'Reports of my death...' and all that

Dear Reader - apologies for the long hiatus between postings. I was hoping to send lots of fascinating and scintillating reports from my trip to Bouchercon in San Francisco, followed by a few days with my lovely friend Christa Faust and then a trip to Murder By The Book in Houston. However, the best laid plans of mice and Donnas and all that. Instead, I had a trip to Hospital A with suspected meningitis, decided I didn't like that potential diagnosis so came home, only for it to be followed by a swift trip to Hospital B with suspected pneumonia. I decided I wasn't particularly keen on that diagnosis either. However, I stayed in Hospital B until we had parlayed it down to chest infection, some sort of flu, and 5 day migraine from hell, amongst other things. As a result, I missed getting hugs from, and spending quality time with, some of my favourite people. Gutted, moi? Totally. Instead, I spent not-so-quality time in hospital with The Loud Family, Sweary Man, Biscuit Stealing Man and Totally Bonkers Woman.

I am now just about on the mend and back in the land of the blogging. Thanks to everyone who has worried about me, sent me e-mails and tweets and phoned me to see how I am. I apologise if I haven't answered your message, or sounded slightly incoherent on the phone. I will try and catch up over the next couple of days.

My enforced silence has also meant that I have been unable to bully...errrrr...remind you about the Ramones short story thing. But look at this - Douglas Lindsay, genius author of the darkly hilarious Barney Thomson series, has written me a short story! How brilliant is that? Read PINHEAD here. And it's a Barney story, too. Thanks Douglas, I'm beaming with joy here.

And a reminder of the earlier one from the charming Nigel at Sea Minor with MERRY CHRISTMAS (I DON'T WANT TO FIGHT TONIGHT).

The target date was 1st November, but if anyone who has said they are in - or, indeed, anyone who hasn't said anything at all on the matter - would like more time, no problem! And anyone who doesn't have a blog, I would love to post your story here (I already have a great one of those which was delicious fun to read from my dear friend Bobbie, with her first foray into fiction. So, Dad, how's about it?). On 1st November (or thereabouts), I will link to all the stories, and post the others here. And remember, the rules are few, and it would really, really help a girl get better.

Thanks again, all. It might be a few days before I can get back to proper news postings, but I'll be around to read comments and e-mails now.