London Calling - Christina Hollis

I’ve just spent 363 days chained to my computer. Then last week, I escaped! I left my home in the countryside, and went up to London. This was a big deal for me. It was the first time I’d spent away from home, alone, in seventeen years. Kate Walker and Michelle Reid were hosting a dinner for the Harlequin Mills and Boon ‘Presents’ authors, so it was a very special appointment. I’d met Kate, Jacqueline Baird and Abby Green last year, at my first Mills and Boon event. This time I got to chat with India Grey and Natalie Rivers, too. Next day, there was a lunch organised by the Association of Mills and Boon authors. That was followed by a reception where, among other excitements, Kate Walker received her commemorative gold brooch for the fantastic achievement of writing fifty romances.

Meeting up like this is a great opportunity to socialise and swap experiences. Writing romance is the best job in the world, but it’s a solitary affair. It’s good to know that you’re not alone in sharing the pleasures and pitfalls of sitting behind a computer screen all day. We keep in touch regularly via e-mail, but there’s no substitute for a face-to-face chat. Especially when it comes complete with good food and a glass of wine!

If you’d like to read more about my first trip to London alone, I’ll be posting on my blog when I get the chance. Find it on my website, http://www.christinahollis.com/, by clicking on the link to ‘Christina’s blog’