My summer of cycling

sounds like quite a good title for a book, but I'm not sure it would be that exciting. In my current health drive I have cycled to numerous Cambridgeshire villages I didn't even know existed, got lost - twice, got covered in flies - pretty much every time, and nearly cried from exhaustion - once, but I have lost nearly a stone, and my bmi is back in the 'normal' range. I've now also cycled in Suffolk and Norfolk. If I were famous, I could no doubt do a TV series with accompanying book on cycling round the UK or something!

But what does this have to do with writing I hear you cry? Well, not an awful lot, except that on my hols I managed to do quite a lot on the new novel and the end is in sight. Also, cycling is quite good for the writing process, as it provides time to think things through, and I've come up with a few ideas while in the saddle, so I highly recommend it to writers and non-writers alike!

caring not writing

I currently feel like I'm not getting much writing done between seeing my mum who's just out of hospital and doing errands for my partner who's not very well. Not to mention doing almost daily exercise and shopping for and cooking healthy food to get my blood pressure down! Still, that's life, we're not writing machines immune to what's going on around us and despite all that, I do seem to have done quite a lot on the new novel this week.

Also, I'm madly reading the proof of the new Val McDermid in preparation for my interview with her next week for Velvet. Make sure you go to our wicked new website and subscribe so you don't miss out.