I love... being shortlisted for awards!!!

This is all a bit silly because I knew about it before, but on Monday I had an e-mail from the organiser of the RNA New Writers Award asking me to send in A NOTORIOUS DECEPTION. Now, because my first novel is not yet published and won't be before the award is announced in May I e-mailed back and asked whether it was still eligible. The reply came yesterday and the answer was yes.

I am going to have to have my very un-copy-edited manuscript. But that's another story...

However, I then went onto the RNA website http://www.rna-uk.org and looked at the award pages and the fact it's been running since 1962, and the list of previous award winners and then I went back to the e-mail and read it again and the reality set in that I was somehow being given something I had once dreamed only happened to other people.

My other piece of news is that I'm being interviewed by a writing magazine for a column on new writers, possibly tomorrow. They want my 'top tips' for aspiring authors. Oh help! What are the valuable learnings I can pass on...?