I met my editor, the lovely Lucy Icke, in the elegant surroundings of The Rose Lounge at the Sofitel St James yesterday.
A harpist played soothing music in the background whilst we enjoyed a cream tea and discussed revisions to my next novel, The Painter’s Apprentice.
We had a constructive meeting and I came away bursting with enthusiasm to get going on the next round of revisions. I’m not so sure if I’ll feel the same a week’s time in, though!
Madeleine Feeney, Press Officer for Piatkus, joined us to discuss strategy for next February when the paperback of The Apothecary’s Daughter is published.
We all headed off in a taxi to the library of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers at 1 Birdcage Walk for the RNA’s Winter party. I’d been looking forward to the RNA Winter party for weeks – it’s such fun and a wonderful chance to meet up with friends old and new.
The library was crammed and the noise level of a myriad of brightly dressed and excited romantic novelists had to be heard to be believed!
Annie Ashurst, Chair of the RNA, welcomed us all to the party and Katie Fforde, President, unveiled the wonderful new image of the Romantic Novelists’ Association. It’s as pink as Barbara Cartland’s lipstick, of course, with a clever logo made up of a heart enclosed by an open book.
I was also secretly pleased to see that inside the brochure is my photo, amongst other smiling members of the organisation.
I had to leave the party a little earlier than I wished due to closures on the train line but went away exhilarated by a wonderful day. I can hardly wait until the Summer Party in May.
You can see more pictures on the RNA’s website.
http://romanticnovelistsassociationblog.blogspot.com/2011/11/rna-winter-party-glam-and-shoes
What a relaxing place to have a meeting.
It was lovely meeting you at the RNA Winter Party.
It was fun, wasn’t it? I thought we were all like a flock of brightly coloured tropical birds all chattering away!