Good News and A Nice Cup of Tea

Normally, good news is heralded by the sound of a cork popping, and an image of champagne gushing forth, but I don't really like the stuff (I know, I know) so I'm happy to make do with a nice cup of tea instead.

The thrilling news is that I've been offered a 3- (e)book deal by award-winning publishers Constable Robinson, who I hold in very high esteem as - apart from being generally lovely - they published one of my favourite books this year, the wonderful  Lost and Found by Tom Winter.

They clearly have very good taste in authors.  Ahem.

I'm due to have lunch with my editor and agent in the near future (never thought I'd be saying those words out loud - not that I am... well, only every time I speak to someone) and no doubt I'll find out more about how things are due to unfold, but I believe there is lots of excitement being lined up.  Oh yes.  And I'm more than ready for it.

I can't wait to see a cover for my second novel - though I can't imagine being any more thrilled than as I was when I saw the one for MY FUTURE HUSBAND (plug, plug, if you haven't read it, why not? etc.)  The book's done very well and, to my astonishment, has had almost sixty good reviews on Amazon - and I promise that only fifty-eight of them are friends and family.

All in all I'm starting to wonder if it might be okay to tell people - quietly, of course - that I'm a writer, without blushing and feeling like a fraud?  No?  Oh, okay then.

In other news... winter appears to have arrived in the form of an icy-fingered wind and darkening evenings, the dog has developed an unsightly rash on her tummy, I'm once again hooked on Strictly Come Dancing, and have finally discovered the joys of Breaking Bad - surely one of the best TV dramas ever made (along with Mad Men and Lost - apart from the final episode.)

I came to BB late, but am already on season four, and tell myself the reason I'm watching back-to-back episodes with wild, blood-shot eyes is for research - for the writing, the story-lines, the structure etc. - but in reality (whatever that is) I've developed the most undignified crush on the main character, Walter White.

It's odd, because when he was the dad in Malcolm in the Middle he wasn't attractive at all, in the same way Hugh Laurie wasn't remotely fanciable when he was English, but in House (another favourite; I clearly need to get out more) I couldn't get enough of him.

*Stops typing to have a hot flush.*

Oh dear, I appear to have digressed.  And my celebratory cup of tea's gone cold.

Time to put the kettle on and watch another episode or five.