The Girl in the Painting

I'm pleased to say that my literary feminist story, The Girl in the Painting, has now been published and more information can be found at my website. You can purchase a copy at Amazon US and at Smashwords, in a variety of formats, hurrah! There's also a book trailer for your enjoyment. Never say I don't look after your essential reading needs.

Keeping to the topic of short stories, I was astonished to see that for a very brief period Dancing with Lions was number 94 in the Amazon US Biblical fiction charts. Heck, I've never been there before, and I'm not there now, but ah the memory is sweet.

I'm also pleased to note that during last week's Read an Ebook Week, my short stories, How to Eat Fruit and Dancing with Lions were downloaded over 90 times. Well, gosh. I hope those readers enjoyed the experience.

My final piece of short story news is that A Stranger's Touch is available as a Kindle ebook and now even has its first five-star Amazon review there, well double gosh and crack open the champers! Thank you very much, Sirius11214 - that's made my day big-time. And yes, that is exactly what I intended the story to mean - I'm so glad it worked for you, thank you.

Meanwhile, back at Hallsfoot's Battle (anyone remember that??), I've now received the edits back from my ex-agent editor who commented: this is very good, much better than even the revised version of The Gifting. Which to me means a heck of a lot, as I've been worrying desperately about mid-series droop and whether any of it was remotely interesting at all. Thank you, John. Maybe I might just be a fantasy author after all, if the wind's in the right direction and there's a R in the month. Anyway, I'm going through his edits which are very very useful indeed and whipping the thing further into shape.

I've also uploaded my review of Megan Taylor's wonderfully dark literary novel, The Dawning at Vulpes Libris, and can thoroughly recommend the book. Great stuff, Megan!

In my other life, I've finished my online poetry course. I must admit I haven't enjoyed it as much as last term's and I don't think I'll be doing another for a while, but it's helped with the poetry. Always a good thing. I've also had my annual cholesterol blood test at the doctors - oh the fasting, the lack of breakfast and the desperate whimpering. I'm not known for my courage, ah well. We've endured a really weird day at work yesterday when everything went wrong that could go wrong - was it the feng shui lines?? Thank God there was chocolate cake around - we'd never have survived without it. And I've had a wonderfully relaxing hour at reflexology today. Bliss. Whatever would I do without my reflexologist?

Tonight, Lord H and I are out at the theatre to see The Secret of Sherlock Holmes with the gorgeous Peter Egan. When I was young, I was so in love with him, you know (don't tell Lord H - though actually he already knows this, and may well wonder if I'm going to throw my knickers on the stage in the manner of Essex Gals tonight ...), but I suspect we've all moved on since those glory days. Still, if you do hear tell of an arrest in the Guildford theatre, then no doubt it will be me. I hope you'll all vouch for my good character. Hey ho.

Anne Brooke - scrubs up well, if given enough time
The Prayer Seeker's Journal - getting distracted by life

Videos, poetry and some sad news

Let's start with the sad news. Which is that, unfortunately, our middle neighbour in our block of 3 flats died of heart troubles earlier this week. He'd been waiting for a heart operation in hospital and we've visited a couple of times, but he never made it to have the actual op. I'll miss him - he could be an archetypal crusty old gent of the old school, but he was always, always fascinating. He could also be extraordinarily generous. When we moved in 17 years ago, he left a bottle of very good champagne and two rather posh glasses at our front door to help us celebrate - a gesture that always makes me smile, even today. He loved high-class wine, birds (of both varieties, in spite of his age!), poetry and Spain - and who can argue with that? It leaves a big gap in our little house, which feels much emptier today. You can find two of his marvellous books (and he wrote just as he spoke, so was always a writer who was very much in touch with his voice) on Spain and flamenco dancing here and here. Both come highly recommended.

Keeping on the subject of death and what we remember, and indeed poetry, here's this week's poem (about my father) from my poetry course:

September 1977

We live
only four minutes’ walk
from school

and my mother’s car waits
in the car park
so I know my father is dead.

Hair blows across my face
and in the distance
I hear laughter.

The sky is so blue
and my schoolbag weighs heavy
across my shoulders.

When I take it off,
the fabric drags along the ground.
Without looking, I can name the books

that spill from it:
a Latin grammar;
Voltaire’s Candide.

They smell new.
The way spines snap
when first opened

is a memory
that prickles my skin.
I am so close to the car now.

I reach out,
take hold of the handle.
Breathe.


Turning to book news, I'm happy to say that Thorn in the Flesh is now available at Amazon US and Amazon UK. And I have uploaded the book trailer at YouTube.

Similarly, Pink Champagne and Apple Juice is now available with free worldwide delivery at The Book Depository. It too comes with its own book trailer - which is proving extraordinarily popular with 82 views since I uploaded it only a couple of days ago. Which just goes to show that the viewing public love comedy, jolly music and a pretty blonde girl. Must remember that for next time I write something new then!

And, finally, the latest chapter of The Prayer Seeker is now available for reading - it's on anger, as Michael finds he has much to work through. As do we all, really.

But, to end (or almost ...) with very exciting bird news, Lord H and I spent the day in Arne in Dorset yesterday - we saw some stunning sika deer, really close to, plus seven (yes, seven!!!) spoonbills, a couple of blackcaps, a few red-breasted mergansers - all of which were firsts for this year. Plus - the crowning glory and a lifetime first - a firecrest. Hurrah!

So, there are two haikus this Sunday for you:

The first signs of spring:
men on yellow bicycles;
a pink Fiesta.


It's a conundrum:
how to persuade daffodils
to unfurl their blooms.


Heck, I bet Wordsworth never had those problems, on either count ...

Anne Brooke - in fairly thoughtful mood
The Prayer Seeker's Journal - where anger finds a voice

Where do I start?!?...

Honestly, you wouldn't believe how busy I've been since Sunday. It's as if someone has lit a firework under my bottom (sorry, nasty image, I know, but what can you do?...) and stepped back to watch the display. It's been a rollercoaster ride, my dears, but an exciting one - and my brain is a total whirl. Hmm, as ever then.

So, let me try and be logical (as if). First off, GLBT erotic short story, A Stranger's Touch, has had its publication date brought forward by a week so will now be available on 17 January and not the 24th. Gosh! That's this coming Sunday! Double gosh. As a result, you can now see the book trailer on YouTube, and I am preparing myself for the off, hurrah.

Speaking of book trailer videos, I've been having a deal of fun with them over the last couple of days. I've created a trailer for GLBT light-bondage romance, Give and Take, and for GLBT romantic comedy, The Hit List. Both of these will be uploaded in due course, depending on publication dates. I've also created a trailer for ongoing blogged novel, The Prayer Seeker, which I will upload over the next couple of days.

With that in mind, the latest chapter (or partial chapter - as it's quite long) of The Prayer Seeker's Blog is now viewable, and I hope you enjoy the read.

Keeping to book matters, I'm pleased to say that my literary short story, How to Eat Fruit will be published by Untreed Reads Press on 1 February, and you can now read an extract on my site, plus admire a particularly superb photograph that I intend to use in the book trailer. Which astonishingly I haven't yet made. Hmm, must be slacking then ...

I'm also happy to say that The Bones of Summer received a five star rating on Goodreads, and also Two Christmases received a four star review on the same site. Thank you, George and Clare, respectively - it's really appreciated.

But don't panic! I have done some writing too, and am now at the 14,000 word marker for The Executioner's Cane. Ah, it's all looking dodgy for poor Simon. And where the heck is Ralph when he's needed? The plot thickens. So much so that I have no idea really what will happen, but no doubt something will turn up. One hopes.

Turning to more erudite matters, my review of James McBride's Song Yet Sung is now up at Vulpes Libris. It's a book that certainly made me think, not least about my own potential for literary racism. Possibly. Have a read and let me know what you think ...

Finally, Lord H and I spent an inglorious three hours in the car attempting to get to work across an ice-bound Guildford yesterday. Believe me, it was NOT pleasant. In the end we gave up and went home. At this point, I'd like to thank the very lovely JCB driver who gave us some helpful advice as to how to get up the A3 sliproad incline - where many cars were already stranded and waiting for his kind ministrations. Thank you, Mr JCB - it worked. And yes that was me waving and shouting my thanks out of the window. We will be forever grateful. Sadly, it was not enough to get us entirely home, so in the end we abandoned the car and walked the 25 minute journey back to the flat. Hanging on to each other on the Godalming ice rink for dear life. Luckily, yesterday evening, there'd been enough of a thaw for Lord H to tramp back to the car and retrieve it, unscathed. But I tell you this - no more heroics. Ever!

And here's a poem about fish, which is my first offering on my new online poetry course:

Fish


A fish is full of lies
and darkness.
It swims through blue,
smug and sleek
in its own small world.

I have seen a fish leap
under a willow tree
but could not catch it;
fish are ghosts,
a dark blue memory

of how things are:
a tail to steer the darkness
and fins for deceit.
They are slippery, like thieves.

Never touch them.


Anne's website - the filmmaker of the Surrey hills
The Prayer Seeker's Blog

Breaks, birds and post-holiday blues

We had a really, really fantastic time in Wales. The countryside was grand, the weather was mainly hot and sunny (except for one day), the hotel was wonderful, and the owners Ian and Alan made us feel completely at home. Not to mention Ian being an utterly superb chef. We'll definitely go back at some point, and I can't recommend it highly enough. I fell totally and utterly in love with this view too, which we came across mid-week:



Honestly, looking at it now is making me feel quite tearful as we're not there any more. It was so peaceful, we were the only ones around to enjoy it and I could have stayed much longer than we did. The birds were lovely too - new birds for this year (plus some lifetime firsts) were: red-breasted mergansers, wheatears, great black-backed gulls, ravens, choughs, puffins (hurrah - and really close up too!), fulmars, kittiwakes, guillemots, bullfinches, razorbills (a wonderful bird and my new favourite), crossbills (amazing and probably my joint new favourite ...), redstarts, tree pipits, a wood warbler, and - last but not least - a rather large jellyfish. Astonishing really.

I also had the pleasure of reading V.B. Russell's new children's book, The Adventures of Granny Destross and CeeCee. A very enjoyable, imaginative and fun read which should suit children in the 8-10yrs old bracket (though I'm not an expert - but am guessing this as CeeCee is ten!). Definitely one for your young person's list.

Back now to the washing and ironing, and catching up on email correspondence too - what a lot of spam there's been this week, I see. Here's this morning's meditation:

Meditation 152

There’s so much punishment
for sin deemed

to be sexual
that it’s astonishing

to find anyone left unharmed
at all.

Crouch low
over the earth,

write unknown words
into sand

and let the woman
go free.

While I've been away, there's also been good and very bad news on the literary front. The good news is this:

1. Two of my poems, Chicken-man and Dustward, appear in the inaugural edition of Apparatus Magazine and can be found here. Thanks so much for including them, Adam!

2. My interview about gay fiction and other matters appears here - and thank you so much to Margaret West for including it in her Author Spotlight series.

3. My biblical short story, A Small Betrayal, has been accepted by historical fiction magazine, Lacuna Journal, for their inaugural edition in October.

4. My flash fiction piece, Turning Point (which is actually based on real-life), has been accepted for publication in the University of Maine Ultra-Short Fiction competition anthology.

Always good to have something nice to look forward to indeed, though sadly I've been rather punched in the gut (well, it's exactly what it feels like) to discover that the small US publisher who had expressed strong interest in The Gifting has now ceased trading and didn't even have the courtesy to tell me. I found out yesterday by popping into their website and discovering the announcement. Honestly, I felt quite sick then and still feel totally winded by it now. The nagging headache and broken night's sleep hasn't helped either. If only I were back in glorious Wales and still ignorant about it, eh! I wish. Anyway, taking a deep and very shaky breath, I've sent the novel off again to my last port of call - and it will be the last, as I really can't take any more rejection of that particular book - and if they decide against it, then I'll self-publish and move on. In the meantime, I'm taking the happy pills and I've tried to cheer myself up by thinking of the publication date of The Bones of Summer this coming Monday and uploading the book trailer. Enjoy!

Today's nice things:

1. Holidays
2. Books
3. Birds
4. Poetry
5. Poetry publication
6. Interview
7. Two acceptances
8. The Bones of Summer book trailer

Anne Brooke - somewhere between happy and sad - again!...

The Bones of Summer book trailer

Available from Dreamspinner Press on 22 June 2009. More details can be found here

Anne Brooke

A novel to die for

Have stayed in the flat today with a major focus on getting better, so cancelled golf with Marian, which was a bit of a shame. But in the end I think it was a wise choice as I do feel on the mend more now. If seriously tired.

But the good news is that I am now included as a regular reviewer on the Vulpes Libris site, so that's lovely. And in preparation for being able to get in and book review posting time, I've spent the morning writing up a full review of Caroline Rance's wonderful novel, Kill-Grief, and here's a very brief taster of that review:

".... The novel tells the story of Mary Helsall, who arrives in Chester in 1756, carrying her own bitter secrets but determined to carve a future for herself, despite the men who lay claim to her, body and soul. The setting is so densely and sharply described that it becomes a character in itself, and carries equal billing with the marvellous character of Mary. In essence, it's dark and rich and strong, like the best brandy, and I can thoroughly recommend it ..."

More like this please, Caroline ...

Other than that, I've spent a large part of the day asleep. I've eaten one bowl of cereals and one half-coated chocolate chip cookie. That was nice. I'm drinking bucket-loads of Lucozade. And I'm doing an awful lot of coughing. In fact, I think I may well be the best cougher in Surrey. Possibly the UK. My tissue supply might be running low too, but I shall worry about that tomorrow.

Oh, and I forgot to say that for some reason the US tax office have rejected my claim for literary tax relief, so I have to fill in the forms again and send them off. It appears I may not need to go up to London and go through the whole process a second time though - which is a blessed relief. But I think if this attempt fails, I may well simply grit my teeth and accept the double tax whammy. After all, it's not as if I actually earn anything to make a third try worthwhile - but for the sake of those wonderful people (thank you hugely, Clare & Sharon!) who talked me through the process and emailed lots of support, a second go will be had. Watch this space ...

Finally, Chris Brown from new media agency, Chris Brown Media is kindly helping me with an upcoming book trailer for A Dangerous Man as a low-cost way of building up his post-University portfolio - so thank you, Chris, and I'm looking forward to seeing what you might come up with.

Today's nice things:

1. Writing a review for Kill-Grief
2. Books
3. A Dangerous Man potential book trailer.

Anne Brooke - down but not yet out
Cancer Research Race for Life - give generously to help others ...