The Champagne and Strawberry Book Launch

 

 My close writing friend Avril Joy and I had a great Sunday in Durham celebrating the coincidence of the launch of our very different books about our writing process.

Our books are both out on Kindle this week and out in Paperback next week.

We meet regularly to talk and to write together and encourage each other. Avril actually writes beautifully about this process in her book.

But today was to be a pure celebration. And where better to celebrate that in the beautiful Durham City? This is an old haunt – and an old inspiration - of mine .and features in several of my novels. A great place to celebrate.

 The day was a bit damp but that only added a certain sheen to the lovely old streets and to our celebration.

 

We started in the Saddler Café with strawberry tarts and coffee. 

We looked at our books on Kindle and reflected on the amazing creative processes  that allow us to share our work with loyal and lovely readers far and wide. A magical process for all writers.

Not reallu us going to the champagne bar!
The monks bringing the relics of St Cuthbert
to Durham City 

Then we moved on to the champagne bar ...

and toasted our books and ourselves and buzzed with new ideas, new projects and renewed our optimism about – well, just everything.

So just what was it that we are celebrating?

 

Click here to See Avril's Book From Writing with Love 

Click here to See my book The Romancer: A Practical Guide to Writing Fiction  
 

Sunflowers like dinner plates and Australian Champagne

Yesterday I was just trying to gather my thoughts to complete an article about John Fowles’ The Magus for Norman Geras when there was a knock on the door and I was confronted by the man from the florist with an armful of sunflowers like dinner plates. This lovely bouquet was from Sherise, Celine, Gillian and Maura at my publishers (Headline) to celebrate publication day for The Woman Who Drew Buildings. Headline knows brilliantly how to mark the day. Thank you wonderful Headliners.

Of course we will have the proper big launch party very soon, but the day one’s book is out there in the world is is so very special and the flowers were a great start. 

Mid afternoon my friend Avril came with chocolate and we had coffee and talked of writing which must do justice to our work with the women in prison( see last post). Also we talked about what a joy and privilege it is to write for a living and the importance of staying positive in an uncertain world. We laughed a little and cried a little and came away smiling.

So I  didn’t get back to the Magus article.

Later, I went out to dinner with my clever friend Judith Gates and we drank Australian champagne to celebrate my publication day and her discovery of a relative born around 1760 something who shared a name with her husband Bill (or William as it says on the record). Just think of it – born before the French Revolution! Just imagine!

No getting back to the Magus article after that.

But today I have finished  the Magus piece and sent it to Norman.  So this post celebrates a task enjoyed and completed. Celebrations all round, then.

wx

PS We had Australian Champagne (called something else, of course…)  because that was what the restaurant had. In fact it was very, very good…