Only Stools and Torsos

Well, that was an eye-opener! I thought the Clothes Show consisted of just models walking up and down on a stage. Never realised that there would be actual SHOPPING there.

(just a few of the samples I was given - always wanted the red glittery lip look! Carole Matthews looked at this pic and asked if I'd been to a drag queen convention :)
The Simon and Schuster stall looked fabulous!

And there were SHOES by Kandee

and they were all SIZE 3 - and guess what size I am? Yep a 3.

I had a major try-on session :)

I was signing books at the stall when we spotted the style goddess and original Ms Clothes Show - Caryn Franklin and I fell totally into giddy kipper mode when she came over and had piccys taken with us - what a lady she is!

AND Jezz Brazier was on the catwalk next to us and was a thoroughly lovely chap - posing by my bookshelf ;)

I managed to give out the YOUNG CREATIVE WRITER award and walk up a catwalk in heels without falling off and breaking my neck. The winner came from Wakefield and is a fabulously talented young lady called Stacey Dove - I'll be publishing her story here when I've cleared permission.

We had lunch in the VIP suite with some more competition winners then went off to see the most amazing models strutting and dancing and generally making me green with envy. They are like creatures from another planet!

Unfortunately a lot of the show consisted of men stripping off. However there was the consolation for that pain in the shape of the most handsome man in the world George Lamb

Oh and The Risk performed (and were bloody good) but I've just got a swanky new camera and by the time I'd found the on button they had retreated!

I had my lips glittered up for my talk on stage. Couldn't get up on the damned stool! There I was having survived the catwalk and had to suffer the ritual humiliation of forty-eight failed attempts to climb a bar stool so high it had clouds on the top of it. Even after the lovely Georgie tried to give me a hand up. Someone, bless them, ran on with two chairs. Honestly - it must be nice some times to have legs like a racehorse!
Oh and here are the gorgeous Mel and Dawn from St Moriz self-tan which is absolutely GORGEOUS stuff and is currently 'tanning the backsides' of other self-tanners in competitions. It's what the people of Geordie Shore love - great people, great company. They're 'modelling' my book - I'm 'modelling' their product - fair's fair :)

Then it was time for champagne and just winding down a little. I can honestly say that I have to go next year whether it's work or play. Yesterday was work - although it didn't really feel like it to be honest (very rarely does in my job). I was absolutely exhausted so the girls manning the stall - who have been there for a full week - must be running off adrenalin and will continue to do so until the weekend I don't doubt - then they will SLEEP FOR ENGLAND.

Fascinating just watching all the youngsters hoping to be spotted by modelling scouts (can't believe I wasn't approached - however, after the stool incident I have been approached by the Carry On team). Absolutely loved swanning around with my VIP badge, seeing some young brilliantly talented designers and writers and being in woman-heaven with all those freebies and bargains.

For the most part I'm sitting alone in my house and writing in this job but when a 'work-perk' turns up - boy is it usually a big one ;)

Milly x

3 BOTTLES OF AUTUMN RIESLING TO BE WON THIS WEEK!

To celebrate the launch of An Autumn Crush, here’s a competition to win one of 3 beautiful bottles of Koonunga Hill Autumn Riesling from Penfolds wine donated by the fabulous Slurp.co.uk. This full fragrant white wine is perfect for perking up your autumn with its spank of sunny citrus.
Slurp and Penfolds are my two favourite suppliers of ‘the grape’.

PENFOLDS has been producing remarkable Australian wines since 1844. With over 165 years of history, the heritage of the brand sets it apart from other new world wines, making it one of the most prestigious winemakers in the world. For more information on PENFOLDS, please visit www.penfoldskalimnaclub.co.uk
With over 7,000 products, Slurp.co.uk is the largest online retailer of wines, beers and spirits in the UK. An unbeatable range of 2,000 wines are available for next-day-delivery by the single bottle (oh they're quick!). Slurp is dedicated to bringing wine to consumers in the most innovative and contemporary ways - using social and multi-media to create excitement in and around wine, combined with regular email offers to subscribers packed full of award-winning wines and special promotions. Go to Slurp.co.uk for more information and to register

Just answer this one simple question (the answer can be found on the Slurp site
WHAT SALT AND PEPPERY SEA CREATURE DOES SLURP RECOMMEND TO EAT WITH THIS WINE?
Send your answer to

putting AUTUMN in the subject bar. All the correct entries will be picked out by a computer random generator.
The winner will be notified after the competition closes on midnight SUNDAY 30TH OCTOBER.
Over 18s only, obviously. Enjoy and good luck.
Milly x

FREE HANDMADE CHOCS FROM WALKERS OF SKIPTON!

Congratations to Jenny Woodall, Carole Houston and Nikki Clark who all won the Penfolds Red Wine thanks to lovely Slurp wines. There will be another gorgeous wine competition next week - but this week it's CHOCOLATES. 30 OF THEM - ALL HANDMADE. And because I'm such a lovely person, I've been personally testing them to make sure they made a worthy competition prize. They did.

Walkers Handmade Chocolates is a family business in Skipton, North Yorkshire, owned and run by Belgian trained chocolatier Robert Walker.

Just answer this one simple question (the answer can be found on the Walkers Chocolate site )
Name a chocolate collection from Walkers which is missing from this list?
The Heritage Collection, The Truffle Collection, The Connoisseur Collection, The Taster Collection
Send your answer to

putting CHOC in the subject bar. All the correct entries will be put in a hat and picked out by a third party. The winner will be notified after the competition closes on midnight SATURDAY 22nd OCTOBER.
GOOD LUCK
Milly x

WINE WINE ... AND YET ANOTHER WINE!

CONGRATULATIONS TO JAMES BRUCE OF ESSEX - who has won the Walkers handmade chocolates competition (but don't worry - there will be another one next week :)

To celebrate the launch of An Autumn Crush, here’s a competition to win one of 3 beautiful bottles of yummy, plummy ‘Old Vine’ Penfolds wine, in association with Slurp.co.uk. This rich and fruity Penfolds Bin 138 Shiraz Grenache Mourvedre is just the thing to warm up your cockles on a chilly autumn evening.
Slurp and Penfolds are my two favourite suppliers of ‘the grape’.
PENFOLDS has been producing remarkable Australian wines since 1844. With over 165 years of history, the heritage of the brand sets it apart from other new world wines, making it one of the most prestigious winemakers in the world. For more information on PENFOLDS, please visit www.penfoldskalimnaclub.co.uk
With over 7,000 products, Slurp.co.uk is the largest online retailer of wines, beers and spirits in the UK. An unbeatable range of 2,000 wines are available for next-day-delivery by the single bottle. Slurp is dedicated to bringing wine to consumers in the most innovative and contemporary ways - using social and multi-media to create excitement in and around wine, combined with regular email offers to subscribers packed full of award-winning wines and special promotions. Go to Slurp.co.uk for more information and to register
Just answer this one simple question ( the answer can be found on the Slurp site OR the Penfolds site
WHAT YEAR WAS THE PENFOLD COMPANY FOUNDED?
Send your answer to

There won’t be a return receipt, but trust me they all get here. All the correct entries will be put in a hat and picked out by a third party. The 3 winners will be notified after the competition closes on midnight SATURDAY 15TH OCTOBER. Trust me - this is a really special wine and well worth winning!

WIN WALKERS HANDMADE CHOCOLATES THIS WEEK!

To celebrate the launch of An Autumn Crush, here’s a competition to win a box of 30 delicious choccys from the very yummy Walkers Handmade Chocolates company. That’s one to cheer up every day in November (like you’re going to wait though!)
Walkers Handmade Chocolates is a family business in Skipton, North Yorkshire, owned and run by Belgian trained chocolatier Robert Walker.

Fuelled by a passion for traditional hand crafted skills and artisan foods, Walkers Handmade Chocolates use the finest ingredients, locally sourced where possible, to produce beautiful, fresh handmade chocolates, chocolate gifts and novelties. The collections are inspired by the best English and continental chocolate traditions and feature nostalgic heritage flavours, Swiss style truffles and a classic Signature range with alcoholic and non alcoholic selections. Beautifully boxed and made with love they are the perfect luxury gift.
Just answer this one simple question (the answer can be found on the Walkers Chocolate site www.walkershandmadechocolates.co.uk)
All the correct entries will be put in a hat and picked out by a third party.
What year did the English invent a process for making solid chocolate bars?
Send me your answer on my contact page. If you can't get through that way - email me on this number

There won't be a return receipt - but don't worry, they all get here safely. The winner will be notified after the competition closes on midnight SATURDAY 8TH OCTOBER.

And the winners are....

Lesley and Celebrity Monkey. I laughed that CM really had seen Vladimir Darq in the bus station and thought was Lesley said about Lou was very sweet.

If you both send me your addresses and whose name you want me to personalise the books to - if you do - I'll get those bundles out to you.

Thanks everyone. Please pop back as I have competitions running all through October for wine and handmade choccys.

Milly x

Launch Week - Buns, Books... and Bishops

We had the official launch of An Autumn Crush at Barnsley library this week. They're always great fun but I have to do two launches as the room will only hold 100 people. However they are always great fun - although quite hard work too. Alas I don't have an official entourage who upload and unload stuff for me - it's the library staff who help, above and beyond the job description, and boy am I lucky that the library lot - and volunteers - in Barnsley are absolute STARS (thank you Jill Craven, Rachel, Linda, the lads and the gorgeous Phyllis.)

The car was full to brimming with books, my lovely book bags (from bagitdontbinit.com) and the worlds biggest supply of coffee and shortbread from the fabtabulous Douwe Egberts and Walkers Shortbread. A launch wouldn't be the same without them as their coffee and biscuits kept me propped up whilst I was writing The Yorkshire Pudding Club through the night.

There was a production line of us stuffing my book bags with coffee and shortbread, vouchers and my sons were making sure everyone had one.

...and the raffle prize tables needed to be set up

We had some brilliant prizes - Mother's Ruin, books from my lovely author friends, wine, a voucher from Bannatyne's Spa, Sunday lunch plus plonk at the Holiday Inn - chocolates, bookmarks, handmade cards, cuddly toys, vouchers from Picture Proud photography in Elsecar - cupcakes from the lovely Shelley - who was busy setting up the treats in the next room. All the cupcakes were autumn themed - and she'd had to source a lot of the ingredients from the States. They didn't just look good enough to eat, they were. And just the right amount of frosting too - not too overdone. And - bless her - she'd even made some diabetic ones for our lovely Phyllis to nosh on :)
Nice to have a cupcake named after you - Chocolate and peanut butter. A bit like me - a little goes a long way ;)

The little gingerbread men and pumpkins on the 'Pumpkin Pie' cakes were so cute and the leaves on the vanilla were stunningly detailed.
The French Toast ones were to die for...

The books were out on display.

The formidable Phyllis was leaping on everyone and anyone and 'persuading' them to buy raffle tickets - although they're a generous lot in Barnsley.
I took my mum with me - here are three generations of my family together in the library.

The room started to fill up, totally filled up and then I was off on my rant.

Some fabulous people turned out to support me - the lovely Mayor Cllr Karen Dyson, who I just think is ace -

Here we are with Sara Atkinson from Haworth Cat Rescue on the second night. And my lovely fellow novelist Victoria Howard

Then it was raffle drawing time, book signing...

Here I am with the gorgeous Mel Dyke who is a top Barnsley bird and has been both an inspiration and Godsend to me. I love her.

And here is the wonderful Phyllis who no raffle-holding should ever be without.

Thanks to her 'gentle coercion' the two nights brought in nearly £600 and I think everyone went away with a smile on their face. My son did - because he nabbed the last French Toasts for supper...

Mine went down very well with the couple of rewarding glasses of red waiting with my name on, sitting on the sofa next to the dog

And inbetween the two events - I was speaker at the Bishop's Breakfast, which was the nicest start to a morning I've had in ages. Bacon butties with the Bish is probably one of the best perks of the job - so nice to be treated like a lady. It doesn't happy very often.

The official publication date for the rest of Britain is this week so I've got a busy time coming up. Radio shows, judging at the Clothes Show (diet here I come - and Armani shop, here I come when I've done the first bit.) Have a 'research' trip in Paris, talking at various events, Sheffield Literary Festival, more talks in lovely Wigan - where I was made most welcome last time. So many gorgeous things coming up for me. And amongst them all I've got to finish off White Wedding

And my pictoral homage to wrestling in Barnsley. No rest for the wicked? Then I never want to be good :)

Thanks to everyone who has made this week SOOO special for me and raised a few bob for 'The Well' and Haworth Cat Rescue. Mwah.

Milly xxx