This time last week, just after a working lunch, I and my fellow Romaniacs were preparing to present our twenty-five minute panel at the Festival of Romance. We had organised a talk on how well an online writing support group can work. We had tee-shirts, a pop-up banner and pompoms. It went well – especially the cheer-leading display.

This was just one of the many events on a packed itinerary. The night before, we ran a Romanical quiz and the night before that our Celia J Anderson won a contract with Piatkus Entice. I’ll repeat that so Celia catches it…Celia J Anderson won a contract with Piatkus Entice. The table erupted with joy. It was outstanding and we were upstanding.

It was an exhausting but fun and thoroughly enjoyable weekend. I returned home Sunday evening, happy with a positive pitch for ‘Follow Me’, pleased to have spent time with some good friends, and ready for bed.

By Wednesday, I was on a train heading to London for the Romantic Novelists’ Association Winter Party. Another excellent evening of socialising and spending time with wonderfully warm writerly folk.

Now it’s time to get my head down and complete my work in progress ready for early submission to the New Writers’ Scheme, and maybe write a few more short stories.

I’m happy to say my short story, ‘Telling Tales’, achieved runner-up in Choc Lit’s Summer competition . Congratulations to Tracy Fells for her winning entry, ‘Phoenix and Marilyn’.

 

Happy writing and take care.

Laura x