So of course I can't stop thinking about the new novel. No, not A Secret Alchemy, the next one. Yes, I know, but nature abhors a vacuum, after all, and the vacuum of the book-shaped, struggle-shaped hole in my mind now is more than my nature can stand. Besides, it's fun, this stage. Undemanding, in a way: it's like having a big pot on the back burner, and tossing in anything that seems like a good idea. Other times, it feels more like lying on my tummy on the bank of a stream, holding a stick in the water, or shifting the stones about, and seeing what different eddies and ripples and waves I cause in the endless flow. Either way there's a childish, holidayish pleasure about it, a waking-up-on-a summer's-day openness: what shall we do today?

But not just yet.

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Up at 6am today (arrgghh!) in order to be ready for Irene to pick me up on the way to the Cranleigh Fete. Which in literary and meteorological ways was unfortunately something of a wash-out. We tried - and failed - to sell any Goldenford books, but we did fairly well with Irene's collection of collectable crockery and Thai teak powder iguanas. Which are fabulous, I must say, and a snip at £15 a piece. The woman who bought it was so keen she didn't even barter. Goodness me indeed ...

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I am delighted - and exhausted - to announce that The Short Review Issue 2 is now available. 10 reviews, - two by WW members Tiger_Bright and SharaS - great reads, do stop by and sign up for the newsletter.

Thanks!

Tania

I am delighted to announce, as they say, that the novel formerly known as The New Novel, My Current Novel, The Work-in-Progress, The Beast or, on a really bad day, This Bloody Novel, has finally been christened. On Monday we settled on A Secret Alchemy, and today I delivered the final draft to my editor. I've been rolling the title round my tongue ever since and it just gets better and better. But after all the fretting and brain-storming and digging in books, I'm thinking, 'Of course. That was always what it should have been called. Why on earth didn't we think of it before?'

I suspect it's the sign of having found the right title: the feeling that it's been there all along. It's almost like a mini-version of the sense that many (most?) writers have: that the book exists, and all you have to do is chip away - or struggle through the fog - until you can see it.

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Dark rain clouds over the south today, m’dears. Plus lots of rain. Darnit. And I’ve planned to walk into town at lunch today to get a few bits and pieces, so I’d better dress up warm and not forget the brolly. UPDATE: actually it wasn’t raining and I had a nice, if brief, chat with one of the old Guildford Writers bunch whom I hadn’t seen for a long time. So that was great. I also bought the “Getting in Touch with your Inner Bitch” block calendar, as I thought the office would appreciate it. I was right … I particularly like the look of the “Niceness Detox Tips”, one of which is: Start a revolution in your life. Say “I don’t think so” at least once today. Fabulous! I hope to put it all into practice next year ...

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I think I can now say that I'm happy with my new website. It's live and it's launched and, as far as I can tell, it's up to date. (I still can't get the old one to delete though, grumble, grumble.) Feel free to have a nosy and to tell me what you think. I especially like the new shop page because it gives people the opportunity to order signed, personalised copies of my book at no extra charge.

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A better day today. Thank goodness. Even managed to get the draft minutes done from yesterday and with my boss for checking, so I’m very nearly on top of it all. For now … And talking of being on top of it all, I mustn’t forget to welcome the last of the year’s calendar firemen. So hello to Dave whose hobbies include weight training, skiing and motor cycling. He’s really very cute, but should be wearing less, to my mind. Not that I’m fussy ...

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God, but today was long. And wearisome. And totally exhausting. I think I've aged at least five years just dragging myself through it. I seemed to have been in work for weeks and weeks, but when I looked at the clock it was only 9.45am. Damn and double damn.

Talking of clocks though, I've had a bit of technical difficulty with my watch once we turned the corner from November to December. It didn't seem to understand when I tried to move it from the 31st to the 1st of the month, as each time I tried it would change the time instead. No matter the position of the button ...

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got home yesterday after twelve days in England, exhausted but inspired... sad that I left J over there for another 3 weeks, but energized and looking forward to a productive month. I already had some lovely news: my portfolio of three short stories has been Highly Commended in the Biscuit Publishing Short Story Competition.

I've got a busy week - I'll be launching the second issue of The Short Reviewon Thursday (fingers crossed!) and with almost 1000 hits to the first issue, I have high hopes that this issue - which is bigger than the last, with more reviews from my expanding stable of reviewers- will get even more hits from far and wide.

One thing I did in England was pick up several review copies of books sent to me by kindly publishers and distribute them...

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(photo courtesy of Amy Glendinning - The Heywood Advertiser)






It occured to me that in all the times I've mentioned school visits and workshops and such I haven't ever really gone into much detail regarding what actually goes on when I do them. So, here goes...




I arrived at Woodland Community Primary School at ten o'clock. This was good; I was on time.




I was welcomed by a very friendly member of staff (this is important - it's far nicer to be welcomed by a friendly person than a misery guts!) who signed me in. (Which has reminded me - I didn't sign out at the end of the day. I hope they don't think I'm still there.)

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