Most people are superstitious about Friday 13^th. Me, not so much, but then yesterday was such a day of real good luck that I’d be a fool to go looking for trouble. From now on, I shall embrace Fridays 13^th with fervour and passion.

To start with, it was a rare day out for D and I. Since my mother came to live with us, our time together has been less easy to arrange but since she’s at my sister’s until tomorrow, D and I ran away from home for the day. It was nice. It was nice just to be alone together (not counting Molly the dog there, of course) and wander around talking when we wanted and being silent when we wanted, and being selfish enough to revel in it just being us two and, for a few hours, not having to worry about anyone or anything else.

We decided to go to Helmswell for the day. We go once a year to wander around the biggest antiques centre in the country. Oh, I wasn’t buying yesterday. Just wandering. You have that fact fixed in your noggin? Because really, I was not buying.

Helmswell is up in Lincolnshire, and is an old WW2 airbase. Lincolnshire, being flat, is peppered with airbases. En route, we passed RAF Scampton, where the Red Arrows are based. They’re the best aerobatic display team in the world, and they decided to have a practice just as we drove past. Free airshow, people! D was thrilled. He’s always had a thing about aeroplanes – his father was the official film maker/photographer for Ferranti’s, the defence contractors, and throughout D’s childhood flew in, filmed and photographed lots of aircraft. That passion for planes rubbed off on D. He was a very happy man as we watched them. Very happy. And the Lord knows, they are spectacular.

Now then, you remember I wasn’t buying anything, right? You had that fact fixed and immutable? Except I ran across this Carltonware “Tea for Two” set. I collect Carltonware embossed floral china (see a couple of posts down for the full collection). This one is buttercup. Not my favourite pattern, but pretty and colourful. “I do not think it is very pretty, but I thought I might as well buy it as not.” – bonus points for identifying the quote! It was *sinfully* cheap. Really, really cheap. About a third of what I would have expected. Yup. That cheap. Had to buy the set, right? Stupid not to.

And then came the best bit.

We got home, started supper cooking and I hauled out the iPad to check my emails. The day before I’d sent a query letter and a sample of the first Shield novel to a publisher. They replied while I was out gawking at the Red Arrows and buying china.

They want Shield. The whole series of five books.

They. Want. Shield.

I had reconciled myself to not finding a home for it. It’s not romance and that can be hard to sell, and I was sure I’d end up self-publishing it. And, of course, every time I go back and reread it, I tut at the errors and think its flat and boring and derivative and no wonder people don’t want to buy it. It sows seeds of doubt, believe me, when you’re looking for a home for your books.

But the publisher came back very fast and was very complimentary in the email. They liked it. They want it. They want to publish the whole series.

I am still grinning and smirking and all round floating on air.

The luck ran out when it came to the Eurolottery, sadly, but still. I love Friday 13^th. Luckiest day in the almanac.

They. Want. Shield.

Grins at you all very happily.