Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Run, pheasant, run, run, run

The Man clipped the wings of a young cock pheasant last Saturday night and dutifully finished it off quickly (he doesn't shoot, so easier said than done). Got it home and plucked and gutted it immediately. I roasted it (salt and pepper, streaky bacon on the top, with potatoes and parsnips in the tin too) and served it up with buttered curly kale and steamed carrots. It was delicious. I don't particularly love pheasant, but as this was younger and hadn't been hung, the meat was plump and tasty. Roadkill, who'd have thunk?

Party on

We had the book launch last week - at Julie's in Holland Park. What you might call a rip-roaring success. All three authors launched in one night (Mud & The City, plus Cupboard Love by Laura Lockington and The Tail of Augustus Moon by Melanie Whitehouse) and the publisher, Book Guild, supplied plentiful bellinis and kir royales to keep us bubbling. Daily Mail gave it a mention on the Richard Kay page the next day. And now we just hope that word -of-mouth spreads the good, muddy word...

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Radio ga-ga

Huge fun going on the radio yesterday. Only problem was I forgot to say why country people should buy the book. So just to clarify - the reason is: to give to your townie friends! Keep a copy in the spare bedroom so your townie cousins can fit in better and not step in the cowpats.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

BBC Radio Suffolk

Very exciting. Am going on Luke Deal's show on BBC Radio Suffolk at 2.20pm today - will update later on how it went. Plus am being interviewed for East Anglia Daily News next week! Local author fame at last!!

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Fourth day in the Big Brother house

...well, not quite -but fourth day in the Cottage. I came down here on Saturday - it's now Tuesday - and I've been very happy. Rearranged the bedroom, cleaned everything up, made a proper desk for myself in front of the dining-room window. Thinking I might set up a little bird table just outside so that I can enjoy the distraction of their twitters. Been hanging out with the kids, cooking and playing. I have barely left the drive, bar for a couple of short walks.

So this afternoon I thought I'd better go to town and get some shopping (and send off the postal order for my ebay Jimmy Choo boots - yayayaya!). I said to S: "I haven't been out of the house since Saturday." He looked at me. I was wearing: red moon boots on my feet (it's cold inside), bright blue jeans, pale grey cashmere mix hoodie, which is moulting on to my brown vest top and the final flourish - a tape measure around my neck. No make-up, mad country hair.

He said: "It looks like it."