tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80324901706196403682024-03-12T16:53:46.134-07:00Fat Girls and Fairy CakesA Low Calorie Look at Life, Writing - and CakeSue watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07286069797889683224noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8032490170619640368.post-2009949985131333572014-05-19T11:23:00.000-07:002014-05-19T11:24:53.010-07:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<strong><span style="color: magenta;">Hi I don't live here anymore - I have a new, glamorous website, so if you'd like to click the link </span></strong><a href="http://www.suewatsonbooks.com/"><strong><span style="color: magenta;">http://www.suewatsonbooks.com/</span></strong></a><strong><span style="color: magenta;"> you can read my blog and get all the latest on my books! </span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: magenta;">My new one 'Love, Lies and Lemon Cake' is out in June 2014!</span></strong><br />
</div>
Sue watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07286069797889683224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8032490170619640368.post-70023608761727577212014-02-08T10:01:00.000-08:002014-02-08T14:31:04.892-08:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-size: large;">Today my good friend Lynda Renham is holding a </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/275421782582579/282222275235863/?notif_t=plan_mall_activity"><span style="font-size: large;">Chocoholic Fun Day</span></a><span style="font-size: large;"> to celebrate her fabulous and funny new book </span><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Confessions-Chocoholic-Lynda-Renham-ebook/dp/B00HCQ3NIQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391868280&sr=1-1&keywords=confessions+of+a+chocoholic"><span style="font-size: large;">‘Confessions of a Chocoholic.’<o:p></o:p></span></a><span style="font-size: large;"> and perhaps you've popped onto my blog to enter the competition to win a copy of my book </span><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Younger-Thinner-Blonder-Sue-Watson-ebook/dp/B00FY8U2VK/ref=pd_sim_kinc_1"><span style="font-size: large;">Younger, Thinner, Blonder?</span></a><span style="font-size: large;"> The competition question is at the bottom of this post...</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqGwdW8cR4J-N_JhOIGpQ4pjZNaG2Ce2zNdoW9WOgIYHjlL3IH301dgkWvV4iouSVBE-IooPC6PWr4ZBzUTk4fLN_wlwIWkryIxvsySYgChmzHNLj1uDG9lOOpoN6cY475Kd-g0Lw356Yt/s1600/Confessions+of+a+Chocoholic+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqGwdW8cR4J-N_JhOIGpQ4pjZNaG2Ce2zNdoW9WOgIYHjlL3IH301dgkWvV4iouSVBE-IooPC6PWr4ZBzUTk4fLN_wlwIWkryIxvsySYgChmzHNLj1uDG9lOOpoN6cY475Kd-g0Lw356Yt/s1600/Confessions+of+a+Chocoholic+1.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Having been lashed to my computer since before Christmas writing my next
book I can certainly relate to the ‘chocoholic' bit of today's event! <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-size: large;">With a tight deadline for this summer, and a plan to lose two stone, I welcomed
2014 by slaving over my third book, ‘Love, Lies and Lemon Cake,’ while gnawing my way
through celery. But by January 2<sup>nd</sup> I discovered an abandoned box of festive
chocolates under the coffee table. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-size: large;">Now I have to confess to a certain chocolate snobbery and there are
certain centres that don’t quite step up to the plate for me. Orange
creams have always been the last to leave my chocolate box and can be left to
linger for days while I enjoy the more delicious chocolate covered cherry liqueurs
and thickly smothered nuts. But I have to tell you, leftover orange creams take
on a different meaning in the cold light of January away from their more exotic
chocolate sisters. My January joy at discovering those rejected orange
filled chocolate baubles was equal to a Hotel Chocolat praline in December. Chocolate
is relative - and in my post-Christmas pre-Diet-book-writing binge those orange
bad boys were goooood.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-size: large;">It’s now my third week on the diet, my ninth on the book and all orange chocolates
have been hoovered up by moi. Despite eating only low fat cereal bars sprinkled
with a nasty chocolate substitute – I have lost only 3 pounds, which is hardly surprising
as I’ve done no exercise. I haven’t even walked to Costa Coffee or flexed my fork
arm for lunch with the girls, as I banned all contact with the outside
world to finish ‘Love, Lies and Lemon Cake,’ in time for it's release -for my lovely readers to enjoy on beaches and summer balconies around the world.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlFNDDVSC-271Oilea0oV7mxI-SpFgXlzu96Jy8QYmcDQEYuvHyhyphenhyphenWAXFDk0i_fYM80r-O0iUqlAxwH2-FjdEH7vn2Mnoj9rWLPPsnw9LJmmezH2CoYPXsFNmiOLw3gEOdUwe202I5eNrF/s1600/Coming+Soon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlFNDDVSC-271Oilea0oV7mxI-SpFgXlzu96Jy8QYmcDQEYuvHyhyphenhyphenWAXFDk0i_fYM80r-O0iUqlAxwH2-FjdEH7vn2Mnoj9rWLPPsnw9LJmmezH2CoYPXsFNmiOLw3gEOdUwe202I5eNrF/s1600/Coming+Soon.jpg" height="297" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span> </div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">So when Lynda Renham asked if I’d like to write something on my blog and offer
a signed book for her ‘Chocoholic Fun Day,’ I was delighted. Having been in self-imposed solitary confinement, I was also a little scared
at the thought of human contact – albeit online. As always though, the thought
of chocolate pulled me through... and guess what? I checked under the coffee table this morning and
found the remnants of a tub of Christmas Quality Street! Having eaten cereal bars for the
past three weeks I felt like I’d won the chocolate lottery. It isn’t Hotel
Chocolat, but as I said, chocolate is relative...<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEias8vIR8nsQJ0PRBxnThX8zfv-WtCVP0E4DpU7OhN861judRGuuLdVys1mqD4ibeK6ViKP2nU5QxlO-za4vBMran_EJNhNJ0PJbww6ypYf81chMtUvtK4pOhhC_rNsHA-c5zHzQtU3kw8g/s1600/January+2014+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEias8vIR8nsQJ0PRBxnThX8zfv-WtCVP0E4DpU7OhN861judRGuuLdVys1mqD4ibeK6ViKP2nU5QxlO-za4vBMran_EJNhNJ0PJbww6ypYf81chMtUvtK4pOhhC_rNsHA-c5zHzQtU3kw8g/s1600/January+2014+002.JPG" height="320" width="281" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></b> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-size: large;">COMPETITION<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-size: large;">If you’d like to win a signed copy of my latest book ‘Younger, Thinner,
Blonder please answer the question below – the answer’s in this post.</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Having put on more than a stone writing ‘Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes’ I
truly believed writing a book called, ‘Younger, Thinner, Blonder’ would mean I
would actually achieve a younger, thinner blonder look. However, ‘thinner’
never happened and ‘younger’ never would, so I’ve bleached my hair and I’m back
with ‘cake’.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-size: large;">So what is the title of the book I am currently
writing, due out this summer?</span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-size: large;">Answers please to </span><a href="mailto:chocolate@renham.co.uk" id="yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1391867879968_2555" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:chocolate@renham.co.uk"><span style="font-size: large;">chocolate@renham.co.uk</span></a><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></o:p></span> </div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span></div>
Sue watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07286069797889683224noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8032490170619640368.post-62144437786820798042014-01-29T00:40:00.001-08:002014-01-30T02:34:48.379-08:00Lynda Renham, Live and Unplugged!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi94OKrD5BycpE35lKu5JxYkhyDp8PP5GIkFeZusI7PD6SV2v73OVCm_mzJopaeOLUffRbxYQslm5n9rppIMAfYBOtBotWE-M9RS_Gy5crNdm7ksg217qLTFL4Iv7uoPuyZi9hLxGvy6YA4/s1600/blog+tour+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi94OKrD5BycpE35lKu5JxYkhyDp8PP5GIkFeZusI7PD6SV2v73OVCm_mzJopaeOLUffRbxYQslm5n9rppIMAfYBOtBotWE-M9RS_Gy5crNdm7ksg217qLTFL4Iv7uoPuyZi9hLxGvy6YA4/s1600/blog+tour+2.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTCtSutWJwmP_3Z3slLBGRj2uEWu3eaDIEUFDc9YOp_RpqVN91Q7mfMFobvL7ok7z2TveZG4wowYFPJxz8iLm_rHcmf_JZjqEeTk_-LfGhwCRsZUZI-KcR5S1RbO1NeHeWcfvq2BSR9wKK/s1600/blog+tour.jpg"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-no-proof: yes; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><v:shapetype coordsize="21600,21600" filled="f" id="_x0000_t75" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" stroked="f">
<v:stroke joinstyle="miter">
<v:formulas>
<v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0">
<v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0">
<v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1">
<v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2">
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth">
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight">
<v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1">
<v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2">
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth">
<v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0">
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight">
<v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0">
</v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:formulas>
<v:path gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect" o:extrusionok="f">
<o:lock aspectratio="t" v:ext="edit">
</o:lock></v:path></v:stroke></v:shapetype></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Recently, I agreed to meet an online friend. In the
flesh. In their home. </strong></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Now this online friend may be Lynda Renham, a fellow author with
many books and sales under her belt – but what’s to stop her also being an
axe-wielding-serial-killing-best-selling-author? She might well be the literary
‘Queen of Comedy’ and has delighted us all with her best-selling books,
‘Croissants and Jam,’ ‘Coconuts and Wonderbras,’ ‘Pink Wellies and Flat Caps’
and the thoughtfully (and sensitively) retitled ‘The Dog’s Bollocks,’ but what
does she do when she’s not writing best-selling novels? Does she lock people in
her attic? Eat human livers with a fine chianti and fava beans a la Hannibal
Lecter? Or is she simply as lovely and funny in the flesh as she is on social
network? </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9NLkeghzeMQzRLPUfYewpgmAp5t0nANtflg4G_SZbZM9p_6r0Oxkl5d2ICDptEOnDGqDdWpZ-TR5vAvNKjWcPo7IjYWQ0XgYvF2kbTu1nge1HaixwJXTDJxX0dZS9JIiqPwVfef47aRAZ/s1600/blog+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9NLkeghzeMQzRLPUfYewpgmAp5t0nANtflg4G_SZbZM9p_6r0Oxkl5d2ICDptEOnDGqDdWpZ-TR5vAvNKjWcPo7IjYWQ0XgYvF2kbTu1nge1HaixwJXTDJxX0dZS9JIiqPwVfef47aRAZ/s1600/blog+6.jpg" height="277" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Chaperoned
by my husband and 14-year-old daughter, we set out to discover answers to our questions at Lynda Renham’s pile in
darkest Oxfordshire. Along the winding roads my husband kept asking me how
well I knew these people who’d kindly invited us to lunch as my daughter warned me (in a
voice not unlike my own) of how we shouldn't mess with ‘online Stranger Danger Mum!’ </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Arriving in
Oxfordshire, imagine our concern to find the house didn’t exist, no-one was
around except a man waving frantically at cars in the middle of the road. Is
this a local Oxfordshire custom we wondered, putting up the car windows and locking all doors. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">A text and
some directions later we were finally ushered into Lynda and her husband Andrew's home. And after a lovely warm welcome, Lynda and I talked and didn’t
stop. For hours. It’s amazing how similar we are and how we can laugh... and talk ... and
laugh and it all started online with a few clicks of the mouse. It was a wonderful
afternoon, the first, I hope of many, with fine food, lovely wine, and
delicious company... and not a fava bean or fine Chianti in sight!</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTCtSutWJwmP_3Z3slLBGRj2uEWu3eaDIEUFDc9YOp_RpqVN91Q7mfMFobvL7ok7z2TveZG4wowYFPJxz8iLm_rHcmf_JZjqEeTk_-LfGhwCRsZUZI-KcR5S1RbO1NeHeWcfvq2BSR9wKK/s1600/blog+tour.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTCtSutWJwmP_3Z3slLBGRj2uEWu3eaDIEUFDc9YOp_RpqVN91Q7mfMFobvL7ok7z2TveZG4wowYFPJxz8iLm_rHcmf_JZjqEeTk_-LfGhwCRsZUZI-KcR5S1RbO1NeHeWcfvq2BSR9wKK/s1600/blog+tour.jpg" height="297" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b> </div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here’s Lynda’s
version of events.....<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A Sunday, not many moons ago I arranged to meet another
author. Of course, we knew what the other looked like but you know how we all
put on those old photos on Facebook. Yes, exactly. She might turn out to be
ninety for all I knew. Not that there is anything wrong with someone being
ninety of course, but you know what I mean?</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, there was Andrew and I waiting, panicking about the
food. We'd checked lasagne would be okay but things have a tendency to go wrong
don't they? We usually do have lumpy sauce. But this time everything was going
well. The house looked tidy, the food was cooking nicely. If only I could stop
looking out of the window and relax.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our house is not easy to find. There are no street signs.
So, when I received a text telling me they were near both Andrew, I and Bendy (our
cat) had our eyes fixed on the window. Then a car went by slowly and I saw the
woman passenger looking closely at the house names.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">'That must be them,' I said to Andrew.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">He hurried out to direct them to our cottage and I felt the
first stirrings of nerves. What if she dislikes me? What if my house is too
small? I watched as the car turned around by the local pub and Andrew throwing
himself in front of it. Good God, has he gone mad? He waved them down, chatted
through the window and then walked back as they drove off. Oh no.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">'What happened?' I asked worriedly.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">'They didn't like me so have decided to go home.'</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">'What!' I said. I thought she seemed nice.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">He laughed.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">'No it wasn't them. Someone else that is lost. They
must have thought me a suicidal mad man. '</span></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDI5YMmyRrSgGHJbFEp_LpuHIRAGU3ZIccV0QUSRvCSp39nsZP1Nl8xC76iLEG9jL_LMWAx1Z8B7qOZW2y8_ISDvVbgEKZjr9NDdcCwFNEjbesNPPuIy5VrYPD-2QxUPiMavwUPM0Q1Pu4/s1600/blog+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDI5YMmyRrSgGHJbFEp_LpuHIRAGU3ZIccV0QUSRvCSp39nsZP1Nl8xC76iLEG9jL_LMWAx1Z8B7qOZW2y8_ISDvVbgEKZjr9NDdcCwFNEjbesNPPuIy5VrYPD-2QxUPiMavwUPM0Q1Pu4/s1600/blog+7.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></span> </div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">We strolled back to the cottage and waited for
another text. Then we get one and they are at the pub. The right one this time,
not pub I don't mean but the right person. All pubs are the right ones aren't
they? And then they were here, hugging me at my front door. Sue Watson and her
husband Nick and their lovely daughter and what a fab day we had. It was like
meeting myself. </span></span></span><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I think we chatted so much that we almost didn't get to dinner.
</span></span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqGwdW8cR4J-N_JhOIGpQ4pjZNaG2Ce2zNdoW9WOgIYHjlL3IH301dgkWvV4iouSVBE-IooPC6PWr4ZBzUTk4fLN_wlwIWkryIxvsySYgChmzHNLj1uDG9lOOpoN6cY475Kd-g0Lw356Yt/s1600/Confessions+of+a+Chocoholic+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqGwdW8cR4J-N_JhOIGpQ4pjZNaG2Ce2zNdoW9WOgIYHjlL3IH301dgkWvV4iouSVBE-IooPC6PWr4ZBzUTk4fLN_wlwIWkryIxvsySYgChmzHNLj1uDG9lOOpoN6cY475Kd-g0Lw356Yt/s1600/Confessions+of+a+Chocoholic+1.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">You can win one of Sue's books 'Younger, Thinner,
Blonder' over on my Chocolate fun day here. <a href="http://www.facebook.com/events/275421782582579/?fref=ts"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">http://www.facebook.com/events/275421782582579/?fref=ts</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"></span></span></a> We are celebrating my collection of thoughts and chocolate musings 'Confessions of a Chocoholic' and I am thrilled Sue is on board. </span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">We are going to have lots of fun on the day. So
join me and my lovely author friend Sue on the 8th Feb. Join now! Chocolate
galore for everyone.</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgutcvZlpPhZnj57Sp2raCvVpJiC5AO_e9d3-0hKsT9-i7r-2wy0B3yoGmjun2eI42q1IDcOIqgR8AhYBaAEt3FCbpY2MCcYctfCbEJ70GZS1tixSkv8-mP7Gsqnjol5hC03Z20P2SaOht6/s1600/blog+tour+4+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgutcvZlpPhZnj57Sp2raCvVpJiC5AO_e9d3-0hKsT9-i7r-2wy0B3yoGmjun2eI42q1IDcOIqgR8AhYBaAEt3FCbpY2MCcYctfCbEJ70GZS1tixSkv8-mP7Gsqnjol5hC03Z20P2SaOht6/s1600/blog+tour+4+%25282%2529.jpg" height="320" width="219" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Plus you can a copy of The Dog's Bollocks' Who
wants to miss that?</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Thank you Lynda! Looking forward to our next
get-together very soon! </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And the fabulous photos of Lynda's book, '<b>The
Dog's Bollocks</b>,' featured in this article are available from the
talented team at <b>Pics R Us </b></span></span></span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pics-R-Us/275163365968926"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pics-R-Us/275163365968926</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"></span></span></a><br />
<span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span></span> <br />
<span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Lynda's book cover is illustrated by Gracie Klumpp at <a href="http://gracieklumpp.com/">http://gracieklumpp.com/</a> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTCtSutWJwmP_3Z3slLBGRj2uEWu3eaDIEUFDc9YOp_RpqVN91Q7mfMFobvL7ok7z2TveZG4wowYFPJxz8iLm_rHcmf_JZjqEeTk_-LfGhwCRsZUZI-KcR5S1RbO1NeHeWcfvq2BSR9wKK/s1600/blog+tour.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
</div>
Sue watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07286069797889683224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8032490170619640368.post-64330160656278372142013-11-29T01:59:00.003-08:002013-11-29T01:59:47.620-08:00Profundities and Parasites<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I've been so busy with the new book (and writing the next one!) that I haven't blogged for a little while so while I'm writing and procrastinating I thought I'd post this. If you're bored and need to pass the time why not listen to me waffling on? It's all rather high brow and intellectual - I address deep and meaningful issues like cellulite, I'm a Celebrity, parasites and dieting. These are just a few of my favourite things... who needs raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens?</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Just click on the link <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01kr270">My Chat with Tammy </a>and drag the cursor along to 20:20 where you can hear my profound thoughts in a chat with the divine BBC Radio's TammyGooding, until the BBC wipe it!<br /> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfiS5m35-LV6mQKT0_FaIK8Jf6IxW7VaBr8bipGccXpA2qJ5MGtmUNqWHRGkgBzX7a5tZvh_HuphnVLdDFdupeb3S0DW43FOnAJtV0M_AgMe5uMqV1s_oyT_zW1qm1bhnByLtAL52NF5xa/s1600/Tammy+Gooding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfiS5m35-LV6mQKT0_FaIK8Jf6IxW7VaBr8bipGccXpA2qJ5MGtmUNqWHRGkgBzX7a5tZvh_HuphnVLdDFdupeb3S0DW43FOnAJtV0M_AgMe5uMqV1s_oyT_zW1qm1bhnByLtAL52NF5xa/s320/Tammy+Gooding.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Tammy Gooding on BBC Radio Hereford and Worcester<br /><br />
<br /><br /> </div>
Sue watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07286069797889683224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8032490170619640368.post-4194464748950239972013-10-22T01:46:00.000-07:002013-10-22T01:58:57.911-07:00Stella from Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes visits Chloe from Lying to Meet you in NYC!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 16pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span> </div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-uG7A7Bs9ygFG8LhlOl908LmvR9QSg8oo7PbTyE9gUYt9q1ZkzmkeiYsAtdlX1spnLxfr_JSN8IG-p4MDofD5-PPmcpveinpv2_uQgyk1v7hF6RVPb9GEx4Y4dfP0z4Ps3Ja6RV9LI74X/s400/final+promo+art+UK.jpg" width="400" /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
<h2 align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Chloe
and Stella Take Manhattan</span></h2>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 16pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
<em>Chloe from 'Lying to Meet You tells us what happened when she met up with Stella, from 'Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes' in NYC... and if you want to know what happened to Chloe when she visited here, pop over to <a href="http://libby-mercer.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Sue%20Watson">Baking Hot in Birmingham</a></em><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Baskerville;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Baskerville;">Oh my god, I had such
a fabulous time with Stella! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Baskerville;">We met up at Rockefeller Center. I was running
late (no surprise there) so I had to skip breakfast, but lucky for me, she
handed me a box of four super scrumptious cupcakes—or fairy cakes, as she calls
them. Each was decorated with a fondant handbag. Stella said she designed them
especially for me, you know, since I work in fashion. Aww. I gave her a big hug
and then hustled her into the building. While she was dealing with the security
thing, I wolfed down two of the cupcakes (so good. So, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">so</i> good) and as soon as she was given the necessary clearance, we
took the elevator up to the ABC studios.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi39bN47GvHrrpCee0n3GZ2Hav60fQoWUb3mjyvehiBOdcjuC0K1uUSZHz-TiXlcdLktdNScThNxy1_dhIJXOyNSGfPWK9tGoU83kniEztGXY0vAFAMPBOiEqdl7sIzyt7KaP-T6y4hQFk0/s1600/Lying+to+meet+you.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi39bN47GvHrrpCee0n3GZ2Hav60fQoWUb3mjyvehiBOdcjuC0K1uUSZHz-TiXlcdLktdNScThNxy1_dhIJXOyNSGfPWK9tGoU83kniEztGXY0vAFAMPBOiEqdl7sIzyt7KaP-T6y4hQFk0/s320/Lying+to+meet+you.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU6NEjt5idzEiGsdqZfPWODvo5ooRj-ZOcV3oH8KsuCkUGVxco70YAmdQq4bgzJ_zcHTsv-Y_QaAONhD9ougpi3r8SZy6G-o3WPIUSEqtTvoQXbD5aULbsNPerDoMKS5qPdsw6LEKgt1Ha/s1600/Fashion+Word+Collage+Vector+Illustration+adjusted+levels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
<span style="font-family: Baskerville;">I introduced Stella to
everyone on the set of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The American Dream</i>,
and she had a great time talking shop with the crew. William Shannon showed up,
and let me put it this way: Stella and I clearly have the same taste in men!
She went all quiet and coquettish when I introduced the two of them. William
Shannon had the same effect on me that he always does, but thankfully, Mathieu
(my stylist and the only one in the world who knows Ethan and I aren’t really a
couple) was there to keep me in line. I guess I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">was</i> grinning at William Shannon like love-struck fool when Mathieu
jerked me away from him under the guise of a little last minute hairstyle
tweaking.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4_eYsdLga7LOV8Sqd_RHulJZYLMdSgMvTr4u_LFVXFPEvZFe9Z3X48IX0VsiYNP-FwU1imhs36p2QMGfm4rn8t2vf1CB4aK3y0COdvv3pPrkt7n99Un1XgLuPsS3EiH9IdO_xCmfTOfPT/s1600/i+heart+ny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4_eYsdLga7LOV8Sqd_RHulJZYLMdSgMvTr4u_LFVXFPEvZFe9Z3X48IX0VsiYNP-FwU1imhs36p2QMGfm4rn8t2vf1CB4aK3y0COdvv3pPrkt7n99Un1XgLuPsS3EiH9IdO_xCmfTOfPT/s320/i+heart+ny.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Baskerville;">After the taping, I
took Stella downtown and showed her my boutique. She tried on a few things
while I ate another cupcake, and was all set to purchase the pink silk wrap top
from my new collection, but naturally, I told her to put that money away. I
wanted her to have it as a gift, she refused and neither of us was willing to
back down, so she murmured something about buying it from one of the shops in
London that carry my line. Little does she know I slipped the top into the side
pocket of her tote bag. I wish I could see the look on her face when she discovers
it!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Baskerville;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Baskerville;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Baskerville;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Baskerville;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJm4afVz2a4EXS1jNg1cwT-I-OJOxz7nN_snf_fBhcM2o7EpJxmNVCGvOcZPZf2nDoslCRn9ZbeM3bkOnnkjPfCuqowSdZJPBsZim1MmuQO7_DZPiMWjGIdzhSyTa0fjviWQyEOboAEtZj/s1600/Fashion+Word+Collage+Vector+Illustration+adjusted+levels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJm4afVz2a4EXS1jNg1cwT-I-OJOxz7nN_snf_fBhcM2o7EpJxmNVCGvOcZPZf2nDoslCRn9ZbeM3bkOnnkjPfCuqowSdZJPBsZim1MmuQO7_DZPiMWjGIdzhSyTa0fjviWQyEOboAEtZj/s320/Fashion+Word+Collage+Vector+Illustration+adjusted+levels.jpg" width="318" /></a></div>
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Baskerville;">We had dinner that
night at an upscale Mexican restaurant in SoHo and stayed for another couple of
margaritas each… Or was it three? In any case, when we left the restaurant, we
were feeling festive. We weren’t far from Ethan’s apartment, so I suggested we
stop by there to see what he was up to. He was working. (Shakes head.) He’s as
hopeless as I am sometimes. After surprisingly little cajoling, we managed to
drag Ethan back out with us. I was dying to take Stella to Magnolia Bakery, and
it isn’t far from Ethan’s place, so we headed a couple blocks west to the best
little bakery in New York. The three of us, each with a cupcake in hand (mine
was the fourth fairy cake courtesy of Stella) went back outside and fed our
sugar fixes under the night sky. Old friends, new friends and delectable
cupcakes under a New York night sky. Does life get any better than this?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Baskerville;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHBh6z3grXIgjx1rsTgCyEMsEHXXK4LdFa_NiYoZTU9Dd1VaH7C5WYUXohENqZx_faoCC-WA1qX1LgEOtyz_eLaEIo9Alwg8B9XLRSQNDdWLyorvwPY17QNU2m7woW_qCpdGAbXamdO9fk/s1600/Lying+to+meet+you.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHBh6z3grXIgjx1rsTgCyEMsEHXXK4LdFa_NiYoZTU9Dd1VaH7C5WYUXohENqZx_faoCC-WA1qX1LgEOtyz_eLaEIo9Alwg8B9XLRSQNDdWLyorvwPY17QNU2m7woW_qCpdGAbXamdO9fk/s200/Lying+to+meet+you.jpg" width="131" /></a><span style="font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 16pt;"><strong>Like to read more about Chloe? Here's an excerpt
from ‘Lying to Meet You’... <o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Mathieu grabs my arm and
mutters, “Why did you not tell me about the boyfriend? I will not judge. If you
want to seduce William Shannon even though you have a boyfriend, this is fine
with me.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14pt; margin: 0cm -19pt 0pt 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: 21.6pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">“Ethan isn’t really my
boyfriend,” I mutter back.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14pt; margin: 0cm -19pt 0pt 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: 21.6pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">“What? I do not
understand.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14pt; margin: 0cm -19pt 0pt 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: 21.6pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">I sigh. “It’s
complicated. He and I are in a fake relationship. The idea behind it is that by
being a couple, we might seem more attractive to potential love interests. It’s
sort of a social experiment. But this is top-secret stuff. <i>Nobody</i> knows.
So you can’t tell a soul.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14pt; margin: 0cm -19pt 0pt 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: 21.6pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Mathieu brings a hand to
his forehead and utters a dramatic, “Oh <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">mon
dieu</i>.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14pt; margin: 0cm -19pt 0pt 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: 21.6pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">When we get to the green
room, Mathieu shoves me in and says to Johnny, “I must talk to this girl. Two
minutes. Yes?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14pt; margin: 0cm -19pt 0pt 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: 21.6pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">“Whatever,” Johnny says,
leaning against the wall.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14pt; margin: 0cm -19pt 0pt 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: 21.6pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Mathieu comes into the
room and closes the door firmly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14pt; margin: 0cm -19pt 0pt 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: 21.6pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">“Cherie, this changes
everything. You <i>must</i> stop acting like a silly schoolgirl around Wily
Willy.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14pt; margin: 0cm -19pt 0pt 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: 21.6pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">I stare at him, aghast.
Was I really being that obvious?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14pt; margin: 0cm -19pt 0pt 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: 21.6pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">“Use this pretend
boyfriend in your mind to stop you from being so silly. When you see Wily
Willy, you must send him silent messages that say,” (in the high pitch voice,
of course) “‘Oh, I am so fabulous and it is so sad that you cannot have me, Mr.
William Shannon, but I already have a lover.’”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14pt; margin: 0cm -19pt 0pt 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: 21.6pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">I bite my lip to keep
from breaking out into a grin, but apparently I have no control over the
laughter in my eyes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14pt; margin: 0cm -19pt 0pt 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: 21.6pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Mathieu responds with an
icy glare. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">“Perhaps you are not serious about seducing Wily Willy, after all.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14pt; margin: 0cm -19pt 0pt 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: 21.6pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">“No, no, Mathieu,” I tell
him, suddenly feeling very solemn. “I’m sorry. I <i>am</i> serious about this.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14pt; margin: 0cm -19pt 0pt 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: 21.6pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">He stares at me for a
moment. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">D’accord</i>. Now listen very
carefully, Chloe. You must be cool around Wily Willy. And I am not talking
about Gaultier-wearing-drinking-at-Bungalow-Eight cool. What I mean is that you
must be aloof, unavailable. Do you understand?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14pt; margin: 0cm -19pt 0pt 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: 21.6pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">I nod, and he goes on. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14pt; margin: 0cm -19pt 0pt 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: 21.6pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">“You must act casual
around him. Not interested. When you see him, keep repeating these things in
your mind. Cool, aloof, unavailable, casual, not interested. After a while, it
will be easier to act that way around him.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14pt; margin: 0cm -19pt 0pt 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: 21.6pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">“You really think so?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14pt; margin: 0cm -19pt 0pt 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: 21.6pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">“Yes, I do,” Mathieu says,
but after studying my face, he says, “I hope.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14pt; margin: 0cm -19pt 0pt 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: 21.6pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">After he leaves, I do
something very <i>uncool</i>. I reach into my new Kate Spade bag, take out my
planner, and write down Mathieu’s key words to remember. Cool, aloof,
unavailable, casual, not interested. I kind of doubt that focusing on these
words will do much to help me to relax around William Shannon, but it’s worth a
try.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Baskerville;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Baskerville;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Baskerville;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRd_L5SuL6rP4Ulpw3tedKgboAsMp7jTPmgK9oYsk3XjxzxZLak275nlSc3DQsy9TRjBQ130FtQ0o2kKgcSOQSrt7OwLar4VKlSfPM4XtB5rAeb71ceLlPy4J57sQjq9sl6Npj9wpdqHgq/s1600/square+author+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRd_L5SuL6rP4Ulpw3tedKgboAsMp7jTPmgK9oYsk3XjxzxZLak275nlSc3DQsy9TRjBQ130FtQ0o2kKgcSOQSrt7OwLar4VKlSfPM4XtB5rAeb71ceLlPy4J57sQjq9sl6Npj9wpdqHgq/s320/square+author+pic.jpg" width="310" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><em>Writer Anna Garner (who also writes under the name Libby Mercer) lives in San Francisco where she currently spends her days cranking out stories.</em> </span></span></span></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<o:p></o:p> <b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Does being in a relationship make you a
hot commodity in the eyes of would-be suitors?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Chloe Lane is about to find out. When her childhood pal, Ethan Webster, asks
her to play the part of his girlfriend in order to test this theory, she
reluctantly agrees. As a work-crazed fashion designer, boutique owner and
soon-to-be reality show judge, Chloe has no time for a real boyfriend, but
being part of a faux pair will do just fine. Not that she has any intention of
trying to attract someone else.<br />
<br />
However...<br />
<br />
Opportunity unexpectedly knocks when Chloe meets fellow reality judge, William
Shannon. Super successful and super sexy, this high-powered entrepreneur
inspires Chloe to test Ethan's theory herself. Now, on top of keeping her
fashion business productive, carving out a new role as a television
personality, maintaining a fake relationship and attempting to lay the groundwork
for a future relationship, she's lying to William, lying to her friends, lying
to her family and quite possibly lying to herself. Will Chloe be able to keep
it all together, or are things about to explode?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
You can find Lying to Meet You on <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lying-to-Meet-You-ebook/dp/B00EZR5M9I/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1382432300&sr=1-1&keywords=lying+to+meet+you">Amazon UK</a><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lying-to-Meet-You-ebook/dp/B00EZR5M9I">Amazon.com</a> and </span><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lying-to-meet-you-anna-garner/1116838753?ean=2940148616924">Barnes and Noble</a><br />
<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
</span><br /></div>
</div>
Sue watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07286069797889683224noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8032490170619640368.post-2036561609611925962013-10-21T02:51:00.002-07:002013-10-21T04:27:28.128-07:00United Authors of ChickLit!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">It’s been a busy couple of
weeks with my second book ‘Younger, Thinner, Blonder’ launched into the book-shpere
last Thursday. And now I’m about to take a pink and fluffy flight across the
Atlantic to drink champagne, eat cupcakes and share chickLit with author friends
who live in the US.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">So fasten your seatbelts and
put your tray tables in the upright and locked position. Over the next few
days, some favourite Chick Lit characters will be jetting across the Atlantic
to visit with fictional friends on the other side of the pond... beginning on
Tuesday, when Stella from Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes meets up with fashionista
Chloe from Lying to Meet You<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Chloe will be whisking Stella
around NYC with a trip to the Magnolia Bakery. On Libby Mercer’s blog <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">I considered a trip to Greggs
for a sausage roll, but decided Stella’s kitchen and a baking lesson would be
much more fun!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSQFMXRMcvVaUeb-ftfkdQtt-r5-Ffct8DC5SIpRHEBuJNhZr4K_XEe0NDnM3GIi9naRdrVuSY-zYGBuQb-c6TVtzoHf8jw57AfCqNrBedmgeStXn4vUsZYOCwFTuARIgOeJPzvWzDTWgh/s1600/final+promo+art+UK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSQFMXRMcvVaUeb-ftfkdQtt-r5-Ffct8DC5SIpRHEBuJNhZr4K_XEe0NDnM3GIi9naRdrVuSY-zYGBuQb-c6TVtzoHf8jw57AfCqNrBedmgeStXn4vUsZYOCwFTuARIgOeJPzvWzDTWgh/s640/final+promo+art+UK.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXT7usNKqQCIoCqMy1WK1ep4RpPzf5u5JFijELqp9yofppjIUIPEfPuan7GSIecRUFDCJyXGh4QGowelliHsvXctpW4FdJwpm5Z-Rfff2I1m1Ot5q5CYY_Iea69CzZ7nrUKThtz2Lxjak4/s1600/final+promo+art+US.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-no-proof: yes;"><v:shapetype coordsize="21600,21600" filled="f" id="_x0000_t75" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" stroked="f">
<v:stroke joinstyle="miter">
<v:formulas>
<v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0">
<v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0">
<v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1">
<v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2">
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth">
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight">
<v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1">
<v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2">
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth">
<v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0">
</v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:formulas></v:stroke></v:shapetype></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Here's the departure and
arrivals timetable. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">The flight takes off on Monday, 21 Oct and here’s
a little sneak peek at the fun, frothy books and sassy gals featured in our
international promo, all of which are priced at £2.99 or less:<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">On Tuesday, 22 Oct</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">.: Read about Stella from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes</i> and Chloe from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lying to Meet You</i> as they travel across the Atlantic to visit each
other.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Stella will be on Anna
Garner’s blog </span><a href="http://libby-mercer.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><span style="color: blue;">http://libby-mercer.blogspot.com/</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> and Chloe will be on Sue Watson’s blog </span><a href="http://fatgirlsandfairycakes.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><span style="color: blue;">http://fatgirlsandfairycakes.blogspot.com/</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">On Wednesday, 23 Oct</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">., It’s time to discover what happens when Emma
from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Pollyanna Plan</i> and Kim from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Blogger Girl</i> meet. Emma will be on
Meredith Schorr’s blog </span><a href="http://meredithschorr.com/blog/"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><span style="color: blue;">http://meredithschorr.com/blog/</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> and Kim will be on Talli Roland’s blog </span><a href="http://talliroland.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><span style="color: blue;">http://talliroland.blogspot.com/</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">On Thursday, 24 Oct: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Izzy from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Izzy’s
Cold Feet</i> and Jamie from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Finding
Lucas </i>will be taking you on a trip alongside their characters. Izzy will be
on Samantha Stroh Bailey’s blog </span><a href="http://samanthastrohbailey.blogspot.ca/"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><span style="color: blue;">http://samanthastrohbailey.blogspot.ca/</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> and Jamie will be on Sarah Louise Smith’s blog
</span><a href="http://sarahlouisesmith.com/"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><span style="color: blue;">http://sarahlouisesmith.com/</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">And on Friday, 25 Oct. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Kate from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sealed
with a Kiss</i> and Pilar from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">In Need of
Therapy </i>will be chatting about their overseas experiences. Kate will be on
Tracie Banister’s blog </span><a href="http://traciebanister.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><span style="color: blue;">http://traciebanister.blogspot.com/</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> and Pilar will be on Rachael Lucas’s blog </span><a href="http://rachaellucas.com/blog/"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><span style="color: blue;">http://rachaellucas.com/blog/</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Here’s a little sneak peek at
the fun, frothy books and sassy gals featured in our international promo, all
of which are priced at £2.99 or less:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">And if you are interested in
learning more about any of the books see below:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b><i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">Finding
Lucas </span></i></b><b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">by
Samantha Stroh Bailey – </span></b><i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">Daytime
talk show producer Jamie Ross is beyond fed up with her toxic bad boy
turned metrosexual boyfriend. Spurred on by her gang of quirky friends, she
goes on a hilarious, at-times disastrous, and totally life-changing hunt to
track down the ”one who got away.” But are some loves best left behind?</span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"> Available on Amazon.com </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Finding-Lucas-ebook/dp/B007VIIU6A/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1381962451&sr=1-1&keywords=finding+lucas"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.amazon.com/Finding-Lucas-ebook/dp/B007VIIU6A/</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"> Amazon UK </span><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Finding-Lucas-Samantha-Stroh-Bailey-ebook/dp/B007VIIU6A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381962486&sr=8-1&keywords=finding+lucas"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.amazon.co.uk/Finding-Lucas-Samantha-Stroh-Bailey-ebook/dp/B007VIIU6A</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"> and Kobo </span><a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-ca/books/Finding-Lucas/-wfpLcDV6keHZR-T80qCUg"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><span style="color: blue;">http://store.kobobooks.com/en-ca/books/Finding-Lucas/-wfpLcDV6keHZR-T80qCUg</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<b><i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">In
Need of Therapy </span></i></b><b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">by Tracie Banister<i> – </i></span></b><i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">Handling the problems of hysterical
hypochondriacs, lovelorn neurotics, and compulsive man whores is all in a
day’s work for super-shrink Pilar Alvarez. But can she deal with her crazy
Cuban family, a trio of unsuitable suitors, and a threat to her practice
without ending up on the couch herself? </span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Available on Amazon.com </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/In-Need-of-Therapy-ebook/dp/B008N6Z36Y"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #004abb; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">http://www.amazon.com/In-Need-of-Therapy-ebook/dp/B008N6Z36Y</span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Amazon UK </span><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/In-Need-of-Therapy-ebook/dp/B008N6Z36Y"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #004abb; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">http://www.amazon.co.uk/In-Need-of-Therapy-ebook/dp/B008N6Z36Y</span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> and B&N </span><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-need-of-therapy-tracie-banister/1112265620?ean=2940015006889"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #004abb; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #004abb; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-need-of-therapy-tracie-banister/1112265620?ean=2940015006889">http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-need-of-therapy-tracie-banister/1112265620?ean=2940015006889</a></span><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-need-of-therapy-tracie-banister/1112265620?ean=2940015006889"></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"></span></i></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"></span></i></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">Lying to Meet You </span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">by Anna Garner</span></b><i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"> – Overworked New York fashion girl Chloe Lane has no
time for a real relationship, but when her childhood pal asks her to play the
part of his girlfriend in order to test a theory, she decides to go for it. The
lies start piling up and things start getting crazy. Will Chloe be able to keep
it together? </span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Available on Amazon.com </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lying-to-Meet-You-ebook/dp/B00EZR5M9I"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.amazon.com/Lying-to-Meet-You-ebook/dp/B00EZR5M9I</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> Amazon UK </span><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lying-to-Meet-You-ebook/dp/B00EZR5M9I"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lying-to-Meet-You-ebook/dp/B00EZR5M9I</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> and B&N </span><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lying-to-meet-you-anna-garner/1116838753?ean=2940148616924"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lying-to-meet-you-anna-garner/1116838753?ean=2940148616924</span></span></a><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Sealed
with a Kiss </span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">by Rachael Lucas</span></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> – Kate breathes a sigh of relief when she's dumped at her best
friend's wedding. When she takes a job on the island of Auchenmor, she's
determined to have a year off men, but that's before she rescues Flora the seal
pup with the help of Roddy, her mysterious new boss... </span></i><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Available on Amazon.com<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i></span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sealed-with-a-Kiss-ebook/dp/B00BE9EUW0/"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.amazon.com/Sealed-with-a-Kiss-ebook/dp/B00BE9EUW0/</span></span></i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">and </span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Amazon UK<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i></span><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sealed-with-a-Kiss-ebook/dp/B00BE9EUW0/"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sealed-with-a-Kiss-ebook/dp/B00BE9EUW0/</span></span></i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">The Pollyanna Plan </span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">by Talli Roland</span></b><i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"> – </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Emma
Beckett has always looked down on 'the glass is half full' optimists. But when
she loses her high-powered job and fiancé, Emma makes a radical decision: from
here on in, she'll attempt to see the upside, no matter how dire the situation.
Can adopting a positive attitude give Emma the courage to build a new life, or
is finding the good in everything a very bad idea? </span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Available on
Amazon.com </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Pollyanna-Plan-Talli-Roland-ebook/dp/B00AFAW2GK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381947563&sr=8-1&keywords=the+pollyanna+plan"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #004abb; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">http://www.amazon.com/The-Pollyanna-Plan-Talli-Roland-ebook/dp/B00AFAW2GK</span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> and Amazon UK </span><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Pollyanna-Plan-Talli-Roland-ebook/dp/B00AFAW2GK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381947515&sr=8-1&keywords=the+pollyanna+plan"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #004abb; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Pollyanna-Plan-Talli-Roland-ebook/dp/B00AFAW2GK</span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">Blogger Girl </span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">by Meredith Schorr</span></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"> – </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Kimberly Long has two
passions: her successful chick lit blog and Nicholas, her handsome colleague
down the hall. But when her high school nemesis pops onto the chick lit scene
with a hot new book and eyes for Nicholas, Kim has to make some quick revisions
to her own life story. </span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Available on Amazon.com </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Blogger-Girl-ebook/dp/B00EDTLDSW/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375994653&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=blogger+girl+meredith+schorr"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #004abb; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">http://www.amazon.com/Blogger-Girl-ebook/dp/B00EDTLDSW</span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Amazon UK </span><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Blogger-Girl-ebook/dp/B00EDTLDSW/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1376945948&sr=1-1&keywords=blogger+girl"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #004abb; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">http://www.amazon.co.uk/Blogger-Girl-ebook/dp/B00EDTLDSW</span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> B&N </span><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/blogger-girl-meredith-schorr/1116358028?ean=2940148503125"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #004abb; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/blogger-girl-meredith-schorr/1116358028?ean=2940148503125</span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> and Apple iTunes </span><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/blogger-girl/id686654939?mt=11"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #004abb; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/blogger-girl/id686654939?mt=11</span></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Izzy’s Cold Feet </span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">by Sarah Louise Smith</span></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"> – Izzy </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">is engaged to Greg, who is everything a
girl could want. The trouble is – all she can think about is the men she
loved before she met him. In the week leading up to her wedding day, Izzy
is forced to ask herself who she loves the most. And, given the choice, who
would she want to spend her life with? </span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">Available on Amazon.com </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Izzys-Cold-Sarah-Louise-Smith/dp/1909841005/"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.amazon.com/Izzys-Cold-Sarah-Louise-Smith/dp/1909841005/</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">Amazon UK </span><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Izzys-Cold-Sarah-Louise-Smith/dp/1909841005/"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.amazon.co.uk/Izzys-Cold-Sarah-Louise-Smith/dp/1909841005/</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> B&N </span><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/izzys-cold-feet-sarah-louise-smith/1116263752"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/izzys-cold-feet-sarah-louise-smith/1116263752</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> and UK Nook </span><a href="http://uk.nook.com/ebooks/izzys-cold-feet-by-sarah-louise-smith/2940045154499"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><span style="color: blue;">http://uk.nook.com/ebooks/izzys-cold-feet-by-sarah-louise-smith/2940045154499</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes </span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">by Sue Watson</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">– TV Producer Stella is over worked, over
weight and under fire battling to balance family, career and those weighing
scales. In the past she’s always found comfort at the bottom of her mixing bowl
but now the most delicious lemon sponge with zesty frosting has no effect.
However, life is about to get even tougher... and Stella has to face some
truths about herself, her life and her future. </i>Available on Amazon.com </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fat-Girls-Fairy-Cakes-ebook/dp/B005L92JB8"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.amazon.com/Fat-Girls-Fairy-Cakes-ebook/dp/B005L92JB8</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"> and Amazon
UK </span><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fat-Girls-Fairy-Cakes-Watson-ebook/dp/B005L92JB8"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fat-Girls-Fairy-Cakes-Watson-ebook/dp/B005L92JB8</span></span></a><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"> <span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Cambria;"> </span></o:p></div>
</div>
Sue watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07286069797889683224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8032490170619640368.post-89265013266077011902013-10-11T02:54:00.000-07:002013-10-16T09:52:53.555-07:00New Book Baby!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Tomorrow, 17th October, my second book ‘Younger, Thinner, Blonder’ comes out and I’m excited, delighted ... and
very scared.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ5gF6erGiXhHrKRFFsRlCUiZmEW1NsNH5r-YKvlyQemq7jGXbUveznlqdIbtzQk1nQV_CCeuC0apWHLFPLdD0LR9Tg-NtZCWNQ25_lBlX-MSYVKxsQRqizjyG1bPzAb_4QozRcNZk5Jea/s1600/photo.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ5gF6erGiXhHrKRFFsRlCUiZmEW1NsNH5r-YKvlyQemq7jGXbUveznlqdIbtzQk1nQV_CCeuC0apWHLFPLdD0LR9Tg-NtZCWNQ25_lBlX-MSYVKxsQRqizjyG1bPzAb_4QozRcNZk5Jea/s320/photo.PNG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After two years of writing and rewriting, my new
book baby is about to be born and for any author of a newborn, the days and weeks before publication are a tortuous time. The book is delivered to those all important book critics and sometimes followed by
days, weeks, even months of silence. <span style="font-family: Calibri;">Meanwhile reviewers slap the book’s bottom for signs of life and begin the process of prodding and poking before revealing their verdict. </span>It’s like waiting for your baby's apgar score, or your child's first school report. Is she healthy? Is everything in place? Is there something glaringly wrong that
my editor-midwife and I didn't see on delivery? And what does the reviewer say the future holds for her?</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Consequently, I've spent the past few weeks fretting that reviewers won’t
love my new baby in her beautiful blue gown. A review is vital for an author, it can make your week or break your heart, sell your book or see it pulped. Like a new mum I've had sleepless nights worrying about her; Is she likeable? Clever? Funny enough? IS SHE GOOD ENOUGH? Please like her so she can survive and breathe in that big brutal old world out there? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, I held my breath and read that first review...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here it is... <a href="http://kimthebookworm.blogspot.co.uk/">http://kimthebookworm.blogspot.co.uk/</a></span></div>
</div>
Sue watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07286069797889683224noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8032490170619640368.post-46127375331023818702013-09-19T02:30:00.000-07:002013-09-19T02:30:06.696-07:00Lost in Book Translation...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Today 'Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes' arrived in Italy! She's sporting
a gorgeous brand new cover (by Sebastiano Barcaroli) and as those
sophisticated, slinky-hipped Italians don’t know the meaning of ‘Fat’ she has a new title too. ‘Coincindenze Che Fanno Innamamore,’ apparently means
something along the lines of; ‘Coincidences that make us fall in love...’ I know this because I am fluent in Google.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="color: blue; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-no-proof: yes; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><v:shapetype coordsize="21600,21600" filled="f" id="_x0000_t75" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" stroked="f"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">
<v:stroke joinstyle="miter">
<v:formulas>
<v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0">
<v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0">
<v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1">
<v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2">
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth">
</v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:formulas> </v:stroke></span></v:shapetype></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBpRf3_y1oCwMkQmMgu22R4P7e1Gg2uvIdLKC8zAism9cJbYW6QomMYyJEmZBUA8huwPnmrMZMAfBwp72_qjK6p_d283pNaVLTi1ACzT49m3ptu-ZYHA8cZsDAnqSh46HEsbiHhO2s6HSX/s1600/proxy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBpRf3_y1oCwMkQmMgu22R4P7e1Gg2uvIdLKC8zAism9cJbYW6QomMYyJEmZBUA8huwPnmrMZMAfBwp72_qjK6p_d283pNaVLTi1ACzT49m3ptu-ZYHA8cZsDAnqSh46HEsbiHhO2s6HSX/s400/proxy.jpg" width="368" /></span></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.it/Coincidenze-che-fanno-innamorare-Watson/dp/8854154814%3FSubscriptionId%3D0V4JT1H35KWYMF0SKQR2%26tag%3Dnovelrank05-21%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D8854154814">Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes Goes to Italy... </a></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">When my UK publisher Rickshaw first told me the news that 'Fat Girls...' was off to Italy, I did what any decent author would do and embraced Italian culture wholeheartedly with a box of Amaretti biscuits and a fine bottle of Disaronno.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVDy85QDOfk4mBT2dLuL9MkEQUwcWtT0IZqk1n_M9xdSBvchdLW-8Mjf6ok2rOEQD2UHUFTomuMcSAATk1ea7A7q7DIVoU8YmnyuxzYj2KDuIpBDk2Cklb1A1MD74Ef3c5bavi9S30-cZf/s1600/amaretto+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVDy85QDOfk4mBT2dLuL9MkEQUwcWtT0IZqk1n_M9xdSBvchdLW-8Mjf6ok2rOEQD2UHUFTomuMcSAATk1ea7A7q7DIVoU8YmnyuxzYj2KDuIpBDk2Cklb1A1MD74Ef3c5bavi9S30-cZf/s320/amaretto+004.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><o:p>Sadly </o:p>I don’t speak a word of Italian but somehow hoped the sweet liquer and soft, almond biscuits might (through some kind of Italian osmosis) guide me through the language
of love. But of course they didn't, and believe me, it wasn't for want of trying. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">In between mouthfulls of sweet, almondy crumbs and slurps of warming amber liquid I tried to work out what all the unfamiliar Italian words were saying about my novel. The Italian
blurb on Amazon goes something like this...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"></span><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Stella Weston, produttrice</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> televisiva con una smisurata passione per i
dolci, ha sempre cercato di conciliare lavoro e famiglia e per anni ha dovuto
sopportare turni impossibili, ritmi serrati, lunghe trasferte e un capo infame.
Come se non bastassero i sensi di colpa a darle il tormento, suo marito Tom e
sua figlia Grace non fanno che lamentarsi e rinfacciarle le continue assenze.
Quando poi le viene assegnato un programma trash sul giardinaggio e la
religione, in cui si ritrova ad avere quotidianamente a che fare con una pazza
ninfomane, un prete ansioso e un giardiniere un po’ sopra le righe, Stella si
rende conto che la misura è davvero colma: forse è giunto il momento di mollare
tutto, di rimettersi in gioco, di inseguire un sogno e di smettere di rinunciare
all’amore… </span></i></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Yep, that’s what I thought, all very ‘amore’ but I didn’t
understand a word. Oh how I wished I’d taken Italian at school so I could understand or even tweet and FB my new Italian friends. But you can’t keep a good woman down when it comes to 'amore'
and 'dolci' so I popped it into Google Translate. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who needs Italian lessons? Anyway according to
Google, the translation goes something like this...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span class="hps"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Stella</span></i></b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; mso-ansi-language: EN;"> <span class="hps">Weston,</span> <span class="hps">television producer</span> <span class="hps">with</span> <span class="hps">a</span> <span class="hps">huge passion</span>
<span class="hps">for sweets,</span> <span class="hps">has always tried to</span> <span class="hps">balance work and</span> <span class="hps">family</span>, and for years <span class="hps">he endured</span> <span class="hps">impossible</span> <span class="hps">shifts</span>,
<span class="hps">fast-paced</span>, <span class="hps">long trips</span> <span class="hps">and a leader</span> <span class="hps">infamous</span>. <span class="hps">As
if</span> <span class="hps">not enough</span> <span class="hps">guilt</span> <span class="hps">to</span> <span class="hps">give her</span> <span class="hps">torment,</span>
<span class="hps">her husband Tom</span> <span class="hps">and her daughter</span> <span class="hps">Grace</span> <span class="hps">and</span> <span class="hps">complain</span>
<span class="hps">that</span> <span class="hps">they do</span> <span class="hps">not</span>
<span class="hps">reproach</span> <span class="hps">the</span> <span class="hps">continued
absences</span>. <span class="hps">Then, when</span> <span class="hps">the</span> <span class="hps">trash</span> <span class="hps">is assigned a</span> <span class="hps">program</span>
<span class="hps">on gardening</span> <span class="hps">and religion</span>, <span class="hps">in which</span> <span class="hps">he finds himself</span> <span class="hps">having</span> <span class="hps">to deal</span> <span class="hps">every
day</span> <span class="hps">with</span> <span class="hps">a crazy</span> <span class="hps">nymphomaniac</span>, a priest <span class="hps">and</span> <span class="hps">a</span> <span class="hps">keen</span> <span class="hps">gardener</span> <span class="hps">a bit</span> <span class="hps">'</span>over the top, <span class="hps">Stella</span>
<span class="hps">realizes</span> <span class="hps">that the measure is</span> <span class="hps">really</span> <span class="hps">fills</span>, perhaps <span class="hps">it
is time</span> <span class="hps">to drop everything</span>, <span class="hps">get
back into play</span>, <span class="hps">to chase</span> <span class="hps">a dream</span>
<span class="hps">and stop</span> <span class="hps">give up on love</span> <span class="hps">...</span></span></i></b></span><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"></span><o:p></o:p></span></i></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Now, if you haven’t read 'Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes,' (why?)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can assure you my heroine Stella Weston is
not ‘trash,’ nor does she 'stop, give up on love.' Oh and - spoiler alert - she
doesn’t change sex half way through the novel... </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The moral of this post is – use Google Translate with caution.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Needless to say until I can find a human translator my plans are currently on hold for a 'tweetfest' or FB 'chat' with my new friends in the world of Italian publishing. A simple message on FB saying; 'Hi I'm the author of 'Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes,' may well be transformed through Google Translate into a barrage of Italian abuse and a tweet to say 'hello' may also run the risk of offending the whole of Italy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">So rather than spark off an international publishing incident I'll just keep sipping Disaronno and eating these Amaretti biscuits - and something Italian is bound to rub off.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"></span><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.it/Coincidenze-innamorare-eNewton-Narrativa-ebook/dp/B00EZOC67C/ref=tmm_kin_title_0/276-0046388-0105221">Coincidenze Che Fanno Innamamore</a> published in the language of love, published by <a href="http://www.newtoncompton.com/">Newton Compton Editori</a><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span></o:p></div>
</div>
Sue watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07286069797889683224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8032490170619640368.post-64418767260837424282013-08-27T09:30:00.000-07:002013-09-02T10:46:59.164-07:00The Valentine Pavlova and a diabolically delicious filling! <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;">
<b><u><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">To
celebrate the launch of Lynda Renham's latest romantic comedy novel, <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Valentine-Diabolical-Liberties-Romantic-ebook/dp/B00EUIFF6W/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378143765&sr=1-1&keywords=the+valentine+present+and+other">‘The Valentine Present and Other Diabolical Liberties</a>,’
I have created a delicious, heart-shaped dessert. Not only is this a fitting celebration meringue for a fabulous new book - it also includes at least one of
your five a day and is around a mere 300 calories a slice! </span></div>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="mso-cellspacing: 1.5pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;">
<tbody>
<tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;">
<td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) rgb(0, 0, 0) rgb(200, 199, 199); border-style: none none dotted; border-width: 0px 0px 1pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: dotted #C8C7C7 .5pt; padding: 0.75pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwS9CU-4xRCpL_EbTKzc952vv3LeEBGbCRpwQmF3bOLlf3MUNwTg85ISWNT_BbRXrM3bN-Y31ech4q_Y2Rtyl2UYdKpLVuIC08VlVvxa4EQHDlKvBps6BczLav2ejf2FPxsFMYAKuHho-f/s1600/139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwS9CU-4xRCpL_EbTKzc952vv3LeEBGbCRpwQmF3bOLlf3MUNwTg85ISWNT_BbRXrM3bN-Y31ech4q_Y2Rtyl2UYdKpLVuIC08VlVvxa4EQHDlKvBps6BczLav2ejf2FPxsFMYAKuHho-f/s400/139.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><strong>The Valentine Pavlova and a diabolically delicious filling!</strong> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 4.7pt 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Ingredients<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 4.7pt 0cm;">
<a href="http://www.deliaonline.com/ingredients/ingredients-a-z/ingredients-d-f/Eggs.html" title="Eggs"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">3
large fresh egg whites </span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1;">
<td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) rgb(0, 0, 0) rgb(200, 199, 199); border-style: none none dotted; border-width: 0px 0px 1pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: dotted #C8C7C7 .5pt; padding: 0.75pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 4.7pt 0cm;">
<a href="http://www.deliaonline.com/ingredients/ingredients-a-z/ingredients-s-u/Sugars-and-syrups.html" title="Sugars and syrups"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">6
oz (175 g) caster sugar</span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 2;">
<td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) rgb(0, 0, 0) rgb(200, 199, 199); border-style: none none dotted; border-width: 0px 0px 1pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: dotted #C8C7C7 .5pt; padding: 0.75pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 4.7pt 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">For the topping: </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 3;">
<td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) rgb(0, 0, 0) rgb(200, 199, 199); border-style: none none dotted; border-width: 0px 0px 1pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: dotted #C8C7C7 .5pt; padding: 0.75pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 4.7pt 0cm;">
<a href="http://www.deliaonline.com/ingredients/ingredients-a-z/ingredients-a-c/Cream.html" title="Cream"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">10
fl oz (275 ml) whipping or double cream, whipped</span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 4;">
<td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) rgb(0, 0, 0) rgb(200, 199, 199); border-style: none none dotted; border-width: 0px 0px 1pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: dotted #C8C7C7 .5pt; padding: 0.75pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 4.7pt 0cm;">
<a href="http://www.deliaonline.com/ingredients/in-season/summer/july/Raspberries.html" title="Raspberries"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">12
oz (350 g) prepared mixed soft fruits, such as raspberries, strawberries and
redcurrants</span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 5;">
<td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) rgb(0, 0, 0) rgb(200, 199, 199); border-style: none none dotted; border-width: 0px 0px 1pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: dotted #C8C7C7 .5pt; padding: 0.75pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 4.7pt 0cm;">
<a href="http://www.deliaonline.com/ingredients/ingredients-a-z/ingredients-s-u/Sugars-and-syrups.html" title="Sugars and syrups"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">a
little icing sugar</span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 6; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">
<td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) rgb(0, 0, 0) rgb(200, 199, 199); border-style: none none dotted; border-width: 0px 0px 1pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: dotted #C8C7C7 .5pt; padding: 0.75pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 4.7pt 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Pre-heat the oven to
gas mark 2, 300°F (150°C) .</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-no-proof: yes;"><v:shapetype coordsize="21600,21600" filled="f" id="_x0000_t75" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" stroked="f">
<v:stroke joinstyle="miter">
<v:formulas>
<v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0">
<v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0">
<v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1">
<v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2">
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth">
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight">
<v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1">
<v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2">
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth">
<v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0">
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight">
<v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0">
</v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:formulas>
<v:path gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect" o:extrusionok="f">
</v:path></v:stroke></v:shapetype></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Measure the sugar and put aside, now put the egg whites in a large clean
bowl and whisk until they form soft peaks. Stop! Before you set off, don’t get
too whisk-happy because over-whisking will cause a major collapse! Girl, just
keep whisking and checking until you can turn that bowl upside down without the
snowy white fluff sliding out. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">When the egg whites are at ‘upside down stage’ - whisk in the sugar
slowly a large tablespoon at a time, whisking after each addition until all the
sugar is incorporated. Now take a metal tablespoon and spoon the meringue
mixture on to the prepared baking sheet, forming a heart-shape (you can draw
this on your greaseproof paper or simply just think of the one you love as you
dollop).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
Now using the tip of a skewer, make little swirls in the meringue all round the
edge, lifting the skewer up sharply each time to leave tiny peaks. This will
look like you know what you’re doing – even if you don’t! Then<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>place the baking sheet in the oven,
immediately turn down the heat to gas mark 1, 275°F (140°C) and leave it to
cook for 1 hour. <br />
<br />
While it’s cooking, take out your copy of ‘The Valentine Present and Other
Diabolical Liberties’ (on kindle or paperback) and read about lovely Harriet, </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">a cocktail of
misunderstandings, three unlikely gangsters, a monkey and a demented cat. After
an hour of laughing hysterically at the book you mustn’t forget to turn the
oven off,</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> but
leave the Pavlova inside the oven until it's completely cold. You could even
bake this the night before, take the book to bed and allow the meringue to
completely cool overnight in the oven (you won’t be able to put the book down
so will be up all night too).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Delia Smith says the secret of successful meringues of any sort is to
let them dry out completely, which is what this method (stolen from Delia) does
perfectly. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNPiJ2krQyTxRkg2P5sp3d7bkAD-tK08iQT30CFZpi825YcF_AHvJODOf_zaJSszVhUXOboYkxxp9VyP3-vsV7D58Jv6gA9Km94zKfxvPirt2beD4RxDelljWVjAze7zZ1hcqoc5bjYkN5/s1600/Valentine+present+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNPiJ2krQyTxRkg2P5sp3d7bkAD-tK08iQT30CFZpi825YcF_AHvJODOf_zaJSszVhUXOboYkxxp9VyP3-vsV7D58Jv6gA9Km94zKfxvPirt2beD4RxDelljWVjAze7zZ1hcqoc5bjYkN5/s320/Valentine+present+cover.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">To serve the Pavlova, put the book down and lift it from the baking
sheet, peel off the paper and place it on a serving dish. Then just before
serving, spread the whipped cream on top, arrange the fruit on top of the cream
and dust with a little sifted icing sugar. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Put the kettle on, serve cut into wedges and carry on reading ‘The Valentine
Present...’ . <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Delia says this recipe serves 6, but I’m greedier and my heart-shaped Pavlova
serves 5 (and 3 of those are probably for me!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
</div>
</div>
Sue watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07286069797889683224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8032490170619640368.post-3709569625529188362013-08-16T03:24:00.000-07:002013-08-17T03:52:09.067-07:00My Supersize Summer<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">For thirty odd summers my goal has been to arrive at August in a state of - what women's magazines refer to as - ‘beach body
readiness.’ However, I have never reached this Nirvana... and my Summer holidays are usually more 'supersize' than super skinny. This Summer is no different as that little black swimsuit is shoved to the back of the wardrobe in favour of a King size bedsheet masquerading as a sarong. But the upside of wearing a supersize sarong means I don't have to worry about those holiday bulges...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">On holiday, while everyone bounces around doing water sports and beach volleyball in tiny shorts, I will watch and smile from behind a rainbow cone of ice cream. I shall chew shamelessly on a large, crusty baguette and sip on something fruity as beach body fascists sweat through vigorous sit-ups in nothing but a thong and a frown. And I will marvel at their perfect bodies and even allow a little envy... but I will also wonder who's really having all the fun? As they pound the beach and breastroke 500 kilometres in the pool, they'll stop a moment to sneak a peek at the rest of us through their designer shades with barely concealed disgust... or is it envy? We all enjoy our holidays in different ways, and part of my holiday fun is not to deny myself the true pleasures of the season. And as those enviable 'beach bodies' feel the burn and ignore the cake, I will swirl my tongue round chunky monkey ice cream, wrap moist, eager lips around barbecued meat and enjoy chilled white wine with a European food mountain of nibbles. As we're off to the Sates I may even squeeze in a few American breakfasts - which to my deep joy translates for me as a full english smothered in Maple Syrup with a side of pancakes ... God Bless America!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So on holiday this year, while all those perfectly toned tums stand at the buffet table with tiny plates of green stuff I shall think; 'fair enough... you are 'beach body ready,' and you've earned it.' But here's the rub, to keep it like that you have to say 'no' while I wrap that king size sheet around me, take that plate and fill it with the most delicious, calorie-laden titbits. There'll be no denial, no portion control and no regrets as I leave that buffet. What kind of psycho eats salad anyway when there is burnt meat, stuffed potato
skins and calorie-laden dips just begging to be eaten? </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So if like me, you want to actually enjoy yourself by the pool this summer - f</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">orget the volleyball, grab that king size sheet and bring on the real pleasures of Summer ... and while you’re there supersize
it!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
</div>
</div>
Sue watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07286069797889683224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8032490170619640368.post-5425456881128407292013-07-20T09:27:00.001-07:002013-07-25T05:11:32.322-07:00Hoes and Weed and S***<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a white, middle aged, middle class woman living in a new build
in suburbia, I sometimes long to escape and live another life, somewhere else...and if I could try out anyone's life for a day, I’d be Rihanna. We have nothing in common, I don't really know much about her or her life save her great music fabulous figure, desire to legalise cannabis and an apparent predilection for bad boys. But that's the point - our lives are so different - so what else do I need to know?</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
As I write this blog my daughter is asking where her clean
jeans are, and my husband is yelling at the Aussies while wrestling bravely to
bring home the Ashes singlehandedly from the sofa. The cats want feeding, there’s
washing in the basket, my eczema’s started up, my blood pressure’s high and the
bloody dishwasher has packed in again. So apart from the bad boys and the weed (tried it once, threw up everywhere), who can blame me for wanting the life
and thighs of a beautiful, rich, young woman with the world at her feet and
a future stretching before her like an infinity pool?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last week I went to see Rihanna on her Diamonds world tour in Manchester with Lesley my BFF. And when she got on that stage and shouted 'Hello Manchester' we yelled as loudly as those twentysomethings. She is so enigmatic, so confident and so damn good! I agree we may not be her target
audience and according to my teenage daughter our attendance at the Rihanna concert
was; ‘weird, bordering on creepy.’ My husband added his concerns that
Rihanna’s ‘moves’ were and I quote, ‘vaginally based’ and therefore improper for fortysomething
women to try and emulate. Ignoring his advice to wear a cardi, embrace middle age and buy two tickets for Michael Bublé instead, I told him there was spag bol in the freezer, cricket on the telly and I was off
to ‘see my bitches’. For one night only at The Manchester Evening News Arena - Les and I were gonna be ‘Rude Girls,’ and we didn’t care what anyone else thought.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Back up north at Mum’s for the night I wasn't spag-bol-freezing wife and jean-washing mother - I was a dangerous daughter again. And like old (ok <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">very</i> old) times, Mum
made our tea and Lesley’s Dad drove us to the venue... yeah baby I'm a rock star!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD-s1cyzL-9uFiRjDk8m0hxnfrzZ6bn5Gnqs2rPtDpiXQ1rbGXlp-0b2NGJCpgOZt499PRNCfwd3E4ugdwAIDKEZcU8ZgOvZ432AUOeCUIJh21Q-vM-eYHYOuFkidKgywajg3yV5Jk-4ag/s1600/Rihanna+108.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD-s1cyzL-9uFiRjDk8m0hxnfrzZ6bn5Gnqs2rPtDpiXQ1rbGXlp-0b2NGJCpgOZt499PRNCfwd3E4ugdwAIDKEZcU8ZgOvZ432AUOeCUIJh21Q-vM-eYHYOuFkidKgywajg3yV5Jk-4ag/s320/Rihanna+108.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Lesley and I warming up pre gig just drinking and getting our swag on ...</strong> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
Once at the arena Lesley ‘FaceBooked’ us and I texted my
daughter in my own version of Rihanna-speak saying; ‘check out FB we is all over dat shit!’ The textual silence
was deafening, she later claimed post traumatic stress and told me never to speak like that again because it was wholly inappropriate for someone of my advancing years. She's 14....</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Back at Rihannaworld, the set was amazing, all fire and
smoke and glitz, Rhi Rhi was on fire and after several bottles of profanely priced
rosé wine, so was I. The wine and the music enabled me to abandon that suburban wife back home with her dodgy dishwasher and I was there, dropping it like it was hot...one of Rihanna's bitches. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hesitate to mention it but - there was a moment ... a mere moment as we swayed to the music, singing along to Rude Boy like
coked-up <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>backing singers, when the ‘mother’
part of me cringed slightly. Rhi Rhi, so young (enough to be my daughter) and so pretty addressed the audience as ‘crazy shit.’ That cute little mouth then talked up a beautiful ballad as being about ‘fucked up love.’ Oh dear, I thought, in my
mother’s voice, but sipped at my <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">rosé</span> and brushed soap-in-that-mouth thoughts away to continue with the task in hand - accompanying Rihanna on the Manchester leg of her tour. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So for the next hour and a half I sang along animatedly about shooting ‘niggas,’ while urging men to ‘give it to me,’ quite hard and inviting them to ‘ride
my pony.’ <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God only knows what I was requesting
and back in the cold light of day I can only assure you there is none of that going on in my Barratt Show Home thank you very much! Me and ma ho Rihanna is different bitches in different shit... and that's why it's so liberating to imagine being someone else in such a different life - as a writer I do it all the time.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXFFFk2m3RArKlvIL5nsemniHyTwsL8o2pfiHYpG7-U1ghS_d868qaxJLP88UO_vTdwIEHMaBx1kJgQZGDUxdT3WIKpJUGTKRxr768rxTorKiJzkgn-rQwPtppgEgAf811OVnITnOtyRD3/s1600/Rihanna+165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXFFFk2m3RArKlvIL5nsemniHyTwsL8o2pfiHYpG7-U1ghS_d868qaxJLP88UO_vTdwIEHMaBx1kJgQZGDUxdT3WIKpJUGTKRxr768rxTorKiJzkgn-rQwPtppgEgAf811OVnITnOtyRD3/s320/Rihanna+165.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLZg_d2ozW1scEKBzSXtpsNdd1SV9O27ty84vnCHW9W4O6UCqMvWSXoZZBs478_XQdKlkHvEm8g2v33DAtKTaqBHP-TsbZOaNhLxUCdh5uR28WV3XHR1yTFcS4zH3rlADw2aSwtQx_N34h/s1600/Rihanna+165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></a> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ma girrrrrl Rihanna bustin the moves... Les and I mirrored this move from our seats</span></strong></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
So after Rihanna, Les and I had sung our last song, we wandered into the hot night, infused
with wine and freedom, imagining our own thighs as twirly and firm as Rihanna's. It was probably the heat, but the daughter part of me suddenly felt a frisson of rebellion. Waiting for our lift home in the
steaming streets of Manchester I was
sixteen again and asked Lesley what she thought her 85-year-old Dad's reaction would be if in the car I started talking about ‘hoes and weed and shit?’ </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“He’ll think you’re talking about gardening and offer you some 'Weed and feed,'” she said without missing a beat.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
So my forty-something teen rebellion may go unnoticed... for now. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But watch this space...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></div>
Sue watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07286069797889683224noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8032490170619640368.post-71666135903999484862013-05-19T09:58:00.000-07:002013-05-20T01:58:47.496-07:00English Rose Fairy Cakes <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Constantia; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">As today is World Baking Day and
we’re still waiting for Summer to appear, I thought it might be pertinent to
offer a little summer scented sunshine. These fragrant fairies are reminiscent of a garden in summer and perfect with
a cup (fine china of course dear) of Earl Grey tea and a Jane Austen novel.</span> </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5lJFikcL6YERbHW27OAT7qPMaAKt-bWo-EPSw7nKfgCpCmWq60zAgZrHGcZ4gjM9xOMya5wcDbVANnOTffz6k-mMlnXjzK_s0RfFkdjYvPTirBwPqhxXGtjawrZYHgpo-FqjuaqZqPTUu/s1600/095.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5lJFikcL6YERbHW27OAT7qPMaAKt-bWo-EPSw7nKfgCpCmWq60zAgZrHGcZ4gjM9xOMya5wcDbVANnOTffz6k-mMlnXjzK_s0RfFkdjYvPTirBwPqhxXGtjawrZYHgpo-FqjuaqZqPTUu/s320/095.JPG" width="309" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Rose Scented Fairy Cakes </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<u><span style="font-family: Constantia;"><strong>Ingredients<o:p></o:p></strong></span></u></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Constantia;">115g or 4 oz butter</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Constantia;">115g or 4 oz caster sugar</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Constantia;">2 free range eggs</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Constantia;">115g or 4 oz self raising flour</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Constantia;">1 tablespoon rose water</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Constantia;">12 pretty pink paper cases</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<u><span style="font-family: Constantia;"><strong>Rose Icing<o:p></o:p></strong></span></u></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Constantia;">200g or 7 oz Icing Sugar</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Constantia;">4 tablespoons rose water</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<u><span style="font-family: Constantia;"><strong>Frosted Petals<o:p></o:p></strong></span></u></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Constantia;">12 freshly plucked rose petals </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Constantia;">1 egg white</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Constantia;">1 tablespoon caster sugar</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Constantia;"><u><strong>Method</strong></u><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Constantia;">Pre-heat the oven to 180°c/350°f/Gas
Mark 4 and fill a cake pan with 12 large paper cases – or 24 small ones (for
the less robust). Now beat the sugar and butter together until light and
fluffy, add the eggs one at a time and keep beating. Now sift the flour and
fold it into the mixture. Open the rosewater and stop and smell the roses for a
minute ah...that’s better. Now stir in the rosewater and put the heavenly
scented batter into the fairy cases and pop into the oven for about 20 minutes
until golden and springy to the touch. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Constantia;">As the cakes bake, filling the kitchen with divine
fragrance, imagine you’re in a rose garden and pluck petals from a (preferably
pink) rose and brush each rose petal with the egg white, covering it
completely, but lightly (don’t soak it.*) Now with a fragrant flourish,
sprinkle with caster sugar and leave to dry.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Constantia;">NB* I find garden roses are great for crystallizing
but tend to wrinkle more than bought, cut roses so be very light with the egg
white.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left;">
<u><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Constantia;"><strong>For the icing<o:p></o:p></strong></span></span></u></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Constantia;">Once the cakes are cooled, begin
on the icing. Mix the sugar and rose water together to form a thick paste and
add the tiniest drop of pink food colouring (to match the rose petal colour or
perhaps a little lighter). Apply icing to the cooled cakes and top with a
sugared rose petal. Dig out your best china, place exquisite rose-topped fairy
on the china, make a pot of pale golden Earl Grey and enjoy a little Jane
Austen under a willow tree in the garden.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Constantia;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Constantia; font-size: x-small;"> </span></o:p></div>
</div>
Sue watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07286069797889683224noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8032490170619640368.post-17763560610460487312013-04-27T04:28:00.000-07:002013-07-20T11:14:12.083-07:00Pink Wellies, Flat Caps and Someone Else's Snickers Bar<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">I
recently read a very funny book – Pink Wellies and Flat Caps and just knew that
the author would be my kinda gal. So having enjoyed a lovely session of book
chat, coffee, cake (and a '<a href="http://lrcook.wordpress.com/">mix-up' over Maltesers</a>) at her place, I invited the fabulous Lynda Renham over to mine. My mission was to discover her writing secrets, over copious coffee and cake.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCef6A8HOAD1Y81tE0qeI-8YYI9EzALHpMZjVCL-nqt7uOU91x8cdSNJYRIXAVTcozvl-YKu9VymJp5BWPPfL_12_kmHQvlfWyB7qMfuK_FydPMQYgbIdHcfNF5FwneJc-QNgYCPYFke91/s1600/Lynda+Renham.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCef6A8HOAD1Y81tE0qeI-8YYI9EzALHpMZjVCL-nqt7uOU91x8cdSNJYRIXAVTcozvl-YKu9VymJp5BWPPfL_12_kmHQvlfWyB7qMfuK_FydPMQYgbIdHcfNF5FwneJc-QNgYCPYFke91/s320/Lynda+Renham.JPG" width="312" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-no-proof: yes;"><v:shapetype coordsize="21600,21600" filled="f" id="_x0000_t75" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" stroked="f">
<v:stroke joinstyle="miter">
<v:formulas>
<v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0">
<v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0">
<v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1">
<v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2">
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth">
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight">
<v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1">
<v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2">
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth">
<v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0">
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight">
<v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0">
</v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:formulas>
<v:path gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect" o:extrusionok="f">
<o:lock aspectratio="t" v:ext="edit">
</o:lock></v:path></v:stroke></v:shapetype></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Lynda's latest book is the best-selling 'Pink Wellies and Flat Caps,' and tells the hilarious tale of Alice Lane, who has everything; a wonderful fiancé, a responsible job and a lovely
flat in Chelsea, but after a bra fitting her life goes tits up.
Homeless, and with just a sparkling engagement ring as a memory of her previous
life Alice accepts a live-in farm manager's job and discovers that things
actually can get worse. I was intrigued to know how Lynda saw Alice, so my first probing question was;</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></strong><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Lynda, I love Alice who
is feisty, funny and bright. The character is so well written I felt like I was alongside her during her
adventures in the country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> So i</span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">f Hollywood
called tomorrow and optioned the book for a film, who would you like to play
the part of Alice?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">If
Hollywood called tomorrow, the lost likely scenario is that I would drop dread
from a heart attack and would never get to shout ‘Emily Blunt.’ In my mind I
have no doubt that it should be her. I adored her performance in ‘The Devil
Wears Prada’ and she is so versatile. She would be perfect and of course we
would become best friends </span></i><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> Most importantly she is British and
would understand the British humour.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNxSenJCaDnAgqAFjsIX8mBCwPZAasRMCmlnMIqxnrcnkunp-H9OSYlrFrd2dwj4uH_FMUJ6jhBLZR-YTXXg1SNiec78z2IEO-gGgG0RqZq-0zSvqhwD31mKqG4hsWmEgxi4AP30I7FNFl/s1600/pink-wellies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNxSenJCaDnAgqAFjsIX8mBCwPZAasRMCmlnMIqxnrcnkunp-H9OSYlrFrd2dwj4uH_FMUJ6jhBLZR-YTXXg1SNiec78z2IEO-gGgG0RqZq-0zSvqhwD31mKqG4hsWmEgxi4AP30I7FNFl/s320/pink-wellies.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Yes,
I can definitely see Emily Blunt in the role, she would encapsulate the
vulnerability, intelligence and fun of Alice. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">It
seems you have always been a writer, and were writing stories as a child. So when
was the moment you decided to write your first novel?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">When
I was nineteen and I still have the original draft copy in a chest in our
summer house. I have written many since then and have numerous unpublished
novels knocking about the house. The moment I decided to go for it with comedy
was after my humorous blog took off. I had just returned from Turin where I had
gone to attend a wedding and where along with my mother in law we transported a
wedding cake. From this whole experience a small germ of an idea was
transplanted and later became ‘Wedding Cake to Turin’ My first comedy romance.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">What
a lovely story and around Italy too - such a romantic setting. So, your next book can you tell
us what it’s about, what’s inspired you to write this, and when we can get our
hands on a copy?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Ooh,
always reluctant to talk about WIP. But I can say that there is a monkey involved,
a few East End Gangsters, lots of misunderstandings and a touch of Downton
Abbey and of course a gorgeous hero. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Sounds
great! I know what you mean it’s always difficult to talk about a new book
because you don’t want to give anything away – yet at the same time you can’t
wait to share it with everyone. But with all that potential hilarity and a delicious hero, it
sounds like a winner already. </span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">The
hero is definitely the most gorgeous yet I think…the book’s out in September
and of course it also contains a huge amount of comedy.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">I
can’t wait! So while you’re slaving over a computer and spending afternoons
busy with gorgeous heroes at your writing desk, what do you nibble on? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Whatever
I can get my hands on… I even stole the builder’s Snickers bar from the fridge
when they were building our extension.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
would also buy them doughnuts and then steal one or two for myself. Shameful
but necessary for the creative juices to flow…<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Absolutely!
And as I always say, if it’s someone else’s chocolate it’s someone else’s
calories. <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"></span></o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"></span></span></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"></span></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"></span></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGpTyJ_2_CsGYK3Ws_85Pz0ZKOZ_Si0fduEnDqIHDdPyr6r9TYxWcy-rcxRl9NkYrdfbXW0zpLgdVNWqP9NXKOsQk4nzYV2O2BduUv2eO87rgI3VODsDz6VhGxqqRkzdYBtyeVbk753-tK/s1600/Gma+++Gdad's+70th+356.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGpTyJ_2_CsGYK3Ws_85Pz0ZKOZ_Si0fduEnDqIHDdPyr6r9TYxWcy-rcxRl9NkYrdfbXW0zpLgdVNWqP9NXKOsQk4nzYV2O2BduUv2eO87rgI3VODsDz6VhGxqqRkzdYBtyeVbk753-tK/s320/Gma+++Gdad's+70th+356.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stolen Snickers Bar</span></div>
</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">So
apart from other people’s food calling from your fridge what keeps you awake at
night? <o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Guilt
at the number of doughnuts I’ve eaten that day and whether a spider may run
over my face, as happened once, and oh yes the plot of my novel, of course…<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Ah
yes, doughnuts... but let's not be side-tracked by soft dough yielding to wickedly sharp yet sugary sweet raspberry jam - as can so easily happen. No we'll stay with writing...we will... for now. Back to books; a plot can cause many sleepless nights until it’s firmly nailed
down and what with a fear of spiders and Snickers calling from the fridge I can see you may have your work cut out. So who is your favourite writer? Have any writers inspired your own pen?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">I
have many. Iris Murdoch I particularly admire as was lucky to meet her husband
John Bayley and see her study. A new favourite writer is Kimberley Chambers, a
good friend. I am a huge fan of Salman Rushdie, Jo Carnegie, and Ronni Cooper. </span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><em>My
writing has been more inspired by films than by books and Richard Curtis I
admire greatly.</em> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Yes I am also inspired by films and as a writer of romantic
comedy I can see how Richard Curtis films (Bridget Jones, Love Actually,
Notting Hill etc) would be the perfect inspiration for you. Me too!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Do
you have a favourite book or books?<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Several.
‘The Heart Listens’ by Helen Van Slyke. I never forgot the main protagonist
Elizabeth Quigley. ‘End of the Affair’ Graham Green. ‘Calico Palace’ by Gwen
Bristow and ‘Blood Secrets’ by Craig Jones. I also loved ‘The Feud’ by
Kimberley Chambers and ‘The Sea The Sea’ by Iris Murdoch.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Talking
of favourite books, one of mine is Stephen King’s psychological thriller, ‘Misery.’
Paul Sheldon the novelist in the book has various rituals while writing and on
completion of each novel indulges in a cigarette to celebrate. Do you have a
special treat you enjoy when you finish that final sentence?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Not
really because it is quite a worry knowing if it will be received well…But if
it does go well, however, we would celebrate with some bubbly.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">That sounds perfect! So until the new book is completed and you open that bubbly, more coffee? It’s
been so delicious sharing cake and some of your writing secrets Lynda so while I put the kettle on, here’s
a final, silly but extremely vital question; if you were a cake, what would you be?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">A
fruitcake, in fact sometimes my husband thinks I am one!</span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><strong>Ha ha... that reminds me, do help yourself to another fairy cake... and thanks so much for joining me.</strong></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEIzBT8fh1H3gxbKugFGcxmLy6N-FpCKXPua1udU3hqepPHCtsI8LizMd53PJ1zOlXiEciR6Z8qkNutAmvgYOebtBvyCycI5mMmhF7wse8p-Yo35lWn4mkxQP-sWIwuUdlfajAl4nPXf2D/s1600/112.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEIzBT8fh1H3gxbKugFGcxmLy6N-FpCKXPua1udU3hqepPHCtsI8LizMd53PJ1zOlXiEciR6Z8qkNutAmvgYOebtBvyCycI5mMmhF7wse8p-Yo35lWn4mkxQP-sWIwuUdlfajAl4nPXf2D/s320/112.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span> </div>
<br />
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><strong>To
read more about Lynda go to her blog here.<o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
<a href="http://lrcook.wordpress.com/tag/lynda-renham/"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;">http://lrcook.wordpress.com/tag/lynda-renham/</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Facebook </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/lynda.cook" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.facebook.com/lynda.cook</span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<strong><span style="font-family: Arial;">Follow her on<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/Lyndarenham">https://twitter.com/Lyndarenham</a></span></span></strong><br />
<div class="yiv113513668msonormal" style="margin: 1em 0cm 15.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">And
if you want to know more about Pink Wellies and Flat Caps (how could you
not?)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then pop over to <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pink-Wellies-Flat-Caps-ebook/dp/B00BD2PSRE/ref=tmm_kin_title_0">Amazon</a></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Sue watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07286069797889683224noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8032490170619640368.post-68220685672501058992013-04-19T15:20:00.001-07:002013-07-24T03:18:19.005-07:00The Wind Beneath my Bingo Wings!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">One evening last week when
I should have been ironing or cleaning the cooker (or poking my eyes out with
rusty nails), I was lying on the sofa eating a Twix and texting my BFF. Like a
teenager, I was telling her (between bites of shortcake and toffee chocolate)
what a fat pig I am and how I'd never be slim for summer. I’d gained five pounds
over Easter weekend was now the size of a small car and between mouthfuls
of chocolate was bemoaning the fact that I’d eaten my own weight in Easter eggs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This year my beach wear would as usual involve 400 yards of black jersey, accessorized with a large ice-cream and a
deep resentment for bikini bodies.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">I’ve known my friend Lesley
since we were sixteen, and if texting had been invented then I reckon our texts
would have been exactly the same as they are now. The stuff that concerned us
then worries us still and the dynamic between us hasn't changed. Over the
years we’ve taken part in the narrative of each other’s lives - a narrative often driven by
weight, and how to lose it. Like most women, I can tell you what I weighed on
my wedding day, but the day I passed my Driving Test? Oh yes, and the day I was
dumped and every high day and holiday in between. I’m like a fat memory man –
give me a date and I’ll tell you what I weighed on that day in that year... sadly, I could probably give it to you in minutes and ounces!</span> <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<o:p><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Recently, Lesley and I had a late night ‘life retrospective’ with a mountain of nibbles and a fountain of wine. We dug out some of our old college/holiday photos and I covered my
face waiting for the terrible sight of my teenage self. Ok I’d had a lot of red
wine, but as we went through them I was amazed at the two young women with
healthy figures and happy faces looking back through the years. We weren't
skinny or stunningly beautiful, but we weren't the fat, ugly, beasts we'd spent
our youth believing we were. It reminded me of a famous actress I once worked
with who said every time she saw herself on the TV she was amazed at how
gorgeous she was twenty years before. ‘If only I’d realised that then,” she
said. So where did we get the idea we were unworthy? Unloveable? And why did we
spend our teens telling ourselves we weren’t thin enough or pretty enough and
continue to do so throughout our twenties and thirties and beyond?<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">It made me think of a line from that lovely old American sit com The
Golden Girls, when Bea says;"She was in her twenties... at that age you're
pretty even if you aren't pretty..." <br />
And it’s so true, but the irony is, you only realise this profound truth when
you are too old to feel pretty anymore!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFLb3IZqUdI_6pOD5TB3uR0QTjDkO49DcmzX9benAK4Q5R49s9HSqXRNxkQ3DFUt2qCyOVl0QskLeOizdVIuXVQeqoqFG2OtTLiZmLpJ2R6bMueLBq4o2-vH_wzC48Xcypxu1Jo3Z-SJAY/s1600/Me+and+Les+in+Spain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFLb3IZqUdI_6pOD5TB3uR0QTjDkO49DcmzX9benAK4Q5R49s9HSqXRNxkQ3DFUt2qCyOVl0QskLeOizdVIuXVQeqoqFG2OtTLiZmLpJ2R6bMueLBq4o2-vH_wzC48Xcypxu1Jo3Z-SJAY/s320/Me+and+Les+in+Spain.jpg" width="290" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> '<strong>When we was Fat'</strong> - Lesley and I aged 18 - both covering our (non-existent) tummies.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Anyway, we’ve both been up
and down on the scales over the years, but in the past 12 months Lesley has
lost a lot of weight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She's always been
a bright, intelligent, attractive woman, but now she can add
slim to that list - and I couldn’t be more proud of her. I too have lost some weight
(doing 5:2, more of that in later posts) but am struggling with two tortuous stone, hence my Twix munching text to tell her I’d put on five pounds; "I'm so fed up about it I'm going to have a rest from dieting," I texted, like a petulant teenager; "I need to speed up my metabolism so I'm ‘resting’
my diet for a few days." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times;"></span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Lesley’s text came back.
“Why?” <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">That made me stop and think
(I even paused with the Twix... for about 4 seconds). I then carried on
munching until the next text: <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">“Why are you going to spend the next few days overeating? It's nothing to do with your metabolism, you have just eaten too much and if you carry on, you will just add another five pounds and have ten to lose next week. Don't do it.” I grumbled a bit
to myself, wiped the chocolate from my mouth, finished off the Twix (I hate
waste) and mounted that exercise bike (not pretty, but necessary).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">While pedalling away I
thought about how my whole life so far has been influenced by what I weigh. But
on the flip side it’s also about the friends I’ve shared (and am still sharing)
that fat journey with. It’s made us all the women that we are. We may struggle and
sweat and crucify ourselves over a cake, but essentially we’re healthy and can laugh at
ourselves and our flaws and we don’t take life too seriously. And you know that’s
not all bad.</span> <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">If I’d never felt fat I may
never have started chatting to Lesley somewhere in the eighties in the college
canteen (our first conversation involved the calories in that day's pie). She is my
oldest friend, and we’ve been through love, laughs, loss and many millions of
calories since then. We don't live as close as I'd like to any more, but we're always in touch and she’s been there for me and (I hope) I have for her too. I feel sorry for anyone who doesn’t have a friend like Lesley in their lives
- along with so much more, this girl carried my 3 tier wedding cake up 2 flights of stairs because she
didn’t trust anyone else to do it – that’s what I call a friend!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Scarily, though Lesley
sometimes knows me better than I know myself and she knew my text wasn’t about ‘resting’ my diet and I knew damn well it wasn't my metabolism either - I was really asking for her permission to binge. And as my
true friend, who has my interests at heart, she wasn’t prepared to give me that. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">So I listened to my friend and took her advice. I have suspended my love affair with the Twix and am now in the process of working through the painful separation with dignity. I spent
ten days eating healthily, got that five pounds off, will keep to a healthy eating plan and with any luck and a lot of will power will be wearing a little
less on the beach this summer. And I'm not doing this for vanity, or because I want to look like Kate Moss as I did in my youth - I'm doing this for me and my health.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Our lives have moved on, we're grown ups comfortable in our own bodies and we aren't 16 anymore, but my best friend will always be the wind beneath my bingo wings!</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM2GtALrL2dPLJ3QjTYNk9AOhT0cTsQ9M8x0XOM136stO22N0JecR_3ZAbf8urGneX4hzPgrCFa9KolHMd6TcQ_Ay7cEq-M6m0-41ijJl8G62yisre7VbSZIR4QO2oTldCHtSY8eWQ4MB6/s320/411060611-71.jpg" width="320" /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFLb3IZqUdI_6pOD5TB3uR0QTjDkO49DcmzX9benAK4Q5R49s9HSqXRNxkQ3DFUt2qCyOVl0QskLeOizdVIuXVQeqoqFG2OtTLiZmLpJ2R6bMueLBq4o2-vH_wzC48Xcypxu1Jo3Z-SJAY/s1600/Me+and+Les+in+Spain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFLb3IZqUdI_6pOD5TB3uR0QTjDkO49DcmzX9benAK4Q5R49s9HSqXRNxkQ3DFUt2qCyOVl0QskLeOizdVIuXVQeqoqFG2OtTLiZmLpJ2R6bMueLBq4o2-vH_wzC48Xcypxu1Jo3Z-SJAY/s1600/Me+and+Les+in+Spain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">... almost thirty years and millions of calories later, she's still the wind beneath my bingo wings.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFLb3IZqUdI_6pOD5TB3uR0QTjDkO49DcmzX9benAK4Q5R49s9HSqXRNxkQ3DFUt2qCyOVl0QskLeOizdVIuXVQeqoqFG2OtTLiZmLpJ2R6bMueLBq4o2-vH_wzC48Xcypxu1Jo3Z-SJAY/s1600/Me+and+Les+in+Spain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
</div>
Sue watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07286069797889683224noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8032490170619640368.post-88031217916287178452013-04-19T12:08:00.000-07:002013-04-19T13:07:58.939-07:00Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes and of course Maltesers <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="site-content" id="primary">
<div id="content" role="main">
<span style="color: #351c75;">Best-selling rom com author Lynda Renham interviewed me on her </span><a href="http://www.renham.co.uk/">blog</a><span style="color: #351c75;"> recently. We talked books, baking and being size ten. Look out for my interview with Lynda coming soon.</span><article class="post-2129 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-uncategorized tag-author-interview tag-books tag-chick-lit tag-fat-girls-and-fairy-cakes tag-fun tag-funny tag-humour-2 tag-maltesers tag-novelist tag-sue-watson tag-virginia-woolf" id="post-2129"><header class="entry-header">
<div class="entry-meta">
Posted on <a href="http://lrcook.wordpress.com/2013/04/17/fat-girls-and-fairy-cakes-and-of-course-maltesers/" rel="bookmark" title="10:41 am"><time class="entry-date" datetime="2013-04-17T10:41:38+00:00" pubdate="">April 17, 2013</time></a><span class="byline"> by <span class="author vcard"><a class="url fn n" href="http://lrcook.wordpress.com/author/lyndarenham/" rel="author" title="View all posts by lyndarenham">lyndarenham</a></span></span> <br />
</div>
<!-- .entry-meta --></header><!-- .entry-header -->
<div class="entry-content">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong>Meeting Sue Watson</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://lrcook.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/007-2.jpg"><img alt="007 (2)" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-2130" height="300" originalh="300" originalw="192" scale="1.5" src-orig="http://lrcook.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/007-2.jpg?w=192&h=300" src="http://lrcook.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/007-2.jpg?w=288&h=450" width="192" /></a><br />
</div>
There is nothing I enjoy more than talking to other writers. I love hearing
about their writing process. And today I am chatting to the lovely Sue
Watson. I’ve had to hide all the chocolate mind you and put a lock on the fridge
but apart from that it has been an enjoyable experience having her on my blog.
Sue is one very funny lady and if you haven’t read her book ‘Fat Girls and Fairy
Cakes’ then I suggest you pop over to <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fat-Girls-Fairy-Cakes-ebook/dp/B005L92JB8/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1366192404&sr=1-1&keywords=sue+watson">Amazon
</a>right now and download it onto your Kindle. You won’t regret it.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fat-Girls-Fairy-Cakes-ebook/dp/B005L92JB8/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1311071904&sr=1-1"><img alt="415WfYB9HJL._AA160_" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2132" height="160" originalw="869" scale="1.5" src="http://lrcook.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/415wfyb9hjl-_aa160_.jpg?w=869" width="160" /></a><br />
<br />
So with no further ado,
let’s crack on shall we and meet the lovely Sue. But be warned hide your
Maltesers. She’s already gone through my stash.<br />
First question to ask Sue
after plying her with coffee is of course,<br />
<br />
<strong>What made you first decide
to write a novel? And have you always wanted to be a
writer?</strong><br />
<em> I’d always wanted to write a novel, from being quite
young, but I’m quite lazy and the idea of sitting down and writing 100,00 words
plus was too daunting. I’d always been a writer in that I was a journalist
before I became a TV Producer. And when it became clear there was a novel
bubbling away in my head it was only a matter of time before I had to write it.
Working in TV was great fun, I met some amazing people and had some hilarious
times – and now I write about it. I still dabble in TV, and particularly enjoy
working on ideas for new programmes but the novel writing has won through and
that’s my main job now.</em><br />
<br />
<strong>And we are thrilled it is too. Now I don’t know about other writers
but when I get stuck, which seems to be often lately, the first place to get
raided is the fridge. I’d love to say it was the fruit bowl but hey… So is Sue a
girl after my own heart?</strong><br />
<strong>So Sue, what is your biggest
indulgence when writing. We’re all hoping you say chocolate to </strong><br />
<strong>make us all feel less guilty? <a href="http://lrcook.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/chocs.jpg"></a></strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://lrcook.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/chocs.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="chocs" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2140" height="224" originalw="869" scale="1.5" src="http://lrcook.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/chocs.jpg?w=869" width="224" /></a></div>
<em></em><br />
<blockquote>
<em>While writing, I eat only a few organic salad leaves and a litre of
water.</em></blockquote>
<strong>Oh no! I needn’t have locked the fridge and maybe it wasn’t Sue who
nabbed my Malteses. I take it all back…</strong><br />
<blockquote>
<em>As if! Unfortunately working from home means I’m far too close to the
fridge – and as I like my chocolate cold… well, you can probably guess the
rest.</em></blockquote>
<strong>What a relief, huh girls?</strong><br />
<strong>Now for the question
that always interests me. Computer or pen and paper and why?</strong><br />
<blockquote>
<em>Oh definitely a computer for ‘proper’ writing. I couldn’t even write a
sentence on pen and paper now. I sometimes wonder how I would have coped in the
past before computers. I use a pen and paper for notes and if I’m out and about
and suddenly have a great idea for a plot or character I stop everything to jot
it down, or I’ll forget. I will often pull the car over and delve into the
detritus of congealed sweets old tissues and melted chocolate in my handbag to
hunt down my note book. Being quite disorganised I can never find it and end up
scribbling ‘vital’ stuff on old receipts. Much of this ‘literary gold’ is of
course lost forever when I clean out my handbag and forget that the screwed up,
chocolate stained receipt contains the best plot I’ve ever
written!</em></blockquote>
<strong>So budding writers begin scouring dustbins now and email me for my
address. I need that ‘literary gold.’</strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<strong>Talking of literary gold, tell us about your current
novel.</strong><br />
<blockquote>
<em>Described as ‘a story of love, loss, friendship and cakes,’ Fat Girls and
Fairy Cakes is a romantic comedy about Stella Weston, a woman striving to be the
perfect wife, the perfect mother and the perfect career girl. She’s also
desperate for the perfect body and torn between a desire for slimness and a
passion for cake! When Stella’s life is suddenly turned upside down, she turns
to the mixing bowl for comfort, in the hope that zesty lemon sponge with
frosting will give her the courage to face an uncertain and scary
future.</em></blockquote>
<strong>Worth a read I reckon. But I’m curious to know if the main character
is based on you.</strong><br />
<blockquote>
<em>They say write what you know and there’s a lot of me in Stella Weston
(even our initials are the same). Like me she works in the world of TV, is
struggling with life and feeling torn between all the roles imposed on her. I
think as workers, wives, mothers and daughters all women feel this way at some
point and I certainly relate to Stella and the problems she faces. We also share
a sense of humour a love of baking and a futile desire to be size
ten!</em></blockquote>
<strong>Shall we move on from the size 10? You know, before we find ourselves
crying into our chocolate cupcakes. Let’s talk about something less depressing.
Finally having a room of one’s own at last and not feeling in the least like
Virginia Woolf, I couldn’t help wondering if Sue writes in a room of her own or
somewhere completely different.</strong><br />
<blockquote>
<em>When I gave up my job at the BBC with a rather naive plan to write a
novel I didn’t know if I’d ever get published and it felt a little premature to
even buy a desk, so I wrote on the kitchen table. I like being there as I’m not
cut off from the rest of the family and can get their input if necessary,
however this is a double-edges sword and sometimes hard to concentrate. On days
when I’m struggling with a scene or a character and everyone’s asking me stuff
and making a racket I think Virginia Woolf was right – a woman does need a room
of her own to write fiction! Of course there’s a major advantage to working in
the kitchen too – close proximity to the fridge (for chocolate), the oven (for
baking), and the kettle (for coffee), a writer’s most important equipment along
with a computer!</em></blockquote>
<strong>I’m obviously doing it all wrong and am much too far away from the
fridge. So, enough of the writing malarkey how about a little more about Sue
Watson and her lovely family and pets.</strong><br />
<blockquote>
<em>Originally I’m from Manchester, I moved to London in my twenties and now
live in Worcestershire with my journalist husband, Nick daughter Eve and two
cats. Harry and Poppy our cats are the same age both 7 and both lovely in their
own ways. Harry is a big furry moggy with weight issues and a weakness for
cheese while Poppy is a pretty little black cat who chats a lot.</em><br />
<em>We
did have a rather glamorous swishy tailed gold fish called Eddie. However, my
daughter decided she was a girl, so we changed her name to Edina. At the age of
3, having been resuscitated several times by my husband (‘the fish whisperer’),
Edina passed away peacefully in her sleep last year. We take comfort from the
fact she lived a full, fish film star life in a large tank with her own
underwater castle and regular supply of fishy nibbles.</em></blockquote>
<strong>Do you have a work in progress, something for us to look forward to?
I heard something about Nepal, did you go there?</strong><br />
<blockquote>
<em>I have been working on my current novel ‘Younger, Thinner, Blonder,’ for
almost two years. It’s due out in the Autumn and is the story of Tanya Travis, a
daytime talk-show host who enjoys all the designer handbags and high end
interiors that go with fame and money… until one day her life spirals out of
control. In the novel, Tanya visits Nepal, which is somewhere I haven’t been,
but would love to go to. And having done lots of research and spoken to many
different people, I feel like I know it very well.</em><br />
<em>In the novel is a
reality show, a gay actor, a sex-tape star, a couple of gorgeous guys and some
very expensive shoes. Yep, it’s my usual cocktail of highbrow, intellectual,
issue lead writing, but essentially a about love, fame and how what we want is
often different from what we need. I hope it’s a novel that makes readers think
– but not too much!</em></blockquote>
<strong>I’m thinking another one worth reading…Talking of reading, who are
your favourite authors?</strong><br />
<blockquote>
<em>I have so many favourites, and though I love chick-lit I also love
darker, edgier crime novels too. I loved ‘Gone Girl’ by Gillian Flynn and have
just downloaded Sharp Objects by the same writer. I’ve also recently discovered
a great writer called Lynda Renham and having thoroughly enjoyed her latest
novel ‘Pink Wellies and Flat caps,’ have started the fabulously titled,
‘Coconuts and Wonderbras.’</em></blockquote>
<strong>Ooh *blushes furiously* While I go off to fan myself can you tell us
your all-time favourite book?</strong><br />
<blockquote>
<em>Oh that’s sooo difficult! From Jane Austen to Khaled Hosseini I love
many, many books, all very different and all great in their own way. Can I cheat
this question a bit and tell you about one of my favourite all time writers
who’s written several of my favourite books instead? Jen Lancaster is a
best-selling American writer who is irreverent, very real and very, funny. She
has written several books about her life: ‘Bright Lights, Big Ass,’ ‘Bitter is
the New Black’ and ‘Such a Pretty Fat,’ are all favourites of mine and though I
don’t always agree with her politics I love her take on life and her humour. I
was recently beside myself with joy and extremely flattered when an American
reviewer on Amazon compared my writing to hers… what a
moment!</em></blockquote>
<strong>How flattering is that? You have us intrigued us now and I for one
will be looking up Jen Lancaster. Before you leave us Sue and eat me out of
house and home can you answer two fun questions?</strong><br />
<strong>Sweet or
savoury and why?</strong><br />
<blockquote>
<em>Mmmm. The honest answer to that would be just ‘food.’ My current
obsession with salted caramels and salty sweet popcorn probably straddles all
aspects of taste (and decency?). But if I really had to choose it would probably
be sweet. I adore chocolate, fresh cream cakes, biscuits, ice cream, hot
chocolate fudge sauce… I will stop there or this may become the longest blog
answer in the world ever!</em><br />
<em>Stop there, yes please else I’ll be
dribbling all over this blog posting.</em></blockquote>
<strong>Finally If you were a cheese what kind of cheese would you
be?</strong><br />
<em>Full fat cream cheese covered in chocolate –
obviously!</em><br />
<strong>Sue, thank you so much for coming onto my blog, I have enjoyed it
immensely.</strong><br />
<blockquote>
<em>Thank you so much for having me, this was great fun! xxx</em><br />
To read more about Sue go to her <a href="http://fatgirlsandfairycakes.blogspot.co.uk/">blog</a> here.<br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sue-Watson-Books/201121939909514">Better still join her on Facebook Sue Watson Books on Facebook</a><br />
Or Twitter https://twitter.com/suewatsonwriter<a href="https://twitter.com/suewatsonwriter">https://twitter.com/suewatsonwriter</a><br />
</blockquote>
</div>
</article><br /></div>
</div>
</div>
Sue watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07286069797889683224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8032490170619640368.post-22437809970847680202013-04-04T05:14:00.001-07:002013-07-20T11:14:26.270-07:00Procrastination 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I'm spending the next few days improving my blog... so please bear with me. My Blog Manager (who also happens to be my 14-year-old daughter) has abandoned her post to go shopping with friends so I have been left with this highly technical task.<br />
<br />
Ok yes... you guessed it, I have discovered playing around with the technical 'bits' of my blog is yet another way of avoiding doing any real work! Hopefully next time you call I'll be decent!<br />
Thanks for dropping by!</div>
Sue watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07286069797889683224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8032490170619640368.post-39881764989895707232013-04-03T07:50:00.002-07:002013-04-04T04:15:12.261-07:00Procrastination, Coffee Cakes and Big, Rich Texas<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, I haven’t blogged for a while. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve been deep in final edits for my second book and
though I am the world’s most committed procrastinator – even I had to do some real work
this time. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Completing a novel is bitter sweet. I can’t wait to share it, but I'll miss the world and the characters I've escaped to every day, and there'll be a little book-shaped hole in my life until the next one. Anyway, ‘Younger, Thinner, Blonder,’ is due out in the Autumn (<a href="http://www.rickshawpublishing.co.uk/"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">RickshawPublishing</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">) and writing this book has been quite a ride, taking me (and my editor Jo) from Manchester to Nepal and back again! </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> As a writer I'm fascinated by the ‘real’
life of a celebrity, and working in TV I was able to see this in close-up. The press and public intrusion, the crazy headlines and
the way celebrity life can cause someone to lose their grip on the truth is a scary watch. Being famous is often about hiding who you are so when the facade of fame slips, and there's no airbrushing, the truth can be sad, horrific and at times, hilarious. 'Younger, Thinner Blonder ' is about what it's really like to live in that world and through Tanya Travis, talk show host and 'diva of daytime,' we see another side of fame, success and a designer walk-in wardrobe. And none of it is quite what it seems. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And before you think I've gone all issue-lead and serious - don't worry, there’s also a reality show, a gay actor a sex-tape star, a couple of
gorgeous guys and some very expensive shoes - yep, it’s so high brow it hurts!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m now contemplating my next novel and procrastinating once more while nibbling at old Easter eggs and stale hot cross buns. It’s exciting to wonder where the next book will take me? There’s a pile of cuttings on the kitchen table, a secret file called ‘Book 3’ on my computer and among the detritus of receipts, congealed sweets and old tissues in my handbag, there are other vital clues. As yet I don't know enough to begin, the pieces need to come together in my head first - and they will. In the meantime I can only wonder: Will my heroine be a film star or a hairdresser? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Will she be m</span>arried, single or complicated? Will she live and love in an oceanside beach house in Malibu or a Barratt Showhome in Salford? Who knows? I love this job - I have a golden ticket to a mystery destination, I don’t know where it is or the characters I'll travel with - but I can’t wait!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So until I embark on that journey, there’s much procrastination to be done in the real world. It's vital that I watch (and am inspired by) the latest series of, ‘The Biggest Loser USA’ and it's a must to lust over the gilded decor and glitzy frocks in ‘Big Rich Texas.' I have shamefully neglected essential TV viewing while toiling over the book and these are just two of the many intellectual offerings on series link awaiting my consumption. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Telly Trash and a batch of freshly made coffee cakes - procrastination at it's finest - all cunningly disguised as writer’s research!</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbHysXZ_bvHsiHPJIYAtZ1BYclMBZJbnCW3ymtcmgyjUQNCRd-Guc3uoUw9SXXztXVrLzUoDLrnyodsuZ9FOSX-AvCVBmf96aoNcy7jEUgP8zSWnH4UhpQUSCQDlL0tp343kHo2uhiBXIt/s1600/224.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbHysXZ_bvHsiHPJIYAtZ1BYclMBZJbnCW3ymtcmgyjUQNCRd-Guc3uoUw9SXXztXVrLzUoDLrnyodsuZ9FOSX-AvCVBmf96aoNcy7jEUgP8zSWnH4UhpQUSCQDlL0tp343kHo2uhiBXIt/s320/224.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Coffee Fairy Cakes to Procrastinate with</div>
</span><br /></div>
</div>
Sue watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07286069797889683224noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8032490170619640368.post-81414315289400103202013-01-02T07:53:00.002-08:002013-04-04T03:57:00.101-07:00Blue Cheese, Self-Loathing and Festive Creams<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It’s that time of year again when I sit among the detritus of Christmas, stuffed with blue cheese and self-loathing. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have gorged Henry VIII style and almost resemble the portly, tights-wearing monarch (I'm just three chocolate brazils away from 'off with her head.') I hate myself but<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> t</span>his is the time of year when I can't help but listen to the voice of the ‘fat girl’ who makes me eat bad things. ‘Go on..." she says, "after all it’s Christmas.’ </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">But it’s now January and I can’t kid myself much longer, I have to face up to the fact I'm now nearing the end of my official festive, guilt-free, binge period. This is traditionally followed by post-festive self-flagellation in the form of a fast, now looming large on my horizon... I've bought the Slim Fast, but that fat girl keeps on talking.</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I know the season is about good will to all men etc but I allow myself total food consumption and culinary promiscuity. Some may see it as an opportunity to celebrate the birth of Christ, I see Christmas as a reason to eat until I feel physically sick. I also add alcohol (usually fizzy) to the nausea-inducing ritual and refuse to eat anything green unless it's covered in butter or wrapped in pastry and served with cocktails. But just when I thought I couldn't get more greedy, vile or inventive with my festive food consumption... I discovered a new, culinary low. It's the fault of Capitalism, it's relentless cry for us to consume... and the myriad Christmas creams it has made available in chiller cabinets near me. </span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">My downfall began in the second week of December while pondering low fat spreads. Unaware of what lay in wait I happened upon the explosion of exotic, liquer-infused creams languishing in the dairy section. Oh it's not new, we’ve all been there...a creamy accompaniment with alcoholic frisson over our Xmas Pud a lavish swathe on a warm mince pie. But these are a brave new breed of creams. They are frambois drenched, rum soaked, champagne-fuelled confections positively erotic in their promise of fresh cr</span></span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">eam fulfilment. They are the lapdancers of the chilled aisle and with one lustful glance our eyes met and I was lost. Reaching my warm hands round their cool, rotund pots I chose carefully, treating them gently when placing side by side in my basket, pretending even to myself that I would resist their charms until the big day (and they weren't all for me.) But the longing on the drive home, the caress of the lid opening and the <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">trembling spoon to my salivating mouth was too much. One lick and I was helpless to stop myself - I pulled over, tried them all, again and again thrashing and moaning with pleasure at the dense creamy heaven followed by the cheeky alcohol kick.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Once home I did the Framboise with tinned fruit, laid the Winter Spice cream on warm mince pies and quickly took the naughty French Grand Marnier dressed only in a spoon. And afterwards, I lay back on unyielding kitchen worktops, exhausted but complete. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">But festive cream is a monkey on my back and since that first time, I've experimented every which way </span>with my creams and just can't let them go. Those little tubs of cute, creamy, Christmasness might smile seductively from their shelves giving the come on and demanding you take them home, but they have a dark side. Once those bad boys kiss your tongue they become illicit cream combos and hold you in a vice-like grip from which you can't break free. And fresh double cream (even of the Jersey variety) just isn't enough anymore. Trust me, don't go there, you will never come back.</span></span></div>
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I admit I have a problem, and I've made the difficult and painful decision to go cold turkey... but not just yet. I owe it to myself and my family to take the bullet and consume the shameful dairy deliciousness that's still inhabiting my fridge. But how to go about this selfless act? I</span></span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">n the same way I wouldn’t make cheese on toast from Stilton (no THAT would be disgusting even for me) I can’t just slap ‘Mulled Pear and Ginger Cream’ on a few sliced bananas and hope for the best. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> T</span>hese elaborate creams belong in the same category as fine festive cheeses and are only available for a limited time. Consequently, they have to be treated with respect.</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Festive Cream requires... no <em>demands</em>, a special ‘vehicle’ on which to be delivered to ones mouth, so I contemplate the blank page of my third novel, while chewing half-heartedly on something left over from Christmas, with nuts in. But I can think only of my next cream. I’ve done it with Christmas cake, laid it on mince pies and bedded it with Xmas pudding. So where do you go when there's nowhere left to go? </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then I see it. Across the room. An enormous, sky scraper of a Christmas-sized Toblerone that only a fat person would consider putting in their mouth (a slim person would probably climb it). I <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>forget about writing and sit back to contemplate the spectacle of huge slabs of triangular chocolate covered in creamy, snowy, alcohol-infused peaks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> And</span> there's that voice again...the fat girl in my head; ‘go on... after all it’s New Year.’ </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I blame Capitalism.</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Sue watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07286069797889683224noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8032490170619640368.post-2292570705529558842012-10-17T03:58:00.000-07:002013-04-14T06:16:12.000-07:00Notes to My Daughter About Cake<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 1.75pt; mso-line-height-alt: 7.95pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 5.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<span style="color: #222222;">I'll never forget the first time I heard the
words to '<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5NAPZp2w-o"><span style="color: #1793c6;">Everybody's Free
to Wear Sunscreen</span></a>,' the 1997 hit spoken to music by Baz Luhrman. It was
1999, I'd just given birth to my daughter and the words resonated for me.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #222222;">'Sunscreen,' was a worldwide musical hit, but
originally written for a <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-schmich-sunscreen-column,0,4054576.column"><span style="color: #1793c6;">column
in The Chicago Tribune</span></a> by journalist Mary Scmich. To me it's a brilliant
piece of 20th/21st century writing, a poignant, understated 'list' of what we
should have known when we were younger - but didn't - because we were too young
to know. </span><br />
<br />
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="color: #222222;">I believe every young
woman should read it (but of course they won’t, and even if they do it won’t
mean anything, that’s the point). I recently bought a copy to give to my now
13-year-old and I will give it to her with tears in my eyes and she’ll think:
‘Oh no there goes mum again...’ She’ll humour me, but won't read it and no
doubt continue to think I’m uncool... and probably tell me so. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white;">
<u2:p></u2:p><span style="color: #222222;">Anyway,
inspired by the sentiment behind. ‘Wear Sunscreen,’ I decided to write my own
version and blog it. I'm no poet and it can't begin to compare with the
brilliant writing of Mary Schmich, it's just notes on life and cake from me to
my daughter Eve. </span></div>
<u3:p></u3:p>
<br />
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="color: #222222;">And one day in the
future my baby might stumble across this on the internet when I’m not here
anymore. She will be older, perhaps a mum herself, CEO of a company, a waitress
or a rock star - but when she finds it, you never know, she might just think:
‘My mum knew stuff , she was cool after all.’ </span><u3:p></u3:p></div>
<br />
<span style="color: #222222;">Or not...</span><br />
<br />
<div align="center" style="background: white; text-align: center;">
<u2:p></u2:p><strong><u><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span></u></strong> </div>
<div align="center" style="background: white; text-align: center;">
<strong><u><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Notes to My Daughter
About Cake</span></u></strong><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><u3:p>If
I only offered you one tip for the future, 'eat cake,' would be it. </u3:p></span></strong><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Know
that there are times when only warm, golden-sponged solace will provide comfort
in this cold, salad leaf world. </span></strong><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Know life is short and
every pink, glittery second counts. Don't waste it. </span><u3:p></u3:p></strong><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Know it
doesn’t really matter how you look or what you weigh, just love being you. </span></strong><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Know
those gorgeous models are starved and photoshopped. </span></strong><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div style="background: white;">
<strong><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><u2:p></u2:p>Know those men that hurt you are ‘bye bye.’</span></strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white;">
<strong><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Know you rock.</span></strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white;">
<strong><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Know it’s ok to dance, anywhere and everywhere, anytime.</span><u3:p></u3:p></strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white;">
<strong><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><u2:p></u2:p>Know you don’t have to beat yourself up if you eat
a doughnut. Eat <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">three
</i>doughnuts... hell, get a store card for Krispy Creme.</span></strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white;">
<strong><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><u2:p></u2:p>Know you can be anything you want to be at any time
in your life...only you can stop you.</span></strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white;">
<strong><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Know that no-one has the answers to everything, but believe in
yourself and you’ll find your way home. </span></strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<strong><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">And know you don't have to listen to your mother and it's ok to
live your own damned life. </span></strong><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white;">
<strong><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">But trust me ... on the cake.</span></strong></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<strong><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span></strong><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p><strong><span style="color: #222222;"></span></strong></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="separator" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-fOGTHHJhqemO2UtubShCO5_H1FCfDNWMfBD_pn-rHDQTER2UAjnXNfNceZQ6JAxpkv8TV3CbtSszJhpJz34_NOIXn-UdiYqhDDPF7vGuC1HN0JyWTXq1wYk9-QvkffwtKZLP4cEcvJw2/s1600/Eve.jpg" imageanchor="1"><span style="color: blue; mso-no-proof: yes;"><v:shapetype coordsize="21600,21600" filled="f" id="_x0000_t75" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" stroked="f">
<v:stroke joinstyle="miter">
<v:formulas>
<v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0">
<v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0">
<v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1">
<v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2">
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth">
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight">
<v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1">
<v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2">
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth">
<v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0">
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight">
<v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0">
</v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:formulas>
<v:path gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect" o:extrusionok="f">
<o:lock aspectratio="t" v:ext="edit">
</o:lock></v:path></v:stroke></v:shapetype><v:shape alt="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-fOGTHHJhqemO2UtubShCO5_H1FCfDNWMfBD_pn-rHDQTER2UAjnXNfNceZQ6JAxpkv8TV3CbtSszJhpJz34_NOIXn-UdiYqhDDPF7vGuC1HN0JyWTXq1wYk9-QvkffwtKZLP4cEcvJw2/s320/Eve.jpg" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-fOGTHHJhqemO2UtubShCO5_H1FCfDNWMfBD_pn-rHDQTER2UAjnXNfNceZQ6JAxpkv8TV3CbtSszJhpJz34_NOIXn-UdiYqhDDPF7vGuC1HN0JyWTXq1wYk9-QvkffwtKZLP4cEcvJw2/s1600/Eve.jpg" id="Picture_x0020_1" o:button="t" o:spid="_x0000_i1025" style="height: 240pt; mso-wrap-style: square; visibility: visible; width: 188.25pt;" type="#_x0000_t75">
<v:imagedata o:title="Eve" src="file:///C:\Users\SUSANW~1\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image001.jpg">
</v:imagedata></v:shape></span></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-fOGTHHJhqemO2UtubShCO5_H1FCfDNWMfBD_pn-rHDQTER2UAjnXNfNceZQ6JAxpkv8TV3CbtSszJhpJz34_NOIXn-UdiYqhDDPF7vGuC1HN0JyWTXq1wYk9-QvkffwtKZLP4cEcvJw2/s1600/Eve.jpg" imageanchor="1"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC1NrIRlsR5lc-rNVfLEyFsfZRcEZttToo0kh7q2odOFiLSV1fwr86B6Pb-76LBdWWEr4G3gr_0kmB8NQ_z5riUIZEjnZNBd9qotAMROOlTUBDAY8qN5vL5oJ15GxwxCV9QtI4UdPkQWij/s1600/Eve.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC1NrIRlsR5lc-rNVfLEyFsfZRcEZttToo0kh7q2odOFiLSV1fwr86B6Pb-76LBdWWEr4G3gr_0kmB8NQ_z5riUIZEjnZNBd9qotAMROOlTUBDAY8qN5vL5oJ15GxwxCV9QtI4UdPkQWij/s320/Eve.jpg" width="251" /></a></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<br />
Eve.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 1.75pt; mso-line-height-alt: 7.95pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 5.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 1.75pt; mso-line-height-alt: 7.95pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 5.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 1.75pt; mso-line-height-alt: 7.95pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 5.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Sue watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07286069797889683224noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8032490170619640368.post-5396478855624417242012-09-16T14:11:00.001-07:002013-04-04T03:59:32.139-07:00Autumn Comfort Crumble<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYIZjN959Jxfuw6VWNW3mth2tRbyHx9w1K2ScKQryvOLFEw471kiwjgsYnSRK2GqFJQE0LhU2nDLGaq9Al4bKi1JByPCUSf_jzD0LdUrvlEX-G-8fZ-i909AZPIENS0ROkSaO60CG5B2mw/s1600/009+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYIZjN959Jxfuw6VWNW3mth2tRbyHx9w1K2ScKQryvOLFEw471kiwjgsYnSRK2GqFJQE0LhU2nDLGaq9Al4bKi1JByPCUSf_jzD0LdUrvlEX-G-8fZ-i909AZPIENS0ROkSaO60CG5B2mw/s320/009+(2).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
So as fallen leaves turn to damp cornflakes underfoot and those last shards of summer disappear behind swollen grey clouds, I'm feeling that first frisson of Autumn. I've had enough of caring if the sun will come out, sitting at washed out picnics and pretending it's summer on chilly sea fronts spattered with rain. No this is Autumn with no expectations save new school shoes and a momentary flash of amber and gold in the trees before they fall. And my favourite bit about Autumn is that it gives us permission to lock our doors, batten down the hatches and just stay in. We don't even have to be skinny anymore (until next year's beach panic sets in anyway). So to embrace those dark-too-soon Autumn weekend afternoons of snuggling on the sofa watching old films and eating comfort food, I've devised an Autumn Comfort Crumble made with blackberries from the garden or the hedgrow.<br />
<br />
So put the barbie and the garden chairs in the garage until next year, pop into the garden for one last time and pick as many blackberries as your bowl will hold. Lock the front door, turn on the oven and create your own little bit of Autumn Comfort. <br />
<br />
<u></u><br />
<h4 class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: left;">
<u>Fruit Filling</u></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">1 oz butter</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">1kg Blackberries </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">(just fill a big bowl if you're picking)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">3 teaspoons cinnamon</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">4 tablespoons muscovado (or soft brown) sugar (or to taste - blackberries can be sharp)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">2 -3 teaspoons orange zest</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><br />
<br />
<h4 class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: left;">
<u>Crumble Topping<o:p></o:p></u></h4>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">8oz (225g) plain flour</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">3oz (75g) butter at room temperature</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">3-4 oz (75 -110g) soft brown sugar</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">1 teaspoon cinnamon</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<u><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Method<o:p></o:p></strong></span></u></div>
Put on your lounging pyjamas and an apron and p<span style="font-family: Calibri;">re-heat the oven to Gas Mark 4, 350f 180c.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Put the butter into a pan and add the muscovado or brown
sugar, warm on a moderate heat until the butter has melted and the sugar
dissolved. Now tumble all those juicy blackberries into the pan add the cinnamon
and cook gently for between 5-10 minutes. Relax a little and make your afternoon movie choice until the berries have absorbed some of
the fluid and are sitting in a fabulous Autumny syrup.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Now put the syrup and fruit into an oven proof dish and set aside.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Measure the butter and flour and place in a large mixing
bowl. Rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until it's evenly
distributed and has a breadcrumb texture. Keep adding a little flour if you're hot-handed like me and it goes a bit gloopy on your fingers! Add the sugar and cinnamon and
combine into the flour and butter mix. With a large spoon, transfer the topping
to the fruit, laying it evenly until it is all used up. Now add any extra
topping you desire, orange zest, chopped nuts or almonds sprinkling liberally
on the top of the crumble.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the topping is tinged with
golden brown and the fruit is bubbling. Allow to cool a little, then fill a dessert bowl with hot, juicy crumble and pour on some piping hot custard or chilled clotted cream. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now grab some DVDs, a wooly throw and a pot of tea and take to the sofa for a comforting Autumn afternoon. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
These quantities serve 4 hungry people in need of deep Autumn comfort. <span style="font-family: Calibri;">Bring it on!</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<u><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span></o:p></u></div>
</div>
Sue watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07286069797889683224noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8032490170619640368.post-17278529543738746392012-05-11T03:10:00.005-07:002013-04-05T03:59:29.643-07:00Fifty Shades of Fat<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Call me a glutton for punishment – well, just call me a glutton really – but I have gone and done it again. Oh yes, having perched and protruded on a zillion rickety chairs in a million church halls being preached to about syns, calories and points along with all the usual fascist (fattist?) teachings of a perfectly proportioned leader - I have joined yet another slimming club. To say this is a road already well-travelled would be a slight understatement as my reputation goes before me in the world of pounds and puddings. As a serial slimmer I am notorious with every slimming club leader within a fifty mile radius of my home. We all know there is little hope - me and slimming clubs are to fat what Liz Taylor and Richard Burton were to true love. Like those star-crossed Hollywood lovers, I keep going back, seduced by promises that this time it will be different. But just like Richard and Liz, the passion soon dies, reality sets in and I'm faced with failure, disappointment and divorce. </span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So as a shiny new member of a slimming club (again) I'm ignoring lessons from the past and devouring pictures of cake porn while imagining warm scones slathered with cold butter. All the time I'm filling my hungry head with obsessive internal maths: ‘If I lose 2 pounds a week then in six weeks time I’ll be blah...’ Unfortunately ‘blah’ is a good way of describing my waistline right now. It’s sort of fat and meaningless. But my life isn’t – it’s fun and full and busy and happy – so why do I feel the need to drag myself to a cold prefab on a warm day and pay to sit zombie-like in front of someone who's telling me stuff I already know? Why? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Because </span>I am in thrall to freshly baked, crusty bread, red wine and gooey Brownie heaven in a way I never could be with an apple – no matter how ‘crisp’ and ‘green’ and ‘fresh.’ Does chocolate taste as good as slim feels? No, it damn well doesn't, the chocolate tastes so much better. When I want stick-to-the-roof-of-my-mouth chocolate goo - I want it now! And I will never, in that single, lustful moment, equate what I’m putting in my mouth with the consequences to my hips. This is why, for most of my life I have worn varying shades of fat. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> But I will go on, swimming against the tide, joining slimming classes year on year like some crack head looking for a cure. And over the next few weeks I’ll count syns, points, calories pounds and proteins in an OCD checking fashion while wondering why I’m so obsessed with food (!!). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But what else can I do? I know slimming clubs aren’t the real answer, but failing an intervention from <a href="http://www.jillianmichaels.com/">Jillian Michaels</a>, the alternative is too horrific to bear. Left to my own devices and desires I would embrace the heavily buttered warm scones and engulf deep chocolate cake harbouring whipped, fresh cream without guilt or self flagellation. Oh but I already did that ...and trust me the results ain't pretty. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So it’s rickety chairs in church halls and confessional classes filled with guilt and envy and maths and Summer’s coming and I can’t do another sweaty holiday of black jersey and bulging bingo wings. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And if I eat 1,000 calories a day I could lose two pounds a week and then in six weeks I could be ...blah?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ll keep you posted....</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Sue watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07286069797889683224noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8032490170619640368.post-34017504924417158542011-12-16T06:03:00.000-08:002013-04-05T04:39:06.387-07:00Strictly Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Having enjoyed Russel Grant more than anyone else in this year's Strictly, (he will always be my winner) - I want to celebrate the final of Strictly Come Dancing and share my recipe for Chilli Chocolate Cha Chas. This fairy cake recipe is from the 'Strictly Collection,' as made by Stella, the heroine of 'Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes' and is a sparkly little titbit to be enjoyed while watching Chelsee Pasha, Harry & Aliona and Jason & Kristina dance under the glitter ball at Blackpool Tower on Saturday night. So as they Rumba, Salsa, Tango and Jive their way through the evening, put your feet up, pour a large glass of wine and enjoy your own kind of cha cha! <span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span> </span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">So here it is - put on your dancing shoes - get in the kitchen and create a slice of strictly with this little twinkle-toed-tit-bit from Stella’s recipe collection.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><u>Chocolate Chilli Fairy Cha Chas with Spangly Frills <o:p></o:p></u></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: magenta;"> <span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">These simple-to-make cheeky little fairies are lively, sweet and just a little bit spicy. The heat is in the buttercream, so if you are baking for children or don’t like chilli, just bake the cakes as directed and leave the chilli out of the buttercream... they are still cha chas, just a little more restrained. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: magenta;">Now before you begin just let your hips sway very slowly, feel that music and just let those Latin rhythms pulse through the body as you cha cha round the kitchen collecting the ingredients.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Makes about 12 cha chas!<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">N.B The recipe is in the back of Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes – so if you haven’t quite finished reading it stay ‘strictly’ with the recipes – and no peeking to see what happens at the end!<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: magenta;"></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: magenta;"> <span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I<u>ngredients <o:p></o:p></u></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: magenta;"><u><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></span></u><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">2 free range eggs<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: magenta;">110g or 4oz caster(?) sugar<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: magenta;">110g or 4oz self raising flour<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: magenta;">110g or 4oz butter melted<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: magenta;">½ tablespoon cocoa powder<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: magenta;">12 red metallic paper cases (they remind me of strappy scarlet dancing shoes). <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: magenta;"></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: magenta;"> <u><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Chilli Buttercream<o:p></o:p></span></u></span></span><br />
<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="ingredient" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: magenta;">70g or 2 ½ oz butter, softened<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="ingredient" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: magenta;">140g or 5oz icing sugar<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="ingredient" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: magenta;">25g or 1oz cocoa <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="ingredient" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: magenta;">1-2 tablespoons milk<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="ingredient" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: magenta;">¼ level teaspoon chilli (or to taste)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="ingredient" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: magenta;">½ teaspoon cinnamon<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="ingredient" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: magenta;">½ tablespoon milk<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="ingredient" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: magenta;">Red sparkly bits and edible red glitter<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: magenta;"></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: magenta;"> <u><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Method<o:p></o:p></span></u></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: magenta;"> Cha cha over to the oven and turn it to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and fill cake tins with paper cases. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: magenta;"> Now whisk the eggs and sugar together in a bowl until light and fluffy – all the time swaying those hips and taking little cha cha steps (it improves the texture, trust me). Slow down the tempo now and <u>fold</u> in the flour, cocoa and melted butter.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: magenta;"><o:p> </o:p>Spoon mixture into scarlet stilettos (or shiny red paper cases)and bake for 20-25 minutes until springy to the touch.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: magenta;"><o:p> </o:p><u>For the frosting<o:p></o:p></u></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: magenta;"> When the cakes have chilled out on their wire rack – they will be ready for their dancing dresses. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: magenta;">Beat the butter in a large bowl until soft. Add half of the icing sugar and beat until smooth.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Add the remaining icing sugar, chilli and cinnamon and the milk and beat the mixture until creamy and smooth. Check the taste and add a little more chilli if you fancy something hot, hot, hot and beat in extra milk, if necessary, to loosen the mixture.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span>Now top those cha cha fairies and throw on some red sparkles and bling, take a big chocolate chilli bite and dance the night away.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This recipe along with many others – including the outrageously Christmassy, ‘Inebriated Christmas Tarts,’ and ‘Cranberry and White Chocolate Christmas Fairies,’ can be found in ‘Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes.’ The book is available in paperback and kindle from </span><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fat-Girls-Fairy-Cakes-Watson/dp/0956536824/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1311071904&sr=1-1"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Amazon</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: magenta;">, all good online booksellers and in some Waterstone’s stores. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: magenta;"></span></span></div>
<a href="http://www.fatgirlsandfairycakes.co.uk/"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.fatgirlsandfairycakes.co.uk/</span></a><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: magenta;"></span></span></div>
<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB43KkPpgiVMjqTxOWKESclS69Gi34jTQI4n9-5EKhIFdzsedHThx_RpK_5liWexK_iVp0Ej_i25QfbCF8RaoDYkNcDoClzHp5uTTXx3utV-nv7Tpt6V7qIKykkMgTkHLMdnlTRf4Kb4Ue/s1600/Chocolate+chilli+fairy+cah+chas+with+spangly+frills.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB43KkPpgiVMjqTxOWKESclS69Gi34jTQI4n9-5EKhIFdzsedHThx_RpK_5liWexK_iVp0Ej_i25QfbCF8RaoDYkNcDoClzHp5uTTXx3utV-nv7Tpt6V7qIKykkMgTkHLMdnlTRf4Kb4Ue/s320/Chocolate+chilli+fairy+cah+chas+with+spangly+frills.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The Chocolate Chilli Cha Cha in her spangly red frills.</div>
</span><br /></div>
Sue watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07286069797889683224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8032490170619640368.post-85946217666885276712011-09-06T06:45:00.000-07:002013-04-05T04:11:34.271-07:00Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes Goes Live!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Well it's about to happen - Fat Girls and fairy cakes is out on Thursday and the ebook is available now. I'm excited and delighted and worried that no-one will buy it and if they do they might not like it and..... oh all those things a new writer (probably any writer) goes through before a book comes out. <br />
Anyway I'm very lucky - I have had a ton of support from everyone. Thanks to <a href="http://www.rickshawpublishing.co.uk/">Rickshaw Publishing</a> who have nurtured my writing and given me my own happy ending by realising my dream. I have also had lots of encouragement and cake from all my family and friends - not to mention my lovely literary tweeps at <a href="http://loveahappyending.com/">Love a Happy Ending</a>. And a big thank you to all the magazines who have provided such lovely reviews this week - Take a Break, Closer, Now, Bella and Candis have all said wonderful things about Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes.<br />
I'll be doing signings at Waterstone's stores around the country in the next couple of months and once I've finalised my 'Fat Girls on Tour' schedule I'll post it here in the hope that someone who reads my blog will come and say hello! <br />
<br />
Hope you buy the book.....hope you like it! x<br />
<br />
<span style="color: magenta;"><strong>A sparky, Funny debut novelthat combines a cute chick-lit tale with cake recipes. What's not to like about that? <span style="color: #3d85c6;">Bella </span></strong></span><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: magenta;">Don't read this on an empty stomach! </span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="color: magenta;">Book of the Week in</span> Now </span></strong><br />
<br />
<span style="color: magenta;"><strong>You'll want to devour this smart and fabulously funny read in one go! <span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Closer</span> ****</strong></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: magenta;"><strong><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sue Watson’s debut novel is as every bit delicious as the cakes she describes. With an obnoxious boss and a demanding family life, you’ll be rooting for the fabulous heroine right up until the last pages. Treat yourself to this engaging read, and make sure you’ve got a glass of wine and a sugary treat to hand – you’ll feel very hungry otherwise!”<o:p></o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Take a Break<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></strong> </span><br />
<span style="color: magenta;"></span><br />
<span style="color: magenta;"></span><br />
<span style="color: magenta;"><div class="yiv633354023msonormal" style="margin: 1em 0cm;">
<strong><span style="background-color: white; color: magenta; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Laugh out loud funny ...this is a thoroughly enjoyable debut </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span class="yiv1779326461apple-style-span">novel that will have you reading bits of it to anyone within earshot." </span></span></span></strong><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><span class="yiv1779326461apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Candis Magazine</span><o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
</span><br />
<div class="yiv633354023msonormal" style="margin: 1em 0cm;">
</div>
</div>
Sue watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07286069797889683224noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8032490170619640368.post-87457767473534196302011-08-13T07:44:00.000-07:002013-04-05T04:11:59.132-07:00Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes ... the reviews so far!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I haven't blogged this week - in the light of all the riots and fear I felt my twittering on about cake and books would probably be a little shallow even for me. Now the riots have died down however, I can reach new depths of superficiality in this latest blog - all about ME. Yes forget about war-torn Britain, the Global Economy and who's actually going to be in Celebrity Big Brother (though I'll admit that one's got me going). <br />
The biggest thing that's about to happen is less than a month away - the publication of my chicklit tome Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes!<br />
On 8th September my tale of love, loss, friendship and cake will finally hit the shelves online and off and I may be visiting a Waterstones near you - so watch this space! <br />
Meanwhile, to whet your appetite I thought you might like to know what some lovely magazines have already said about my life's work;<br />
<br />
<div class="yiv633354023msonormal" style="margin: 1em 0cm;">
<div class="yiv633354023msonormal" style="margin: 1em 0cm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: white; color: magenta; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">"You'll want to devour this smart and fabulously funny read in one go!"</span></b></div>
<div class="yiv633354023msonormal" style="margin: 1em 0cm;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="background-color: white;">Closer Magazine</span></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: magenta;">“Sue Watson’s debut novel is as every bit delicious as the cakes she describes. With an obnoxious boss and a demanding family life, you’ll be rooting for the fabulous heroine right up until the last pages. Treat yourself to this engaging read, and make sure you’ve got a glass of wine and a sugary treat to hand – you’ll feel very hungry otherwise!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Take a Break<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></b><br />
<br />
<div class="yiv633354023msonormal" style="margin: 1em 0cm;">
<span class="yiv1779326461apple-style-span"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: white; color: magenta; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Laugh out loud funny ...this is a thoroughly enjoyable debut</span></b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: magenta;"> <span class="yiv1779326461apple-style-span">novel that will have you reading bits of it to anyone within earshot."<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span class="yiv1779326461apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Candis Magazine</b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<br /></div>
Sue watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07286069797889683224noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8032490170619640368.post-60882464404267480832011-08-01T05:25:00.000-07:002013-04-14T03:47:23.764-07:00Pink Champagne and Fairy Cakes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
My friend and writing teacher Sue Johnson launches her novel Fable's Fortune today. <span style="color: black;">A contemporary romance built on a fairytale structure – with a touch of new age magic, it's available from Amazon and a fabulous read. <span style="color: black;">Sue is currently celebrating her book launch with a fountain of champagne and cheeks-full of cherry liquers (yum). This has made me think of my own book launch (have I already mentioned that Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes is out on 8th Sept... I think I might have?) Anyway, I'm thinking bathfulls of champers and acres of fairy cakes. I'm also planning a Fairy Cake cocktail recipe which I will reveal nearer the time. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><a name='more'></a></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;">Meanwhile, I'm celebrating my friend Sue's book launch with some sweet little summery fairy cakes (to the right) I made earlier to toast her book and enjoy in the garden with the girls. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;">Light, golden vanilla sponge with a strawberry ice-cream scented icing these fairies are a perfect accompaniment to lashings of chilled pink champers and consumed with good friends. I'll post the recipe when I've finished slurping Sue's celebratory champagne and cherry liquers (I may be some time!) </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;">If you fancy some magic and romance on your sunbed, pop over to <a href="http://loveahappyending.com/launch-day-for-fables-fortune-by-sue-johnson/">http://loveahappyending.com/launch-day-for-fables-fortune-by-sue-johnson/</a><span id="goog_1776866527"></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a><span id="goog_1776866528"></span> where Sue is giving away a signed copy Fable's Fortune.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixedq7771EjJZAJW4z8V3D_BGrM89zQPs04iScp75GuSI3AwXONkP8PwAeB3_zpSVKgDUz6Mda8z8h7u22A3Np4bQdqqxxwPrtZwyHQrXiY0AnJ5NuxYqgh-Yr0djO1XLtWAShbN2r1oQU/s1600/Ice+Cream+Fairy+Cakes+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixedq7771EjJZAJW4z8V3D_BGrM89zQPs04iScp75GuSI3AwXONkP8PwAeB3_zpSVKgDUz6Mda8z8h7u22A3Np4bQdqqxxwPrtZwyHQrXiY0AnJ5NuxYqgh-Yr0djO1XLtWAShbN2r1oQU/s320/Ice+Cream+Fairy+Cakes+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQnvzZvk0Bjr9WsHmZBSCjjzmWnx8Wu3D-ayd-bCmVmhA160mJdarHucp0fVlBNsYINJPf2WQWtVF3yOlPaKZg7fU0cbsx2KHRBhQa6fgjppATyRCvf0TdTWDqHhCIAffoTtkR5EL4UHWl/s1600/480px-Strawberry_and_champagne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQnvzZvk0Bjr9WsHmZBSCjjzmWnx8Wu3D-ayd-bCmVmhA160mJdarHucp0fVlBNsYINJPf2WQWtVF3yOlPaKZg7fU0cbsx2KHRBhQa6fgjppATyRCvf0TdTWDqHhCIAffoTtkR5EL4UHWl/s320/480px-Strawberry_and_champagne.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>
</div>
Sue watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07286069797889683224noreply@blogger.com7