Well, those three months went by pretty quickly didn't they? So quickly, in fact, that a whole extra couple managed to squeeze themselves in at the end, obviously thinking no one would notice. I spotted them, of course, tucked in at the back, keeping their heads down, but it was already too late to do anything about it.

It doesn't really matter, though, because January is the perfect month to start something new. Or, you know, continue something that you started last year. I didn't make any resolutions this year, as there's really no point. I don't mean, of course, that my experience of resolutions in previous years has taught me that I am completely unable to stick to them for more than seventeen days, making the whole exercise demoralising, depressing and, of course, pointless. No, no, not at all. That would make me sound like a pretty weak and pathetic individual, wouldn't it? Ahem.

Equally, I also didn't mean that resolutions are pointless because I'm already perfect in every way and therefore have no need to resolve to change something for the better about myself. That's completely ridiculous (but don't be embarrassed to contradict me).

I didn’t make any resolutions this year simply because I hate the idea of them. I hate the idea of any sort of behaviour being dictated, or even suggested, by a date on the calendar. Can’t we decide to be better, more organised, more loving, more romantic, more considerate people, without a date in January, February, April or December telling us that we should? Maybe that way, we’d get presents all year round. Er, I mean, we’d be happy all year round. Ahem.

So, Happy New Year to you all, and I hope those resolutions are working out well for everyone! 2009 promises to be an interesting year, with Three Men and a Maybe coming out in a little over a month, and my third novel nearing completion. The first draft is finished at last, and I'm now on the rewrite, so I'm hoping it'll only be a couple more months before it's done. As soon as there is news about it, I'll post it on here, so keep on visiting for the updates. It seems I can't promise that it's going to be every three months any more than I could make good on my promise to make it monthly, but rest assured I'll get something done before the end of the year. Probably.

Meanwhile, Jessica Brody, U.S. author of the best selling novel The Fidelity Files, very kindly invited me to appear on her website, Freebookfriday.com. It's a website that gives out free books, every Friday (the clue's in the title). I recorded a short telephone interview for the site, so if you have a few empty minutes, why not click the link and have a listen?

And finally, Thanks for Nothing, Nick Maxwell came runner-up in the 'All About Romance' staff's favourite reads of the year, 2008. Check out the article here:

Thanks so much for all your continuing support. Look out for Three Men and a Maybe in your shops in April.

Love
Debbie x

P.S. I hope you like the new web page layout.

June 2008

Dear all,

To those of you who have visited the site in recent weeks only to find the same blog up here since March, I heartily apologise. I am working hard on my third book at the moment, so every spare moment is spent on that, and I’m still having to do my day job, as well as taking care of the kids, shopping, cleaning, running errands, having my nails done and cooking. That’s even before I’ve managed to squeeze in three trips to the gym a week and lunch with a friend. Give me a break, will you? What do you want from me – blood?

To those of you who are visiting the site for the first time, welcome. Mi website es su website.

Big news is that Alles Oder Nick? the German translation of Thanks for nothing, Nick Maxwell, is selling phenomenally well over there. The publisher, Fischer, have really splashed out on the publicity and have put up enormous posters of the book at train stations, which is obviously doing the trick. Last I heard, it had sold 40,000 copies, which is staggering. It’s a whole stadium full. It’s a whole town. I could walk through that town and every person I bumped into would have read it. I would feel like Dan Brown, walking through that town.

Meanwhile the English version is still selling steadily over here (although nothing like the German numbers), so if you’re a fan, get out there and shout about it! Tell all your friends and tell them to tell their friends and then tell everyone else you know and then start telling people you don’t know. You could stand in Waterstone’s at weekends holding a board that points to the book, and instead of ‘golf sale’, it could say ‘the funniest book ever written.’ Or something like that. If they get funny about it, just stand outside the door on the pavement – they can’t touch you there, my solicitor says.

The follow-up to Thanks for nothing… is coming along, and I should have a copy of the cover picture quite soon. The minute I get it, I’ll post it on here, so you can all see it.

Thanks so much for your support, and I hope you continue to enjoy my books.

All the best

Debbie
p.s. Thanks to my Dad for his translations of German comments.

March 2008

Hi all!

March at last. March 2008. The month I am going to be 40. A month I have not been looking forward to for about twenty years. Oh God, you know you're old when you can remember things that happened twenty years ago. Well, as my husband always says, better to get to 40 than not get there. How true that is.

Anyway, 40 is the new 30 apparently, and as 30 is the new 20, I am technically still only 19. Hmm. I think I'll go to a night club, snog some random guy then walk home through the town in bare feet.

The worst thing about getting older is that everyone expects you to wear comfortable shoes. Stick a pair of four inch spikes on at forty and you're all kinds of harlot. I am a middle aged married mum of two, for goodness sake, what an absolutely ridiculous and terrible thing to think about me (hands on hips, deeply affronted expression. Secret pleased smile).

If you've got some free time over the Easter weekend, why not curl up in an armchair with Thanks for Nothing, Nick Maxwell in one hand, and a large chocolate egg in the other? Life's too short for housework.

See you soon
Debbie x

p.s. The picture above is me signing copies of my book in WHSmiths.

February 2008

Welcome to February, probably the most depressing month of the entire year. Seriously, it's freezing, dark, usually raining (believe it or not this photo was taken at midday), and all we've got to look forward to is Valentine's Day. Oh dear God.

Don't get me wrong. I love romance: the idea of someone taking the time to think about what would make their loved one happy, and then spending some effort making that happen, simply for the pleasure of seeing that special face light up in joy and amazement. It's what sets us apart from the animals.

But Valentine's day - ugh. As far as I'm concerned, Valentine's day is for people who don't love each other enough. If they did, they wouldn't need the fourteenth of February to tell them to go and buy their wife or husband or boyfriend or civil partner a gift, or to take that special person out for dinner. Those things should be happening between lovers all year round, shouldn't they? Romance is about having that person in your head all the time and wanting to make them happy. Not a card and bunch of daffs from the garage on the way home.

And don't even get me started on Mother's Day...

See you next month! (I'll be in a good mood in March - Thanks for Nothing, Nick Maxwell is finally hitting the shops on the 10th, and I'll be 40 later in the month. How thrilling.)

Debbie x

P.S. You can read my first published interview on Betty Bookmark's website.

December 2007

Welcome to my newly updated website. I hope you like it; it has taken ages to create. Above is one of my favourite pictures of me taken with Spidey (phwoar!) in Florida in 2004. You can see that I'm trying hard to contain my excitement. I love Florida; sun, sales and men in spandex! Everything you need from your holiday in one place.

At the top you can select the other pages on this site: my biography, old blogs (in time), the books that I have written and comments that some of my fans have left, where you can leave your own message telling me and others what you think of the books. Be nice.

It took me a long time to write Thanks For Nothing Nick Maxwell, what with working, running a home and looking after kids. I nearly didn't have time for a glass of white wine now and again. Don't worry, I managed to fit some in. But now the release date is nearing and all my hard work will soon come to fruition. I recently had coffee with Cordelia Borchardt from Fischer while she was in London. It was really lovely to meet her at last and she was very enthusiastic for the German edition of the book that they have named 'Alles Oder Nick?'. You can read more about the title in the 'Books' page. I'm now waiting to hear from the American publishers, St Martin's Press, as to what plans they have for their release. I'll keep you posted.

I also recently had lunch with my Transworld editor Lydia and the Transworld publicist Sam who was very excited for the book's future in the U.K. Since I signed the contract with Transworld in December 2006, time has really dragged, but soon it will be Christmas and New Year and then release date. And then my 40th birthday. If you're approaching 40, try to have a book published two weeks beforehand - it really takes the sting out.

I have just sent the manuscript for the second book to Transworld, and Lydia and I are going through the editing now. I'm very happy with the feedback from friends and family and Lydia also seemed impressed which was great. It is set in the same town and the same time as Nick Maxwell and although the main characters are different some characters appear in both books.

It was hard writing about my new heroine. I know Rachel Covington so well, almost like a best friend, so making a new character from scratch, who obviously had to be different from Rachel, was difficult to begin with. I think you'll like her though. She is funny and entertaining in her own unique way.

Well I'll soon be dusting off my 'Best Classic Christmas Hits Ever' CD and strewing the place with woodland animals sculpted in gold wire in recognition of the anniversary of the birth of Christianity. I've made my shopping list - gold, frankincense, myrrh, Baileys Ice Cream. Now all that is left to do is cover the front of the house with a thousand twinkling lights in multiple strobing colours and methodically search through every nook and cranny in the hunt for badly concealed surprises.