FREE book: The Apple Picker's Daughter

For today ONLY, novel of childhood The Apple Picker's Daughter, is FREE at Amazon!

Born in the 1960s on a UK apple farm, Clare Rivers is a girl out of time, living in a family and a world that makes little sense to her. Determined to carve out her place somehow, and with her deep love of her father to see her through, Clare begins a unique journey to discover the reasons for her own existence. If she can. However, accompanied by the oddities of family, school and the strange lyrical life of the apples, can Clare really find a place within herself to call home? 

This novel will appeal to lovers of rural life, recent history and a child's quirky but clear-sighted view of the adult world.

I hope you enjoy the read, and have a great weekend!

Anne Brooke Books
The Gathandrian Fantasy Trilogy
Gay Reads UK

Garden delights and The Gangster's Wife

The garden is enjoying the sunshine today, so here are some pics.

Wild clematis on the garden fence.

This particular foxglove is now over 6ft tall.

The first of our gazanias is now in bloom and soaking up the sunshine.

The Bowl of Beauty peony is fully in bloom and wonderfully showy.

Red petunias in one of our hanging baskets.

We've managed to save the gerbera from whitefly and it's bloomed again.

In other news, I've finished the first draft of comic novel, The Gangster's Wife. There'll be a lot of editing to do, and I'll change the order round here and there, but it's good to have a complete draft to play with. Particularly after this year, which I've found tough on the writing/publishing front, to say the least - I didn't think I'd ever get round to finishing anything again and it all felt very overwhelming, hey ho. But, heck, somehow I've done it so, even though the book won't score highly on anyone's reading radar, I'm quietly satisfied.

Anne Brooke Books

Gay Reads UK

The Gathandrian Fantasy Trilogy (gay-themed)

The Prayer Seeker and Angry Church

I'm happy to say that my spiritual novella, The Prayer Seeker, is now published and available at Autharium. It should be distributed out to other e-retailers over the next few weeks. Here's the blurb:

Michael Woodthorpe hasn’t attended church for many years, not since his time as an evangelical in his early twenties. One winter he decides to take early retirement in order to search for the God he used to know. 

As he comes to terms with his new existence, he must face opposition from both his ex-girlfriend, and his ex-wife, whom he hasn’t seen for years. He must also find a way into discovering the riches of prayer and so he begins a series of religious encounters with a spiritual director. When his journey brings him face to face with the mistakes in the past which had made him walk away from God, he must find a way to resolve them if he is to fulfil his God-given potential at all.

Perfect for Christmas then, hey ho. Not that I actually have much energy for Christmas at all at the moment - the thought of it is giving me a headache and I suspect not many people are likely to get a card this year. I'm sure they'll cope though! It's probably all the angst and shouting about women bishops that's making things worse too. I'm considering starting an Angry Church website and seeing if anyone joins me, well there's a thought, eh. It'll be like Angry Birds, but more prayerful, amidst the existential rage.

What with all this, it was a great relief to skip church today as I thought I'd be better off away from it all. I think I was right too - K and I had a really lovely walk in Newlands Corner instead, which is stunning. Thank goodness God isn't always to be found in the pews.

Anyway, to continue to calm the nerves, I have gone back to cake baking and this week's effort is Smartie chocolate chip cake, which has proved a real success, hurrah. I did have some trouble trying to get the icing to set properly though - strangely, shouting at it and sobbing doesn't seem to help - but K suggested I put it in the fridge for 15 mins and it's fine now, thank goodness. What a superhero husband he is.

I've also had the week off from work this week - and though it's not proved to be the respite I'd hoped for, I have managed to get my National Novel Writing Month book finished in first draft form. So The Apple Picker's Daughter is now at nearly 64,000 words and I've started editing it.

Meanwhile, I've chosen a new cover for comic satire Not a Shred of Evidence, and very lovely it is too. A zillion times better than the old one anyway. Perhaps I'm learning, slowly ...

Finally, and bringing this blog back round to another spiritual note (must be the season ...), I'm pleased to say that biblical short story Dancing with Lions sold another 75 copies at Amazon US last month. Astonishing really for a book nobody talks about, only one person has reviewed, and which hasn't had any marketing at all for several years. The publishing world is indeed a totally mystery to me!



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

Blog tours and a GLBT-friendly faith

Book News

Whilst it's not officially published till tomorrow, I'm happy to say you can now buy my latest gay literary short story Where You Hurt The Most at Riptide Publishing. Apparently pre-sales numbers have been strong (hurrah!) and I even have my first review from Tracy's Place. Many thanks, Tracy. Don't forget the blog tour for the book starts tomorrow, and doesn't end till 18 March, so there's plenty of time to enter the free giveaways competition. Good luck!

I'm also happy to say that gay thriller The Bones of Summer gained a 4-star review at Goodreads - many thanks, Stephanie. And, not to be outdone, biblical short story Dancing with Lions received a 5-star review at Amazon US - thank you, Melissa.

My most recent meditation poem is:




Meditation 651
Where time perfects the gift
life’s best offerings
cannot be hurried:

see how the hills
breathe out their fullest shape
over centuries

and the rivers
carve their quiet path
to the seas.


The Sunday haiku is:

Goldfinches flutter
and glow amongst the grasses:
our only sunshine.


Life News:

This wonderful image which I found on Facebook really sums up my approach to faith and homosexuality, and is especially apposite as it's a question I've been asked at point blank range this week. For anyone who's still wondering what my Christian stance is on gay and lesbian relationships (and who evidently hasn't been paying close attention to my blog or FB/Twitter posts), I'd like to reiterate that I don't worship a God who hates gay and lesbian relationships, or indeed transgender or transexual ones, and neither could I agree to worship a God who holds those views. Occasionally, God also even quite likes heterosexual people, though we do tend to act as cultural bullies more often, which does irritate Him hugely. Just so you know. Here I stand, as they say, and I can do no more.

Managed to get out on Friday and play some golf, which was a good laugh, partly because my game was such rubbish. I think they must be making the holes smaller or the balls bigger (um, as it were) - as my ability to sink the wretched little white beast was minimal, to say the least. Sigh.

Neighbours L, KM and I have also formed the Jubilee Street Party Committee for our road, and all systems are go for having a great celebratory lunch on the Sunday of Jubilee weekend, hurrah. We've got about 40 people coming so far, so all we need is to coordinate the food and pray very hard for the right weather. Wish us luck. I'm threatening to wear a tiara (ah, if only I had one ...) but I fear it might be a tad too much bling for Surrey. Though really, as an Essex girl, I don't actually think there could ever be too much bling ...

Yesterday's cake attempt was Boston Cream Pie, which was disastrous, my dears, disastrous. It took me about an hour to get the filling right and I was weeping like a crazy woman over the simmering pot - yes, you do have to heat it up whilst beating it. Heck, that sounds bad. In the end I thought it would never thicken up so I added a ton of cornflour to the pesky thing, and now it just tastes of cornflour. In addition, the chocolate topping didn't really harden up but eventually it was thick enough to pour onto the cake, and has just about stayed on it. Luckily, the taste of the chocolate overpowers everything else, but I will not be making this again. Life really is too short.

I was so fragile in the afternoon that K kindly took me to a garden centre, where I bought another wallflower, a senetti, some carnations, three dwarf dahlias and a foxglove. Have now planted or potted all these up, so the garden is once more brimming with colour.

This morning, K and I went along to church, where we twice had the angelic accompaniment of a mobile phone. Being English, we all carefully ignored it and carried on regardless. Which, if God was desperately trying to get his message across by phone, might of course have been a mistake. Ah well. There were also far too many chorus-type songs (bah, we say, bah!) for me, though really one would still be far too many. Give me a hymn and I'm happy.

And this afternoon, L & J from down the road have accompanied K and me to the Chandlers Open Garden event in Elstead. Where we also met S & K from the road as well, so all had a jolly nice tea and cake in the garden. This may all sound just too 1950s for words, but that's just the way things happen here, and very pleasant it was too.

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

A Little Death publication day

Books:

Lovely news today: my literary biblical short story A Little Death has just been published by Untreed Reads, and is available from all good e-stores, as they say. Here's the blurb:

When Abigail marries Nabal in the time of the rebel king David, she quickly discovers her husband's bullying ways and cruelty. Trapped in a loveless relationship but determined to fight, she finds solace in her growing friendship with servant girl Anna. Soon the two women are plotting to kill Nabal, but the increasing attacks from David threaten to destroy all their hopes for happiness.

I do hope you enjoy the story! Keeping with Untreed Reads, I was very happy to receive this quarter's royalties from them today - another nice Christmas surprise, that's for sure.

For today only, you can also find lots of FREE giveaways of gay fiction at Jessewave Reviews, though sadly my offering of all four books of the erotic Delaneys Series has already been claimed (many congratulations to the winner!). But there's plenty more left to grab, as it were, so don't miss out ... And you can still win a copy of Dating the Delaneys at Brief Encounter Reviews on 26 December, so definitely worth getting up on Boxing Day, ho ho.

Meanwhile, gay romance The Hit List found itself briefly at No 99 in the Amazon UK charts this week, so that was very nice too. It's slipped down from this dizzy height now but hey it was fun while it lasted.

And I must also announce that my literary relationship with DWB Publishing has now come to a fairly amicable end, so my children's story The Origami Nun and my spiritual novella The Prayer Seeker are once more footless and fancy-free. Another learning curve for us all indeed. I'm sure that both sides wish each other all the best with our very different endeavours.

Ending on a very positive note, I'm slowly making changes to my website, which now includes a good-size extract from fantasy novel The Gifting and also from gay thriller A Dangerous Man, the latter including erotic content. Plus there's also an Events and Activities page which I'm planning to keep updated as news comes in. Ooh, and I'm also deep in editing literary gay short story The Heart's Greater Silence for Riptide Publishing, so keep an eye out for more news on that one too. Next year I'm planning to start seriously editing the third in my fantasy series, The Executioner's Cane, as well. No rest for the wicked, they say. And they'd be right!

This week's meditations have been:


Meditation 601
There is no love
so small,
no hope too weak
that God can’t see
and use it.

So if you judge
your cause
too poor
keep faith
and you’ll not lose it.




Meditation 602
A cold night
when the bitterness
of a long winter

freezes your bones
as you wait
almost impatient

for any sign
of warmth
in this unforgiving land.

Keep on waiting,
enduring the dark.
Learn to understand.




Meditation 603
When all the great arguments
in the world
are done

the truth
is God’s greatest talent
lies in being found.

His only request
is that we simply
and truly look.


Life News:

Those vicious rumours of me actually having a life have been greatly exaggerated, I fear, but here's what I've got up to in the non-book world this week:

I have nobly defrosted the work fridge and sent to the Great Bin in the Sky the yoghurt with a 2004 sell-by date on it, yuck. And no, I didn't open it first to check if it was still okay. Lord forbid. I also popped into town to attempt to get some last minute items before the holiday sets in, and was caught in some pretty heavy rain - which required me to divest myself of my shoes and socks when I got back to the office and attempt to dry them out with the fan heater. Whilst paying due care to Health & Safety issues, naturally ... The sight of my bony feet (I really hate my feet!) lolloping round the office seemed to keep any visitors away, and I can't say I blame them.

On Tuesday we had the last of our Advent compline services, which was as bliss as ever. Heck, but I'm going to miss those - so I hope the vicar puts something else in place for us silence junkies. We seriously need it. And yesterday, I had a lovely time up in London with Jane M and Jane S-D (hello, both) and playing catch-up on a grand scale. It's been over a year since we last saw each other and I must remember not to leave it quite so long again. Mind you, I'm sure the years fly by faster as age catches up with me, hey ho.

Anne Brooke
The Thoughtful Corner

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

Hallsfoot, heucheras and hazelnuts

Book News:

I've just signed the contract for the second in my fantasy series, Hallsfoot's Battle, which will be published by Bluewood Publishing probably sometime next year, hurrah! Here's the blurb just to stimulate your interest:

In the second book in The Gathandrian Trilogy, Gelahn the mind-executioner begins his campaign. His powers are sublime, unmatched – even without the mind-cane in his possession. Using fear and pain he enslaves his victims, but next he will break and possess the Lammas Overlord. Recently appointed Acting Elder and left in sole charge of her people, Annyeke Hallsfoot draws on all her mind-skills and courage as the fight for Gathandria rages. The precious ancient Legends are her bedrock and she begins teaching their wisdom to the scribe, Simon Hartstongue, who must quickly learn to work with the mind-cane’s strange powers. But Simon is distracted by his own demons and only fears the artefact. Supported by Johan and Talus, her young charge, Annyeke plots a desperate strategy to defeat the enemy. As the Gathandrians rally behind their new leader, Gelahn strikes at the heart of the city.

And before Number Two in The Gathandrian Trilogy arrives, don't forget there's still time to read the first in the series, The Gifting. Don't delay - buy today! Here's the next small snippet:

It's damning for Johan in so many ways, as Chief Advisor to the Sub-Council of Meditation, but it's true.

Other good book news this week is that gay erotic short story For One Night Only gained a 4.5 star review at Top 2 Bottom Reviews - so many thanks to Michele for that. In addition literary thriller A Dangerous Man gained a lovely 4-star review at Goodreads - thank you so much, Blake. 

I've also uploaded a new blog to The Thoughtful Corner which, this month, concentrates on fresh starts and what they mean, or might mean. I hope you enjoy the read.

This week's meditation poem:

Meditation 570

A people said to be

as numerous as stars

must always remember

not to be distant,

sterile, and a reminder

only of history

but a light

in the darkness

and an absolute promise

of hope.

The Sunday haiku is:

The cardboard boxes

now unpacked and gone: old lives

give way to the new.

Life News:

I appreciate very much that today is a day of quiet remembrance, but it's also K's and my 18th wedding anniversary, so we've been celebrating, but quietly. We've had a lovely lunch out at The Woolpack and then wandered round Wisley Flower Show where we bought a Paris heuchera for one of the borders at the back - K has already planted it and it looks fabulous.

Other house and garden excitements this week have been: we've bought a shoe tidy, a washing line, pegs, a peg bag and some compost, well gosh. And I've hung the washing out to dry for the first time in our married life (18 years today, don't you know! Did I say that already? ...). A fact which, strangely, has made me extraordinarily happy - it's almost like being an adult really, ho ho. I've also sorted out the wardrobes so we know where everything is, and K has planted the French lavender, the rose and the azalea which Jane and Liz (thank you, both!) very kindly between them bought us as house-warming presents. He's also planted our own rose and nemesia, but we have yet to see how they cope with not being in a pot.

And, to cap it all, we've harvested the first hazelnuts from our hazelnut tree - all two of them, and yes they were utterly delicious. Perhaps we'll harvest some more one day ...

On Friday, Marian and I played golf for the first time in ages and I actually won, hurrah! Which just proves that I'm better if I don't play for a while - the weirdness of golf indeed. Practice makes me worse, ah well. And in the afternoon, Liz came round and we had coffee, cake and chat - all perfect for a Friday afternoon really. Ah, this is the life.

Yesterday evening, we took Liz & John to a Proms party at the house of a friend of theirs in Woking - supper and chat in front of the TV. What could be nicer? We were, sadly however, rather late, as I'd confidently programmed the route into Celia SatNav and merrily directed K there from the back seat - but when we "arrived" I realised it wasn't Liz's friend's house at all, but some other address I'd keyed in, and we had to start all over again. Ho hum. Naturally enough, someone else directed on the way back ...

And the Spider Sagas continue. Liz kindly lent us her new spider vacuum (which allegedly allows you to get the spider in a tube and then deposit it in a nature-friendly way in the garden) and we had occasion to use it earlier in the week when I got up at about 1am and discovered one of the evil beasts next to the loo. Well, one can't really go when there's an enemy in the camp so K nobly rushed to get the spider doom machine and attempted to vacuum it into the tube. Alas, the power wasn't strong enough to suck the enormous beast up the tube (as it were ...), and I was so desperate by then I had to dash to the other loo to answer Nature's call - thus abandoning poor K in the ensuite with a cylindrical plastic tube planted on top of a rather large spider. I think he understood, but I may well have lost Wife Points ... By the time I got back, he'd somehow tipped the spider into the loo and flushed it away, hurrah. So whilst I fear that the nature-friendly nature of the vacuum might have been missed, at least it did the job. Sort of.

However, we decided we really needed something stronger so when, after the Proms party, we discovered another spider, this time in my bathroom,  K dashed to get the real vacuum and we sucked it up to its doom in a matter of moments, aha. Nature? Bah, humbug and Death to the Enemy, eh. We are indeed the Spider Destroyers of Elstead - call us anytime, hey ho.

Anyway, for a week or so, our unwanted house lodgers will be safe as we're off on holiday cruising down the Rhone and enjoying the Colours of Provence and Beaujolais and, hopefully, having a lovely relaxing time from tomorrow.  I suspect it will be our last holiday abroad for quite a while but, hey, we definitely deserve it, though I think we'll both be looking forward, secretly, to coming back to our new home afterwards. Who wouldn't!

Anne Brooke

The Thoughtful Corner

On the move again!

Life News:

Tomorrow we're on the move again into a lovely and permanent home in Elstead, so we absolutely can't wait. We know the previous owners have now moved out and the mortgage money reached our solicitors today so there's nothing - God willing! - barring a smooth completion and move-in tomorrow. Wish us luck.

In the meantime, my literary legal situation has been satisfactorily resolved so that's good news for all parties. Many thanks to all of you out there for the support you've given me with this one - it's been very much appreciated. But I can't discuss the actual outcome  - as part of the agreement is that I don't mention anything in public, apart from in the most general of terms, as above. Thank you!

For Bank Holiday Monday earlier in the week, K and I spent the day wandering around Loseley Park Gardens, where the gardens were surprisingly colourful compared to others at the moment, and where the cream tea was excellent, and much needed. And, speaking of nature, we harvested our raspberry crop on Monday - all three of them were very good. Hey, it's quality, not quantity that counts, you know ...

One sad thing this week however is that the very lovely Ruth left us today to take up her promotion in the Registry, so I'll really miss her in the office. She's been great to me - a great mentor and fantastic to work with, and there's going to be a real gap. Still it's good news for Ruth whose bid for world domination continues successfully, and for me there's always a catch-up lunch to be had. I'm planning one very soon (run, Ruth, run for the hills ...).

Book News:

I was hugely pleased to see that fantasy novel The Gifting gained a 4-star review at Goodreads - thank you, Danalia. And here's the next line from the book:

He has been searching for an answer to the wars for some week-cycles now that their mind-skills have failed.

And gay crime thriller A Dangerous Man received a lovely review at Queer Magazine Online (thank you, Cas) and was also mentioned in Fred Bubbers' Reading & Writing Daily News site. Many thanks, Fred.

Turning to the short stories, literary romance Dido's Tale became a bestseller at All Romance Ebooks, surreal short story The Secret Thoughts of Leaves was briefly in the Amazon UK Metaphysical and Visionary charts (which astonished me, and at less than 90p really it's a snip ...), and literary lesbian romance A Woman like the Sea received a very pleasing review at Queer Magazine Online (thank you, Victor). Well gosh.

Finally, before the long-for move comes upon me, here's a meditation poem:




Meditation 565
Joshbekashah
is a musical man.
He plays on the cymbal
and harp.

He makes a loud noise
when the worship is due
so always stays eager
and sharp.

His sisters are nameless
and he wonders if he
might give a few letters
as spares

but he has thirteen brothers
and he’s proud of his name
which is oh so much longer
than theirs.


See you after the move!

Anne Brooke
The Thoughtful Corner

Four days to go ...

Life News:

Only 4 days to go now until we finally move to a permanent home, hurrah! I really can't wait. The drip in the ceiling in the rented flat had a bit of a surge yesterday with the torrential rain, but it's calmed down now. Sunshine is indeed our friend, or at the very least dry weather. Still, it does give our collection of buckets a purpose, which has to be a good thing.

Thursday night found us at the local theatre watching an adaptation of Wilkie Collin's The Woman in White. Hmmm, not convinced it's persuaded me to read the book. I appreciate it was originally a serial, but having no fewer than thirty-five scenes in a play doesn't really help the audience connect to anything. Also, the actors were startlingly melodramatic and a couple of times I got an attack of the giggles and felt like I might be heading into the twilight zone. Again. Still, K and I had fun trying to guess the evil baronet's (the most fully rounded person on stage) guilty secret. We thought he might be a Morris Dancer (ah the shame ...!), but in the end it turned out to be nothing more interesting than a marriage certificate problem. Sigh. Also, it did annoy us that the mad Woman in White kept rushing onto stage, telling everyone how much she hated the baronet and would do anything to destroy him, but never got round to telling everyone his secret (which she knew). Ridiculous! If she'd said something at the start, we could easily have cut thirty-two scenes, at least. However, the ice cream in the first interval (of two ...) was very nice - salted caramel. Mmm. Am definitely having that one again.

Have also had a lovely lunch and catch-up with G, my ex-neighbour's daughter, so that was great. And a nice break from houses and moving, etc. Hello, G! Yesterday, K and I visited Waddesdon Manor for the day - fantastic house and well worth a visit (you'll need to book before you go ...), but the gardens are seriously dull. They look like they've been done by someone trained in designing municipal parks - not that there's anything wrong with that, but it just doesn't enhance such a gorgeous house on any level, sadly. Indeed, when we drove through the town nearby, the colour schemes and plantings were almost exactly the same - perhaps the Council does the Manor gardens on the cheap? It wouldn't surprise me.

This afternoon, K and I are off to see The Turn of The Screw at Glyndebourne - which is their last opera of the year, sob. It's a great production and we've seen it before, but honestly it's utterly worth seeing again, multiple times, I think. Haunting and compelling stuff.

Book News:

Gay short story Tommy's Blind Date gained a 4-star review at Goodreads (thanks, Dlee!), which was very pleasing indeed. And the comments thread there also discussed my gay crime novels The Bones of Summer and A Dangerous Man, so that was nice too. Thank you, all.

Here's the next small section from fantasy novel, The Gifting:

It is Johan himself who has proposed this solution to Gathandria's troubles. Even now, he can't quite believe it.

The latest meditation poem is:




Meditation 564
The last thing I want
is a long list of Levites
but that’s exactly
what I get

which just proves the point
that following God
is always
a challenging bet.


The Sunday haiku is:

After this dark rain
the day begins with silence
under brighter skies.


Anne Brooke
The Thoughtful Corner

Dating the Delaneys, controversy and an unexpected trip

Book News:

I'm happy to announce that the fourth in the erotic Delaneys Series, Dating the Delaneys, will be published by Amber Allure Press on 6 November, so something to cheer your late autumn months, I hope. This week, I've also sent out my first newsletter, which includes an exclusive 50-word fiction and a giveaway competition so there's still time to enter and win, if you'd like to.

In terms of book reviews, erotic short story For One Night Only gained a lovely 4.5 star review from Jessewave Reviews, though the comments show people do indeed have mixed reactions to it. Psychological crime thriller A Dangerous Man also had an interesting review at Goodreads - so many thanks to both reviewers for those.

Meanwhile, fantasy novel The Gifting continues to court controversy, with people either loving it or absolutely hating it, so here's the next couple of lines from that tricky little book for you:

Simon Hartstongue of The White Lands. If the situation wasn't so serious, Johan almost believes he would laugh ...


At Vulpes Libris, I've reviewed Madeleine Wickham's glorious romantic comedy, The Gatecrasher, and I can't recommend it highly enough. It's just wonderful, so rush out and get it now if you can.

The latest meditation poems are:


Meditation 559
Fighting with giants
is a frightening task
as they’re always
so very much taller

but the bulk of the business
is in keeping one’s cool
and ensuring
they end up much smaller.

So take a deep breath
and whisper a prayer
to the one
who makes everything right

and remember the truth
it’s not simply who wins
but who
has the courage to fight.




Meditation 560
The Lord’s vengeance
once stopped here
where my sons
threshed wheat
as God threshed men.

A merciful sparing
but to save what is mine
I would have killed
all the dead
for the Lord again.


Here's the Sunday haiku:

Autumn comes early
this year as the air whispers
a soft golden song.

Life News:

Popped into London on Wednesday evening to see Jane W (hello, Jane!) and we had a great catch up over drinks and an Indian. And the big surprise of the week was that I was unexpectedly whisked away to Munich on Thursday as part of K's work trip with one of the other "office wives" as a couple of spaces had come free in the group. I only found out on Tuesday so I had to pack madly and frantically on Thursday morning in order to be ready in time.

And I had a really fantastic time. It was great to catch up with some of K's colleagues I'd met before and to meet those I hadn't (hello, C & G - great to meet you!). The mainly French clients were lovely too, and I think I managed to resurrect some of my schoolgirl French in order to communicate rather better than I thought I might - if you see what I mean. We stayed in accommodation owned by the client and had a great time walking and chatting by the lake while the meetings took place, then visiting King Ludwig II's castle in Neuschwanstein, as well as the BMW museum in Munich itself. We also had a Bavarian beer tasting (my favourite - the 4th one), a brief but fascinating history lesson about Bavaria and a wonderfully Germanic supper at the Andechs Monastery.

So a big thank you to K's work for allowing the odd wife (distinctly odd) to tag along, and to Denis and the rest of the clients for putting on such a wonderful programme of events. A fabulous way to spend a long weekend indeed.

Anne Brooke
The Thoughtful Corner

Hallsfoot, Hit List and free giveaway!

Book News:

In case any of you out there are confused by the amount of information that's gone missing on my recent posts, it's not the gremlins (whoever they may be!), but, as part of the continuing legal negotiations with my US publisher, my lawyer has asked me to remove sections mentioning their name and in the interests of working towards an amicable agreement I have been happy so to do. As they say. Just so you know then ... But a heartfelt thank you to all those of you out there who have been and continue to be so supportive throughout, and indeed those of you who've challenged me - I really appreciate it.

Turning to more straightforward literary matters, I'm happy to say that I've finished the final read-through of Hallsfoot's Battle (the second in the Gathandrian Trilogy) and that artist Penelope Cline has agreed to draft a book cover for it. Once that's sorted, then I'm planning to submit Book Two to Bluewood Publishing, and I really hope they like it ...

Meanwhile, The Hit List continues to have a 25% discount direct from the publisher during July - so buy early while there's still time. And I'm equally happy to announce that from Monday 25 to Friday 29 July, I'm giving away 5 copies of The Gifting at Goodreads - so if you'd like to win a copy of this cutting-edge fantasy novel (if I can say it myself at all ..), then please do enter, and best of luck to you all.

As a taster, here's The Gifting's next couple of lines:

They have all failed; it is not simply himself. At least, he prays it is not.

Not to be outdone, For One Night Only gained a review at Brief Encounter Reviews and was also mentioned at the I Love Books Blogspot - many thanks, both! And, equally not to be forgotten, though possibly rather unseasonal, Two Christmases gained a 4-star review at Goodreads - thank you, Lucy.

The Sunday haiku is:

When I sweep the floor
a history not my own
rises with the dust.


Life News:

After building my new website on Sandvox, you can now find out more of the whys and wherefores behind that at the Sandvox site - they're really very nice people, you know.

As you know, I've been having trouble with my car - and we've now worked out that my coolant container is gradually leaking, dammit. So I'm carrying round several bottles of water and coolant in the car just in case of more disasters and I've booked an appointment at the garage next Friday for them to sort it out. Here's hoping I can make it relatively unscathed through the week till then, hey ho.

During the week we also watched The Only Gay on The Estate - well, I watched it while K kept me company and played on the iPad. He must have been paying some kind of attention though as at the end he snorted and complained that Michael, the film-maker and subject of the short documentary, was really not a very nice man at all, but was somehow surrounded by incredibly nice and forgiving friends, boyfriend and family who could, to a man (or woman), do a lot better than Michael. Indeed, I could only agree - Michael's boyfriend was being hugely tolerant and also had some very wise words to say about whether his man's search into his past wasn't about making it right for others, but was only making it right for himself (not a great reason to go digging about in the past, to my mind). And I have to say that the very lovely girlfriend Michael messed around with for 5 years before ditching and fleeing to a gay life in London was a damn sight nicer about it than I would ever be in such circumstances (though her mother, understandably, looked as if she might grab Michael's hand-held camera at any moment and shove it where the sun don't shine ...) and could certainly do a whole lot better for herself. Hell, I'd snap her up in a second myself, if I was that way inclined - though it would have surely been a perfect ending if Michael's current boyfriend decided he wasn't quite so gay after all and went off with her. Or perhaps with the charming and very cute bloke Michael was so incredibly nasty to at school. Either would do. Sigh.

However, I cast aside all irritations on Friday and thoroughly enjoyed a game of golf with Marian - it's ages since we've played due to illness (mine) and holiday (hers), and it was great to get out in the sunshine. Sunshine, my dears - whatever next! I even made a stonkingly good putt at the eighth which I aimed away from the hole to take some kind advantage of the sharp incline it was at the bottom of, and the bloody thing actually went in!! Professional golfers treat this kind of gift from the golfing gods with a nonchalant shrug and a half-smile. I screamed, waved my putter in the air and danced (carefully - you don't want to ruin the grass) around the green, yelling yes, yes yes! Goodness, I am just so classy. And I didn't even win the overall game and I was still smiling when K came home.

Anyway, yesterday K and I went from the ridiculous to the sublime at a thoroughly enjoyable and utterly magical performance of Rusalka at Glyndebourne - it's the second time we've seen it and it's even more perfect and magical than before. A definite recommendation there. Not only that, but whilst in the restaurant, we were treated to a visit by their new chef, the very wonderful Albert Roux, who actually spoke to us at our table, well gosh. Honestly, I went all giggly and girly and gurgled on about how wonderful his starter of veal sweetbreads had been (which it was, totally) - although I was so busy being starstruck and gushy (much to K's shame) that I said sweetmeats instead of sweetbreads - which is of course an entirely different concept. Ah, the humiliation - I shall never be able to look M. Roux in the face again, although no doubt he just thinks it nothing more than the strange food combinations endured by unfortunate British women, poor man. Ah well.

Today, we have popped in to church to pay our respects to the Almighty - some great hymns and ah the incense. You can never go wrong with incense and processions - it's what the CofE does best. Much to my joy there was a cake sale after the service (heaven indeed) and I bought four brownies for tea. Can't wait really until tea-time rolls round. Rather delightfully, the vicar also invited us round for tea and scones in the vicarage next Sunday afternoon (which is very civilised and somehow so very Midsomer ...) so we're looking forward to that, whilst wondering if any murders will actually take place. We'll have to wait and see ...

Anne Brooke

Cars, contracts and cash

Book News:

You'll be pleased to hear that my US lawyer and I have agreed a wording for the new termination contract, so we've sent that off and await to hear a response ...

In the meantime, I'm carrying on with the final pre-submission read-through of Hallsfoot's Battle, the second in my Gathandrian trilogy. There are only about 100 pages to go now, so I'm hoping to get that done by the weekend (though it does depend on whether or not I have another day like today - see below ...). Once that's done, I'll send it to Bluewood Publishing and see what they think about it. Keeping with Bluewood, I've sent back the final proofs of literary short story, Dido's Tale, to them and that should be coming out soon, hurrah.

I'm also happy to say that The Hit List gained a lovely 5-star review at Amazon - many thanks, Sharon! It's especially pleasing as I know my main character, Jamie, isn't easy and people either love him or hate him, with nothing in between. Hmm, there's a lot of me in that bloke, you know - which probably says it all really. And For One Night Only gained a 4-star review at Goodreads - so many thanks, Enny.

Here's the next line of the prologue in The Gifting:

Neither is she the only one who weeps, but he cannot admit the full reasons for this now.

This week's meditation poems are:




Meditation 547
When even touching
God’s covenant box
in order to save it
is a mortal sin

then best to let
your treasures die
than use a box
to keep them in.




Meditation 548
Of all the gifts
in all the world
my first choice
would never have been
cedars and stonemasons;

the quiet dignity
of stone
and the gnarled depths
of this ancient tree
all but bypassed me.




Meditation 549
A sound in the trees
that is neither the wind
nor the cries of some night bird

but something absurd:
a reminder for we who have sinned
that somebody still sees.


Life News:

The mortgage survey for our Elstead house has finally come through and looks okay. Our new conveyancer has also contacted us to say she's going over the land searches now and has contacted the vendor's solicitors to ask for the necessary information from them. At the same time, the estate agents have rung us to say it's possible that we could exchange in three weeks' time and complete two weeks after that - which would bring us near enough to the end of August/start of September - and this is the first break point in our rental contract, so that would be convenient. However, I'm now never convinced by the optimism of estate agents, so I'm maintaining a wary approach to it all. But I have rung our moving company and so far that timing is good for them, although obviously dates disappear the nearer we get to any potential move day. Lordy, it's all go here in the shires, you know.

I've also fitted in a regular visit to the doctor (I was too ill to go last week ...) and everything with the anti-depressants looks good for another two months, so that's a relief. I really do think they're brilliant - I could probably never cope with all this hassle coming our way without them, and they certainly do make me feel more like I think I should, that's for sure. Never scorn the joys of normality, eh ...

Mind you, I've certainly needed their calming effects today. This morning, I popped in to see a good friend of mine in one of the local old people's homes, and on the way back, the alarm on my car dashboard went off and lots of red lights started flashing at me to say that the car engine was overheating. When I looked at the dial, it was way past 120 degrees centigrade and well into the red-light zone. I was panicking like a trooper (a wimpy, panicky trooper ...) so drove the few minutes to the nearest supermarket (where I was intending to go anyway to pick up some lunch) and waited for the engine to cool down while I phoned K and sobbed down the line at him like a 1950s teenager. My, I'm so dignified, you know. As if. Anyway, K suggested ringing the RAC for help, but I thought if it was just a coolant problem, then I could get some more coolant and put it in without disturbing our Knights of the Road too much. The supermarket unfortunately had no coolant so I drove to the garage attached to it whilst keeping a close eye on my dashboard and they had no coolant either. So there was no option but to drive home, at which point the dashboard went crazy again and the alarms sounded. It was only a couple of minutes to get home but honestly every traffic light was against me and every cyclist in Woking today insisted on getting ahead of me and not letting me pass, so I was praying and swearing in equal measure as I limped home.

Once there, I thought I'd let the beast cool down again before tackling it. However the traumas of the day weren't over yet. As I was eating my lunch, the rental agent phoned to say they hadn't received our rental for July which had been due with them on the 1st of the month. I apologised, panicked again and rang K who said he was sure he'd filled in a standing order at the start of June. The other agent I've been dealing with (the lovely Jenny) said she was sure we had as well so didn't know where it had gone and would look into it. K rang our bank and they confirmed they had no standing order instructions for rent, so after I'd tackled the car crisis and poured the whole of our one bottle of engine coolant into the vast desert wastes of my engine coolant holder, I walked into town at about 4pm and tried to pay money for July and August as a bank transfer to the rental agent's bank, the Natwest. Well, ho ho and there's a bank that obviously don't like the colour of our money. They said (even though I've done this with Santander and goodness knows they're certainly not the best bank in the market ...) that I couldn't transfer money from the Nationwide to them as I'd have to go to the Nationwide in order to do so, but in any case the Nationwide wouldn't let me do that with such a large amount of money and I'd be better off taking out as much actual cash as I could and then walking it over to them. Well, I mean to say! As if anyone could actually walk across the metropolis of downtown Woking carrying great wads of cash and expect to be alive after ten minutes ... Words failed me!... In the end, I gave up arguing my point and accepted that Natwest in Woking appears to live in the 1950s, wrote them a cheque payable to our rental agent for two months' rent, and accepted it wouldn't actually go into the agent's account until next Friday.

When I rang the rental agent to explain all this to them, they were astonished also, and couldn't believe nobody would accept a bank transfer from me. The only explanation I can think of is that unfortunately I had to deal with a staff member who didn't know her proverbial from her elbow, and wasn't going to ask any higher-up staff member for help either. Alternatively, I have a face with the words Criminal and Fraudster tattooed across my forehead and nobody has ever had the heart to tell me, deep deep sigh ...

Anyway, whilst in Woking I thought I'd shop for a few bits and pieces, including spare engine coolant, and managed to get everything apart from (of course) engine coolant. Apparently, Halfords is a twenty-minute walk (or a short drive, if you have a car you can trust ...) outside Woking, so I bit the bullet, rearranged my shopping bags (thankfully, not too much) and headed off into the sunset. Ye gods, that was further than I thought, though I did get a nice view of Woking's mosque on the way. Luckily Halford's were open until 8pm, so getting there at 5.15pm wasn't a problem, thank the Lord. Mission accomplished, I trudged back down the wearisome rainy road, wearing my woolly hat and fleece and looking like the height of fashion, I'm sure, and eventually reached home at about twenty minutes to six. I deposited the fresh bottle of coolant in the back of the car so if I get into trouble tomorrow when I'm hoping to play golf with Marian, at least I'll have something to drink if things get too bad. Hey ho.

Really, if it weren't for the magic happy pills, who the hell knows where I'd be. Has anyone got the smelling salts? Surely today - this nice quiet day I'd had planned - must be over by now ...

Anne Brooke

The strange unreality of being an author ...

Book News:

NB THIS SECTION HAS BEEN REMOVED DUE TO LEGAL NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE PUBLISHER CONCERNED, AT THEIR REQUEST.

Speaking of difficult literary organisations, I've been deeply saddened, not to mention frustrated, by the attitude of the Society of Authors to authors with ebooks to their name. They tell me that I can't be a full member because I haven't sold enough paperbacks and "at this time, we do separate e-publishing and physical publishing, because of the lack of costs involved in online publication." So, being a "real" author has nothing to do with the fact that a commercial e-publisher has agreed to publish your book or how well your ebooks perform, but it's all to do with how much your publisher is prepared to spend on their production. Looks like the costs of editing, creating cover art, marketing, staff time, conference attendance etc etc, which are just as much associated with ebooks as paper books, are meaningless to the SOA then. Naturally I've asked for my membership to be refunded and, at the same time, I told them I assumed the admin charges would be minimal as of course all our correspondence has been via email which according to them costs nothing, even in terms of people's time ... They have at least therefore had the grace to refund me in full. But I certainly won't be bothering to contact them again, at least not until they've caught up with the authorial world they're supposed to represent. Harrumph indeed.

I'm very pleased to say that The Gifting has received a positive comment from one of the people at the book launch last week. She's already read it (thank you, Claire!), thought it was a page-turning read, and wants to know when the next one is out. Gosh! I'd best get to grips once more with the final read-through of Hallsfoot's Battle then - which has rather ground to a halt due to this week's ongoing illness (see below).

Anyway, here's The Gifting's next line: His sister Isabella Montfort's tone is bitter, but he doesn't question it.

Ah, but you should, Johan, you should ... It would have saved so much trauma if you'd been paying more attention at the time, you know ...

And The Art of The Delaneys has gained a 4-star review at Goodreads - thanks, Clover. That's cheered me greatly.

At Vulpes Libris, you can read my review of The Pink Hotel by Anna Stothard, which is a seriously classy and well-written novel and I thoroughly recommend it. Meanwhile, I'm also trying to do some major renovation on my website but, in the manner of all modern women everywhere, I need my husband to come home and press all the right buttons to make it work (um, as it were). Watch this space, possibly ...

Life News:

I've continued to be as sick as the proverbial this week. All nasty cold/catarrh stuff and, no, you really don't want to hear more. Suffice it to say I left work early on Tuesday and haven't been out from the flat since. Another sleepless night in the living room on Tuesday (with some seriously dodgy moments), but I did manage to get some real rest last night, thank the Lord. I think I may have broken the back of it now, but I'm sorry to have missed (a) seeing Jane & Ang on Tuesday night, (b) going to the Wisley roses event tonight, and (c) golf tomorrow. I'm attempting to get seriously well for another opera at Glyndebourne on Saturday. No more relapses please!

What with all this coughing and snorting and ... err ... stuff, I must have got confused today as the Virgin Media connection man turned up this morning, instead of this afternoon when I was expecting him. The poor chap - he found me unwashed, undressed and with absolutely no make-up on which, bearing in mind the kind of week I've had, was even more not a pretty sight than usual. And, yes, before you say it, I did have to open the door in my dressing gown (why has my dressing-gown got a door? Boom, boom!), sigh. Anyway, even though he was only about twelve, he was totally unperturbed by this vision of horror before him (perhaps he gets it all the time?...) and managed to fix me up in no time (again, as it were). Mind you, he was probably desperate to escape, the poor dear ...

More positive news this week has been the fact that we harvested another two of the garden strawberries at the weekend and thoroughly enjoyed them. Perhaps we should buy a couple more with the PD royalty cheque, eh? Oh, and my rose pot plant has a second bud on it so it looks like we might be getting two flowers this year, hurrah!

Anne Brooke

Writing? It's riskier than you think ...

Book News:

NB THIS VERY LONG SECTION HAS BEEN REMOVED DUE TO LEGAL NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE PUBLISHER CONCERNED, AT THEIR REQUEST.

Meanwhile, back in the quieter world of writing (remember that?), The Gifting is now available for purchase at All Romance Ebooks. And, hey, selling a few might even help towards my legal bills, so at last I must have made it as a serious writer, ho ho! I'm also pleased to say I've received my first review for the book, and it's a 5-star one, so many thanks, Sarah, for that - I'm thrilled you enjoyed the read.

Speaking of reviews, The Art of The Delaneys gained a 4.5 star review at Top 2 Bottom Reviews - thank you, Lisa!

I've also uploaded a review of Apex Hides the Hurt by Colson Whitehead at Vulpes Libris, which is an interesting satire, but rather too heavy for my taste. Worth a look though.

Just one meditation poem this week so far:




Meditation 535
Bakbakkah
is an angry man.
He stands at street corners
and glowers.

He chews over
the wrongs of the past.
His griefs
come in showers

and he’s never content.
Pity him.


Life News:

I have a life? Goodness me. Delights of this week include the discovery that we have a nesting song-thrush just outside the spare room window (where I work at my computer), which is lovely. She doesn't seem disturbed by our comings and goings either, or even when we open the window, so we're hoping for the pitter patter of tiny bills at some stage. I'll keep you posted.

On the other hand, we heard mid-week that our vendors' solicitors have apparently been waiting (for about 3.5 months now) for us to sell our flat first (some hope, eh ...) before they do anything with the purchase we're trying to make from them - and this in spite of the fact that we've told them five times that our buying their client's house does not in any way depend on the selling of our flat. Deeeep groan - no wonder nothing's happening ... Anyway, their incompetence and inability to listen has meant that, if nothing happens by tomorrow (Friday), then we're withdrawing our offer and frankly they can whistle for it. Tough luck to them is our view. We prefer a house we can actually buy.

Anyway, today, my head filled with bitterness and fantastical thoughts of revenge (so the ideal moment really ...), I've gone on a planned retreat day at the Acorn Christian Healing Foundation which was very nice indeed, despite the evangelical tone, which I don't warm to. Why, oh why does one have to sing a chorus three times when the words meant so little the first time round? It's a holy mystery indeed ... However, there were a couple of interesting talks, I found some like-minded folk, which was lovely, and also had a wonderfully quiet chill-out time in the garden. Bliss.

Anne Brooke

We're here!!!

Life News:

OMG, we're here!! In Woking, a surprisingly nice part of it too, ye gods and little fishes. Yes, we have moved, begorrah and pass the smelling salts. I cannot believe it. Honestly, it feels soooo good to get out of the Godalming flat, though we will miss the neighbours, that's for sure. We got up at 4am on Tuesday and didn't get to bed till 10pm but it was worth every last strange second of it. Our four packers (who were surely all below working age, or am I just getting older?...) arrived at 6.45am and were absolutely wonderful in every way. So a big thank you to Cook's of Cranleigh who, although they have no idea what a website is for, don't have email or mobiles (goodness, so modern, madam ...) and live in a hugely rural setting with a lot of horses, are experts in smiling efficiency, friendliness, speed and glass wrapping. Not to mention coping with the sixteen outside steps and sixteen inside ones in our old flat with absolutely no complaints - what stars. I loved the way they arrived, cased the joint and then promptly took a twenty minute smoke break with coffee, teas and biccies supplied by me - so wonderfully British, my dears. However, after we'd realised that once they got going they packed at the speed of light and could strip a room in less time (almost) than it took for me to say golly, you're fast, I has absolutely no qualms with them taking whatever time they needed to refuel. More tea, anyone?...

They promised we'd arrive in Woking at round about 2pm and they made it at 2.10pm, which for removals is pretty much bang on the dot, good for them. And I love it here. It's even quieter than Godalming though it's odd to be on the ground floor (but what bliss ...) and have people above us. There's a novelty - we've lived in the roof for eighteen years, so it's good to ditch the oxygen masks and be able to admire the flowers. Which we can actually see from here, goodness me. It's a shame in some ways that it's only rented and a temporary move - the rooms are great, especially the living/dining room, which is simply a vast expanse of space with some fantastic sofas and wooden flooring. Wooden flooring! My dears, living on the top floor means we've never dared imagine such luxury ... And we have a garden too - and today I have sat outside on the patio (yes, one of those as well!) furniture supplied very kindly by the rental agents, Martin & Co, and eaten my lunch. Bliss. This is the life, eh ...

Mind you, I've not been entirely lazy - we did most of the unpacking on Tuesday evening, but K sorted the books out yesterday, and today I have tackled the spare room - except for the boxes that are too heavy to lift, which we can sort tonight. Not many of them now, thank goodness. And, as you can see, K has sorted out our Internet connection with Virgin Media via a dongle (yip, I'm still laughing at that one, sadly ...), and it does seem a lot faster than BT, so far. Though of course the connection in Woking is by default better than the one in Godalming (valley, TV/phone blackspot, the Surrey outback, etc etc) so I shouldn't be too surprised that things are faster here. Still, there are a couple of niggles I hope we sort soon - TV is a bit of an issue as we think the best option would be Virgin cable and of course they want an initial 12-month contract for set up so that's impossible at the moment. However, we've gone back to basics and K is looking for an aerial and a booster so we can get some kind of transmission in a terrestrial fashion. Not, at the moment, that there's very much on, by the look of it, but it would certainly be nice to have. Ooh, and we're having trouble with the bath taps - they're soooo stiff, I have either to call for K to come and help me turn them on and off, or wrap a towel round my hands and go to it, as it were. What fun. Still, it's great and I'm settling in much faster than I imagined, hurrah.

Yesterday, I was back at work for one day only - the commute from here was roughly the same as the one from Godalming and appears to be only one mile longer - but of course it's half-term so it will be interesting to see what it's like next week when I'm in on Monday. Being me, I took a map in the car but I managed to find my way rather well, I must say. However, I was very grateful indeed that I'd booked a reflexology treatment for lunchtime - as I certainly needed it by then as I was absolutely shattered from the move.

Today, as well as unpacking and sorting out admin stuff, I've popped in to see my lovely former neighbour in Woking - he's now only a two-minute drive in the home so that's fantastic. Yes K did suggest I walked it, but really I was just too idle for that ...

In terms of flat selling news - yes, you've guessed it: our solicitors in Knaphill have found yet another document for my poor lovely ex-neighbour to sign and are going to be sending it to her. Thankfully she's agreed to sign it (thank you, G!) - this time it's a document for the current/future flat dwellers to agree the new lease that's already been updated, agreed and signed by the old flat dwellers. This apparently is standard practice so you'd have thought our solicitors would have known this and not told me last week that there was absolutely nothing else that G needed to sign. My confidence in the legal profession, particularly when it comes to conveyancing, has always been appallingly low, but it has reached new depths of negativity in recent times, I can tell you. Deep sigh ...

Book News:

I have a launch date for The Gifting! - which will take place on Wednesday 6 July at Godalming Museum, so I'm very much looking forward to that. Ruth at work's husband, D, has agreed to do the catering (thank you, D!) and I already have eight people attending, well gosh, even though I only sent out the invitations today. Okay, I admit that includes Ruth & D, K and me, and the Godalming Museum rep, but three yes responses aren't to be sniffed at in the small-time author trade, believe me.

NB THIS SECTION HAS BEEN REMOVED DUE TO LEGAL NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE PUBLISHER CONCERNED, AT THEIR REQUEST.

Anne Brooke

Gardens and goodbyes

Life News:

We've spent most of the weekend preparing for the move on Tuesday and saying goodbye to the neighbours (when they're in). We've now sorted most of the books into piles for taking to the rented flat and piles for storage, so that's a relief. Still to be done is: emptying the loft, draining the washing machine, defrosting the fridge and turning off the freezer (which is all but empty now anyway). We're getting there, though I must say K is doing most of the hard graft with me providing essential domestic support wherever I can.

Still, I managed to squeeze in a game of golf with Marian on Friday, and it was such a relief to get out and knock some balls into ridiculously small holes (as it were). Made a great change from the trials and traumas of Thursday, hey ho. Also during the week, we have breathed the proverbial sigh of relief to note the massive improvement in Wednesday's episode of Midsomer Murders - which also included a naked Sgt Jones which was fabulous, I must say. More please ... Set against that, however, was the totally appallingly written, long-winded, dull and overly emotional episode of Dr Who we bravely sat through (whilst yawning and glancing repeatedly at our watches) on Saturday. What are they thinking?!? Every time someone had a tearful moment we'd just laugh and shout at them to get a grip, and the sickly-sweet moments with the boy at the end definitely needed cutting. Or someone should have drowned the wretched boy in acid. One of the two ... I would have done it myself if I'd been there.

Today, we decided we'd had enough of flat sorting so popped out this afternoon to see Moleshill House garden and The Coach House garden, both in Cobham and next door to each other which made it easy. Lovely to see both - the first one was more dramatic and overgrown, but the second one was incredibly peaceful. If we do ever actually manage to get into a house of our own (dream on, eh!...) then we would both aim for a peaceful garden for sure. Don't hold your breath ...

Book News:

NB THIS SECTION HAS BEEN REMOVED DUE TO LEGAL NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE PUBLISHER CONCERNED, AT THEIR REQUEST.

However, I am much cheered by this 5 star review of A Dangerous Man - thanks, Erik. And for this bank holiday weekend only, you can get a 50% rebate at the till for ALL my All Romance Ebooks if paid for by Paypal or credit card - so for a good weekend read, now's the time to buy!

In terms of work in progress, I've started the fourth in my Delaneys' series, Dating the Delaneys, and I'm also carrying on with my fantasy novella, The Taming of The Hawk. This latter seems to be moving rapidly towards the steampunk genre, I think - if I only knew what that really was, ho ho. But there are machines (of a sort), darkness, dirt and fantasy, so I might be right in my analysis. On the other hand, there's not much Victoriana, so I may equally be wrong. I'll have to wait and see.

Meditations this week are:




Meditation 532
Zimri takes pride
in being counted last
alphabetically

as God is his guide
and his family’s outclassed
hypothetically. 




Meditation 533
That slow returning home:
the priests, the people
and the temple slaves


drifting like shadows
through the fields and paths
to houses shaped like graves


and a life they thought
they knew. The forgotten dead
crowd in on waves


of sorrow. No-one remembers
the laughter. They are silent
in the ruins God saves.




The Sunday haiku (because we saw it whilst golfing) is:


Treecreeper dances
across this divided tree
so rhythmically.




So, in conclusion, my last official day on the web is tomorrow and I'm not quite sure when I'll be back online - BT (if we continue at all with them) have promised us some kind of connection on 16 or 17 June in the rented flat, but we might on the other hand be doing something technical with a dongle (well, gosh!) so it may be sooner, if slower. Till then, have fun and I'll catch you on the other side!


Anne Brooke