RNA Summer Party

I've never quite made it to the RNA Summer Party before, although I've made the conference and Winter Party twice each, so at least now I'm a little more confident of walking in and actually seeing someone I know. This time, I at least managed not to take the wrong exit from Westminster Tube and find myself outside the Houses of Parliament (very nice, but not where I needed to be) or stack it on the pavement outside the IMechE and walk in with ripped tights and a bleeding knee, as I did last time.

I figured the problems I had last time were due to the stress of trying to be sophisticated in my mother's cocktail dress, so this time I wore my purple button boots and this dress (which I could only find an image of in black, but have altered with my shiny computer skills to give you a more accurate idea of the hot-pinkness of it). Of course, it looked more fabulous on me. It was certainly very boobilicious.



Unfortunately I forgot my camera, or I'd post pictures of the event (if anyone else has any pics, I'd love to see them!). But I do remember chatting to fellow Samhain author Jane Lovering, who came all the way from North Yorkshire (in not much longer than the time it took me to come from Essex) because she was up for the Joan Hessayon prize for authors who have gone through the RNA's brilliant New Writers Scheme and subsequently become published. Jane didn't win (congratulations must go to Giselle Green, who did), but she did attract plenty of well-wishers, who also stayed to chat to me. Hi, well-wishers!

The always effervescent Julie Cohen came to tell me she'd just sold a co-authored space-romp to Samhain, and Jean Fullerton to invite me to a meeting of the London chapter which I'll have to miss as I'm away. Jean, I know I'm always away when you mention these meetings, but it really is coincidence and I'm not trying to avoid you, honest!

Right, now I'm off to design more pretty postcards from Vistaprint. They were such a hit at the party that I'm definitely going to need more for the conference!