Happiness Is......

Happiness is so many things - being with my family in Cornwall (despite the grey skies), being able to cut beautiful spring flowers from my garden, an Amazon delivery with two friends' books (Giselle Green's latest LITTLE MIRACLES and Novel Racer,Rachel Green's AN UNGODLY CHILD - crearly there is a green thing going on and I have to say I was savouring the varying shades of it that soothed my eyes as we drove from Heathrow yesterday! I had forgotten how green everything was here as my eyes are so accustomed to varying shades of sand) and the short list for the Melissa Nathan Comedy Romance Award was announced and contained two friends! (Novel Racer, Kate Harrison's SECRET SHOPPER"S REVENGE and Trisha Ashley's WINTER'S TALE) Here's the whole short list:

The Secret Shopper's Revenge by Kate Harrison. Orion
Bridesmaids by Jane Costello. Pocket Books
Recipe For Disaster by Miriam Morrison. Arrow
A Winter's Tale by Trisha Ashley. Avon
The Marriage Bureau For Rich People by Farahad Zama. Abacus
The Importance Of Being Emma by Juliet Archer. ChocLit

News Flash - Racer Rachel Green To Be Published!

Rachel left a comment on my blog that announced her news....... https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=34330113&postID=3661583115839658841. She tells us that Ungodly Child the first Harold and Jasfoup novel is about to be published!

She also is a finalist in http://www.undiscoveredauthors.co.uk/winnerannouncements.html for the same novel. Way to go Rachel :-)

Novel Racer - Rachel Green

Well, a new week and onto the next Racer, Rachel Green, http://leatherdykeuk.blogspot.com/. Rachel I think has the most intriguing hobbies....Here she is in her own words:


"When someone mentions ‘the voices in my head,’ most peoples immediate reaction is to smile politely and look for the nearest exit, hoping that the person they’re talking to doesn’t have a machete hidden under their hospital issue nightgown.

Not so with writers. We call those voices ‘muses’ and quickly learn to turn their suggestions into prose. Great reams of prose. Sometimes rubbish, often mediocre and, very occasionally, an absolute gem.

Can I help it if my muse is a demon? He’s been promoted since he’s been with me and has even guest-starred in a couple of stories by other writers. Not that I’m jealous. I just wonder what he promised them.

My current WIP is the story of a young lady who becomes a werewolf. She has a few problems coming to terms with this, not least of which is how to hod a teacup when you’ve lost your opposable thumbs.

Jasfoup stays with me until tea-time, after which he allows me to pursue my other interests: Historical defence (rapier, saber, cutlass) and, recently, kobudo (Eastern weapon forms). Once in a while I actually see my family too: two wives, two kids and two dogs. My wives are the tall ones without hairy feet."

My weekend was wonderful but busy beyond words and as I write these words I am sitting in a hotel in Budapest! We just arrived after a rising at 4:45 this morning. Knackered? Me, no. I am just trying to find my bearing before venturing out in the 33 degree Celsius sunshine. So this week I will be blogging from Budapest. It has a ring to it -doncha think?

A huge thank you to Kate and Lucy and all the racers for awarding me the prize. I don't feel I should have it but I would never say no to books! The real winner was Kate Harrison followed by Zinnia. So Zinnia, email and I'' share the prize :-). Now Budapest waits!

P.S. Caroline, I am now searching for Adam in Budapest........will post picutres later.