?”
“I’m sure Simon would run you here if you asked him. It might be good for both of you, a weekend at the seaside,” she chirped on, ignoring my question. Now I knew for certain that something was wrong. Marla disliked my fiancé, Simon, even more than she disapproved of my choice of career.
“Mum – I mean, Marla, what’s going on?” I dropped my voice when Joyce gave me a curious look. “It’s the last day of term and I’ve tons of things to get done. Can’t I come after that, once we’ve broken up for summer?”
“Zee?” A male voice came on the line. Rich and sexy with a low throaty growl to his tone.
The speaker sounded familiar. “Who’s this?”
“It’s Drew.”
A weird prickly feeling ran down my spine. “Drew?”

Oh, and I'm guest blogging at my lovely friend Phillipa Ashleys blog later today so you can find out some of the story behind the book over there - link in sidebar

PLR

I love libraries, librarians and readers - that is all :)

snow woe is me

It's snowing. Lots of big white fluffy flakes whirling down from the sky and sticking to the ground. The belles are now off school till Thursday - apparantly over the hols a water main burst and the school has no water - or heat! Joy.
The Christmas decs are now down except for the Santa signs outside the front door which are frozen into the ground so will probably be there till the Spring. I'm hoping that the roads will stay clear for tomorrow as I'm back at the day job then and I've several meetings booked. My jobshare partner lives near Oxford so if this weather hangs on there is no way she can make it in. The eldest belle was very happy to get a call yesterday from one of the sixth form colleges that she's applied to offering her an interview next Monday. Coincidentally, thats also her 16th birthday - hope the snow is gone by then.

Winter Wonderland

Outside today everything looks like a scene from Narnia. The trees are all bare and pinched white against a sky which shades from bright blue at the top to a pearlescent white at the bottom. The grass is covered in dry silvery powder and everything has that dusting of frost so beloved of film set designers.
It's an inset day and my work at home writing day so I'm happy not to have to go anywhere in particular especially if like yesterday my council don't bother to grit the roads. The black ice yesterday on the main Himley Road was shocking and not a trace of grit.
I'm hoping to get my decorations down later so I can return the house to it's usual chaos and remove the indoor dust which is giving the inside of the house the same wintry effect as the outside. Why does that happen over Christmas? You spend ages cleaning before everything gets put out and the house is worse still when you take it all down?

Ring in the New!

A new decade, fingers crossed for good things for everyone. This year will see the official release of Crystal Clear in a few days time although Amazon have it already! The Cinderellla Substitute will come out as an audio book in April, Just look at Me Now - when I finish it - will be out in August. I'm working on Me, You and Him, my single title project which I'm very excited about and I have a few other things in the pipeline which hopefully will come to fruition this year too.
I plan to continue focusing on my healthy living plan this year - I went down two sizes last year and if I could do the same again in this next twelve months that would be terrific. Plus, it can only help my mobility. It's a big year for my eldest belle as she's in her GCSE year and hoping to move to a college place in September - results and applications permitting. She's also due to have surgery on her toes in the summer. My middle belle will be going into year nine in September and will have to look at her option choices then. It's also Mr Nell and Mines 25th wedding anniversary in May. We're one of those couples that met at school, engaged at 18, married at 21 and everyone said it wouldn't last. Well, so far I haven't killed him and he hasn't killed me and we plan to go to Jersey to celebrate for a few days in May.
So, lots of excitement for this year.
For the decade itself - who knows? The last decade saw me achieve my dream of being published, I was the winner of a major award with my second book and met my lovely agents. I signed for Little Black Dress and learned so much about myself, my writing, my strengths and weaknesses. Fingers crossed that this incredible journey continues and grows over the next ten years.

Ring out the old...

The end of the year already and the end of a decade.This last year seems to have gone by so quickly I think I blinked somewhere and missed three months. This year we lost two family members, and my much loved Clown loaches. On the good side, we're all fairly fit and healthy. Mr Nell's Rheumatoid arthritis remains under control, my hip is managable and the belles are well and happy. Prospects look promising for my job contract being extended for another year (fingers crossed).
Writing wise I saw the release of Animal Instincts and His Darling Nurse. Plus, the thrill of seeing a short story in Loves Me, Loves Me Not. That was so exciting and I guess meant that I'd kind of achieved my ambition of having something published by Harlequin after all lol.
On the whole then not a bad year - I'm doing two jobs that I love - I have wonderful friends, writerly and non-writerly, a supportive family, my mobility is the best it's been for four years or so and next year I have so much to look forward to.
Wishing all my visitors here a very Happy and healthy New Year.

No snow show

The promised snow mountain never appeared although it is horrid and wet. It keeps trying to snow so we may yet get some. I made it in to work and started the annual office clean up. The boards are done, most of the shelves are at least free of some of the rubbish, next task is the stuff we keep pushing under the desks hoping the dust bunnies will carry it away.
I really need to do the same with my office here. I think when I finish Just Look at Me Now that'll be my next task. For now though I'm wearing my fluffy Christmas socks, snuggling into my chair and cracking on with the writing.

Sale shopping

We braved Merry Hell today to do some sale shopping. A new suit for Mr Nell, new work shoes and PJ's for me. An ipod cover for Miss La and a top and a new bag for Miss Boo. Appararently heavy snow is forcast for tonight and I'm supposed to be back in work tomorrow and Thursday - hmm, guess I'll have to see what it's like in the morning. Fortunately I'd planned to do two short days - mostly cleaning up the office and getting everything ready for the New Year as we're going to be super busy. If I can't get in I'm owed lots of time still anyway. I suppose I can get more writing done. I've nine and a half chapters to go roughly on Just Look at Me Now before the first draft is done and the really hard work of making it make sense starts.

How was it for you?

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and Boxing day? We had a fab time. The belles thought Santa did a great job this year as they all got things they really wanted. Some of them small like a Sylvanian family item for Miss La and some a bit larger like a camera for Miss Boo. The hit present appears to be a shared one which was Raving Rabbids go shopping for the Wii. This is fab fun, totally bonkers and as hilarious to watch as it is to play. A cartoon bunny wearing a thong and getting a spray tan? fab.
We spent lots of time with family just eating, drinking, pulling crackers and chatting.I got some of my favourite perfume and a gift voucher from Mr Nell and some yummy chocolate from Hotel Chocolate. I got some fab things from the belles and lots of my fave presents - socks!
So, what did you all get? Was it what you wanted or did you get some surprises?

Santa Claus is coming to town

Last night we went to the pantomime to see the wonderful Joe Pasquale and Ray Quinn in Sleeping Beauty. The special effects were as always breathtaking, the dame had the best costumes I'd seen since we saw the late, great Danny La Rue and as always the bits where things went wrong were hilarious.
At the moment I have frozen meats thawing in the kitchen, Mr Nell has gone to the farm shop to collect the fruit and veg and I've fresh baked bread sending lovely aromas around the kitchen. Later the eldest belle is helping me make cauliflower cheese and prepare pigs in blankets for tomorrow and Mr Nell has threatened er promised to make sausage rolls.
This evening we're off to Chapel for the Christingle service and supper with family then home to watch the Muppets Christmas Carol before the big man arrives down the chimney.
Wishing all of my friends, readers, fellow authors and anyone who regularly follows this blog a Happy and Joyful Christmastime whatever your celebration may be. Take care in the ice, remember to be nice and if you are naughty don't get caught!
Love Nell, Mr Nell and the belles XXX

Writerly advice

I was delighted to be asked a while back to add a snippet to a book for writers. The author is the fabulous Sue Moorcroft and the book is called Love Writing: How to make moneywriting Romantic or Erotic Fiction. It's now on sale so to grab your copy goHERE You won't regret it!

In stock

Amazon is showing Crystal Clear as being in stock!
I guess I should get a move on with writing Just Look at Me Now as it looks as if some lovely, lovely readers have already placed orders. Pressure? what pressure?? lol

Dashing through the snow...

Well, I don't dash anywhere these days but we did get snow last night. Luckily my friend made it to my house this morning and we had a lovely catch up. Hopefully it won't be as long before we do it again. I've just a few parcels left to deliver now and a couple of cards. Fruit and veg are ordered from the farm shop for the big day so that will just leave bread to get and a couple of bitty things - other than that I'm pretty well set I think. On Wednesday we're going en famille to the Hippodrome in Brum to see Sleeping Beauty with Ray Quinn and Joe Pasquale. I don't know who is more excited, the belles or Mr Nell's Mum as she has a bit of a thing for Ray.
Then Christmas Eve it's the Christingle at Chapel and home to watch A Muppet's Christmas Carol. Although I am very, very disappointed with the DVD version as they've cut the scene that is in the original film where Scrooge and his old love sing the most beautiful song. Bah Humbug on Disney for doing that as it spoils the film. GO HERE and watch it

Home for the holiday

I'm off from the day job now till after Christmas so hopefully I'll be able to catch up on my writing deadlines in between the festivities and Christmas preparations. I'm almost into the final third of Just Look at me now and I've a good idea what I need to rewrite in the first third to make the book much stronger. Not as much as I'd first feared - just the realisation that I'd revealed some information too early and that it weakened the plot. I'm also hoping to tackle a nice big chunk of You, Me and Him.
I've the final lot of cleaning and tidying to do in the house - cleaning out the family room and the belles bedrooms. I've also got all my local cards and parcels to deliver to various destinations. I'm hoping to do some nice things with the belles too and see some of my oldest friends. Of course if we get snow then I'll be in front of the fire watching old films on the telly!

The Cinderella Substitute - audio book

Coming in March/April next year from AudioLark the audio version of The Cinderella Substitute. I am such a lucky girl when it comes to covers!

Tree is up

Just the garland on the fireplace to do and the lights. Then of course we need to dig out the family room so people can actually get in there, deliver the rest of our cards and parcels and we're all set. Yesterday was lovely actually. The belles and I decorated the tree while Mr Nell was at work, got more cleaning jobs done, cooked a delicious roast pork dinner and sat and watched Elf. I love that film, Will Ferrell is hilarious in it and you always feel so Christmassy. We then watched Delia's Christmas and Christmas at the victorian farm - lovely!

Gearing up

I'm getting ready for another mad weekend and week. Next week is another four day week at the day job and I've tons of things I want to get done. At home the tree still isn't up or the house anywhere near ready. I have wrapped all my presents and I need to do one more post office run for the last couple of things. My main shop is done and I just need to do my fruit and veg order for Christmas and take it to my friends farm shop. I also want to write at least three more chapters on Just Look at Me Now to keep me on my schedule - this is by the end of the month - even I'm not that mad! and if I can get another couple of chapters done on my other story that will be fab too. I've just completed the cover art form for the audio book version of The Cinderella Substitute and it's pencilled in for release on April 1st. I'm not sure when the site is launching - I'll let you know as soon as I find out. Very exciting though. Also many thanks to those of you who bought a copy of His darling Nurse and told me how much you like it. Hugs to all of you.

Day job fun

Regular readers here will know I have a really cool day job which lets me do all kinds of fab and fun stuff. Today My jobshare partner and I were out and about talking to the public again about physical activity. We talked to staff at a huge Tesco and also the lovely people at Ikea. Both stores were brilliant, with friendly helpful staff and everyone talked to us. I'm just really tired now and I've learned so much. I also miss my old colleagues from when I worked at Asda - sniff!
To top off my nice day I got a lovely email from my agent to say she loves You, Me and Him!!! So I'd better get a shake on with writing both my books.

Crystal Clear

My copy arrived today - an early Christmas prezzy from my lovely editor - so nice to see my book baby in print. Not long till it's out in the big wide world!

Shopping day

Today is my big shop day - I save all year on an Asda card and Mr Nell and I go off today to buy the essentials for Christmas - you know like Turkey. I also get some bits and pieces for a few parcels although most of my buying is done - I just have to do the wrapping. I have a wreath on the front door but that's as far as I've got with decorating the house. I still feel lousy with this head/sinus thing. Last night I hardly slept as I kept feeling as if my ear was running even though it wasn't. Two of the belles have parties tonight so Mom's taxi will be in full swing and then I'm back at work so if they aren't careful the wreath will be all the decorating I'm doing.
In other news Happy Birthday to my mil!

Jungle fever

Well, Captain Bertorelli won I'm a celebrity get me out of here and so my TV viewing draws to a halt. I'm just glad that ghastly monster with the oversized boobs and ego didn't win - no not Katie Price - Kim Woodburn! Gino was definitely for me and the belles the outright champion from early on although we did love George.
Yesterday I had my first day off sick in two years. I still feel pretty rubbish today, my ears and sinuses feel blocked and I have an irritating cough. My gloom was lifted slightly by news of the sale of The Cinderella Substitute to an audio book company. It's a little start up venture I think but they seem professional and I didn't plan on doing anything else with the story so if it goes well I may offer them some of my other out of print novellas as they seem to be looking for sweeter stories.
I'm also trying to think of a venue for a book launch for Crystal Clear in Jan/Feb time. So if anyone has any good ideas let me know!

Lies have pretty legs

Well, thats what Babelfish has said the translation is of Blue Remembered Heels in German! The cover popped up today on Amazon and it says it'll be out in Germany in July next year. The cover is lovely but the shoes are red?

Is it me?

So today, one of the large envelopes that I posted yesterday, stamped with an airmail sticker and clearly addressed in large letters on the front to go to CANADA arrived back at my house! Sigh
Tonight was the Christmas Party at my local writers group, it's always a joy to spend time with so many talented and lovely people and tonight was great fun. We performed a pantomime, read some flash fiction and generally had a lovely lot of nibbles and drinks.
I think I may be able to work around the bump in the road I hit with Just Look at Me Now - I still need to rewrite big chunks but less than I thought and I think I can knock it into shape when it's done. I do like the story - it makes me smile when I'm writing it so I hope readers will feel the same.

Newsflash - Christmas is comiing

Argh, I am so not ready, I wrote loads of cards last night, thought I was almost done and then discovered I need to do loads more. I must go to the post office tomorrow to post the bookmarks for a Christmas exchange that I do every year. I have wrapped the grand total of five gifts and two of those are books for the book swap at my writers group on Wednesday. I haven't planned any of my grocery shop or ordered my fruit and veg at the farm shop yet either and I'm working extra days at the day job so have less time, To make matters worse, my cloakroom is still not finished so the house is still upside down and I've realised I need to do a major rewrite on Just Look at Me Now if the book is going to work! I'd go drink some wine but I haven't sorted that out yet either!

Mixed blessings

Happy Thanksgiving for yesterday to all my American friends and I thinks it's Eid for my Muslim friends today - lots of celebrating. Here it's up and down .
Eldest dd has lost her phone - downer - teenagers are umbilically attached to their mobiles so shes devastated at the moment.
Found some tiles to match our existing ones in the cloakroom so we don't have to fetch all the tiles off - Yay!
My angel fish is very poorly - I swear that fish has fits, most peculiar - so I think I'm going to lose her - downer
Middle dd is through to second round of cooking contest - Yay - sort of because guess who has to get all the ingredients, balance her budget and time her while tasting her test cooking?
Tomorrow I'm taking her for her 13th birthday treat - to see the Take That musical Never Forget at the Grand - Yay!

Partying

During the launch week for His Darling Nurse I popped to London to have lunch with my agent and to attend the launch party for the fabulous Loves Me, Loves Me Not anthology. This all sounds very lovely and authorly doesn't it? and when I used to read things like this on other people's blogs I used to sigh and think how nice. I don't go to London often - I think that was probably only the nineth time I've ever gone there so tootling around the capital on my own was quite an adventure. I think my agent was a bit concerned when she realised I didn't have any clue where anywhere was and just intended to amble my way around. In practice it was fine, I mooched around Covent Garden looking at the overpriced and pretty merchandise. I had coffee and cookies in a nice cafe and ambled along to Neals Yard, Leicester Square and the Strand before flagging down a cab to take me to the launch party at the Guards and Cavalry club in Piccadilly. My knowledge of the Monopoly board wasn't really much good as an aid to navigation but it did make it more fun!
The club was very olde colonial with lots of silverware, portraits of moustachioed persons in uniform and stuffed heads of long dead animals. Unfortunately for me it also had lots of stairs and no lift so I was really suffering by this point so probably wasn't as chatty and in the flow of things as usual.
The pic is of all the authors on the stairs. I'm tucked in the corner on the left carrying my bag a la Mrs T because I was trying to balance my wine glass.

His Darling Nurse - final winner

Congratulations to Janet - you win a download of His Darling Nurse and if by any chance you already have a copy then let me know and I'll work you out something else. (Let me know your email addy)
Thanks to everyone who stopped by to join in the fun - it was much appreciated. Now I have to get back to writing Just Look at Me Now, today though I have a poorly child at home, my youngest belle feels ill - most unusual for her. So, I need to get fuel, go to work and collect my stuff then I can work from home today.
I've started to get my Christmas stuff organised too - I'm hoping that we don't have to fetch all the tiles off when we redo the downstairs cloakroom - I really don't want this level of upheaval this side of Christmas but what are the odds?

His Darling Nurse - Party Wrap up!!

I'll be doing the last draw this evening so today is your last chance to enter and win. Loving the jokes - keep them coming!
And one final excerpt!
Charlie’s class filed out first after the bell signalling the end of the school day rang. Juliet saw him looking for her amongst the group of parents gathered at the gate and she waved to capture his attention. His teacher smiled as Charlie sprinted across the few yards of tarmac to meet her with a hug.
“My teacher’s really nice, and there’s a goldfish in my classroom, and Jamie Smith is my friend, and can he come for tea tomorrow?” Words spilled out of Charlie so fast in his excitement that Juliet struggled to keep up with the thread of all he had to say.
“Slow down! Let’s walk to the shop and I’ll get us an ice cream and you can tell me all about school,” Juliet suggested, laughing at the way he danced along beside her, his schoolbag bumping on the pavement.
The ground shimmered in the heat of the late afternoon sun when they left the small corner shop with an ice cream each. Having spent the day in the air-conditioned comfort of her treatment room, Juliet longed to get home to take a shower and change out of her uniform. Charlie appeared oblivious to the sun and chattered away, his auburn curls sticking to his forehead beneath the brim of his cap.
She came home to find Neil’s car parked at the kerb outside his house. Juliet wondered if he’d managed to contact the fencing contractors. With luck she might manage to catch him and ask about the repairs before he returned for evening surgery. That would be if he was still speaking to her after she’d dropped him in it for the quiz night, of course.
They let themselves in through the front door and Scruffy ran to greet them.
“I bet you want to go out.” Juliet went for his lead, but before she could slip it onto Scruffy’s collar, Charlie opened the back door. The little dog made a bid for freedom and bolted between Charlie’s legs towards the opening. Juliet could only watch helplessly as he headed straight for the gap in the fence and the remainder of Neil Forrest’s once-perfect garden
(C) Nell Dixon 2009
http://www.freyasbower.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=7&products_id=227

Friday - His darling Nurse weekend free for all

Post for your chance to win a free download of His Darling Nurse - I want to hear funny medical stories, jokes etc! I'll give out special prizes for really good/funny ones!

First door prize winner!

Step forward Josh Lockwood! Your name was picked by my eldest belle as the first of the door prize winners to get a free download of His Darling Nurse!

More posts to come over the next few days and more chances to win so keep the comments coming as everyone gets entered for every draw!

His Darling Nurse - Day 3

I'm back from London - very tired and with a blister on my heel from walking. I'll be drawing a name later for the first of the giveaways so leave a comment to be in with a chance of a prize!
A few people have asked where I got the idea for the barbecue scene in the first excerpt. For that I have to thank my neighbour, Chris. Chris loves to barbecue and a few years ago when he first got the bug he had his barbecue too close to my other neighbour, Tracey's fence. I heard a shriek and went outside to see smoke pouring from the fence at the back of Tracey's shed while Chris was frantically attempting to put out the flames with the hose. Luckily the damage wasn't anywhere near as bad as Juliet's conflagration.
Tell me about the kind of disasters you've experienced with barbecues?

His Darling Nurse - day 2

I'll be out a lot today as I'm going to London to meet my agency and to attend the launch for the wonderful Loves Me, Loves Me Not anthology but the party is still on and tomorrow I'll draw the first door prize from all the comments posted up to now for a free download of His Darling Nurse - if you already have your copy then I'll send you something gorgeous instead!
Here's another snippet to entertain you while I'm gone.

Wake up, Mummy. Wake up!”
Juliet groaned. Her bed dipped and sagged under Charlie’s weight as he bounced on her quilt. She squinted at the alarm clock, blinking in horror when she realized the time.
“Oh no, Charlie, we’re late.”
Scruffy barked with excitement as she chivvied Charlie along to get dressed. She put on her uniform and headed to the kitchen. So much for being up early and looking poised and professional.
“Charlie, toast’s done!” She poured him a glass of orange juice as he clumped downstairs with his shirt hanging out and his tie under his left ear.
Juliet tucked his shirt in and straightened his tie before he took his seat at the table for breakfast. She hurried to prepare his packed lunch for school. A few quick glances out of the kitchen window while she buttered his bread revealed the extent of the damage from yesterday’s fire.
She hoped Neil knew of some cheap fencing contractors. Her budget for renovating the house had been small to begin with, and the extra expense of paying for repairs to someone else’s property would blow her budget wide apart.
Scruffy yapped from by the back door so Juliet slipped on his lead to let him out into the garden. She didn’t want to add to the damage by allowing Scruffy to rampage across Neil’s bowling-green-like lawn.
There were no signs of life at Neil’s house, and Juliet wondered if he’d already left for work. It didn’t look like she would be likely to bump into him in his pyjamas coming out to the dustbin.
A peep at her watch told her she needed to speed Charlie along or they would both be late, so she hurried back inside. She had her key ready to lock her front door when Neil emerged from his house.
“Good morning, Juliet—Charlie.”
“Morning. How’s the hand?” Juliet flushed at his unexpected emergence. His neat suit and crisply ironed shirt contrasted vividly with the image of him in pyjamas that she had conjured up just minutes before.
He flexed his hand. “It’s fine. By the way, did Rose mention that we have a practice meeting today?”
Juliet blushed deeper and stammered an acknowledgement of the meeting, but he appeared oblivious to the heat in her cheeks.
“Then I’ll see you later.” He walked off towards a shiny new estate car.
By the time Juliet had dropped Charlie at his new school, spoken to his teacher and watched him file inside with his new classmates, she was ten minutes late.
“This is not a good omen,” she muttered. She rushed around the corner to the surgery and buzzed for entry at the staff door. “Way to go, Juliet.” Now she could add poor timekeeping under arson on her list of faults.
(c) Nell Dixon 2009
Available from Freya's Bower

His Darling Nurse Excerpt One!

Here's your first excerpt!


http://www.freyasbower.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=7&products_id=227

“Could we have a barbeque this afternoon, Mum?” Charlie sat on the old bench, swinging his legs and slipping Scruffy a taste of his ice cream whenever he thought Juliet wasn’t looking.
“Well….” She felt a little nervous about trying out the barbeque. It had been a leaving present from her last practice. Juliet’s previous home had been a second-floor flat and she and Charlie had never had the luxury of a garden before. Not that Martin would have allowed us to enjoy it even if we had, she thought bitterly.
“Please, Mum?”
“Okay, I’ve got some burgers and sausages. We’ll finish moving all this stuff we’ve cleared to the bottom of the garden, and then I’ll check to see if we’ve got everything we need.”
Charlie whooped with delight, making Scruffy bark excitedly. Juliet smiled. The last few months had been so difficult, her spirits lifted to see her son happy again.
She tugged the barbeque from under the kitchen window onto the flattest part of the ground she and Charlie had cleared. Her workmates had thought of everything, for inside the big metal dome she discovered cooking tools, charcoal, lighter fluid and matches. Charlie watched from a safe distance while Juliet read the instructions and set everything up.
“Darn.” By the twelfth match, the charcoal had still failed to light.
“What’s the matter with it, Mum?”
“Nothing, I’ll get it going in a minute. Go inside and wash your hands for tea.”
Charlie trotted obediently past her and into the house and Juliet tried yet another match.
“More lighter fluid—that must be it,” she muttered. Juliet added extra charcoal and sloshed a generous measure of fluid over the top of the pile.
She held her breath as she dropped another match onto the coals, only to step back swiftly with a shriek. The coals had erupted into flames with a loud pop.
Juliet froze in horror. The barbeque had turned into a roaring bonfire. Sparks flew into the air and blazing charcoal dropped onto the dry grass. She realized too late that in her efforts to stand the barbeque on a flat piece of ground, she had inadvertently placed it too close to the fence.
Before she had time to react, the sparks ignited the dry timber of the ancient garden bench Charlie had been sitting on earlier in the afternoon. Within minutes, the fence panel behind it was ablaze too. Coming to her senses at the sight of the disaster unfolding rapidly before her, Juliet rushed to the tap on the kitchen wall and attached the hose. She attempted to turn on the water but to her dismay, the tap refused to budge. She struggled to turn the rusty metal, cursing and wrenching as the flames climbed higher. By now the fence was well alight, and Charlie stared open-mouthed from the doorstep.
A jet of water came from the other side of the fence just as Juliet managed to loosen the tap.
“Charlie, go inside!”
Her first concern was for her son’s safety. If the fire didn’t die down soon she would have to call the fire brigade. Steam and acrid smoke filled the air. She tackled the blaze with her hose and her neighbour doused the flames from his side of the garden.
“What the hell happened?”
Juliet couldn’t see the owner of the voice through the smoke, but he sounded furious.
The flames were almost out and three panels of fence were gone, leaving a smouldering wreck. The smoke began to drift away, and she could just make out a tall, masculine figure. Her eyes stinging, tears streamed down Juliet’s cheeks. She coughed to clear the toxic fumes from her throat.
“I’m so sorry. It was an accident,” she wheezed.
Her neighbour switched off his hose and kicked the charred frame of the fence out of the way to step through the newly created opening into Juliet’s garden.
“Are you all right?” He took hold of her shoulders and peered into her eyes. Juliet struggled to make the blurry outline of his face snap into focus as she continued to choke from the fumes.
“Inhaled a bit of smoke, but I’m fine.” She dashed a hand across her eyes to clear her vision.
He let go of her and patted his jacket pockets as if searching for something. Juliet blinked with surprise when he produced a stethoscope and slipped it around his neck.
“Smoke inhalation can be serious, you know.” He wrapped his fingers around her wrist and checked her pulse.
“Really, I’m fine. I’m a nurse, I know I’m okay.” She forced a weak smile in an attempt to reassure him. Now the flames had subsided and the air had cleared, her breathing pattern settled into something less ragged.
Apparently satisfied, her new neighbour released her hand.

His Darling Nurse
© Nell Dixon 2009

His Darling Nurse - celebration!

Hi, I'm Juliet Darling and Nell has asked me to stop by to welcome you all to the party to celebrate the release of His Darling Nurse. It's a bit of a pun really - the title I mean. Neil, Dr, Forrest, makes a joke about it as my surname is Darling. If you met Neil you wouldn't think he was the sort of man to make jokes. I didn't think he was when we first met, but then again, I had just burned down half his garden.
Anyway, Nell asked me to tell you that the celebrations will be on all week to let everyone in the different time zones drop in. She's going to give away some prizes of downloads of His Darling Nurse and also a few other little treats. Some other authors will be stopping by too so there'll be lots of excerpts and fun. All the comments will be put into a hat for prizes and Nell will draw different ones throughout the week, so don't just pass by be sure to say hello!
Love Juliet x


Juliet Darling needs a fresh start. With the end to her disastrous marriage, she hopes that moving to the village of Chandler’s Gate—where she landed a job as a practice nurse—will give her and her small son Charlie just such an opportunity. Her ex-husband, however, doesn’t plan on allowing them to escape his clutches quite so easily.

Dr. Neil Forrest finds his quiet and orderly life disrupted both at work, with the arrival of Juliet and her new ideas about what a practice nurse should do, and at home when the accident-prone Juliet and her son move in to the house next door. Neil has deep-rooted insecurities about life and relationships since the premature death of his wife. The loss has left him clinging to his precious routines in an attempt to protect himself from further pain.

It takes a very special little boy, an out of control barbecue and a terrible accident before Neil and Juliet can finally get together and Neil can make Juliet his very own darling nurse.

http://www.freyasbower.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=7&products_id=227

His Darling Nurse

Is released tomorrow and there'll be a party here to celebrate, so stop by for some excerpts and for some prizes. I'm incredibly nervous about this story - it's been ages since I had an e book release, if you don't count the e book and kindle versions of my Little Black Dress books. It's my first book for Freya's Bower and my first with a medical backdrop.
I really love this story though which is why I've fought to get it out there. Juliet and Neil are two very determined characters and Charlie Darling is a real cutie.

Overheards

I have a small collection of phrases and conversations that I've overheard and which make me smile. Today I added another great one.
"That woman is always at the doctors. I think he's so sick of her half the medicine he gives her are those gazebos"

I'm assuming she meant placebos but what a great image.

Bloomin' heck!

I was on the WH Smith website looking for books for pressies and stumbled across this:
'Just Look at Me Now' Description

Tia's top beauty tip: apply heavy make-up carefully to prevent any cracks from showing...Life is fabulous for Tia Carpenter. She has it all, money, looks, a great job as the beauty expert at stylish Platinum magazine and, at last, the attention of her unrequited high school love, Josh Banks. But Tia has a secret -- back at school she was Barbara Baker, overweight, crooked teeth, frizzy hair and no fashion sense. Cosmetic dentistry, losing seven stones in weight and a complete makeover later, Tia has successfully erased her past life as Big Barb, tub of lard, until the day Juliet Gold, the bane of her teenage existence, arrives to work at the magazine. Juliet always got everything she ever wanted, and now she wants both Tia's job and Josh. Tia will have to use every makeover trick she's ever learned to stop Juliet from uncovering her past and stealing her man.
Out August 2010

Um, guess I'd really better get a spurt on then.

Rainy days

I went out in the rain last night to take the eldest belle and her friend to one of the local colleges for their open night. Mr Nell drove thank goodness while we attemped to avoid being swept away by the water torrenting down all around us. We got to the college and thankfully they had a carpark. Mr Nell went to park and I noticed the amount of surface water so he pulled to the edge of the car park where the ground was higher. By the time we got out of the car to walk across to the reception area the car park was a lake. The force of the water had lifted a manhole cover underneath a silver Vectra in the centre of the carpark and water was gushing up under it like a fountain! Quite an experience. Today everywhere is just soggy and debris from the trees is lying in heaps in the gutters. It looks as if we might be in for a wet and wild weekend.

Playing hooky

I have an unexpected day off today! Such a lovely treat. It feels a bit naughty somehow, like going to the cinema in the middle of the day or being somewhere you shouldn't be. I might even manage to get some writing done. I'm headed for the sticky middle section of the book and events need to start moving. It's at times like this that I wish I was more of a plotter but I'm not so I'll carry on trying to persude my hero to stop ogling my heroine and try to find out what's really going on between him and his ex.

GCSE angst

The eldest belle is sitting her english GCSE early this week and one of her maths papers. I can't get my head around this system of doing stuff in bits at all different times. Keep your fingers crossed for her and for me. We've one more college to see this week too. This is the fall back position - the one the kids tend to put down if they don't get their first choice. It'll be interesting to compare with the other two.

Faffing about

Such a lovely word isn't it, faffing? Sort of sums up my day. This is my one day off this week and I'd planned all sorts of things that I needed to do. I should know better really by now. First my middle dd forgot her homework so instead of a leisurely read of the paper in my PJ's and a nice bath I ended up dressing and dashing up to school. Since I was out that way I dropped down to Sainsburys and did a grocery shop then came back to fiddle with the printer to finally print off a load of stuff that I'd been needing to do for ages. It's a faff to print stuff as my printer has died so I need to use Mr Nell's computer and his printer. Then microsoft has decided my copy of microsoft office isn't a proper version - even though they validated it when it went on the puter and a few times since, so now strangely, after running perfectly ever since I've had it now it plays up. Doesn't fill me with confidence when saving stuff - thankfully I back up constantly. So by the time I'd checked that I could get into all my stuff, wrote a blog post for someone and done some long overdue PR and promo stuff somehow the days gone, I still never got my nice long peaceful bath or my restful read of the paper.

Remembrance Day

For today a repeat of a post from two years ago.

Remembrance Day

Poppies gleam amongst the gold as glints of scarlet thread.
'It's Rosemary for remembrance,' was all the old man said.
The beaches soft of palest sand are cleansed by each new wave.
Long, straight rows of chalk white stone, regimented graves.
The flowers bow their crimson heads and whisper in the wheat,
Petals fall like blood red tears, shimmering in the heat.
Seagulls scream out the last post while wheeling overhead.
'It's Rosemary for remembrance,' was all the old man said.
Children clamber on a tank still frozen in its track,
few pause to read the words written on the plaque.
Where the heavy boots once marched now children laugh and play,
and the sun is the only casualty at the dying of the day.
Outside the cafe by the bridge the old man sipped his tea.
'It's Rosemary for remembrance,' was all he said to me.

(C) Nell Dixon 2004

Everybody dance now!

Belle's have their first dance performance this afternoon and the second one tomorrow. The house is covered with glitter as costumes, tights, shoes are piled everywhere as the belles hunt for clips, eyeliner and ballet pumps.
The sink for the cloakroom has finally turned up - the only snag is that we'd planned to do the cloakroom during halfterm, now by the time Mr Nell's shifts allow him time to do it we're at the start of December. Just what I need as I try to reclaim the house into some semblance of order before the fat guy in the red suit rolls up on December 25th.
And what I really want to know is why the book I'm not supposed to be writing is clamouring in my brain, while on my contracted book, everyone appears to have gone off in a mighty sulk?

Moods

I've been feeling really down all this week - most unlike me. I'm usually pretty laid back and an onwards and upwards kind of person. There isn't even anything I can really put it down to. Just lots of tiny niggly worries I think and most of them are over things that in the bigger picture don't really matter. I've even had some really nice things happen to me lately too, like I'm planning to meet my lovely agent for lunch and I've a lunch planned with my writing buddies Phillipa and Liz. Maybe it's the onset of darker nights and colder weather. Hopefully it'll pass soon and I'll be back to my normal self.

Eek!

I just realised that it really, really isn't very long till His Darling Nurse releases and am I prepared? Um, no. Lots of things to do and organise and no time to do it. Today was interesting - we had a discussion in our staff meeting on wether we should be allowed to wear jeans. Our current dress code says appropriate smart casual dress - which for me includes smart jeans - I don't mean the sort with rips etc. I'm sure people are adult enough to choose appropriate clothing - if what they wear really does frighten thehorses or casts us into disrepute then fair enough but really I don't think we need to be told what trousers to wear. I'm sure everything will be agreed amicably.

His Darling Nurse - cover!

Coming soon from Freya's Bower - Releasing NOVEMBER 17th!!!!.

Chocolate and other goodies

I ran errands for my eldest dd today - there's something wrong with that picture don't you think? Shouldn't she run errands for me? I was charged with getting a black tee shirt for the dance show and three Christmas presents - all girls, two birthday presents - boy and girl and one boy Christmas gift, plus could I keep it to around £5 per person. I think I did good. I got all the presents and got the birthday ones gift wrapped for under four pounds a head. I discovered on route that Hotel Chocolat has all the Halloween chocolate marked way down and some good offers on the other chocolate and Thorntons has some real bargains, a big box of the festive chocolate mints £5 instead of £10 amongst other bargains.
I couldn't get the things I'd gone for tho for my middle dd's upcoming birthday so ended up coming back to order them on line. I got some good ideas for my remaining pressies so hopefully when I can get some money I can finish off my shopping before the real madness kicks in.
Writing wise I had a good day yesterday so hopefully I can do the same today in between helping fill out college application forms, errands and going into the day job for a special meeting.

Getting into the groove

My writing time this year has felt quite fragmented. I finished Crystal Clear - edits etc, made a false start with A Scattering of Leaves, lots of edits on His Darling Nurse, and have a third done on Just Look at me Now and now I've almost 15k done on You, Me and Him. Normally though by now I would have hoped to have been almost to the half way point with Just Look at Me Now and at 20K for You Me and Him.
Still, we've one more college to look at and eldest has to get her applications in this week. The cloakroom is still untouched as surprise, surprise the bathroom people can't get the sink! Dance show will be out of the way after Sunday and then just maybe I can get a head of steam going on my writing before the festive capers strike up. Whatever happens I need to get my groove on again!

Halloween

Hope you all had a good Halloween? I love Halloween, we get the house all decorated with cobwebs and bats and candles. I'm lucky in that we live on a small estate and Halloween is a lovely time for meeting up with neighbours - the kids trick or treat in costumes between 5.30 and 8 and only to the Halloween friendly houses - there are signs up for the ones taking part. Everyone is out and about and it's so cute to see the kids meeting up to compare their costumes and their loot. The Mom's and Dad's all seem to enjoy it as much as the kids.
The writers workshop was great - really fun and it was lovely to see so many people there. I got soem great tips from Jeff and I'm looking forward to reading his book, Box of Tricks.
This is the start of my crazy fortnight - yes it's the annual dance show for the Belle's on Saturday and Sunday at Netherton Arts Centre. So it's costume labelling, rehearsals, and mayhem. Plus I've still got a college to look at with the eldest belle even though she's decided on her first choice. Fingers crossed she gets the results she needs to go there. She plans to study business studies, Applied ICT, Sociology and Dance - well thats her plan at the moment.

Excitement

I know this is living vicariously but is it wrong to be so childishly excited when I opened my copy of The Sun (very highbrow of me - don't care) this morning to see a half page ad for WH Smiths promoting the top 100 bestselling hardbacks and a pic of this book was there!
I know my tiny little story only fills about four pages and there are hugely famous fabulouso authors in there, plus the lovely Katie's name is emblazoned across the front but even so I still think it's amazing!

By the way if any of you should be in Wombourne this afternoon between 2 and 4 my local writers group are holding a workshop given by Jeff Phelps, author of Box of Tricks (Tindall St Press)Should be good!

His Darling Nurse

Coming soon from Freya's Bower:

Juliet Darling needs a fresh start. With the end to her disastrous marriage, she hopes that moving to the village of Chandler’s Gate—where she landed a job as a practice nurse—will give her and her small son Charlie just such an opportunity. Her ex-husband, however, doesn’t plan on allowing them to escape his clutches quite so easily.

Dr. Neil Forrest finds his quiet and orderly life disrupted both at work, with the arrival of Juliet and her new ideas about what a practice nurse should do, and at home when the accident-prone Juliet and her son move in to the house next door. Neil has deep-rooted insecurities about life and relationships since the premature death of his wife. The loss has left him clinging to his precious routines in an attempt to protect himself from further pain.

It takes a very special little boy, an out of control barbecue and a terrible accident before Neil and Juliet can finally get together and Neil can make Juliet his very own darling nurse.

The official blurb - cover to follow soon and I'll let you know the release date in the next few weeks!

Paperwork

The only problem with holidays is that you come back to loads of work. In my case it's office stuff - invoices, filing receipts etc and more edits for charlie Darling. I've also got to come up with a new title for Charlie Darling. At the moment it's looking like His Darling Nurse. Very Betty Neelish isn't it? Although Dr Neil Forrest isn't Dutch but he is very nice - Jess said he reminded her of Daniel Craig - and Juliet isn't splendidly built. She is however a magnet for disaster and her lovely son Charlie is a real cutie. I'm so looking forward to seeing this released - the cover is hot. I've never had a clinch cover before so it's quite exciting. Once the titles finalised and I get the okay to share I'll post it for you all to see.

The wanderer returns

I'm home again after a few days break in the tourer. We stayed at Burnham and had a lovely time. We Christmas and birthday shopped at Street and Weston Super Mare and toured the amazing Farley Hungerford castle ruins where we saw medieval wall paintings and lead coffins. We had a wonderful lunch in the atmospheric Hungerford Arms. The weather was kind and I managed to buy a whole load of Betty Neels books and read eight of them while we were away - marvellous! I would have liked to be a Betty Neels heroine - I'm tall and could be classed as splendidly built. I love food and have no objections to riding around in a Bentley or Aston Martin being driven by a wealthy Dutch surgeon - happy sigh.

Library talk

Yesterday I was at a library event at Central library in Dudley. It happens to be the place where I found and joined my first writers group - I was thirteen. I met a woman there called Betty Warneck. Sadly, Betty is no longer with us but she changed my life completely. Betty was a tour de force, black hair, red lipstick and crackling with energy. She had a gift for making you believe that anything was possible if you wanted it enough and worked at it enough. Thirty years on I still miss her.
It was lovely to see that Dudley still has a writers group - now called Castle writers, hopefully they'll carry on supporting and helping young writers with a dream the way i was helped and supported. It's partly why I love beuing involved with Wombourne Writers and I especially enjoy supporting my local libraries. Libraries are such magical places for writers and readers.

Down at the station

Interesting journey on the train to Stoke. (Didn't see Robbie Williams alas) I think there is real evidence of the North South divide on trains. You'll remember my post about the hellish journey south with the glammed up city girls and the loud and busy business. Well, going to Stoke, similar time of day was so different - businessmen were quiet, just conversational chatter. Hardly anyone was glued to a mobile and just a few people on laptops. The girls were dressed normally in simple plain trousers and smart casual tops and sensible footwear. Totally different. My job share partner who took a different train commented on the same thing. We were deciding where the demarcation line might begin - we think Banbury is a candidate.

Day off today

I've one free day this week and this is it. It's looking to be a really hectic week. Day job on Tuesday, Presenting at a conference in Stoke-on-Trent Wednesday (Do you think I might bump into Robbie Williams?) I'm at Dudley Central Library all Thursday morning for a local authors event along with three other writers and Dudley Carers group. Then Friday it's the day job again. Wednesday night I think we're going to King Edwards college for a look around but since they've changed the date everytime the winds changed I'm not too sure about that. Thursday night we're looking around another sixth form college - both of these are for the eldest belle as she's in her GCSE year, and then Saturday we go away for a few days to the sea.
Whew!
I am using the term day off loosely today as I want to finish another chapter, do my banking and we're supposed to pick up the new sanitary wear ready to redo the downstairs cloakroom next week.

Blue is the colour

Remember I got some new jeans, ones that fit and are the right length and everything. I really liked them? Well, there's a slight hitch - everytime I wear them they send my hands blue with dye. Yesterday they sent the bottom of one of my favourite cream tops blue. I'll put them through the machine and see if they're any better after they've been washed. The odd thing is I wore them in the rain and my legs didn't go blue - just my hands - how weird is that?

Asking the public

My day job is kind of cool and very varied. Part of it involves running consultation groups to find out from the public in my area their views on certain topics. Today my jobshare partner and I did three sessions, two in a town centre and one in a pub. We got to talk to lots of different people from all kinds of backgrounds who kindly spared us a few minutes of their time. Thanks to all of those who took part and even the man who said he didn't talk to strange people. We didn't think we were that strange but then again...

Cover star!

Coming to a bookstore near you on January 21st or preorder now from Amazon (link in side bar) Isn't it luverly? I adore Little Black Dress covers and this one is just so pretty and sparkly and girly.

Renovation station

I thought I'd had a good idea. I thought while we were away for a few days at half term it would be nice to take down the old cutain fitment and strip the walls in our downstairs cloakroom and paint them with the left over paint from the lounge. This is a small room and half tiled with nice tiles but we haven't decorated in there for fifteen years. I made the mistake of discussing my thoughts with Mr Nell - sigh. So now I'm having a new toilet and basin, a tiled floor, new fitments, the walls painted, oh, and maybe we might need to redo the wall tiles - argh. Sigh, I get to keep my mirror, picture and light fitting.

It's a sign

The sun is shining, I've two days writing time planned and guess what. Yep, I have a sick child home. I swear, everytime I get even the remotest possibility of a few hours peace and quiet to write, run errands and not have to worry about cleaning, or feeding, or taking someone somewhere the universe does this to me. Poor Miss Boo has the cough and heavy cold that has affected the other two belles over the last week. They are better now of course, but as her immune system has never been as strong as her sisters she's downstairs on the sofa sipping juice and coughing miserably.
What is it they say? best laid plans and all that?

Bliss

Most of you know I'm a huge fan girl of Jessica Hart and Liz Fielding - so what could possibly be better than a new book containing both of those ladies story's? Many thanks to Jessica for sending me the latest release from the Romance line, I can't wait to start reading. Sadly however I've another editing round on Charlie Darling to finish first and I need to meet my writing deadlines for this week - now though I might just go a little bit faster with a fab book waiting in the wings for me to read. Also happy Birthday today to another Jessica! My lovely friend, Jessica Foote - Have a fab day!

Wombourne Writers

It's the tenth anniversary soon for Wombourne Writers. Tonight it's our celebratory meal so we're laying down our pens for a visit to the local Italian restaurant. Yum. The group is growing and florishing with several published authors and so many wonderfully talented members. It's a lovely supportive group and I love being a part of it.

Tomorrow!

If you're anywhere near Heath Hayes library in Staffordshire pop along between 2.30 and 4.30 and say hi to me and fellow LBD author, Phillipa Ashley. By popular demand (well the librarians) we're reprising our Ethel and Lucy twosome. You can hear all about Little Black Dress books, our writing, Phillipa's film and lots more. Come and see us, you know you want to.

Travel broadens the mind

Yesterday I went to Bristol by train for a conference for the day job. The journey back was hugely unpleasant as we were packed in like sardines and I had a large lady next to me who occupied half of my seat as well as her own. To add to that she clearly had a stinking cold and persisted in sniffing loudly every few seconds. The nasal piercing added to the morbid fascination.
But on the way down, it was early in the morning, 7.15, I was fascinated by my fellow travellers. I realised that I am a) a slob, b)old and c) I don't care. The women on the train were all in a kind of corporate uniform of black skirt suits, knee high boots or high heeled shoes with thick soles that looked hell to wear all day. They all had funky, chunky necklaces and were surgically attached to their mobiles which twinged every few minutes. The men all had laptops and recieved phonecalls in which they discussed what presumably was quite sensitive business and personal information in loud voices for the delectation of the rest of us. Lots of 'well half of me says yes and half of me says no.' 'We should get another quote on the St Andrews hospital job.''Oh, you didn't get a mortgage, what are you going to do?'
Fascinating - what can be so urgent or important at 7.30 in the morning? What jobs do these people have?
In an aside I swear that as we pulled into Cheltenham Spa on the way back I saw Phil Spencer working on a laptop on the platform while he waited for a train.

Blog award

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Somebody loves me! Thank you for the award - it's cool and shiny and very unexpected.

Shrinking

It's official, I've gone down another size in jeans - okay so the new ones are a tiny bit tight but I can do them up without having to lie down - always a plus that, I think. Now if I can just keep this up and, I think I can as I'm not dieting just being more thoughtful about what I eat. It's so nice when your clothes fit you better. I'm not weighing myself either because it's what I think I look like and how that makes me feel that's really important and I don't want to get hung up on the old pounds and ounces. And yes, I don't do kilo's, I'm older and crotchety, live with it.
Synopsis is done now for You, Me and Him - it still needs a bit more oomph I think but it's looking okay and I've started chapter four.

Looking good

Miss La has had her hair cut and restyled. When she was six she decided she didn't want a fringe any more and grew it out. Now she's in senior school and all grown up she's had it cut back in. She looks so grown up and stylish, like a member of a girl band - sob - this is my baby!
My healthy eating routine appears to be working for me and I think I need to go down another size in jeans soon as the current pair are starting to fall down. I still don't look like Twiggy but it means I've gone down two clothes sizes since I strated my eating smaller quantities, cut out unhealthy snacks and cut down bread by eating salad instead at work regime started.
The copy edits for Crystal Clear are done and gone back to my editor at Little Black Dress and I now have a rough synopsis for You, Me and Him. Next stop, another chapter for You, Me and Him and another chapter for Just Look at me Now then the first third of Just Look at Me Now will be done! Yay!

Blue Remembered Heels goes large!

Here is the large print cover of Blue Remembered Heels - It's so lovely!

Taxing Times

Well, the dreaded taxes are done and my paperwork is winging it's way to the good people at the inland revenue.Hopefully I haven't stuffed it up like I did the year before last. I'm sure they have my file marked with I for idiot when I ring them with my feeble minded questions. They are always so helpful and nice though. I'm hoping this will be my last year for doing them myself - I know I say that every year but it's not that easy finding an accountant type person who can work with someone who is as numerically challenged as me. It's always a load off my mind once the paperwork is done and sent and I tuck my envelope full of reciepts and my scribbled notes away for the year. I must chase down all my bits of paper for this year too - for some reason I'm a bit behind on that this year. I have them, I just haven't checked that I've entered them and put the receipts in the right month yet.

Music to write by

As well as my next Little Black Dress book, Just Look at Me Now I'm also working on another project. This is something I'm doing for fun as the story won't leave me alone, it's a bit bonkers and has all kinds of stuff going on in it and is hugely enjoyable to write. Today I started pulling together my playlist of songs that encapusalte different bits of the book. I do this for all my books and I already have one for Just Look at Me Now - the theme tune for that one is mainly Breakfast at Tiffany's at the moment btw.
For my fun book called You, Me and Him my list so far is:
The theme from Ghostbusters - Ray Parker Jnr
All the single ladies - Beyonce
Crazy Horses - The Osmonds
Kiss from a Rose - Seal
I'm sure I'll add more as I go along but as I'm cobbling my synopsis together these are the sounds on my play list.

On with the dance!

Well, we're back in the regular routine again now - dance school runs - show is in November so it'll be costumes and rehearsals again before there's time to blink. All of which is serving to remind me that I still haven't done my taxes and Christmas is sneaking up scarily quickly.
I'm also going to be doing a few extra hours at the day job - great news for my bank balance but not so good for my writing schedule so I need to get a move on. I'm sure I'd work faster if my neighbours would keep their dogs quiet. I love dogs and normally these dogs aren't noisy but just lately they are driving me nuts. It's like nails on a blackboard everytime they start and I lose my concentration. Argh.

Turkish delight

To add to my joy, Animal Instincts has sold for foreign translation into Turkish! Yay, wonder what they will make of Dave the parrot?

Lichfield lunch

Today was lovely, I've been working very hard over the weekend - massive edits on Charlie Darling and then I wrote almost 3k yesterday on the next book for LBD, so today was my reward. I went to Lichfield for lunch with two of my favourite writerly people - Phillipa Ashley and Elizabeth Hanbury. As usual we talked booky and writing non stop - toured the beautiful cathedral, drank lots of latte and ate cake. I also bought a very lovely scarf for my upcoming trip to London in November for a launch party and meeting with my agents. To top of my excellent day out I came back to an email saying that Blue Remembered Heels had sold to Indonesia. Very exciting to have foreign translations!

Edits and edits

More edits over the weekend on Charlie Darling - each round brings the release a bit closer! At least that's what I tell myself when I'm flagging a bit. Some books always need a bit more than others and I think because I wrote this a while ago now and I've learned so much more it needed that extra spit and shine to make it sparkle.
Tomorrow I have a nice writerly lunch lined up with two of my favourite people so I'm planning a head down, fingers on keyboard day today so I can play hookey tomorrow and actually have a day off before the day job summons.

Exciting stuff!

I just learned that the large print edition of Blue Remembered Heels will be out on the first of October. I need to remind all my lovely librarian friends at the local libraries who've been waiting to acquire it for their shelves. I think my mom will be first in the queue to reserve a copy so she can finally read it. Animal Instincts will be out in large print on the first of April next year so not too long for that either! Also, in my quest to find you all a bargain, the lovely people at the book depositary who not only have free delivery anywhere in the world also have Loves Me, Loves Me Not at a steal of a price - much, much cheaper than Amazon!HERE So if you haven't got your copy yet and the copies for your friends, relatives, work colleagues etc for Christmas, Halloween, birthdays etc - rush on over and bag a bargain.

Putting The Black Country on the map

Today sees the launch of a new ordnance survey map and this one finally has THE BLACK COUNTRY clearly marked as an area for the first time! Yay! As you all know I'm very proud of my area, it's a special place and recognition of it's heritage is long overdue. So you can imagine how chuffed I was to be on BBC radio WM this morning with a little snippet saying how pleased I was.Go Here for the Black Country alphabet song!

What happened to this year?

How come it's September? Why does my car have dew on the windows every morning? and why are there spiders spinning their webs everywhere? I noticed some of the shops are evn starting to stock Christmas lines. I can't believe where the time has gone.

Random thoughts

Is it just me or has anyone else noticed that the woman on the airfreshner ads, you know, the one whose kid wants to do a poo in Paul's bathroom is the same woman in the advert for kitchen towels where the elephant breaks down the fence?
And I want to know how Paul feels about people wanting to poo in his bathroom? I mean, does he charge? is there a queue outside his front door? Is he listed with a brown leisure sign on the main road pointing the way to Paul's bathroom?
It's like the ad for the phone, I think it's an iphone, where they tell you haow to phone Kevin after finding his number - I don't want to phone Kevin or email him.
Sigh, the belles have threatened to ban me from watching the ads.

Back to school

I waved goodbye to the belles this morning as they return for their new school year. Miss La is starting secondary school and for a whole year I'll have all three girls at the same school. Miss La looked very smart in her new uniform, laden down with all her equpment as they don't get their timetable till they arrive today so they have to take everything on the first day - PE kit, swim kit, football boots, labcoats, foodtech apron, bag with general school stuff, and lunch. I think her stuff weighs more than her.
Now I have to wait till after three when I schlepp back to collect them and find out how the first day of 'big' school actually went!

Crystal Clear

Well, the first lot of tweaks are done and I've sent it back to my lovely editor for her thoughts. I've put the first unedited chapter up on my website now - so head over HERE and look in excerpts if you want a peek. It's also on Amazon for preorder and the release date seems to have jumped forward from April to Jan 21st! Yay!

Happy Birthday to...

My Dad, 70 today!
Happy Birthday Dad.

Romance

Longtime readers of this blog will know that Mr Nell is not romantic. This is the man who haggled for a discount on my engagement ring. Next year is our silver wedding anniversary and we've been debating how we should celebrate 25 years of me not having killed him. Well, he surprised me the other day by dropping a brochure in my lap and announcing that he'd booked a few days away for us in Jersey for our anniversary. In a hotel, with an indoor pool and a posh restaurant and everything.
Wow! I guess that means I'll have to get him more than his usual bottle of wine for his present.

Rambling

My edits have now arrived for Crystal Clear - I re read the ms through for the first time since I sent it off at the end of May. My editor writes little notes on the script that always make me smile when I read them and her suggestions are always good. By the time I reached the last scene I was surprised to find I was crying. Not sure why - I mean I know how it finishes, but I think it just took me a bit by surprise. Next stop implementing the three or four small suggestions from my editor before Charlie Darling comes winging back to me.

Getting there

Well, first lot of edits for Charlie darling are done - my editor says she'll have the next round to me in two weeks time. I've read through the NWS script and will get the report done this week when I've read it again. Prepared my workshop thatI'm delivering tomorrow night - I'd forgotten about it till my eldest reminded me. Now to tackle a few more of my cp's chapters and then I can hopefully get some more done on Just Look at Me Now by the end of the week.
I'm slowly recovering from the weekend's running around for the day job. This weekend was the Sandwell show and we made 1,200 eco friendly paper flower pots filled them with herbs and gave them away.