Carole Blake - One Thing I've Learnt

Is that I have to live alone.

I moved straight from my parents house to my first 13 year marriage. I left my first husband for my second: another 13 year marriage.  The first few years of each were happy: the last many of each were definitely not.

Ending that second marriage was terrifying. For the first 24 hours, every minute was panic-filled with the phrase in my head: ‘I’ve never done this before, I can’t manage alone.’  On the 2^nd morning I awoke smiling: for a moment I thought it was my birthday, or Christmas. Then I remembered: now I live alone.

That was 16 years ago and the joy has not diminished, but increased.

I’ve not gone off men: far from it.  I’m in a relationship where the extreme happiness has lasted longer than the happy years of my 2 marriages put together. The secret?  He visits, but we don’t live together. He wants to: I won’t.

Perhaps my job is so social that I need time alone.  I have friends to stay, I give parties. But I’ve never been happier than in the years I’ve lived alone.  And I’m going to keep it that way.

www.twitter.com/caroleagent

The Cornish House - London Launch

Wow! Didn't think anything could match the Dubai launch but the London launch was great party...

Here's video clip here.

A huge thank you to the wonderful staff at Waterstones High Street Kensington who helped to make it such a wonderful evening!

Now for the pictures...first thanks to the photographers - Carole Blake, Brigid Coady, DD and DS2

The venue...

Waterstones High Street Kensington

The preparations...

The help...

We're ready...

The guests...

Brigid Coady

Judy Astley, Liz Fenwick and Adele Parks

Judy Astley and Brigid Coady

Marika Cobbold

Kate Harrison and Liz Fenwick

Brigid Coady, Liz Fenwick, Julie Cohen and Christina Courtenay

The reading...

The signing...

The evidence...

The fabulous Gear farm Organic Pasties...just before they all disappeared

It was a brilliant evening...now to rest up for the Cornish signings coming up this week...

31st May Charles Causley Festival Launceston - noon
1st June Falmouth Booksellers 2PM
2nd June Waterstones Truro 11AM

And also a lovely library talk at the St Ives Library at 7PM on the 5th of June...

Back to the 'One Thing I've Learnt' tomorrow...

My London Book Fair Adventure

All I can say is that I have even more respect for my agent after spending a few hours at London Book Fair...I was shattered. How she survives after three full days plus the parties....

I went to see what all the fuss was about....

Earl's Court

On the surface it's just like other trade shows I've been to...loads of people, massive displays but the difference is that LBF is about books...and every one attending is passionate about them - well maybe not the coat check lady but then I didn't ask her because she was scary.

A fuzzy view

I went because I was curious. Nothing more than that I'm afraid. I had no secret agenda - well I knew a few friends would be there (Mel Sherrat, Maria Duffy) but found so many more...

Vanessa O'Loughlin

I wanted to get a picture of Carole Blake with my book on her desk and I did...in fact when I waved from the distance and she called me over she was actually pitching my book. How cool? How scary...

A US publisher sitting with my agent Carole Blake with The Cornish  House on display

I met a few people from Orion. I had great catch up with my Choc Lit buddies.

Sue Moorcroft

Me and Pia Christina Courtenay

Was it worth the cost of admission? Yes, because in today's market authors need to know how it all works. The more you know the more you understand. I attended part of the session on self-publishing. This was fantastic. Yes, I have a wonderful publisher but in the publishing world today the author needs to be savvy about selling books. The authors on the panel were successfully selling their books and had a lot of knowledge to share. I loved Linda Gillard's comment that she looks at readers as potential friends and that makes marketing much easier. It was a key point that I will take away with me...

Sam Missingham at the Bookseller stand

So no great revelations but a decision that if possible I will visit again next year and get a feel of the mood in the industry which this year according to my sources was positive....

The RNA's RoNA brochure on the Choc Lit stand

The Orion Author Party and Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

Wow. Sitting on the sofa this morning suffering only slightly from an over indulgence of champagne and star struckedness (not a word but describes my state last night).

Katherine Webb's and Julia Silk's fabulous shoes.

This is Nina Douglas' picture

First I only took one photo...I was too busy people watching. There were around a thousand people mixing around the dinosaur skeleton in the Natural History Museum. By luck I found my agent, Carole Blake, who knew everyone and was even mentioned in the speech by Ian Rankin. He was lovely when I met latter and chatted about how he never shows anyone his first drafts because they are terrible and filled with things...go and get some lunch...I can't remember this character's name. I was really good to know  that the gods write sh*tty first drafts too.

Julia Silk took this photo of Essie Fox and me

I spied Julian Fellows in the crowd. Spoke with Francesca Simon about her visit to the Emirates Airlines Festival of Literature last year and Anthony Horowitz joined in the conversation saying what a great festival it is. I caught up with friends...Essie Fox, Kate Harrison, Veronica Henry, Ruth Saberton, Jean Fullerton, Nina Douglas, Erica James, Shelley Harris, Kate Mosse, Liz Thompson and JW Ironmonger.

I met more agents last night than I knew existed...

It was an amazing evening...after an amazing afternoon which was a private screening of Salmon Fishing in the Yemen. Between the author party and the screening I wondered if I had dropped into someone else's life....

Veronica Henry, Anne Seba and Paul Torday

The private cinema was straight out of a film set with red leather seats and a screen bigger than the one in the Flroa Cinema in Helston....and it was all for me, well, me and about twenty other people. I hadn't read the book so didn't know what to expect (DH had read the book and he loved it). Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is now top on my TBR.

Erica James and Paul Torday

Without ruining the film...it was delightful and I loved it. I couldn't imagine how Ewan McGregor could play a geek but it does so beautifully and believably. Emily Blunt is perfect. I found myself laughing through most of the it. It's a film that lifted me like the The Kings Speech did...it just has that wonderful feel good factor. Joy is the word that comes to mind.

Paul Torday, Anne Sebba and moi (not sure who is the man in the background)

I was a bit better taking pictures of the screening...What was the last film that made you smile?