Reviews and poems

I'm pleased to say that my review of Anita Shreve's Testimony is now up at Vulpes Libris. Sex and fragility in school - what more could you want?

Speaking of reviews, I'm also happy to say that A Stranger's Touch has received its latest review at Three Dollar Bill reviews and is also - much to my amazement and utter delight - Number 8 in the January bestsellers list at Amber Allure, well gosh! Thank you to everyone who's bought it and put it there.

Meanwhile, two of my poems have been accepted for the Spring edition of The Mayo Review so that's something to look forward to. It's also interesting as they're the last ever poems I've submitted anywhere, or indeed intend to submit, for the foreseeable future. The rest of my poems I'm simply putting up here as and when I write them or at my Facebook page as part of my meditation series. I'm into the 300s of the meditation pieces now, so quite a body of work, I feel. Can't comment on the quality however - one never can. Talking of poetry, here's this week's poem from my poetry course:

My father’s shirt

hangs large and shabby
in the blue section
of my wardrobe.
I wear it
as an overshirt
at parties
though the neck
is worn
and the sleeves
are too long

You wore it
for the last time
the day before you left
for hospital.

Your gardening shirt:
you were pruning
your beloved roses,
fingers scattering
stray petals
to the earth.


And, if I dare sneak in such a thing, I am frankly astounded that one of the small publishers I sent The Gifting to (sorry about the grammar, but who cares?...) has actually requested the full MS after seeing the first three chapters. Yes, I know nothing will come of it (nothing ever does), but this is the first time this has happened with this book, so I'm having my own private moment of pleasure (as it were). And enjoying it while it lasts ...

Finally, on the writing front, that lovely young man, Jason Shaw, has uploaded a precis version of my interview at Best Gay Blogs, so if you didn't catch it before, now's your chance. Some readers have already enquired (taking the picture at the bottom of the link into account) whether Jason was naked when he interviewed me - but out of professional courtesy, I couldn't possibly say. Jason, your secret is safe with me ...

And, today, I've had a wonderful morning of tea and chat with Jane H (hello, Jane - wonderful to catch up at last!), and an afternoon of utterly blissful reflexology. Plus, I've finished a short story which I hope is suitably spicy as well as being comic, and hope to pitch it to one of my publishers at some point. Ooh, hark at her. One of my publishers!!... Whatever next?

Anne's website - celebrating her small successes
The Prayer Seeker's Journal - getting in touch with the inner man, slowly