Let’s meet up! I’m going to be at the Guildford Literary Festival on Friday October 21st as part of the Girls Night.

I’m appearing in part two alongside writers Judy Astley and Kay Burleigh (yes, the one from the telly!) Part one features the amazing storytellers, Penny Vincenzi and Penny Jordan, who have apparently sold 80 million books between them. Phenomenal!

We’re going to be talking about how to bring all your life experience to your work.

You can find out more on the Guildford Book Festival website.

Really look forward to seeing you there!

Up very far north and more snow!

Mid-April I was back in the very north of Scotland for two Girls’ Nights: one in Inverness and one in Culloden. Brilliant to meet so many enthusiastic readers. There is nothing like Highland hospitality, I tell you.

When in the Highlands, I stayed for a few days at a cottage on the Cawdor estate. It was in the middle of the most fantastic kind of nowhere. Miles and miles down a single track road, then a gorgeous cottage in a luscious valley. The children were ecstatic and demanded to know why we couldn’t move here straightaway and have ponies… and go fishing… and get air rifles!!

Just as I packed away my duvet coat, the snow returned for one (final? Please!) flutter. I did find the missing purple gloves though, so very happy!

And final picture, despite the snow and gloom and general freezing chill, I’ve managed to grow a lemon. I know, a lemon in Glasgow. Obviously it’s green and may stay green for lack of sunshine -  but for my brown fingers, this is a miracle.

I got the lemon tree as a birthday present two years ago and haven’t killed it yet. I do feel a bit sorry for it though, sitting at the window looking out and wondering what it can do to get back to Italy where it belongs!

Yes, that really is me in the photo with the world famous Sophie Kinsella, Joanne Harris, Nicholas Parsons and the other fabulous authors at my publisher’s 60^th birthday party. Is the lovely Ms Kinsella not rocking her 8-month bump in the leopard skin dress? Go girl!

Now, I’ve had lots of email about the reading order of the books. First of all, don’t panic! The books are written so you can pick any one of them up, dive in and get to know the characters without missing anything vital.

But, if you’d like to read them in order, the Annie Valentine series goes: The Personal Shopper, Late Night Shopping, How Not To Shop and Celebrity Shopper (so far!)

Secrets at St Jude’s reading order is: New Girl, Jealous Girl, Drama Girl. Book four, Rebel Girl comes out in June.

My first four books are ‘stand alone’ titles, so no special order required.

I’ve done some fantastic visits and events during March. I’ve been talking about books, reading and writing in schools in and around London. I was talking at Waterstone’s in Guildford, then Stockton-upon-Tees library, I did a books festival and a Unicef event in Glasgow. Oh and a lovely primary school in Glasgow too. It’s been fantastic to meet so many readers and hopefully inspire lots of future writers.

This is some of the feedback from the lovely ladies I met in Stockton:

‘Carmen was an enlightenment – inspirational’

‘Really enjoyed listening to Carmen read extracts from her books. I’ve wondered how an author wants her books to ‘sound’ when read – now I know’

‘Carmen was such an interesting and charming person’

‘I really enjoyed the evening, Carmen was inspirational and funny’

Awwwww! Thank you so much, incredibly kind.

This is a picture of me and the lovely Jill Mansell (author of more than 20 bestselling books – wow!). As you can see, we are ‘relaxing’ in the bar after our Girls Night Out event.