WHERE AM I?

This the question asked by several regular readers of this blog.....have been in a euphoric (until the revisions come in!) post-submission daze.

I delivered THE UNWILLING PRINCESS on Tuesday and since then I have been catching up with all the things which an urgent deadline prevent me from doing.

You know. Cleaning. Paying bills. Gardening.

Oh, alright. Haven't actually done any of those things, but I did catch a very good play at the Royal Court Theatre. All about climate change sceptics and starring the amazing Juliet Stephenson.

I also visited the Great Hall in Winchester, which is just down the road from me...

With its incredible Round Table (is this the one which all the Knights of Camelot clustered around, we ask ourselves?)

I sometimes pop in just because it's amazing and atmospheric, but this time it was specifically to hear the most incredible piece of music. Well actually, that doesn't really do it justice. It's an experience. Janet Cardiff's 40 Part Motet.

Forty voices coming from forty speakers. Singing Tallis.

The installation has been all around the world - including New York and Canada.

If you get the chance - go and experience it for yourself.

Do you like it - and what has inspired you recently?

HURTS SO GOOD

This song is simply, great. And bound to make you smile.
The video is interesting, too.....

Like it?

STORM IN A TEAPOT

This is my gorgeous tea-pot, covered as it is in all manner of my favourite flowers (especially snow-drops).

If you'd like to see an infinitely more elegant teapot and to read about a brand new talent with a brand new book - then go over to India Grey's blog.

And get to the HEART of the matter....

MOODS, TWEETS AND SOUTHSEA

The new grey background which I'd applied to my blog (and which I thought looked all moody, artistic and evocative), caused me to receive a concerned text from a friend, asking if I was feeling down!

So, here's something very bright and cheerful to assure her I'm not.

Actually, there's lots to be cheerful about. The days are getting warmer and longer and the birds are tweeting (surely tweeting should be left to the birds....)

I've had a lovely weekend. Visited pretty Southsea (Peter Sellers was born there and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle practised as a doctor in the town) and a pub which was adorned with flower-splashed William Morris wallpaper. Then I ate the most delicious curry.

Apart from that, I've been wrestling with my latest hero and reading a second book by my flavour-of-the-month author: Kazuo Ishiguro.

How about your weekend - and was I wise to lose the moody grey?

HERE HE IS.,..

As promised, here's the iconic clip of Gould playing Bach.....with special thanks to the Man from Mac!
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Like it?

LOSE YOURSELF....

Yesterday, I went to see a film all about the life of Glenn Gould - an inspirational pianist whose playing of Bach made people listen in awe and wonder. Philistine that I am, I'd never even heard of him, but I'm now going to download his playing of the Goldberg Variations and lose myself in his amazing talent.

Canadian Glenn was a bit of a maverick. Taciturn and moody, he gave his last professional concert in 1964 at the age of 31 - because he hated performing.

He was also enigmatic and good-looking enough to make perfect hero fodder - as this famous image from Life magazine shows.

I've forgotten how to download the Youtube link (I must ask the nice man at the Apple shop) - but go and listen to his music if you don't already know it.

Or do you?

MORE HEARTS, AND RADIO

St. Valentine's day tends to generate lots of publicity for romantic novelists.

Journalists will ask you the secret to writing them (there isn't one) and the reason for their enduring success (people love reading about love).

Accompanying photographers will often ask you to lean on a tower of your own books and smile, winsomely.

And radio hosts will sometimes read out a line from one of your novels which sounds completely bizarre if taken out of context...

This afternoon, I'll be talking on BBC Radio SOLENT and I'll let you know the most interesting question I'm asked.

And in the meantime I couldn't resist capturing these chocs in all their pristine glory, which were given to me by a dear friend last week. The box is made of red velvet and the chocolates are the deliciously moreish Butlers ("purveyors of happiness") and they're Irish. If you haven't yet tried any - do.

In the meantime, I'm planning to keep the box unopened for as long as is humanly possible....