Here we are at last in November, my busiest month of the year when a new book is about to be published; but first let me tell you about September and October which here in East Yorkshire had been mild weather wise. Then I went off to enjoy a short holiday in beautiful Portugal which was hot hot hot! We stayed in Cascais, next along the sandy beach from Estoril, famed for its lively casino, and only a short train journey to Lisbon which is always a joy to visit.

After returning home and even before I unpacked I was interviewed by Debbie Hall of the Hull Daily Mail Journal. We chatted over a cups of tea about all kinds of things but mostly books of course, which is why she came. The article should appear in the magazine at the end of November. Following this I spoke at two meetings, one in Hull, the other in Bridlington and attended the AGM of Home-Start Hull, the children's charity of which I am local patron. They have had a very difficult time recently as so many charities have through loss of funding. Fortunately, they are managing to keep going; the volunteers and staff are all very dedicated and they do so much to help families in difficulties it would be terrible if they should have to close.
Libraries too are hanging on by their finger nails to keep open and one enterprising librarian from a library near Wolverhampton has been getting in touch with authors to ask them to write a short letter to readers at the library to encourage them to try different authors and thus enable them to keep up their book lending. I was certainly pleased to do that.

I have been asked if I will be patron of the Friends of the Hull Memory Clinic. Who are they? They are a group of people with dementia, their carers and families who are determined to do what they can, to live as well as they can with this disease. Alongside the professional staff members of the clinic they are dedicated to promoting a positive attitude towards living with memory problems. Having known through personal experience how difficult this can be, how could I possibly say no?

At the Beverley Literature Festival I spoke about my forthcoming book -- more of this in a moment -- alongside the popular author Mike Pannett.
Socially I have been making the most of the various concerts, the Moscow Philharmonic, the Hull Male Voice Choir with the Brighouse and Rastrick Band, and 'Live' opera from the Met being shown at Cineworld. Don Giovanni A rare treat! 

But now to November. My new book THE HARBOUR  GIRL set in 19thc Scarborough and Hull will be published on the 10th so just over a week to go and the excitement has begun. Waterstone's Hull is the venue. Time 5.30 pm and EVERYONE is welcome.