The Week Jilly Cooper Made me Cry

I'm sad to say I haven't been around in blogland for a while :-(
Being mostly over The Poisoning I've been too busy being a human pin cushion and travelling to endless tests and meetings where strangers in suits talk about me, making decisions about my life.
I've grown ever more belligerent as every possible surface of skin has been pricked and scraped with needles to see if I yelp any louder than I did a year ago when they did the same thing. I used to think it was more scientific than that but now I'm not so sure...

Combined with a sick Mac which had to be sent to computer hospital I've done no writing at all. Ideas have been buzzing around my head but my frustration is growing about not being able to sustain effort and concentration for long enough to make any real progress on anything.

The only relief in the past week has come from collapsing into bed and listening to Jilly Cooper's 'Riders' on audiobook. After hearing discussion about Rupert Campbell-Black as a great fictional alpha hero I was curious. I have to say I've been utterly drawn into the story, captivated even. Although I could never love an adulterous hero who is cruel to animals (so he won't be making it onto my fave heroes list).

You know I can't remember the last time a book made me cry.Yet Riders has made me cry twice already - once when RCB beat up a horse and the second time when a horse rescued from cruelty died. Clutching one of my rescue dogs (who has been badly abused) and stroking him, with tears streaming down my face I had to tell myself 'it's only a book, it's not real', trying desperately to pull myself out of the world Jilly Cooper had so masterfully immersed me in.
I think if I can ever make a reader care half as much about my characters as she has made me care about the horses in 'Riders' I'll consider I'll have made it as a writer...

Which books have made you cry?

No list required

Whether you made it on to THE LIST or not it's time for that party I promised, so head over to the Minxes where the party is in full swing. Help yourself to a glass of champagne to take along with you...

If You're Not On the List...

I'm sure you've all heard the New Voices news by now. If you've been somewhere else (like the moon) maybe not, in which case check it out here.

It feels a bit like a possible reprieve from execution. You've just come to terms with the judgement of the court and then you hear there might be a lifeline, some time next week... Too strong? Perhaps, ignore the crash, it was the attempt at a balanced and emotionally objective blog post being thrown out the window :-)

Okay, we're waiting in line to get into the most fab ever party, there are rumours that Gilles Marini, Michael Weatherly and Simon Baker are present (insert name of your favourite celeb crush). The doors have been closed and we're preparing to go home. Then a couple of burly bouncers announce there might be ANOTHER LIST but we're going to have to stand in line a bit longer...

Or, you may get a chance to be told publicly exactly why they're not going to let you in...

I know it's always been the same after competitions, requests have been sent but perhaps it's the public nature of the list that makes this feel more of a big deal. Not being on the list is going to suck, big time.

But in the interests of balance I'd like to point out the execution analogy was a bad one because this isn't the end for anyone, just a point on a journey, albeit a roller coaster one.

And there will be other parties.