79,999 and counting

When I checked my blog this morning the total of visitors was 79,999 - that's quite some total! Those are visitors from 129 differrent countries. And it made me think how fantastic it is to be able to chat with so many people from so many places and know that you're all out there, reading this and, hopefully reading my books too.

So I just wanted to say a special thank you to you all for being there. I wish I could know just who would be visitor 80,000 but it doesn't really matter. You're all important!

Today I'm still fighting my recalcitrant Spaniard but I'm hoping that the end is in sight. So I'm not staying around long - but I do want to have a small celebration of a friend's good news.

A couple of times on this blog I've mentioned a fabulous writer - and a lovely friend - Natasha Oakley. Last year was not a fun year for Natasha, fate seemed to have decided to throw everything it could at her, and how. It was a year I'm sure she wants to forget.

But luckily 2008 has been a better one so far and yesterday she had some fabulous news. She learned that her book The Tycoon's Princess Bride is a finalist in the Contemporary Series Category in the RITA awards contest run by the Romance Writers of America.

And quite frankly I'm not surprised. I read this book when it first came out and I loved it. It has Natasha's trademark deep emotion, believable, sympathetic characters, great dialogue and that extra special tug-at -the -heartstrings touch she has in every book. I blogged about this book when I read it, I was so impressed by it. I'm thrilled by the book's success and so happy for Natasha that she's getting the reputation she deserves.

And I'm extra specially happy because right at the beginning of her career, before she was ever published, I had a tiny part in helping her along the road towards that success. When she submitted a book to the Romantic Novelists' Association New Writers' Scheme, back in 2001, I was the reader who was sent that manuscript to read. ( I blogged about this when Natasha was one of the authors whose books were in my Christmas Stocking contest in 2006.) And I'm proud to be able to say that I spotted the strong potential in her writing then. It's a wonderful feeling to have been there at the beginning for someone and to see them grow and flower in this fabulous way.

CONGRATULATIONS Natasha! Many, many of them.