

A Total Shambles- Dog Style
I’ve been feeling pretty good about myself lately. Not in an overt, boasting kind of way, you understand, as that wouldn’t be British. But from time to time I catch myself grinning and quietly take a moment to pat myself on the back. My writing career is on the up- another book comes out this month, a new contract to write more, nice reviews- my foolhardy gamble appears to have paid off. If I was of a mind to, I might even feel smug at my achievements and say well done you! Y


A Funny Thing Happened at the RNA...
This year, for the very first time I joined the Romantic Novelists Association, a splendid and supportive organisation which champions British romance writers. I have to confess, I’m not really the sort of person who joins ‘clubs’ and so I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect or how I would fit in. I went to a couple of the London chapter meetings and enjoyed the workshops, booked myself a place at the annual conference in Lancaster and couldn’t resist attending the High Tea o

19th Century ‘Hysteria’ and … (ahem) Medicinal Masturbation
Yes. You did just read the words ‘medicinal masturbation’ although it certainly was never called that in the 19th century! But more of that later. To start this little article, I need to talk to you about first about ‘hysteria’, a medical condition which was recognised and widely belied for two thousand years. It was a condition which was blamed for causing all manner of maladies in women from nervousness and stomach pain to lunacy. It was probably the Egyptians who first bel