Happy Birthday, Budda! Or...what a year it's been!

This time a year ago, I was huffing and puffing, and plotting what was to become 'Little Miss Frigid Knickers' with the help of my hubby. We were also contemplating that maybe, just maybe this was 'it' and we should go into the hospital.

Well, it was it, and this young man was the result.

You can read my musings on that day here.

A year on and I hardly recognise my life. Little budda is not so little anymore. He took two steps on his own yesterday, scared himself and hasn't tried since, lol.

Over the last week he'a added several new words to his vocabulary. We now have in no particular order 'more' 'mmm mmss' (his code word for nursing) 'mum' 'dad' 'hello' 'hello there' 'ook' (look) 'cleva' (clever) 'brother' 'mol' (molly) 'og' (dog) 'at' (cat) 'whosssere' (who's that).

He's learnt how to high five and does it constantly, and thinks he's far older than he is. I blame his siblings. He has his very own cheering squad, and he loves the attention.

He is an incorrigible flirt. Ask the mums at school. He has his very own little 'harem'. If you get the impression that I'm a besotted mummy, you would be right ;-)

He's into anything and everything, and I need eyes in the back of my head, but by far still his favourite past time is this.

With cruising and crawling come lots of bruises, and upsets, and nothing calms him down faster than a quick cuddle at the breast. Sometimes that's the only time I know for sure where he is, especially now with the summer hols. Cause when the kids play out the front, he has to be out there too. Right in the middle of the action. I told you he thinks he's bigger than he is, right?

So, once again I am embracing the wonderful world of toddler nursing. Not that I think of him as a toddler. He's still a baby as far as I'm concerned, and will no doubt still my my baby when he is all grown up and six foot five, lol. Budda is the last of our brood, and every step he takes is bitter sweet, especially as he seems in such a hurry to grow up, but that's life.

I'm excited to see where life will take us and feel very privileged to have been entrusted with this little man. Time flies by so quickly after all.

Of course budda's arrival wasn't the only thing that happened this time last year. Oh no, far from it. I had just accepted not one but two contracts. I was a soon to be published Author. It meant I couldn't partake in last year's Mills&Boon New voices competition, which had been the catalyst to kick start my writing in 2010. Scandinavian Scandal was born from that original first chapter entry, not that you would be able to recognise it.

Scandinavian Scandal was in fact my first acceptance, followed days later by Awakening, and then Lure Of The Blood.
Lure Of The Blood ended up being my debut novel, being released a week before Scandinavian Scandal back in November last year.

It's quite fitting that Lure of The Blood is also the first one of mine to go into print.

Oh yes, I squealed, I danced, I may even have shed a few tears when I held that physical copy in my hands. Butterfingers that I am I dropped it on my keyboard. The fact that I was more concerned about my book, than the state of my broken keyboard speaks volumes...

I am glad to report, both book and keyboard are fine, though the 'r' key is now much lower than the rest of them ... whoops!

Back then, when I started out, I would never have foreseen the year I had. Not in my wildest dreams would I have thought I would be sitting here, a year on with fourteen stories published. And several more coming soon.

Last week I signed my sixteenth contract, and yes, I do have to pinch myself sometimes. It seems not only has Budda completed our family, he has also been my little muse.  My writing has gone from strength to strength, and has gotten hotter and hotter. Believe me I did not set out to become an Erotic writer. Sex scenes used to make me cringe, and blush. I do still blush when I tell folks what I write. I think it's the little girl in me, lol, but I love writing those scenes now.

Writing is a never ending adventure my characters take me on, and I am only too happy to take dictation. Thankfully, you, the readers seem to agree with me. Every time I hear from one of you it makes me smile, and I'm incredibly grateful for all the support shown to me by readers, fellow authors, and my publishers.

So, thank you, all of you, for making this an incredible year, and for coming with me on this journey.