Bacchus, Kim Nash and a room full of book lovers...

Question: What do you get if you cross a room full of book lovers, a themed location and Kim Nash? Answer: a delightful Saturday filled with chat and laughter. Seriously, you do. Kim Nash, publicity manager for Bookouture, had the Midas touch yesterday bringing together an array of authors and book bloggers. It was my first invite to her afternoon shenanigans, which have previously occurred in Birmingham and London; it won't be my last!

The location was the Bacchus bar beneath The Burlington hotel, conveniently opposite Birmingham's New Street station.  On entering the themed bar with its mixture of Roman and Egyptian decor it felt like another world; gone was the bustle of the city centre and hello, new people!

Instantly, I recognised so many book bods and soon the air was filled with excited chatter. Though, walking about with a white sticky label positioned above your right boob which others openly peer at as a name reminder guarantees joviality - the vino helped, thanks to the god of wine.

I was delighted to catch-up with the lovely Bella Osborne and Helen Barrell - who were on fire regards conversation. I really wouldn't like to make sense or explain the sequence of our conversation as we belly laughed through numerous topics: Dermot O'Leary, Welsh receptionists working at STD clinics, poisonings, scientists (including Davy and a certain, Ms Barrell), RNA conference, house sales, book blog tours, sailor tattoos, Chesterfield station, Rod Stewart, Bono, parking tokens and mishaps whilst riding the London underground. Phew! Seriously, there was much more but slightly too saucy to mention the Italian guy's phone call and Johnny Depp.

It was great to see the girls again, and three o'clock arrived all to soon. I'll definitely be attending Kim's future events and would recommend other authors to come along and meet the book crowd.

Hibernation, recharge and tadah!

Have you ever craved total peace and quiet from the outside word? Where life becomes simple and your mind focuses only on the things that matters? Me too. So at New year I took the decision to extend my Christmas holiday feeling and put up the 'closed sign' to the rest of the world and have had a month of reflection.

I banished the daily buzz of electronics, the continual blast of news reports, the frantic stream of emails, the snippets of info via messaging - basically the interruptions to my creative life. The interruptions that stop me in my tracks,  divert my thoughts and effort from my chosen task.

January has officially been my hibernation month, much like my colony of pet tortoises.

I instantly regained time, I've focussed on the task in hand and enjoyed not having the constant up-to-date info on what's happening outside of my heart and mind. Instead I've written, planned and read. Bliss.

As February dawns I have emerged and woken from hibernation, like the tortoises, with a huge feeling of renewed energy and creative focus. I feel I've undergone a detox of the modern world and am now ready to tackle 2016 - so, happy New year and Tadah!