Thursday, June 16, 2011

A very expensive lesson ...

Book News:

NB THIS SECTION HAS BEEN REMOVED DUE TO LEGAL NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE PUBLISHER CONCERNED.


Other book news is that the Delaneys series had a rather lovely mention here (thanks, Tracy) and I've chosen the reading for the upcoming launch of The Gifting - it's nice to get that one sorted out. Now all I have to do is practise it and hope people will come along.


Meanwhile, along at Vulpes Libris, my fellow Book Fox Lisa and I have been chatting about Trilby Kent's Smoke Portrait, so do pop along and join in the conversation. It's definitely a fascinating read.


This week's meditation poem is:




Meditation 537
Amongst all the temple’s
sacred equipment – flour, wine,
oil, incense, spices –


it’s the cutlery
that’s mentioned first
proving that people


can’t really face God
without the essential defence
of knives, ladles, spoons.


Life News:


The long-drawn-out agony of our flat sale meanders on, though really K and I have by now entirely discounted the idea of its success, sad to say. This week, our conveyancer (yes, she of the ridiculous questions and no idea what our position is ...) got very excited on Tuesday and was convinced that exchange was about to happen. My, how we laughed. As if. Today, I rang up our tricky neighbours' solicitors again, who admit that documentation is being sent back to them by said neighbours, but they neatly sidestepped the question of whether it was signed or not. Later on, additional information from our conveyancer informed us that the tricky neighbours were questioning the validity of the latest documentation, which they themselves had asked for, ho hum. So, my dears, we pootle on into the abyss. As a result, I sent a snotty email to everyone I could think of asking them not to taunt our poor buyer with ideas of exchange when it is obvious to anyone who has the wit to ask sensible questions that we are still a long way from such a glittering goal. I also asked them not to assume that the tricky neighbours' solicitors are in any way telling the truth about anything and to wait until they can see the whites of their eyes and the black of the signatures before they believe a word that is said. K very pleased with my communication skills ...


This week, nice things have happened too, hurrah! I met the lovely Kirsty of the Book Foxes for dinner in London which was fab-u-lous and we set the world to rights in a very snazzy Italian Restaurant in Store Street. Bliss indeed. Plus I've had a very relaxing session of reflexology at the Uni and dozed off at the end of it all, so I was obviously chilled beyond belief.


Ooh, and we've planted a nemesia in the garden, and harvested our first four strawberries, which tasted like nectar, I can tell you. So enthused were we by this unexpected treat that we have planted (probably too late, but hey what do we know?...) some more strawberry plants in the spaces in the beds and are keeping a close eye to see how they behave themselves. We are indeed Garden Heroes.


Today's excitement was the dental hygienist this morning - please admire my sparkly teeth - and we've gone to two house viewings this afternoon. The first one in Pyrford which was interesting, but would need a heck of a lot of work; and the second in Normandy which was stunning inside, but the garden was smaller than we'd thought. Still, definitely one to bear in mind.


NB THIS SECTION HAS BEEN REMOVED DUE TO LEGAL NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE PUBLISHER CONCERNED.


Anne Brooke

20 comments:

Angela S. Stone said...

Thanks for the warning Anne, I actually did sub to them once, glad that they didn't accept now!! Hope everything is working out better for you!

xx
A.

Anne Brooke said...

A lucky escape, Angela! You might have had to take out a mortgage on it ...

:))

xxx

Erastes said...
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Anne Brooke said...
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Clare London said...

Sorry to hear it's been so vitriolic, but I think it's a good thing to pull out at last. Your peace of mind is a price worth paying :). And don't forget to claim the fee against tax LOL.

*hugs*

Stevie Carroll said...

Warning duly noted, thanks.

I should follow Vulpes Libris, although I seem not to have added it to my link list the last time I thought that.

Anne Brooke said...

Thanks, Stevie! Vulpes always worth a follow for sure! :))

Anne
xxx

Anne Brooke said...

Thanks, Clare - I have rescued your comment from Junk - soo weird!! Good point re tax too - ha! :))

Anne
xxxx

Anonymous said...

I don't understand why you're even paying them money. If they breached their contract, then you have an out. And if the termination fee wasn't even part of the original contract you signed or any subsequent addendum (again, that you had to have signed), then they haven't a legal leg to stand on. They can NOT go outside the "four corners" of the contract. Any judge would toss this straight out of court before they can blink.

Jo Fothergill said...

So you had a contract which you wanted to break. Of course there are going to be some sort of penalties - there are in many businesses where people have contracts. And as for the length of your contract - who exactly negotiated the contract - your agent? You willingly signed the contract - why don't you just accept that your breaking of the contract was always going to cost - it does for most publishing companies - and get over yourself!

Anne Brooke said...

Thank you, Anon! I shall certainly bear that in mind ...

All good wishes!

Anne
xxx

Anne Brooke said...
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Alex Beecroft said...

Good grief! Thanks for the warning, but I'm sorry that you had to go through all of this in order to give it. After Erastes' experience I'd been thinking of subbing to them, but now I won't.

I'm glad you're finally getting out of it and hope life is a bit more peaceful in future!

Anne Brooke said...

Thanks, Alex! Must admit it all seems to be getting very complicated at the moment. bless 'em! :))

Anne
xxx

Janet Reed said...
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Anne Brooke said...
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Janet Reed said...

Anne, you truly are a class act, and your publishers are flippin' lucky to have you!

Anne Brooke said...
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Jo Fothergill said...
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Anne Brooke said...
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