It’s June already and I haven’t posted for ages! Mainly because I’ve been embroiled in loads of writing, writerly events – work-related stuff and a lot of travelling, parties and receptions, and a bit of illness too. But I am now the proud member of a London club and the proud possessor of an Oyster card, although I did get jammed in the pincer-like claws of the underground barriers, bags on one side, myself and my pull-along case on the other, totally immovably stuck. Well, it’s  a long story… At least I didn’t fall down the escalator this time. And the odd thing was that nobody, not a single person, took any notice. It’s not as if I’m so fat it was inevitable that I get trapped in the gates. I’m not fat at all, in fact.

But all these parties and receptions made me think: I must get summer-ready. I seem to have focused my life on eating and drinking for some time now, and the evidence is there on my tum for all to see. So … a large leaf to turn over, in the shape of a diet and lots of exercise. I’m trying the 5:2 again but also reducing on the 5 day bit: drastically reducing the bread (ahh, I love French and artisan bread!) and potatoes (I love roast potatoes!), and wine (can’t resist Prosecco and cava; champagne if poss!). Absolutely no cake or biscuits. Got to keep it down to around 1500 calories tops. It’s going to be tough.

On my two “fasting days”, which apparently don’t actually have to be an actual fast, as in, no food at all, but simply (haha!) keeping down to 500 calories and low fat, I’ve got it worked out:

On rising, interval training on my exercise bike for 20 minutes. Apparently it’s more effective on an empty stomach and then to have carbs afterwards.

Breakfast: small bowl of porridge oats, green tea. Lots of green tea and water all day.

Lunch: 2 dark rye ryvita with a scrape of lowest fat cream cheese/or low cal low fat soup, banana, satsuma

Walk and yoga, swim, or exercise bike if rainy and stormy

Dinner: small salad, one slice of fat-less cold meat (chicken), absolutely no dressing/mayo/coleslaw other than a dribble of low cal/low fat French dressing, strawberries/blueberries/pineapple.

30 mins on exercise bike again.

There is a science base to all this, but I can’t go into it – I must be getting back on my bike …

And, hopefully, after a big family wedding that’s coming up shortly (down south!), things will settle down a little.

So I must then focus on my manuscript for the review from the Romantic Novelists’ Association. The novel is called A Shape on the Air and it is a time-slip, parallel universe story where our heroine, after a traumatic revelation, finds herself in a parallel life in the early middle ages with equally difficult life – issues. How will it all resolve itself? Well, I’m wondering that myself …

Thrilled to bits about my contract with Endeavour Press for the ebook of Drumbeats, and the publication of the sequel Walking in the Rain. Coming next week, in time for Midsummer’s Day the following week, a blog on dreams, and the launch day of a lovely funny new novel.