I have just finished reading the final book in Irene Hannon's 'The Heroes of Quantico' trilogy. 'Against All Odds' is a fast moving romantic suspense novel featuring FBI agent Coop and Monica, the woman he is assigned with protecting. Sparks fly between them and I was glued to the page from beginning to end.
'An Eye For An Eye' follows one of Coop's colleagues and once again the pace rockets on its way. I was hooked by the perfect balance of suspense, action and romance.
'In Harm's Way' is special agent Nick Bradley's story. As a minor character in the previous two novels, he has managed to evade a serious relationship - but is drawn to Rachel Sutton, whose life is put on the line by her connection to a psycotic woman's obsession.

Irene Hannon has written over 30 novels. Her books have been honoured with the coveted RITA Award from the Romanc eWriters Of America. For more details visit her website www.irenehannon.com
As for me, I am eagerly awaiting the first of her new series due out early in 2011.

Holidays

Hello.

We have been very busy enjoying ourselves over the past few weeks. First, we spent three days in Maidenhead, staying at a lovely Bed and Breakfast called Sunny Cottage, where we had the most fantastic breakfasts ever! It's a wonder we didn't end up as round as barrels!

We were in Maidenhead because our daughter-in-law, Tracey, was home from Malaysia for a few weeks with Amelia ( nearly 9) and Jasmine (3). Our son, Keith, was unable to come because he has just signed a new three-year contract and was settling in his new job.

We had a great day at Odd's Farm, joined by our daughter, Katherine, and her three children - Joe (14), Katie-Anne (12) and Rosie (6). There was plenty to see and do and the 5 cousins had a great day together.

www.oddsfarm.co.uk

The following day Tracey, the girls, Dave and I had a day in London. We went on the London Eye - what long queues! even though we had pre-booked our tickets, we queued for over an hour - the ride was worth it. Amelia also wanted to see Big Ben, so we went along and stood underneath it. It obligingly struck the hour as we approached.

Some friends of Tracey's invited us all to a Family Barbecue in their garden on the Thursday evening, extending our time together.

All too soon, our short time together was over and we had to say, "Goodbye." Tracey and the girls flew back to Malaysia. Our contacts in the foreseeable future will be via Skype.

Holiday in Devon

Following our time in Maidenhead, Dave and I drove to Bideford in Devon to Northway Cottages, where we were joined by both our daughters, Katherine and Sue, and their families for a week of family fun. It is a delightful place - this was our third visit and we have already booked again for next year, which speaks for itself of how much we enjoy the place.

Many years ago, it was a Coaching Inn but is now a complex of cottages converted from farm

buildings of varying sizes, housing from 2 to 13 guests. The site, run by Bob and Pauline Bourne, overlooks Bideford Bay - a picture-window view.

A slice of home-made cake, provided by Pauline, and welcoming pot of tea were soon consumed and the children were eager to go for a swim in the heated pool and a visit to the games room with Granddad whilst the rest of us unpacked the cars. Sue's husband David is our chef for the week - the rest of us being his willing helpers. No need for volunteers to wash up - the kitchen is well equipped with a dishwasher and all other appliances.

Sue, David, Katherine and the children Joe, Katie-Anne, Rosie, Lucy and Emily were staying in the Coach House - a specious cottage with 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 lounges, a dining room and kitchen. Dave and I were in the more modestly-sized Buttery, comprising of 1 bedroom, 1 shower-room and an all-purpose kitchen/dining room/lounge - a handy place to retire to when the younger children became a bit fractious towards the end of the day!It is an ideal place for families. Every day starts with the children helping Bob to feed the animals - two goats, two ponies, three rabbits, a few hens (with the added chance of 'winning' a fresh egg - depending on how many have been laid) and numerous goldfish.

Then we decide where to go each day. Even after three years, we are still finding new places to visit - and, of course, we have to go back to re-visit our favourite places. I can see the day coming when we will need an extra week to fit everywhere in!

Our favourite beach is Sandymouth Bay, a National Trust beach where crashing waves, ideal for body-surfing for the older ones, compete with the many rock-pools to explore for sea creatures and which are deep enough for the younger children to swim in. Although we take a picnic, a cafe/gift shop supplies any extras, such as a cappuccino or ice-cream.

One day, we enjoyed a scramble down through the woods and fields to the local Peppercombe Beach, a shingle beach with rock pools at low tide. We returned there another evening and made a camp fire from driftwood, and enjoyedtoasted crumpets.

Picturesque Clovelly is only a few miles away and well-worth a day out. As are many other attractions. Arlington Court (a National Trust property) is another favourite place. This year we enjoyed a carriage ride around the grounds. There is a fine display of horse-drawn carriages in the old stables - an attraction for me, as a writer of regency romantic fiction.

And, of course, mention must be made of the many places to go for a Devon Cream Tea - a MUST for every visit.

The Hartlepool Maritime Experience

We had a successful visit to the dermatology unit at Newcastle Royal Victoria and my husband, Dave, was discharged. Yippee!

The Hartlepool Maritime Experience.

(photos by courtesy of Hartlepool Borough Council

We visited nearby Hartlepool Maritime Experience and had a fantastic time. It is a wonderful re-creation of an 18th century sea-port - the best we have ever seen. There are many harbourside shops such as the printer, the gunsmith, the chandler, the naval tailor and the swordsmith. There were short videos to watch in all places, which give good insight as to how the various trades were used, including an excellent one about how two young brothers were press-ganged into the royal navy and their life on board.

After an excellent lunch at the quayside cafe, we spent over an hour on HMS Trincomalee, the oldest floating warship in Europe, which has been carefully restored at Hartlepool. Much ducking of heads under the low beams in places! Life-size models of the sailors going about their daily tasks brings history to life.

There was so much to see that I wished we could have had another day there. In fact, if I wanted to set a novel in a sea-port in the 18th Century, I would take up residence there whilst I wrote the first draft!!

I would recommend a visit to anyone who has an interest in naval history or anyone, like me, who enjoys looking back at the development of our rich heritage.

To see more about this excellent attraction, go to www.hartlepoolsmaritimeexperience.com

A Most Rebellious Debutante

I had a lovely review of my Hale novel A Most Rebellious Debutante from much-acclaimed sage-writer, Freda Lightfoot. She wrote:

"Well, that was delicious fun. A perfect relaxing Sunday afternoon by the pool with a good book. A spirited heroine and a courageous and honourable hero engaged in an adventure while they fall in love - a delightfully disapproving family. I really enjoyed it. I hope it does well."

The trials of a new blogger

I am slowly getting there, thanks to the help of my patient friends. I have managed to add 'Books recently read'. Next, I want to add 'My recently published novels,hopefully with an imported image.

setting up

Hello, everyone. This is my first attempt at setting up a blogspot. After losing all my pictures due to a recent glitch with my p.c. I now realise I need to create some new ones. Watch this space!