Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Rain, Rain and Rain: I'm Home!

After two glorious sun-drenched weeks in Egypt, I returned yesterday afternoon to an equally rain-drenched London. But that's okay -- as much as I loved the break, it's so good to be home. Granted, I have about a zillion emails to deal with and lots of work to do, but I'm more than ready to dive back in!

I've also imported about half the cinnamon stock of Cairo (you would not believe how good the cinnamon is there), along with 3 kilos of sweets, so there is plenty of fuel to keep me going.

Some rather nice things happened while I was gone. Chick Lit Reviews listed The Hating Game and Watching Willow Watts on 'Books I'm Looking Forward to in 2011', while Trashionista named The Hating Game as one of its Top 10 of 2010! On his blog today, James Garcia Jr has a rather nice review of my novel, too.

All that and I was quoted as a 'bestselling romantic author' in The Times and The Daily Mail! I'll be talking a bit more about that tomorrow.

Maybe I should go on vacation more often! What's new with you? What have I missed?

66 comments:

  1. Welcome back. No matter where you go, it’s always lovely to come back home, isn’t it? And at least it’s rain and not snow.

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  2. Welcome home, Talli!

    I'm glad you had a fantastic trip. You have rain, we have snow here in Chicago...

    I'm down to my last 5-7000 words of my WIP then into edits, so very busy, but I wanted to say hi!

    I hope to be finished first draft by Friday... YAH!

    Have a great day.


    Michael

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  3. Welcome home. Glad you enjoyed a fantastic vacation. Now get to work :)

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  4. Welcome back, Talli!

    That's great about the reviews. I've been reading your book on my phone (gotta love Kindle and all its apps everywhere). It's so good so far!

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  5. Nice review from James! When I last checked, Amazon.ca is releasing The Hating Game in March when I'll be finally getting my copy. Congrats on Times Daily mention!

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  6. Oh Talli- this is wonderful news! I knew you would do great at this! I am truly so happy for you! I hope your good fortune continues through out the year!

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  7. Welcome back! That is great news Talli, what a great start to your year!

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  8. Oooo...sun-drenched Egypt. Sounds great. So do those review of "The Hating Game". Congrats on your success so far.

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  9. Welcome back, how wonderful to return to the great reviews and comments you received! Great inspiration for the New Year :)

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  10. Welcome home!! Isn't awesome when good things happen even when your not paying close attention? :)

    Well deserved accolades!

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  11. Welcome back, bestselling author. Can't wait to hear more about that!

    Wish I had some of that cinnamon.

    It's snowing here. We've got a snow day and everything.

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  12. Wow what a wonderful homecoming (and I don't mean the rain or stacks of emails).

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  13. Egypt is quite a place eh? When I visited there, I felt glad to be back. I lived in London at the time. Now I live in sunny Florida.

    Loved the image with all the piled up mail.

    Congrats on your book.

    Jacqueline Howett, Author of The Greek Seaman novel, and Amorphous Angelic, Selected Poems.

    http://jacquelinehowett.blogspot.com

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  14. WELCOME BACK, TALLI! I missed reading your blog while you were gone.

    Glad you enjoyed the sunshine & all the sites in Egypt. I didn't know they had such great cinnamon, will have to check that out myself!

    Get caught up on your email & congrats on being the bestselling romantic author in THE TIMES! :)

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  15. i've never been on a two week vacay before. It sounds awesome.
    And i'm intrigued by the cinnamon

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  16. Welcome home! I would love to go on a two-week long vacation sometime. :)

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  17. Talli, that's awesome, congratulations!

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  18. Welcome back, Talli, and congratulations on all your reviews and mentions. I’m glad you had a good break.

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  19. Thanks, everyone! It is so good to be back!

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  20. Hi Talli - that's amazing - well done & you must be so pleased! Excellent places to be mentioned too ...

    Looking forward to hearing more and longing to see how you go ..

    & as a travel guide writer - you have an honourable mention in my latest post .. about to go up!

    Welcome back .. just come over to grab the link! Cheers Hilary

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  21. Welcome home Talli! I'm glad you had a terrific vacation :)

    Congratulations on those reviews and being quoted! I'm looking forward to tomorrow's post.

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  22. Smiling at the cinnamon stash.

    Enjoy the rain, glad you had a good time.

    Wonderful news about your book!

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  24. Duh, I just posted a comment for someone else's blog on my own blog! I must be tired! (No, I haven't been drinking.)

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  25. Welcome Home Talli,
    and the news you came home to is phenomenal! golly, are your feet still on the ground? Because not sure mine would be with all those accolades...good for you!

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  26. Welcome home Talli! And huuuuuuge congratulations on the mentions - well done you!!

    It's nice to have you back and to be reading your blog again - missed it! Glad you had a good break.

    Not a great deal happened since I last spoke to you, apart from being accepted on the NWS this year, yay!

    Look forward to meeting up with you soon.

    xx

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  27. Welcome home! You know - that's exactly what I bring back from my vacations - the sweet stuff I can eat. :) And congrats on the reviews!

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  28. Welcome back! I can imagine that you are in a veil of cinnamon and everyone asks you where you've been :)

    Good luck with your work!

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  29. Hello Talli! Sounds like things are very good in your neck of the woods. New with me? I bought a house, had a baby, and finally started back into writing this month. Yay!

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  30. I'm so glad that the holiday was wonderful, and that you're back. The cinnamon and sweets sound divine. Congrats on the positive reviews!

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  31. Welcome home, you best selling romantic author you!

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  32. Can I say welcome home when I don't live there? How about - glad you're home kid, now git to work? Can I say that? Why yes I can! Hope you stored all that sun and glad you're back in the saddle and also that your saddle comes with a crown now! Yay - Queen of romantic fiction! Long may you reign!
    ps- it is snowing like a bastard here in your real home. our noses ARE blue.

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  33. Welcome back!(to the cold!:)) Looking forward to hearing your best selling author quotes!

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  34. Maybe you should take more vacations!
    I finished the first draft of the sequel to my book, so working on revisions now. And hosting another big blogfest. Otherwise, same stuff!

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  35. How cool is that? Can't wait to hear more.
    CD

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  36. Welcome home and congrats on all the good news! I'm about half way though "The Hating Game." Loving it!

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  37. Welcome home, and congrats on The Hating Game developments and positives while you were gone!! Yay!

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  38. Welcome back, what have you missed?
    THE BAD WEATHER.

    Yvonne.

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  39. Oh Talli!!! You didn;t return in your last post!! I am so sorry!! I got my "WELCOME BACK TO RAINY LONDON, TALLI" out prematurely!! SORRY!! Oooops!!!!

    Ok let's start again!

    WELCOME BACK TO RAINY AND WET AND DREARY LONDON TALLI - best selling romantic novelist!!!!

    :-) Take care
    x

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  40. Congratulations and welcome home! Wow, that must be some good cinnamon. LOL!

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  41. Welcome home, Talli! I'm glad you're back safely!

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  42. Wow what amazing news to come back too! You know how much I adored The Hating Game! I can't wait to get an official bookshelf copy to tell all my friends about and then show it off!!!

    Awesome cinnamon, who would have thought!

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  43. Welcome home.

    I'd love to go to Egypt - and get some of that cinnamon!

    I'm currently working on a company website. Making major changes scares the bejeebies out of me. I made one that I was told in no uncertain terms not to do. Today was a stressful day!

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  44. LOL, cinnamon is awesome!

    Congrats for your great news!!!!!

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  45. Welcome home! Sorry about the rain though!!

    Congrats on the news & reviews! That's awesome :)

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  46. Yay!! I'm glad you're back. I love that renewed feeling of home when you return from vacation. We kind of take our homes for granted until we're back and it feels like every muscle in your body relaxes.

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  47. Oh and CINNAMON CAKE?! I'M SO JEALOUS! I love cinnamon. mmmmmmmm

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  48. Interested in that cinnamon! Congrats on your awesome news!!af

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  49. What great things to come home to! It's good to have you back - I've missed seeing you around the blogsphere!

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  50. Glad you're back safe and sound. I'll trade my snow for your rain.

    Mason
    Thoughts in Progress

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  51. Welcome home babe, hope you took pictures

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  52. I hope you have pictures to share! Welcome back! And congrats on being a bestseller and for all the well-deserved love the hating game is getting/got

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  53. Welcome back! I'm glad you had such a lovely time in Egypt. I really enjoyed the gorgeous pictures you shared while you were away, and am happy to see you returned to such good news!

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  54. Oh that sounds like a lovely trip, Talli. Hmmm cinnamon! love this spice in a lot of my desserts. Congrats on the nice reviews ;) great way to start the year.

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  55. WOW! What great news to come back to!!! Congrats Talli. Great to have you back too. XOXO

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  56. Wow - that's some great stuff to come home to. Congratulations!

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  57. Hello Talli

    You won a Stylish Blogger Award. Get your award at my blog.

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  58. Oh, man, I LOVE cinnamin! (drives hubby nuts--I use it in my pancakes and now our main frying pan smells of it) Congrats on the great reviews and good luck catching up with emails and such! And welcome back!

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  59. Welcome back. Your holiday looked fab, but as you say there is no place like home. Delighted with all your good news and reviews. What a lovely atmosphere to come home too. Looking forward to reading Watching Willow Watts.

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  60. Welcome back, Talli! And congrats on the good publicity too! I fell in love with fried aubergines and falafel whilst out in Egypt, though I just can't get it right now I'm back home.

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  61. Wow, what fun to be called 'bestselling' - awesome, congrats!

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Coffee and wine for all!