Glyndebourne and gardens

Book News:

I've finally given up hope of pesky Eternal Press/Damnation Press ever stirring themselves to give me back the rights to literary gay short story Painting from Life. So I've republished it myself with a lovely new cover (which is far better than their one, bitch bitch ...) on the Kindle.

Here's the blurb:

Painting from Life is a short story about an artist who discovers that his muse is not at all what he expected. Indeed, love is never what you think. When a painter goes beyond the degree of intimacy that provides the connection between him and the older man who is his newly-discovered muse, he is forced to undergo a re-evaluation of the true meaning of love.

There are a couple of reviews about the story you might find interesting:

“This short story is haunting, intense, and unlikely. At just about 15 pages, the author has delivered a stunningly gripping story about an artist and his obsessions ... the artist slowly and inevitably becomes the sole caretaker of an older man, Peter, while using the man as a model for his work that is only now gaining success. The author manages to use just a few words and descriptive phrases to convey intensity and emotion that is clearly felt ... The implications and subtle meaning go far beyond the obvious and continue to resonate well after the short story is done. Crisp, vivid prose works incredibly well with vibrant characters all uninhibited by the short length. For those that enjoy a fabulous short story that truly makes you think and leaves you wondering well after it’s done, I highly suggest Painting from Life. The themes of art, death, obsession, love, selfishness, and need are all played out beautifully in this complex and complicated story.” (Manic Readers)

and

"More emotions are evoked in this short, haunting story than many longer works I’ve read in recent months. It gets classified as a love story, or a GLBT piece in many places I’ve seen it discussed, but I’m reluctant to so easily define it. The relationship between the painter and Peter, the elderly man, isn’t nearly that cut and dry ... Nothing sexual ever occurs, but the narrator finds energy and passion in his work with Peter as he never has before. Peter, in turn, cannot bring himself to characterize their relationship as anything familial ... The give and take between the two satisfies needs in both of them ... The complexity of the relationships is served amazingly well by the lyrical, edgy prose. It offers just the right amount of clear, original detail to paint a picture with words, without getting excessive or too artsy, and intrigues me into pursuing more of the author’s work. Strong, original voices are like gold. This one pays off.” (Book Utopia Reviews)

If you fancy a short intense read, then do feel free to pick up a copy at Amazon UK or Amazon US. Many thanks indeed!

Other nice book news this week is that gay paranormal story Martin and The Wolf gained a review at ARe Cafe, which I'd not noticed before. They say:

"Martin and The Wolf by Anne Brooke is a gracefully written paranormal novelette that takes a fresh perspective on the werewolf legend … The story's appeal lies in those fascinating disconnects where Lucas's aggressive wolf personality causes him to stand out from the camouflage of his courteous but reserved British countrymen. Even better is the first-person narrator Martin's puzzled but unflappable acceptance of Lucas." 

Gay comedy Tommy's Blind Date gained a 4-star review at Goodreads, and another gay comedy, Who Moved My Holepunch?, was reviewed at Top 2 Bottom Reviews, who say:

"Who Moved My Holepunch? is an easy, fast paced story with fun characters and a good story line … Read the book! Recommended."

Many thanks indeed to all readers and reviewers who take the time to publish your comments - I'm very grateful, that's for sure.


Life News:

I've given up with my new village dentist rather, and this week went for a second opinion concerning my recurring toothache (really, my dears, crying at the dining table because eating is just so ruddy painful is not a healthy state of affairs, no matter how many times the first dentist said I needed to "let it settle down", ho hum). The Godalming dentist seems very nice and much more willing to actually take the pain away, rather than give me more, well gosh. Anyway, I'm now on a week's supply of strong antibiotics and I have to say it's truly amazing to have a mouth that's almost pain-free. It's like a minor miracle, I can tell you. I just hope it lasts once the drugs stop on Tuesday ...

This weekend, K and I have done a lot in the garden, planting at the back to fill in the current gaps we have there. So the sunflowers, zinnias, sweet williams, snapdragons, fuchsias, to name but a few, have all gone somewhere, and we've potted on the dahlias as well. There's more to be planted, but we need to wait for the late bluebells to die off before we plant on top of them. I don't want to rip out the bluebells just yet as they're all doing so well. The garden is really starting to come alive with flowers - oh and the early rhododendron is beginning to bloom, and the azalea is all but out, hurrah.

This week's cake is the one held over from last weekend when I was too ill to bake. So it's an Orange and Almond cake, and very nice it is too.

Last night, K and I attended the first night of Glyndebourne and had a very good time indeed. Ariadne auf Naxos was very well done, though it's an opera I suspect you only really need to see once, and was about ten minutes to long in reaching the very nice and well thought-out ending. Still, a good time was certainly had by all, as they say. Plus I have to say how utterly stunning the Glyndebourne tulips are looking. I don't recall ever seeing them before as they've usually been over by the time the opera season starts, but honestly they're just amazing. I particularly loved the raspberry-ripple type tulips, and the beds of yellow and dark mauve ones, as well as the combinations of pink and white mixtures. A feast for the eyes indeed.

Anne Brooke
Gay Reads UK
Biblical Fiction UK
Lori Olding Children's Author

Aches and pains galore

Life News:

Um, I've been sick for most of the week, I'm afraid, so not much life news, or indeed any other news, apart from that going on. Mind you, K and I did manage between us to plant 150 plants in the front garden on Bank Holiday Monday, and lay a stepping stone path across the lawn, so it's not been all moaning and groaning and wishing for a suitably early demise, hey ho.

Since then, I've had galloping toothache and a pretty nasty cold/catarrh session. Managed a visit to my new dentist in the village (um, the one who's actually given me the pain in the first place, I have to say ...) who told me I needed to let it settle down to see if the pain carried on. Hmm, not too impressed then. Said dentist is also the one who's done something with my lovely husband's tooth and now he's in pain every now and again too (the first time he's ever had tooth pain in his life), so I can't really recommend them. I suspect unless a miracle cure takes place in the next day or so, we just ain't going back ...

Anyway, the slightly good news is that from Tuesday onwards, I've been wiped out by a bout of catarrh together with a bad cold so that seemed to put the toothache on the back burner, so I've spent 4 nights on the sofa doing a hell of a lot of coughing and crosswords. As you do. Last night I felt well enough to actually go to bed, but sadly that's meant the toothache has returned and rather worse than before. Eating takes an age, but I suppose it's one way to lose weight - as I get so bored with it all that I simply can't finish the plate. The other sad news is I was too ill to go and see the new Star Trek film we'd booked for in 3D(!) on Thursday night, and certainly too ill for golf or cake-making. Oh well. Much moaning in the marshes.

Tomorrow, now the cold/catarrh seems to be under control, I'm going to try another dentist in a totally different village to get a second opinion and see if they're in the business of taking pain away rather than giving me more of it. I don't think I'm being unreasonable in that expectation, my dears ... In the meantime, I'm using a fatal combination of whisky, dental gel, desensitising toothpaste and crying to get through. I can't really say it's been a good week. Ho hum.

Book News:

No writing has been done, but I've had a lovely 5-star review on Amazon US for biblical short story Dancing with Lions, and another 5-star review on Amazon US for gay comedy Who Moved My Holepunch? Many thanks to both readers for that.


Anne Brooke
Gay Reads UK
Biblical Fiction UK
Lori Olding Children's Author

Delaneys and daffodils

Book News:

Gay erotic short story The Delaneys, My Parents and Me is now available at Amazon UK (where it was even briefly in the Top 100 Gay Erotic Fiction charts, well gosh) and Amazon US. You can also find it at All Romance Ebooks.

It's also been getting some positive reviews, including a 4-star review, a 5-star review and another 5-star review, all at Goodreads, and one from On Top Down Under Reviews, which included the following comments:

"This is the last in the six book series/serial of The Delaneys and I'm so very sad to see my lads leave me. Every ebook was a joy to read. Nover long but each one was beautifully written, perfectly edited, and used the English language the way it was meant to be used. Never once did they fail to make me laugh out loud, and there was some incredibly erotic times … It was this series that introduced me to Anne Brooke and it is with great sadness that I say farewell to Liam, Mark and Johnny."

Many thanks for that, Karen! The lads are sorry to leave you too ...

Other exciting news is that gay thriller Maloney's Law, which will be republished on 7 April by Amber Allure Press, has a brand-new cover, and pretty dang wonderful it is too. I love it.

And, much to my delight and astonishment, Leeds Library has bought an ecopy of fantasy novel, The Gifting, so many thanks for that, Leeds, and I hope it gets many borrowers for you.


Life News:

The delights of the dentist this week, so I have survived a rather deep filling, phew. Apparently, if it doesn't work, then I might have to have root canal treatment (oh joy!...) so I'm praying very hard that it works, ho hum.

Mind you, I was pleasantly distracted by the surprise visit from the first butterfly of the season - a red admiral - here on our winter heather. So wonderful. I only hope it survives the snow that's forecast for tomorrow, groan ... I also bought myself some spring daffodils and they've been cheering up our kitchen windowsill no end.

And, keeping to the nature theme, we've done a great job in keeping the weeds down this weekend, and we've even eaten the first of our home-grown potatoes, goodness me. Mind you, if I'm honest, they were actually the potatoes we were trying to grow for Christmas so they're just a tad late, but very tasty nonetheless.

Yesterday, K and I spent a pleasant morning at Nymans, and thoroughly enjoyed their spring walk, in spite of the bleak weather. Whilst there, I treated myself to a new tiarella and have planted it out this morning.

Meanwhile, cake baking has not been neglected and this weekend's offering is Farmhouse Orange Victoria Sponge, which is pretty tasty - though I say it myself and shouldn't. Still, when has that ever stopped me, eh?

And, over at The Angry Anglican, I'm talking about cardinal sins and celibacy, possibly both at the same time, hey ho. Don't say you haven't been warned.

Though, as a final warning, I really can't do better than this cartoon which somehow says it all, at least for me. Really, it's astonishing I'm still allowed to roam free across Surrey, for now ...

Anne Brooke
Gay Reads UK
The Gathandrian Fantasy Trilogy
Biblical Fiction UK
Lori Olding Children's Author

Children's fiction, cake and art

Book News:

The new website for Lori Olding, that ... um ... lesser-known children's fiction author, is now up and running, and on it you can find out all about The Origami Nun, the secrets of origami and how to stop bullying.

At the other end of the book spectrum, gay short story Give and Take received a review at Goodreads, courtesy of Darien - many thanks indeed!

Meanwhile, I'm busy editing a gay short story set in an office which I'm hoping to submit to Riptide Publishing before July. It's rather off-the-wall and has no title as yet (dammit), but I think it's getting there, slowly ...

My most recent meditation poem is:


Meditation 667
It is not clarity
but puzzle
that charms us:

the truth as slippery
as a snake
in tall grasses

hissing a half-known tune
which tingles our ear
as it passes.


The Sunday haiku is:

My pink peony
holds the sun within its heart
to welcome the day.


Life News:

M and I decided to visit Rosemary Miller's art gallery as part of the Surrey Open Arts Weekend instead of golfing - and very enjoyable it was too. I loved her pictures, and bought a beautiful one of a sunflower. Gorgeous. It made up for the rather agonising session I had in the dentist's chair in the afternoon getting a filling redone. Nothing too problematic, to be honest, but for some reason I felt really rather ill and woozy afterwards, and then spent most of the rest of the afternoon sleeping. Very odd indeed. Thankfully I feel better now, hurrah.

Saturday morning's cake attempt was Lemon Drizzle cake, and very scrummy it's turned out to be too. Also surprisingly easy to make so will definitely be doing that one again.

In the evening, K and I had our first trip to Glyndebourne this year to see Janacek's The Cunning Little Vixen. Great scenery and wonderful concepts, but no plot to speak of really, and I'm usually a huge fan of Janacek. However, dinner was grand and the champagne wonderful, though for the first time ever I couldn't finish my glass. Shock! Horror! Must be my encroaching age ...

Much to our delight, our orange striped gazania is now in bloom in the front garden and is utterly beautiful in every way. We've got a pink one too, but that's not out yet. Watch this space!...








Anne Brooke
Lori Olding
The Gathandrian Fantasy Trilogy
Gay Reads UK
Biblical Fiction UK

Gay marriage, a high-handed Church and The Origami Nun

Book News:

My new children's book The Origami Nun has just been published by Karabeth Publishing under my pseudonym Lori Olding. It's in ebook version right now from Amazon UK and Amazon US, and will be out in paperback version sometime in August.

The blurb is:

Seven-year old Ruth can't speak, but she can certainly think. She knows her birthday is going to be good as her beloved great-aunt has exciting plans for her. What she doesn't expect is a magical paper nun, an encounter with a bully who may not be what she seems or a school day to remember. Because when her special day is over, Ruth is in for some very big surprises.

I hope you enjoy the read!

Other nice book news this week is that gay short story The Delaneys At Home (Delaneys *5) received a lovely 5-star review at The Novel Approach. Many thanks, Lisa. You can now also find The Delaneys At Home for sale at All Romance Ebooks. Gay comic romance The Hit List also gained a 4-star review at Goodreads, so thank you for that, Suze.

Meanwhile, Gay Pride Month continues at Untreed Reads, where you can find some of my books for sale at a 25% discount. Hurry before June ends!...

Today at Vulpes Libris you can find my review of Donna Hay's charming novel The Two Mrs Robinsons. A quirkily different book, and I do recommend it.

Here's my latest meditation poem:


Meditation 666
Hold back the four winds
and let the silence
come thundering in
until you see

there is a space
at the heart of the world
which waits for you
to find it.


Life News:

This week I've been highly frustrated and deeply saddened by the ridiculous statements coming from the Church of England supposedly speaking for all Anglicans. You can read this week's particular load of baloney here. Utter rot and nonsense, say I. Here and now, I'd like to make it perfectly clear (as indeed I have before, many times) that this straight Anglican is very much in support of all GLBTQ people and is also extremely supportive of same-sex marriage. As indeed are many other Anglicans, so the Church's statement does not in any sense of the word speak on behalf of its people. Churchman Giles Fraser, as ever, puts it so much better than I do - here's his marvellous and very wise article. You can also find out more at the Changing Attitude website, and support the cause of same-sex marriage here. May I encourage you to do so, if you haven't already. I really do feel we should stand up for the cause of justice and equality in a real and practical way in order to make our voice count. Thank you.

I've not been too well this week, and I was starting to dread another horrible catarrh session was just round the corner - but I somehow seemed to have kept it at bay with the use of some serious medication, thank the good Lord for that. Anyway, I'm feeling better now, and let's hope it stays that way. Mind you, I was at the dental hygienist today so now have very glittery teeth which are probably blinding you even from this distance. I suspect all that glitter might have caused any lurking illnesses to flee to the hills ...

We're hugely pleased that our Bowl of Beauty peony has come out and is looking exceptionally beautiful. What a joy in a dark and dismal week. So dark and dismal indeed that it's astonishing it's blossomed at all - as apparently they only come out in the sun. We probably won't see it again for a while then.

And, in the garden this week, we've spotted a male bullfinch (an increasingly rare sight in the UK, so we're thrilled) and a nuthatch. We hope they both return at some point.

Anne Brooke
The Gathandrian Fantasy Trilogy
Gay Reads UK
Biblical Fiction UK

A mystery tour and the royal garden

Book News:

Fantasy novel The Gifting is now showcased at the Awesome Indies website - the mark of a quality read, so I'm delighted to be up there.

And the anniversary book tour for The Gifting should be taking place from 11 to 22 June, but I'm afraid I can't give you any details, as I don't know any yet. Yikes and help! If anyone out there knows anything, then don't hesitate to let me in on the mystery as I'd love to be part of the celebration ...

If you do happen to stumble over the tour, I am offering a FREE Kindle worth £89 to one lucky competition winner, plus a runner-up prize, so it's worth seeking it out if you can. If I find out any information, I'll let you know, ho hum.

Turning to other less mysterious book news, my children's book publisher, Karabeth Publishing, has a lovely selection of new banners for their website, which I'm delighted to reveal for you here. Very nice indeed, I think. The Origami Nun will be coming out from them under my children's fiction pseudonym Lori Olding (watch for Lori's website coming soon!) later in the year.

The Pride Month 25% discount continues on my lesbian literary fiction at Untreed Reads, and recent reviews have included a 5-star rating for gay short story The Heart's Greater Silence at Goodreads, plus a review of For One Night Only, also at Goodreads. Many thanks indeed to both readers for those.





A recent meditation poem is:


Meditation 665
Listen for the sorrow
beneath the laughter
and music.

It is there
in an indrawn breath
or the brief silence

between notes:
in the midst of dancing
we are in death.


The Sunday haiku is:

Sun drifts me to sleep
in the warm poppy garden
and I dream of you.


Life News:

Had my six-monthly trip to the dentist on Friday which was all very jolly as they're such a lovely surgery. But the bad news is I have to have a filling updated (groan) so will be back there again next week - which probably won't be quite so jolly, ah well. However I consoled myself by making a really scrummy coffee & walnut cake yesterday (probably not what the lovely dentist wants to hear ...), but very tasty it is too. Though I say it myself and most certainly shouldn't. Will be making that one again at some point.

Apart from that, it's been a Garden Extravaganza weekend, hurrah. K has created a new bed in the front garden so it all looks a lot tidier, plus he's put edging down which is fantastic. And yesterday, we rushed to the Crocus Nursery Open Day and gorged ourselves on all manner of amazing plants, including those from the Jubilee Royal Barge (created by Crocus), so we have a small part of history in our garden, well gosh. Our newly-named Royal Garden includes an allium, lots of camomile and a salvia. The Queen may well have touched them, you know ... I will be charging a very reasonable price for tours at some point, ho ho, but you will have to wear your tiaras. Other plants in the Royal Garden (I have to keep saying it, you see ... noblesse oblige) include six dahlias in two different versions, three red-hot pokers, a myrtle in a pot, and three very tall poppies. It all looks wonderfully dramatic and I utterly love it.

Today, we have popped to Secretts Garden Centre and added in a gorgeous dark orange lily, a tall pink carnation and two stripy plants to the front mix. Bliss. Oh, and we have harvested our first strawberry (singular deliberate) crop - it was delicious, and yes K and I shared it. I hope its friends ripen soon.

Anne Brooke
The Gathandrian Fantasy Trilogy
Gay Reads UK
Biblical Fiction UK

Discounts and a double dose of champagne

Book News:

Gosh, indeedy, it appears that the paperback version of romantic comedy Pink Champagne and Apple Juice is experiencing a sudden surge of popularity. I wonder if people are buying it for Christmas? It's been pretty flat (AKA non-existent) on sales for months so it's lovely to have an unexpected change on that front. If you have bought it, then many thanks and I hope you or the person it's intended for enjoy the read. And don't forget the ebook version is also available, so never say I don't try to cater for all tastes.

Speaking of unexpected sales, you'll be pleased to hear that all my Amber Allure Press books currently have a 25% discount, so that's well worth a browse for sure - and with any luck they'll warm your winter up too and put you in a glowing mood for the Big Season. Enjoy!

At the same time, I'm really getting back into writing my gay fantasy novella, The Taming of the Hawk. I'm just getting to the adventure/political struggle sections now so they should be fun. I do so love writing adventure and battle sections - must be my calm and contemplative nature, eh.

Across at Vulpes Libris Reviews, I find I really don't love all in my review of Madeleine Wickham's The Tennis Party, but hey at least the ending was good. All rather disappointing really, as I've definitely enjoyed some of her other work.

Recent meditations are:


Meditation 597
The fields, woods
and pastures
lie empty.

Only the wind
brushes over
the waiting soil

and grasses,
setting the leaves,
the crooked branches

whispering
of everything
that went before.


Meditation 598
The larger the family
the greater the potential
disaster

as each of them
in their various
ways

constantly
strives to be
master.


Life News:

This week so far has been a week of health appointments. Yesterday I had my eye test and was greatly relieved that I don't have to buy new glasses - thereby saving huge amounts of money which can be put to very good use elsewhere. And today it's been the dental hygienist, so my teeth are lovely and shiny for Christmas, hurrah.

Yesterday evening was the third in the church's special Advent & Compline quiet services - it was just so very relaxing I could have stayed there for ever. Such a wonderful change from the huge busyness and general gubbins going on elsewhere. Honestly, there should be more times set aside for group quietness. It's a real boon.

Oh and we've opened our first champagne of the season - K had one bottle left over from his bulk-buy for the office Christmas so we've celebrated by drinking it. Lovely. You can never really have too much champagne, to my mind. Bring it on.

And, in the virtual world, some Evil Person from Indonesia (where they obviously have nothing better to do ...) has this week hacked into my FB account for reasons known only to themselves. Luckily, FB seem pretty hot on this sort of stuff, so contacted me at once so I could change my password (thank you, FB). So I think I'm normal now (relatively), but really who can tell?...

Finally, in the wonderful world of TV, K and I are devastated that we've seen the last of Series One of the marvellous comedy crime programme, Death in Paradise. We've thoroughly enjoyed its quirkiness, humanity and downright simplicity and we hope that some wise person will hurry up and make a second series - in spite of the fact that nobody but us seems to have liked it, sigh. Anyway, you can never go wrong with Ben Miller. In anything. He's great.

Anne Brooke
The Origami Nun

Rewrites and Rev

Book News:

Much to my surprise, another reader asked for for a signed Kindle copy of one of my books this week so I was happy to oblige - many thanks, Kimberly. Literary lesbian short story The Girl in the Painting also made it to No 14 in the Amazon UK GLBT Short Stories chart this week, which was lovely though it's fallen somewhat now.

This week, I've also started back with writing my fantasy novella, The Taming of The Hawk, which was a relief as I've not tackled it for ages, what with other stories taking precedence. I've also been doing rewrites of literary gay short story The Eye of The Beholder for Riptide Publishing, but I'm not sure if it's quite there yet. I'm thinking of changing the title, as the focus is shifting a fair amount, to Where You Hurt Most, but we'll have to see.

And at The Thoughtful Corner, I'm thinking about what TV sitcom Rev. says about faith and life. And, believe me, there's quite a lot there, as it's a programme which just keeps getting better, hurrah. I love it!

Here's a recent meditation:




Meditation 596
Each unfamiliar name
drives me further
from the truth
that lies within:

a barrier to peace
where Bethzur, Mareshah
and Gath
find their faiths begin.


The Sunday haiku:

This winter evening
wraps the house in slow silence,
quieting my heart.


Life News:

Had my six-monthly trip to the dentist on Friday, which went okay, actually - though I did have to have one small filling though thankfully without the drill, double hurrah. We had a nice chat afterwards about the old days when there were no computers and we all shared happy nostalgic memories about carbon paper. Ah indeed - whatever happened to that?... It's amazing how much has changed only in the last twenty years.

Yesterday K and I had our Christmas trip to see Mother. I took a good strong dose of Quiet Life pills to keep me smiling and all, I believe, was well. She was in high spirits indeed, or perhaps that was the effect of the drugs. Whose drugs, nobody can tell, hey ho ... And today, we've spent a long time in the garden, weeding the shrubbery and some of the remaining borders, and also planting twelve rose bushes along the trellis at the back. I'm going to have to get a nailbrush to de-garden my hands, I think. Nature certainly ain't that clean!

Anne Brooke
The Origami Nun

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

Candles, quakers and lesbian romance

Book News:

I'm really pleased to say that A Dangerous Man gained a lovely 5-star review at Goodreads, so many thanks for that, Lisa. I was particularly touched by the comment at the end that:

"A Dangerous Man is a taut psychological thriller that one doesn’t necessarily consume as much as savor. It is too rich and satisfying to finish quickly."

That certainly made me smile. In the meantime, Creative Accountancy for Beginners briefly appeared at No 57 in the Amazon UK Kindle charts, so that was a nice boost too. And, after a month away from it, I have written an extra 2000 words of The Executioner's Cane - and my goodness what a horrendous struggle the first thousand words were. Like climbing a mountain with no oxygen mask and a broken leg. Though why a mountain would need an oxygen mask or indeed legs is anyone's guess, ho ho. Not a pleasant experience then ... Anyway, I'm not sure how good those newly written sections are but at least I have some glimmer of a notion as to where it's all going and as to how Annyeke and Simon might possibly make it all come right. I think the Great Library of Gathandria might even have a part to play, but at this stage nothing's set in stone.

I'm also thrilled to say that Untreed Reads has accepted my literary lesbian romance, A Woman Like The Sea, for publication early this year, so I'm very happy indeed about that. Strangely, it's a story that started out, a few years back, as a heterosexual story but there was something not quite right about it, I couldn't make it work and I've been dissatisfied with it ever since. Last month I looked at it again and thought maybe it would be a lot better, and certainly a lot crisper, if my lead character was a woman. I started rewriting it in that way and the whole thing came together in my head. Ah how astonishing it is when that happens with a story, especially one I feel I've been failing at for so long. Miracles do indeed occur! It's interesting too how I get more responses to announcements about my literary lesbian fiction than I do about all my other fiction put together - perhaps that's the way to go then? ... Certainly, at the moment anyway, I have a few ideas about a lesbian detective story once the Gathandrian Trilogy is finally completed (ye gods, will there ever be such a time?? Seems like a distant mirage, you know!), but we'll see.

Back at Vulpes Libris, you can see what's coming up this week, a mix that includes some interesting confessions, dating for book lovers, and the Beautiful People, so it'll be well worth a visit during your week - promise!

This post's meditations are:




Meditation 480
The feel of silver
between the fingers,
the glitter, the fizz
of it as it slides
seductive as sin
over the skin.

What you could do
with it, the men
you could manipulate,
the history you could change.




Meditation 481
A muddle of names,
dates and facts
bamboozles my memory.

I only hope
God is keeping count
somehow.


The Sunday haiku is:

In this quiet night
stars are messengers of time
and bright memory.


Life News:

I've had a happy dentist experience (hurrah!) when I went to get a filling done on Friday morning, as the usual receptionist and dentist were there, and they're just lovely, so made me feel human again, thank you both! I actually had a very enjoyable time - which is strange to say when you're getting a filling done, for sure - and my teeth are now perfect, hurrah. However, I missed the marvellous Margaret who also makes it all worthwhile but who wasn't working that day, alas, and will have to catch up properly next time. With or without a mouth full of dental implements ...

Yesterday, K and I had lunch at Secretts restaurant in Godalming, which was great and we then wandered around looking at plants. I bought a poinsettia and some extra treats for the orchid, eg orchid food spray and some nice-looking butterfly clips for its stem. Hmm, how girly I am today - is it the lack of drugs? .... However we couldn't find any Yankee Candles, which I was really wanting, but we popped in to another garden centre in Woking and I now have the four candles (or fork handles, though I suspect you have to be British to get that classic and glorious comedy reference ...) I was looking for, hurrah.

This morning, I've had a very enjoyable time being quiet with the Quakers in Godalming. It's a couple of years since I've been but there's something about it that keeps drawing me back, now and then. I think this year I'm going to try to go more often, maybe once a month or so. Talking with the rest of them afterwards was good too - something I thought I'd never say, seeing how much I hate the post-service coffee zone, but actually the conversation was interesting and meant something and wasn't the usual remarks about the weather or traffic that people seem to stay with. On the other hand, perhaps I was simply in the mood to listen more, rather than being stressed out by the concept of socialising - now there's a thought.

Mind you, the obstacles that arose during my attempts to get to the Meeting at all were fun, um not - my face powder somehow managed to explode all over the sink and bathroom tiles, and I had to get the bathroom cleaner out to make it look normal again. Then when I reached the car, running slightly late, someone had broken my wing mirror so I had to go back to the flat to get K's car keys and take his instead. Ah the joys of Sunday morning, eh. Still, K has mended the wing mirror now (what a hero!) and I'll pick up some more face powder during the week, so all is not entirely doom and gloom in the shires. Gosh, how calm I sound - must the be Quakers' influence - or have I been swopped for a nice, cheery alien? Who can tell ...

Anne Brooke

Discounts, dentists and danger

Book News:

For a brief but happy time, A Dangerous Man found itself at No 77 in the Amazon US Kindle charts, but it's not used to those dizzy heights so it's not there now, ah well. Other amazing news is that I have received my first ever royalties for this novel from Cheyenne Publishing (the book's previous outing with another publisher I cannot mention will remain ... um ... unmentioned ...), so thank you, Mark, for that. Hurrah!

I'm also pleased that The Girl in the Painting was the No 2 International Bestseller in December for Untreed Reads, so that's heartening news too. And, not to be outdone, the 25% discount on my Amber Allure books is still in place until Saturday 8 January, so there's still sale shopping time.

Meanwhile, I've finished the publisher edits for The Gifting and have sent those back to be put into the proofreading process. And I've made some formatting changes to Hallsfoot's Battle ready to send them to my second lovely independent editor. Well, she made such a wonderful job of the edits and the blurb for The Gifting prior to submitting that novel to places that I really hope she's got time for the second in the Gathandrian Trilogy also. Good editing makes such a difference, so much so that I go through one consultancy stage and two independent editing stages before I even think of submitting a novel anywhere. Never say I don't take writing seriously, eh!

And at Vulpes Libris today, you can find my review of Yasutaka Tsutsui's picaresque novel, The Maid, which is definitely worth a read and a fascinating addition to my list of Japanese novels in translation.

This week's meditations are:




Meditation 477
All your history
written on
your skin:

the grief, pain
and shadows that let
the hope come in.




Meditation 478
What man abandons
is left to God
to finish

and in the beginning
is already written
the end.




Meditation 479
When you’ve killed once
anything
is possible

but nothing you do
will bring back
that life again.


Life News:

Back at work this week, which is always a shock. Really, I think my true vocation is not being at work, but there you go. Though actually it wasn't as fearsome as I'd been dreading, but of course it's been a shorter week, so let's see how things go when the real week kicks in next week ... Mind you, the Dean brought chocolates in to keep us all going, so gains at least ten Dean Points for that generous act. We definitely needed it.

Today, I've started off my year with glittery teeth as my rescheduled appointment (due to weather and the frozen shoulder crises) was this lunchtime. I was a bit peed off though as I turned up twenty minutes early as usual but they wouldn't let me in as they close between 12 and 1pm (which I didn't realise), and my appointment was at 1pm. Not a problem usually, as they are charmingly old-fashioned, but it would have been nice if when I'd attempted to get in the locked door, someone had at least come to chat to me, apologise and ask me to come back at 1pm. But no - they were sitting in the waiting room having their lunches, from where they could all see me (shivering and soaked through with the rain, btw ...), they all turned round to stare, but nobody smiled and nobody got up, and then they just all turned round and went back to eating and chatting again, which I thought was rather on the rude side of rude, really. Seeing as I pay privately for treatment, a modicum of customer service would have been nice! So I trudged back to the car feeling sad and rejected (cue violin music ...), from where I then decided to walk to the nearby garage to get a sandwich, and as a result got more soaked by cars/buses going through puddles on the way, and then came back to sit in my car till the magical hour of 1pm turned up.

Once inside, I did make my point clear to the unfamiliar dentist who happened to be on Reception, but she didn't seem greatly interested, and she didn't apologise but just pointed out to me that the sign on the door said they closed for lunch. Hmmm, not the pleasant attitude I'd been hoping for then - especially as I wasn't querying the sign, but just the staff response. Ah well. Hell, if I'd been in their position, I would have at least got up and been nice when I saw a customer trying to get in. I would probably have let said customer in too, and sod the rules, just to get them out of the cold and damp - but perhaps it's me that's the old-fashioned one these days? With all that, I didn't make much conversation with the hygienist (who was, I think, one of the ones who'd ignored me in the first place), and just grunted when asked questions. Because, when it comes to discourtesy to someone who's not a customer, I of course am the Queen of the Art, ho ho. Still, at least I have shiny teeth. Perhaps when I go tomorrow - for a filling this time; Lordy, what fun my week is proving to be! - my teeth will be so dang shiny that the nice dentist I actually know might let me in without argument. At least I'm not going at lunchtime though!

I also had some difficulty when at my physio appointment this afternoon as I was trying to check whether I'd come to the right place (as the physio has other locations in the area she goes to as well), but the surgery receptionist kept trying to send me away to sit down as she said she didn't have a list from the physio today. Which wasn't actually the question I was trying to find the answer to. Seeing as I am of course a calm and loving individual full of the milk of human kindness, I did not collapse to the floor weeping and kicking my legs - though it was tempting - but just asked again until the receptionist finally understood what I was getting at. I did a lot of smiling too - good teeth, you see - so I hope to get my reward in heaven, one day. And at least I was allowed to be inside.

Anne Brooke

Edits, Entertainment and an Honorable Mention

Book News:

I'm very happy to say that I have the first round of edits back for The Gifting from Bluewood Publishing so I am happily getting on with those. I'm now on Page 100 of c470 pages so am doing okay, I think. Onward and upward, as they say.

I've also got a new webpage for the second in the Delaneys series, Entertaining the Delaneys, and this will be published by Amber Allure Press on 20 February 2011. I'm planning a series of four or five to this one, so there's more to come.

Other thrilling news is that The Hit List gained an Honorable Mention is this year's Rainbow Awards for Gay Contemporary Romance Fiction, so it's been really lovely to be in that ... um ... list also (sorry, couldn't resist it!). Not to be outdone, A Dangerous Man gained a very nice 5-star review at Goodreads from CAS (thanks, CAS) who called it "One of the most incredible stories I have read in a long, long time" - I hope in a good way! And Maloney's Law was, briefly, at No 19 in the Amazon UK charts, which was very nice indeed.


This week at Vulpes Libris I've also reviewed Kate Fenton's romantic novel, Picking Up - which I have to say is definitely not one of her best, and I'm a die-hard Kate Fenton fan. My advice is don't start here - but get any of her glorious earlier novels I've mentioned in my review - if you can ...


The meditation for this week is:




Meditation 474
The sharpness of thorn
and the clarity
of cedar


are a bitter memory
on the distant hills
of Lebanon.




The Sunday haiku is:


The soft snow settles
into the corners of life.
It outlasts the thaw.




Life News:


I've had my six-monthly dental appointment (hello, Margaret!) and have to have a filling redone, sob - can't fit it in until January but hey it's always good to have something to look forward to in the post-Christmas zone, eh. Besides, the dentist and her glamorous assistant are always a joy to visit, so what could be nicer, tee hee? And at least I still have all my own teeth - thus far.


Yesterday, K and I spent the day at Mother's doing the early Christmas thing. I think it was okay and neither of us murdered the other (Mother and me, not K and me ...) so that can only be a positive outcome indeed. And, say what you will, but the old matriarch does make a damn good fairy cake. Chocolate too, mmm. Not entirely sure what the ritualistic tapping of the jam pot lid meant though, but you can't have everything. Perhaps she was releasing the Genie of the Jam? Who can tell ... And, while we were out in the family (yikes!) zone, the new tenants moved in to the ground floor flat, so I hope they're settling in well. It will be nice to have someone else in the house other than us, I must say. They have a young child too (gosh!) so that's certainly a new thing. We kept up the House Tradition  of leaving champagne and chocolate biscuits on their front doorstep before we left to see Mother, along with a card of welcome - so I hope they don't think we're too scary. Also, seeing as this means there is another woman in the place for the first time in 17 years plus plus, I left the obligatory note For Her Eyes Only about the Victorian pipes and what that means in real terms in case she may not know that. It surprises me how few people do, but then again I was brought up in the country with no mains sewage so one learnt on one's mother's knee never ever to put anything down the toilet that the Victorians wouldn't have expected to be there. Say no more, eh ... Otherwise, we're all in our Wellington boots down in the cellar having a ... um ... high time, and you don't really want to go there.


This morning, we put in an appearance at church for the first time in ages, so God, and the vicar, were duly startled. I was astonished anyone remembered our names, really. It was also the Family Service, which was scary, but we coped. Though, during the talk, when the speaker asked us all what preparations we were putting in place for Christmas, I'm not sure my answer of "having the family row in order to get it over with" was exactly what the vicar was expecting. I suspect I'm probably banned from the Family service for life now.


Finally, and on a rather worried note, I am getting concerned about my right arm. It's distinctly painful today and I'm having trouble making it do anything useful, like getting dressed, having a bath etc etc. I've taken a pill to stop the pain, and later this afternoon, I think I'll use my pain relief machine - but I'm really really hoping it's not the onset of another bout of frozen shoulder. I can't bear that, as it was agonising enough the first time round! And I don't have time for it either. If it's any worse tomorrow though, maybe I should go to the doctor. I'll see.


Anne Brooke

Creative Accountancy for Beginners

Book News:

I'm delighted to say that my comic fantasy short story, Creative Accountancy for Beginners, is now published at Untreed Reads, and you can also read an extract to whet your appetite. Enjoy.

At the same time, my biblical short story about Moses' wife, Little Bird, has been published by Pages of Stories webzine, so I'm pleased about that too. I must write another biblical tale at some point really, though I suppose biblical reinterpretation would be more accurate.

There have been some more nice reviews and chart listings this week too. The Delaneys and Me gained a lovely and very funny 4-star review at Goodreads, and was for a while at No 80 in the Amazon Kindle Gay Fiction charts. Not to be outdone, Give and Take received a 4-star review at Goodreads, but this week's outright winner has definitely been Martin and The Wolf, which gained a 5-star review at Goodreads, and a 4-star review at Amazon Kindle where it was also briefly at No 89 in their Gay Fiction charts, hurrah.

Meanwhile, I'm also pleased to see that Thorn in the Flesh is available at a discount and with free worldwide delivery at The Book Depository and is, of course, always available as an Ebook in a variety of formats at All Romance Ebooks, where you can also read a fairly substantial extract to add spice and darkness to your Thursday ...

And, finally or nearly finally in this section, you can find a good supply of my Ebooks at new Irish Ebookshop, DirectEbooks. Happy shopping!

This week's meditation poems:


Meditation 388
Friendship
is a river

flowing silently
between people

and bearing
on its bright back

the things that are needed:
cedar, pine, wheat.


Meditation 389
The mercies of God
are so deep

and immeasurable
that no measures

are enough
to contain them.


Meditation 390
Everything leads
to the centre:

this slow, hard journey
to God

and how he remembers
the cutting, measurement,

placement of stone
and smoothed wood,

the blood, sweat,
scars and striving

constantly as if none of it
would ever be complete

and then, suddenly,
that one cool morning

when the rock-dove sang
and the air sparkled

just for a moment
at the edge of his eye

the arrival
at the heart of it all:

a room protected
by angels

and a quiet realisation
of God.


Life News:

Hell, what can I say ... May I refer you to the title of this blog and ask you to sit comfortably, as (sigh ...) we're about to begin:

About 10 days ago, I made the (quickly foolish) decision to try to transfer my current account from my old bank to Lloyds as Lloyds offered interest on it and I thought that might be a good idea. Dear reader, I filled in the online new account/transfer request form on 6 July and sent it off. Into the void apparently, as I received no email notification that they'd got my form and indeed no acknowledgement whatsoever. Time, as it tends to do, ticked by and I wondered vaguely what might be happening to it, though I do understand that finances take time. I'm married to an accountant, so I really do understand that. On 12 July, I decided to ring them up to see when my new account might be ready (ah, the innocence of it ...). I found a phone number and rang it. When I pressed "2" for the non-account holders' option, I was taken to a voicemail message which told me I had to ring an entirely different number. More sighing. So I put the phone down and rang the new number instead. It told me I would have to wait 10 minutes, which being a 21st century customer I expected, so I settled down at the table with my paperwork and reference numbers to wait. After one minute (hurrah!) the phone was answered by a lady called Kate who didn't really seem to grasp what I was trying to tell her and kept asking where my money was in Lloyds and what sort of account I had. I admit I was not at my best, so perhaps I was just being confusing. However, eventually, she understood what I'd done and looked up the online records. She then told me there was a problem on my account request and I would have to go in and speak to my local Godalming branch of Lloyds to sort it out. I enquired, as a matter of interest, how long it would have taken them to contact me to tell me that, or were they simply expecting me to chase them up to find that out. She responded by starting to tell me about what happened six months ago when she opened her own account. I cut her off by telling her I had no interest in her life story (yes, I really can be that bitchy, but occasionally I think I'm entitled ...) and could she simply answer the question about when Lloyds had intended to contact me about this. She responded to that by carrying on with her obviously more interesting personal account-opening tale, and I simply then put the phone down. Whereupon I spent some time fuming and pacing the flat, revisiting my rather wide-ranging knowledge of swear-words. Poor Lord H ...

The following day, I walked into Guildford at lunchtime from work and spoke to my current bank to make sure that if/when Lloyds contacted them they would be sure to ignore them as I had no intention of becoming a Lloyds bank customer at any point as the blessed Kate had entirely put me off. They very sweetly made a note of it, but then later rang me at home that day to say that I would also need to tell Lloyds not to go ahead with the transfer. Understandably enough. So I then spent some time attempting to do this online with Lloyds, and discovered that it's simply not possible. So I gathered my courage in both hands, such as it is, and rang the helpline (ha!) again. Thankfully, Kate must have been out or lying down in a darkened room or something. Good, say I ... Anyway I spoke to an equally callow young man who said that I would still have to go in and see the Godalming branch to sort it out as he couldn't do anything over the phone or online. I said that seemed like a pretty poor customer service to me really and as he launched into what would no doubt prove to be a long and equally pointless explanation, I decided I simply didn't want to hear any of it and put the phone down on him too. Perhaps he's now also in that darkened room.

So, yesterday, I went in to work early to allow extra time at lunchtime to drive into Godalming to sort it out. I duly walked into Lloyds bank in the High Street and began telling my tale of woe to the first man I saw, who turned out to be the manager. His (really rather glorious though it didn't feel it at the time) response was (and I quote):

I'm too important to deal with you and you'll have to go away and come back at another time.

Marvellous. Customer service is alive and kicking and (not) living in Godalming. Naturally, dear reader, I expressed my opinion forcefully and with dedication in the public foyer - though I'm proud of the fact that I didn't shout. I simply said that I had no intention of leaving and would stay here communicating my dissatisfaction with their service for as long as it took until my issue was sorted. The manager attempted to talk over me and tell me he couldn't help and I still had to go away, but frankly by that stage I didn't care if he was God, I expected him to sort out the problem even if he found a completely unimportant person to deal with it. Luckily, at that point, the really lovely and utterly efficient Karen Stenning whisked me away to her table, apologised profusely on the bank's behalf (the first apology I've received all week, so thank you, Karen), listened with growing horror to my tale of woe, and then sorted it all out for me with style and finesse, and in a matter of minutes. Karen - you are truly marvellous and if you left and started your own bank, I would most certainly be your first and proudest customer. Thank you. It was a pleasure doing business with you - though I suppose that should be not doing business with you. Still, it was nice.

So, there you have it. Interestingly, today, I have received a package through the post from Lloyds thanking me for applying online and saying how much they were looking forward to having me as a customer. Lord preserve us. I am ignoring it, and hoping for the best. But if you do hear tell of a crazed woman venting her wrath on a Surrey bank manager, then it's likely to be me ...

Anyway, back to more spiritual matters. Bible study group last night was good (and good God, how I needed it, eh!). We were looking at St Paul's letter to one of his underlings, Titus (you see, even St Paul wasn't too important to write a letter when it was needed and, hell, he was a busy chap too ...). It did amuse me though that the associate vicar's husband walked in a little late and without his good lady wife, but with this glorious excuse for her absence: Sorry. Paul couldn't come; he sends Titus ... Which sums up the letter itself, really. Anyway, it's the last group meeting before the summer and we've decided to look at the Book of Daniel in October, followed by Revelation after Christmas. Never say we don't challenge ourselves here in the shires. It did worry me however that the vicar was muttering something about having an exam once we've finished the whole bible. I just hope it isn't in Greek, God forbid. Do you think it'll be multiple choice?

I must also say, on an entirely different matter but my brain is like a gazelle on a rock today sorry, that I've been deeply disappointed by the Prime Minister's statements in Parliament about the Moat affair. His opinions seem mean and uncalled-for to me - far better surely to acknowledge the horror of the events and the terrible complexity of it all, to ask for a reasoned response from the public as far as that is possible, and to pray for all the victims involved. That was all that was needed - but making bitter personal comments about a dead man in public, however difficult and dangerous that man was, is beyond the pale and must be totally appalling for the family. Badly done, Mr Cameron. Very badly done. You should have taken a lesson from the open-hearted response of the policeman victim.

Finally (at last!), I've visited the dental hygienist today so my teeth are all gleaming and white, and even now planes are landing when I smile, hurrah. And, whilst there, I had a lovely chat with the dental nurse (hello, Margaret!) who, rather worryingly for her, has my blog on her i-phone as one of her favourite sites. Well, gosh! I'm deeply touched and it really made my day, but have you ever thought you might need help, Margaret?!? I can offer you the name of a very good therapist, you know .... Great to catch up with you though!

Anne Brooke
The Prayer Seeker's Journal