A Frenchie in London Week 2 and 3 @annecater @TheAngelaClarke @KatherineSunde3 @JenMedBkReviews @OrendaBooks @KimTheBookworm @nholten40

I know! I’m cheating! But the thing is there are not enough hours in the day! (We all hate this universal fact, don’t we?) To avoid posting the longest Wrap-Up post later, here are what I have been doing these past two weeks!

Ps: Time Flies! Send help!

Remember the last time I wrote about my London trip, I was about the get the weekend off…

What is the first thing I did on this Saturday? GO TO A BOOKSTORE! Obviously. I headed to our local shop without knowing it was the beginning of #supportyourindiebookstore week. Perfect timing!

What to say about my first steps into a bookstore filled with books in English? Paradise! It was such a sweet moment, especially because I had chosen the bookstore working with Orenda Books for our event the week before and the manager remembered me! I was so shocked it took me more seconds than necessary to reply, haha! Red hair and good books, I am not easy to forget :p

Did I buy books?

Of course I did! A French book translated to finally try and have more comparison posts on the blog. Crime fiction because you never have enough of them, and The Anxiety Cure to see if there’s something to learn from it for my Mental Health category. I spent so much that I was offered a secret book 😂😍 as well as some shortbread and a glass of Pimms. I did not know what Pimms was… Let’s say I slept well that evening!!!

The Sunday was quieter for my credit card but not for my legs. I left the house before 11a.m. and bus’ed/Tube’d/train’ed and then walked my way through Hyde Park / Kensington Park to see Lady Diana’s fountain. Lots of tourists, too many French people, a nice breeze, and me unable to find a way out of the park. It was fun to see people not caring about the weather and going out anyway. A bit chilly and definitely grey, even for a Northern girl like me so I did not stay long to read!

Work resumed and my batteries were full and ready to give their best! Lots was done, but nothing compared to the amount of work Karen goes through every day!

On Wednesday 20th, I was lucky to meet the wonderful Katherine (bibliomaniacUK) @KatherineSunde3. Kind, lovely, sweet, and so fun, we had a wonderful time near St Pancras / King’s Cross (and I did go out the wrong way so had to walk around the entire thing to get to the place we had chosen!) We forgot to take a selfie but it was the highlight of my week! I love meeting online friends and realize how easy it is to just chat and be together as if it happened every week!

This feeling was reinforced on Saturday 23rd June. A Bookouture party!!! Thank you to my Auntie Kim for organizing it and for my darling Queen Noelle for coming despite the “train” issues! I had a fabulous time meeting bloggers I look up to like Linda Hill, Jen or Claire Huston (and her lovely baby!!!) … and authors, bloggers I sometimes did not know! My pork cheeseburger was weird but yummy and my heart was full of love! (Sorry I borrowed your pictures, Noelle! I LOVE us together 😀 We’re perfect as a Macbook wallpaper!)

So many great moments… Then work, which don’t feel like work, even with the most fiddly tasks because it’s all for the love of books. I’ve dreamed of Excel spreadsheets but otherwise I was okay!!!

Then, the big day. Louise Voss and Doug Johnston’s launch. Yummy cupcakes to bring, lots to do, but what a nice feeling when you see people arrive, some you recognize, some you don’t, and you know everyone is going to have a great time. Pleasure and work go well together.

Did I fangirl? YES! Thomas Bloody Enger had made it to the launch to support his friends! So had the lovely Johana Gustawsson, who I love so much! Ladies and gentlemen, Angela Clarke!!!!! I caught up with the wonderful West Camel, the fantastic and adorable and ojqofhsjkhfgjs Anne Cater, and again, my sweet and fun Jen! Between two cupcakes we managed to sell the books, have lots of fun, and … find a pub to finish the night! Sometime during this evening I stopped and stared, thinking how good it felt to be part of something so big. To be able to introduce yourself, be useful, chat, drink, chat again, have fun, talk football, eat, be yourself. Be happy.

Warning, the following pictures contain some fangirling moments (and a bit of pride for recognizing most people on the pictures now, haha!)

A wild night out that left me zombified the next day!!!

Other news include the Westminster Cathedral, my dogs missing me a bit, me wandering around, and here we are, another Saturday, listening to the radio, having an Orenda Books reading weekend. I used the post office for the first time this morning, so weird! Went shopping to a Co-op, nice times in London.

Oh, and I scared people in the WHSmith at Victoria’s station with my videos and reorganisation of shelves…

Thank you to everyone who has made those two weeks so memorable. Thank you for the support and the love. I had my first homesick/what is my life day. It was to be expected, and it’s part of the journey. Every good day is a victory!

This post won’t let me tag everyone!!!!!!

Have a nice weekend, everyone!!!