Think of a name!

Okay bloggy people and anonymous readers - do you like a challenge?

I'm tasked with thinking of alternative names for my second book 'Blue Line Blues'.
Now we like that name, we think it is catchy but we don't want to put off non-pregnant/wanting to be pregnant/ parent type people.
So... we want to play about with other names.
This book is coming out in September of this year, publishing by Poolbeg, and I'm VERY excited about it. This book is very, very special to me and I want a name that stands out from the crowd.

Now originally it was called
Signed, Sealed, Delivered (carrying on the song theme from RD&T)

And the other suggestion I've received since sending a panicked email out to my bessie mates is
Keeping Mum

Now to save me from driving myself to distraction by googling Carpenter's lyrics, John Denver songs and Stevie Wonder anthems, please post your suggestions below.

And here, to help you, is the blurb

Aoife is 32 and in an on/off relationship with sexy singer Jake. When she finds out she is pregnant, he decides the relationship is most definitely off and leaves her before the pee has time to dry on the stick. Desperate to get him back- and convinced she can- Aoife doesn't tell her parents back home in Derry about her impending arrival until her episiotomy stitches are healing. She then has to return home to face the music - baby in tow and sanity absent without leave. Meanwhile her best friend has been keeping a secret of her own. Beth and her husband Dan have been trying to get pregnant for the past two years. According to the doctors there is no medical reason fortheir failure to conceive. And if there is no reason, there can't be a problem can there? Add a gorgeous gardener, an overbearing mother, a perfectly annoying sister-in-law and a well meaning aunt, - all with secrets of their own - into the mix and you have 'BLUE LINE BLUES'

Think of a name...

Well I've been asked to think for a new title for the book formerly known as "Signed, Sealed, Delivered".
So I've put the feelers out and as usual my friends have come up trumps.
I've submitted a list to Poolbeg and will get back with the full list of suggestions etc when I get the say so...
But big up to Keris for making me laugh out loud with her suggestion of 'Baby Got Back'.

Dumpsville- Population me...

I've kind of promised I won't use this blog for little whinges and whines because, contrary to popular opinion, a lot of the time I'm quite happy person. (Well on the outside - inside I'm generally crying over my weight and my skin and my son's lack of desire to lstop losing the bap at regular intervals just for the craic.)
But I'm feeling a little low this week. Perhaps it is the come down from the last number of weeks - bridezilla's wedding which, yes, I know I've not posted pictures of yet- Nora's gorgeous new baby boy arriving (my uterus skipped a beat when I held him and he did that delicious snuggling into my neck thing that new borns do) and of course the small matter of becoming (for a week anyway) a top ten best-selling author.
For the past year I have had something to look forward to and now, while I'm loving looking back at it, it feels a bit empty now. Of course there is 'Signed, Sealed, Delivered' which please God the publishers will love as much as I love, but apart from that it's work and the day to day routine which seem to be calling.
I have become so eager to have something to look forward to that I'm even (someone stop me) getting broody- not helped by the fact that everywhere I look these days are gorgeous, blooming pregnant women or ickle, tiny, beautiful babbies like wee Finn.
I don't actually 'do' pregnancy very well at all, so why I would look forward to it is beyond me. Maybe it is the thought that my 'baby' is starting pre-school in about six weeks and is riding a big boy bike and forsaking his rather girly coloured Balamory Trike. (Anyone need a Balamory Trike?), or maybe it is that my other baby (Rainy Days and Tuesdays) has flown the nest and no longer needs me to primp and preen it and care for it tenderly?
Then again, I could forget it all and get a wriggle on with writing my third book which so far pays homage to Pea and Ham Soup and not much else.

Signed, Sealed, Delivered... a tiny taster

Eejit man walked me home. He even offered to push the pram some of the way, and being that some of the way was up-hill I let him. I suppose to people looking at us, we would have looked very much like a proper family. He would have looked like the proud daddy and me the stunningly beautiful wife and mother. (Well, a girl can dream, can’t she?)
The conversation was easy. We talked about our days - mine cuddling Maggie, his laying a rockery. I left out the bits about the big freeze with mum, the hangover after my night drinking with Beth and of course all that nasty business with Jake.
I don’t know what - if anything - he left out but it wasn’t lost on me that we all have our own secrets that even the people who see us day in and day out know nothing about.
“Hopefully that night air will tired her and she will sleep well for you,” Tom said and I yawned. I wasn’t sure if he was talking to Maggie or me.

Tackfest Tuesday- Whyyyyyyy do you build me up?

I'm in remarkably chipper form today. It's something to do with booking a weekend away with Mr. Allan and relaxing after the boy's third birthday.
My creative juices are flowing with Signed, Sealed, Delivered and tonight I will hit the 50,000 word mark. So all in all, it's a good day.
So today's tacky song reflects that mood. Even though it is actually quite a sad sony lyrically, it always makes me grin like a buck eejit. It reminds me most of all my aunt's 50th birthday party and my own 30th...
So everybody, I give you 'Why Do You Build Me Up?'

Why do you build me up (build me up) Buttercup, baby
Just to let me down (let me down) and mess me around
And then worst of all (worst of all) you never call, baby
When you say you will (say you will)
but I love you still
I need you (I need you)
more than anyone, darlin'
You know that I have from the start
So build me up (build me up) Buttercup,
don't break my heart"

See that author lady, that's me that is

From the Derry Journal, courtesy of the gorgeous Erin

DERRY JOURNAL reporter Claire Allan has fulfilled the dream of a lifetime after signing a four book deal with Irish publishing giant Poolbeg.
By Erin Hutcheon
Her first novel, ‘Rainy Days and Tuesdays’ is set to hit the shops in Autumn 2007.
Claire, who has been with the ‘Journal’ for eight years and writes a weekly column ‘Skirting the Issue,’ says becoming a published author is a “dream come true.”
And with three more books to write in the next three years Claire, mother to two year-old Joseph, knows she’s in for a busy time of it.
“I’m lucky in that my wee man, Joseph, goes to bed nice and early and my other half works evenings so that frees up time for me to write,” said Claire.
“My house is a total pigsty, but something has to give!
“But that’s part of what the book is all about - I mean Mary Poppins was only ‘practically perfect’.”
It was Claire’s fast approaching 30th birthday that spurred her on to write her first novel.
“I set myself a series of challenges when I was 29,” she said. “To pass my driving test and write a novel.
“I passed my driving test in March and finished my book in June, just two weeks before my birthday.
“When we went out for my birthday my sister and mum presented me with a bound copy of my book as a present.
“I was so unbelievably touched and it was amazing to see the book in print. God love them though, because then I made them read it!”
Once Claire had finished writing the book, the hard work of securing an agent and publisher started.
“I wouldn’t be the most patient person in the world and I found it really nerve-wracking posting off the sample chapters and waiting for a response.
“My husband can tell you I was a bag of cats every time the letterbox rattled.
“But in the end I didn’t have to wait all that long. In August, Ger Nichol- who has been an absolute dote- from the Book Bureau offered to represent me and things really got moving.”

Just two weeks ago Claire got the call she had been waiting her whole life for, when Poolbeg offered her a four book deal.
“I was in the Journal office when Ger rang with the news,” Claire said. “I think I went into shock for about a week and then I started to get very excited every time I walked past Eason and through the book section at Tesco.
“I have to say my colleagues at the ‘Journal’ have been really supportive and my family are delighted for me. Everyone wants a free copy when I’m published!”
Claire was just 16 when she first discovered the joy of a Poolbeg book. She recalled: “It was Patricia Scanlan’s ‘City Girls’, as recommended by my friend Mandi, and from that moment on I always had a wee dream of getting published and having that famous red lighthouse logo on the back of my novel.
“Poolbeg have an amazing representation for supporting new authors and have been responsible for discovering new Irish talent like Marian Keyes, Cathy Kelly, Sheila O’Flanagan and Melissa Hill. It’s amazing company to be in and already I’ve been made to feel very welcome by the editorial team.”
And for Claire writing a book like ‘Rainy Days and Tuesdays’ was a natural progression from journalism. "
“After writing Skirting the Issue for a few years people started to tell me I should write a book but I always found a reason to put it off.
“At the start of this year I set myself a challenge however to sit down and write something and soon I found it quite addictive.
“I got lost in the story, and even though I would be tired after a day at work I would find myself looking forward to switching on the PC at night and finding out what happened to the characters next. It was a really thrilling experience.”
‘Rainy Days and Tuesdays’ tells the story of Grace Duddy, a working mother who, on paper, has the perfect life. However she feels at odds with herself and when she finds out her work colleagues have been talking about her behind her back in less than glowing terms things come to a head.
“I think the book deals with issues many modern women face,” said Claire. “We are all struggling to live up to the notion of what is perfect- be it the perfect wife, the perfect mammy and the perfect employee and most of us struggle with that.
“Grace is just like that, but she is a real fighter and takes steps to turn her life around.
“The book deals with some pretty serious issues, such as post natal depression, but there is a lot of humour and warmth in it.”
The book has several very strong female characters. Along with Grace, there is Daisy, her feisty best friend who is a single mother and successful business woman, and there is also a strong and supportive Derry mammy thrown into the mix.
“The book is set completely in Derry and Donegal, which some people have been surprised at,” said Claire.
“We’re not used to having books set locally- not chick lit books anyway. There are some real locations people will be more than familiar with so hopefully it is a book the people of Derry can take to their hearts.”
Claire is already 40,000 words into her second novel, which has a working title of ‘Signed, Sealed, Delivered’ and is due for release in 2008.

Operation Pollyanna- A Little World of My Own

DAY ONE of Operation Pollyanna and so far, so good.

Despite himself being a generally grumpy bugger, I've managed not to lose my cool- which is pretty impressive for me.

Now to report the positives from my day

1) My sister has booked me a ticket to see Westlife in the Odyssey next April. Yes, that is my secret shame... I love Westlife and as for Shane, I so would...

I tried to find an appropriately handsome picture for this blog (you know, one with him and his wanger hanging out or something) but apparantly he really is that clean cut. More's the pity.

But pulling my mind back out of the gutter. They may not be big or clever, but Westlife are fun and this will be my second time seeing them in concert. I'm sure it's going to be fandabulous.

2) I managed to write 1,000 words of Signed, Sealed, Delivered today...taking me just over the 40,000 mark which makes me feel very exceptionally happy.

So day one down, two positives. Let's see what tomorrow brings.

The Seven Dwarves of the Apocalypse

In the spirit of trying to jazz up this blog, I should in fact post a picture of me and how truly awful I look today.

I have spent the last three days in bed with the flu (which initially I thought was a hangover thanks to a v. good night on the town with Erin) but which soon revealed itself to be the flu from hell.

I've been achey, sweaty, shivery, snotty, wheezy, queasy and weepy all weekend (How's that for an alternative seven dwarves? The Seven Dwarves of the Apocalypse...yep, that is what I shall call them)

However in the spirit of trying not to scare any readers I have off for ever more I will instead just post a picture of the non apocalyptic Sneezy.

Now, I don't like being sick. I'm not a good patient. I get even more whiney than usual and I demand sympathy from everyone- even those I've only parked next too or seen from across the street. I've also been unable to make it to work, which is unfortunate, as I know have guilt to add my list of symptoms.

The one good thing to come from this whole misadventure is that I dreamt the start of book number three (Provisionally titled 'Jumping in Puddles') the other night....but I have to make sure that doesn't put me off finishing book number 2.

That's what little girls are made of

I have a confession to make.

I'm broody, very broody.

I never thought it would be possible to be broody after already having one very active, very loving and very wonderful little boy but if anything I'm more broody now than I ever was before I had the boy one.

However, my broodiness has a specific edge now. I want a pink one. I want a daughter who plays with dolls and tea sets. Much as I enjoy playing with the boy-face, there is only so much enthusiasm I can muster for Scoop, Muck and Dizzy etc.

To be honest Joseph's favourite toy of the moment, Thomas the Tank Engine, leaves me cold. He isn't fun. You can't pretend to feed him, or dress him or sing him lullabies.

I think most women feel similarly, that while we love our boys, there is a need to share so much of our own existance with a darling little girl.

I think the broodiness, the desire for a pink one, has been spurred by my writing 'Signed, Sealed, Delivered' in which my Main Character Aoife, gives birth to the edible Maggie (a name I now like, even though I've always hated it). The female dynamics between the four main characters in the book (Aoife, Anna, Beth and Maggie) is so warm that I want that myself.

I wonder if Santa will bring me a pink one for Christmas?

Signed, Sealed, Delivered- a snippet

Okay, here's a select snippet from the new book.
Copyright me and all that.

I love you too honey. Five words. Six syllables. I can’t remember the last time someone told me they loved me and meant it.
Jake said it a couple of times. Quite often he would say it in a whiney voice when he wanted something- like a blow job. “But baby, I love you,” he would say, puppy dog eyes, pouting lips, big fat erection. They say men don’t love girls that ‘put out’ but I figured if I did enough of what he wanted he would say the words some day without that whiny voice.
I heard him talking one night after a gig. God it had been an amazing night. He was on fire. The place was electric. He’d sung all my favourite songs and even dedicated my all time favourite ‘Signed, Sealed, Delivered’ to me.
I was drunk on life- on Bacardi Breezers and love and Beth and I had long since kicked off our shoes to throw some funky moves on the dance floor. By Christ we thought we were hilarious. At the end of every dance we did our ‘jazz hands’ and fell into each other’s arms laughing so hard I worried I would pee my pants. How I wish now for the bladder control I had then. I don’t think I ever enjoyed a night as much.
When the gig ended and Jake had bounded over to me- his over inflated ego adding a certain spring to his step. We had snogged- a full on tongues and everything drunken fumble right there in front over everyone as if we didn’t give a damn who was watching or who might shout ‘Get a room’.
We sat together drinking, Beth, Daniel, Jake and me. The rest of the band were there too of course and the usual smattering of groupies but I had nothing to fear from them. We were draped over each other- wearing each other and our passion like a badge of honour and it felt amazing.
A short time later, stumbling back from the toilets I saw him locked in a conversation with a tall blonde supermodel type. Creeping up behind him, longing to wrap my arms around his waist and pull him close to me in another full on embrace I heard what he was saying.
“Eefs is just a mate, seriously. Yeah, we mess about but she’s a mate. Just like you’re a mate, and Beth’s a mate. Seriously.”
I didn’t want to make a scene. Jake didn’t like it when I acted mean and moody, so I took his hand, kissed his cheek and pretended I hadn’t heard. After all, love grew from friendships. And he did say he loved me, sometimes. In fact he said it later that night- when he wanted that blow job.