Hi folks! Phew, I am just about recovered after attending Romance in the North at the Hilton Hotel in Leeds last weekend. It was a lovely day with a chilled vibe, and I’m going to tell you all about it in today’s blog post.
After having only three hours’ sleep due to an incident outside our house the night before, my daughter and I made it to the event later than planned but we got there, we got set up, and we got stuck in. Read on to find out what happened.
A Drunk Driver Destroyed my Husband’s Car
I went to bed early the night before the event because I knew it would be a long day. Having got home late from a busy shift at my day job, I barely had time to eat my dinner and fall into bed before I was woken by a loud bang as a drunk driver crashed into my husband’s parked car on the street outside our house. He had left his car on the road so that he could park it in front of mine on our drive when I got home from work as he was up early for work himself on the Saturday morning (are you following me?). He fell asleep on the sofa, and I decided we should just leave his car where it was because it wasn’t worth moving for such a short time. We have left it on the road before with no problems. We learned a hard lesson that night!
Police Cars, a Transporter Lorry, Scared Children
The
incident happened at around 11:20pm. Our younger daughter’s bedroom is at the
front of the house, and she heard the impact when I did. It terrified her. Our
older daughter thought it was a firework. I had to leave her to comfort her
sister while I supported their dad as he dealt with the incident. Being
neurodiverse, I knew this was really going to cause him stress. So, I had to be
there to speak to the police and handle the situation. He coped well, actually,
and his insurance company was amazing. He now has a hire car and an insurance
payout so that we can go shopping for a replacement car at the weekend. I
recommend Hastings Direct car insurance!
We Finally Made it to Leeds
After
filing an insurance claim online and grabbing a couple of hours’ sleep, I was
up extra early to take my husband to work before driving approximately seventy
miles to Leeds. I was the last author to arrive, but my table neighbours all
pitched in to help set up and calm us down after the chaos, and we were ready
to greet our visitors. The hotel was lovely, and room was chic but with an
intimate energy that felt nice. It all felt calm and serene, which I definitely
needed at that point!
It
was great to meet new readers and introduce them to the Redcliffe novels series
and my vampire hunter novels. I had compliments from some visitors that were
pleased to see a Gothic author in their home city. Others were happy to find a
paranormal author to satisfy their thirst for dark romance. I had a nice chat
with the authors at the event, I did a little shopping, and I had time alone
with my younger daughter who had accompanied me. Unfortunately, we were too
tired to explore Leeds city centre at lunchtime, but we agreed that a return
visit with the family is on our to-do list. There is some fascinating architecture
in the buildings we could see from the hotel, and I want to explore their history
and see if it inspires my muse.
One
thing I love about attending these events is the chance to discover new books
for my collection, and Romance in the North did not disappoint. I had a lovely
chat with my table neighbour Kelly Lord and her
husband, and I bought a short story anthology
that she had collaborated on. I like the look of all of her books, but I
couldn't buy them all right then, as much as I would have loved to! So, I
compromised and chose one to start me off. I’m enjoying the book so far and I
will review it when it is finished. We also received a cute little “Peenie”
squishy toy that Kelly makes as a hobby. These little toys are popping up (pun
intended) at all the big book signing events to accompany the saucy books in
which they feature and now I want to build a collection of those as well!
I Met my Author Friend
The
highlight of my day was finally being able to meet my author friend Louise Murchie in real life. We have been
friends on social media for several years, bonding over our children of similar
ages, our experiences in parenthood and running a small business, and of course
our books. I was delighted to get my hands on signed copies of her Tango Down books. I have read them on Kindle, and they were brilliant, and now I
have the signed paperbacks to display on my bookshelves at home. They will be
accompanying me to Spain on our upcoming family holiday!
Discover the Next Romance in the North Event
To
discover the next book signing event, visit the Romance in the North Facebook
page.
My
latest release, “Bite of the Wolf (A Redcliffe Novel)” - Book 6 in my #RedcliffeNovels
series is available now for your reading pleasure! This paranormal and urban
fantasy tale is a must-read for fans of supernatural romance, packed with
danger, intrigue, and wolves you won't want to miss. You can grab your copy
from Waterstones or your favourite online bookstore.
Did
you enjoy this article? Download your FREE copy of LGBT fantasy short story It’s
Complicated (The Redcliffe Novels) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall,
England. Click here.
Note: This article may contain affiliate links, meaning that if you shop
using the links I share, I receive a small income at no extra cost to yourself.
Thank you for supporting Catherine Green!
