Harrowing! Trying to relearn photoshop to start work on the book cover but I've forgotten many basic tricks. It's coming back, but how tiresome! Plus I have misplaced my glasses and my piano-playing wrist is suffering terribly from all the mouse moves. But I mustn't give up. I have some great ideas and want to come up with three cover designs to see if they please. I do hope so!

Other than that school starts again soon and I am oh-so-glad. Free quiet mornings (apart from my university-bound son who hasn't yet left for Milan, nor even passed the entry exam yet) and slabs of concentration.

Now waiting to see when the novel will be launched. I am hoping April, when I will be free to move across to the UK and get peddling. In the meantime, I hope to get to the Women's Fiction Festival in Matera with a sheath of bookmarks to distribute and garner some interest. It will be my first literary festival and I haven't a clue what to expect. The englishwritersinitaly crowd seem very professional, slightly prim and very very published. Meanwhile this country bumpkin will just have to smile and sit tight. And will probably be crippled by shyness in any case!

the real thing

Finally finally finally I have sent it off! The polished manuscript! The last two weeks have involved endless revision - back to front, out loud, ruler and red pen, yet another ink cartridge and begging Monica to bind it on a Friday night - but it is over! Dawn seems pleased and I love the tone of her emails. I am looking forward to going to the next stage. Glad to have a slight rest, although now I feel like pulling the stories into shape and looking for publication there too.

It's cover time soon, so have been looking in Milan at Italian VS English cover jobs and what really pulls my eyes. Some lovely smallish books with good geometry, bold colour. I hope to relax a little and let the vision flow.

Here's hoping the nasty ex will go back to where he belongs and leave me to play the piano and clean the house.