Thorn taster and the radio queen

If you're wanting a taster of Thorn in the Flesh, ie the first two chapters to whet your appetite, the lovely people at the Storytellers' Cafe have very kindly posted it here. Enjoy! Also huge thanks to Felicity who calls the excerpt "fantastic and compelling". Gosh, thanks, Felicity! That's certainly made my day.

Which, all in all, has been very nice really. I had a lovely two hour facial and back massage today at the Clarins salon at the Guildford House of Fraser. Wonderful. Honestly, I feel like a new woman afterwards. Lord H will be pleased. And my therapist even bought a copy of Pink Champagne and Apple Juice, so what a sweetie indeed. My cup runneth over ... Oh, sorry, that's just the way I'm dressed.

From there, I went straight to lunch in Godalming with Jane H and Ang - hello, both! On my way to get some money out in the High Street, I then met an old friend I haven't seen for ages, who congratulated me on my appearance in the Surrey Advertiser and even bought a copy of Thorn. Goodness me, I seem to have discovered the secret to marketing my books - all I have to do is stand in Godalming High Street with an armful of novels, look suitably pathetic and the customers will come to me ... Ho ho.

Back home, I discover that Fred Marden at Southern Counties Radio would like to interview me - at least I think that's why he rang. Or maybe he just likes redheads? It's hard to tell. Anyway, I have rung back and left a message, and he's going to ring again tomorrow morning after he's finished his breakfast programme. I've always said I have a good face for radio - hmm, maybe I should start trying to tone down my Essex accent? Once he hears that, no doubt he will be running to the hills, screaming ... Still, it's certainly nice to be asked! Bloody hell, let's be honest - I'm so excited that I'm frothing at the mouth and running to the loo every five minutes. My, I'm such a professional.

This afternoon, I have managed another 500 words to The Bones of Summer and am just about to get Craig into a rather traumatic flashback scene. As you do. Though it's not as traumatic as what's actually happening to the poor guy now. Ah, make 'em suffer is what I say.

Tonight, Lord H and I are off to the theatre in Guildford to see Our Friends in the North. All about corruption and power apparently (I never saw the TV series, I must admit ...) - so very like the home life of our own dear Queen. Allegedly. As my mother is a Geordie lass, I'll be checking to see they have the accent right. Stotty cake, miners and whippets - takes me back to my youth, you know.

Today's nice things (so many to note!):

1. The Thorn extract at the Storytellers' Cafe
2. Clarins treatments
3. Lunch with the gals
4. Being contacted by radio people(!)
5. Theatre.

Anne Brooke
Anne's website
Goldenford Publishers