Here is the promised picture of Benedict Cumberbatch, who is currently playing the hero of my next book (in which he is an eccentric professor of folklore. Only sexy. Trust me).

Actually, to make up for my unscheduled rant yesterday, I’ve got three pics for the price of one!

A sexy man tossing a Rubik's Cube. Phhhrooooaaarrrr.

England and America celebrate Mothers’ Day on different dates which, to me, is evidence that I should be pampered and revered twice. Somehow, I don’t think it’s happening, so as I’m in charge of my own treats today, I’m going to post a photo of Robert Downey Jr.

Ooh Ambassador, with these pictures of Robert Downey Jr you are really spoiling us!

I had a dream last night that I was being forced, untrained, into doing a mission in a space shuttle with an equally untrained Robert Downey Jr as my co-pilot. I knew I was probably going to die. But you know what? I really did not care. In fact, I was pretty psyched.

I am trying to describe Robert Downey Jr’s naked chest. Just…y’know, because I can. Oh and also my editor asked me to. Really.

Would you mind just having a gander at this photos, and tell me any phrases that come to mind? The more descriptive and specific the better, really.

Or you can just do what I do, and sit here dribbling.

…how we have missed you and the Daily Downey.

I’m posting on The Heroine Addicts today, about how I feel now that my book is finished. (Hint: it’s like a limp and chewed-up noodle.) You can read it here.

I’m not even sure if I can bear to post a photo of Robert Downey Jr. It’s just too depressing. I’m not writing about him any more. I have no more excuses to talk to his photo in the morning. I have to spend my time ringing gas engineers instead, about servicing my boiler and connecting my cooker.

Then again, maybe I can find a gas engineer who looks like this:

Connect your cooker? Certainly madam. First, I must put on this big iron mask...

Hmm.  I’m getting a new website which will be live any day now, and in preparation my very efficient web mistress has upgraded my WordPress.  And I’m not 100% sure about posting pictures.  So what better way than to experiment with a weekend Daily Downey?  I watched Sherlock Holmes again last night.

Under this cushion, madam, lies the key to my release.

Well, that worked, then.

Unlike the previous photo, I don’t recommend this position for getting revisions done. You can’t use your hands to type, for one thing. You could also quite easily become distracted.

On page 364 of 500. Think I can finish by Monday?

I’m on page 297 of 500 of my revisions, and my wrist hurts. Because he likes to be a helpful chap, today Mr Downey Jr is demonstrating the proper technique for making yourself do revisions on your book, even whilst in pain: employ bandages and a little light bondage to make sure your butt is in the chair and your hands are ready to type.

If you can do it in your underwear, all the better.

Of course I look like I’ve just been put through a tumble-dryer lined with spikes, after not having slept for a week and consumed a briefcase full of cocaine. I’m Sherlock Holmes, woman!

Here he is, lounging in the back of a convertible. He is about to do something very naughty and quite possibly illegal. Maybe he already has. He has mafia sunglasses and a knowing half-smile. What’s that around his neck? Is it his shirt collar, or iPod earphones, or a thin silken cord that he’s about to use in a variety of interesting ways?

Living in an imaginary world? Who, me?

(Don’t forget my contest, which is still going on. Scroll down or click here.)

15 Comments

This one’s for Rach. Just to cheer up your day a little bit, hon.

I have this photo on the desktop of my computer at the moment, and every morning I look at it and say, “Well, hello there, Leo.” (Leo being the name of the hero of this book I’m writing. Yup, I’m madder than a box of frogs. But it works for me.)

I’m not really sure about the jumper, if I’m honest. It’s certainly nothing my hero would ever wear. For 5/6 of the book my hero is clad solely in paint-spattered jeans and various rock band t-shirts.

But this photo is all about the eyes. And the fact that he looks like he hasn’t slept, shaved or brushed his hair for a week.

Maybe that’s why he chose the violet jumper.

I’m on page 235 of revisions, writing a new scene to replace a crap one, and hoping that it’s better. I’m also doing research. In the past three days I’ve sent three emails with questions in them to various people I’ve met through the Regency re-enactment stuff, and they’ve all got back to me with incredibly useful and interesting information. I love this part of my job.

(And of course I also love the hero-research. I’ve got files and files of RDJ photos, most of which I also greet in the mornings…)

I’m working really hard on revising my wip. It’s due in to my editor on 1 November, which means I have to get it to my agent about mid-October. Which means I don’t have much time left, and I’m on page 190 of about 500. Fortunately, the front end needed the most work (new scenes written, large chunks trashed), so hopefully it will go a little bit more quickly now.

I still have a ton of Regency photos to put up here, but an odd quirk of my (new, beautiful, pink) camera means it doesn’t work with the Mac OS I’ve currently got on my desktop, so until I upgrade my OS, I can only download photos onto my laptop, and since I don’t have photo-editing software on my laptop to cut the sizes down, I’ve been downloading them onto my laptop, Bluetoothing them over to my desktop, then editing them and posting them, and it takes AGES. I’ll upgrade my OS soon, but not when I’ve got a 500-page document to work on, urgently.

Meanwhile, I’ve decided to revive my short-lived Daily Downey feature, because hey, we all need something to keep us going when we’re working so hard.

Here he is looking all fetal and smokey, vulnerable and sexy:

Meanwhile, my contest is still going on, below.

Tomorrow I’m flying off to Maine to see the family. And go to a high school reunion. I’m also hoping to finish the first draft of this book, so I can get stuck into the serious job of revising all the parts I’ve got wrong.

So I won’t be updating this blog very often for a little while, unless something REALLY exciting happens, or alternatively, if I get bored.

But because I love you all, I’ll leave you with this lovely lovely photo of Robert Downey Jr punching his own hand.