My but is expanding. Well actually it’s my hips. I have one of those freaky bodies where the weight piles on around the middle, so I end up looking like I have no waist and love handles that you could loose a small country in. I feel ugh. The problem is completely my fault, I have not exercised in months and all I want to do is write, write and write. I’ve been stuck in between the ‘dear god, I need to do something before I end up at my post pregnancy weight’ and ‘but what if they request this story!’
I am also terrible at giving me ‘me’ time. Any ‘me’ time over the past five years has been ploughed into writing. But now, it’s my job.
Yes, I know I haven’t sold anything yet, a full manuscript sitting on an editors desk is no guarantee of a sale. But it took desire, determination, dedication and discipline to learn my craft well enough to get that kind of interest from an editor. Writing is my job and I’m planning a long career in creating stories that readers will love.
But I need my health, too. So I’m going to start attending yoga classes (something I have been promising myself for five years) and I’m also going in the gym. To exercise. So wish me luck!

In other news, my W.I.P is steaming along nicely and thanks to my fantastic critique partner I have focused my emotions (this is something I always fall into a great muddy hole over on every manuscript). I know what my H&h are going to do and I’ll soon be at the half-way mark. Yay!

I love the Alpha male

Alpha males, you either love them or hate them. Personally, I adore reading and writing them. I get a kick out of knowing that now matter how strong, how hard he seems he’ll be brought to his knees by the heroine.
Then watch out, because when he finally realizes he’s in love, he loves deeply, passionately and he’ll fight to the death for the woman he loves.
For me, when I’m writing the Alpha male the challenge is trying to create and man who seems impenetrable and even arrogant to the heroine but underneath he’s honorable, heroic and has a vulnerability that makes the reader fall in love with him.

Kate Walker, who is a fabulous mentor to many writers in the R.N.A and a brilliant writer of over 50 M&B Presents novels (this woman has far too much talent), has all this week being doing a Q&A at e-harlequin. If you’re a writer, it’s an invaluable source on how to nail your Alpha male.


http://community.eharlequin.com/webx?50@884.Bigea8xkVp2.107493@.4a83dddb

Changes.

September in England has been unseasonably warm. In fact, it seems our Summer skipped August (which of course it would because the kidlets were on holiday) and went straight into September.
But things are at last slipping into autumn, and that's what I love most about England. Season's change. Right now the leaves are starting to turn, the night air is getting cooler, my cat is getting more friendly (see previous comment). So, here's my top five of things I'm looking forward to this autumn:

1) Misty mornings.
2) Bonfire night (get ready to owww and arrrrr).
3) Mushroom picking.
4) Lighting the wood burner.
4) Remembering that I have a cat.

What about you?

It's the number nine bus....

You don't see a post for ages and then two come along at once. So, that's me (above).

House party!

Welcome!

So, the first time I tried blogging my complete computer ineptness prevented me from signing in and posting (yes, I am that challenged). But, I'm going to give it another try.
Today, I met up for coffee and cake with http://nelldixon.com, Nell is a great friend and I really enjoy meeting up with her (all to infrequently) and talk about, well, just writing. She understands, she sympathizes with the roller coaster that is writing for publication and at the moment we're both hugging the silver bucket, whilst we stalk the post man waiting to hear about our submissions to M&B.

If you're waiting to hear from a publisher, what do you do to ease the frustration of waiting?