Reviews, erotic acceptances and e-readers

Goodness, what a literary day it’s turning out to be. First off, here’s this morning’s meditation:

Meditation 148

Whispers in the dusk
lead to questions
at sunrise

but morning mist
vanishes
and you will find

nothing.
Close your lips,
open your eyes

and wait.


I’m pleased with a review of Painting from Life which appeared at the You Gotta Read review site yesterday from Shawn Weisser:

“The book was not what I expected. The main character, an artist, is entranced by the character he sees and feels in another man’s face. Seeing an old man at a distance he notices each line of his face and cannot distance himself. He needs to paint this man. It has a slight feel of a homosexual love but does not break that barrier. Anne Brooke has written an intriguing tale about love between humans and how people give of themselves. I felt that there was more of a story to tell and anticipated a different ending. I would love to see where this relationship goes as I create the scenario in my mind. It is an interesting and thoughtful story.”

Interestingly, the actual rating given was Average or Less than Average, but I do understand it’s a tricky one to pin down for sure! In any case, I’m very grateful to Shawn for taking the time to write a review – it’s much appreciated. The people at the You Gotta Read site have also invited me to post a guest blog at some point, so I shall look forward to that too.

Keeping on literary matters, I’m also astonished that my first ever lesbian erotic short story, Truth or Dare, has been accepted by Clean Sheets magazine for publication in July. Well, gosh. I wonder if I should write another, or just quit while I’m ahead? One to ponder on perhaps …

I’m also hugely, hugely excited by the new ereader which has been produced by the Cool Readers company in Reading (appropriately enough, I suppose …). I’m definitely putting this (in the lovely pale violet colour) on my birthday list as I’d love to have one – and it appears to be the only ereader that’s compatible with a Mac and works in the UK. Result! I can’t wait to get my hands on it …

Meanwhile, at work, I’m busy writing up yesterday’s minutes and hoping I can get the first draft done before the end of the day – particularly as this is my last day in before our holiday and I’m bound to forget everything by the time we get back. UPDATE: I managed it, hurrah! That’s one less thing on my list to worry about. And that definitely calls for a Starbucks celebration.

Tonight, there’s Springwatch on TV, and I’m also planning to send out some poetry submissions, as I haven’t done any for a while. Can’t have the publishers having an easy life, eh … I might even send a short story into the great ether of the Bridport Prize, never to return. Well, I like to live dangerously, and with no real hope – it’s part of my psyche, don’t you know.

Ooh and Lord H has come home with strawberries and cream provided for him by Reed Accountancy Employment Services - mmm, lovely. But they must really be desperate for him to give someone a job. Anyhow, it will go some way towards easing his continuing shock when I told him in great excitement yesterday that there were "four kingfishers" on Springwatch - his look of astonishment and expressed concern that surely fisherfolk weren't that bad is a definite indicator that the level of my swearing around the flat (you'll probably need to think about it for a while ...!) has perhaps gone a little too far.

Today’s nice things:

1. Poetry
2. Painting from Life review
3. Lesbian short story acceptance
4. An ereader I can use!
5. TV
6. Planned poetry submission
7. Strawberries and cream.

Anne Brooke - where oranges are certainly not the only fruit ...