Wonderful World of Ali McNamara...

Working in a shady spot in the garden this afternoon. This is...

Sat, 26 May 2012 16:21:14 +0100

Working in a shady spot in the garden this afternoon. This is rather good… I like :-) (Taken with instagram)

I don’t think she’s changed much from her first day...

Fri, 25 May 2012 14:59:45 +0100

I don’t think she’s changed much from her first day at school do you? ;-) Poignant day in the McNamara house today, Rosie’s last day at secondary before she starts Sixth form in September. (Taken with instagram)

He was a wise man that Dr Seuss… (Taken with instagram)

Fri, 25 May 2012 11:51:20 +0100

He was a wise man that Dr Seuss… (Taken with instagram)

Don't call me on my home phone...

Wed, 23 May 2012 14:05:00 +0100

When I was ill recently, I was so fed up at being plagued by the same cold caller number constantly ringing several times a day on our home phone (never anyone there, just silence. Just as well or they’d have heard a few choice words…) that I decided to record the following greeting on our answer phone:

“Hi, this is the McNamara house. I’m sorry we’ve switched off our home phone because we’re fed-up of receiving unwanted callers. You can reach any of us on our mobiles. If you do not have our mobile number you’re probably an unwanted caller, if you’re a genuine caller then please leave us a message and we’ll call you back. We’ll be checking the phone daily. Thank you.”

Yes, we’re registered with The Telephone Preference Service, I dread to think how bad it would be if we weren’t! And luckily we don’t get too many genuine calls through our home phone these days, it’s all junk! Most people call and text us through the ‘allowances’ on their mobiles.

And the result… Blissful silence all day now! Broken only by the sound of the dogs snoring ;-)

Just got samples of the new cover! It’s very shiny &...

Tue, 22 May 2012 12:47:28 +0100

Just got samples of the new cover! It’s very shiny & sparkly :-) (Taken with instagram)

Waited ages this morning to capture this robin back & forth...

Sun, 20 May 2012 09:53:27 +0100

Waited ages this morning to capture this robin back & forth feeding it’s young in our garden. It likes to stop and rest on this statue. (Taken with instagram)

Look what just arrived. Copies of the Italian edition of...

Wed, 16 May 2012 18:30:57 +0100

Look what just arrived. Copies of the Italian edition of Breakfast at Darcy’s. Bello! ;-) (Taken with instagram)

Today I will be mostly doing this… Revisiting...

Wed, 16 May 2012 09:36:27 +0100

Today I will be mostly doing this… Revisiting Scarlett’s trip to New York for the last time as I read the final proof pages. Next time I see it, it will be a book! (Taken with instagram)

Huge apologies if you were due to come and see me in Swindon tomorrow evening. Due to illness I have...

Mon, 14 May 2012 18:26:00 +0100

Huge apologies if you were due to come and see me in Swindon tomorrow evening. Due to illness I have had to cancel my event.

So very sorry, but I’m proper in bed poorly right now. :(

Ali x

An evening with Ali No3... "Let them eat cake"

Thu, 10 May 2012 13:24:00 +0100

Last night saw me heading over to the The Tharp Arms Pub near Ely in Cambridgeshire for the third of my “Evening’s With Ali”

The owners Ali and Mark made us feel very welcome, and Ali had been very busy all day baking cakes!

A lovely group of people came along, and as always asked lots of interesting questions. My most popular question so far has been “Do you ever base any of your characters on real people?” If you follow this blog regularly you’ll already know the answer to that question… It’s here on this website ;-)

Two ladies even travelled over 90miles just for the talk! Ok, so one was Mark, the landlord’s Mum, but she still drove all that way and back just for my talk. So thank you, Joy!

Thank you again to Ali & Mark for putting on such a fab event, and for my flowers a lovely touch at the end of the night. :-)

As always a few photos for you:

Me propping up the bar - this is even before I’d begun! JD & Diet coke if you’re buying ;-)

Cakes on every table!

Guests arriving!

& seated!

Ali chatting with Ali!

Me from the bar kindly taken by Mark!

I like this. Signing books at a bar!

Ali & Ali after it’s all over!

(Not sure why I look like I’ve been to the Bahamas for a fortnight here. I wish!)

Me with the lovely flowers Ali gave me!

Dogs enjoying an unusual breakfast this morning… Happy...

Thu, 10 May 2012 08:04:46 +0100

Dogs enjoying an unusual breakfast this morning… Happy Birthday Jake! 8 today :-) (Taken with instagram)

Matching (what else? But essential!) accessories for new...

Tue, 08 May 2012 17:43:37 +0100

Matching (what else? But essential!) accessories for new hobby… (Taken with instagram)

Finally accepted the fact I’ll probably never run again...

Tue, 08 May 2012 16:20:45 +0100

Finally accepted the fact I’ll probably never run again with a now very weak ankle after several years of constant injuries. So…I’m taking up a new way of keeping fit! Lovely sunny weather meant I got to go for my 1st ride today. Felt great! :-) (Taken with instagram)

#photoadaymay Day 5 Bird: Pigeon on the top of the...

Sat, 05 May 2012 13:14:06 +0100

#photoadaymay Day 5 Bird: Pigeon on the top of the #EmpireStateBuilding #NewYork (Taken with instagram)

An evening with Ali (+ a dog) No2...

Fri, 04 May 2012 18:25:00 +0100

Last night saw the second of my ‘Evening’s With Ali…’ This time I was at Niche comics bookshop in Huntingdon, High Street, a lovely little tudor shop, recently refurbished into a comic enthusiasts dream!

Again a lovely and enthusiastic audience turned up, (& a dog!) with lots of questions for me to answer.

Thank you for asking me to come along, I thoroughly enjoyed the evening.

(Hubbie on camera this week. So slightly less pics!)

Waiting for people to arrive…

Peaches keeping us entertained!

Superheroes Galore!

#photoadaymay Day 4 Fun : No beds were broken in the taking...

Fri, 04 May 2012 15:47:14 +0100

#photoadaymay Day 4 Fun : No beds were broken in the taking of these photos ;-) Last summer in a hotel, encouraged by my daughter!! (Taken with instagram)

Quick story that happened just now...

Fri, 04 May 2012 15:35:30 +0100

My daughter rang, not well, can I pick her up from school after her drama exam, which I did. We got home, had just had lunch and two ‘Talk Talk’ sales people knocked at the door. Wouldn’t normally entertain them, but I did today and they came in made themselves at home in the lounge and were pricing us up for a new internet/ phone package. I’d put our older dog, Jake away in another room while they were here, Oscar, the puppy stayed on my daughter, Rosie’s lap in the lounge with us.

Usual guff; they asked what I did, when I said a writer, had I been published etc. I told them what I’d written, the girl said she’d read From Notting Hill with Love…Actually and seemed genuinely excited to meet me. They were here about 15-20mins, and finally left with me promising to check out their deal, (I never sign up to anything there and then!) as I shut the door I went back in the lounge to find my teenage daughter still sitting on the settee with a funny look on her face. “What’s wrong?” I asked, “Are you feeling ok, sorry they were here a long time.”

“It’s not that,” she said, holding out her pyjama trouser bottom, “While they were here Oscar wet himself in my lap.”

#photoadaymay Day 3 Something you wore… Boxing Gloves...

Thu, 03 May 2012 16:03:20 +0100

#photoadaymay Day 3 Something you wore… Boxing Gloves & Boots: 2 for 1 here. Something I wore this morning & something I’m wearing this evening. You work it out ;-) (Taken with instagram)

New cover for next my next book!

Wed, 02 May 2012 20:21:45 +0100

Finally I can show you the cover for From Notting Hill to New York…Actually.

I absolutely love it! It’s the first time that I’ve been asked for my ideas on what I’d like to see on the front & back cover, and I’m happy to say these are they, just as I described them! There will be the usual sparkly bits added, & some embossed fonts, but this is it! I hope you love it as much as I do!

Ali :-)

Available 22nd November 2012

#photoadaymay Day 2 Skyline : Manhattan from Central Park...

Wed, 02 May 2012 12:57:42 +0100

#photoadaymay Day 2 Skyline : Manhattan from Central Park on a sunny Sunday afternoon. (Taken with instagram)