In March...

... I read:

• The Ugly Sister by Jane Fallon
• Idol Hands by Cynthia Hill
• Millie's Fling by Jill Mansell
• No Strings Attached by Clare Dowling
• Heaven Can Wait by Cally Taylor

... Finished the first draft of Book 2 (yay)

... But received rejection number 3 for Book 1 (boo)

... Baked Rock Cakes for my Saved by Cake Challenge

The Most Popular Posts at the end of the month are:

• Marian Keyes & Mercy Close
• I Heart Gavin & Stacey (and Richard Osman)
• Afterwards by Rosamund Lupton
• Birthday & Chinese New Year
• Christmas Songs Quiz
• Novelicious Undiscovered 2012
• TV Highlights of the Week
• Rejection Number One
• In January...

Book 2 - Nothing

It's been almost a week since I finished the first draft of Book 2. I had plans to finish the short story I was working on and start planning Book 3. But I have done neither. I haven't done anything but read and watch tv.

But I worked hard to get that first draft done so I think having a week 'off' from writing is ok. As long as it doesn't turn into another week. Then another and before you know it, I haven't wrote a word for weeks. I always find it harder to get back into writing after a break so I will get back into it this week and if I don't, I will be forced to kick myself up the arse.

Saved by Cake Challenge - March

I have decided to challenge myself to bake a different cake/biscuit from Marian Keyes' book, Saved By Cake, each month, between March and December. I am a beginner at baking and use the same recipes over and over again so it'll be nice to try something new. I will take photos and post them on here each month - the good, the bad and the ugly.

Rock Cakes

First up for my challenge was rock cakes. I chose these because I have never made them before. I've never even tasted a rock cake before because they contain sultanas, which I don't like. Generally, I'm not a fan of dried fruit. Unless they're raisins, covered in chocolate and then they can pop themselves into my mouth until I'm sick.

Bearing this in mind, I was a bit cheeky and replaced the sultanas with glace cherries, which I love. I was wondering how many cherries it would take to make me feel sick. I'm not anymore. It was two. Two.

Waiting to go into the
oven

Apart from the cherries, I followed the recipe exactly. The recipe was very easy to follow, even for a beginner like me and they turned out really well. I don't know what they're supposed to taste like, having never eaten one before, but I enjoyed them and nobody else complained. The batch didn't last very long so I think the result was a thumbs up.

The rock cakes were very easy to make so I think I will be making some again very soon.

Out of the oven and yummy

For more Saved by Cake Challenges click here

Book 2 - The End

I have done it. 93,788 words. A whole first draft. Beginning, middle and end. Forty two chapters. Lots and lots of pages and lots and lots of evenings spent tapping away at the keyboard. It is complete and backed up and everything.

Please excuse me while I collapse on the sofa.

Ok, I'm already on the sofa but still. Phew.

The End

Book 2 - So Close To The End of First Draft

98%. I can almost touch The End if I streeeeeetch. But not quite. There are still two chapters to write but then that will be it for the first draft. Then there's only the second draft to go. And that'll be a doddle, right? RIGHT?

Genres

I used to think that 'my' genre was chick lit  and I rarely read anything else. I could have counted on the fingers of one hand the number of books I'd read as an adult that didn't fit into that genre but perhaps I have been restricting myself too much.

My favourite book of last year was The Woman He Loved Before by Dorothy Koomson and two books I struggled to put down already this year were Afterwards by Rosamund Lupton and The Ice-Cream Girls by Dorothy Koomson, none of which I would class as chick lit.

This makes me wonder how many great books I've missed out on over the years because they 'weren't my kind of book' or didn't have a cartoon cover. My mind is definitely more open to other kinds of books now.

But that doesn't mean I am turning my back on chick lit. Far from it. Long reign Chick Lit!

What about you? Do you have a particular genre you stick to or do you like a variety of reads?

Book 2 - 100%... but not really

It looks like I've been typing away like a demon this evening but I haven't. It seems I forgot to update my progress bar last time so it's jumped up a bit more than usual.

But never mind that because I have reached 80,000 words - woo! Victory dance!

(Another) But, although 80,000 words was my original target, I still haven't reached the end of the first draft. I still have another 10,000ish words to go so I will have to change my bar.

It is good to see 100% on my bar though. Although I am a bit disappointed by that white bit at the end. What's that about? It should be all green. Green!

There we go, progress bar has been amended (boo). 89% is still good. Not as good as 100% obviously but still...