Victoria Connelly and Cecelia Ahern

I also got to meet fellow Allison & Busby writer, Susanna Kearsley whose book, Sophia’s Secret, was on the shortlist, and chat to the wonderful Linda Gillard who was also nominated for the main prize for her magical novel, Star Gazing. It was a gorgeous event. There aren’t enough occasions to leave the keyboard and get dressed up but this is one of them!

Nine years ago, I helped to set up the London/SE Chapter of the RNA and I was delighted to give a talk there this month. I told them about the long arduous journey of my first published novel, Flights of Angels, and how it made its way through countless rejections to become a bestseller in Germany and to be adapted as a film.

And I’ve heard a wonderful rumour that some hardbacks of Molly’s Millions have found their way to a branch of WH Smith’s at Gatwick. I may have to book a holiday and go and find out for myself …

And then the snow came …

Here’s a pic of Molly enjoying her first proper thick snow in a wood in the Chilterns.

And I am now the proud owner of a pair of glasses. Yes, all those years of reading and writing have finally taken their toll and I need a little bit of help. I’m hoping that they make me look even more bookish than usual and slightly more intelligent to boot!

I was also delighted to see my first cover puff on Linda Gillard’s German translation of her lovely book, Star Gazing. It’s been nominated for the Romantic Novel of the Year Award and is a truly beautiful book.

I went to see the fascinating Babylon exhibition at the British Museum with my UK publisher and then had lunch with my editor where we talked about heroes past, present and future! And then, to round the month off, I had a party to celebrate another birthday passing me by as well as my UK publication. My lovely writer friends gathered round and we ate cake, drank champagne and watched highlights from the film adaptation of my novel, Unter deinem Stern.