Why I've not been blogging.

I've been avoiding the blogging - I have, I have :(

Because every time I try to think of something to post, I'm always thinking of crappy, depressing stuff, which is no good. I'm currently ill with a horrendous (and I mean horrendous) virus. We're ALL ill: me, my little girl and my partner.

Writing has not happened in a week, 'cause this cold is like the evil queen bitch of all colds and I've been laid out, barely able to move for a couple of days.

I managed 1000 words last night, which is awesome :) Haven't managed it tonight, even though the story is all there in my head. I run out of energy when I go to write it down, and that's assuming I can with the little one coughing her guts up :(

So ... this is why I've not been blogging. 2014 is still challenging, with so much going on within the family, and I don't want my posts to be all about illness and dying ... and strange viruses that I fancifully wonder aren't induced by some top secret spraying of chemicals into the air that the government could have done around the same time that they announced London had gone above the allowed air pollution levels for the city (which was around the time this cold kicked off - a week ago).

New things you may have missed....

The new paperback cover for The Spell Of Summer

My radio interview up in Manchester and also meeting loads of fab readers and authors - I will conjure up the energy to write about that.

General chit-chat via Facebook (that's where you go to really stay up-to-date)

That's all from me for now. Over the next month, imagine me with my head down trying to finish The Spell of Summer, because time is running out and the universe is throwing up a whole load of obstacles this time around - one after the other :/

Bad things, good things, family life and sunshine.

Yep ... it's Friday and the week has flown by! (And I should have posted yesterday...)

Bad things: my daughter's ear infection has been persistent, even with antibiotics, which she's just finishing off. It makes any parent crazy, and I don't know if I have the right to add double to that with being a writer and trying to squeeze in the writing around illness - everyone needs to work - but it sure feels like insanity is brewing! Trying to coop up an arty type of person is like trying to cage anything wild. It's close to suffocation. Add to that that my partner is also not feeling too well, and we have the perfect recipe for "caged in" ... but he has been fantastic with helping out, even through his own cold, so I really can't complain there. I was out for about two hours yesterday from tiredness alone (and the tell-tale signs of hayfever - God, I hate hayfever) but am refreshed today :)

Good things: over 3% of The Last Dragon has been written and WHAT a 3% it is. Talk about an opening :p Now, 3% doesn't sound a lot, but this is going to be a long book I think, and we all have to start somewhere. I will get more writing time in tonight hopefully...

Also, my daughter (even with her ear) goes to her very first dance class tomorrow morning! She's growing up so fast. Yeah, it's a little sad, but mostly I'm over the moon that she's growing and becoming independent. Of course I'll miss my baby girl a little, but I don't think I'll be one of those mums that pine for the time when their kids were itty-bitty. I want to see her grown up and taking life by the horns. I do kinda wish I didn't have to get any older though, lol. Immortality rocks - I'd choose to be young and immortal any day! In our heads, I don't think we ever grow over the age of 24 - I'm still there at twenty-four.

And it looks like this bank holiday weekend (we get a long weekend here in the UK, with Monday being a holiday) is going to be super-sunny and warm. Welcome back, summer - I have missed you :D

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Dianna x