Reflecting on Romance in the North and a Little Family Drama

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!

Why I Won’t Worry about Winning #NaNoWriMo

Life is stressful. The past few months have been challenging, and since the death of my beloved dog I feel that my creative spark has all but fizzled out. I had been trying to write the last book in my Redcliffe novels series, so I can put an end to a ten-year project. But this last book is eluding me, and I need some motivation. I decided to rejoin #NaNoWriMo, hoping it would inspire me to do the work. So far it has not. I have written around 13,000 words and we are over halfway through the month. I need to up my game. But I simply cannot do it.

Some people might say he was only a dog and I will get over losing him. But he was my companion, my child, my muse. He watched me from the sofa while I worked, and when he knew I needed a break, he would come and move me or demand attention. Over the years I have processed plot twists and plot holes while cuddling him, I have conversed with new characters whilst walking along the canal with my dog, and I have been inspired to write about werewolves in the Redcliffe novels series. I know I can finish this book. Bite of the Wolf (A Redcliffe Novel) must be written, and it must be published. This is a passion project. And I’m doing it for Baxter.

Are you Team Jack or Team Danny? Signup now and receive your FREE story from #TheRedcliffeNovels series set in Cornwall, England.

I am Actually an Author!

If you are a parent you might recognise the tone of my title today, inspired by the Charlie and Lola series of books written for children. My daughters love those books, and I enjoy reading them at bedtime. It came as an epiphany late last week, when I was mentally reviewing my recent freelance workload, or lack thereof. I am currently experiencing the dry spell of the freelancer, and it threw me into a slight panic, not least because of the lack of income. I began to worry that I wasn’t good enough, and that I am an impostor.

Stop! Wait a minute. I am actually an author! For most of the past twelve months I have focused on growing my SpookyMrsGreen pagan family lifestyle blog, and the results are beginning to show. I have a growing audience, and one that is engaged with my blog posts, and I still enjoy writing for my blog. But I have neglected my novels. I have been half-heartedly working on book 6 in the Redcliffe novels series, but I am no further forward with it than I was twelve months ago. I have been distracted by my blog work and have allowed my fiction work to fall by the wayside. And so, I have decided that this year I shall participate in NaNoWriMo – National Novel Writing Month. I need to write approximately 50,000 words to finish the first draft of Bite of the Wolf (A Redcliffe Novel), so November is the perfect time to do the writing. Let us see if I manage to complete my challenge, or if I allow other distractions to creep in…

Are you Team Jack or Team Danny? Signup now and receive your FREE story from #TheRedcliffeNovels series set in Cornwall, England.