As predicted, the sense of calm engendered by my walk around the Isle of Wight evaporated within a couple of days, as three major deadlines tapped me on the shoulder and reminded me they had to be met before 24th July, when I fly off to San Francisco.  This is always the point when I vow to take up yoga or something similarly effective at relieving tension, but of course, the moment the book is in, I forget all about it and revert to my usual indolence.  Unfortunately, the two other deadlines have coincided with Chapter 7 of my current work in progress.  As regular readers of this blog will know, Chapter 7 is the point at which the awful realisation strikes that the book is a disaster and will have to be completely rewritten.  I know, I know: it’s a pattern, and the only thing to do is to write through it, but I wish the time available for rewrites didn’t shrink every time.  It’s like pole vaulting – every time they move the bar a little bit higher until there’s a point where you just can’t get over it.  Will just have to keep hoping that time hasn’t come just yet …

I’ve decided the reason I can’t get a writing rhythm going is that I haven’t found the right music.  Every book has a CD I listen to obsessively.  It doesn’t necessarily have any connection to the story; it’s just the music that gets me into the groove of writing that particular book.  I wrote the last one to Anne Sofie von Otter meets Elvis Costello which was recommended by a friend.  The first time I played it, I couldn’t understand why he thought I’d like it.  The second time, I decided I didn’t mind a couple of the tracks, and by the fourth, I was completely hooked and had ordered my own copy.  The songs are beautiful and it was just the right stir of emotions to write romance to, but it was the soundtrack for Cinderella’s Wedding Wish and I need something different for this one.  Kate Hardy recommended Josh Groban to me once, and that was also a great soundtrack, but again, it belongs to a different book.  So any suggestion gratefully received!  I love being recommended music, probably because my ignorance is so complete it is often greeted with gasps and eye rolls (“Don’t tell me you’ve never heard of …!”) and will listen to anything, although it will often depend on what I’m doing.  There’s driving music, cooking music, cleaning music (rarely heard), reading music and, most elusive, writing music, which has to be harmonious and all at more or less the same level – I can’t handle a symphony that goes very quiet and then gets very loud, for instance.  In the meantime, I’m working my way through my CD collection, in the hope of finding something that will hit the spot and put me in the right mood to get my hero and heroine off the tropical island on which they are currently isolated (lucky things).

Unbelievably, it’s almost July, and that means Newlyweds of Convenience will be on sale soon, so perhaps it’s time for another contest.  Newlyweds of Convenience has had some lovely reviews and you can read an extract by clicking here. 

I’ll send a signed copy plus one of the new and exclusive (!) Jessica Hart tote bags I’ve ordered to take to San Francisco to anyone who can tell me where the book is set.   Email me the answer, and don’t forget to send a mailing address!

Nell Dixon will be here next week, so do come back and say hello to her then.