The Big 10

Earlier this week, StatCounter told me my blog had reached the milestone of 10,000 reader visits. Sounds like a lot, but that's over a couple of years! Still, it made me happy to know that a fair few people had dropped in to read stuff, and some of them have even left comments. I actually started this blog in 2004, firstly to record short reviews or comments on books I had read. It was like a personal reminder of what I liked and what I didn't (us writers are always on the look out for recommendations of good books to read). Then I went to New York and the Chatauqua Writers' Workshop, and wanted to keep some kind of diary that friends and family could read if they wanted. Four years later, I'm still here, and still enjoying it. It's a different kind of writing, and it's fun.

The photo above is from the "something old, something new" line of thinking. This is my old something. Apologies for the not-so-good photo but it's very hard to get away from reflections! Anyway, this is (obviously) a cup and saucer. It's from a very old porcelain tea set that we think belonged to our great-grandmother. It has been handed down and now what is left of it belongs to my sister and me. For my birthday, she had one of the last remaining cup-and-saucer sets mounted in a box frame for me. I never understand people who throw stuff out when someone dies - once it's gone, it's gone forever. (And I freely admit I am a hoarder.)

The "something new" is not out yet. It's not even on the UQP website, but I have seen the final cover for my new book Tracey Binns Is Trouble. It's out in May. I'll post a cover when I have permission.
Something borrowed? I promise to return the Estleman book on popular fiction to you really soon, T! And if you want to see blue things, you can look at the bluebells and pincushions on my Bush Notes blog.