Hamsters and Literary Agents

Many thanks to you all for your kind thoughts. I've had an ongoing abscess which, together with disturbed nights, has laid me low. Yesterday I finally had The Offending Tooth removed which was one of the most painful experiences ever – post operative. I won't go into details, suffice to say that I now look like a lop sided hamster and am high on a cloud of Nurofen. Work is out of the question, given the state of my brain, so I'm about to head for the depths of the sofa and a cuddle with Moll.

My mum is arriving tomorrow and, ever spurred on by the impending arrival of his mother-in-law, Himself decided to start on a frenzy of redecoration. The two tables in the kitchen have been stripped and are now back to original wood with their legs painted green. His one and only Good Brown Cardigan is now also green, as is Mollie's left flank but we won't go into that. He has to get some brown paint now to paint out the green so Mum doesn't see....

The bathroom is also repainted and that looks much brighter so he has earned lots of brownie points (apart from the cardigan).

So that's my Valentine's present – a revamped kitchen and bathroom – what more could a girl ask for?

Well for those of us writers, a critical eye is essential. I always give my work to one particular friend for her to cast her eye over, but when it comes to novels – well, that's a lot of work. We all get so close to our precious babies that it's vital to have someone else who can look at it objectively. But who to chose?

There are various people out there who offer this service – Hilary Johnson, The Literary Consultancy and many others. But a friend of mine has recently set herself up and offers very competitive rates as well as a very friendly ear and eye. Or two.

Take a look at her website – The Writer's Friend – and see what you think. She has helped me look at my work with new eyes, she has a good sense of humour (vital, I find) and she loves animals. What could be better?

So to all of you out there – Happy Valentine's tomorrow!