Table for two and doubling up.

Free to enter writing competitions

For this competition from Briefly Write, you're asked for short poems. There's a £50 prize.

The Val Wood prize offers £100 and publication for the best feel good short story of up to 2,000 words on the theme of Now and Then. 

Sticking to the sequence, the prize for the Beechmore Books writing competition is £200. You can enter fiction, non-fiction or poetry. The theme is Perspective.

My news

My 30th book, a lovely new romantic short story collection, Love Is The Answer is out today! It's also our wedding anniversary. That is not a coincidence.

Here's the blurb – Love is something that many people go to great lengths to find, and to keep hold of. Willow helps others find theirs through a combination of meticulous programming and random chance, Sal stumbles into romance through a series of embarrassing accidents and Gran discovers love on a protest march.

Margaret makes a very practical arrangement to secure her share of love and happiness, Doreen has to call on a friend to help discover it and Nadine uses a dog to track it down. Lorna wins her happy ever after through a dangerous aim at a coconut shy.

Lynn and Andrew's marriage has gone aground like a stricken ship, but it and the vessel eventually refloat. Weirdly it is Thomas Telford who helps Nikki relocate it. For Patrick and Angie it's a kite which does the trick, and Rachel has to break her arm to heal her relationship.

Whether they're together forever, broken-hearted, or still trying to make it work, anyone who has loved has a story to tell. This collection contains 24 of them.

With a bit of luck, Gary and I will be enjoying a romantic meal tonight – from the comfort of our campervan.