Top 10

Ok... No. 10 in Asda, not the Sunday Times. But still. I'm *very* happy.

Inside Soap

Inside Soap Magazine is where I am, not Love It! as previously reported.

It's out now, apparently, with Unspoken featured in their reviews. See you at the newsagent's!

No. 18...

...on the Asda chart. Sandwiched between the She-Devils' favourites.

Photos of UNSPOKEN released into the wild to follow, once I can figure out how to get them off my phone. Plus, a tale of company policy. Don't you hate company policy?

UPDATE: It's now at 19. Not that I'm obsessively checking or anything.

UNSPOKEN published today!

Happy Publication day to me! And, of course, to the rest of the team who worked so hard to get UNSPOKEN out there...thanks to my wonderful editor and agent, and the fab team at Headline.

There have been reports...sightings. I hear there is a stack on a table in WH Smith at Victoria Station. And someone I don't even know told my granny that there was a write-up in the Coventry Evening Telegraph. There should be a few of these local features coming out round about now. Apparently Unspoken has been chosen as 'Love It!' magazine's book of the week. I have yet to find out which week, but needless to say I will be checking the news stands. There are some other publicity bits going on in the next few weeks and, as soon as things are confirmed, I'll shout out. And if anyone happens to see Unspoken in the shops or charts and just happens to have a camera in their pocket, all snaps greatly received!

You should also now be able to find Unspoken in the 3 for 2 deals in Waterstone's and Borders, as well as WH Smith high street and travel branches (I think in the charts section). And also, good old Asda will be stocking it - so no excuses not to dash out and buy one. Of course, you can order from Amazon if you prefer.

I think I'll be buzzing around the shops later with my camera, stalking unsuspecting browsers, telepathically guiding them towards my book. In fact, when Blood Ties was on the shelves in Asda, I just 'happened' to be checking out the book displays with half an eye on what people were buying. One woman picked up Blood Ties, then reached for another. 'Oh no no no,' I said, pointing to Blood Ties. 'That's the book you want.' She looked a little shocked that I'd spoken to her, annoyed at the interruption. 'Have you read it?' she asked. 'Ah,' I said. 'I wrote it.'

Funny, but she didn't seem to believe me. Do the book-buying public have pre-conceived ideas about what an author should look like? If so, then I think I was about as far off the mark as I could have got. It was an early dash out for supplies on a Sunday morning. I was dressed, er, sloppily. No make-up. You know, that just-got-up look. A basket of heavy groceries hanging off my arm. Youngest She-Devil was bored and moaning at my side. I no doubt looked a bit weary from the night before (well, it was a Saturday). Actually, to my mind, I was sporting a 'classic author' look. We work hard to achieve that (slightly) dishevelled appearance.

Which brings me on to what (and it will be up here in the next day or two) my next blog will be about. Might seem a bit odd and not very publishing-ish, but H is for Home is what I will be harping on about next. Well, if you're a writer, it's where you spend ninety percent of your time. But there are other issues about home and writing. Bet you just can't wait to find out, eh?

I have, at last, updated my website. It's still evolving to be honest, and I know there are some tweaks to be made, but I wanted something up there in time for Unspoken's release. The next thing to go up will be the book group discussion points for Unspoken. But it's a start. If it looks 'odd' on your computer for whatever reason, then can you let me know? I did the site myself (it's a control thing!) and I have this awful feeling it may look a bit different in various browsers and on other monitors.

Meantime, I have pretty much finished some kind of plan for Next Novel, as it's known. And I have started writing because it was too cruel not to. OK, so the plan's not entirely finished, but give me ten thousand words or so and I'll have a better idea. But I'm loving my characters. They are very individual and have stepped into their roles perfectly. One or two are going to be very good friends, I feel sure. After I've given them a really hard time. It's a wonder I'd not noticed them before.

S. x

The plot thickens...

So I have: A female television presenter. A stabbing. A blind man. An errant son. A couple of baddies. Oh, and a woman who likes women. (Well, I think she does.)

What do I do with that lot?

Actually, I know exactly what I'm going to do with them. It's going to be great. Trust me.

And I am *really* sick of the snow.

Snow quiet

It's all so quiet, isn't it, with this snow business? It rather suits the between novels mode that has struck me this week. Soft and fluffy outside my window; soft and fluffy in my head. I don't like not being 'in' a novel. I'm beginning to get to know my new characters, but they're not like the old ones yet; the ones I sent off to my editor recently. I knew them really well. I'd spent many months with them. These new people are...well...new. Give me a few weeks, and I'll be begging for them not to leave either. But for now, they haven't done anything to prove themselves to me; to show me what they're made of. That only comes when the writing begins. And how I long for that!

But I have to be good. I have to plan. I have to take this time to work it all out. Once the framework's in place, I'll let loose my players. I give myself until about three o'clock this afternoon before words hit the page. I don't like not writing!