Okay, I know I should be updating this blog on how my First Draft in 30 Days attempt is going but it's the weekend and all work and no play makes an author a dull girl. So, yesterday I upped and went off to the King's Road branch of Waterstones in Chelsea for a swanky book launch, all fizz and chatter. 'To Marry a Prince' is Sophie Page's sparkling new take on royal weddings. With the opening page bearing the promise 'Britain as it might have been......' the first chapter introduces us to Bella. Feisty, independent she's spent the last year toiling on an island on the other side of the world dressed in shorts, muddy t-shirt and her hair hasn't seen conditioner in months. Scrubbed up though and having enjoyed the tender loving care of a good hairdresser she accompanies her friend Lottie to a society party and that's when the fun begins.... With the world soon to enjoy the wedding of commoner Kate Middleton to Prince William, Sophie's lovely book with its royal blue and gold cover is totally topical and I can't wait to read the rest of it.
One of the nicest things about book launches is the chance to chat to fellow authors and here's a photo of me with Carol Townend. A super knowledgeable historian, Carol writes medieval novels and is at present writing a series for Mills and Boon based in medieval Constantinople. She regaled us with tales of her trip to Istanbul to do research, just one of the fun things about being an author. But it also highlighted all the hard work that goes in to any novel and the extra element that goes into historical novels. Carol is keenly aware of the need to get her facts right as well as getting the romance element between the hero and heroine perfect.
So, a great evening was had by all, the champagne flowed, we were surrounded by books and my dear husband and I toppped it all off with dinner at a Lebanese restaurant in the King's Road, a stone's throw from Buckingham Palace where THE royal wedding will very shortly take place. Huge thanks goes to Sophie and all the lovely staff at Waterstones and the greatest luck to her for mega success with her book.
5 comments:
Hi Cara,
Lovely to meet you yesterday and chat writing... My eyes are even redder this morning as I was up half the night reading Sophie's wonderful book! ;)
Best wishes
Carol
It was lovely to see you and your DH again last night, Cara, having not seen you since the RNA Conference at Greenwich (In my mind, I can still clearly see you in that lovely dress you wore to the Gala Dinner).
As you say, it was a super evening, and I, too, can't wait to get down to reading Jenny's book.
Liz X
Hi Cara!
It was a terrific evening, wasn't it! Lovely to see so many people there, to chat to old friends and to take home a copy of To Marry A Prince, which is a terrific read. I couldn't put it down.
It sounds like a great evening. I have 'attending a book launch' on my writing wish list, so if anyone hears of one in the Midlands please let me know. I did go to one years ago, but that was well before I was interested in writing seriously myself. Mx
Hi
Morton, I'd only ever been to one before and they are really great occasions. Food, drink and lots of nattering but not so huge that you get squashed and lost!
Elizabeth, there were so many people like yourself who I wanted to chat to but there just wasn't enough time. I was going to ask you how your trip back from Wales was after that writing weekend in February!
Carol, hope you're back to full reading speed now, it is a great read and I imagine the sort of readers who love Katie Fforde will love Jenny's book. I'm really pleased for her, she's a lovely lady.
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