It's going to be a very busy year......

So now that Christmas and New Year are distant memories, my house has started to resume of semblance of normality, the kids are back at school and have activities every night of the week, I've decided to take stock.  And plan ahead.

YIKES!  Do I really think I can do all this????

Lots of things I'm doing this year are fun.  I'm going to the RNA Summer Party on 17 May in London.  And I'm organised, I've booked my flights and hotel so I will definitely be there.  I'm up for the Joan Hessayon Award as my first published novel went through the New Writers Scheme.  I don't think I'll win - I've seen the other nominees, but I'm looking forward to going.  Hoping to see Natalie Rivers and India Grey and lead them astray...  I'm also hoping I'll get the opportunity to go and see Mills and Boon headquarters in Richmond, now that would be cool!

July is the conference at Penrith, which I'm hoping to drive to - I may never be seen again as I don't have the best sense of direction in the world.  But my other half and I drove down to Blencowe Hall in Cumbria in November and that didn't seem too far away. My place is reserved, I'll be in a room near to Natalie and India again, and I will hopefully meet the minxes!

Finally September is the Mills and Boon Author lunch in London again and as I had such a good time last year I will definitely be going again. (In between all this I have a "football" weekend in a dodgy caravan with my 7 yr old in May, a family holiday on a cruise ship in July and a girls weeked in Edinburgh in November which I haven't told my other half about yet!)

I also have three lovely books to write for Mills and Boon this year.  The first is submitted and awaiting revisions, the second is almost planned and the third?  Ask me about that in October!

I've also agreed to be an editor at the Pink Heart Society this year and write a monthly column for them.  I will also be blogging at Tote Bags 'n' Blogs a few times this year.

All this a day job, 2 lively kids and a beloved other half.  Time?  Who needs it!!!!

So near and yet so far....

I'm in the last fifth of my Christmas story.  I've finally hit the 40,000 word mark and I do know what's going to happen in the next two chapters.  I just want someone else to write it for me.
It's quite sad as I really, really wanted to write a Christmas story for Mills and Boon.  In fact I begged!

But part of my issue is the book I've written previously.  Book 4 shot out of my fingers like wildfire.  I don't know where it came from.  It's part of a duet with Anne Fraser and I've just been given a title for it The Bond Between Strangers.

It seemed to have a life all of its own.  I wrote everyday and couldn't stop.  It wouldn't let me.  I loved my characters and they spoke to me constantly.

This book has been like wading through treacle.

The beginning came easily, my partial went to my editor who gave me some pointers which have been amended accordingly.  It's just the rest of it that's been the problem.

But I know I'm not the only one.  Two books I've read recently have had interesting dedications that made me feel as if I'm not alone.  Barbara Wallace's The Heart of a Hero which read To my editors - for being so patient while I worked to get this story just right, and Trish Wylie's The Inconvenient Laws of Attraction which read - For everyone who kept me from hitting the ground until I remembered how to fly again.

So I am absolutely determined to finish this week.  1500 words a day will do it.

And off I go....

Anyone else had a treacle like book??