I'm back . . .

. . . at least I think I am. I know my body is here, bum in chair, hands on keyboard, but I feel as if other parts of me - and most importantly my brain - are still trying to catch up from the trip to Wales.

But I am back here in Lincolnshire, alternately happy and sad to be back home and to have left Wales, Fishguard and the sea behind me.

And of course the wonderful class I had on the Writing Romance course. What a great bunch they all were -11 (should have been 12 but one couldn't make it) women of different ages, life experiences and from homes all across the country, brought together by a love of romance books and a desire to learn how to write them. I've taught quite a few classes but this group really seemed to 'gell' brilliantly and I had a lot of fun as well as doing a lot of talking (yes, Brenda, my voice is back to normal now!) and hopefully passing on a lot of ideas on writing.

I did take photos, but sadly my camera is refusing to speak to my computer this morning so I can't post them as yet. I hope I might manage it later. But for now - Rachael, Brenda, Jo, Caroline, Lorraine, Sultan, Sarah Jane, Ruth, Anne, Lorna, Karen thank you all for your company, your enthusiasm, your questions - it was fun!

And the good news is that we can hope to do it all again next year when the new 'advanced' course - Romance Writing 2 will run at Fishguard in February 2011. (Friday 18th - Sunday 20th Feb, I think, but don't quote me on that until I get confirmation.) So many of this group have already booked so it looks like it will be a class reunion next year.

Anyone else who is interested - I will be running 'Romance Writing 1' the original, basic course on writing romance at Caerleon in the summer (July 25th - 30th) and this will then continue into the further study in February 2011 at Fishguard. Numbers will be limited so that we can really work intensively. Now I just have to plan the course!

This trip to Wales, I actually managed to visit Fishguard - the first time ever in three visits, and as someone who used to do a lot of embroidery - when I had free time for hobbies - I was thrilled to be able to see the wonderful Fishguard Tapestry, a local copy of the Bayeux Tapestry, which was stitched by local women to mark the 200th anniversary of the last invasion of Britain by the French in 1797. I loved the fabulous stitchery on this l-o-n-g tapestry, particularly with its story of Jemima Fawr" (Jemima the Great). The 47-year-old Jemima Nicholas was the wife of a Fishguard cobbler. When she heard of the invasion, she marched out to Llanwnda, pitchfork in hand and rounded up 12 Frenchmen. (see the picture )She brought them into town and promptly left to look for some more.

One rather spooky coincidence that I discovered when I was talking to one of my class - Anne, like me, had studied English at University College of Wales Aberystwyth. When we were talking I learned that she had been there the year before me. Then I found out that she had lived in the same small annexe of the main hall where I had lived for my first year - again a year before me. Further investigation meant that I learned she had actually had exactly the same room as me and had only moved out when I had moved in. We had been so close all those years ago and yet never met until this course had finally brought us together! Strange . . .

Now I'm deep in dreadline hell and really must concentrate - but don't forget that the Here Come The Grooms Contest is still running - all details on the Contest page. I will try to get Nikos, the Groom from The Konstantos Marriage Demand to come along and talk to you as soon as I get a chance. Incidentally, I was thrilled to get back home and find that The Konstantos Marriage Demand was at #4 on the Top 10 Bestsellers over on eHarlequin. And that's before it's officially released on March 16th .

And the details of the Romance 2 course at Fishguard will go on the Events page just as soona s I confirm the dates.