Advanced Writing Romance Course

Just to let you know that if you were thinking of booking for my Advanced Contemporary Romance Workshop in February 2013 -  There are now only EIGHT places left for the whole set of  Winter Workshops at Fishguard.

And that's between all the courses - and there are five of them!  So if you want to be assured of a place on my course  - book now!

Book online now and save £10 at www.writersholiday.net

Good News and Bad News

I had a wonderful time on Friday  when I visited Bridlington Library and spoke to their Writers’ Group.  The turnout was great – the librarian told me that they had the most people attending than at any other meeting in the past. So thank you to everyone who came. I hope you enjoyed the afternoon as much as I did.

As an added benefit, the sun shone and the day was warm so the Babe Magnet and I enjoyed a day beside the sea, strolling along the seafront and relaxing. We even found time to visit Bempton Cliffs to see the huge gannets whirling in the air high above the sea as they feed their chicks which were perched in nests in what seemed like tiny cracks in the cliff.

This will be my last Writing Talk/Workshop for some time – that is, unless any events are planned for the So You Think You Can Write. But that reminds me that I need to bring you up to date on the news about some of my other planned events – which is why the good news/bad news scenario.

Bad news first – Sadly, the week-long writing course at The Watermill in Posara has been cancelled. I’m really disappointed about this, but the decision was out of my hands.  It seems that they didn’t feel they would get enough bookings even though there are still two months before the course actually starts (and they actually cancelled some weeks earlier than that.) So I’m sorry if you were hoping to attend . I’m really sorry too, as I had a great course planned out and I was very much looking forward it.

But the good- the great news is . . . Remember this post back in June?

That was when I feared- dreaded  - the possibility that the wonderful Caerleon Writers’ Holiday might be coming to an end. When the Babe Magnet and I – and the organisers Anne and Gerry Hobbs thought that this fantastic week might not happen ever again – ort if it did it wouldn’t be on  the campus of the University of Wales Caerleon and in  the lovely surroundings of  Caerleon village and its fantastic  Roman remains.  

But the good – the great news will be that Caerleon Writers’ Holiday will be back again next year. Everyone involved was so relieved and so thrilled that we’ve been smiling ever since we heard the news.  The details of next years’ event will be posted  here just as soon as Anita gets the details, but one thing I can assure you of and that is that I will be there, running my COMPLETE INTRODUCTION TO WRITING ROMANCE course in July 2013.  Which reminds me that I must just send a special wave to everyone   who was on my course this year. They were a great group, we had a lot of fun as  well as learning a lot (well, I  always learn a bit more each time I teach.)  We had a wonderful week with blue skies and warm sunshine – the temperatures went up to 26 on two days  - with all the usual great Writers’ Holiday events, the courses, the speakers, the poetry reading, the Male Voice Choir. And  I’m looking forward to seeing so many of my students  back again at Fishguard for the Advanced Contemporary Romance  Workshop in February 2013.

Because of course these two workshops are linked and students need to have attended the Introduction course in order to be able to apply for the Advanced. In Fishguard. Numbers for the Advanced course are strictly limited to 15 and I know that at least half of those places are already booked up. So if you’d like to attend, the sooner you get  your booking in the better.

For me, it’s great news that I will be able to be back in Wales, with my dear friends , and enjoying the warmth of their hospitality, in both February and July next year – and hopefully for many more years to  come.  Not for nothing are  Caerleon and Fishguard two red-letter dates in my calendar. 

Oh yes – and if you’ve visited Caerleon this year or before, we now have a special Writers’ Holiday page on Facebook. There are lots of great photos of this years’ event up there.

Pink Heart Day

It's the first Friday of the month. As you read this I will be beside the sea in  Bridlington,  talking about writing for Harlequin Mills & Boon to a library writing group. And this ties in with my topic in A Date With Kate over on The Pink Heart Society this month.

With the huge So You Think You Can Write contest launched by Harlequin, I'm looking at possible ways to learn more about your craft - and  maybe make  new friends in the process. It's all about Conferences, Courses, Critiques .. .

I'm also looking for questions on the writing craft that I can answer to help anyone who's entering SYTYCW - and there's a copy of the 12 Point Guide To Writing Romance to someone who asks a great craft question.

So see you there! (When I get back from the seaside.)

Nottingham and a nice surprise

I had a great day at the Nottingham Writers' Club workshop - the room was  full with just about every ticket sold. Evertyone was very warm and welcoming - and  enthusiastic.   My special thanks go to Carol who organised everything and to Mars who helped with the  details of the day. And  thanks yto everyone who attended and joined in  to make the  event a really pleasant one. The time between 10 am and 4pm just flew by and I  really enjoyed myself.    I know some people travelled a long way to get to Nottingham so thank you for making that special effort . 

You can read Carol's report on the workshop here - with more details about  the Nottingham Writers' Club on their home page too.

And when I came home it was to find a  couple of parcels waiting for m. The Large Print edition of The Devil and Miss Jones -  - some new foreign editions  - Swedish and  Norwegian translations of A  Sicilian Husband - great to see a book that's almost  10 years old being reissued - and another one with a  great surprise gift from my special guest this past week.

The lovely Janet Laurence sent me a signed copy of her brand-new historical mystery Deadly Inheritance and it looks so good - that cover looks even better in realtu - and who can resist this blurb?

American Ursula Grandison accompanies Belle Seldon to visit her sister, Helen, Countess of Mountstanton, commissioned by their father, multi-millionaire Chauncey Seldon, to discover what is wrong with Helen's marriage and what has happened to her dowry. At decaying stately Mountstanton House, Ursula finds the Earl is a cold fish, the Dowager Countess of Mounstanton the mother-in-law from hell, and Helen has not forgiven her for stealing her great love. Ursula discovers the drowned body of Polly, the nursemaid, thought to have deserted the household. Neither the Earl's brother, Colonel Charles Stanhope, nor Ursula believes Polly's death was an accident. Investigating against the Earl's wishes, they uncover a tangle of deception reaching into the past that threatens the reputation of the house of Mountstanton. After another death, Ursula fights to reveal the truth, to save Belle from dreadful scandal, and to fulfil Mr Seldon's commission, with a final shocking denouement.

 Thank you Janet!  I can't wait to dive into it . . . tyhere's just the small problem of too many books on the TBR pile (and a few on the Kindle!)  and not enough time to read.

And Janet will be picking a winner  from the contest last week - one lucky commenter will win a copy of Deadly Inheritance too. I'll let you know as soon as Janet tells me  who has won . . . watch this space.

Where did the week go?

Well - there was a birthday - thank you all for your lovely birthday greetings and wishes here and on Facebook - they made me smile all day long.  And what with that and lots of visits/cards/gifts from family and friends I had a wonderful time.
I am now the proud owner of a brand new Kindle which  means my TBR pile will look slightly  smaller - but the list of books I have yet to read will be  every bit as long - just appearing on the kindle, not the shelves! Oh  well, at least that doesn't have to be dusted!  The trouble is that there are still so many 'real' books on my  TBR shelves.  Oh well!

And talking of new books -  May 12th was the publication date for the  In His Bed, a 3 in 1 book that is part of the Greek Affairs collection. This has a reprint of Bedded By The Greek Billionaire  along with two other stories by Anne Mather and Carol Marinelli

I'm going to be busy this week - with a day-long workshop in Nottingham on Saturday  to prepare for and run - there are still just a couple   of places left if you want to come along.

Date: 19th May 2012

Time: 10am - 4pm (including an hour for lunch)

Location:

The Nottingham Mechanics
3 North Sherwood Street
Nottingham
NG1 4EZ

Information on booking here : http://www.nottinghamwritersclub.org.uk/

So - to  fill the blog and give you something to read - plus an extra special giveaway   -  I'll be posting an interview with a friend of mine who has a new release out today.   This  is not a romance  but . . .No you'll have to wait and see,  Come back tomorrow to find out . . .

Wet . . .

So how's the weather where you are? I'm thinking of building an ark, we have had so much rain. As soon as they mentioned a drought and put out a hosepipe ban for nthis part of the country, the rain started - and came down, and down, and down . . .
We had two water barrels to collect rainwater - they both filled up. We added a third on the side of the new kitchen  . . .that has  overflowed twice. We've  drained off water, poured it over flowerbeds - in the beginning. Now those beds are soaked,  looking like bogs.  There's nowhere else to put the water - and still the rain keeps falling.

And I don 't even want to think about the forecast for the weekend! Rain , rain and more rain.
Oh well, as the saying goes, it's lovely weather for ducks. And when we were in   York  earlier in the week there were seem really happy ducks and geese by the river who proved that  to be true.

So wherever you are I hope you're a little drier  - unless you need the rain too! Well, we did but I think now we could do with a break - just a little one!

So it's the perfect time for staying in and working and one of the things I've been doing  is sorting out my web site, getting it up to date.

One of the things I need to make all the details are correct for is the day lon workshop I have coming up next month - May 19th  - in Nottingham.  

So for anyone  who might be interested, here are those details again -

Date: 19th May 2012

Time: 10am - 4pm (including an hour for lunch and tea and coffee breaks)

Location:

The Nottingham Mechanics
3 North Sherwood Street
Nottingham
NG1 4EZ

Cost: £20

Information on booking can be found  here: http://www.nottinghamwritersclub.org.uk/

I checked with the organisers earlier this week and tickets are selling well with many places booked already.  There are a few still left though  - so if you're interested in coming along, I should get your booking organised  asap  so you  don't miss out.
Oh - and  one thing the weather can't dampen is mydelight in seeing the USA edition of The Devil and Miss Jones  flying high on the Booktrack Top 100 list  of bestselling fiction.   That made me feel as if the sun had come out.
My thanks to everyone who bought a copy to put my book on there.

Bargain Price

Did you miss getting your hands on a copy of The Proud Wife?  (this is the book that  is nominated as Best Presents Extra 2011 at Romantic Times)

I just discovered that The Proud Wife is now in the Sale over on the Mills & Boon web site where you can get  a print  copy or an ebook for just 99 pence!  So if you missed it the first time round here's a chance to grab a bargain.

Oh - and about those workshops  - if you're interested in the one day workshop in Nottingham on 19th  May (10 am - 4.30pm) , then the easy way to find the details and download the  booking form to book your place on the course is to follow this link.
Places are limited so if you want to come along make sure you  get your booking in as soon as possible.

Updated

Thanks to lovely Heather from We Write Romance, my web site is at last updated with  all my news.

You'll find the covers of both the USA and UK editions of The Devil and Miss Jones and an extract from the beginning of the book. And there are the details of the  By Request Collection,  His Suitable Bride which contains  my book Cordero's Forced Bride  (which is also oiut in a Kindle Edition if you'd rather have an ebook.)

And most importsntly for those of you who are interested in coming to any of my workshops  there's now the full details  you need to book the workshop in Brigg, Lincolnshire  and the link to the page with the day workshop in Nottingham  in May.

The Brigg  workshop is on Valentine's Day

Dates: 14th February 2012 

Time: 1:30pm to 4:30pm

Location:  The Ballroom The Angel  Brigg Lincolnshire
Tickets cost £7 per person and are available in advance from Ashby, Brigg and Scunthorpe libraries.
Places are limited so book early to avoid disappointment.
The event is for adults aged 16 and over. To book a place contact Emma Prideaux at North Lincolnshire Central Library on 01724 860161 or email  library.enquiries@northlincs.gov.uk.

I'm busy working on the Romance Writing weekend course in Fishguard next month (February 17th - 19th). The course is well booked already but we've had a couple of  cancellations from people whose circumstances have changed so they can't attend this time - so there's still time to book if you'd like to come along.  Booking forms and details are on the Writers' Holiday web site.

And of course then there's a week long course in Tuscany . . .   details coming up. . .

Looking ahead 2

A few more details about two more workshops I have  coming up this year.

Maybe Wales isn't easy for you to reach. (Though I have had students at Fishguard who have come from London,  Norwich -  Spain! )

Maybe you can't spare a whole weekend to attend a course.

Maybe you haven't been on a 'basic' course so you feel the Advanced Romance Writing might be too much for you

Well how about  a half day workshop? A full day one?

The first of these is, appropriately enough  on Valentine's Day:

LINCOLNSHIRE

Planned for Valentine’s Day will be a workshop on writing romance with
North Lincolnshire Libraries

Date: February 14th obviously!

Location: The Ballroom The Angel, Brigg Lincolnshire

Time: 1.30 – 4.30 pm

Cost, where to apply and all other details to be announced as soon as possible.

But you can check on their page here  or ring  the Central Library to enquire  Tel: 01724 860161

NOTTINGHAM

Saturday 19th May

10am-4pm workshop (including a one hour lunch break and a short break in both the morning and afternoon).

At The Nottingham Mechanics 3 NORTH SHERWOOD STREET NOTTINGHAM NG1 4EZ

 Details and booking forms will be posted on the Nottingham Writers Club web site


I will of course post details of each event as I get them on my Events page here on my site. It's due to be updated in the next couple of days so then you’ll have as much information as I have.

New Voices Workshop This Week!

Just to remind anyone planning on entering the  Mills & Boon New Voices  contest, that the workshop I'm doing is on Wednesday this week.

If you live anywhere in  Lincolnshire or close enough to travel  then I'd love to see you there.

To celebrate the launch of the Mills & Boon New Voices 2011 writing competition, Mills & Boon are hosting a series of writing workshops for aspiring authors to learn the secrets of writing a successful Mills & Boon story.
I will be leading this writing workshop at:

• Date: Wednesday, August 31
• Time: 11:00am - 1:00pm
• Location:
  
  • Ashby Library and Local Link
    Ashby High Street
    Scunthorpe
    North Lincolnshire, DN16 2RY
• Cost: Tickets cost £5, including refreshments, and are available in advance from North Lincolnshire Central Library. Places are limited so booking is essential.

For more information, please contact Emma Prideaux at North Lincolnshire Central Library on 01724 860161   or email library.enquiries@northlincs.gov.uk.

Workshop confirmed

Yesterday was the Babe Magnet's birthday so we celebrated with a day out at Filey on the North Yorkshire coast with The Offspring and his lovely partner.  We did the full seaside thing with fish and chips, ice cream cones, walking barefoot along the sand, paddling in the not too icy sea, and exploring Filey Brigg looking for fossils. We didn't find any, but a great collection of rocks and shells came back with us. Along with a large amount of sand between the toes.  Lovely.

Just to say that the New Voices workshop has been confirmed and will be going ahead on August  31st
at Ashby Library North Lincolnshire
11am- 1pm

Full details can be found here:  https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=159039720839370

As places are strictly limited please book  to ensure your place.