The Reluctant Bride edits - officially signed off! And 1850s dress...

Of course it's too early in the morning to have a celebratory champagne (although as DH isn't around no one would know, of course) so I'll just have to pour out me huge excitement at having officially signed off on The Reluctant Bride at 7 o' clock this morning.

I've had such wonderful help from my publisher and from my editor, Rachel Skinner. It was so great getting to meet her at the RT Booklovers Convention when she graciously allowed me to share a room for the six days, so as edits were due to begin around that time it was wonderful to have that personal connection.

And she's been great. I've been working on this book for years. It's a spying romance set during the Napoleonic wars with layers of mystery and intrigue that span the years from the French Revolution to the Battle of Waterloo, and it's written from three different perspectives, so getting the timeline right was a nightmare I might not have stumbled through had Rachel not been so enormously clear and concise on where I needed to tweak. 

It's also the first book of mine where I've totally fallen in love with my hero, Major Angus McCartney, a rather withdrawn soldier and former prisoner of war with an enormous sense of honour but carrying a terrible burden. His desperation for atonement leads him to make a marriage offer to my heroine, Emily, who is mourning her dead fiance but is in no position to refuse.

As usual in my novels, there's a strong redemption theme.

So, now I can get back to my other side of life: critiquing the work of my students and making my two daughters 1850s dresses to wear to Sovereign Hills' Christmas in July dinner on Friday.

Here's Lillie's not quite finished dress. I saw a picture of an original dress on the internet and tried to recreate it without a pattern which took longer than it should have. Once the neckline is finished I think it'll look very cute. I'm also making her a matching 'ermine' edged and lined cape.