My BRILLIANT day at Richmond!

Very soon after I sold, my editor invited me to Richmond to meet the team and to go out for a congratulatory lunch. How fabulous is that? After juggling schedules, we agreed on Wednesday 30th May.

I must admit to being supremely nervous as the day approached. First impressions are crucial (most of the time) and I'd worked myself up into a lather about making the best first impression I could. I angsted about my clothes, about train times, about make up (which I rarely wear!), about my nails... Seriously, I angsted about EVERYTHING, until I was pretty sure I had everything just right!

Heh, can you hear the gods laughing? Because, they definitely had other ideas!

The Good - My clothes didn't randomly attract a flying mud missile and my nail varnish and make up pretty much stayed on. Phew!

The Not So Good – First off, I couldn't find any parking near the station I was travelling from, so I ended up missing my first train, which of course, had a knock-on effect all the connecting trains, ack!

I didn't immediately panic because my editor had said to arrive a little early or a little late, so I arrived at Richmond Station "fashionably late". And proceeded to get horribly lost! My map app completely froze, and the two nice Richmondites I asked directions from sent me in the wrong direction! In desperation, I phoned Harlequin and the lovely and very patient receptionist directed me away from the temptation of Richmond Green (lol) straight to their door.

That's when my brilliant day started!

After a lovely hug (and glass of water) from my editor, I was introduced to the other editors, some of whom also gave me lovely hugs. Oh, they do lovely hugs at Romance HQ! I didn't get to see the famed library of books or some of the other departments because of my late arrival but meeting the editors was more than enough! They were warm, friendly and endlessly lovely!

But none more so than my editor who took me out to a fantastic French restaurant and proceeded to spoil me rotten! We nattered for almost three hours about everything under the sun, and for a first meeting, I kept pinching myself at how well it was going!

Alas, we couldn't sit there all day. I had AAs and Book 2 to get on with, and she had editor things to do. *sigh* But I found my way back to the train station, via William Curley Chocolatier (no, I can't go past a chocolate shop without going in!), in a much relaxed, happier frame of mind than I'd arrived in.

My visit just deepened my gratitude at being given the chance to write for my favourite line, and, those eds at Richmond? I love them ALL!