I know I say this every December, but what happened to the year???  A minute ago I was in Tuscany and now suddenly it’s nearly Christmas!  How time flies when you’ve got your head down and need to write a book in double quick time … But it’s done, revised (one short scene expanded) and I’m hoping very much that’s the last I’ll see of it until the proofs.   This story, initially plotted in the sea in Greece, elaborated with the help of the Ladies of Posara in Tuscany and fine-tuned walking along the river here in York is the sequel to Oh-So-Sensible Secretary (I know, what were they thinking?) which will be out in March 2010.  Does anyone remember the Pick Your Own Romance poll we ran here last year to mark my 50th book?  You voted for your favourite hooks, setting, type of hero/heroine and so on, and Oh-So-Sensible Secretary  is the result.  It also includes name checks for Anne and Monique, winners of the last competition. 

I have to say that Oh-So-Sensible Secretary was one of the easiest books I’ve ever written.  The brief was to write a romantic comedy, and try something a bit different, so I wrote it in the first person, which isn’t wildly innovative, I know, but a first for me.  I absolutely loved it, and rather missed it this time round.  It’s the story of Summer, an uptight PA, and Phin, her laid-back new boss (well, you said that was what you wanted). The book I’ve just submitted, yet to be titled, takes up the story of Phin’s brother, Lex, and single mother, Romy.  I had this great plan: I would teach everyone to write fabulous romances, and write Lex and Romy’s story at the same time, and while I was writing/teaching it seemed to be working.  I was certainly knocking out the chapters, and ticking off the boxes: character motivation (tick), opposing goals (tick), emotional conflict (tick) and so on.  But when I came to read it through, I have to admit I thought, “hhmmnn, actually it’s about more than ticking boxes, isn’t it?”  So I wasn’t that confident when I sent it in, but my editor seemed to like it, so I feel as if I can let go of a breath I wasn’t aware of holding.   I’m often very dubious about a story at first, but am pleasantly surprised when I get to read the proofs – fingers crossed this will be the same.

Barely ten minutes after sending in the manuscript, my computer exploded.  Literally went bang and died.  Naturally I responded in a deeply calm and controlled manner, and any suggestion that there was hysteria and hyperventilating, shrieking and hair standing on end and all sorts of other carryings on is a gross calumny!  As luck would have it, I had just copied the manuscript files onto a memory disk, and I spent the next few days on my knees, thanking whatever deity looks after computers that I had backed up before the explosion.  In the event, a computer engineer came out on Saturday night and managed to restore everything but if you sent me an email during those few days and didn’t get a reply, that’s why.  The whole incident is a pretty good metaphor for my year, in which I seemed to be tottering on the verge of disaster many times, only to realise that things could have been so much worse, and that somehow I’d got away with it again …

So, I’m ending the year with a bang, at least.  And now the book is done and dusted, I can go back to really enjoying being a writer … so much easier when there’s no pesky writing to be done!  On Friday I’m off to London to celebrate 20 years of writing for Harlequin Mills & Boon.  My first book was accepted in December 1989, and the editor who pulled me out of the slush pile is still there – and yes, I’m taking flowers!  She’s coming out to lunch with my current editor so I hope we’ll all be able to celebrate a long and very happy association. 

And for icing on the cake, I’ve just learnt that Cinderella’s Wedding Wish is a Romantic Times finalist for Best Harlequin Romance 09.  Also shortlisted are my fellow HR authors Fiona Harper, Myrna Mackenzie, Nicola Marsh and Melissa McClone, so I’m delighted to be in such fine company.  Even more excitingly, I’ve heard that I’ve been nominated for an RT Series Career Achievement Award as well.  I’m indebted to Kate Hardy for this information (thanks, Kate!) I have to admit that I don’t really know anything about this award - but it sounds like a great excuse for a glass of sparkly, whatever it is!

Now, don’t forget to check out the Harlequin Romance Authors Blog on 18 December, when Donna Alward will be announcing details of a special Christmas contest and your chance to win a basket of books contributed by HR authors from the US, UK and Australia.  A fantastic chance to sample books from across our great line – we think it’s the best!

Wishing you all a very, very happy Christmas, and a peaceful and prosperous New Year.  I hope to see you again in 2010, when I really will try and be less slack about updating this blog – it’s top of my New Year resolution list, I promise!