Hello everyone and HNY - not sure when the statute of limitations on wishing people a happy new year runs out, but I’m going for it anyway because I’m lovely like that. Hope you all had good Christmases and that you have a fab 2012. I’ve got a good feeling about 2012; what did those Mayans know anyway? They let themselves be *pauses to google what happened to the Mayans then discovers that no-one’s quite sure* er wiped out in some murky way, so I’m not listening to them *screams as ghost of centuries-dead Mayan appears at foot of bed*.

Anyway this is what I’m excited about for 2012:
1. My beautiful baby girl Cora (have to start with her don’t I?) She is three months old now and she is GORGEOUS. She’s interested in things now and she opens her mouth and makes huffing noises when she sees something she likes (like a blank wall, never a brightly coloured toy or something). She is awfully good and sweet and when she isn’t - we don’t mind so much. Being a writer at home all day is lonely, so I’m loving my maternity leave, there’s someone here with me all day. Yay! And it’s Cora!
2. Holidays. We have three hols booked, one to La Gomera (small island next to Tenerife) which will be our summer hols, just in Feb so we get a bit of winter sun, Paris to see my friend Vicky who’s just had TWINS! and Dorset in June which I can’t wait for, my friend is getting married and some of us have hired a house (near the sea and a pub, genius). Very glad to have things in the diary as I love being at home but it’s good to get out and about as I’m sure everyone who’s had a baby knows. My feet are all stiff from constant sitting on sofa / lying in bed not doing very much.
3. The David Hockney exhibition at the Royal Academy, I’m obsessed with David Hockney and I can’t wait to go.
4. Fitting into my new possibly over optimistically purchased Paul + Joe Sister playsuit which I bought in a moment of madness in a sale and which I WILL WEAR AT SOME POINT. It is beauts.
5. New series of 30 Rock! Although when it gets shown in the UK - different matter all together.
6. Finally, my new book HAPPILY EVER AFTER is published in the UK next Thursday, 19th January. Wha!?! Exciting. What with the baby I’ve hardly noticed the time go by and I’m all ‘what’s that? new book? Crazy!’ And now I’m getting quite jazzed about it coming out. It’s my version of the age-old ‘Girl comes to big city and makes her way in the world’ theme, and it’s set in the world of publishing, where I worked very happily (ever after) for thirteen years and which I miss hugely still. So if you get the chance, I really hope you enjoy it. Here’s the Amazon link, now spoiler free (someone posted a review basically detailing every plot point - why do people do that?! Mental).
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Happily-Ever-After-Harriet-Evans/dp/0007350260/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1322504426&sr=1-1
Here’s the Waterstones link too (note no apostrophe) http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/products/harriet+evans/happily+ever+after/8601757/
And here’s a photo of Cora looking excited about something.

Love to you all,
Harrie
PS Once again, if you’ve emailed me, you must be wondering why you bothered - ARGH I’m so useless for not having replied for so long. Forgive me, it’s the baby and trying to get my next book finished. I’ve read every one of them and it’s amazing to hear from people, and so so lovely to read your emails, which is partly why I never get round to replying - do you have that thing where you email a friend at work 15 times a day but never get round to sending an email to the friend who’s moved abroad because you think you’d better take some time out to do it properly? It’s a bit like that. Rubbish excuse but true. Thanks again, I will get round to it SOON! X X