Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult: no 'Mockingbird" alas ...

When a newborn baby dies after a routine hospital procedure, there is no doubt about who will be held responsible: the nurse who had been banned from looking after him by his father. 

What the nurse Ruth, her lawyer Kennedy, and Turk the father of the child cannot know is how this death will irrevocably change all of their lives, in ways both expected and not.

My review:

On the whole, this book is a disappointment especially as usually I really love Picoult's books. This is definitely not her best and not even her most far-reaching work. The trouble is that the author has been so taken up by the nobility of her cause (campaigning against racism) that she has forgotten to write a novel. Most of the first three-quarters of the book could have been better expressed by means of non-fiction, and I felt that the material was being forced into a novelistic form which it definitely did not fit. As a result, Ruth is very dull and irritating and needs a good shaking every now and again - she repeats herself constantly and I ended up skipping her sections in order to read the sections on Turk or Kennedy, which were better written by far.

It's a great relief when the court scenes finally arrive in the last quarter of the book, and Picoult actually starts writing the novel rather than beating us over our heads with her cause. From then on in, I enjoyed the story, and it raced through to the dramatic (and, yes, a wee bit laughable) end. Ruth of course remains unbearably smug, but I loved the way things turn out for Turk. He at least is a great character.

I hope Picoult will remember to let the story and the characters (not the cause, please!) take centre stage for her next novel - a return to form would be appreciated!

Anne Brooke Books

Moriarty by Anthony Horowitz: interesting but unsatisfying thriller

Sherlock Holmes is dead. 

Days after Holmes and his arch-enemy Moriarty fall to their doom at the Reichenbach Falls, Pinkerton agent Frederick Chase arrives from New York. The death of Moriarty has created a poisonous vacuum which has been swiftly filled by a fiendish new criminal mastermind.

Ably assisted by Inspector Athelney Jones, a devoted student of Holmes's methods of investigation and deduction, Chase must hunt down this shadowy figure, a man much feared but seldom seen, a man determined to engulf London in a tide of murder and menace. 

The game is afoot . . .

My review:

Having loved the first book in this series, The House of Silk (well worth a read if you've not done so already), I was really looking forward to this follow up and read the whole story very quickly as a result. It's not entirely what I expected - yes, the description is fabulous and you do really feel as if you're walking through Victorian London with all the sights, sounds and smells that entails. The plot is also first-rate.

However, neither Holmes nor Watson appear in the novel until the very end (via a curious short story addendum) and there is therefore a great sense of frustration. The level of violence is also more than is necessary to my mind and I didn't need to have such detailed descriptions of it. The ultimate twist is good, but not what I hoped for and the end is ultimately very unsatisfying indeed. If there's a third book, then we do really need to have Holmes and Watson in it! Please?...

Anne Brooke Books

The Quality of Silence by Rosamund Lupton: a wasted opportunity

The story is rather too full of cliche for me - 'woman in jeopardy', and partial 'environmental thriller' were both just a little dull here. The journey across the snow was also far too long and uninteresting and I did a lot of skipping. That said, Ruby (the daughter) has a very strong voice and is by far the most interesting character in the book. I particularly liked how Ruby describes words by taste and smell. The sign language is also well used as a key part of the plot.

I also enjoyed the mother/daughter relationship and tensions, but Matt (the father) was just far too flat and really very annoying. He appears directly in the book at far too late a stage, and then launches into a huge section of 'info dumping' concerning what exactly has gone on, which is very amateur. It would have been better if Matt could have had sections earlier so we discover things in the same timeframe as he does - this would have been far more exciting.

In general, this book could easily have been cut by a third, and I suspect the film will be far better than the novel. That said, the final scenes of drama are fun (though anything would be good after that dull trawl through the snow!), and the ending surprisingly delicate.

Anne Brooke Books

Thorn in The Flesh

Book News:

My bisexual literary thriller Thorn in The Flesh has been republished by Untreed Reads this week. There's currently a 30% discount if you buy direct with the publisher, so definitely worth a look. You can also find it at Amazon UK and Amazon US, with a variety of reviews from its previous incarnation.

It was longlisted in the Crime Writers' Association Debut Dagger Awards in 2006 and the blurb is:

Kate Harris, a lecturer in her late thirties, is attacked in her home and left for dead. This terrible assault and the anonymous hate letters she starts to receive bring to light the past she'd prefer to leave behind, a past which includes the son she bore in her teenage years and whom she chose to give away.

What happens to Kate also affects the people she counts as friends and colleagues now. She has been in love with her best friend, Nicky, for a long time but Nicky is happily married with two young children, and Kate is determined never to upset the lives of those she cares for.

However, when she makes the momentous decision to contact the father of her long-forgotten son, and then to trace her son as well, Kate inadvertently sets in motion a series of frightening events she seems to have no control over. Can she protect herself and those she loves from the menacing enemy who stalks them all?

At the same time, I've taken the opportunity to update my general website with all the latest book news, so you can see what's being published in March and in the months to come too. There's something for every taste, I think.

Meanwhile, biblical short story Dancing with Lions is on special offer at All Romance Ebooks at the moment, so the ideal time to pop that one in your shopping basket. And I'm very happy to say that there are only three days to go before fantasy novel Hallsfoot's Battle, the second in the Gathandria series, is published on 20 March, so I'm very much looking forward to that.


Life News:

Earlier in the week, I've been battling bravely with the onset of a cold, but I appear - unusually for me - to have kicked it into touch at the moment, so I jolly well hope it stays there.

K and I have also been busy in the garden, as we've potted up our new and overwintered dahlias for storage in the summerhouse until the frosts are gone. Plus we've pruned the cornus hedge and potted up a new magnolia - which is basically a big stick really, but promises greatness in the years ahead. I hope. And, taking my courage into both hands, I've repotted the orchid so I hope it's going to be a lot happier now its roots aren't seriously squashed, poor thing.

This week's cake is the old faithful of Coffee and Walnut Cake - I don't think it's quite as good as the one I baked in March, but hey nobody's complaining, phew. At least it got rid of the walnuts I had left over. Trouble is, I bought a new packet just in case, so I am now probably stuck in a coffee-and-walnut loop until time itself ends. Hmm, still no complaints being heard, however.

Finally, over at The Angry Anglican, I'm blogging about the brand-new pope and the Argentinian revenge ...

Happy St Patrick's Day!


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

The Delaneys, My Parents and Me: Publication Date

Book News:

The Delaneys, My Parents and Me, the final story of the Delaneys erotic menage series, is published today, so if you would like to find out what happens in the end for Liam and his delectable but dangerous twins, then rush along to Amber Allure Press and pop a copy in your shopping basket at the special first week discount price.

Speaking of discounts, there's 30% off all my Untreed Reads books for their special Anniversary deal, so do feel free to browse there as well. The discount will be taken off at the checkout point.

In the meantime, I've sent the final proofs for bisexual thriller Thorn in The Flesh back to Untreed Reads, so hope to hear about a publication date soon.

There is also news about Hallsfoot's Battle, the second in the Gathandrian fantasy series. It will now be published on 20 March, so I'm really looking forward to that too.

March is certainly looking to be an enjoyable and busy month, that's for sure. Elsewhere, lesbian literary short story The Girl in The Painting was briefly at No 25 in the Amazon UK lesbian short stories chart, which was very pleasing indeed. And biblical short story Dancing with Lions gained a lovely new 5-star review at Amazon US. Gosh indeedy.





Life News:

Great product news this week, which I absolutely must share with you all. Due to K's excellent lateral thinking, we have discovered that Steradent Active Plus denture cleaner is brilliant at clearing limescale completely from your toilet. You heard it here first, folks! And I'm sure the marketing team at Steradent will be delighted with our discovery. All you need is 15 of the little tablets (it comes in tubes of 30) in the loo overnight and all is perfect by the morning. A Lenten miracle indeed, and certainly saves all that frantic scrubbing. As it were ...

Turning to slightly more ordinary matters, I'm pleased to say that this week's cakes are Chocolate Brownies and very nice they are too. I think I just managed to save them from being overcooked, which I believe is always a danger with Brownies, though the amount of whisking at the beginning of the process was utterly exhausting, my dears. Still, we think they're worth it.

This weekend, K and I have spent a great deal of time in garden centres, and planting lots of spring colour - primroses, big pansies etc etc - in our borders, hanging baskets and pots. It has definitely brightened up the garden, though as always there seem to be vast spaces left still to fill. Plus we've got the weeding under control, which is great news.

Finally, over at The Angry Anglican, I'm blogging about the essential gayness of Rome and the essential importance of women. Definitely a week to ponder on then.

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

Champagne and cake

Book News:

It's Novel City here in the outback at the moment, I'm happy to say. I've now signed the contract for Musa Publishing to republish my chick lit novel Pink Champagne and Apple Juice, and that is scheduled in for 6 September. No cover yet, but I'm looking forward to seeing how that looks.

In the meantime, I do have a cover for bisexual thriller Thorn in The Flesh, which will be republished later this year by Untreed Reads. I'm really very pleased with it, I must say.

I've also signed off the proof version of fantasy novel Hallsfoot's Battle (Gathandria *2), so Bluewood Publishing should be advising a publication date in the near future. Watch this space.

There've also been a couple of very nice reviews of other work this week. Gay thriller A Dangerous Man received a 4-star review at Goodreads, which included the following:

"A Dangerous Man is not a gay romance with a traditional happy ending, but it is a compelling work of gay fiction and a real page-turner. Things to praise include the flawless writing and the subtlety with which Michael's tragic past is revealed. The London setting is vivid and three-dimensional, and the author has a perfect ear for dialogue."

And gay short story Where You Hurt The Most also gained a review at Goodreads. Part of that review said:

"Anne Brooke always impresses me. I quite literally love her writing. There’s a sophistication and refinement to the clean, sparse prose that sets her apart ... Overall I’m pretty pleased with this short story due to the excellent writing, drama without being overwhelmingly intense, and engaging characters. The themes of pain, need, and longing are woven into the story in many different ways and skilfully deployed to add depth and nuance to even this short length. I’m pretty impressed with the level of skill displayed, but honestly I know to expect that from this author. I’d easily recommend this to newcomers and fans alike."

Gosh, many thanks indeed to both reviewers for your comments!


Life News:

A rather snowy few days here recently, which meant my game of golf on Friday was one of the coldest I've ever experienced. Didn't do much for my play either, but really the least said, the better ... The weather certainly put paid to my weekend plans of getting out into the garden and seeing what it was up to, though I did manage to buy a couple of new house plants while we were out and about.

Plus we've also given the garden bridge a fresh lick of paint as it's been looking rather shabby lately. I fear it will need quite a few extra coats too before it's ready to take its place in the garden again. Next DIY stop: the love seat - but only when the weather's better, as it's too heavy to move.

This week's cake has been Carrot and Mascarpone cake, and we're very happy indeed with the results. How I love a recipe where you just throw all the ingredients into a big bowl and mix them. Saves all that faffing around, you know.

Finally over at The Angry Anglican, I discover women are really and truly the secret weapon after all.




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

Possible signs of Spring

Book News:

I've just sent the contract for bisexual thriller Thorn in the Flesh back to Untreed Reads, so am looking forward to getting the edits started on that one.

Meanwhile, lesbian short story The Girl in The Painting was briefly at No 31 in the Amazon UK lesbian short story charts, and office comedy Not A Shred Of Evidence found itself at No 30 in the Amazon UK Business Humour charts. Well, there's a strange blending, that's for sure.

Gay thriller The Bones of Summer gained a 5-star review at Amazon US and is called "an outstanding read", and I'm also pleased to say that the 6th & final part in the gay erotic menage Delaneys series will be published on 17 March.

Finally, to add an essential dash of mayhem, mystery and magic to the start of your week, don't forget the first of my Gathandrian fantasy trilogy, The Gifting, is still available at all good online bookshops near you. One reviewer recently described it as:

"a unique fantasy where mental and physical worlds merge in a flight of unrestrained imagination. Unlike much fantasy I've read lately, this book soars with hope. It's a story of redemption gained through a mystical journey through earth, air, fire and water that tests the deepest recesses of a man's soul."

Really, what more could one ask for? Please do feel free to take a chance and pick up a copy - thank you!


Life News:

This week, I had my NHS call-up papers and have been to have my first ever mammogram. Apparently, Surrey take women up to three years before they hit fifty, and I'm one of those lucky chosen ones. Actually, it wasn't as bad as I'd expected, and the nurses were great. I should expect the results sent directly to me in a couple of weeks or so, which isn't long to wait. And, hey, it's always nice to have a trip out.

Also this week, I've been well enough to get back into playing golf on Friday with M, which was great. A tad chilly, but I was well wrapped up and thank goodness for thermals. I played some pretty hot shots too, but sadly not often enough. Ah well.

Yesterday, K and I went up to London to see the quite magnificent Seduced by Art exhibition, which I can thoroughly recommend, but hurry - as there's only a week to go before it ends. It was also great to wander around afterwards and catch up with all those fabulous works of art we've not seen for a while. Honestly, the place is a riot of riches.

Whilst there, we popped into the equally wonderful National Portrait Gallery to see the first painting of our very own Duchess of Cambridge. Hmm, not a great work of art, by a long chalk, methinks.  I can see what the artist was trying to do and it was a bold decision to have her looking out so clearly directly at the viewer, but it's as if he wasn't really looking at her at all, somehow. The picture is very tense, the smile very false and she looks as if she's about to be sick, bless her. Perhaps it was painted during the early stages of her pregnancy, however? That would explain it ...

Thank goodness then for the fabulously classic Cinema Portraits by Fred Daniels and the ever luminous work of Mario Testino to enthuse us again. Great stuff.

Meanwhile, in the garden, there are veritable signs of Spring, hurrah! The snowdrops that failed us so badly last year have succeeded this year, and are starting to appear. Several shoots are coming up, plus both pots of narcissi are definitely on their way. Just hope they all survive the cold snap we're forecast later this week.

I've also made a Lemon Yoghurt Cake yesterday so am keeping to my Lemon Theme for the year thus far. Suspect I'll change that next week though. K and I had a sneaky slice still warm from the oven and it's not half bad, though I say it myself and shouldn't.

I'm also continuing to hammer away at my beginners' keyboard lessons, and I can now play "Love Me Tender" and "Mary's Boy Child" with two hands - at the same time, well gosh! Book now for the concert of the year - or possibly book tickets to avoid it, which may well be the wiser choice. I'm enjoying it though!

Tonight, I'm trying to psych myself up to watch the increasingly bizarre Ripper Street - there's a lot of vomiting on it this evening apparently, which doesn't really have a Sunday feel to it. I think the series producer might have rather gone overboard on the "no lighting, chaps" and "let's not explain anything of what's happening to the viewers at all" approach - as most of the time, neither K nor I have a clue what's going on. Mind you, spotting the anachronisms is turning out to be a fun game - moving pictures six years before they were invented! Teddy bears before World War One! Whatever next?... Perhaps someone will pull out a mobile phone and text the solution to the police - that would sort them all out.

Finally, over at The Angry Anglican, I'm musing on the question of just how gay a bishop in the Church of England is allowed to be before they stop being a bishop ... The plot, my dears, is indeed entirely lost to the church. Sigh.

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

Coughing at Christmas

Life News:

Um, not much life news this week, I fear. I've been ill since last Sunday so everything else has sadly passed me by, alas. Christmas? Has it happened yet?... A lot of coughing, snorting and nose-blowing has happened however, so I've not been entirely idle. Haven't managed to get into bed to sleep (it's worse if I lie down, on the whole) but the plus side is I am now engaged to the living room sofa, hurrah. And I've read a hell of a lot of free Kindle books and solved (or, more accurately, failed to solve) a lot of crossword puzzles. K has been a total saint and really should be on the local New Year Honours list for Services to Sick Wives.

Astonishingly, I'm still not over it, and I'm told it may last another week - but hey at least that means I'm likely to enter 2013 in exactly the same way that I leave 2012, so top marks for consistency. Hey ho.

In the meantime, over at The Angry Anglican, I'm waxing lyrical about peculiar priests and same sex marriage. As ever.

Book News:

Here, there is good news, well gosh! I'm thrilled to announce that psychological thriller Thorn in The Flesh will be republished in 2013 by Untreed Reads, so I can't wait for that. Plus I gained my first 5-star review for Christian novella The Prayer Seeker at Amazon UK (thank you, Claire!), where it's described as:

"thought-provoking, helpful, interesting and (dare I say it) inspirational ..."

Well, gosh.

Not to be outdone, gay religious short story The Heart's Greater Silence gained a 4-star review at Goodreads (thank you, Edina Rose), so the season is evidently making its influence felt, ho ho. Apparently, Edina is making me one of her favourite authors on the basis of the story, so that's lovely too.

Happy New Year to you all - hope you have a healthy one!

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

Free Giveaway Competition at my first Author Week!

Book News:

I'm thrilled this week to be the subject of the first ever Author Week at Pants Off Reviews, and I must say I'm having a thoroughly enjoyable time so many thanks to Darien for that. As part of the week, four reviews have been posted so far, including Give and Take, The Delaneys and Me, Entertaining the Delaneys and The Art of the Delaneys. I do hope you enjoy reading Darien's take on my fiction.

Not only that but you can read all about my views on Ferrero Rocher chocolates and French knickers at my site interview, and don't forget to leave a comment to enter a FREE competition to win an ebook from my backlist - make sure you don't miss out on that one! Happy reading.

Other book-related excitements this week are that thriller Thorn in the Flesh was an Amazon UK bestseller during the week, and also up there in the Amazon UK charts was gay short story The Heart's Greater Silence. I hope those who've purchased both books have enjoyed the read.

Meanwhile, after my recent bout of illness has at last subsided, I'm back in the routine of writing again, although it's been a bit tricky this morning now the roofers are in situ (see below ...). I've also managed to get back into my morning meditation poems:


Meditation 624
Balanced between
the city’s vibrant hum
and the wilder grey
of the sea

there’s a cliff-top moment
to remember
how you arrived here
before you cease to be.




Meditation 625
All the battles
and rages of men

silenced by the thorns
and cedars of Lebanon

until the whole earth
is at peace again.




Meditation 626
Forgive my prejudice
but no matter
what a man has done

I can’t help
judging him kindly
if he’s a lover
of farming or wine




Meditation 627
You recall that dark night,
the air possessed
with incense’s sour assault

and the flicker
of the candles’ shadow
against the silent altar.

Most of all you remember
when a thousand failures
in their perfumed breath

overcame the sacred space
to pattern your skin
with slow unforgiven death.


Life News:

K and I have been very excited indeed (steady, people ...) by the arrival of our brand-new recycling bins. They're so new! So shiny! So colourful! Well gosh. We now have a big blue bin where everything can go - instead of the three sets of bins we've been used to where you have to spend hours (hours, my dears, hours!) dividing things out or the Recycling Men will leave a plastic carton or two on your pillow ... As it were. Plus, for the first time ever, we have a food bin which comes in two sizes - the smaller one goes in the kitchen and then fits into the bigger one for when it's collected. Plus we have huge numbers of instructions which I will have to read through before the big change-over day happens. In April apparently, so time is on my side ...

And yesterday, K and I attended the first of the church's Lent meetings, which will look at how to have an adult faith. I suspect they're not using the word "adult" in the way that I would do so, however, so absolutely no need to write to the papers. One hopes. Last night we looked at God, and decided he's maybe not as bad as everyone thinks - though being the die-hard traditionalist that I have apparently now become - I kept alive the small flame which offers the thought that God is mystery and ultimately unknowable. Though we catch glimpses of who he really is now and again. Much like people then, hey ho.

Today, the four roofers have arrived and will be with us for the next two-and-a-half weeks. Most of the scaffolding went up yesterday, though more has joined it today, so there's another couple of men to add to the teas/coffees/cake list. Really, it's all very grand and we're beginning to look like a cathedral. We're thinking of draping a trompe l'oeil with a castle scene across the frontage and claiming independence. You heard it first here. Anyway they've all been very lovely and have been happily hammering away, and occasionally chatting about who has the best work trousers. I think the jury's still out on that one.

Plus, as they all arrived and went to work at 7.30am, I suspect I will have to get up earlier tomorrow - if only to avoid opening the door in my dressing gown. Yes, yes, I know - my dressing gown doesn't have a door, but I just couldn't resist typing it. I think I might have to get more cake too, and maybe some biscuits. I don't want anyone to faint with hunger and fall off the scaffold ...

Anne Brooke
The Gathandrian Trilogy
Gay Reads UK
Biblical Fiction UK

Hallsfoot, horses and home

Life News:

We're in our new home at last, and it's absolutely wonderful! We seriously love it. The move went very smoothly and because we've blitzed it over the last couple of days, we're now fully unpacked - though some of the bookshelves/book cases and wardrobes might need sorting out at some point. It's nice to have themed rooms and try to suit the books to the theme - though the same can't be said of the wardrobes of course! It feels like we're really starting to settle in. The horses in the field at the bottom of the garden are an added bonus, especially with the foals (ah, sweet!), we have bought gardening equipment and K has already planted out - with autumn veg - one of the three raised beds in the vegetable plot. All very rural, m'dears. Next gardening job - attempting to work out how to make the fountain functional. Don't get too excited - it's not Versailles (though to us it probably is)! The fountain's small, but hey it's there and we're going to get it working. One day. STOP PRESS! K has got the fountain working already, so now we have a mini Versailles, sort of - what a hero!

Interesting things about moving to a house from a flat. We have an upstairs where you go to bed - heck, that's strange. We have our own wheely-bin and recycling bins - which feels very grown-up as we've always shared these before. There is more than one bathroom (hurrah!) which saves the morning panic as we both try to get ready at the same time. And - wait for it!! - I am at last a Woman with an Electric Garage Door which (possibly sadly) has been my dream for so many years I can't even begin to tell you. Fan-bloody-tastic!! I could play with it for ages, but K advises against it as I'll wear the batteries down. But, honestly, it's better than the telly.

Already, we have eaten out at the local pub, The Woolpack, which was very good indeed with very friendly people, and bought our papers from the local Spar - which is much larger and with a wider variety of goods than you might expect in a village, and is open every day except Sunday from 7am to 9pm (Sundays it closes at 7pm) - gosh, that's better than shops in town really. Today we have dropped in at St James' Church for Parish Communion which I really liked, and enjoyed a BBQ with our very good friends, L & J, who happen to live 2 doors down (hurrah!), so have met a raft of other new neighbours which was lovely. We feel we've arrived now - we may well lower the tone but, hey, we're here!

While I'm on, I must also seriously sing the praises of L, who left a big box of "Welcome to Your New Home" presents AND a box full of quiche, salad, strawberries, cream & champagne, and coffee in a flask for our supper when we moved in - all of which were hugely appreciated. Honestly, L is the most generous woman I know, and it actually made me cry. She is definitely my Heroine of The Year. Big time. Thank you, L.

Book News:

Stop Press! I'm delighted to say that Bluewood Publishing have agreed to publish the second fantasy novel in my Gathandrian Trilogy, Hallsfoot's Battle, so a huge thank you to Paulette and David for accepting it. I'm really thrilled and what a very lovely week it's proving to be indeed.

Meanwhile, not to be outdone, the first in the series, The Gifting, has just been purchased as an ebook by the Singapore National Library, so that's a great surprise.

At the same time, gay thriller A Dangerous Man gained a five star review at Goodreads (many thanks, Nithu) and the ebook version will be on sale for September only at £2.10 in the UK and $2.99 in the US - so now's your chance to snap up a serious bargain.

Speaking of bargains, ALL my books at Amber Allure Press are on sale at a 25% discount throughout September as well - so there's yet more good reading shopping to be done! Buy early, buy often ...

And, in terms of other reviews, gay erotic short story For One Night Only gained an interesting review at Goodreads, so thank you to Book Robot Reviews for that. Don't forget you can win a copy of For One Night Only or The Gifting by signing up to my newsletter - you still have until 23 September to enter! Don't miss out!

This week's meditation poem is:




Meditation 566
They task us
to guard the gate,
a way out
and a way in:

a concept
entirely dependent
on what you think of
as home.


The Sunday haiku is:

One small grey squirrel
dancing on the neighbour's tree,
gazing right at me.


Anne Brooke
The Thoughtful Corner

Rhubarb and remembrance

Book News:

I'm very pleased to say that my poem, Meditation 21, appears in the Winter 2010 issue of Eat a Peach poetry journal today (scroll down to view), and of course can also be found amongst its friends in my poetry collection, Salt and Gold, which is now available at a discount at Lulu Books. Ideal Christmas present for your poetic and/or religious friends, naturally ... And speaking of wintry gifts, this time ideal for the darker and more sinister Christmas (and really what could be nicer?), don't forget that crime novel, Thorn in the Flesh, continues to be eligible for free delivery at Amazon and comes with some very nice reviews too.

On a very different note, Tommy's Blind Date was strutting its stuff at No 31 in the Amazon charts, though has now slipped somewhat. And I was also pleased to see my latest poetry collection, Sunday Haiku hanging on in there in the Amazon poetry charts. Returning briefly to Lulu Books, I'm happy to announce that all my books at Lulu now have very worthwhile discounts and some are even free, so definitely worth a browse!

And a big thank you to Stephanie for her 5-star review at Goodreads of The Hit List - many thanks, Stephanie.

This week's meditations:


Meditation 460
A shadowy room,
the faint glitter of skin
and the subtle flow
of oil

bring a blessing
he will remember
when the celebrations
and plots begin.


Meditation 461
God is like
a man in a watchtower
waiting for your arrival;

he is like
a horseman galloping
to find you

in the fields of Naboth;
a messenger who refuses
to leave your side

once the words
are spoken; he is
an arrow through your heart.


Sunday haiku:

I search for my word
lurking at the edge, eerie
and dark: discontent.


Life News:

I must say that Tesco's rhubarb crumble cake, though bizarrely named and yes it doesn't look like much, is seriously scrummy with one's essential cup of tea - highly recommended. Rush out and buy some is what I say. Anyway, in between the rain (honestly, where does it all come from?...) I have managed to squeeze in a game of golf with Marian - not my best game, but my putting was pretty damn cool and on the first I actually chipped in from the green, hurrah. Who needs a putter? Just call me Smug. Marian did.

Saturday morning, Lynda came to shape up my hair which now looks lovely, though I say it myself and shouldn't - and this morning I've even managed to get it looking like some faint echo of how Lynda does it, though I'm unlikely to do that again, wash-and-go being my main aim in life. K is primed to say how lovely it looks as soon as Lynda leaves - much like Pavlov's Husband, if Pavlov had a husband. Which is a good thing as I think I can count on the fingers of half a hand the times in my life when anyone has actually noticed I've had a haircut - a sad fact of life that does make me a bit snippety as I try to make sure I do comment on everyone else's haircuts if I think they've been done. Positively of course! Despite what you think, my Bitch Quota is quite low really. Anyway, I must wear some kind of invisibility cloak over my head for the week after The Haircut, but I swear I don't know who puts it there. Ah well.

Yesterday, we were at the Cathedral listening to Guildford Choral Society (nice singing, Robin, Gavin & Liz - well done, all!) perform not one but two requiems. The Faure one and the Durufle one (sorry, no idea about how to get accents on either of those). A great performance, even though I'm not a huge fan of the requiem per se, and think that when you've encountered one you've probably encountered them all. Much like Madonna and Child paintings, really. And even K thinks two requiems might have been a requiem too far. The programme for next year looks more my style though, so I shall look forward to that.

This morning, K and I have of course attended the Remembrance Service at Shackleford. I particularly like their take on this as when we're all standing around the War Memorial in the village, the names of those from the village who died in the First World and Second World Wars are read out and people come and place crosses on with the appropriate name in the soil as they're being read. I do find that very moving and it brings it all home really. This time we also didn't get a sermon but instead one of our congregation told us the story of his father who'd been in the army and spent five years as a prisoner of war in Germany during the Second World War - fascinating stuff. As the senior officer in the camp, he'd been in charge of coordinating the escape plans, and also of getting essential information back to the UK government by means of a series of letters supposedly to the Tiptree Jam Factory (near where I grew up, coincidentally) and in code. He was rescued by the Americans at the end of the war, as he wasn't allowed to escape himself as he was too useful to the British government where he was. Which just goes to show  another side of the war, and I was gripped by it. Great stuff.

Meanwhile, at home, the neighbour's chimney isn't quite finished yet, and has suffered something of a setback - the foolhardy builders rested one side of the scaffolding on the kitchen roof instead of on the ground (the fools! The fools!) and it's now caused damage to the roof and broken the glass in the window, dammit. Gisela and I were running around trying to contact said builders this weekend to get it sorted, but luckily they came round yesterday and the scaffolding is now resting on the ground. Where it should have been in the first place - this is a Victorian property after all! It's not made to support scaffolding ...

Finally, on a happier note, I'm thrilled to see the good news that those Somali pirates have finally let the Chandlers go - double hurrahs and thank God for it! They've certainly been on my mind for the past year and I'm glad they're free now. Great news for us all.

Anne Brooke

The pain of thanksgiving

First of all, I must wish all our US friends and contacts a very happy Thanksgiving Day - hope it's all going swimmingly for you. Here at the other side of the water, however, I fear I have been overtaken by a determined wave of period pain (garrrgggghhh ....) so my day of pootling about and novel-writing has turned into a day of rolling around on the bed clutching a hot water bottle, groaning and blinking myopically at the TV. Loose Women was much-needed - aren't they always?... It's a long while since I've had a bout like that - I hope it doesn't mean I'm going back to the old and rather nasty days, as I thought my various operations, pill cocktails and New Age remedies had got the whole dang thing under control. Deep sigh. Or maybe it's the onset of those menopausal years? Ah, Lordy, even deeper sigh. Hey ho, what fun life is.

Anyway, the good news is that I'm feeling much better now and have even eaten some lunch. Still feel utterly shattered and as if I've been put through a mangle twice, but hell that's how I usually feel after a normal day, so no difference there then. I really must get rid of that pesky mangle.

More interesting things that have happened this week are that I've sent in Thorn in the Flesh to Lulu Books ready for republishing that one. I hope it will be fully on the online markets again next year, but really with Amazon, who can tell? They're not known for speed. Have also enjoyed my online poetry course on Wednesday. We had to write a poem which included the Ted Hughes' line: Not a leaf flinched, nobody smiled. Here's my effort:

Night

I carried the darkness on my skin
down to the lake where the air was still.
Not a leaf flinched, nobody smiled
and the swans sailed by as I took my fill

of the deepest blue in the water’s calm.
I gazed at the point where the elements meet –
the pond and the breeze, the flood and the wind,
decisions that lapped at the path by my feet.

When the sky darkened, I drifted away
back to the place where the people are bright.
But a smile is only one kind of truth
and I hold in my heart the knowledge of night.


It's amazing what a depressed lunch-hour slumped on a bench at the University lake will do for you really, and Lordy but some days are like that. I'm also surprised by how much I enjoyed working with a rhyme scheme. Not something I do often, but the course is taking me to places I hadn't anticipated on visiting, and that can only be a good thing.

I've also finally finished my book trailer for A Stranger's Touch, but I've decided not to upload it anywhere until after Christmas, as the book isn't due to be published till the middle of January. So I fear you'll have to wait. All I can say is I'm very pleased with the pictures and music I've managed to find, and I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

I've also been musing on the terrible scenarios in flood-devastated Cumbria - I can't imagine what people must be going through up there and - though it's useless to say - really my every good wish goes out to them. I'm also shocked by the fact that the Government isn't going to be able to mend any of the ruined bridges until Christmas. What the hell sort of a country are we living in??? Lord H says why on earth don't they ask the army to fix the bridges - after all the Royal Engineers can run one up in 18 minutes in a warzone whilst under fire, and their bridges can take the weight of several tanks. It seems like the ideal solution to me, but perhaps the ruddy red tape is just too much for us all these days?? Bureaucracy is truly the death of action.

Meanwhile, back on safer land, I fear that Strictly Come Dancing is buckling under the weight of all those leg & foot injuries. Is it something they're putting in their coffee? Really, this series - despite the joys of the lovely Chris & Ola - is becoming something of a disaster zone in itself ...

Anne Brooke - mangled, mean and magnificent