Bank Holiday Monday

Packed ready for my trip to Harrogate tomorrow to Thursday, so no more blog till then. I'll be attending the Writers' News (http://www.writersnews.co.uk) awards ceremony on Wednesday with my mother and my aunt to claim my winnings for the journey poetry competition. So will be staying with my aunt in York during that time. I hope York is ready for the three mad northern women.

Had an email from my agent (http://www.sff.net/people/john-jarrold/about.html) about "The Gifting" - he's keen to get more than Simon's viewpoint in order to get a balanced view of the world in which the novel is set. I understand that's the market trend but, to be frank, I don't do multiviewpoint novels. I only live in the main character's view, so that's where I'll stay. Sod the market - hell, what's it ever done for me? Besides, I hope I'll be giving a wider view of the world as Simon and his entourage travel through it anyway. So hopefully, John will be happy. And if not, well, that's the way I write best, so that's what I'll continue to do. Market or no market! Surely the poor author must have some say ... Also prepared my monthly submission to a poetry magazine - am having a go at the revitalised "Brando's Hat" this time. So expect either complete silence or a quick rejection from them over the next three months. I'm better at winning poetry competitions than actually getting the damn mags to take me. Fools!

Visited Disraeli's house in High Wycombe - Hughenden House - this afternoon. Beautiful grounds, but hell for parking. I actually found the house very moving - a grand facade, but with a plainer interior. Much like the man himself, one suspects. Also visited St Michael & All Angels church at the bottom of the grounds on the way out - simple, but they're obviously very lively, with lots of (interesting - and not evangelical, hurrah!) things going on. Would that St Peter's might do something similar one day.

Watched "Brokeback Mountain" on DVD early evening - very moving, of course, but nowhere near as good and astonishing as the book. And later, it'll be "New Tricks" - so a pleasant end to the bank holiday.

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com
http://www.goldenford.co.uk

Marian's retirement party

This morning, Lord H represented us at church in our sister church, and I got down to some character sketches for "The Gifting" - which I usually do about one-third of the way through a novel, and that's where I am right now with this one - and some actual writing. It was great to get down to it again after a while away, and I've some ideas for other key scenes, which is something of a relief.

Had a much needed nap this afternoon, and then went for cocktails and canapes for Marian's retirement do. Felt very brave going up to people and starting conversations, as I'm usually an utter coward at that sort of thing - but it wasn't too bad. Marian's friends and family are lovely, and we had some good conversations. It seems that Marian has been spreading the word about me being published this year - which is very sweet of her indeed! - so people were actually talking to me about it. That was weird - but, hey, nice for the ego! I'm only human ...

There've been some very positive comments about my ghost story on the Writewords (http://www.writewords.org.uk) site, so I feel better about that now. Also some tips for improving it, which I'll get on with as soon as I can.

Tonight, it's "Invasion" and "Mayo", and - joy! - bank holiday tomorrow. Thank goodness for May.

And today's haiku is:

Farnham Maltings Fete:
I rummage the stalls,
searching for mother-of-pearl.
I'm a girl today.

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com
http://www.goldenford.co.uk

Farnham Maltings Festival

Spent the day at Farnham Maltings Festival with Irene & Jackie from Goldenford (http://www.goldenford.co.uk). Didn't sell many books, but had some good conversations and lots of fun. Lord H turned up in the afternoon, and I had a wander round with him. Bought some birthday presents and two pairs of fantastic earrings. In the early evening, we did a reading at the open mic slot, which went well. I hope. At least I'm fairly confident now that the passage I chose from "Pink Champagne and Apple Juice" for today should work well at the launch on 22 June.

And home in time for "Doctor Who" - bliss. Am feeling shattered now, so hope for an early night. Not sure I'm fit for anything else!

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com

Lunch with Ali

Finished off my ghost story for Writers' News (http://www.writersnews.co.uk) today, and actually feel quite pleased with it. Have uploaded it onto the Writewords (http://www.writewords.org.uk) site for comment, so I'll see what people say.

Lunch with Ali at Wisley - lovely to see her and catch up with the news. We all seem to have had difficult years last year (must have been something in the ether), but at least things are looking up for both of us this year. She's able to come to the Goldenford (http://www.goldenford.co.uk) launch on 22 June, so am pleased about that. Afterwards, I did a little bit of work on "The Gifting" - Simon is still on the mountain and struggling hard. I should have done more, and I feel rather guilty at not doing more, but it was a struggle for the writer too today, as well as for my main character. That's the way it falls sometimes.

Rushed around town shopping and - thank goodness - have restocked my rapidly depleting book supply. I was starting to get twitchy about it. I hate it when my reading pile is down to two books - there's an empty space after the last book and I have no idea how to fill it.

Have also printed out and prepared marketing materials for the Goldenford table at tomorrow's Arts Festival in Farnham. Hope we manage to sell some of our books. I've included leaflets/info for "Pink Champagne and Apple Juice" too, even though it's not out yet. Marketing can never start too soon indeed. Irene, Jackie and I will be reading from our work in the 6-8pm open mic slot, so I hope that's not too frightening. Reading aloud, for me, is much like going to the dentist. The waiting is hell, but - usually - it's okay when it's happening. One hopes.

Tonight, it's slob out night in front of the TV, and I'm looking forward to wine and pizza. And ice cream. Bliss.

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com

Lunch with Robin

Ooh, skipped a day, as there was no time to write up my blog yesterday. But yesterday was a mainly tense day, filled only with the centering zone of counselling with Zoe, and also the exhausting but nice-to-do night out in London with the Durham gals. Which meant wine plus Italian food and chat. And, joy of joys, I made - just! - the 9.45 train home, so I am indeed a young fogie. Officially.

Anyway, today, did a barrel-load of marketing of "Pink Champagne and Apple Juice", and sent out the launch invites for 22 June for Goldenford (http://www.goldenford.co.uk). Also entered the Mslexia (http://www.mslexia.co.uk) flash fiction competition, and did my entries for the Annual Writers' Conference in Winchester (http://www.writersconference.co.uk). Managed also to get a Writers' News (http://www.writersnews.co.uk) ghost story started, and prepared some PR stuff for our Goldenford table on Saturday at the Farnham Arts Festival. Never say I am not industrious on my "days off".

Then I had lunch with Robin - lovely to see her again - we managed to set the world to rights and down a couple of baguettes to boot. On my way home, I popped in to see Gladys from church, and then came home to plough through my emails. I have some acceptances for the June launch - hurrah! - so it won't just be me and Lord H, and the Goldenford gang. That's a relief.

Tonight, Lord H and I are at the theatre in Woking, to see an Agatha Christie play. Of all things. Can't imagine why I booked that. Still, it may yet be better than I expect. You never can tell.

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com

UniSWriters & Guildford Writers

Bit of a dull morning - plodded away with getting my AUA conference notes typed up - finally managed to get the first draft done by close of play, so I've got the proofreading to look forward to tomorrow. Hurrah! Hmm ...

UniSWriters' session at lunchtime. Looked at work in progress, and also did a "write about this picture" writing game, which was quite successful. At the end, we had a chat about writing techniques and ways forward if we think we're stuck. It's funny how sometimes the very things that seem to hold us back are the things we can turn into our strengths - eg if we always start a novel and never finish it, play to that strength and start each of that novel's chapters. That way you'll be more confident about where it's going, and it'll be easier to finish. That's the theory anyhow ...

Another chapter of "Thorn in the Flesh" came back from the JBWB Writers Bureau (http://www.jbwb.co.uk) today, so shall get on with changing that towards the end of the week. And Flame Books (http://www.flamebooks.com) are apparently starting to edit "A Dangerous Man", so I'll look forward to getting stuck into that again.

The rest of today has actually been quite tense - not that anything's awful, but I am layered with anxiety right now. Is that a phrase? - it's certainly what it feels like. Thank goodness I've another counselling session tomorrow - maybe I'll feel calmer after that.

And tonight, it's Guildford Writers (http://www.guildfordwriters.net), so I think I'll take along my strange vegetable-themed piece of flash fiction. If nothing else, it might make them laugh.

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com
http://www.goldenford.co.uk

Reflexology day

First day back at work after the long Easter break, so I was a bear with sore head today. Still, the amount of work to catch up on hasn't been as bad as I'd feared, so it wasn't all tears and stomach pain. For most of the day, it was only Colin and me in the office in fact, as Ruth was on a course, and Patricia and David are still away - so it was a nice easing-in day really. Had an hour's reflexology at lunchtime which was very relaxing. Didn't feel quite as chilled as I did the last time, but it's still the highlight of my day.

At home, Barbara Large of the Winchester Writers' Conference (http://www.writersconference.co.uk) has offered Goldenford (http://www.goldenford.co.uk) a table at the conference to sell our books, so hope to take her up on that, depending on what the other directors think. I also hope to be able to get Jay, one of the authors at the Bewrite (http://www.bewrite.net) site, and perhaps David Caldo of Writers' Promote (http://www.writerspromote.com) to share the costs with us and promote their books too - but I'll see how it goes.

Uploaded another review for one of the authors at the You Write On (http://www.youwriteon.com) site, and hope in return to get another review of "Thorn in the Flesh", which I uploaded there last week. So far reviews on TITF have been mixed, with people either loving it or hating it (par for the course with me then ...), but it's obviously not as popular as "A Dangerous Man" was, so I don't think I'll be in the top ten this time. Shame, we cry.

Tonight, it's "New Tricks" - so time to slob in front of the TV. Great.

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com

Low Sunday

Had a great evening with Jane last night. The exhibition was fine, but how I love talking with her. She's great.

Lie-in today followed by church at 11am. Horror of horrors - a baptism so loads of strange people and children and a baby. My favourite - not! And lots of anxiety while we all rush round trying to make sure there's water in the font, and who the hell has the baptismal jug. It's all done on a wing and a prayer. I'm not sure the baptismal party spotted the join. One hopes. And, to cap it all, it's Geoffrey's last day with us, so we all went to a bring-and-share lunch at the village hall afterwards. I'm really not at my best with large, religious-based gatherings (unless drunk) so was one of the first to escape. Hurrah! On with the interregnum.

At home, had a much-needed nap, and am planning an evening of "Dr Who" video from yesterday, "Invasion" and "Mayo". It'll lull me into a false sense of normality ready to face returning to work post-Easter tomorrow.

Had an email from the author, Andrew Taylor (http://www.andrew-taylor.co.uk), telling us his next novel, "A Stain on the Silence", is now available. Shall order that - I do enjoy his non-1950s novels very much. In my reply I asked if he might like to review "A Dangerous Man" for Flame (http://www.flamebooks.com) as he has enjoyed extracts in the past. I do hope he's able to, in spite of what must be a horrendously busy schedule, but will have to wait and see.

Have just finished Marina Lewycka's "A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian". Didn't much like it - seemed a lot of fuss about nothing, although the last third of the novel was better as it stopped trying to be funny (hey, for something marketed as a comic novel, there's no laughter here, people!) and looked at the more serious historical side. I did skip a fair amount - the tractor sections are dull.

And today's haiku is:

Gothic Exhibition 2006, Tate Britain:
Silent, we drift through
twisted flesh. What pierces me
is Blake's dark flea ghost.

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com
http://www.goldenford.co.uk

Chocolate cake & hair cut

Hair cut day today, so at least I'll look reasonable when I meet Jane in London later this afternoon for a trip round the Tate Britain Gothic exhibition, chat and food. Wrote a piece of flash fiction about vegetables for Mslexia (http://www.mslexia.co.uk). Is it me, or are the themes getting stranger? Will upload it onto Writewords (http://www.writewords.org.uk) over the next few days and see what the comments are. Also uploaded my haibun on there earlier on, but no responses as yet. Still, it's a weekend. Or perhaps the piece is just incomprehensible? You never can tell.

Made a chocolate cake, which we'll have a slice of for lunch pre-London. So Lord H is smiling upon me today - as ever of course!

Have decided not to enter the short story competition involving a foster parent which Writers' News (http://www.writersnews.co.uk) have set, as I don't like children anyway. So why bother? Will just have a go at the summer ghost story instead. Think I'll opt for comedy - it's the only way to handle the theme, at least for me!

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com
http://www.goldenford.co.uk

Clarins Facial

A trip to Farnham this morning to pick up the volunteers pack for next Saturday's day at Farnham Maltings - Goldenford (http://www.goldenford.co.uk) are setting up a stall for our books as part of FM's arts festival day, and Irene, Jackie and I are also doing a reading of our books in the evening in the Open Mic session. The t-shirt we have to wear is a wonderful shade of orange - it will go so well with my hair, not.

Did my weekly reading of the current offerings on the Bewrite (http://www.bewrite.net), Writewords (http://www.writewords.org.uk) and UK Authors (http://www.ukauthors.com) sites, and also printed off an extract from the You Write On (http://www.youwriteon.com) site for reading and marking up later. A short nap, then into Guildford for a much-needed Clarins facial. What would I do without them - it's nice, always, to indulge on a regular basis. Also wrote a haibun (mixture of haiku and intense prose) for the Winchester Writers' Conference (http://www.writersconference.co.uk) haibun competition. Hope to upload that onto the Writewords site for comment soon.

Tonight, it's TV comedy night, and I really must do some cleaning. Hope very much to get back to "The Gifting" sometime - please! - but I do need to write a poem on rain and two short stories first for competitions. It's a good way of keeping my hand in with other genres and also, if I win or get placed/commended, keeping my name out there. Jay from Bewrite has also emailed me about a possible library marketing opportunity for our gay novels in Lewisham, so will try to find out more about that soonest. Never say this life is dull. But how I'm looking forward to that first glass of wine tonight!

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com

More editing

Spent the morning doing my monthly round of writing competition entries - mainly poetry this time. Mental note: must write more poetry. I'm so busy thinking of prose stuff that I may soon entirely forget the knack of leaving a blank space at the end of a line. Also edited the first four chapters of David Caldo's "A Florentine Masque". A very sensuous (you can almost smell the sweat) historical novel, but I'm still not sure about the lighter tone of the third chapter. Have tried to make it darker but at this point it's up to the author of course ...

Lunch in Godalming with Jean, a poetry friend. It's good to talk about real stuff, and she's one of the people I can do that with. She doesn't take the comic guff I defend myself with most of the time as worth her time, so I have to be more real than usual - scary but somehow liberating. It certainly makes me think. Afterwards, visited Gladys from church, who seemed particularly frail today. God help me, but I don't want to be old in that way. It makes me feel so vulnerable. Sad too.

This afternoon, I have attempted to book my sessions for the upcoming Writers' conference (http://www.writersconference.co.uk) but I'm not sure if my email worked. One can only hope. There are some good sessions there, on both poetry and prose, but no one-to-ones I like the look of, so I won't bother with them this year. My agent (http://www.sff.net/people/john-jarrold/about.html) is also going to the conference, so I have booked one of his sessions too - it will be nice actually to meet the guy at last. It's rather disappointing that I haven't met him yet, especially as he did promise me lunch last August, but I have to admit I'm not one of his high-earning clients. Hmm. Hope he recognises my name ... Now there are the Writers' Conference competitions to enter - it's a shame they're just so damn expensive. The entry fee seems ridiculous to me.

Have also - at last! - managed to book tea in London at Brown's Hotel for the Durham crowd on 17 June. Being the social secretary for that gang is just so bloody exhausting. It had better be a decent tea - not like Fortnum & Mason's! Still, it'll be nice to have an (almost) joint birthday and publication celebration with them.

Have just finished reading Patrick Gale's "Friendly Fire" - a fantastic novel. Slow start, I admit, but once you're into the heart of it, it 's a rivetting page turner. Much more focused and poignant than others of his novels I've read, though I do tend to enjoy his stuff.

Tonight, Lord H and I are out at the theatre in Guildford - "Losing Louis". Hope it's good. It'll be nice to sit still and not to have to do anything for a couple of hours. This week off has been completely shattering, and May and June are going to be a hell of a lot busier too. I must be missing my afternoon nap indeed.

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com
http://www.goldenford.co.uk

The Gawain Quest Part Two

A morning spent marketing and writing up the Goldenford (http://www.goldenford.co.uk) minutes. There's not much time now until the joint "Pink Champagne and Apple Juice"/"A Bottle of Plonk" launch on 22 June, so I need to work out the invites before the beginning of May. I'm hoping Lord H might be able to help - again - as I can't work out how to place the clipart needed onto the invite without the whole thing going haywire. So much for my expertise in Word ...

Also finished editing "The Gawain Quest" for Goldenford, and have sent it back to Jennifer for her action. It's hard work, but the novel is very good, so I'm looking forward to it being published in the autumn. There have also been some very positive comments on my posting of "The Gifting" on the Writewords (http://www.writewords.org.uk) site, and some helpful suggestions which I've done my best to implement.

Have just finished Roger Morris' (also of Writewords) first novel, "Taking Comfort". It's astonishingly good - very powerful and sparse, and reminds me very much of Murakami. I've given it a 5 star rating on Amazon, so I hope they actually showcase my comments this time - sometimes they don't. Also feel noble as MacMillan New Writing (which published "TC") were one of those which turned down "A Dangerous Man" after much deliberation apparently - still, can afford to feel noble now, as Flame Books (http://www.flamebooks.com) are publishing it instead. So much for my good nature indeed.

Had some weird dreams last night - I was trapped in London trying to walk to a show I was supposed to be seeing without knowing the way. Hmm, sounds much like my normal life to me. Ho hum. Still, tonight it's "Murder City" on TV, so that should cheer me up.

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com

The Gawain Quest

Shopped this morning to stock up after the Easter extravaganza. Another festival over, thank goodness - much though I like holiday, I do like getting back into a routine too. No work this week though, which is nice! Started to proofread Jennifer Margrave's novel, "The Gawain Quest", for Goldenford (http://www.goldenford.co.uk). Very enjoyable, but still a fair amount of typos to mark, even at this almost-final stage.

Also entered for a poetry competition coming up shortly, which fell through my normal monthly schedule. It's a local-ish one, so I'm keen to enter. Not sure if there'll be any joy with it though, as I don't seem to be doing so well with the poetry this year - though I'm happy with how the prose is going. Two novels in 2006 can't be bad! Uploaded the next part of "The Gifting" onto the Writewords (http://www.writewords.org.uk) site for comment. I hope to take a section to next week's Guildford Writers (http://www.guildfordwriters.net) meeting too, though I don't usually take novel extracts along, but tend instead to stick to short stories, which are easier to get critique on in one session.

Spent some time trying to sort out a booking for afternoon tea for my Durham friends in London on 17 June - it's hell getting anyone to take a group of 11 people (including 3 children) - hope someone has a positive response soon, or it will be lettuce leaves and tap water for all ...

Tonight, it's minuting the next Goldenford meeting - we have a literary fair and a reading coming up, along with the publication date for my "Pink Champagne and Apple Juice", so I imagine there'll be a fair amount to discuss.

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com

Easter Monday

A lie-in, exhausted by the demands of life and chocolate-eating. Goodness, it's a hard life indeed, but somebody has to do it ...

Lord H visited the church bier house (it's good for a man to have a hobby) and retreived more rood-screen candle items to add to the current findings. The bases are a lovely gold colour when scrubbed up with a toothbrush. Hope he's not using mine. Researched some competitions to enter over the next months, courtesy of Mslexia (http://www.mslexia.co.uk) magazine. Also, to my delight, discovered that I appear - if only amongst the letters/notes sections - in the Poetry Society (http://www.poetrysociety.org.uk) newsletter. A first step, one hopes. Hmm ... Then in the afternoon a joint trip to the Lions Show. Admired the donkey derby, the motorcyclist display team, the vintage cars and the various stalls. Won a CD in the tombola - my luck must be in today!

Started Roger Morris' first novel, "Taking Comfort", and am enjoying it so far. He's a member of the Writewords (http://www.writewords.org.uk) site, so it's nice to read a work by someone I know - if only on a virtual basis. It's nice to think I'll be joining him in the field of Writewords authors later this year.

A post-show nap, followed by a leisurely dinner and "New Tricks" on TV. Thank goodness that's back - real class.

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com
http://www.goldenford.co.uk

Easter Sunday

Church extravaganza today. Got the best silverware out and lit all the candles going (but not the nave ones, as they're too much effort). The rood screen candles and revamped angel candles looked particularly snazzy. Thanks entirely to Lord H's efforts and skill. After the hullaballoo, thank the Lord that the church warden remembered to shower us all with chocolate eggs - it makes it all worthwhile somehow.

After church, Lord H and I visited Petworth House (National Trust), which would have been fine except that I got my car stuck in the mud. So I wondered round the Turners and other great art moments worrying myself to a frazzle about how on earth we were going to get home. Thankfully, when push came to shove (sorry, but it was like that ...), a passing Good Samaritan put his shoulder to the wheel along with Lord H and we managed to get free. Phew.

A late, post-lunch lazy afternoon beckons. I now have two Goldenford (http://www.goldenford.co.uk) novels to edit, both part of Jennifer Margrave's historical. Of course they'll all be great, but the prospect of doing any of my own writing for a while gets increasingly distant. Sigh. I'll start them next week. But at least tonight there's "Mayo" and "Invasion" to ease the pain. TV heaven indeed.

And today's (very semi-) haiku is:

After a day with mother
the Dartford bridge sails us back to Surrey;
I'm grown up again.

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com

Easter Saturday

A holy cleaning day. Lord H and I have cleaned everything to excess, in case the good Lord should decide to visit. Even the outside stairs. We only clean seriously on high days and holidays, and Easter is surely one of those occasions. Had a bit of an incident with the Agnus Dei (ie the roast lamb we always have on Easter Sunday) - went out to buy a joint (meat, people, meat - please!) this morning, stared at the lamb section on the shelf, bought a beautiful lamb roast, but by the time I arrived home and unpacked my spoils, some miracle had taken place in the car and it had turned into pork. Hmm, not entirely suitable under the religious circumstances, but we will have to make the best of it. One shopping trip in a day is more than enough. I redeemed myself with Lord H, however, by buying dinosaur icecream and champagne - the way to a man's heart ... etc etc.

Golf with Marian and Siegi in the afternoon, followed by a gorgeous lunch at theirs. I played appallingly, but had one or two shots which made it okay to be alive. I even putted well once, which these days is saying something.

Decided to get on my high horse with my Durham friends, as I always arrange social events for them and yet it takes them centuries (in email terms) to respond, by which time the original dates for any get-together have long sinced passed. And, hell, if I can't be stroppy on Easter Saturday, when can I be? Sent a strong (yet sweet and generous, I'm sure ...) email but so far the only person who has responded is one of those who do at least reply. Deep and frustrated sigh. To be honest, I'd rather deal with my other sets of friends, who do appear to want to make the effort to get together. I'm starting to think I'm flogging a horse which should have long since been buried. In some cases anyway.

A quiet evening of video catch-up lies ahead. Joy.

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com
http://www.goldenford.co.uk

Good Friday

Day at mother's. Lots of chatting and catch-up, together with huge meals and cake. Had a walk along Manningtree front in the afternoon to look at the swans (sans bird flu, we hope) in order to avoid the terrors of the Good Friday Holy Hour at church. Lord, what sinners we are. Something of a relief to have missed it this year, but I can't help the guilt twinges. Still, being me, I'm sure they'll pass. The long drive home on the A12 seems to last forever sometimes.

Lord H popped to church in the evening to sort out the rood screen candles, which we've just discovered we have. They'll look lovely once they're up, so we're hoping for a grand Easter display. Along with lots of chocolate of course.

A writing friend has asked for my comments on the start of his historical novel, so am happy to oblige as far as possible, depending on time constraints. I also have Jennifer of Goldenford's (http://www.goldenford.co.uk) novel to edit, so I can see writing time is completely out of the question for the next few weeks. Still, editing is always enjoyable. Up to a point. If I miss writing for more than a few days, I tend to get twitchy.

Had a rather critical review of "A Dangerous Man" on the You Write On (http://www.youwriteon.com) site, so am feeling low about that. No matter how long you do this job, criticism always feels like a personal attack. Still, as the novel's being published, it can't be all bad? Surely. How I hope someone out there will like it! And goodness, once again, how needy we writers are ...

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com

Maundy Thursday

I'm back! And I've had the Belfast experience - it's an interesting city. Something of a cross between parts of Victorian Guildford (along the river) and Bloomsbury in London. You either have red brick or marble - nothing in between. Areas well worth a visit are City Hall, the Botanic Gardens, the Palm House and the Ulster Museum. And it rains. A lot. Take a brolly. No, take several.

I waved Lord H goodbye (complete with sobbing and a handkerchief - I am such a slushbucket) on Sunday night and then moved across to the Association of University Administrators (AUA) conference on Monday morning. Queen's University rooms have astonishingly frightening showers. The blast of ice-cold water pinned me to the tiles and nearly drowned me - twice. If I'd been under 5 foot tall, it might have finished me off altogether. It was amazing I had enough energy for the conference at all - some useful workshops this year and I managed to avoid the horrors of networking, hurrah. And I have enough notes on ideas/info gained to last another year. Oh, and I ate a lot of potato. Really. And it was great - particularly "champs" (blend of mash and spring onion/cabbage).

Today has been catch-up day. A morning of marketing and emails and an afternoon of looking at "The Gifting" and managing - after much tutting and playing of online Solitaire - to add another 500 words. And - oh the relief! - I think I may have thought of where to go next. Add more violence and horror and I'll be happy. It'll keep me going for a couple of pages at least ...

My signed contract for "A Dangerous Man" has arrived from Flame Books (http://www.flamebooks.com) and "Pink Champagne and Apple Juice" is now available to pre-order from Amazon (http://www.amazon.co.uk) so it almost feels like being a real writer. Almost. Publishers are indeed like buses - you wait for years and then two come along at once. I think I've peaked now. Spoke to Bev at the Surrey Advertiser about "A Dangerous Man" and the You Write On (http://www.youwriteon.com) site, but I think I fluffed it. I was so nervous beforehand that I gabbled and filled all the silences on the phone even when I had nothing remotely interesting to say. The poor woman probably thinks I'm insane and, if she publishes the article at all, will advise the Great and the Good of Surrey to avoid me and anything I've done at all costs. Can't say I blame her. Lord, this must be post-acceptance depression. P.A.D for short. If nothing else, at least I've coined a new writing affliction.

Oh well, onward and - slowly, so slowly - upward. One hopes.

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com
http://goldenford.co.uk

Counselling session

Managed - somehow, as the new "book for this day only" NHS appointment system is rubbish - to get a doctor's appointment for this morning, and now have a low-steroid (hmm, not my favourite ...) nasal spray to use twice a day for the next couple of months. To be honest, I hope it does the trick as I'm getting to the point where I'll do anything to kick my catarrh problem into touch. I hope I don't have to be on it forever, which is - apparently - a possibility. We'll see.

The rest of the working day was a catch-up day, as I'm next in on 24th April, and I'm now very up-to-date, which is a relief. Had a really excellent counselling session with Zoe over lunchtime - I talked about writing and what it means to me. She's great at getting me to go deeper and really see what counts. That, after all, is what I've started these sessions for and it's working. Thank the Lord. I feel that my writing - and therefore me, or is that I? - doesn't fit anywhere obvious; there's no "genre" or group that welcomes either of us with open arms, but maybe I just have to learn to be happy with that. Not being part of the wider market - in any sense of the word - is after all where I'm most myself. Food for thought certainly.

Tonight it's packing for holiday with Lord H in Belfast, and then the universities' conference, also in Belfast, which will last till next Wednesday, so this will be my last blog entry till then. I'll take my usual notebook though, and scribble down thoughts each day as they occur. I always find that helpful to do when on holiday; I think it keeps me grounded.

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com
http://www.goldenford.co.uk

Another sick day

Have had a relapse - goodness me, how Victorian - and was up all night apart from one glorious hour at 5am when I managed to get some sleep. So no London course or indeed anything for me today. I must be the biggest cold/pain relief pills customer ever this week. Attempted - foolishly - to get a doctor's appointment, but hey no chance. Our new - and ridiculous - NHS system means we can't book ahead, and instead have to ring up on the day first thing, amongst the countless others, and hustle for spaces. A recipe for disaster. Thought I might try again tomorrow, but Lord H's car is playing up so I will be car-free, as he sorts the garage out. What with our upcoming hols & my university conference, my next chance is Maundy Thursday. Ah well. Will have to try then or hope for a miracle. Possibly both.

Have spent a large part of the morning dealing with publication & publicity issues with Flame Books (http://www.flamebooks.com) for "A Dangerous Man". Goodness me, I appear to have an editor. How like a real professional. Also corresponded with the You Write On site (http://www.youwriteon.com) concerning the official review of the opening chapters of "ADM" and publicity for that. Maybe, at last, Michael's (my main character) time has come and I feel surprisingly vulnerable about it - he's been my favourite character (or one of my favourites) for so long; this process must be something like sending your first child out to school. Sorry - that's pretentious, but it's how it feels. I am glad he'll be "out there", and I do hope people don't misjudge him.

Have also sent to Flame a draft version of the absolutely wonderful possible "ADM" front cover which my artist/writer friend, Nell Grey (aka Penelope Cline, http://www.nellgrey.co.uk), has done for me. It's the first time I've seen this today, as I didn't realise she even had it. I have to say when I looked at it, my toes tingled and I felt like crying. I think it's absolutely perfect and is exactly how I see Michael - dark, dubious, erotic and vulnerable. I do hope Flame like it. If they don't, I'm definitely commissioning Nell for the poster.

Some great news on the Goldenford Publishers front (http://www.goldenford.co.uk) - one of Jennifer's estate agency contacts wants a job lot of Jacquelynn Luben's "A Bottle of Plonk" to put in welcome packs for their clients, and Ottakar's in Godalming would like to do a display of Goldenford Books. Joy for us all indeed.

Have finished Julia Glass's "Three Junes" - which got me through most of the night, to be honest. It's wonderful, particularly the long middle section about Fenno, the gay bookshop owner in the US. I loved the relationships between people and the way they misfire, and how families can be. Gripping and easily readable stuff - the perfect combination. Will definitely be on the look-out for her next.

Tonight, it's part 2 of "Dalziel and Pascoe" and then I shall be praying - very, very hard - for a decent night's sleep, no nausea and no ear trouble, please God.

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com

"A Dangerous Man" gets a Publisher

I'm in the proverbial seventh heaven tonight! Flame Books (http://www.flamebooks.com) want to publish "A Dangerous Man", probably sometime over the summer, and are sending me a contract by email to sort out before my Belfast weekend trip. At last! - Michael, bless him, gets a home. He - and I - are certainly pleased. Also my agent (http://www.sff.net/people/john-jarrold/about.html) is happy, so everyone's smiling. Joy indeed - takes my mind off the end stages of this rotten cold for sure. I think, to be honest, I'm still in a state of shock. I'm not really taking it in.

The rest of the day slipped by, in the light of this new discovery. I thoroughly enjoyed my first work reflexology session - much gentler than other sessions I've had elsewhere, so I've paid for a set of six over the coming weeks. I felt very calm and energised (if one can be both at the same time) after it.

Finished James Hamilton-Paterson's "Loving Monsters" yesterday. A wonderful and eccentric book. I couldn't really put it down - and it has one of the most gripping and sustained endings I've ever read. I was transported somewhere else and reluctant to leave. A classy book indeed, and perhaps even a classic one.

And, hey, I have a publisher!

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com
http://www.goldenford.co.uk

Lent 5

Day in today, recuperating. So no church, which is a relief as it should have been one of our 8am services. Hell, I needed the lie-in. So far have spent most of the day either asleep, reading or staring at the TV. Sometimes I even switch it on. Technology is a marvellous thing. Suspect there'll be time to squeeze in another nap before bedtime, if I'm organised enough. At least I don't feel as bad as yesterday; humanity as returned, even if simply at the edges. And I've even eaten something - hurrah.

Lord H has done some flower photography to fill in time whilst invalid-sitting - one result being a beautiful close-up of a rich-pink rose. Lovely. Due to illness, no cake this week - and it was supposed to be chocolate. Haven't read my Bible since Wednesday either, so I'll have a lot of catching-up to do once I get back into the routine. Can't say the thought is filling me with much holy joy either.

Tonight's joy is "Invasion" and "Mayo". Perfect Sunday viewing.

And today's haiku is:

Over open drawers
my stockings step out boldly.
Today they're unworn.

(Not exactly Dryden, I know - but heck I'm not well. Make allowances!)

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com
http://www.goldenford.co.uk

Number One in You Write On Top Ten

Goodness me, "A Dangerous Man" is now Number One in the You Write On (http://www.youwriteon.com) site's Top Ten. And it's not even an April Fool - I hope. A real boost for what appears to be my unsellable (amongst the other commercially unsellable ones, of course ...) novel. And lovely to hear the news today, when I'm feeling so ill I've cancelled everything over the weekend that means I might have to leave the house. Damn it.

So no writing or anything much done today. Slept, then watched the BBC2 version of "The Marriage of Figaro" while reclining on my sofa of sickness. One of my favourite operas. Marvellous. I love the closing piece by the Countess when the music's phraseology and her forgiveness sweeps all the deceit and confusion away. A magical moment. Wish I could write books the way Mozart wrote music.

Have also finished James Baldwin's "Go Tell It on the Mountain". A powerful book about religion and the desire to be free. It sweeps you along with the passion of it all. At the end, I felt drained, but inspired.

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com
http://www.goldenford.co.uk

Number Five in You Write On's Top Ten

Some positive news today - the opening chapters of "A Dangerous Man" have made it to number 5 in the You Write On (http://www.youwriteon.com) website Top Ten. And my most recent review there was very encouraging too. It's nice when good things happen - hell, it makes all the difference to what can be a very bleak and discouraging business.

Visited Jennifer of Goldenford Publishers (http://www.goldenford.co.uk) today to help her with styles training for her novels. Am looking forward to seeing her "The Gawain Quest" in print later in the year. It's a great novel.

This afternoon, managed to get another 1000 words of "The Gifting" under my belt - it felt easier today. On Simon's mountain journey, I added in more confrontation with his rescuers and foreshadowing of tension to come. Not sure exactly what that tension might result in yet, but for me that's often the case. It'll come when it does. Also prepared to send my monthly poetry submission off tomorrow - this time, I'll try Ambit magazine - the Poetry Magazine site (http://www.poetrymagazines.org.uk) is a vital reference tool, as ever. I hope Ambit will at least be more pleasant than the wretched (damn him) 10th Muse editor was. And bliss, another nap. Where would I be without my late afternoon snooze?

Tonight, it's TV comedy night, thank goodness. How I love Fridays.

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com

Sick day

My cold has developed and I don't feel so good, so a day off today. Even though I'm unwell, I never seem able to avoid the guilt. Am taking as many Lemsips & Sinutab as possible. One good thing though - I didn't have to be up during the night with it, so it's better than it normally is.

Spent the morning staring at the TV and catching up on website reading/reviewing for Bewrite (http://www.bewrite.net), Writewords (http://www.writewords.org.uk), UK Authors (http://www.ukauthors.com) and the You Write On (http://www.youwriteon.com) site. It's about all my brain can cope with right now. There's some great stuff up there though. I was particularly pleased because my reviewing task for You Write On was a novel by David Caldo, an author I know, who also runs the useful Writers Promote (http://www.writerspromote.com) site. I really enjoyed his opening chapters.

In the afternoon, I watched "My Beautiful Laundrette", which seemed much sharper than I remember it being. Certainly classy stuff. This evening, we were supposed to be going to the ballet - Edward Scissorhands at Woking - but I'm honestly not up to it, or anything much. It's a shame, as I was really looking forward to that. I told Lord H that he should go on his own, but I think he preferred a night in.

Oh, and some good news - our Glyndebourne tickets have finally arrived. Hurrah! We're seeing three operas later on in the season. Always great to have something to look forward to.

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com
http://www.goldenford.co.uk

Kinesiology and counselling

Truly a day for me. Had my second session of kinesiology (http://www.kinesiology4health.com) in the morning, which was very helpful. I'm doing well on the nutritional side of things, so should carry on as I've been doing for the last month. We also looked at my energy levels and the therapist assessed my greatest need at the moment as being in the realm of emotions. That makes sense. A good job I'm doing these counselling sessions then. It all seems to be working together right now.

In the afternoon, I did another 1000 words of "The Gifting". Now I've got Simon into the mountain regions, I'm not entirely sure what to do with him. Maybe it's the journey and the struggle which count. I'll simply have to keep writing it through until I get to the "crunch zone". I'll know when it happens. And I can always cut later. He's having issues about his mother, which I think relates back to my own with my father. It's certainly proving interesting to write.

Managed a short nap before my 5pm counselling session at the university. This time I felt more "together" and, although I said a lot and went deeper into some of the things I'd already brought up, when I left I somehow felt cleansed. Yes, that is the word. And of course very tired, but that comes with the territory. I'm going to have to factor the tiredness in. Whatever happens, it's worth doing.

Oh, and I'm starting a cold. Great. Hope it doesn't go to the extremes of poor Lord H's cold earlier in the month. That was a whole two weeks.

A quiet evening. Hell, I deserve it.

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com
http://www.goldenford.co.uk

Lunch with Julia

A not so bad day at work today - managed to get the first draft of the Steering Group minutes out for proofreading, and also got ahead with agendas for some of my early May meetings (April being virtually written off due to Easter closure etc). Also a lovely writers' lunch with Julia, one of the UniSWriters' group. Great to talk about books, reading and writing to someone on the same wavelength. She also had some good suggestions about creative writing books, particularly with group exercises in - which is always useful for the group.

Leisurely evening - was nose-deep in the new Emily Barr - "Plan B" - which was great. I couldn't put it down and have now finished it. I love her work - light and easy to read, but the characters and situations are gripping. Why can't more people write like that? I shall look forward to her next one.

Later, it'll be the concluding part of the "Dalziel and Pascoe" Amsterdam story. They do seem to have gone a bit odd, in terms of character and plot, but it's light relief and they're still worth watching.

Also, had a couple of positive comments on my work currently on the UK Authors (http://www.ukauthors.com) site and the Writewords site (http://www.writewords.org.uk) - which always makes me feel more positive. Goodness, how up and down this life is.

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com
http://www.goldenford.co.uk

Student Care Services Steering Group

Rather a dull morning - managed to get the minutes of last week's Student Experience Group proofread and out for checking. Worked on the website and then it was the Student Care Services Steering Group over lunch. Having lunchtime meetings with no break really drains me. I can never get the energy levels up during the afternoon to get much of the minutes written up, although I did try. Thank goodness it's vacation time now and I can leave at 5pm, instead of 5.30. Somehow it makes all the difference.

At home, I had another review on "A Dangerous Man" from the YouWriteOn website (http://www.youwriteon.com) - this time they enjoyed it but didn't find Michael, my main character, very attractive. Funny, but I find him fascinating and poignant. He's always been the strongest voice of them all in my head and, to be honest, I'm not changing him now. But I can see he - and indeed my writing - is an acquired taste. Also had a brief comment on my poem, "Still Life by Jo Baker", from the UK Authors website (http://www.ukauthors.com), but it wasn't very helpful - just asking for a copy of the picture. It's not really turning out to be a real critique website, not in the same, useful way as the Writewords site (http://www.writewords.org.uk) is. Still, any comments are always happily received - as for all desperately needy authors.

And the edited version of Chapter Five of "Thorn in the Flesh" has turned up from the JBWB website (http://www.jbwb.co.uk) - goodness, it's taking an age. I hope I can get it finalised by the summer but at this rate I'm not holding out much hope. All useful stuff, but they must be very busy over there, which doesn't help me much.

Have - thank the Lord! - finally finished the amazingly dull "The Crimson Petal and the White" by Michel Faber. To be honest, I have absolutely no idea why on earth everyone raves about it - or perhaps he just has a lot of literary contacts who owe him favours? To my mind, the first third of it is the only good thing and the rest is excrutiatingly meaningless and should have been cut by the first decent editor who saw it. I like the quirky authorial voice (the best thing about it) but it doesn't appear after the first few pages until the end, as far as I can tell. Then again, I was skipping vast chunks due to life being too short, having no interest in any of the character by then etc etc. I'd rather watch grass grow.

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com
http://www.goldenford.co.uk

Lent 4: the AGM

Church today was dull, but at least it was more bearable than last week. Our new churchwarden kindly asked me how things were going, so I told her, as honestly as possible. She was very supportive, which was nice. Also much needed. Our Annual General Meeting followed, but not much to say about that. Nothing we didn't know about anyway.

Afterwards, Lord H and I visited Clandon Park (National Trust). It's the first day of being open and, my goodness, you can tell. The stewards were terribly keen to tell us all about it, while we were terribly keen to get away. Why do the NT always have to have stewards who want to talk to you? I wish they'd just leave us alone. We like to wander by ourselves. If I need to know anything, I'll ask. Bought some jam, a wonderful lavender stressball and two chocolate mice in the shop, the latter two items being quickly consumed.

Attempted to video "Monk" while we were out, but failed due to not having taken the change in the hour into account. Damn it. Lord H has corrected it for tonight, as I simply have to video "Mayo" whilst watching "Invasion".

As it's Mothers Day, will ring Mum later on, though I always do on a Sunday - hope her flowers have arrived by now. I can be Good Daughter for a while. Am working on an edit of my current Writewords (http://www.writewords.org.uk) story, "A Serious Business", as it's felt not to be deep/serious enough. Too much dialogue, apparently. Will have to squeeze in some more narrative. Still, they seem to like my poem, "Still Life by Jo Baker", so it's not all bad news.

And this week's haiku is:

I unpeel my skin
and let the dark layers breathe:
a cold mountain top.

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com
http://www.goldenford.co.uk

Coffee Cake

Baked a coffee cake this morning - an ongoing part of my Lenten obligations, and hey it worked. Very light and tasty. Lord H was over the moon. I had a slight moment of panic when I added the flour first instead of the sugar, but managed to overcome the crisis, and the results are great. I might get used to this. Hmm. Maybe I should buy an apron?

Had a wonderful two hour nap this afternoon, catching up on the week's lost sleep, and then wrote a poem as part of the UniSWriters' homework from last week. Decided to use one of our UniS artists, Jo Baker, as my picture inspiration, so the poem has the same title as her piece - "Still Life by Jo Baker". As she also attends UniSWriters, I hope she likes it. Have posted it onto the Writewords (http://www.writewords.org.uk) site for comment, and also sent it to UK Authors (http://www.ukauthors.com) for online publication for Monday.

On the advice of the Bewrite site people (http://www.bewrite.net), I decided to have another go at the PR Link Tiles site (http://linktiles.com) and managed to set up three tiles - a personal one, a blog one and a prose one for my first novel, "The Hit List". If it works out, I'll probably set up another for "Pink Champagne and Apple Juice" when it comes out in June. We'll see.

Tonight, Lord H and I are out at the pub for dinner, and hope to be back in time for "New Tricks" on TV. Lovely.

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com
http://www.goldenford.co.uk

Lunch in South Harrow

Spent the morning finalising and sending off my edited entry to the "Life" competition for BBC Southern Counties Radio. This five-minute piece should be broadcast sometime over the summer, and I get paid. Goodness, that will be nice. Also did more work on "The Gifting", and by the end of the day had written another 2000 words. I was getting quite emotionally involved in it too, which I think always helps the clarity. And some overdramatisation is bound to creep in - but I can cut that on the edit, as I can never tell till later.

Lunch with a friend in South Harrow. It's good to have one-to-one chats. I much prefer this to the group stuff we tend to do, as I can be more honest without having to play to the gallery. Good to see Jane again too.

Shopped briefly this afternoon in rainy Godalming, and then back home for solid work on "The Gifting". Whoever said writing had glamour? Hard slog and those wonderful moments of connected joy make up my day.

An evening in. Bliss. By the way, last night's "O Go My Man" was rubbish - badly conceived, badly written and badly acted. There's a hint of a play in there somewhere, but it's hard to find. Way too bitty. In spite of the glowing review in today's "Surrey Advertiser." What on earth is their drama critic on? Or maybe she saw an entirely different play. Ho hum.

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com
http://www.goldenford.co.uk

Student Experience Group

Not too bad a day. On a personal level, there's a lot to think about, so my mind kept wandering. It feels as if I've embarked on a long journey, and I'm not quite sure what the shore on the other side might look like. If that's not too dramatic. Heck, I'm dramatic. Live with it. Maybe it just is what it is.

Anyway, the morning Student Experience Group provided a welcome diversion, and wasn't too bad to take minutes for either. I've even managed to get the first draft of them done by the end of the day, though I won't proofread them till Monday, when I'm next in. Had a lovely, peaceful walk round campus at lunchtime - good to see at least one or two daffodils out now, although most are still at the green stalk stage.

This evening, Lord H and I are at the theatre to see "O Go My Man" - apparently it's an acronym for monogamy, and is very rude indeed, so that's cheered us all up. The matrons of Guildford will be pleased.

No writing joys leapt onto my plate today. And no-one has commented on my story, "A Serious Business", on the Writewords (http://www.writewords.org.uk) site yet. Still, maybe it's just early days. And I am way too needy. Sigh.

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com
http://www.goldenford.co.uk

First counselling session

Here's a new thing for me. Had my first counselling session today with one of the staff counsellors. I've taken some sessions of spiritual direction in the dim and distant past, but I think I'll be happier - or at least freer to express myself - now without the religious trappings. I said more - and different - things than I thought I would, but I think it was good, if exhausting. Feel as I've been squeezed dry tonight. It's liberating to have a safe environment to talk though, without the fear of how the other person will react or what it will mean for any relationship. I wasn't sure on the way home whether I'd tell Lord H or not, but in the end I did and he was fine about it. I'm going to have six sessions, with the possibility of more, depending how things are at the end of that. Goodness, by summer, I'll be a new woman. Or, at the very least, I'll have had one delivered.

Managed to catch up nicely with work the rest of the day and am fairly up-to-date now. At home, made a few changes to my sf story, "Creative Accountancy for Beginners", and then emailed it to our two Guildford Writers (http://www.guildfordwriters.net) resident sf experts, neither of whom were able to be at last night's meeting, for any comments they might give. Incidentally, people last night seemed to enjoy the story very much, which was a relief. As I was telling a work colleague today, each time you read anything out, no matter how experienced you are or how familiar the audience, it's as if you're walking a plank stretching out from a ship over an uncertain sea. And the plank's got woodworm. It never changes.

Tonight, it's slob-out night. I'll watch the second part of the psychological drama, "The Best Man". Am desperate to see how it ends. Suspect there'll be tears.

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com
http://www.goldenford.co.uk

UniS Writers

Felt like a bear with constipation today when I first walked into the office, but tried to remember I knew I'd feel like that - and after a while it wasn't so bad. Managed, in spite of all my doubts, to get almost up to date with the meetings I have over the next week and which have been left pending over the last week. And not as many emails as I'd feared either.

Lunchtime was our UniS Writers' meeting - not as many there this time, but we had good discussions about the work produced and people's current projects. Also played one writing game which went down well and resulted in an astonishing range of high-quality work. It's amazing what you can come up with in just five minutes - which just goes to show that you don't need much time to pen a paragraph or two. After the meeting, a couple of us with websites/blogs emailed them round to the group - it will be nice to share more of that sort of information, so we can keep up with any news as and when it occurs, rather than waiting for the next month's meeting.

It's Guildford Writers (http://www.guildfordwriters.net) tonight, and I've decided to take my comic SF story, which I've done for the next Writers' News (http://www.writersnews.co.uk) competition - first time I've done SF, so it'll be interesting to get comments. Feel quite happy about how my writing is going at the moment - hope that feeling continues, as it's hell when it doesn't.

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com

Competition entries

A friend of mine from my old job, Jane, visited for morning coffee and home-made flapjacks today. Good to catch up as we don't seem to have seen each other for a while. I was praising my kinesiologist (http://www.kinesiology4health.com) to the skies, as she asked what all the new stuff in my kitchen was for, so I told her. She stopped laughing when she saw I was serious, and even seemed quite interested.

Also sent off my monthly writing competition entries today - or rather I sorted them out and will actually post them tomorrow. I find it easier to stockpile competitions and do them all once a month. That way I can keep tabs on how I'm doing and it saves running around doing them all the time in a bitty way. Not my favourite writing task in the world, but I have to keep trying to get my name out there somehow. It's a long, slow haul. Also decided to add the You Write On site (http://www.youwriteon.com) to the links page on my own site, as it does seem pretty good.

Visited Gladys from church in the afternoon - she was much livelier today - and then food shopping. What a lot I can pack in to my day in lieu if I try! Lord H will be late back tonight, as he has to hold an interview at 6pm, so will try to get a few words more done on "The Gifting", and then an evening's TV viewing. Bliss.

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com
http://www.goldenford.co.uk

Lent 3: Church Hell

Really bad session at church today. As the boiler was broken, we held the service in the local pub. It felt as if there was nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. I did my sacristan duties, settled myself in a corner and kept my head down. Hell, how bad I feel about God and the whole church thing right now. It seemed as if everyone else was bright and cheery whilst I was mumbling away thinking: do I really believe all this? And what the hell does it mean if I don't? We passed round communion and I managed to palm a wafer and hide it in my pocket and not drink the wine, whilst pretending to do so. The spectre at the feast indeed.

Afterwards, one of the church ladies next to me asked me how I was, and I could see she meant it, so I told her. As much as I know myself anyway. That is, that I'm fed up with church, I don't know if it means anything any more, there's lots of things I'm trying to sort out in my life right now and church is adding to the problems, not helping to solve them. I also said that, given the choice between being a Christian (ha! as if ...) and a writer, I'd choose being a writer every time, as it feels more real and more me. Bless her, she didn't blink an eye, which at least proves some people can be angels when you need them most and when you least expect them. We had a good chat, and she said I could ring/call round to see her if I felt the need. If that happens, I may well do that. It felt okay. It also felt good to have told someone how things are, and today, right now, the burden seems a little lighter. Thank ... well, whatever.

Oh, and I sneaked the wafer back into the jar afterwards. Which probably means I've committed some cardinal sin or other, but what the hell. It's only a wafer.

Golf during the afternoon with Marian and Siegi started off well, but I soon lost any sense of my game and ended up playing average-to-bad, with the emphasis on the bad. It's just too damn cold. Lunch afterwards at our place, followed by the weekly phone call to mother - yes, I'm fine; we're all fine; how are you? - and, thank goodness, it's "Invasion" and "Mayo" tonight. Where would I be without TV?

Reviewed the http://www.youwriteon.com chapters allocated to me and uploaded the opening chapters of "A Dangerous Man" in return. Will be interested to read any comments I might receive.

And today's haiku is:

Holiday week slips by.
I write, read, sleep and think,
dread the week to come.

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com
http://www.goldenford.co.uk

Farnham lunch

A lazy start to the day, and then lunch in Farnham with Pam, a writing friend from Guildford Writers (http://www.guildfordwriters.net). She's snowed under at the moment, so hasn't had time to come to our group as often, but has plenty of ideas for future work. Plenty more than I do, anyhow.

During the afternoon, I joined another writing website - http://www.youwriteon.com - and printed off the start of another member's chapters for comment. Also posted the start of "Maloney's Law" on the forum pages, which brought some very much appreciated positive comments. It looks like an interesting site to be on, with good plans for the future, so I'll see how it goes.

Lord H sorted out my front cover for "Pink Champagne and Apple Juice" and I emailed it to Irene of Goldenford (http://www.goldenford.co.uk) for use in emails to bookshops. Also received back the editing comments on Chapter Four of "Thorn in the Flesh" from the Jacquie Bennett site (http://www.jbwb.co.uk). Shall get on with those as soon as I can. It will be good to get it finished and off to my agent (http://www.sff.net/people/john-jarrold/about.html).

Also did some more work with the "Reinventing my Life" book - hard but helpful, and it's the path I want to be on right now. I think, at the risk of sounding pretentious, it'll help me to be more real. This, for me, is one of the most important things at the moment.

And, finally, I asked to come off the church prayer rota list. Another weight of expectation banished. Hurrah.

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com

One-to-One with Carole Hayman

A drive down to Brighton this morning and a very helpful and encouraging session with Carole Hayman (Ladies of Letters fame) on my "Life" piece for Southern Counties Radio. I was amazed I managed to navigate through Brighton, let alone find a suitable place to park. I'm not at my best in strange places. She was very friendly and I've been inspired to rewrite the whole piece in a much more personal, surreal and intimate style. Have managed to keep the humour as well - I hope. The rewriting took me all afternoon, and I've now emailed it for comment to the Guildford Writers (http://www.guildfordwriters.net) group. A thoroughly productive and inspirational day - so a big thank you to Carole.

Goldenford Publishers (http://www.goldenford.co.uk) are just finalising the text of "Pink Champagne and Apple Juice" before sending it to print. As far as I can see, the only issue is - as it has been for us before - the placing of the page numbers. I hope there's a way round that somehow - I'm relying on Jackie's technical expertise. As ever. It's a mystery to me.

Could do with an evening in, just chilling, but it's out for dinner with friends from church. Oh, all that glorious TV I'm missing (shame on me)! It'll be nice, I'm sure, but I hope it's not all religion talk. I really go blank after five minutes of God/church discussions. Much like religious art, which I dislike; if you've seen one Madonna and Child, you've probably seen them all. Hush my mouth and call me Herod.

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com

Baking Flapjacks

Wrote another 1000 words of "The Gifting" - Simon's world has a star system which is very different from ours and which I'm just discovering. People are born under certain symbols in the skies and sometimes take on those characteristics - much like our astrology. It's an interesting twist I hadn't expected. Does it negate my increasingly fragile (please don't tell the vicar - I couldn't stand the prayers ...) Anglicanism? Hmm, very possibly, but, hey, it's fiction, and that's what Simon's world does. I just have to go with it - and have fun on the way.

Took a break in the middle of the day to watch my video of Matthew Bourne's male "Swan Lake." Marvellous stuff. All that longing and gay angst - it's an inspiration indeed. After this, I made some flapjacks for the weekend - with black treacle - but I suspect I may have got confused with the recipe. Oh well, I'll have to see how they turn out. I can always call them pudding and add ice cream if necessary. I'm sure Lord H won't complain.

Tonight it's off to Guildford to see "Present Laughter" with Simon Callow. I'm sure it'll be great as long as he doesn't take his kit off. Last time I saw him in a play, he seemed to spend the first half of it almost naked for no apparent reason. I'm not sure Simon has the best physique these days to play that kind of role, to be honest - but, then again, nobody's perfect. Least of all me. The play was so soul-destroyingly dull we left at half-time. I hope tonight is better.

Am feeling low today due to severe lack of publisher news - of any kind, though the positive is to be hoped-for - and everyone else's successes - damn it. Am consumed with hatred and pen envy. Hell, sometimes that's the only thing keeping me going. So much for love and peace for all, eh?

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com
http://www.goldenford.co.uk

A Serious Business

Spent a large part of the day editing and adding to my gay short story for the Writers' News (http://www.writersnews.co.uk) competition. I'm calling it "A Serious Business" and at last, by early afternoon, I was happy with it. Will post on the Writewords (http://www.writewords.org.uk) site in a week or so to get responses.

Then a quick lunch and out to see Gladys from church. Seemed quite lively, but still very frail. As ever, we set the world to rights. Mum rang to see how Lord H is - answer: improving but still not quite there. I told her when the launch event for "Pink Champagne and Apple Juice" is likely to be - either 20, 21 or 22 June, with a publication date of 19 June - but unfortunately she'll be on holiday. Still, that's the way it falls sometimes, and at least I can be sure she'll buy a copy.

Updated the Goldenford (http://www.goldenford.co.uk) website with author links (including mine), and also made a start on the minutes of last night's meeting. Hope to finish them later, or tomorrow. Also started on a draft launch invite - to include my book and also Jackie's - "A Bottle of Plonk." Alcoholic theme there, for sure!

Bad news when I got home - Tonto Press have rejected "A Dangerous Man". Narrow-minded buggers. That's them off my favourites list. I've given up on ever hearing anything from Flame Books or LBF, so only 2 more publishers to go, and then I'll see if Goldenford might like to take it on next year or the even the year after, depending on schedules and other people's work. Otherwise I'll do it myself. I feel very strongly about "ADM" and I certainly don't want to abandon it. To my mind, it's too good for that.

Watched the last half of "Dalziel and Pascoe" this evening - good story, but please, please can't they cut the end melodrama. We don't need it and it's embarrassing to watch. Glad the woman got away with it though - she deserved it.

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com

Road Rage Story Day

Nurse's appointment today - to do the annual blood test, blood pressure and diabetes testing. Blood pressure's fine but they'll contact me if there's any problem with the rest. Always good to get that job over.

Completed my road rage short story and have called it "Speaking Her Mind" - now posted on Writewords (http://www.writewords.org.uk) with one positive comment already. Nice to have a boost so early on! After that, I watched a recorded episode of "Never Mind the Buzzcocks", and started on the beginning of a love story, also for Writers' News (http://www.writersnews.co.uk) - but I think it's too fluffy. I'll darken it up tomorrow, with a bit of luck. I'm making it gay, as that seems to be where I write best, and I always do that genre better if I write dark. I should have remembered!

Another afternoon nap, then tonight I'm out minuting the monthly meeting of Goldenford (http://www.goldenford.co.uk). Hope there aren't too many notes to take down! Antony Rowe (http://www.antonyrowe.co.uk) have received the CD of the "Pink Champagne and Apple Juice" cover, so I hope they can make something of it. Also hope that after tonight we can send the text to them, and start printing the book. Something to look forward to ...

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com

Lazy Day

A week's holiday stretches ahead. Bliss. Had arranged for a friend to pop round for coffee at 10, but her son is unwell, so we've rearranged for next Monday, when I have a day in lieu. Instead, I did another 500 words of "The Gifting" - still haven't quite got Simon to the mountain yet! Then I watched the film, "Priest", which I ordered last week and which, surprisingly I've never seen. I thought it was actually very good - interesting focus on religion vs humanity, faith vs love, and the sex scenes were great (always the icing on the cake!). Didn't like the over-melodramatic ending though - the content there was marvellous, but I think they should have cut the music.

A nap this afternoon, and then I've started a story on road rage for one of the Writers' News (http://www.writersnews.co.uk) competitions. No title yet, and I haven't got very far with the text either, but there's always tomorrow.

Lord H is shopping tonight, so will be late home. And later there's another episode of "Dalziel and Pascoe". Please let it not be yet another story of Dalziel falling for an unsuitable woman while poor Pascoe does the actual detecting. And less over-the-top emoting than last week, please! It's in danger of turning into a cross between "EastEnders" and "Morse." Lord help us.

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com
http://www.goldenford.co.uk

Lent 2

Up at the crack of dawn today (5.45am) in order to be at church in time to prepare for the 8am service (I really need to be there by 7, but managed 7.20 today ...). The place is freezing, since the boiler broke, so I kept my refugee hat and fingerless gloves on. This in spite of the fact that we had three portable heaters in the choir area, which gave the church a charming, hellish glow. The service wasn't too bad - a short sermon on seeing coming to God with our needs as an integral part of worship (suits me, sir - have you time for the full list?) and wholeness. The latter is at the moment a particular focus of mine. We're getting there ...

Lord H and I have finally booked our flights to Belfast in April (short holiday plus, for me, the AUA conference) and are enquiring about a hotel. Apparently the city will be filled with Irish national folkdancing champions, so hope we can find a room somewhere - footloose and fancy free.

Astonishing, I cooked lunch today and so far we haven't dropped dead, though Lord H is still sick. Will have to restock supplies of Lemsip soon. An afternoon nap (much-needed) and an evening of "Invasion" and "Midsomer Murders" will round off my Sunday nicely. Oh, and I've washed the car in the freezing cold, so I deserve my evening slump even more than usual.

Have given up with my attempt at reading Patricia Highsmith's "The Talented Mr Ripley". Goodness it's slow, and so old-fashioned. I couldn't bear it - to me, the main character had a minus charm factor. One hopes the film (though I've never seen it) is better - surely it has to be!

Today's haiku is:

Soft amber clouds watch
the skylark sing the morning.
I take the day slow.


Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com
http://www.goldenford.co.uk

Clarins Facial Day

Bliss. How I love Clarins facial days. Can't imagine life without them. Today was an age-defying day, so hopefully I will look like a twenty-one year old for the next week or so. Or possibly two twenty-one year olds. Did some mad shopping before my precious Clarins moment, and bought a pair of white glittery bedsocks and an utterly gorgeous fluffy pink-and-white striped dressing gown (thanks goodness for Per Una at M&S), one fine-meshed sieve and two tupperware containers. That's going to be a grand night out.

After my chilled-out facial, went to the Harvey Gallery in Guildford to see an exhibition in which a friend of mine, Jo Baker from UniS, has several of her paintings included. I love her work - her still life paintings have a kind of vibrant peace all of their own, and today there was also one nude which I also particularly liked. But, goodness, I had trouble finding the wretched gallery - even though I've been before. The fluffy pink dressing gown must have been bringing out my girly side, as I had to ring Lord H (at home, still sick) for directions. When I arrived, I had so many bags, the meet-and-greet lady thought I was bringing stuff for the next exhibition. She too was particularly taken with the dressing gown but I managed to get away still with it afterwards.

This afternoon, Lord H put the finishing touches to my "Pink Champagne and Apple Juice" cover and burnt it onto CD. I shall post it to Antony Rowe (http://www.antonyrowe.co.uk) on Monday, and Jackie from Goldenford (http://www.goldenford.co.uk) will send the text later in the week. Being almost there is so satisfying.

A long nap later in the afternoon, and then up and out for tonight's Guildford Choral Society concert. They're singing Bach's St John Passion, which should be good. Lord H has decided not to go, and is very upset at having to miss it. Will come home straight afterwards, rather than going to the post-concert party (which we always seem to be invited to, as friends of a number of people who sing in the choir).

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com

Haircut Day

Rushed round Farnham this morning, collecting mother's (or is that: mothers'?) day cards, soap and the local paper, and depositing parcels as I went. Then back home for a much-needed haircut. How I love that post-haircut "hey-I-look-stylish" moment. Shame it's wasted as soon as I wash my hair.

Completed the end pages of "Pink Champagne and Apple Juice" and sent the final version back to Jackie in Goldenford (http://www.goldenford.co.uk) so we can check the spine width. Goodness, that's the only thing left to do now - then we can send the darn thing to print. Hurrah!

Did 1,500 words of "The Gifting" - I just need to get Simon to the first of his trials (earth), but he's not quite there yet. Bless. I'd like some description of the journey they need to make before they get there, and I need to be fresher to do that. Might have another go over the weekend, but I am seeing the week off ahead as a time for some much needed relaxation, rather than writing myself into the ground.

As per my Lent promise, I made mini chocolate muffins this afternoon. It was fine until I got to the part about melting chocolate for the topping. Have discovered it's almost impossible to do if you have no glass bowl. I ended up hovering the pan over the ring and hoping for the best. Hmm. Not a great success. Burnt chocolate drops 'r' us. But the glace cherries do appear - somehow - to be staying on. Oh well, I'm sure it'll taste the same. And Lord H won't complain.

Lots of discussion on the Writewords (http://www.writewords.org.uk) forums today about self-publishing (general opinion - it and small publishing is the way forward for a lot of very good writers now) and the tendency of the big guys to publish any old tat. My feeling is: watch it, you big publishers: the real writers are a-coming. And how.

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com

Holiday Story Shortlisting

Must be my lucky week - the Writers' News/Writing magazines (http://www.writersnews.co.uk) arrived today and I've been shortlisted in the holiday story competition, along with Jennifer - also from Guildford Writers (http://www.guildfordwriters.net). Something else to add to my website - hurrah!

Worked solidly on "The Gifting" and added another 2000 words. I felt happier about it this time - am trying to concentrate on the journey and not rush towards the end, and I think the result is better. Still, always hard to tell at this stage though.

Popped in to see a friend from church in the afternoon, and then back home for a much-needed nap. Ladies of leisure rule! Lord H woke me up when he came home - but at least he feels better. He wasn't terribly well when he went to work this morning, but is now Lemsipped up to the hilt. He's still keen to go out tonight to see "Festen" at Woking, so that's this evening's entertainment. Will take extra tissues in case a relapse is on the cards, poor thing.

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com

BBC Southern Counties Radio Shortlisting

A fairly quiet day at work. Booked an appointment with one of the staff counsellors for the end of March, and a reflexology appointment for the beginning of April. I am going to be so chilled - I hope. A new woman approaches ...! Also attended the lunchtime concert which this time was hosting the Gemini Ensemble - UniS' ensemble-in-residence. They're good, but the music is rather too modern for my liking. Still, some of it reminded me of Janacek, which was nice.

Had some good news on the competition front - I've been shortlisted - along with 3 others from Guildford Writers (http://www.guildfordwriters.net) - for the BBC Southern Counties Radio "Life" competition. I get a one-to-one with Carole Hayman (of "Ladies of Letters" fame) next Friday in Brighton to improve the piece, and I then have to resubmit for recording and possible prizes. That's certainly cheered me up. My first radio submission and a 100% success rate. Praise be, as Thora Hird would have said! Maybe I'd better quit while I'm ahead ...

And, in addition, there appears to have been some interest from a German publisher at the London Book Fair in "Maloney's Law" - so John (http://www.sff.net/people/john-jarrold/about.html) is rushing them a copy. We'll have to wait and see. We live in hope indeed.

Now a glorious week-and-a-bit off lies ahead - I'm next at the University on Tuesday 21 March. Time for some serious relaxation.

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com

Southern Universities' Course: Finance

A day in London at the Southern Universities' Course and today's topic was Finance. Not my best subject, but somehow I muddled through. Rang Lord H during the morning break to say I was still standing - just. The presenter was actually quite nice - informal and relaxed, plus a good sense of humour (always vital in Accountants!). And, wonder of wonders, we finished at 3pm so could get home early. Hurrah!

A brief nap before Lord H got back from work, and also caught up with my emails. It looks like Goldenford (http://www.goldenford.co.uk) are just getting to the point of being ready to send off "Pink Champagne and Apple Juice" to the printers. All we have to do is style the end pages showing our next novels and we're there. Am beginning to get more excited about it now.

Tonight is the second of the two-part "Dalziel and Pascoe" - I thought it was very good last night, so am looking forward to the conclusion. It seems to have been trashed in the TV press - can't imagine why.

Have just finished Annie Proulx's "Bad Dirt" - a new collection of short stories. They were okay, with one or two that were verging on good, but nothing to get excited about.

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com

Personal Development Training: the Final Part

Managed to get the Childcare minutes done, checked and out all in the course of this morning, so that's a weight off my mind. Walked round campus at lunchtime and admired the snowdrops by the lake. They're certainly lasting a long time this year, and still no sign of daffodils. Reminded the university writers' group about the meeting in a couple of weeks' time, and had some interesting conversations about rewriting and how to get started on something with two of the members. It makes it all worthwhile.

This afternoon was taken up with the final part of our team/personal development training sessions. This time we were looking at the "self", and it certainly brought up a few things for me. Things which I knew about, but it was helpful to look at it in a different context. We had a fascinating discussion about levels of reality and how to be oneself, whatever that self may be. I'd like to take it further on a personal level, I think - once I'm back after my week off next week, I might well screw my courage to the sticking place and book a chat with the staff counsellor. It can do no harm.

Shopping this evening, so late home. Circle Magazine have decided against my set of poems (then again, what do you expect from a publication that sounds like a women's magazine, I ask - bitterly?!...), but Jenny at the JBWB Bureau (http://www.jbwb.co.uk) enjoyed the third chapter of "Thorn in the Flesh", which I have now corrected along the lines of her advice. So it's swings and roundabouts indeed.

The first episode of the new "Dalziel and Pascoe" tonight, followed by "Have I got old news for you", so that's my evening sorted. Sad person that I am.

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com
http://www.goldenford.co.uk

London Book Fair

A day with Jennifer (CEO of Goldenford Publishers - http://www.goldenford.co.uk) at the London Book Fair. Lord H nobly did my church/sacristan stuff, and had great fun as today the service was held at the pub (the church boiler is broken and the church is therefore too cold for human existence). Back at the fair, we made some interesting contacts - a marketing/ideas man linked to Antony Rowe, our printer, (http://www.antonyrowe.co.uk) who seemed quite taken with what we were trying to do, and came up with some good suggestions, such as the need for professional marketing literature (brochures, flyers etc). He also suggested contacting other publishers (such as non-fiction ones) to see if their sales reps could include our lists in their sales schedules. Sounds a good plan - if we can make it work.

We also talked to a company selling novels through vending machines at airports/hospitals etc (http://www.novel-idea-vending.com), and another who had a complete booksellers/publishers online accounting/marketing package. Not cheap and therefore not for now, but certainly something to think about for the future.

Jennifer drove up and it was good to talk about Goldenford and also our own current writing projects in depth. Certainly crystallises the thought processes. A worthwhile trip all round.

Back home (hurrah!) in time for "Star Trek", and later on there's "Invasion" and "Midsomer Murders". The perfect Sunday. And Lord H is baking bread - to go with my cake of yesterday, I assume!

Today's haiku is:

Your light words lightly
said tear my heart to pieces.
Smiling, I blink. Bleed.

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com

Arms and the Man

Today I made a cake - as part of our Lent creativity focus. I decided I probably did enough writing and such like, so a more practical outlet would be better. It's the first cake I've made in years and I had to ring up Mother to get the recipe. The embarrassment! Thought I'd start off with a simple Victoria sandwich with jam and icing sugar - and goodness me it worked! And it wasn't as horrendous as I thought it would be either. It's certainly pleased Lord H, and that can only be a good thing.

Also this morning Lord H very kindly put the Goldenford (http://www.goldenford.co.uk) logos onto the "Pink Champagne and Apple Juice" covers, together with the price - £8.99, though I shall sell it directly for £7.00. Now we only have the end pages to go, for which we rely on our CEO to provide.

Wrote a haiku - about the rather thoughtless words of one of last night's dinner guests, which really struck me down (though I was I hope too socially aware to show it) - it's driven it a little out of my system, but still rankles. Also did a poem on the contrasting way Lord H and I use words and uploaded that one to the Writewords site (http://www.writewords.org.uk). Have already received one positive comment, so that's made me feel better.

This afternoon, we saw "Arms and the Man" by Shaw at Guildford - great play. Very witty and deep. I loved it. Being myself an "incurable romantic" though, I could have done with at least one good kiss before the main character exits with his last wonderful line. Ah well. While in town, have also restocked my book supply which was getting dangerously low. Such horrors always make me twitchy.

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com

Dinner with Friends

A day at work - unusual for a Friday, but I had to minute the Childcare Working Group in the afternoon. Not my favourite subject (how I hate children!), but it was the last one, and not too long, thank goodness. It's now going to transmute into the Nursery Management Group (with much the same people) and I shall still be minuting that - so no peace for the wicked or the minute-takers indeed.

The morning was spent finishing off the Student Experience Group minutes and sending them out for checking. I am desperately trying to get ahead as my week's holiday is looming and I will come back to hell if I get behind on stuff.

This evening, I came home to the news that the editor of Alma Books has decided against "A Dangerous Man", damning it to oblivion with the faint praise of "nicely written, but not gripping, m'dear". Goodness, that hurts. A simple "no" would have sufficed - what is it about these chaps? And a book that's won a national competition and is currently under serious consideration by another small (but not yet small-minded ...) publisher doesn't, to my mind, deserve such comments. Even though I say it myself.

Tonight we're out at some friends of ours for dinner. Would dearly love to drown my sorrows, but unfortunately I'm driving. Curses again.

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com
http://.www.goldenford.co.uk

Goldenford Meeting with Farnham Maltings

A morning spent doing more to "The Gifting". By the end of the afternoon I'd done another 2000 words which felt good. Took a while to get going though, but then again it always does for me. Have decided to concentrate more on the journey of the novel and the depths of what is happening to the characters as they go through it, rather than catering to that desperate drive to get it finished and done. I think it will improve the writing and make the end editing that bit easier. I hope ...

Some of my Nutrigold (http://www.nutrigold.co.uk) goods arrived today - goodness they're fast! - magnesium tablets, linseed oil and flax seeds. Have started the regime of taking them immediately - will have to get into that new routine and see if it helps as soon as possible. A part of me is looking forward to it - anything that will help me feel more balanced is good news as far as I'm concerned. The man who delivered them wasn't terribly nice though - complained about our doorbell. Well, I'm not changing it for him! He found his way to us in the end, so I don't know what his problem was. If he's rude next time, I shall be ruder. Believe me, I can be.

In the afternoon, Irene and I had a Goldenford (http://www.goldenford.co.uk) meeting with Farnham Maltings to see if they'd be happy for us to have some part in their upcoming Festival of Words on 29 April. They seemed keen, which was great, and will sort out the details soon and let us know. Some of their ideas are very interesting. They're also planning a Children's Festival of Words in 2007, but nobody in Goldenford writes for children. I did suggest they contact Gill James (http://www.gilljames.co.uk) - a wonderful children's writer - so I hope they follow up on that.

Back home, a very rude email from 10th Muse magazine, rejecting all of the poems I'd sent the editor - possibly all of my poetry ever, since the beginning of time, from the tone of the email. So that's one outlet I won't be bothering with again and, no, I'm not going to give a web address. Why help him? It's not the rejections I mind (Lord knows I've had enough - along with, thankfully, some very pleasing acceptances), so much as his condescending, "holier than thou" attitude. There's no need for it. It's certainly not professional, and doesn't give poetry editors a good name. Thank goodness for real outfits like Envoi and Tears in the Fence, both of whose editors have, in my experience, been unfailingly polite and helpful!

Have just finished Lionel Shriver's "We need to talk about Kevin" - slow start but apart from that absolutely wonderful! I loved Kevin - great character, and those odd flashes of dark humour are great. I would definitely love a sequel - the ongoing exploits of Kevin. I'd buy it!

Tonight, Lord H and I are out to Woking Theatre to see "Private Lives." Good. I could do with some light relief.

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com

Touch for Health Day

A day in lieu (joyful though it does mean I have to work Friday). An early start however, as I had my first Touch for Health appointment (http://www.kinesiology4health.com) in Petersfield at 8.45am. Managed to find the right carpark, when I expected it to be far more tricky. I'm not at my best with strange places, or journeys. The session was very good and the practitioner was absolutely marvellous, and very easy indeed to talk to. We focused on nutrition this time, and I now have a list of changes to add in and things to think about, as well as a website to get items from (http://www.nutrigold.co.uk). My main aim is more oils and magnesium, and less coffee and salt. I'll see how it goes over the next month, and have made another appointment for the end of March.

On my way home, popped in to see an elderly friend from church, and chatted about poetry and the weather. And cats. Back home, I did another thousand words of "The Gifting" and got myself to the end of a chapter which was nice. For the first time ever, I'm working with a synopsis (whereas usually I write them after I've finished), and actually it's not so bad. It's a broad sweep of where I'm going, rather than a detailed analysis of plot etc, so there's still plenty of freedom in what I write.

Am also thinking about words and the way Lord H & I use them (or not) in different ways - no writing done there. It's still festering right now.

Time off this evening, and Lord H is cooking. And still some pancakes left over from yesterday. Wonderful! Think I might watch the video of "Gideon's Daughter" which I have left over from the weekend.

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com
http://www.goldenford.co.uk