A Fabulous Time In London

I'm back from London - and  have recovered from the travel, the heat, the meetings, the lunch/dinner/party  . . .

Well, that was a hectic - and fun time. Let me see - there was the trip down to london and the unexpected heatwave that of course got warmer the further south we went.

The first evening we were at the Garrick Theatre where we had seats for  The Entertainer - with Kenneth Branagh. A  great evening - I have to say that the play is not one of my favourite ever  and I have some problems with it  where at times it's rather static and wordy - but the music hall scenes were brilliant - and that's where K B came into his own.  So glad we saw it.

Andie Brock with her cover display

Thursday was spent visiting the Harlequin office in the News Building (next to the Shard) at London Bridge.  Another unexpectedly hot day   but it was great to be shown round the offices (on the 16th floor!), meet all the editors  - specially Grace who knew just how to make this author's day by telling me how much she had loved Indebted to Moreno when she read it! -   and get to know (again!)  my new editor.  Except she isn't my new editor  - we worked together in the past  (can you believe 20 years ago!)  when the first book we worked on  was The Groom's Revenge which was published in 1997!!  It was great to catch up again and renew our working relationship and friendship.  That evening  was a great time to get together with some lovely friends - Rachael Thomas (who regular readers will know is one of my ex -Fishguard Writers Weekend students who is now building a successful writing career and into double figures with her  accepted titles.)  Chantelle Shaw and Lara Temple who you met on this blog some weeks back.

My lovely friend Anna Sugden and her book cover

Friday was the AMBA lunch and  then the fabulous Harlequin party - back in the News Building  - but this time on the 17th floor!  It was  great to meet up  with some many lovely friends old and new and make some new ones amongst the   Mills and Boon Authors.   There were celebrations of some authors 'milestone' books, prosecco and other

With my sexy Spaniard cover

 celebratory drinks  and canapés - not that  I could manage any after the  AMBA lunch.

More lovely friends Rachael Thomas and Chantelle Shaw

Scarlet Wilson and Kate Hardy looking glamorous

Great goody bags for everyone 

     

 

Rachael Thomas  again with author  Louise Fuller

And finally  - my  favourite editor ever  - lovely Lesley Stonehouse. Why is she so very  special to me?
Because Lesley is the lady who picked my book out from the slush pile   over 30 years ago  -  the book the became The Chalk Line - my first ever published novel - so she started me on this wonderful career and she's  taken a great interest in what I do ever since.

Thank you Lesley!

London - AMBA and the Author Party

I’ve finally managed to get home from London, sort things out, unpack and do the laundry  so that I have a chance to catch up.

With Kate Hardy aka Scary Kate

 The trip to London was great from start to finish. On the  Friday night I had dinner with Chantelle Shaw and Rachael Thomas which was so much fun. It’s always good to catch up with fellow writers and friends and have a chance to have some quality time together to really talk.   Of course Rachael was once one of my students on the Fishguard Advanced Romance Writing Course and it had been wonderful to enjoy her success as she had written more successful  books and established her position in the Harlequin Presents line-up.

This year, the newest recruit to the Presents line was Amanda Cinelli  (winner of the So You Think You Can Write contest last year) whose first book  Resisting the Sicilian Playboy is out in October.  I sat next to Amanda at the lunch and so was delighted to learn from her that she  had  a copy (OK 2 copies – the print version  and the Kindle  one) of my 12 Point Guide To Writing Romance  and she told me that it had really helped her with her writing for Harlequin. Which is great because that’s just what I wrote it for! I also had more time to chat with Andie Brock who I met briefly last year but didn’t get much of a chance to  talk to her.  And of course I had a chance to talk with my editor - and so many others of  HMB editorial .

View from the News Building

  I had a wonderful time at both the AMBA lunch and the Harlequin Author Party afterwards.   The new offices in the News Building  on London Bridge Street  are in a part of London that I don’t know well, so it was fascinating to explore a bit  and to marvel at the amazing building  that is The Shard there.

The height and expanse of The Shard makes the News Building look rather small in comparison, but by the time we had travelled up 17 floors (thankfully in an express lift!) to reach the special events area, it didn’t actually feel smaller!  The view from the windows was

Another version of that stunning view

totally stunning, with the whole of London spread out below.  Even things like the London Eye looked tiny from up there.

One of the best feelings about being at the author party was the excitement of being able to see a couple of my covers projected on to the large screens in the room. As the covers to Olivero’s Outrageous Proposal and Destined for The Desert King are two of my favourite covers it was great to be able to see them on display like that.

Cover for Olivero's Outrageous Proposal on display

At the party I was able to meet up with more friends – some  international ones too! Anna Sugden who writes for American Romance and Kandy Shepherd  (Cherish) who was over from Australia.  And I had a very special hug for lovely Nicole Locke whose newest Historical novel  Her Enemy Highlander  is out this month.   You might remember that Nicole wrote thislovely blog post to mark my 30 years of being a published author. Thanks once again Nicole!

With Anna Sugden and Kandy Shepherd

I didn’t take many photographs  during the day so I’m grateful to my friends and the official M&B photographer   Katie who took pictures so that I can show them here.