2010 is a very special year if you’re a romantic novelist because it marks the 50th anniversary of the Romantic Novelists’ Association.  I’ve been a member since 1996 and I’ve made so many friends through the society and had so much encouragement over the years.  Oh, and they throw the best parties ever so membership is jolly good fun too!

Each year, the RNA have a conference – a long weekend of wonderful talks, workshops and fun and, to mark their special anniversary, this year’s venue was Greenwich.

I went along for the Industry Day yesterday which turned out to be the hottest day of the year with temperatures reaching 31 degrees celsius in London!  But the Thames looked so beautiful and, travelling on the Docklands Light Railway, I couldn’t help feeling that I was on holiday.

Now it’s back to work in a very hot study with the fan going full blast.  But I think I’ll escape to the garden later with a good book.  When you’re a writer, you can claim that such things are actually work!

This weekend, I had the very great pleasure of attending the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s annual confernce in Penrith.  It was brilliant and it was so lovely to see so many of my writer friends with their copies of Molly’s Millions, all of which I was delighted to sign! 
 

A highlight for me was taking part in the ‘Love in the Library’ talk in Penrith where a group of us – including Katie Fforde, Freda Lightfoot and Veronica Henry - told eager readers all our writing secrets.  Many thanks to the wonderful staff who arranged the day and gave us a fabulous lunch.

Penrith and the Eden Valley is where I open Molly’s Millions and it was lovely to wander around the town and visit the amazing giant’s grave which my hero Tom and his daughter visit in the book.  Here’s a pic of me with some of my very good writer friends.

 Back to work now which has also been a pleasure as I’ve discovered beautiful Ardington House and it’s proving a very inspirational place.  My new novel is going to be about a group of Jane Austen addicts who attend a specialized weekend at a Georgian country house.  Here I am working hard – honestly, I really am! – on the island in the middle of the lake in the beautiful grounds.

And breaking news – I’m part of an exciting new group of writers who are all celebrating their first UK novels.  We’re called Let’s Talk About Love so visit our website and find out all about us.

An event-filled month, this one. First, there was the wonderful Romantic Novelists’ Association’s awards lunch where I met the author, Cecelia Ahern.

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!

A fabulous start to 2009 with my first UK publication – Molly’s Millions. It came out in hardback this month and looks gorgeous! Find out more about my fast-paced love chase on the Molly page!

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.