Welcome to 2013

*testing* *testing*

Is anyone still out there?

Sorry for disappearing - I didn't realise it had been a month since I posted. Ooops. Blame Facebook - I post photos on there and forget to put them on my blog.

So what's been happening? Did you all have a good Xmas and New Year?

We had a great couple of weeks up at Stuarts Pt - lovely weather so lots of the following:

Eagle-eyed friends may actually realise that yes, that is me on the ski biscuit! My words for the year are leap / risk / take a chance. It was meant to relate to my writing, but I've decided to relate it to the rest of my life as well!

Speaking of writing - while up at Stuarts Pt, I finished editing my novel so that it actually hung together properly, with decent pacing, emotion etc. And just in time, as last Sunday I got an email telling me that I had made it through to the 2nd round of the Emerald writing competition! Much squeeing and OMG!ing ensued! What that meant was that I had 5 days to send off the full manuscript for the next round of judging - 3 copies printed and posted. The top 3 will go in front of an editor from St Martins Press, so its a pretty big deal to get through.

I spent 3 intense days polishing and repolishing my manuscript until I was sick of the sight of it. When I couldn't bear to look at it a moment longer, I figured it was time to send it in. So it's gone, and I need to put it out of my mind for a few months. In the meantime, I've asked a writer friend who I trust to give me an honest opinion, to have a look at it and tell me if it's ready for submission. And now onto book 2.

We really haven't been anywhere much or done anything much since we got back. My thoughts are now turning to the new school year and getting back into routine.