You are currently browsing the archives for September 2010.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 entries.
I have had the most amazing week! I came back from the Jane Austen Festival in Bath late on Monday and, on Tuesday, went to my first fashion show as part of London Fashion Week. With Helen from my publishers, I attended Elizabeth Emanuel’s amazing show, Little Black Dress. Here we are pretending to be a couple of celebrities!
Wednesday night was launch night for my dear friend, Christina Courtenay, who’s book, Trade Winds, is out now. Here I am with Pia and some other writer pals.
Thursday was my blog day at Austen Authors which was enormous fun. It was lovely to connect to so many writers and readers who are all as obsessed with Jane Austen as I am!
Friday meant another trip to Bath as my husband had four beautiful paintings in an exhibition – one of which was ‘highly commended’. I also had reason to celebrate myself on Friday as A Weekend with Mr Darcy was in the Heatseeker’s chart at number 10!
I also got down to my rewrites on Friday for Dreaming of Mr Darcy – the second book in my Austen addicts trilogy which is to be published in the summer. And then Saturday was a lovely day out on the south coast where we went chicken-shopping (I’m now the proud owner of some very fine galvanised feeders!) and painting and walking (Roy painted whilst Molly and I walked).
Next week looks a little quieter but there’s another book launch to look forward to. Now, I really must get back to those rewrites …
Continue reading A fun-filled week! »
Last weekend, I attended the 10th Jane Austen Festival in Bath. It was my first festival and I had such a great time. The promenade on Saturday was the highlight for me – seeing all the beautiful costumes and spotting the Mr Darcys and Catherine Morlands! The sun glowed on the array of fine fabrics and everyone was smiling. It was such a great day.
There was also a wonderfully romantic moment at the beginning of the promenade. Outside the Abbey, a man was standing holding a single red rose to surprise his fiancee. She was going to meet him there but had no idea that he’d be in full Regency attire! He’s a pic of me and author, Jane Odiwe, with the real-life hero!
I also met my lovely friend, Isa, who’d travelled all the way from Spain for the festival. Here she is with her ‘I Heart Darcy’ bag!
I went to talk to the wonderful Pride and Prejudice Tours in Sydney Place – the very house that was Sir Walter Elliot’s in the 1995 production of Persuasion. And I signed lots of copies of my novel, A Weekend with Mr Darcy too – in Waterstones, WH Smith and Toppings. Thank you to the staff who made me so welcome.
Other festival highlights included lunch in The Pump Room where I met a very fine gentleman!
And a trip to the fashion museum with Jane Odiwe who snapped me trying on some eighteenth-century undergarments!
It was a fabulous trip and I now have so many ideas for the third book in my Jane Austen addicts trilogy, Mr Darcy Forever, which is set during the festival. I can’t wait to write it now but it is currently on hold as I am about to revisit the second book first as the editorial notes have landed and it’s time for some rewriting…
Continue reading The Jane Austen Festival »
Yay! It’s publication day and my book, A Weekend with Mr Darcy, is out now. It’s been available online for a while but you should start seeing it in the shops soon! And, to celebrate, there’s a new competition where you can win a signed copy of the book together with some very cute Darcy goodies.
I’ll be in London today doing some signings in Oxford Street and then it’s off to Bath tomorrow for the Jane Austen Festival. I can’t wait!
Continue reading Publication Day! »
I love golden autumn days which is probably why we chose September as the month to get married and, to celebrate our anniversary this year, we had a day out on the Sussex Downs.
We had a picnic near Firle Beacon and then went for a very breezy walk where Molly enjoyed many a roll in the lush fields! Then hubby and I enjoyed ice-creams in the village. Firle is one of the loveliest villages I’ve ever seen and could well be a contender for Miss Read’s Fairacre with its pretty cottages and gardens bursting with vegetables.
We also visited St Peter’s Church where there was a very impressive Elizabethan tomb lit up by a stunning modern stained-glass window.
It was then on to the Seven Sisters where we walked to the cottage used in the film Atonement.
The hedgerows were dripping with bright berries which was a sad reminder that summer is over but also a reason to celebrate because autumn is my favourite season.
We also had a trip to the Luton Hoo estate open day. The estate has been used in innumerable films from Charles Dickens’ adaptations to Gosford Park. We went along to visit the A&K Wilson exhibition and also had a walk around the six-acre walled garden. Here I am beside the most impressive window frame.
Counting down to publication day now! A Weekend with Mr Darcy is already available online and my husband has even seen it in Waterstones! Exciting times!
Continue reading Ode to Autumn »
I’m delighted to announce the launch of a brand new website, Austen Authors. If you’re a Jane Austen fan or if you just like a good ole romantic read, visit the site and have a browse. There are 22 fabulous authors (including me!) who will be sharing their thoughts on writing about Austen and there’ll be lots and lots of fun extras and competitions where you can win books galore! It’s going to be so much fun!
Continue reading Austen Authors! »
Well, I’ve just had a wonderful surprise - my new novel, A Weekend With Mr Darcy
, is available to buy at Amazon.co.uk
a whole two weeks before publication day!
And it’s the same day as Sophie Kinsella’s new book, Mini Shopaholic
which I’m so looking forward to reading! The wonderful site, Chicklit Reviews, is celebrating by having a Sophie Kinsella week and I was thrilled to be asked to contribute as I think Sophie writes the very best romantic comedies around.
Continue reading It’s online! »