Literary frustration and a day at the races

Must admit to feeling more than a little frustrated today by the failure of Maloney’s Law to get into the shortlist in the gay mystery category of the US Lambda Awards. To be honest, I did have medium-high hopes for it, especially as the novel had already been shortlisted for the Harry Bowling Novel award, the Royal Literary Fund awards and longlisted for the Betty Bolingbroke-Kent award. Or maybe I’m just being too greedy?? Very probably … but there’s literary logic to my insanity; I had hoped that getting a mention might at least enable me to gain a few more sales as they appear (as is usual for me) to be so meagre. Double sigh. I still think it’s a damn good novel and was definitely worthy of a place. Ruddy Lambdas, eh – sod ’em is what I say …

Anyway, here’s this morning’s meditation:

Meditation 92

He stands
between the living
and the dead,

a small pot
of fire and incense
the only cure

for the coming death.
Too many questions
wear out

love’s strange logic.

However, news to soothe my bitter and troubled brow is that Cynic Magazine have published my comic short story, A Safe Bet (about a rather unusual day at the races) and that can be found here. Enjoy!

At work, I am snowed under with minutes I haven’t done, meetings I need to minute, papers I need to prepare and lots of little things I need to take time over. Plus the parental guidelines are beginning to haunt me. I suspect the timetable for those, and the Personal Tutors’ Handbook which is now dependent on the same process, will certainly shift further into the future at some point, triple sigh. Thank goodness for a reflexology session with Emily – I’m terribly on edge so definitely needed calming down big-time.

Oh and Carol brought in birthday cake and biscuits as her birthday was last week, hurrah, so all is not lost. Other good news is that I’ve done the final edits to Painting from Life for Eternal Press and I’ve posted off my contract for The Voyage to Bridge House Publishing for the Bible stories anthology. So heck it’s not all bad news and keening then, I suppose. Maybe I just need to up my Evening Primrose tablets for the next week or so to avoid my monthly suicidal bout??

Tonight it’s the University Book Group and we’re looking at Sally Varlow’s biography of The Lady Penelope. The author is coming in as well so that should be interesting. Heck, I’m sure she has more readers than I do, that’s for sure, dammit. I shall try not to froth at the mouth with furious jealousy and bite her ankles, well no more than normal anyway … UPDATE: what a very pleasant woman - much more easy-going than the usual brand of author (and I include myself in that description). And I was on my best behaviour and didn't froth, hurrah. At least on the outside. I am hero of the week just for that.

Today’s nice things:

1. Poetry
2. A Safe Bet being published
3. Reflexology
4. The Painting from Life final edits
5. Posting the contract for The Voyage
6. The book group.

Anne Brooke
Anne's website - smiling through rather gritted teeth ...