So many books. So little time. My To Be Read pile looks JUST like this!

I am now officially between books for my contract.

Time to think about holidays!

The past few years I have been trying to correct my writer’s bottom syndrome by trying to get out and about most days for at least an hour, with occasional longer walking trips in Switzerland or Austria in the autumn.

This year we could not get away in May so we have booked an apartment in Chamonix in the French Alps starting next Saturday with stops in Strasbourg each way – I love that city.

I have to say that I am really looking forward to seeing the Mont Blanc glaciers and trying out my holidayFrench again after so many years – always good for a laugh.

In fact the only concern is the weather and the amount of snow. I have not been to this part of France before, or the Alps in June.

And they have had a LOT of snow this winter. In fact they only closed the ski slopes a couple of weeks ago for the winter season and the chair lifts will be open for the summer the weekend we get there – could be snow on the lower slopes and I don’t do ropes or ice axes or crampons.  Or skis for that matter.  I leave that to the trained mountaineers and skiers. Like these boys in the vid who will still be skiiing in June and July in Chamonix. EEK.

A lot of British mountaineers, such as Joe Simpson and Andy Kirkpatrick, have written about the dangers of the Mont Blanc range of mountains, and the many climbing accidents that occur there every year. You think you can’t get frostbite in France? Think again.

So. Lots of walking, relaxing in hopefullydry weather, and good french food to sustain us.

And no frostbite. I need my fingers.

In the meantime I am:

* waiting for my editor to come back to me re my latest submission two weeks ago

* waiting for my editor to come back to me re my novella story idea which I have now parked

* booked my train tickets for the RNA Conference in July

* completing my second tax return and setting up my spreadsheets for the current year

* sorting out my files and office and putting together a new website [ more on that another time]

* working on the outline for a romantic suspense which has been noodling inside my head for weeks – a fun book with potential for a series. I have  a character.  I have a set up and a story idea. But I don’t have a name or a visual yet – so that is today’s task.

* thinking about the outline for Book Six for the Romance Line. Adding layers to the proposal which my editor already liked.

* weather permitting,  scrubbing 10 ft of trellis and repainting, then replanting the pots.

Never a dull moment in show biz!  Happy weekend.