WATCH THIS SPACE!
February 2012
The date of my next romance, Finding Annabel, which is being published by Linford Romance.
22nd December, 2011
Published 'Place of Healing' on Amazon. (see Novellas page)
3rd November, 2011
Publication of Mountain Shadows, My Weekly Pocket Novel. (see Books page)
24th - 29th July
The Writers' Holiday, Caerleon. "Writing Short Stories that Sell" 'see Courses page).
9th July, 2011
I've just sent off my entry for the WI Year Book for 2012, to which i have added a new talk, Writing As Therapy. (see Talks page) which I'm excited about.
I'm working hard on my course, Writing Short Stories That Sell, which I'm giving at Caerleon this year - and really looking forward to it.
Finally.... I'm On Amazon! At last, I've got my head around Amazon's Author Central and I now have my own page, plus unflattering photograph, on there. Encouraged by this success I am now planning to bring out two Kindle books, A Place of Healing and Finding Annabel (both originally pubished as My Weekly Pocket Novels).
8th July, 2011
I've been on the radio again! This time, taking part in a phone in to discuss whether romantic novels give its readers unrealistic expectations of love, sex and marriage. I said that our readers are way too intelligent for that old chestnut!
18th May, 2011
RNA Summer Party in London. It was a really glamorous affair and I had a wonderful time and met some lovely people.
11th May, 2011
I'm going to be on the radio! Wow, I'm so excited. I am going to be on the Emma Britton programme on BBC Somerset on 11th May to talk about Place of Healing. Now, all I have to do is decide what to wear (and yes, of course it matters!) and where to park.
3rd May, 2011
I've given quite a few talks recently, the most recent being to the members of Wookey Hole Ladies Group in the rather grand setting of Glencot House Hotel, near Wells. It's a beautiful house crammed to the rafters with interesting things - and such a wonderful settting, I couldn't help thinking what a wonderful place it would be for one of those Agatha Christie type country house murders. Anyway, here is a picture of the lovely ladies of Wookey Hole who made me very welcome - and were all very eager to learn how to 'Make Crime Pay' (the fiction writer's way, of course).
1st May, 2011
Publication Day! A PLACE OF HEALING.
I feel like a 'real writer' at last. It's quite a thrill to hold a real book in my hand that has my name on it.
I'm really excited about this book because it has earned me a place on the Romantic Novelists' Association Joan Hessayon Award shortlist. And I've never been shortlisted for anything before. So I'm off to London on May 18th to attend the RNA Summer Party which I'm really looking forward to. I'm not practising my acceptance speech though, having seen some of my fellow shortlistees. But I've never been to an RNA Party before and am told they are quite something.
Diamonds and Pearls
I am so pleased to have one of my stories in Elaine Everest's Diamonds and Pearls anthology. Elaine came up with the idea to celebrate the 30th anniversary of her survival from breast cancer - and so put together an anthology of short stories, the proceeds of which go to the charity Against Breast Cancer . The book, available from Amazon or, better still because the charity gets a bigger chunk of money, from the publishers, Accent Press. www.accentpress.co.uk
It's a lovely book with stories by some of the best known names in women's magazine fiction.
Sunday, 25th July, 2010
I am so looking forward to this. The Writers' Holiday at Caerleon. (see links page). This is my annual 'fix' of six whole days of meeting my writing friends, old, new, published and unpublished. I had to miss last year because my son and family were moving house that week and I was looking after my gorgeous 2 year old granddaughter (as she was then). It's always a delight and she's as bright as a button but not yet quite up to discussing multiple viewpoints or character development. Give her a couple of years though.... Already she tells me off if I dare miss out a page of Peter Rabbit.
If you're going to Caerleon, do make yourself known to me, won't you? I'm the one singing along (badly) with the male voice choir, although I leave the dancing on the table to those younger - and more supple - than me!
19th July 2010
I can't believe it's so long since I updated this! Where did those months go? Well, I've been busy not only writing short stories (and scratching around for ideas for a new serial) but judging them as well. I have just finished judging the Frome Festival Short Story competition (Local section) which I enjoyed so much and was delighted to see so much talent within a short distance of my home. What made it even more special for me was to attend the prizegiving and meet in person so many of the writers whose stories gave me so much pleasure. I have put the transcript of the talk I gave on the page marked 'Who am I to judge?'
I am now really looking forward to judging the 2010 short story competition organised by The Write Place, entries for which have now closed.
13th July, 2010
I am so pleased to have sold my second Pocket Novel to My Weekly. It's called 'Finding Annabel' . See my Books page for details.
4th March, 2010
100 Stories for Haiti on sale from Bridge House Publishing!
Fiction Square in Writers' Forum
There's been a flutter of interest shown in my Fiction Square (Or, as a nod to my pedantic son, Fiction Rectangle!) that appears in the magazine Writers' Forum every month.(see my Links page for details). I shall be posting one on my website soon - as soon as I've worked out how to do it.Short Story Competions - Judge
I'm thrilled to have been asked to judge not one but two short story competitions in June and July. Details soon.
Pocket Novel
My novella, entitled A Place of Healing has been accepted for publication by My Weekly Pocket Novels. This is double good news as publication of a work of this length (30,000 words) entitles me to full membership of the Romantic Novelists Association, which is something I've been working towards for many years.
1st March, 2010
I'm giving a workshop, entitled Ideas Store, based on my monthly column in Writers' Forum to Frome Writers, at the Library, Frome. 1pm - 3pm.
23rd February, 2010
My new 3-part serial, No Place for Strangers, began in Woman's Weekly.
20th February, 2010
My new 3-part serial, Jenny Rainbow, begian in My Weekly.
1st February 2010
I was pleased to hear this morning that my story, Turning Things Around, has been accepted for the 100 Stories for Haiti anthology. (details to follow)
1st February, 2010
Gave a talk , entitled Murder, Mystery and Mayhem, to the members of Coxley Women's Institute.
January 2010
My sixth serial, No Place for Strangers, accepted by Woman's Weekly. To appear in February.
29th December, 2009
3 part serial, The Carnival is Over (written under my pseudonym, Polly Gingell) published in Woman's Weekly. This story is set around the colourful and dramatic Somerset Carnivals.
20th October, 2009
Thursday, 7th October, 2009
Wow! I've just heard today that my latest serial, The Carnival is Over, has been accepted by Woman's Weekly. I really enjoyed writing that one and am looking forward to seeing it in print.
Saturday, October 3rd, 2009
A three hour Workshop held near the lovely Somerset city of Wells. See Workshop page for details
Monday, 17th August, 2009
A big, big day today. I've got my website up and running (almost) and I've just heard I've had my application to join the Crime Writers' Association accepted. This is something I've been working towards for a long time and I couldn't be more pleased and excited. (I've also had two short stories rejected, just to keep my feet firmly on the ground.)