It has to be said, I’ve had a pretty good summer so far. Mum and I have just made our annual pilgrimage to Ragdale Hall, where we had three days of total relaxation. I’ve yet to persuade Mike to come with us, as he insists he would be ‘bored’. Well! I’ve tried to persuade him that there’s no need to be bored since, if he reached saturation point with massages and other pampering treatments, exercise classes and gym, walks around the lovely gardens and countryside, the incredible swimming pool and spa – not forgetting the yummy food, no starvation diets here – he could sit in any one of umpteen lovely places and read a book. Which is exactly what he does at home anyway! Ah well. One day. The only slight problem was the weather, which was just TOO hot – our bedroom, although lovely, was impossible to get cool – but we survived. Although I was happy to come home after 3 days, I look forward to going back. Such a lovely, soothing atmosphere there.

Oh, one other small problem. Broke a tooth eating a Ryvita. B****cks! Have to phone dentist and get it repaired – but it doesn’t hurt, so didn’t spoil the stay.

My dear friend Stephanie, on her LJ, wrote a fabulous list of ten ways to beat writer’s block. Here’s an eleventh – a visit to Ragdale! With my mind completely empty as I sipped a coffee and stared at the sky, I suddenly saw a direction for this vampire short story I’m meant to be writing. Later I sat out in the gardens in a swing seat, with birds chirping and ducks quacking all around me, and scribbled seven pages of notes. Result!

So, we came home on Friday, and on the Saturday (yesterday), Mike and I went on a guided ‘Deer Walk’ in Bradgate Park (my special and favourite place in the world). I mainly wanted to do this in order to visit the ‘deer sanctuary’, an area not normally accessible to the public. We were lucky with the weather as the threatening rain held off, and it was absolutely BEAUTIFUL – a wild, unspoiled area of hills and rocks, covered in oak trees and bracken. The head ranger took us around – only 4 of us; apparently they had 22 people last week so I can only assume everyone was watching Wimbledon – and gave us the benefit of many years’ experience managing herds of fallow and red deer. We even glimpsed a few, including some youngsters, but my main interest was in seeing a part of the Park I’d never set foot in before. The ranger certainly gave us our money’s worth as we were walking for at least two and a half hours. I took masses of photos which have come out wonderfully. Everything was so green and lush – in fact, the ranger told us that this part of the Park, because it’s so well-preserved, still appears as it would have done five hundred years ago! Five hundred years. We were walking through an authentic medieval landscape.

Busy, busy, busy. Once Midsummer Night was sent off, I started tackling the ‘things to do’ list. It’s daunting and endless, full of items like, ‘do garden,’ ‘accounts’, ‘update web site’, ‘start three new novels,’ etc, none of which are tasks that can be finished in five minutes and therefore never quite get crossed off the list which is growing longer and longer. To make myself feel I’ve accomplished something, I also write down tiny little tasks, which at least means I can at least cross something off. For example, there’s an item called, ‘Mum’s thing.’ I have absolutely no idea what that was, but yee-hah! Whatever it was, I did it and crossed it out!

Oh – some good news. My novel Dracula the Undead, first published in 1997, is going to be republished, in hardback for the first time, by Severn House. It will come out later in the year, in September I think.

           Excitingly, I’ve now got myself set up with two monitors – treated myself to a lovely, matte 22” flat screen which gives a nice big, easy to use picture, and I have my previous monitor working alongside it. I was most impressed with myself for managing to set it all up on my own, without Mike’s help! It is so handy being able to spread documents over two screens – particularly while I was working on my Midsummer Night edit. Or to have different websites on the go, and so on. I’m wondering how I ever managed with just one monitor!

Meanwhile, I’m aiming to do the following: rewrite the synopses for Midsummer Night and my third ‘Aetherial Tale’, which is called The Grail of the Summer Stars for the time being. Write a synopsis for a Young Adult novel. Write a vampire short story. Start the new Blackbird book that I always meant to write. And, oh yeah, start the new novel for Tor, (ie, Grail). I seem to spend my life either doing chores to avoid writing, or writing to avoid doing chores!

YEE-HAH! My novel Midsummer Night is finished!

I’ve been pushing myself like mad to get it done. I was getting very frustrated at the length of time it was taking. It was turning into a sort of nightmare novel that refused to be over. I got there, but only after long sessions at the PC that have left me completely square-eyed and stressed out. I know the text will need more work once my editor’s seen it… but at least I got it into a fit state for him to read, so I can forget about it for the time being. Hurrah!

           Unfortunately I’ve just sat down and made myself a list of “things to do” now that MS is out of the way. This was a mistake as the list is ENDLESS!

Meanwhile, how was Eastercon? Well, we had a great time – the only disadvantages really were that a) we’d left booking too late and had to stay in a separate hotel and b) the con hotel (the Cedar Court in Bradford) wasn’t in walking distance of the town centre – we like to get away from the con and have a wander around the shops, but it wasn’t really feasible this time. It’s also a bit of a pain not being able to nip up to the room for a break. That aside, it was a nice con hotel with plenty of space and a pleasant ambience.

Rather than describe a blow by blow account of the con, let me just mention the highlights, which included: J Enjoying a lovely meal out with Justina and her fella, plus our friends Stephanie and Patrick and Aliette, and also spending lots of time with Justina over the con, after not having seen her for ages. J Meeting my agent’s new business partner John Berlyne – effectively, all their clients now have two agents or should I say, joint agents – and discovering that John B has written a MASSIVE tome about Tim Powers’ work. J Meeting Tim Powers himself, who was lovely – very funny and self-deprecating. Also very good at doodling, I noticed while next to him on a panel. J Spending time with Anne Sudworth and Warren, and various other friends old and new – Sam Stone, Dave Howe, Fred Gambino, Jim Burns, Lisa Konrad, Sue Mason, Kari, Chaz, lots more. J Watching Dr Who (the one with the double decker bus and Michelle Ryan) ‘en masse’ in the main con hall. J Last but not least, Ricardo Pinto’s launch party (see below).

As for low points, I don’t think there were any, but there were two SCARY points where I was on panels. The first panel, which included Sam Stone, Maura McHugh and Kev McVeigh and me rambling about Gothic fiction, was actually rather fun. The second – Tim Powers, Suzanne McLeod and Liam Sharp discussing urban fantasy – was terrifying, as I had to moderate it! The room was packed and there was John Clute sitting eye-to-eye with us in the front row which led me to wonder why he wasn’t on the panel in my place! My carefully-structured discussion went all to pot as people answered questions before I’d even asked them, but it was okay – the room was packed, the audience chimed in lots, and we survived. Don’t ask me what was said, my mind is blank! It was an Experience… I’m really not sure I’d moderate again though, as it was disproportionately stressful…

At least nine years ago, a fantasy novel called The Chosen by Ricardo Pinto came highly recommended to me by a friend. It was rather different to most fantasy around at the time and it gripped me so much that I did two things I almost never do – a) went straight back to the beginning and read it again and b) ordered it in hardback. I even had dreams about the strange and disturbing characters! It’s a book that has a special place in my affections because I read it at a time when my father was ill and dying and it helped me through those difficult months – the bizarre world of the ‘Chosen’ was somewhere I could escape to and take my mind off things. It’s one of those rare books that haunts the reader.

Ricardo kept us waiting a looong time for book 2, The Standing Dead, and a very, very long time for the final volume. Ten years between book one and book three! (The whole project – The Stone Dance of the Chameleon - was twelve years in the writing, apparently). In the meantime, as I’d got the first two hardbacks signed by him, I was determined that when the third novel came out, it too must be signed by the author. This weekend at Eastercon the long wait finally bore fruit. Ricardo launched book three, The Third God!

I mention this before talking about the rest of Eastercon because I’m still excited. It was a big highlight of the convention for me. I pounced on the hardback in the dealers’ room, then kept a close lookout for Ricardo – Mike was urging me to get it signed asap so that we could put the enormous tome in the car and not carry it around all day! Finally we spotted him and I physically chased him across the bar area to catch him before he vanished from sight. As a result, Mike and I ended up having supper with Ricardo and a lovely chat and catch-up.

I think the reason I feel so thrilled about all this is not just the end of a long wait, but Ricardo’s own enthusiasm and passion for his work. The trilogy took twelve years, not only because he suffered personal setbacks (a house fire) but mainly because it was a labour of love, one that he poured heart and soul into. It had to be just right. All that passion – not to mention relief that it’s finished at last! - came across in the talk and Q&A session he did at his book launch, which took place at 7pm on the Sunday, just before we came home. It was a perfect way to round off the con and I wish him every success with the book – Ricardo is a lovely, charming man and he deserves it.

It’s a wonderfully atmospheric morning, quite misty with lots of birdsong – I’ve just walked past the castle ruins on my way to yoga and they looked very mysterious and gothic. Passed a bloke in a rucksack and I thought, how lovely just to be hiking, just passing through on this lovely atmospheric morning! Alas, when I arrived at yoga, the place was locked up and no sign of teacher… one other lady arrived too, also unaware that the class had been cancelled. We are both worried about the yoga teacher now, as her husband had a stroke and is in poor health. Oh dear… disappointed at the lack of yoga but just hoping the teacher is okay!

At least it gives me a couple of extra hours to get a chapter finished. Well, I’ve predictably slipped behind schedule. I’ve wrestled with chapter 14 for a week and only now realised how I can put it right – but that means rewriting it yet again! So I’ve resigned myself to not finishing the novel before Eastercon. Woke up this morning to realise with a start that the con is less than a week away! How did that happen? Can I rewind to March please?

As well as the book, there are a few things I need to do before the con… finishing off a few items for the art show, thinking about a panel on urban fantasy, deciding what books to take… I’ll have copies of A Blackbird in Amber Twilight with me and here is the yummy cover –

Mike and I really looking forward to the con now. It will be lovely to catch up with friends. Hope to see many of you there?

H’m. It’s not that I’ve had nothing to blog about, more that by the time I get round to it, the moment has passed! Midsummer Night is motoring – I’ve set myself a goal to get it finished by Easter, and I know I can do it, as long as I don’t slip behind with the schedule. This means I’m sitting at the PC quite late most evenings, but that’s okay. Second draft is the stage I actually enjoy. Still a few plot knots to untangle, though, especially in the later chapters…

Despite being tired, Mike and I managed to drag ourselves out last Saturday night to go to ‘Pitch Black’, the monthly Goth event at the Appleby pub in Burton on Trent. We are a bit rubbish at going out in the evenings these days, but it was well worth it once we got there. Two bands were playing, Projekt and Abigail’s Mercy, both highly entertaining in a whirl of multi-coloured lights and dry ice. It was an excellent night and good to see so many people there. Our dear friends Michelle and Kev run the pub and the ‘Pitch Black’ events. They work with great dedication to make the Appleby a fantastic alternative/goth/gay-friendly venue and it’s great to see them doing so well. We like the atmosphere – how pleasant to walk into a pub with a friendly, safe, almost homely feel (in spite of its many rumoured ghosts…) In fact it's worth visiting the Appleby just to see the amazing artwork on the walls. This is a shameless but unsolicited plug! Yay Michelle and Kev, you deserve it.

I am no party animal. I only had two drinks and still woke up with a rotten headache! Took Mike to a nearby farm shop, where we had a coffee, watched sparrows and tits on their bird feeders, bought some local produce, admired the views. It was a beautiful day. Then did little but veg out for the rest of Sunday, while making a couple of small items for the art show at Eastercon. Nothing too taxing.

A Blackbird in Amber Twilight is about to go to press, and my agent has a new website… I’ll put the link up next time but I’m falling asleep here!

Another big dump-down of snow – Mike got to work all right, but I’m very glad I can sit at home and huddle in my study, looking out at a white garden, the ponies in the neighbouring paddock all blanketed and snuggled up together. All day we’ve had a crowd of blackbirds, begging incessantly for food – the garden is covered in their claw prints.

Judging by the excitement in the media over this weather, you’d think it had never, ever snowed before.

Excitingly, I’ve discovered a wonderful review that Charles de Lint has written of ELFLAND. I’ll try to post a link to it next time, when I’m not in a rush. And it was thrilling too to discover he’s ‘friended’ me on Facebook. Yes, I finally gave up the struggle and signed up for Facebook. (I only went on there to check out some gossip and had to sign up to view it and even then still couldn’t view it cos I’m not in the right network…) Anyway, I must admit it’s easier to use than MySpace. You don’t have to faff about picking fancy designs for the page, and seems easier to find people – just more user-friendly all round, really. I need to get more organised with all these different pages and sites that need to be updated all the time. My website is still embryonic but I don’t have time to spend on it until I get Midsummer Night finished. However, I’ve made a start on the rewrites today, and I actually feel like I’m getting somewhere with it at last!

The Immanion Press website was down last week but it’s back up again. Hurrah!

It's with an enormous sense of relief that I wake up this morning to realise that GW Bush has left the building...

Well, so much for my good intentions to keep up my LJ entries while we were away! Mike and I flew to Toronto mid-December to stay with our good friends for 4 weeks. Also, we sneaked a 5-day trip to Florida with the aforementioned Canadian friends, which was lovely. It was so good to wander around in t-shirts in the warm sun for a few days. This was the view from our hotel room in Sarasota:

This was the view when we got back to Canada:

As we were confronted by Ernie, our friends’ big fallolopy Old English Sheepdog. Although I am not a ‘dog person’, Ernie grew on me, despite his unnerving habit of charging straight at your legs while you were going up or down stairs, or going frantic when he smelled cheese. A nicer-natured dog you couldn’t hope to meet. I rather miss him! Oh, and it also snowed. A lot. It’s hard to believe that only a week ago, we were skiing! That makes me sound more athletic than I actually feel – I always get nervous, and at the time would much have preferred to stay in bed than head out to the ski club – but once there, I was fine and really enjoyed it. Video footage taken by our friend reveals that I ski like a knock-kneed monkey but what the heck! At least I got down the hills in one piece, and I even tried a harder slope that I’d never dared try before, and we had a great time. It helped that the weather was perfect – a lovely bright, crisp day with fluffy fresh snow. In between two days’ skiing, we went to the Royal Ontario Museum in TO and saw the most amazing exhibit of minerals and gems, including the largest tanzanite ever faceted. If you do a search on Royal Ontario Museum and click ‘current exhibitions’ you can see a picture of it. Yum!

After staying with our friends in Canada for what seemed a very long month, it feels strange to be home again. Strange in a good way, though. We arrived home about midnight to the sight of a world covered in frost and shining under a bright moon – which made for a white and magical homecoming. Needless to say, I did no writing while we were away – there was too much stuff to do. However, I did make some notes for the two novels I’m working on. And I visited some bookstores with a view to publicizing ELFLAND when it comes out, so I achieved something useful at least. On arriving home I found, not only the proofs of Elfland waiting for me, but also a fantastic big print of the cover art, sent by the artist KY Craft. Wow. It took my breath away when I unrolled it. Wonderful!

Belatedly, Happy New Year…