I (heart) Chipping Lit Fest

The lovely Jaffe & Neale Bookshop Cafe

I had a fantastic time at the Chipping Norton Literary Festival (known affectionately as Chipping Lit Fest) at the weekend.

I led a workshop on ‘Writing Hot Scenes’ in a room above the Jaffe & Neale Bookshop & Cafe where I was treated to chocolate brownie and rooibos tea on arrival and cioccolata torte and rooibos tea on departure. With two slices of cioccolata torte to take home … (Are you beginning to see why I had a good time?) My thanks to Polly Jaffe for being so generous and hospitable.

The workshop went well, with lots of hilarity as well as work from the lovely participants. Thanks to you all for attending. In fact, you made it go so well that I’m now running a similar workshop at the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s conference July 12-14.

Then I was fetched by a nice lady named Susie to take part in a video interview on the balcony of the pub next door. Cue buying me a drink as we passed the bar and sitting me down to lunch with the film crew.

I’d been put up at a lovely hotel, enjoyed a gorgeous dinner on the evening before, and met Richard Dawkins in the Green Room. The sun had been shining all weekend and I was sorry that I had to leave.

But Formula 1 was on the TV.

On Monday I’m flying out to Kansas City on Monday to the massive and influential RT Booklovers Convention, the thirtieth year of this annual event that welcomes readers and writers of romantic fiction from all over the world. I’ll be appearing on three panels, signing at the Giant Book Fair, giving a radio interview, meeting readers and attending a mind-boggling array of parties and events. One of them is a ball.

Here’s my tiara.

I also have a red cowboy hat with sequins for ‘Rosie Gulch’s Gals’ party and blue/black feathers for my hair for a paranormal party, where I’ll be going as the Witch of Middledip.