Lots of rain today. We were thinking about going for a quick walk and looking at birds but the weather soon put a stop to that. However, I have to say the garden was a riot of birds - blue tits, dunnocks, robins and green woodpeckers. Fabulous. And how much more pleasant that we could just stay in the warmth and look out at them ...

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Lately, there’s been a lot of all three around. I’m not going to dwell on the usual newspaper fodder – crazy weather, annoying (possibly corrupt) politicians, shamefully mistreated military personnel, crime, violence, binge drinking and mind-bendingly dull ‘celebrities’. I’m sure you already know all you ever wanted to (and probably quite a bit more) about those subjects. Instead, I offer you just a few examples of each from my own recent experience:

The Good:

1. The members of lovely online writing community WriteWords have been enjoying a lot of success lately. Recently published books include Mothernight by Sarah Stovell, A Vengeful Longing by Roger Morris, Chips, Beans and Limousines by Leila Rasheed, Thorn in the Flesh by Anne Brooke, Split by a Kiss by Luisa Plaja, and Ways to Live Forever by Sally Nicholls - also the well-deserved winner of the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize.


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A lazy lie-in this morning and then I continued with the Darshan edit for Goldenford. I'm now on Page 123 and am enjoying the flow of it. Not making many suggestions either - just typos and one or two minor changes only. Certainly nothing major. It's lovely to edit a novel where it's been given a good polish already. Makes all the difference to the job!...

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It's been a hard week, beginning with the last of my World Book Day visits (I can hardly believe that this has been my third World Book Day, by the way) which was followed by hard writing work. I spent all week tweaking a short story. Goodness me, it was hard work! I reminded myself of the poet in that joke (the one which goes something like: a poet was telling a friend how hard he'd been working. 'I spent the whole morning putting a comma in,' he said, 'and the whole afternoon taking it out.').

With the story almost done I found myself with a few little niggles to sort out. So I sent three different questions (they came up at different times) to three trusted readers. And you know what? Every one of them not only answered my question - they all went into real detail, commenting on the piece as a whole; far beyond the call of duty

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Lord H and I have spent a wonderful day at the Glyndebourne Members' Open Day today, doing all sorts of strange and bizarre things. First off was the Sing-a-long Carmen session, where we all sat in the opera house and were put through our paces by the enthusiastic and rather too optimistic chorus master. Carmen from scratch in an hour - well, I certainly hit notes I didn't even realise I had though not necessarily at the time I needed them. I have also discovered that my skills at singing and clapping in the right place at the same time are utter crap. I just can't do it, dahlings. Not without medical attention and a strong tailwind ...

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Alexandra interviews Leila Rasheed, author of Chips, Beans and Limousines: The Fantastic Diary of Bathsheba Clarice de Trop, reviewed by us here

Hello! How did you get the inspiration for Chips, Beans and Limousines?

Well, lots of different places, but I think sometimes the world just irritates me and one thing that annoys me is that we live in a culture where getting the next expensive gadget or glamorous jeans or whatever is supposed to make you happy. And, hey, guess what, it doesn't. So I wanted to start from the point of view of a girl who has everything, and is not happy at all, because she lacks some very simple things that everyone takes for granted - like a dad, friends, someone to love her and pay attention to her. I wrote it really quickly, and I think perhaps in reaction to a phase of feeling low in self-confidence (probably I'd been rejected by an agent or something!). I just wanted to imagine someone who was totally self-confident, to the point of arrogance, and just was convinced she was the best and didn't need anyone else's approval. That's where the voice came from, and the character - who in fact turns out to be far more vulnerable underneath - developed from the voice.

Do you sympathize with Bathsheba?

Yes, definitely. My mum was always working when I was a teenager, I mean, she had to, but sometimes one would hardly see her for days. And my dad was working abroad. So in that sense I do know how she feels.

How did you come up with the name: Bathsheba Clarice de Trop? It comes across as perfect!

Do you know, it almost had to be changed in the editing process - but thankfully it wasn't in the end! I love it, I think it works perfectly. I was just looking for the most over the top name I could think of, I probably looked in the Bible or something for a melodramatic name and found Bathsheba, then I wanted something to keep the rhythm so that's where Clarice fitted in, and then de Trop finished it off nicely, and also means "over the top". I think the rhythms of names are really important - look at Roald Dahl's character names, they all sound so good! Charlie Bucket and Harry Potter have the same rhythm and bounce - I think that's significant.

Have you always been a writer?

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Hello all

anyone intrested in writing about recovery from addiction as i have written a pocket book regarding this,if you would like to view or ask question on this subject go to the link and post your query and i will get back to you asap.

Thank you 'The Little Book of Recovery'

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One of the questions that was asked on Monday, at the Stoke Newington Bookshop, was why I don't stick to writing the same period as so many historical writers do. I've been asked, 'What period do you write?' before, and been surprised at my inquirer's surprise when I say, 'Whatever takes my fancy next.' But this time, maybe because I'd been talking about my work and had some really insightful questions, or maybe because the inquirer was Charles Palliser, the question has made me think.

Why don't I write the same period? But why would I write the same period? Historical period in fiction isn't just wallpaper, set dressing, an excuse for nice frocks and fancy words.

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Must say how utterly wonderful last night's reading at the North Camp deli turned out to be. The owners, Claire and Matt, were fabulous and very welcoming people, the shop was superb and the audience very supportive indeed. We sold a healthy number of Goldenford books, including Thorn in the Flesh and Pink Champagne and Apple Juice and the readings and discussion were hugely enjoyable. I came away with free gifts of cheeses and anchovies, and bought a basket of stuff I just couldn't resist. And I even got back in time for "Torchwood". What could be nicer?...

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Here's what the local paper had to say about the first of the World Book Day visits I did.

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