A Book Trailer for The Cornish House

I think I may stick to writing in future as producing one of these although fun in an odd sort of way... was brain burning...

Not sure the resolution is quite right....but my brain is sufficiently fried!

Peter James and Emirates Airlines Literary Festival of Literature

All things being equal or schedules working out, I would have been at the RNA Winter Party last night...instead I had to find a willing photographer to take the pics I normally do. The wonderful Talli Roland did a wonderful job and her pictures of the evening are here.

Now I have to thank the wonderful DJ Kirby for taking this photo of my wonderful agent, Carole Blake (she's Peter James' agent too!) and one of my closest friends, Brigid Coady, holding a proof copy of THE CORNISH HOUSE. So even if i wasn't there in person I was there in book form. (Biddy was hand delivering a copy of the book to the RNA for entry into the Joan Hessayon New Writers Award- thank you Biddy!)

Now, thankfully to take my mind away from a party I was attending the inaugural open door event of the Emirates Airlines Festival of Literature....official post here....

It was a beautiful night to be sitting in a 'square' under the stars in my favourite part of  Dubai - the Bastakiya. It was a full 'square' as Isobel Abulhoul welcomed us to the first event of the programme of 'Open Door' evenst and thanked the Sharjah International Book Fair for loaning Peter James for the eveningss. The lovely Aspen quizzed Peter on many things and he entertained with his responses which included tales of his visits to Greek monasteries and favourite crime writers. He says the writer that influenced him most was Graham Greene and particularly Brighton Rock. He said all writers could learn so much from Greene especially how to deliver a character in two sentences.

It was wonderful to see the queues to buy his books...especially his latest thriller Perfect People. The line for to meet Peter after the talk snaked through the beautiful new home of the Festival...Dar Al Adaab (House of Literature).

A perfect evening and one excellent start to a new step for the festival....

A Day at Sharjah International Book Fair

Nothing like a day spent around books (millions of them - well it looked like it any way) and people who love books. There were Arabic books of every shape and size. One stall had the most beautifully bound leather covers. I couldn't resist touching them even though the beautiful script on them was a mystery to me. Walking around the halls I found books in all sorts of languages and on sorts of subjects. I fell in love a coffee table size book on carpets....enough I get carried away...

What impressed me most the vast array of children's books. There were familiar ones, but most impressively there were exquisite local ones with superb illustrations. More the than the beautifully bound ones mentioned above, these books begged to held and enjoyed. I hadn't expected the fair to be so child friendly, but I am so pleased that it was. Literacy is a problem in the region and tackling this by beginning with the children to my mind is the correct way to do it....

The fair also gave me the opportunity to catch up with twitter friend and best selling writer Sara Sheridan (love meeting people in person after chatting with them virtually). Now for some more name dropping....I bumped into the fab Peter James (who shares the wonderful agent Carole Blake with me and may others) and got to know Kate Mosse...(who is published by Orion too)...

And my children would have died of embarrassment... I showed anyone who would look - a proof copy of THE CORNISH HOUSE....even had my photograph taken for a local paper with me holding it...

All I Want For Christmas....

Two things have brought this to mind...my best friend asked me a little while what was my best Christmas present ever??? After little thought I knew exactly what it was...in 2006 my family gave me a lap top - of my own. I wept. I still tear-up thinking about it. Money was tight, but they believed in me enough to give me the tool to reach my dreams. They also wanted me off the family computer too but we won't go into the motivation.

Now the second thing making think about this is Cally Taylor's new book HOME FOR CHRISTMAS is out and it looks like a delicious read...

'Beth Prince has always loved fairytales and now, aged twenty-four, she feels like she's finally on the verge of her own happily ever after. She lives by the seaside, works in the Picturebox - a charming but rundown independent cinema - and has a boyfriend who's so debonair and charming she can't believe her luck! There's just one problem - none of her boyfriends have ever told her they love her and it doesn't look like Aiden's going to say it any time soon. Desperate to hear 'I love you' for the first time Beth takes matters into her own hands - and instantly wishes she hadn't.

Just when it seems like her luck can't get any worse, bad news arrives in the devilishly handsome shape of Matt Jones. Matt is the regional director of a multiplex cinema and he's determined to get his hands on the Picturebox by Christmas. Can Beth keep her job, her man and her home or is her romantic-comedy life about to turn into a disaster movie?

I definitely want to find this in my stocking....Santa you can order it here

My Proof Copies of THE CORNISH HOUSE

I have a lump in my throat as I write this...my proof copies of THE CORNISH HOUSE arrived at lunch time. DH and I were eating in a restaurant that features in the book when the delivery came for my signature. It was all I could do to stop myself from hugging the man.

DH has promised to read the book now that it's in print. Here he is looking for the saucy bits.

All I can say is that it is an amazing feeling to have your book in your hands. I keep touching it trying to prove to myself that it is real and not a dream. I loved seeing the cover but to experience the book in 3D and to smell it...yes, odd I know but any way to imprint the moment in my memory for ever.

And one more picture because it looks so pretty with the flowers from my Cornish garden....

The Cover for THE CORNISH HOUSE

I can't tell you how exciting this is...but it gives me the chills. Here's the cover for THE CORNISH HOUSE...

Does this mean it's real???? And can I just say how much I love it and how I think the tag line is sooooo perfect...