Book News:
Things at Riptide Books are getting very exciting indeed. I've just seen the raw draft of my cover art for upcoming literary gay story, The Heart's Greater Silence, and I'm very happy indeed. A wonderful bleak and autumnal feel which is just perfect, to my mind. Further details to follow shortly ... Not only that but today they've just made their first acquisition of another publisher, so that's very good news for all. Many congratulations!
Keeping with the subject of publisher news, I'm also thrilled to say that all my ebooks at Bluewood Publishing are now being sold at a new discounted price. So you can pick up fantasy novel The Gifting for $2.99 or £1.90, literary short story Dido's Tale, for $1.29 or 80p, and naughty comedy Rosie by Name also for $1.29 or 80p. So do pop along and get some good reads at a definitely decent price. You'll need to sign in first but it only takes 30 seconds and the rewards are more than worth it. Enjoy!
Over at Untreed Reads, you will find 30% off all mystery stories for this week only plus a whole host of other bargains as well. And at Dreamspinner Press, you can find 20% off all my books until the end of November, hurrah!
I'm also pleased to see that comedy sf story Creative Accountancy for Beginners achieved a 4-star review over at Drive Thru Fiction Reviews - so many thanks, Megan, for that.
And I've reviewed Cocktails for Three by Madeleine Wickham (AKA Sophie Kinsella) over at Vulpes Libris Reviews today. Rather a bland concoction, I thought, and not at all up to previous Wickham novels I've read. Sigh ... I hope the next one will be somewhat better.
This week's meditation poems are:
Meditation 588
The greatest
astonishment
when involved
in praise
or prayer
is when
God responds
almost as if
there’s
actually
somebody there.
Meditation 589
Behind the
rain’s whispered threat
and the rattle
and hum
of the locusts’
destructive dance
lies the hope
of kinder skies
and the sure
knowledge
that everything
passes.
Meditation 590
Solomon takes
his wife
from the holy
city
in case she
taints it.
Today’s church
women
strongly
suspect they know
how she felt.
Life News:
An irritating moment or two with the car this week, I fear. I've been thinking it's been sounding rather dodgy lately when attempting to fire it up (as it were), and then on Tuesday night I stopped off at the village shop on the way home from work and it just wouldn't start again, dang it. Naturally I rang the RAC (Gawd bless 'em) and then left a message for K, who wasn't home yet, and waited. The woman on the line had said it was likely to be an hour and a half, but I might get quicker service as I was a woman on her own (we're very dangerous, you know, and they need to protect the innocent public from our fearful machinations ...) so I had a drink and some rather gorgeous salted cashews at The Woolpack to while away the hours. It's the first time I've been in since the change of ownership after the previous change of ownership (and we've only been here a couple of months!) and I rather enjoyed it. I also felt hugely brave going into a pub on my own (something I've never done before, being the shy, retiring type) but actually it was fine and I had a nice chat with the barman about the traumas of cars. Indeed I'd only just got myself settled in when the RAC man phoned me to say he was on his way. I must be scarier than most women on their own in a car then ...
Anyway, he arrived at my side at about the same time as the lovely K, who'd been home, got my message and then dashed to my rescue (what a hero!), and everything was sorted out in a reasonable timescale, thank goodness. It's the age-old problem of only doing short drives in Miranda (the car) and therefore her battery getting confused. But the RAC were once again to the rescue for the long-term as well as the short-term and I am now the proud owner of a smart battery recharger (only c£55, which I thought was a bargain) which seems so far to be doing the trick. Early days though!
We're also the proud owners of a brand-new Canon printer, which also scans and photocopies, and in colour, hurrah! It doesn't quite know how to clean the house yet, but I'm working on it. And it's soooo fast too - bliss. I love it.
Today I've gone for my second follow-up appointment post the cyst operation and I don't have to take a third tranche of antibiotics, so that's a relief. The surgeon was very happy with progress and doesn't want to see me again or do another operation (hurrah!) unless it flares up unexpectedly. So I'll have to keep a careful eye on it as it continues to heal, but I'm hoping for the best. Good news indeed.
Tonight, K and I are at the theatre to see Star Quality, so will have to look as glamorous as possible, whilst seeming suitably and deliciously theatrical, simply in order to keep up. Hmm, could be quite a challenge then ...
Meanwhile, as Christmas approaches, I'm very happy to see that the Naked Farmers' Calendar is once more on sale for the season. Naturally I've ordered my (and my mother's) copies and shall look forward to seeing if there's anyone we recognise, having been brought up in the farming community, hey ho. No, don't laugh - two years ago, we did actually know someone indirectly, but no, I couldn't possibly say who it was ... And the proceeds go to a worthwhile cause, so what could be nicer!
But, to end, it just has to be this week's top quote, courtesy of my boss - which really says it all:
"There's no problem in life that can't be solved by a hot bath, a large whisky and the Book of Common Prayer."
Wise words indeed ...
Anne Brooke
The Thoughtful Corner
ANNE BROOKE BOOKS: Independent writer of modern fiction
Showing posts with label naked men. Show all posts
Showing posts with label naked men. Show all posts
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Saturday, September 06, 2008
Frazzled of Godalming
Lordy, what a day. Totally exhausting but some moments were great. Seriously great. First off, I turned up at the University at 9am for 3 hours of Open Day cover with Laura from the Health Centre, who was wonderful company. Thank you, Laura. Meeting people and trying to sound normal isn't my favourite activity ever, but I think on the whole it went okay. Though there were one or two people who just stared at me as if I were an alien. Perhaps I am? That would explain a lot ... However, most students/parents were lovely. And the venue was better too - we were in the University Hall rather than Seasons Restaurant, so I could actually hear what people were saying, hurrah.
From there, I rushed to my car to gobble down a sandwich before driving to Kent. I started the car, turned towards the exit and the people carrier in front of me stopped. I stopped too, put on my handbrake and then said people carrier reversed right into me. Serious and loud groan ... Just what I needed at that point. Not. Big Not. We got out and exchanged details though there wasn't really any damage to either vehicle. We then got back in our cars and he tried to do it again. Arrggghhh!!! Believe me, the air in Rupert (my car) was blue. Very blue. However, this time the people carrier did manage to miss me - phew - and then drove off. Lord preserve us. Perhaps he'll get me third time???
Anyway, I then drove to Maidstone through what seemed like torrential rain and wind, which make the delights of the M25, the M26 and the M20 so much less attractive, you know. Once at Aylesford Priory - where I was meeting my friend for tea - I parked and attempted to ring the insurance company to report the incident. Ye gods, how many buttons do I have to press before I get to a real person??? Press 2 if your stress levels are low, 3 if they're high; press 1 if you have red hair and are sobbing, and 2 if you are over six feet tall and are too big to drive a Fiesta ... God preserve us indeed. When I finally got through to a very snippety lady, she said that reporting the incident would take me 20 minutes. When I said I couldn't afford 20 minutes as my friend was waiting in the tea room and could I just tell her the names and registration numbers and the time of the accident, she got even more snippety and said that would be impossible. Ye gods, how hard is it to write down 5 small pieces of information without making a song and dance about it??? In the end I told her not to bother and I'd ring the out-of-hours service later. Then I put the phone down. These days, frankly I can't be arsed to be pleasant.
Walking towards the tea-room, I was zinging with stress, but then Pauline (Kent friend) rushed up and gave me a huge hug, let me sound off for five minutes and then we had tea. Bliss. Sometimes it's just sooooo good to know someone who'll let me scream and shout without taking it personally. I'm a red-head. I survive by yelling. It doesn't mean anything. And after all that, Pauline and I had an absolutely wonderful and uplifting chat, which included airing and solving all known problems of both of us, and honestly it's just made me feel human again. Which doesn't happen often, I can tell you. If I were a lesbian, I'd probably marry her and have her babies, though Lord H - and indeed Mr Pauline - may well object to that life plan. Ah well.
Funny also how we can both really talk about God and church and stuff to each other in a way I'm not able to do with other people. We're both survivors (and yes I do use that word advisedly) of the same rather horrendous evangelical church experience, and we're both at the stage where we only go to church once a month or so and don't, under any circumstances, want to commit to anything more demanding than that. I think we feel we've been burned by the evangelical church and shuffled into a corner by the anglican one. Which leaves us both feeling a rather large spiritual (sorry for the "s" word, but it is what I mean and I don't think I can say it isn't) gap where the wind whistles through, and which isn't filled by any of the available offerings in our area. Lordy, but sometimes I long for a different type of church, and it's a real pull, but I have no idea towards what. I'm not even sure if it's been invented yet. Sigh.
Anyway, talking with Pauline made me feel more human, so I'm grateful for that. We're already planning our next get-together, hopefully before Christmas. And the drive home was better, if still rainy. Once home, I talked to the insurance company out-of-hours service who were lovely and took down all the information in 5 minutes. So, hell, it can be done. But, my dears, I am totally exhausted on all levels and only good for grunting and staring at the TV this evening. Don't give a damn what's on it either. So no change in any of that then ...
In fact, I feel very much like this picture - a weary figure hobbling up the stairs, though (trust me) I would be wearing clothes. But hey it's making me smile.
Today's nice things:
1. Some nice people at the open day
2. Talking to Pauline
3. TV and grunting
4. Naked men on stairs.
Anne Brooke
Anne's website
From there, I rushed to my car to gobble down a sandwich before driving to Kent. I started the car, turned towards the exit and the people carrier in front of me stopped. I stopped too, put on my handbrake and then said people carrier reversed right into me. Serious and loud groan ... Just what I needed at that point. Not. Big Not. We got out and exchanged details though there wasn't really any damage to either vehicle. We then got back in our cars and he tried to do it again. Arrggghhh!!! Believe me, the air in Rupert (my car) was blue. Very blue. However, this time the people carrier did manage to miss me - phew - and then drove off. Lord preserve us. Perhaps he'll get me third time???
Anyway, I then drove to Maidstone through what seemed like torrential rain and wind, which make the delights of the M25, the M26 and the M20 so much less attractive, you know. Once at Aylesford Priory - where I was meeting my friend for tea - I parked and attempted to ring the insurance company to report the incident. Ye gods, how many buttons do I have to press before I get to a real person??? Press 2 if your stress levels are low, 3 if they're high; press 1 if you have red hair and are sobbing, and 2 if you are over six feet tall and are too big to drive a Fiesta ... God preserve us indeed. When I finally got through to a very snippety lady, she said that reporting the incident would take me 20 minutes. When I said I couldn't afford 20 minutes as my friend was waiting in the tea room and could I just tell her the names and registration numbers and the time of the accident, she got even more snippety and said that would be impossible. Ye gods, how hard is it to write down 5 small pieces of information without making a song and dance about it??? In the end I told her not to bother and I'd ring the out-of-hours service later. Then I put the phone down. These days, frankly I can't be arsed to be pleasant.
Walking towards the tea-room, I was zinging with stress, but then Pauline (Kent friend) rushed up and gave me a huge hug, let me sound off for five minutes and then we had tea. Bliss. Sometimes it's just sooooo good to know someone who'll let me scream and shout without taking it personally. I'm a red-head. I survive by yelling. It doesn't mean anything. And after all that, Pauline and I had an absolutely wonderful and uplifting chat, which included airing and solving all known problems of both of us, and honestly it's just made me feel human again. Which doesn't happen often, I can tell you. If I were a lesbian, I'd probably marry her and have her babies, though Lord H - and indeed Mr Pauline - may well object to that life plan. Ah well.
Funny also how we can both really talk about God and church and stuff to each other in a way I'm not able to do with other people. We're both survivors (and yes I do use that word advisedly) of the same rather horrendous evangelical church experience, and we're both at the stage where we only go to church once a month or so and don't, under any circumstances, want to commit to anything more demanding than that. I think we feel we've been burned by the evangelical church and shuffled into a corner by the anglican one. Which leaves us both feeling a rather large spiritual (sorry for the "s" word, but it is what I mean and I don't think I can say it isn't) gap where the wind whistles through, and which isn't filled by any of the available offerings in our area. Lordy, but sometimes I long for a different type of church, and it's a real pull, but I have no idea towards what. I'm not even sure if it's been invented yet. Sigh.
Anyway, talking with Pauline made me feel more human, so I'm grateful for that. We're already planning our next get-together, hopefully before Christmas. And the drive home was better, if still rainy. Once home, I talked to the insurance company out-of-hours service who were lovely and took down all the information in 5 minutes. So, hell, it can be done. But, my dears, I am totally exhausted on all levels and only good for grunting and staring at the TV this evening. Don't give a damn what's on it either. So no change in any of that then ...
In fact, I feel very much like this picture - a weary figure hobbling up the stairs, though (trust me) I would be wearing clothes. But hey it's making me smile.
Today's nice things:
1. Some nice people at the open day
2. Talking to Pauline
3. TV and grunting
4. Naked men on stairs.
Anne Brooke
Anne's website
Friday, September 05, 2008
Strange dreams and naked men
Yet more strange dreams last night. This time, Lord H and I were in some kind of bar which had a room at the top filled with bees. There was something ghostly going on, and we kept having to try to find the bees and contain them in some way as this would help solve the hauntings. It was all very mysterious and quite surreal really. We never did quite get to the bottom of it.
And talking of bottoms, Lord H has very kindly emailed me a set of pictures from the naked Italian rugby team calendar. Hmm, lovely, that man does know me so well. Perhaps too well! Here's my favourite:
Sooooo cute. And hey, never say I'm not good to you!
I have to say though that last night's production of "Born in the Gardens" was sadly lacking. We felt very disappointed. Nothing wrong with the actors, but the material they had to work with was rather poor. And hugely dated. I don't think it quite knew if it was supposed to be comedy or drama and was therefore a ragbag mixture of neither. Dull too. Still, at least the chocolate ice cream in the interval was top-notch. Thank the Lord. Still, it does astonish me that the Surrey Advertiser gave it such a glowing review. Why???? Honestly, sometimes, I think I'm living in a world very different to everyone else's and the world and I are most definitely having different experiences. It happens with books too, but more of that below ...
Anyway, this morning, I have spent a pleasant couple of hours having tea at Ang's with Jane H (hello, both!). I am astonished at Ang's ability to maintain control and calm in the face of one active toddler and one set of baby twins, but yes we did manage to have conversation of sorts. As you know, I am sadly lacking when it comes to children however, but I did my best. I hope!
I have also managed to add another 500 words to Hallsfoot's Battle and I think I know what Ralph is supposed to be doing now. He just has to work out how best to use the magic emeralds. Hmm, don't wait up then - as if I don't know yet, then he certainly won't ... I've also managed to squeeze in an hour or so's essential nap, as I desperately need to catch up on my sleep. Especially with the traumas of tomorrow to face (working on a Saturday! Long car journeys - my favourites!!...), groan.
And, cleverly, I've managed to finish two books on the same day. My, how sad I am that such a coincidence makes me so happy, but what the hell, eh. I've finished the gloriously sharp "Nightwork" by Joseph Hansen. The best of the Brandstetter (gay PI) series so far, to my mind. Hansen is so punchy and precise in his prose that it's a joy to read, and of course Brandstetter is great as a character. It's a mystery why they don't produce it as a TV series or something. Hell I'd watch.
However, from the sublime to the ridiculous: I have finally (thank God!) finished the over-hyped, hugely dull and totally self-obsessed "Eat, Pray, Love" by Elisabeth Gilbert. Deeeep deeeeep sigh. I mean bloody hell but if anyone's going to be self-obsessed round here, it's me. Though God save me from being dull. Honestly, I have no idea why everyone rates it so much: um, irritating woman eats a lot, tries to find herself and then finally gets laid. That's it really. In a nutshell. It does have two pages I really found moving, but in a book of 348 pages, that's not great returns. My advice is: don't bother. Serious yawn.
Tonight, we've really got to clean the flat and there's a ton of TV comedy to catch up on. Which is great, as I could do with a laugh. And as a special treat, here's a nice hot Italian rugby trio to end with (as it were):
Today's nice things:
1. Tea with friends
2. Writing more of Hallsfoot
3. Reading one good book
4. Hot Italian rugby players.
Anne Brooke
Anne's website
And talking of bottoms, Lord H has very kindly emailed me a set of pictures from the naked Italian rugby team calendar. Hmm, lovely, that man does know me so well. Perhaps too well! Here's my favourite:
Sooooo cute. And hey, never say I'm not good to you!
I have to say though that last night's production of "Born in the Gardens" was sadly lacking. We felt very disappointed. Nothing wrong with the actors, but the material they had to work with was rather poor. And hugely dated. I don't think it quite knew if it was supposed to be comedy or drama and was therefore a ragbag mixture of neither. Dull too. Still, at least the chocolate ice cream in the interval was top-notch. Thank the Lord. Still, it does astonish me that the Surrey Advertiser gave it such a glowing review. Why???? Honestly, sometimes, I think I'm living in a world very different to everyone else's and the world and I are most definitely having different experiences. It happens with books too, but more of that below ...
Anyway, this morning, I have spent a pleasant couple of hours having tea at Ang's with Jane H (hello, both!). I am astonished at Ang's ability to maintain control and calm in the face of one active toddler and one set of baby twins, but yes we did manage to have conversation of sorts. As you know, I am sadly lacking when it comes to children however, but I did my best. I hope!
I have also managed to add another 500 words to Hallsfoot's Battle and I think I know what Ralph is supposed to be doing now. He just has to work out how best to use the magic emeralds. Hmm, don't wait up then - as if I don't know yet, then he certainly won't ... I've also managed to squeeze in an hour or so's essential nap, as I desperately need to catch up on my sleep. Especially with the traumas of tomorrow to face (working on a Saturday! Long car journeys - my favourites!!...), groan.
And, cleverly, I've managed to finish two books on the same day. My, how sad I am that such a coincidence makes me so happy, but what the hell, eh. I've finished the gloriously sharp "Nightwork" by Joseph Hansen. The best of the Brandstetter (gay PI) series so far, to my mind. Hansen is so punchy and precise in his prose that it's a joy to read, and of course Brandstetter is great as a character. It's a mystery why they don't produce it as a TV series or something. Hell I'd watch.
However, from the sublime to the ridiculous: I have finally (thank God!) finished the over-hyped, hugely dull and totally self-obsessed "Eat, Pray, Love" by Elisabeth Gilbert. Deeeep deeeeep sigh. I mean bloody hell but if anyone's going to be self-obsessed round here, it's me. Though God save me from being dull. Honestly, I have no idea why everyone rates it so much: um, irritating woman eats a lot, tries to find herself and then finally gets laid. That's it really. In a nutshell. It does have two pages I really found moving, but in a book of 348 pages, that's not great returns. My advice is: don't bother. Serious yawn.
Tonight, we've really got to clean the flat and there's a ton of TV comedy to catch up on. Which is great, as I could do with a laugh. And as a special treat, here's a nice hot Italian rugby trio to end with (as it were):
Today's nice things:
1. Tea with friends
2. Writing more of Hallsfoot
3. Reading one good book
4. Hot Italian rugby players.
Anne Brooke
Anne's website
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