5 things – Monday 16 November 2020

I think we can officially say that summer has arrived. Temps were swim worthy over the weekend and this morning at 6am humidity was in the 90%. The sun was also quite red this morning and there was a weird hazy light, but that’s another story.

The highlight of the week was Sarah finishing her last uni exam. It’s been a long four years but at the same time it’s absolutely flown and she will soon be starting her new career as an occupational therapist in Hervey Bay.

Okay, I have another busy week in the day job ahead, so let’s go straight to the five:

1.The Buderim Chat Seat

There’s a bench seat up in the main street of Buderim where volunteers sit and make conversation with people. It sounds simple, but it’s a UK initiative (apparently) about connection. The story is here and it’s a cool concept.

2. Christmas movies

Have I ever mentioned how much I love Christmas movies? Those schmaltzy improbable Hallmark/Netflix ones where you know there’ll be a happy and improbably ending. I love them – and am absolutely thrilled that they’ve begun to drop on Netflix.

On Saturday, to reward myself for a massive writing effort, I finally watched Emma Thompson’s Last Christmas. Because we were going away I didn’t get to see it when it came out – although who am I kidding, I never go to the cinema anyway – and the critics panned it. I. however, loved it and it’s jumped straight into my must watch at Christmas list.

3. The Crown

It’s back! Season 4 dropped yesterday, and I’ve already watched the first two episodes. I’ve been loving the lead-up articles that talk about the amount of truth and fiction and show photos of the actors vs the real-life royals so was excited to see the show itself – and wasn’t disappointed.

4. A writing update.

Careful What You Wish For was released over the weekend. I have to say it was weird releasing a book that involved travel back and forward to Hong Kong and had a travel writer as a male protagonist. But the world was a very different place when I wrote this one.

Anyways, the link is here.

My copy edit is now back for Escape To Curlew Cottage and I have a cover for it. It’s a completely different style to my chicklit so the cover is more what you’d see for that style in the English market – and you guys get to see it first.

The blurb reads:

Claire Mansfield is the host of the popular reality TV show Time For Tea, and possibly the nicest person on British television – until a secret from her past ignites a media storm. Someone, it appears, wants to see her career destroyed.

Seeking shelter, Claire runs to Brookford, the Cotswolds village she left behind nearly twenty years ago. Also back in town is Owen Gallagher, the man who broke her teenage heart and who is now one of the hottest chefs in the country – and has reasons of his own to see Claire ruined.

There are plenty of scones consumed in this novel (and in the writing of it) and I can’t wait until you get to read it – which will be in March. I’ll let you know a preorder date in the next week or so.

My nanowrimo project is going well – although is still without a title. After two 3000+ word days I’m sitting at 23,000 words for the month – which is a couple of thousand below where I’d like to be, but that’s okay.

I still have no idea what’s going to happen in the story but, I suppose, that’s part of the fun.

5. Foodie stuff

Aside from Nigella’s Thai Chicken Noodle Soup I didn’t cook much at all last week. As an aside, while this soup doesn’t pretend to be authentically Thai it is quick and easy to have on the table and makes for a yummy dinner.

Whenever I have weeks like I’ve been having getting my hands in flour grounds me – and that was all the excuse I needed to make these cheese scones on the weekend.

I also made this lemon golden syrup steamed sponge pudding. Both it and the cheese scones will be in the new novel so I’ll pop the recipes up over the next couple of weeks.

Okay, that was my week… how was yours?