Deadline, school hols, exciting times in London, research trip…

Amy had it dead right in her last post about screaming deadlines. I’m on one at the moment. (This is my sports medicine book – the follow-up to Plague Squirrels… though obviously I didn’t tell my ed about my working title until a week after she’d accepted the book! And I’m expecting revisions back on my Christmas book this week, too…)

And it’s school holidays, so I don’t know what day it is (and that’s why I’m late with this post. Kate Tardy. I’m so sorry).

And it’s coming up to my son’s A levels, so I need to be super-calm, getting him to revise effectively and take proper breaks, and listening when he has a confidence wobble and reassuring him. (Exams are definitely worse when your children are taking them. I’m one of those weird people who actually like doing exams so I’m not really nervous, but I’m a total wreck on behalf of the kids!)

So what would be the worst thing I could do right now? Book a research trip. Where I get all excited and I start looking up stuff. And getting even more excited.

Oh, wait – first – I haven’t bounced and fizzed on here about how brilliant last month was! Please indulge me here for some immense showing-off (it’s not boasting, more that I’m so thrilled that I can’t stop talking about it – though someone’s going to stick gaffer tape over my mouth, one of these days, to shut me up!). Basically I had a fab day in London, had lunch with Caroline Anderson and Liz Fielding and Louise Allen and our eds, and then went to the RNA Awards. Darcey Bussell was presenting the RoNA Rose award, and I happened to have two books listed. Nobody who’s ever had two books listed has ever won, so I was all prepared to cheer someone else.

But then this happened. (Picture courtesy of the RNA.)

(And yes, I am wearing a dress. First time since my wedding day. And a tiara.) (There’s also me giving my acceptance speech, totally overcome and close to tears – courtesy of lovely Fiona Harper – over at the Mills and Boon website – http://www.millsandboon.co.uk/rona-kate-hardy-acceptance-speech)

And this. (I am so thrilled with this. I’ve never had a trophy to keep before. It’s got my name on it!)

And I also got a cheque. Which means we can afford a holiday this year (don’t believe what you hear about authors rolling in money – it’s a bell-shaped distribution curve, and sadly it’s strongly slanted towards the peanuts end rather than the ‘let’s buy matching Ferraris’ end). So we’re having a research trip to Prague.

So excited. The city of a thousand spires and lots of bridges. It’s going to be so romantic and wonderful. For anyone who’s visited Prague, is there anything we really must see, or a place with really wonderful food (particularly ice cream) that we can’t miss? Very happy to hear all recommendations!