Welcome to the world, Valentino!

Well, it S17 day here in the UK, and I had breakfast in bed surrounded by roses, messages of congratulation, champagne and the media, anxious to record the auspicious release of my great work...

Yeah, right...

It's just a day like any other day. No big fanfares on my lowly layer of the publishing cake... no thousands of fans camping out outside Waterstones and Borders, waiting to rush in on the stroke of midnight and purchase my oeuvre... I haven't even mentioned it to himself, although I might when he comes home from work.

Anyway, here's hoping that plenty of people do soon discover the book and enjoy it. It's one of those that had a very up and down creation process. One minute I loved it, the next I hated it, but I ended up loving it, so that's what matters. But I also want other people to love my hero Valentino as much as I do... and in that, I'm slightly nervous, because he does have more than his share of quirks and foibles and dodginess in his past... and present. Let's say that he's not a standard erotic romance Alpha hero...

So, those of you who are into idiosycratic and deliberately perverse heroes, and especially if you like long black hair and a twisted version of Italian romantic machismo, do, please, slide on over to Amazon.co.uk or any other fine literature emporium and avail yourself of this quality volume! LOL

In other news: I'm feeling quite a bit better!

--

Telly: Japanorama
Choc/Yummy: Arrowroot biscuits
Mood: slightly more focused
Writing: promo
Reading: web surfing
RSI/FMS: bit sore


Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!

plucky British grit and all that...

Yes, I have been working... I managed to do some stuff, even though I didn't actually get dressed today... shock horror! I working the bedroom anyway, but usually I get up and bathe and do my exercise and occasionally go out in the garden or take a walk and all that... Today however, I just lay around a bit, then sat up and started to work. You'll be pleased to know that I'm bathed and in clean clothes now... but it's taken me until tea time to get that way!

And what have I been working on? Gothic Heat, you ask? Nope, haven't done anything on that mutha for a week now, although I do feel that I still actually 'like' it and will be happy to return to it. No, I've been polishing another project/WIP that I originally worked on many, many months ago. It's part of a joint project with another author, and as there's been a slight development on that front [nothing radical, don't get excited!] it was time to dig it out and review it. I was pretty pleased with it at the time, in my own doubtful way, but looking at it after all this time, it was easy to pick out areas for refinement and improvement. I think a gap like this is often very useful, as you can look at a piece with fresh eyes and a different perspective.



Anyway, the hero if this novella is called Red, and he has a beard! Actually he wears glasses too, but I couldn't find a piccie of the divine Vincenzo with both glasses and beard. If anyone happens to have one tucked away on their hard drive, or knows where there is one to be found, do, do, do let me know!!!

Lastly, an important public service announcement...

On Friday I will be a guest blogger at the fabulous ROMANCE: BY THE BLOG... and I'll be posting on the topic of MY LEADING MEN. You don't need a thousand guesses to work out that the above mentioned gentleman will be featuring on that roster, do you?

--
Telly: old films and stuff
Choc/Yummy: one cupcake
Mood: weary
Writing: editing Red's story
Reading: bits and bobs
RSI/FMS: generally poorly


Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!

this is me...

attempting to fight off the stinking lurgi that has waylaid me since Friday night!

My entire digestive tract has now joined the list of bits of me that are giving me stick, but the fact that the amount of 'stuff' I need to do keeps piling up and piling up means that I simply have to ignore the fact I feel like hell... and just try to soldier on.

All I can hope for is that should I slump sideways in a coma whilst at the keyboard, the laptop won't incur too much damage as it falls off the edge of the bed!

Yes, I am a drama queen... but in essence, the above is more or less true.

ps. Suite Seventeen isn't officially published until tomorrow, but my friend Ann says her copy has already been delivered! Yay!

out of commission

Still pretty much out of commission... Have managed to do a few bits and pieces, but my brain is temporarily broken and not processing stuff properly.

Very frustrating... grr....

ugh... ill...

Ack, I have been ill since late on Friday night... some kind of infection/lurgi thing. Aches and pains, shivers, sinus glue, headache... and while I was chatting in the Galleria, I actually felt all the lymph glands in my neck and the side of my face swelling up!!!!

Yuk! Yuk! Yuk!

Am feeling a little better now, so hope to start getting back into the swing of things... but slowly.

fancy a chat?

I should have posted this much earlier in the day, or even yesterday, but I've been so busy that I kept forgetting!!!

Basically, my writing buddy Madelynne Ellis and I have 'taken a residence' at The Romance Galleria! We have our own dinky little suite there and we're hoping to host chats there for our readers and other authors and online friends in general.

The Romance Galleria is a really fun place, it's like a mini virtual world for romance lovers. Authors have suites and alcoves, which showcase their work, and their able to chat in virtual reality with visitors, using avatars! It's very jolly... and I'm rapidly becoming addicted. Madelynne and I have been chatting about our WIPs and plots there, but we'd love to have other people visit us to natter about books and writing, whether it's our work or other people's.

To access the Galleria, you have to download its software. But don't worry!!!! It's easy peasy and it's perfectly safe and secure... and it's completely free, gratis and for nothing! I'm always v. cautious about downloads, but I've had absolutely no problems with this and it's a cinch to use. Once you've downloaded the Galleria, you can choose an avatar for yourself [mine's blond and wears black, of course] and then enter the 'world'. Navigating is easy, you just use your keyboard's arrow buttons to move forward and backwards and from side to side. There's a chat window, and you can choose to have private conversations, or just plunge into general ones with groups of people...

Do please try the Galleria and come along to our first informal chat, which we're holding tonight [1st June] at around 11pm GMT/6pm EST. You'll find our pad in the Section 2 of the Exhibit Hall. Just walk out of the foyer onto the landing, take the Exhibit Hall door to the left, then turn right and pass through the doors marked 'More Exhibits'... where you'll see us to your right! Doors open automatically as you 'run' at them, or you can click to open and then 'up' arrow you're way through them... it's a piece of cake!

If lots of people turn up tonight, we might make it into a real party... with prizes!

In addition to tonight, we drop into our suite at all sorts of odd times, but you can mostly expect to find us there on Friday nights at the above mentioned time... after Law & Order Criminal Intent on C5!!!

Do please come along... and remember, the Galleria isn't just about us! There are lots of other authors there to visit, and lots of regular scheduled events like author chats and book trailer screenings. Issa hoot! Give it a whirl!

--
Telly: The Holiday
Choc/Yummy: Turkish Delight
Mood: Good, but awash with things to do
Writing: not today... but I promise I'll do some tomorrow
Reading: Gothic Blue
RSI/FMS: slightly sore


Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!

I'm posting at Lust Bites today!!!

But somehow, Tilly the cat doesn't seem to be all that interested!

Not tonight, dear, I've got a headache...

What's that all about? Well, you'll have to pop over there, and find out, won't you? :)

There's also a prize draw for those who comment, so why not drop a line there with your thoughts on the post...

Hint... it's a hot but romantic excerpt from SUITE SEVENTEEN!

I'll also have some more news later in the day, so pop back here too... although my 'house mate' Madelynne Ellis already has the skinny on that posted at her blog...

aren't these pretty?

--
Telly: Springwatch
Choc/Yummy: Turkish Delight
Mood: good
Writing: none today
Reading: Gothic Blue!!!!
RSI/FMS: not too bad


Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!

it's that day again...

when in Rome...

I've spent most of the Bank Holiday in Rome! Well, watching programmes about Ancient Rome on UK History... All very fascinating stuff, historical, yet dramatic... makes me feel good about being 'educated' and less bad about goggling at the telly instead of actually getting on with writing. Have learnt lots of facts about various Emperors and especially enjoyed Michael Sheen's deliciously camp performance as the deranged Nero...


In other news, I'm actually reading one of my own books at the moment!!! Yes, I've given in and have started reading Gothic Blue, in order to not completely **** up the continuity and consistency in Gothic Heat. It's a strange experience, because it's over 12 years since I wrote this thing, and it's like reading something somebody else wrote...


I've only read a bit so far, but I sort of like it. My style was different back then... more flowery and naive... but also fresh and enthusiastic. I'm hoping I've gained more than I've lost over the years, but it's hard to tell. I'm always slightly unnerved when people praise my early work... I love it that they like it, but I worry that I might never write as well again. I suppose all authors have these feelings though...

Actual writing has been going reasonably okay, and have been managing to keep up my 1K per day over the last two or three days. I've now done over 21K, which is around 30% of the book. It still feels as if I've only just started, but I remember a similar state of affairs when I was writing Suite Seventeen... so I'm not *too* worried.

Lots of 'stuff' ahead in the week ahead... I'm posting at Lustbites on Friday with an excerpt from Suite Seventeen, and I might also post a bit at Portia's Prose too. Although don't worry, there's plenty of book left to read for those who are planning to buy! ;)

ps. I might also be holding a minor chat session soon too... at the Romance Galleria. Watch this space for more on that...

--
Telly: lots of Roman stuff
Choc/Yummy: Turkish Delight/cupcakes
Mood: good
Writing: 1.1K of Gothic Heat
Reading: Gothic Blue
RSI/FMS: bit sore


Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!

Found this at Loribelle's blog

1. WHERE IS YOUR CELL PHONE?: in my bag beside the bed
2. RELATIONSHIP?: 30+ yrs old!
3. YOUR HAIR?: short, bleached blonde
4. WORK?: is writing
5. YOUR SISTER?: is ace!
6. YOUR FAVORITE THING?: chocolate
7. YOUR DREAM LAST NIGHT?: about web design
8. YOUR FAVORITE DRINK?: nice cuppa tea
9. YOUR DREAM CAR?: James Bond's Aston Martin
10. THE ROOM YOU’RE IN?: bedroom
11. YOUR SHOES?: at the moment, socks
12. YOUR FEARS?: death
13. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE IN 10 YEARS?: happy and writing
14. WHO DID YOU HANG OUT WITH THIS WEEKEND?: himself and the cats
15. WHAT ARE YOU NOT GOOD AT?: making decisions
16. MUFFIN?: double choc chip
17. ONE OF YOUR WISH LIST ITEMS?: iPod
18. WHERE YOU GREW UP? where I live now
19.LAST THING YOU DID?: type the line above
20. WHAT ARE YOU WEARING?: tee shirt jeans etc
21. WHAT AREN’T YOU WEARING?: shoes
22. YOUR PET?: cats
23. YOUR COMPUTER?: HP Compaq laptop
24. YOUR LIFE?: teetering on the edge of madness
25. YOUR MOOD?: sort of edgy
26. MISSING?: my late cat Boy
27. WHAT ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW?: this list
28. YOUR CAR?: VW Passat [don't drive it... himself drives]
29. YOUR KITCHEN?: a mess
30. YOUR SUMMER?: strange and busy hopefully
31. YOUR FAVORITE COLOR?: black
32. LAST TIME YOU LAUGHED?: yesterday, quite a bit
33. LAST TIME YOU CRIED?: yesterday
34. SCHOOL?: a long time ago
35. LOVE?: real world: family, cats/fantasy: heroes in my books

Visit Loribelle's blog for her answers...

Further to my post below...

Lovers of Apollo 13 are sure to enjoy this YouTube...

Thanksgiving With the Kranzes

I won't post it here because it's 18 mins long!

It's an absolute scream... and so creative. :)