She...

I've had so many wonderful emails, Tweets and Facebook messages since my book was published I can't tell you. I printed them all out the other day for my husband to read and he was quite overwhelmed at not only the amount of messages, but the lovely things people were saying in those messages. From simply how much they've enjoyed the book, to how its mirrored things in their own life; how they see themselves in Scarlett, or amazingly how they don't usually read books but how they're going to try and keep reading now as a result of reading From Notting Hill with Love...Actually because they enjoyed it so much.

But the other day I had an email from a reader that really struck a chord because it was so wonderfully romantic and fitted in so well with the whole theme of the book. So with very kind permission that reader has agreed I share it with you here as a follow up from my last blog to prove that romance really is still alive and kicking....
Dear Ali
I have never written a letter to an author before but I have just finished you book and feel compelled to write to you.
I hope you don't mind!

Just wanted to say I love love Loved your book, it is now my favourite book of all time and it has all my favourite films wrapped up in my favourite thing to do reading.
Notting Hill is my favourite film of all time.
My now husband left me a note one morning after I had stayed over at his when he went to work saying how much he missed me and that I was to push play on the DVD player, when I did Elvis Costellos 'She' blasted out of the speakers, he had left me another note and put it in my mug in the cupboard telling me to look under the pillow on the sofa. I found a wrapped present and it was the sound track to the film with a lovely love letter inside the case, it was the most romantic thing that had ever happened to me and I sobbed and sobbed. He is always doing such lovely things for me and planning such romantic surprises that it is like being in a film.
I walked down the aisle to 'She' at our wedding and it was just perfect, we now have to wonderful miracle ivf babies and life is fab.
Your book made me laugh and made me cry and has probably the best ending to a book or film ever and I really would love to see it as a film.

My husband bought me your book as an early valentines gift and I read it in 2 days, could have done it in one but I had to play with the kids.
I cannot wait to read your next one
Love
*****
(a sucker for love and slush)

This song has special meaning for me too as it was playing at the exact same moment I heard From Notting Hill With Love...Actually was going to be published!

Thank you to eveyone that's sent me messages, I'm so very grateful to each and every one of you for taking the time to do so.

Happy Valentines Day. I hope you get all the romance you dream of today and everyday... 

A x

To me, you are perfect....

Hello Blogs are back again!
And today since it's now February and everyone's thoughts turn to Love as the shops stuff themselves to overflowing with hearts and flowers. I thought I'd start with this little conundrum....


Why do men and women’s expectations of love seem to differ so greatly? And is it people like me – writers of romantic fiction - that are to blame for giving women false hope that their knight in shining armour is going to ride up on his white charger and scoop them up in his strong arms carrying them off into the sunset?

Actually if you ask the vast majority of women, the above description isn’t their ideal fantasy. Most women would be happy with a man that makes them laugh, keeps himself clean, tidy and presentable, and is a tiny bit romantic on occasions... all right perhaps a tad more than a tiny bit. And that’s the key boys, us women like a bit of romance. We like to be wooed.

Take for instance the success of rom-com movies. They have everything I’ve just mentioned above. The laughter - if they’re done well! The fairly normal looking hero – ie your Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Tom Hanks types. I’ll agree not exactly ugly, but not Adonis’ either, with rippling six packs and bulging biceps. They’re a man we could imagine ourselves with and that’s the key. And then there’s the all important romance, which of course never runs smoothly, but usually take the course of the movie to play out, and that’s what we adore. We’d love our own men to send us romantic emails in order to woo us (Tom Hanks - You’ve got Mail) Declare their love for us silently on placards (Andrew Lincoln - Love Actually) Learn our language in order to propose – (Colin Firth - Love Actually) the list goes on...

How many times have you been somewhere and listened to someone else’s tale of their own (very sensible) partner’s romantic gesture or proposal, only to see all the other woman within earshot cooing with envy that it wasn’t them on the receiving end.

Get used to it boys, romance isn’t going anywhere. Woman love it. And if you want woman to love you, then you’d better get some practice in!

Andrew Lincoln doing just the right thing in Love Actually. "Aahhh..."

Until the next time,
A x