50 Shades of Grey returned to Tauranga Library with Teeth Marks gives me a Mini Byline in Writers' Forum!

On a recent trip to New Zealand, I read an article in the Herald on Sunday about a copy of 50 Shades of Grey being returned to Tauranga Library with teeth marks! I sent a report of it to Writers' Forum for their 'newsFRONT' page, and it was printed in the latest issue!


Just a short piece, but it's great to see my name in the magazine!

If would like to hear more about my trip, watch out for my blog over the May Day Bank Holiday weekend, when I will be posting more about the places I visited and offering a FREE DOWNLOAD of my book of summery short stories, Postcards and Suntan Cream!

Happy Birthday Gipsy Moth! Have a Free Download to Celebrate!

A year ago today, I launched the paperback version of Gipsy Moth at my local farmers' market, so I thought I'd celebrate with a virtual birthday party!
Make yourselves at home and help yourself to some mulled wine. Come and sit by the fire; it is a bit cold outside.
It's been a good year, I've sold most of the paperbacks that I had printed, and lots of the ebook version on Amazon.
If you haven't read it yet, here is your chance to download the new edition free here, just for 24 hours, from 8am November 11th 2012 to 7.59am November 12th 2012 GMT.
There are some exciting extras at the back, and the formatting and presentation has been improved.
Enjoy!

Wet Jubilee Weekend and a Visit to Hughenden Manor.

What a wonderful Jubilee weekend, despite the variable weather!
Yesterday, we visited Hughenden Manor, and managed to see the former home of Queen Victoria's Prime Minister, Disraeli, and the gardens before it began to rain.
The house, although grand, was quite intimate, and you could imagine guests arriving from London for one of the weekends that his wife, Mary Ann, would delight in organising. Of course, his most famous guest was Queen Victoria who came for lunch. We saw the chair that she sat on. Disraeli ordered the legs to be sawn off a bit so her feet could reach the floor.  It made me wonder though if she could still reach the table, or did she disappear from view as she sat down?
The other interesting part of the history of Hughenden is that it was used during the Second World War as a secret intelligence base to analyse aerial photographs and produce maps for bombing missions. The old Ice House is set up to show the photographic workshop, and the cellars of the house to recreate the lives of the people who worked there.
Thanks to everyone who took advantage of the Gipsy Moth free download over the weekend. Over 850 copies were downloaded! I hope that you will enjoy reading it!

Last Minute Gluten-Free Jubilee Cup Cakes!

Do you need to bake some cup cakes for that last minute Jubilee tea party?
The problem with gluten-free cakes is that they are often rather dry. I've found that the answer is not to skimp on the milk you add. I know you don't normally add milk to a Victoria sponge mix, but it is essential with gluten-free flour, and five tablespoons to the 3 eggs, 6oz self-raising flour, 6oz caster sugar and 6oz margarine works well. (Cook for 20 mins Gas 5 or 190 degrees Celsius.)
I got these decorations from Sainsbury's. I really wanted red, white and blue sugar strands, but they'd all gone, so I had to buy them separately. I particularly like the pearls contrasting with the red and blue. The resulting mix looks a bit like royal jewels!
Thank you for all your support with my free download offer on my novel, Gipsy Moth, which ends at 8am BST tomorrow. Enjoy the rest of this wonderful Jubilee weekend!

Jubilee Weekend Promotion - FREE Download of Gipsy Moth!

Isn't this Jubilee cake wonderful? My daughter took the photo on a trip to York. 

And to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Weekend, I'm offering my novel, Gipsy Moth, as a FREE download on Amazon from 8 am BST, Friday, June 1st, 2012, to 8 am BST, Wednesday, June 6th, 2012!
It's a love story to savour in a deck chair, as you sip a cool drink, or if the weather doesn't hold, tucked up on a comfy sofa with some hot chocolate close at hand.
A good advantage of a Kindle is that you can read with one hand and turn the pages, whilst you hold your drink in the other!



A Brief Synopsis
It’s 1929, and Kathy’s greatest wish is to fly a Gipsy Moth like her childhood sweetheart, Ben. But when his parents find out she’s expecting his baby, they forbid them to marry, and Kathy is dispatched to her aunt’s in Devon in disgrace, whilst Ben is sent to Lincolnshire for his RAF officer training.
How can their love survive when they’re so far apart? Especially now that Kathy has met her aunt’s stepson, Paul, who encourages her to take some flying lessons at Haldon Aerodrome, despite her pregnancy, and her imagination has been captured by Amy Johnson who is proposing to fly solo to Australia.
But when Ben’s plane is lost at sea, Kathy is torn between raising her baby alone and being frowned upon by society, or giving it up for adoption and pursuing her dream of flying. On top of this, she uncovers a disturbing family secret which makes her decision all the harder.


I hope that you enjoy my novel, and have a great weekend. Please feel free to leave a review on Amazon!
Thanks!