This is it, the real thing. Better latte than never...

Hello again.

No, it's all right, I'm awake now.  Your constant chivvying and nagging has had its effect, and I'm here to tell you about the Goings On at the weekend.  Many and varied were the goings...

Firstly, we drove to Bedford in fog, to attend the Festival of Romance, where I pranced about in a borrowed frock and was allowed to present two awards!  Yes, they let me open envelopes with people's names in!  And my publisher, Choc Lit was awarded Publisher of the Year!  Which was a true thing, and not me being busy with a crayon behind everyone's backs and just pretending to open the envelope!  And later, and not presented by me, the lovely and wonderful Christina Courtney won the Best Historical section for her book The Silent Touch of Shadows, so of course we had to have some drinks.

My book Vampire State of Mind was shortlisted for the Best Book, with some lovely other people, but it didn't win because the equally lovely Rowan Coleman won with her book, Dearest Rose, and we had some more drinks.  In the morning I think I read in a shopping centre.  Well, my body did, because my head was still lying in bed complaining about all the drinks it had been given.  Later on, when my head had rejoined us, I read at a Rock Star Party.  Look...

I'm wearing a basque under that jacket, if that helps you to think of me as Rock Starry, rather than 'In a wind tunnel in my underwear'.  And, yes, Morrissey does appear to be staring into my left ear, doesn't he?

In a stunning turn of fate, our team came second in the Romaniacs Romance Quiz after the Saturday night dinner (at which I told my Big Black Cock story again).  We would have won the competition if we'd got more answers right, but I feel we performed creditably under the circumstances, so big ups to our team Norfolk In Chance - Sarah Tranter, Liz Harris, Christina Courtney, Sue Moorcroft, Jane Wenham-Jones, me, and my OH Steve!

Then we went home.  Where I promised never to drink again.

THE END.