Bridget Jones mad about the book...

I finished reading Bridget Jones Mad About the Boy yesterday and I miss it already - some books just shouldn't end. Or maybe that's the power of a good book, that it has a satisfying ending but you still don't want to come out of the fictional world that you've happily inhabited with characters who feel like your friends...

I came to the Bridget Jones books only recently, after loving the films, but at least that meant that I could read all three as a set, and as is often the case I found the books to be even more enjoyable than the films. But I'm still left wondering: when is the next film? and is there going to be another book...?

How did that happen...?

One minute I'm painting illustrations and the next I'm up a stepladder painting walls - how did that happen?

My problem with decorating is that everything else still has to carry on despite big chunks of day being taken up by painting walls, and then going to the swimming pool while the paint dries - what was that... did I need to go to the pool while the paint dried? Well of course I did... But the surprising thing was, while I was neglecting my bog and social media, I was getting more views  on my website- maybe people prefer to view my site while I'm not there in case I pounce out on them and make them buy a book offer them a book...

Anyway... the decorating is done, and I've been to the hairdressers to get de-frazzled, de-tangled and de-stressed and now I'm nice and relaxed and ready to hide away and read a book get back to work marketing my books to all these lovely people who're visiting my cyber bookshop.

First draft artwork, making a mess and MONSTERS!!

After a morning of messing around with paint, I've decided that I like that first dabble at the artwork for a new book - I suppose it's a bit like a first draft of a book, but the picture bit instead of the words. The point being it's a time to let the imagination run wild, accept that I'm going to make a mess, and just dive in and make a start...

It did cross my mind as I was painting the main character, that the fact that she's a girl is going to put off some customers; though why parents think they can't buy a book for boys just because it has a girl on the cover is beyond me... Her teddy bear is a boy - if that's any help...

Anyway if I haven't already put half the readers (or at least their parents) off by writing a story about a girl, then I'm going to really tip the rest over the edge by writing a story with monsters in... Yes - Monsters - arghhhh!

I stand by the belief that kids love monsters, especially when the character overcomes them - and they usually do you know, especially in kids books - we're not out to terrify them you know...

Website escapee

Welcome to my homepage - actually this piece is an escapee from my homepage - for some reason people can find my blog but not my website. So for those who haven't found my little cyber Bookshop - this is a piece of what you're missing - that and the books of course...

My little piece of cyberspace that's just for me and my books - and some sheep... oh and a few cats.

My equivalent to a business meeting is to sit on the garden seat with a cup of coffee and a few cats. There's my usual two, Captain and Steve who always come out with me and distract me into playing with a ping pong ball, and dangle bits of grass, and even a dressage whip - which they all like to chase.

So that's where the cats came into the stories, but what about the sheep...? Well they just bubbled up from somewhere in my imagination and had to be released... makes me wonder what else is lurking in there waiting to come to the surface... 

The sheep took on a knitted form last Christmas when I wanted a new fun element to add to my table at book signings, well I couldn't take the cats - that would cause a bit more fun than anyone could handle...