Just a little plug for the FESTIVAL OF ROMANCE coming up in Bedford in November - and its exciting New Talent Award. Happy to say I am on the shortlist for this year's award!

MOVING ON! It's been a very busy and eventful year and my blog has been sadly neglected lately! My book 'How to Crack Cryptic Crosswords' has made it into paperback and is selling well in bookshops and on Amazon. My stories and articles continue to appear in loads of magazines every month. My daughter got married in June and the poem I wrote for the occasion went down really well at the reception, making me remember just what a joy writing poetry is, so there will be more of it from now on. A small win in a national competition got me tickets to see Pam Ayres in concert, which I thoroughly enjoyed, so I know there is still a market and an audience out there for good accessible entertaining poems. More competitions - here I come. I joined the Romantic Novelists Association New Writers Scheme this year and received a very encouraging report on my part-written new novel, and I continue to enjoy membership of the SWWJ, whose very handy press card is going to find itself in more regular use as I have more time to get out and about to visit places of interest that I just might want to write about, because... I have taken the HUGE decision to give up the day job and become a full-time self-employed freelance writer! So, from Christmas Eve, no more going off to work in the snow. No more having to ask for days off or doing what someone else tells me to do. I will be heading up the stairs to my own home office to work in the warm this winter, and taking my laptop with me to write in the garden or anywhere I fancy when the sunny weather returns. Hopefully production levels, enjoyment levels - and income levels - will be going up from now on!!