I'm going easy on any non-writing life news at the moment as it's not very pleasant and I don't really want to rehash it. Sorry. Book news is better though, phew!
I'm pleased to say that A Dangerous Man gained a 5-star review at Michelenjeff Reviews, so a big thank you to Lisa for that. At the same time Two Christmases was lucky enough to get a 5-star review at Goodreads, courtesy of Edina Rose - for which thank you.
In the meantime, as part of the Birthday Celebrations at Untreed Reads, all my titles there are being offered at 25% discount from now and throughout February and, as an extra special treat because it was their first ever title and I was their first ever author, How to Eat Fruit is being offered for free - enjoy! And Happy Book & Publisher Birthday to us all. What are you waiting for indeed?...
Slowly coming online across ebook sellers is Brady's Choice, which can now be found at All Romance Ebooks - and it looks as if people are actually buying it there too, which is nice. Thank you.
Upcoming this week is my literary lesbian romance, A Woman like the Sea, which now has its own webpage where you can also read an extract. I'm very happy indeed that this one will be the first of the new Candlelight line for literary romance stories at Untreed Reads - so thank you for that, Jay. It's great to be another First for you.
I've also, in the midst of it all, been attempting to do some actual writing (well, gosh!) and have now broken the 100,000 word barrier of The Executioner's Cane, and broken the 2000 word barrier of the third in the Delaneys series, The Art of the Delaneys. Double gosh, eh. It's keeping my mind off other stuff nicely, that's for sure.
Out, briefly, in the wider world beyond my own head, I'm happy to see that Ereaders have at last reached the Booker Prize judges and that, at Amazon US, Ebooks are now outselling paperbacks - this certainly tallies with my royalty statements recently, where ebooks have taken off in a big way (hurrah, and thank you to those of you who buy them!) and are outselling my paperbacks by far.
Next week, you can see the delights in store for you at Vulpes Libris which includes an interview with Tim Bentinck who plays David Archer in The Archers, Chinese New Year and alternative realities, so never say we don't push the boat out for you, on all fronts.
Oh, and K and I saw an utterly fabulous gem of a play at The Mill Theatre in Guildford last night - Stripped, and the amazing Hannah Chalmers who plays all the roles with style and pizzazz, are definitely both forces to be reckoned with. If she and the play comes your way, don't miss it - it's only an hour long but it's pure genius.
The Sunday Haiku is, interestingly, being seen by readers so far as marvellously positive, whereas for me it's entirely negative, as the week's been so bad. Which just goes to show you never know what it is you're actually writing. Here it is:
Somehow the week stopped
and I was left floating free
in an empty room.
Anne Brooke
ANNE BROOKE BOOKS: Independent writer of modern fiction
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Wolves and Candlelight
Book News:
Much to my delight, Martin and The Wolf is Book of The Week at Queer Magazine Online and also has a very positive review there, so many thanks, Anders & Serena for that - it's much appreciated.
Yesterday, I sent back the final proofs of Entertaining the Delaneys to Amber Allure Press, so am looking forward to publication on 20 February. I'm also happy to announce that my literary lesbian romance, A Woman Like The Sea, will be published in February by Untreed Reads and it will be the first story in their new Candlelight literary romance line - so many thanks, Jay, for that.
This week at Vulpes Libris, I've reviewed Emily Barr's inspired-but-lunatic novel, The Sisterhood, which is a definite Must Read, whilst remaining totally insane. Absolutely one for your lists ...
Meditations so far (and they may be the last for a while, I think) are:
Meditation 489
Sometimes the best answer
is silence
and a deep acknowledgement
of grief.
Meditation 490
Only when things
are really bad
do men turn to the Lord;
how irritating it must be
when things are good
to be constantly ignored.
Life News:
Not a good week, all in all. Am feeling incredibly low and stressed (not a good combination!), and have therefore added in more happy pills so I'm taking one St John's Wort with Passionflower in the morning, 2 Quiet Life pills at tea time and another plain St John's Wort in the evening. Not really sure they're hitting the spot, but hey it's early days yet. Am also not convinced I can take any more without actually going insane, but remain unsure if anyone will notice the difference. Hey ho.
I think it would be a load better if I could just leave the flat, and Godalming, as I hate both with a vengeance all the time at the moment, if I'm being honest. I even hate going out of the flat and coming back into it as it reminds me that I actually live here, more's the pity. So I'm cutting down on having to do that more often than I really need to, which might help. We'll see. Really, the only thing that makes departure and arrival remotely bearable is the terribly rude things I'm chanting about the place and the nasty middle neighbours in the car.
So, alongside all this, I'm desperately trying to dig a tunnel out and have therefore made arrangements to see four houses in Bisley on Saturday that we can actually afford without having to sell this place, but I'm not convinced K is that keen on the smaller house option (though he does like Bisley!) but, again, we'll see. My Plan B, if he doesn't like any of them, is to suggest that we rent somewhere just to get out of (a) the ruddy flat, and (b) ruddy Godalming, and then we can have some space to start afresh, depending on whether we ever sell this place or not. If he doesn't like that idea, I will just have to go completely insane and have done with it. Deep deep sigh and gritted teeth.
Anyway, apart from all that, things are fine and nobody will ever notice the join. Stiff upper lip and all that jazz, eh. However, the slight glimmer of light on the horizon (which no doubt also reveals the presence of an oncoming train I haven't taken into account yet) is that the shoulder is distinctly better and we're going to leave having my final physio appointment for a couple of weeks and see how things go. So I may well be a virtual recluse with a bad attitude (so what's new?...), but physically I'm top class. What joy.
Anne Brooke
Much to my delight, Martin and The Wolf is Book of The Week at Queer Magazine Online and also has a very positive review there, so many thanks, Anders & Serena for that - it's much appreciated.
Yesterday, I sent back the final proofs of Entertaining the Delaneys to Amber Allure Press, so am looking forward to publication on 20 February. I'm also happy to announce that my literary lesbian romance, A Woman Like The Sea, will be published in February by Untreed Reads and it will be the first story in their new Candlelight literary romance line - so many thanks, Jay, for that.
This week at Vulpes Libris, I've reviewed Emily Barr's inspired-but-lunatic novel, The Sisterhood, which is a definite Must Read, whilst remaining totally insane. Absolutely one for your lists ...
Meditations so far (and they may be the last for a while, I think) are:
Meditation 489
Sometimes the best answer
is silence
and a deep acknowledgement
of grief.
Meditation 490
Only when things
are really bad
do men turn to the Lord;
how irritating it must be
when things are good
to be constantly ignored.
Life News:
Not a good week, all in all. Am feeling incredibly low and stressed (not a good combination!), and have therefore added in more happy pills so I'm taking one St John's Wort with Passionflower in the morning, 2 Quiet Life pills at tea time and another plain St John's Wort in the evening. Not really sure they're hitting the spot, but hey it's early days yet. Am also not convinced I can take any more without actually going insane, but remain unsure if anyone will notice the difference. Hey ho.
I think it would be a load better if I could just leave the flat, and Godalming, as I hate both with a vengeance all the time at the moment, if I'm being honest. I even hate going out of the flat and coming back into it as it reminds me that I actually live here, more's the pity. So I'm cutting down on having to do that more often than I really need to, which might help. We'll see. Really, the only thing that makes departure and arrival remotely bearable is the terribly rude things I'm chanting about the place and the nasty middle neighbours in the car.
So, alongside all this, I'm desperately trying to dig a tunnel out and have therefore made arrangements to see four houses in Bisley on Saturday that we can actually afford without having to sell this place, but I'm not convinced K is that keen on the smaller house option (though he does like Bisley!) but, again, we'll see. My Plan B, if he doesn't like any of them, is to suggest that we rent somewhere just to get out of (a) the ruddy flat, and (b) ruddy Godalming, and then we can have some space to start afresh, depending on whether we ever sell this place or not. If he doesn't like that idea, I will just have to go completely insane and have done with it. Deep deep sigh and gritted teeth.
Anyway, apart from all that, things are fine and nobody will ever notice the join. Stiff upper lip and all that jazz, eh. However, the slight glimmer of light on the horizon (which no doubt also reveals the presence of an oncoming train I haven't taken into account yet) is that the shoulder is distinctly better and we're going to leave having my final physio appointment for a couple of weeks and see how things go. So I may well be a virtual recluse with a bad attitude (so what's new?...), but physically I'm top class. What joy.
Anne Brooke
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Mamma Mia and the marvels of Nature
Book News:
I'm delighted to announce that my first short story of 2011 is now published and therefore Brady's Choice is now available at Amber Allure Press at a discount price during the first week. And I do love that cover - it's perfect. Not only that, but today you can win a free copy at Jessewave Reviews and so there's definitely still time to have a go.
Another publication this week, and one I also feel very pleased about, is The Best of Every Day Poets Anthology One, which includes two of my poems and has a lovely cover as well. It's nice to be part of a poetry publication as well as a fictional one, that's for sure - I do enjoy the balance.
Speaking of fiction, I've just started the third story in the Delaneys series, which I'm calling The Art of The Delaneys. It's at the very early stages at the moment, but it's great to be on the way - to somewhere and very very slowly ...
There's one meditation today:
Meditation 488
The bronze snake waits
to be broken
and its spirit released
to whisper
in the ears of men
its ancient story again.
And the Sunday haiku is:
May I always dwell
in that deep silence before
the music begins.
Life News:
Today I am still in recovery from spending the day in London with Mother yesterday and will no doubt continue to be in recovery for several more days to come - in the end it was actually surprisingly enjoyable but as always very full-on and insanely intensive. Much like being put through a mangle at very fast speeds over and over again. Hmm, does that description actually fit me? Very possibly ... K is keeping sensibly quiet. Anyway, my eyes are now permanently wide and my hair standing on end - or would be if brushes and exhaustion hadn't been invented. During the day, Mother and I managed to do battle with the Tube which failed constantly to understand the validity of tickets from Essex, we shopped in John Lewis (I spent her vouchers on things for me but gave her the money for them as even I am not that mean!), had lunch in the National Gallery cafe, wandered round the National Gallery and had the best seats in the house for the very wonderful Mamma Mia at the Prince of Wales Theatre. So I think I'm safe in saying she thoroughly enjoyed her 80th birthday Mother-and-Daughter experience. I may even have those elusive Daughter Points, at least for a while ... You never know. Roll on the 90th is what I say, hey ho ... The utterly fabulous thing however was when I finally returned, bloodied and fairly bowed, to Guildford Station, K was waiting for me at the exit carrying a huge bunch of flowers and a hip-flask of almost pure gin. How I needed both! K's first words of greeting: was she still alive when you put her on the train?... Anyway, I drained the gin before we'd got fully out of the station concourse and had another large one (as it were) the moment I took my coat off at home. What a super-hero indeed.
Sad to say though, K is at work today sorting out the IT system ready for tomorrow so a super-hero's work is never done, really. In his absence, I attempted to go to church and be holy, but it was obviously not in the universal plan as the car wouldn't start, so I had to ring the RAC man to come and sort it out. Which they did very efficiently, I must say, but not in time for me to be holy. When I explained this to K when he rang from work, he asked if I wanted to confess my sins to him instead, but I fear he doesn't have enough time in his working day to hear them, alas. Not if he wants to mend the IT system as well.
The great news of the day and my definitive grand finale is that our silver birch sapling now has six twigs and three buds on it. Spring must be well on the way to being sprung at last, hurrah. Nature is indeed a marvellous thing.
Anne Brooke
I'm delighted to announce that my first short story of 2011 is now published and therefore Brady's Choice is now available at Amber Allure Press at a discount price during the first week. And I do love that cover - it's perfect. Not only that, but today you can win a free copy at Jessewave Reviews and so there's definitely still time to have a go.Another publication this week, and one I also feel very pleased about, is The Best of Every Day Poets Anthology One, which includes two of my poems and has a lovely cover as well. It's nice to be part of a poetry publication as well as a fictional one, that's for sure - I do enjoy the balance.Speaking of fiction, I've just started the third story in the Delaneys series, which I'm calling The Art of The Delaneys. It's at the very early stages at the moment, but it's great to be on the way - to somewhere and very very slowly ...
There's one meditation today:
Meditation 488
The bronze snake waits
to be broken
and its spirit released
to whisper
in the ears of men
its ancient story again.
And the Sunday haiku is:
May I always dwell
in that deep silence before
the music begins.
Life News:
Today I am still in recovery from spending the day in London with Mother yesterday and will no doubt continue to be in recovery for several more days to come - in the end it was actually surprisingly enjoyable but as always very full-on and insanely intensive. Much like being put through a mangle at very fast speeds over and over again. Hmm, does that description actually fit me? Very possibly ... K is keeping sensibly quiet. Anyway, my eyes are now permanently wide and my hair standing on end - or would be if brushes and exhaustion hadn't been invented. During the day, Mother and I managed to do battle with the Tube which failed constantly to understand the validity of tickets from Essex, we shopped in John Lewis (I spent her vouchers on things for me but gave her the money for them as even I am not that mean!), had lunch in the National Gallery cafe, wandered round the National Gallery and had the best seats in the house for the very wonderful Mamma Mia at the Prince of Wales Theatre. So I think I'm safe in saying she thoroughly enjoyed her 80th birthday Mother-and-Daughter experience. I may even have those elusive Daughter Points, at least for a while ... You never know. Roll on the 90th is what I say, hey ho ... The utterly fabulous thing however was when I finally returned, bloodied and fairly bowed, to Guildford Station, K was waiting for me at the exit carrying a huge bunch of flowers and a hip-flask of almost pure gin. How I needed both! K's first words of greeting: was she still alive when you put her on the train?... Anyway, I drained the gin before we'd got fully out of the station concourse and had another large one (as it were) the moment I took my coat off at home. What a super-hero indeed.
Sad to say though, K is at work today sorting out the IT system ready for tomorrow so a super-hero's work is never done, really. In his absence, I attempted to go to church and be holy, but it was obviously not in the universal plan as the car wouldn't start, so I had to ring the RAC man to come and sort it out. Which they did very efficiently, I must say, but not in time for me to be holy. When I explained this to K when he rang from work, he asked if I wanted to confess my sins to him instead, but I fear he doesn't have enough time in his working day to hear them, alas. Not if he wants to mend the IT system as well.
The great news of the day and my definitive grand finale is that our silver birch sapling now has six twigs and three buds on it. Spring must be well on the way to being sprung at last, hurrah. Nature is indeed a marvellous thing.
Anne Brooke
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Fame and physio
Book News:
A Dangerous Man gained a 4-star review at Goodreads so many thanks, Tizi, for that. You can also now listen to the radio review of A Dangerous Man at Venture Radio UK - the recording is towards the top of the page, so I hope you enjoy the listen!
Much to my delight, The Bones of Summer rose rapidly up and found itself at Number 2 in the Amazon UK gay & lesbian charts, so that was very heartening really.
And at Vulpes Libris you can find my review of Graham Sclater's We're Gonna Be Famous, a lively and enjoyable children's book which shows beyond all doubt that music really can save a life.
Meditations today are:
Meditation 486
The object you love
is the object
you become:
a fine truth,
if it weren’t the same
for the object you hate.
Meditation 487
The gods of each land
may be silent
but they still remain
whispering in the leaves
or basking in the sunlight
of a lion’s roar.
Life News:
I was up in London last night having drinks and a really wonderful curry with Jane W, so it was great to catch up after Christmas and New Year. But, my goodness, the Big City was rather busy, or at least the train back certainly was - I had to stand all the way to Woking, which was highly unusual. Don't these people have homes to go to?...
This morning, I've popped in to see my former neighbour also now in Woking (all roads do indeed lead to that vast metropolis of culture this week), and we had a good chat about all the other neighbours (as you do), travel and tea. The ideal combination indeed.
And the physio's going well. I can now do everything with my arm (hurrah!) though it does ache fairly continuously at a relatively low level so it's bearable enough. Only two more sessions to go, and we'll see how it is then. That Helen is a miracle worker indeed.
Anne Brooke
A Dangerous Man gained a 4-star review at Goodreads so many thanks, Tizi, for that. You can also now listen to the radio review of A Dangerous Man at Venture Radio UK - the recording is towards the top of the page, so I hope you enjoy the listen!
Much to my delight, The Bones of Summer rose rapidly up and found itself at Number 2 in the Amazon UK gay & lesbian charts, so that was very heartening really.
And at Vulpes Libris you can find my review of Graham Sclater's We're Gonna Be Famous, a lively and enjoyable children's book which shows beyond all doubt that music really can save a life.
Meditations today are:
Meditation 486
The object you love
is the object
you become:
a fine truth,
if it weren’t the same
for the object you hate.
Meditation 487
The gods of each land
may be silent
but they still remain
whispering in the leaves
or basking in the sunlight
of a lion’s roar.
Life News:
I was up in London last night having drinks and a really wonderful curry with Jane W, so it was great to catch up after Christmas and New Year. But, my goodness, the Big City was rather busy, or at least the train back certainly was - I had to stand all the way to Woking, which was highly unusual. Don't these people have homes to go to?...
This morning, I've popped in to see my former neighbour also now in Woking (all roads do indeed lead to that vast metropolis of culture this week), and we had a good chat about all the other neighbours (as you do), travel and tea. The ideal combination indeed.
And the physio's going well. I can now do everything with my arm (hurrah!) though it does ache fairly continuously at a relatively low level so it's bearable enough. Only two more sessions to go, and we'll see how it is then. That Helen is a miracle worker indeed.
Anne Brooke
Sunday, January 16, 2011
House hunting can be murder ...
Book News:
I'm happy to say that A Dangerous Man received a 5-star review at Goodreads - many thanks for the comments, Lucy. And I'm also about to fax back the contract for A Woman Like the Sea to Untreed Reads, so I'm looking forward to that one being published next month.
My most recent meditation is:
Meditation 485
Best to keep silent
and pay
before the danger
of words
brings you to the dark
where all you can do
is pray.
And there are two Sunday haikus this week:
Pale lily flower,
how you delight in the warmth
of the mighty sun.
All ladders should be
pale pink with hints of glitter
climbing to the stars.
Life News:
Marian and I managed to get in some practice on the golf range on Friday as rain stopped proper play - but it was good to see how my arm coped with thirty minutes of swinging (as it were). Answer: pretty okay really, though it ached slightly afterwards for a while. Still, it looks hopeful for getting out next Friday and actually playing a game, weather dependent, and all the more so as in an actual game I'm not using the arm as constantly as I was on the range.
Yesterday, K and I viewed some more houses, but weren't terribly impressed with the gardens, all in all. We also drove past (several times) a really nice one that we hadn't arranged a viewing for and where the garden was lovely - so on getting home, I was all set to contact the estate agent, but luckily K did a Google search on it to find out some more, as he is inclined (thankfully!) to do, and we discovered that two years ago, the house-owner murdered his live-in girlfriend for having an affair with her boss, and then set fire to the house in order to cover up his tracks, whilst leading their two children to safety. Goodness me, but it's scary here in the shires - and no, I do not want to live in a house where that's happened so recently, call me a wimp but there it is! So my phone call to the agent was never made and certainly won't be now, garden or no garden.
Yesterday evening, we had a lovely dinner and catch-up with Liz & friends, and talked for ages, resulting in us not getting home until gone 2am. So my plans for church today have been thwarted by the need for a lie-in and a lazy day, which I am thoroughly enjoying. There's Primeval and QI from yesterday's TV to catch up on too, plus Larkrise and Zen tonight - this is the life, you know ...
Anne Brooke
I'm happy to say that A Dangerous Man received a 5-star review at Goodreads - many thanks for the comments, Lucy. And I'm also about to fax back the contract for A Woman Like the Sea to Untreed Reads, so I'm looking forward to that one being published next month.
My most recent meditation is:
Meditation 485
Best to keep silent
and pay
before the danger
of words
brings you to the dark
where all you can do
is pray.
And there are two Sunday haikus this week:
Pale lily flower,
how you delight in the warmth
of the mighty sun.
All ladders should be
pale pink with hints of glitter
climbing to the stars.
Life News:
Marian and I managed to get in some practice on the golf range on Friday as rain stopped proper play - but it was good to see how my arm coped with thirty minutes of swinging (as it were). Answer: pretty okay really, though it ached slightly afterwards for a while. Still, it looks hopeful for getting out next Friday and actually playing a game, weather dependent, and all the more so as in an actual game I'm not using the arm as constantly as I was on the range.
Yesterday, K and I viewed some more houses, but weren't terribly impressed with the gardens, all in all. We also drove past (several times) a really nice one that we hadn't arranged a viewing for and where the garden was lovely - so on getting home, I was all set to contact the estate agent, but luckily K did a Google search on it to find out some more, as he is inclined (thankfully!) to do, and we discovered that two years ago, the house-owner murdered his live-in girlfriend for having an affair with her boss, and then set fire to the house in order to cover up his tracks, whilst leading their two children to safety. Goodness me, but it's scary here in the shires - and no, I do not want to live in a house where that's happened so recently, call me a wimp but there it is! So my phone call to the agent was never made and certainly won't be now, garden or no garden.
Yesterday evening, we had a lovely dinner and catch-up with Liz & friends, and talked for ages, resulting in us not getting home until gone 2am. So my plans for church today have been thwarted by the need for a lie-in and a lazy day, which I am thoroughly enjoying. There's Primeval and QI from yesterday's TV to catch up on too, plus Larkrise and Zen tonight - this is the life, you know ...
Anne Brooke
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Radio fame and a riot of reviews
Book News:
I was bowled over last night with a review of A Dangerous Man which was broadcast on Venture Radio UK as part of their John Peters Show, which has a monthly book review slot. Honestly I was sobbing with delight whilst huddled with K round my computer listening in. Never say I'm not professional, eh ... Ho ho. Really it's almost like being a proper writer. Anyway, huge thanks to the lovely Graham Sclater who was kind enough to give the book such a positive review - many thanks indeed, Graham! I'm told that I'll get the link to the review over the next couple of weeks or thereabouts so will post it here when I can. Gosh indeedy.
Other news on A Dangerous Man is that it's gained a 4-star review at Goodreads (thank you, Erin) and in addition shortened versions of both Erin's and Graham's reviews can be found at the Amazon Kindle entry.
Not to be outdone, The Delaneys and Me gained a 5-star review at Goodreads, so thank you, Sidney, for your comments.
Meanwhile, I'm carrying on with The Executioner's Cane and have, much to my surprise, found a new plot twist which I think will help carry me through to the end. Here's hoping anyhow. And I've sent back the final galley proofs for Brady's Choice to Amber Allure Press, and the first edits for Rosie By Name to Bluewood Publishing, so I'm keeping busy, hurrah. We don't like any slacking here in the shires. So much so that I've spent some time fighting womanfully with the computer and attempting to reorganise the website listing of my GLBT Stories into some kind of order and I hope it lasts for a while. Because goodness me but that was a late night ...
Today at Vulpes Libris, you can find my review of E Lynn Harris' In My Father's House, in which I do battle with the Beautiful People and live to tell the tale - possibly ...
Meditations so far this week are:
Meditation 482
Men plot and plan,
lay siege to cities,
imprison and kill
whilst women wait
silently in the shadows,
enduring war still.
Meditation 483
When all is finished
amongst the dead,
a whisper of hope
remains as shadow,
unsaid.
Meditation 484
All the silver and gold
in the land
cannot wipe away
the blood and shadows
staining the earth
and for him
there is no road
to rebirth.
Life News:
I have a life? Who'd have thought it ... Anyway, it was the first complete week of work after Christmas this week and I think I survived well enough, hurrah. Actually it is nice to get back into a routine - there's safety in structure, don't you know. And I think we're reaching slowly towards the final few of my physio sessions to get my arm back to full and functioning form (hmm, nice alliteration there, methinks ...). It's been aching more in general this week, which is probably due to getting back to work properly, but nothing too bad, thank goodness. It will be interesting to see how it is if I get to play golf tomorrow - that will be a real test for sure.
The marvellous news of the week though is that Ruth at work got her Accountancy exam results back and got 68%, well gosh and yes we all knew she would do well even though she wasn't confident! I am so pleased about it that I spent several minutes screaming with joy at the email which she kindly sent me today, and then just had to ring her up at work and do some more screaming. All rather startling for the neighbours, and certainly for Ruth. But huge congratulations anyway. It's a fabulous achievement.
Anne Brooke
I was bowled over last night with a review of A Dangerous Man which was broadcast on Venture Radio UK as part of their John Peters Show, which has a monthly book review slot. Honestly I was sobbing with delight whilst huddled with K round my computer listening in. Never say I'm not professional, eh ... Ho ho. Really it's almost like being a proper writer. Anyway, huge thanks to the lovely Graham Sclater who was kind enough to give the book such a positive review - many thanks indeed, Graham! I'm told that I'll get the link to the review over the next couple of weeks or thereabouts so will post it here when I can. Gosh indeedy.
Other news on A Dangerous Man is that it's gained a 4-star review at Goodreads (thank you, Erin) and in addition shortened versions of both Erin's and Graham's reviews can be found at the Amazon Kindle entry.
Not to be outdone, The Delaneys and Me gained a 5-star review at Goodreads, so thank you, Sidney, for your comments.
Meanwhile, I'm carrying on with The Executioner's Cane and have, much to my surprise, found a new plot twist which I think will help carry me through to the end. Here's hoping anyhow. And I've sent back the final galley proofs for Brady's Choice to Amber Allure Press, and the first edits for Rosie By Name to Bluewood Publishing, so I'm keeping busy, hurrah. We don't like any slacking here in the shires. So much so that I've spent some time fighting womanfully with the computer and attempting to reorganise the website listing of my GLBT Stories into some kind of order and I hope it lasts for a while. Because goodness me but that was a late night ...
Today at Vulpes Libris, you can find my review of E Lynn Harris' In My Father's House, in which I do battle with the Beautiful People and live to tell the tale - possibly ...
Meditations so far this week are:
Meditation 482
Men plot and plan,
lay siege to cities,
imprison and kill
whilst women wait
silently in the shadows,
enduring war still.
Meditation 483
When all is finished
amongst the dead,
a whisper of hope
remains as shadow,
unsaid.
Meditation 484
All the silver and gold
in the land
cannot wipe away
the blood and shadows
staining the earth
and for him
there is no road
to rebirth.
Life News:
I have a life? Who'd have thought it ... Anyway, it was the first complete week of work after Christmas this week and I think I survived well enough, hurrah. Actually it is nice to get back into a routine - there's safety in structure, don't you know. And I think we're reaching slowly towards the final few of my physio sessions to get my arm back to full and functioning form (hmm, nice alliteration there, methinks ...). It's been aching more in general this week, which is probably due to getting back to work properly, but nothing too bad, thank goodness. It will be interesting to see how it is if I get to play golf tomorrow - that will be a real test for sure.
The marvellous news of the week though is that Ruth at work got her Accountancy exam results back and got 68%, well gosh and yes we all knew she would do well even though she wasn't confident! I am so pleased about it that I spent several minutes screaming with joy at the email which she kindly sent me today, and then just had to ring her up at work and do some more screaming. All rather startling for the neighbours, and certainly for Ruth. But huge congratulations anyway. It's a fabulous achievement.
Anne Brooke
Sunday, January 09, 2011
Candles, quakers and lesbian romance
Book News:
I'm really pleased to say that A Dangerous Man gained a lovely 5-star review at Goodreads, so many thanks for that, Lisa. I was particularly touched by the comment at the end that:
"A Dangerous Man is a taut psychological thriller that one doesn’t necessarily consume as much as savor. It is too rich and satisfying to finish quickly."
That certainly made me smile. In the meantime, Creative Accountancy for Beginners briefly appeared at No 57 in the Amazon UK Kindle charts, so that was a nice boost too. And, after a month away from it, I have written an extra 2000 words of The Executioner's Cane - and my goodness what a horrendous struggle the first thousand words were. Like climbing a mountain with no oxygen mask and a broken leg. Though why a mountain would need an oxygen mask or indeed legs is anyone's guess, ho ho. Not a pleasant experience then ... Anyway, I'm not sure how good those newly written sections are but at least I have some glimmer of a notion as to where it's all going and as to how Annyeke and Simon might possibly make it all come right. I think the Great Library of Gathandria might even have a part to play, but at this stage nothing's set in stone.
I'm also thrilled to say that Untreed Reads has accepted my literary lesbian romance, A Woman Like The Sea, for publication early this year, so I'm very happy indeed about that. Strangely, it's a story that started out, a few years back, as a heterosexual story but there was something not quite right about it, I couldn't make it work and I've been dissatisfied with it ever since. Last month I looked at it again and thought maybe it would be a lot better, and certainly a lot crisper, if my lead character was a woman. I started rewriting it in that way and the whole thing came together in my head. Ah how astonishing it is when that happens with a story, especially one I feel I've been failing at for so long. Miracles do indeed occur! It's interesting too how I get more responses to announcements about my literary lesbian fiction than I do about all my other fiction put together - perhaps that's the way to go then? ... Certainly, at the moment anyway, I have a few ideas about a lesbian detective story once the Gathandrian Trilogy is finally completed (ye gods, will there ever be such a time?? Seems like a distant mirage, you know!), but we'll see.
Back at Vulpes Libris, you can see what's coming up this week, a mix that includes some interesting confessions, dating for book lovers, and the Beautiful People, so it'll be well worth a visit during your week - promise!
This post's meditations are:
Meditation 480
The feel of silver
between the fingers,
the glitter, the fizz
of it as it slides
seductive as sin
over the skin.
What you could do
with it, the men
you could manipulate,
the history you could change.
Meditation 481
A muddle of names,
dates and facts
bamboozles my memory.
I only hope
God is keeping count
somehow.
The Sunday haiku is:
In this quiet night
stars are messengers of time
and bright memory.
Life News:
I've had a happy dentist experience (hurrah!) when I went to get a filling done on Friday morning, as the usual receptionist and dentist were there, and they're just lovely, so made me feel human again, thank you both! I actually had a very enjoyable time - which is strange to say when you're getting a filling done, for sure - and my teeth are now perfect, hurrah. However, I missed the marvellous Margaret who also makes it all worthwhile but who wasn't working that day, alas, and will have to catch up properly next time. With or without a mouth full of dental implements ...
Yesterday, K and I had lunch at Secretts restaurant in Godalming, which was great and we then wandered around looking at plants. I bought a poinsettia and some extra treats for the orchid, eg orchid food spray and some nice-looking butterfly clips for its stem. Hmm, how girly I am today - is it the lack of drugs? .... However we couldn't find any Yankee Candles, which I was really wanting, but we popped in to another garden centre in Woking and I now have the four candles (or fork handles, though I suspect you have to be British to get that classic and glorious comedy reference ...) I was looking for, hurrah.
This morning, I've had a very enjoyable time being quiet with the Quakers in Godalming. It's a couple of years since I've been but there's something about it that keeps drawing me back, now and then. I think this year I'm going to try to go more often, maybe once a month or so. Talking with the rest of them afterwards was good too - something I thought I'd never say, seeing how much I hate the post-service coffee zone, but actually the conversation was interesting and meant something and wasn't the usual remarks about the weather or traffic that people seem to stay with. On the other hand, perhaps I was simply in the mood to listen more, rather than being stressed out by the concept of socialising - now there's a thought.
Mind you, the obstacles that arose during my attempts to get to the Meeting at all were fun, um not - my face powder somehow managed to explode all over the sink and bathroom tiles, and I had to get the bathroom cleaner out to make it look normal again. Then when I reached the car, running slightly late, someone had broken my wing mirror so I had to go back to the flat to get K's car keys and take his instead. Ah the joys of Sunday morning, eh. Still, K has mended the wing mirror now (what a hero!) and I'll pick up some more face powder during the week, so all is not entirely doom and gloom in the shires. Gosh, how calm I sound - must the be Quakers' influence - or have I been swopped for a nice, cheery alien? Who can tell ...
Anne Brooke
I'm really pleased to say that A Dangerous Man gained a lovely 5-star review at Goodreads, so many thanks for that, Lisa. I was particularly touched by the comment at the end that:
"A Dangerous Man is a taut psychological thriller that one doesn’t necessarily consume as much as savor. It is too rich and satisfying to finish quickly."
That certainly made me smile. In the meantime, Creative Accountancy for Beginners briefly appeared at No 57 in the Amazon UK Kindle charts, so that was a nice boost too. And, after a month away from it, I have written an extra 2000 words of The Executioner's Cane - and my goodness what a horrendous struggle the first thousand words were. Like climbing a mountain with no oxygen mask and a broken leg. Though why a mountain would need an oxygen mask or indeed legs is anyone's guess, ho ho. Not a pleasant experience then ... Anyway, I'm not sure how good those newly written sections are but at least I have some glimmer of a notion as to where it's all going and as to how Annyeke and Simon might possibly make it all come right. I think the Great Library of Gathandria might even have a part to play, but at this stage nothing's set in stone.
I'm also thrilled to say that Untreed Reads has accepted my literary lesbian romance, A Woman Like The Sea, for publication early this year, so I'm very happy indeed about that. Strangely, it's a story that started out, a few years back, as a heterosexual story but there was something not quite right about it, I couldn't make it work and I've been dissatisfied with it ever since. Last month I looked at it again and thought maybe it would be a lot better, and certainly a lot crisper, if my lead character was a woman. I started rewriting it in that way and the whole thing came together in my head. Ah how astonishing it is when that happens with a story, especially one I feel I've been failing at for so long. Miracles do indeed occur! It's interesting too how I get more responses to announcements about my literary lesbian fiction than I do about all my other fiction put together - perhaps that's the way to go then? ... Certainly, at the moment anyway, I have a few ideas about a lesbian detective story once the Gathandrian Trilogy is finally completed (ye gods, will there ever be such a time?? Seems like a distant mirage, you know!), but we'll see.
Back at Vulpes Libris, you can see what's coming up this week, a mix that includes some interesting confessions, dating for book lovers, and the Beautiful People, so it'll be well worth a visit during your week - promise!
This post's meditations are:
Meditation 480
The feel of silver
between the fingers,
the glitter, the fizz
of it as it slides
seductive as sin
over the skin.
What you could do
with it, the men
you could manipulate,
the history you could change.
Meditation 481
A muddle of names,
dates and facts
bamboozles my memory.
I only hope
God is keeping count
somehow.
The Sunday haiku is:
In this quiet night
stars are messengers of time
and bright memory.
Life News:
I've had a happy dentist experience (hurrah!) when I went to get a filling done on Friday morning, as the usual receptionist and dentist were there, and they're just lovely, so made me feel human again, thank you both! I actually had a very enjoyable time - which is strange to say when you're getting a filling done, for sure - and my teeth are now perfect, hurrah. However, I missed the marvellous Margaret who also makes it all worthwhile but who wasn't working that day, alas, and will have to catch up properly next time. With or without a mouth full of dental implements ...
Yesterday, K and I had lunch at Secretts restaurant in Godalming, which was great and we then wandered around looking at plants. I bought a poinsettia and some extra treats for the orchid, eg orchid food spray and some nice-looking butterfly clips for its stem. Hmm, how girly I am today - is it the lack of drugs? .... However we couldn't find any Yankee Candles, which I was really wanting, but we popped in to another garden centre in Woking and I now have the four candles (or fork handles, though I suspect you have to be British to get that classic and glorious comedy reference ...) I was looking for, hurrah.
This morning, I've had a very enjoyable time being quiet with the Quakers in Godalming. It's a couple of years since I've been but there's something about it that keeps drawing me back, now and then. I think this year I'm going to try to go more often, maybe once a month or so. Talking with the rest of them afterwards was good too - something I thought I'd never say, seeing how much I hate the post-service coffee zone, but actually the conversation was interesting and meant something and wasn't the usual remarks about the weather or traffic that people seem to stay with. On the other hand, perhaps I was simply in the mood to listen more, rather than being stressed out by the concept of socialising - now there's a thought.
Mind you, the obstacles that arose during my attempts to get to the Meeting at all were fun, um not - my face powder somehow managed to explode all over the sink and bathroom tiles, and I had to get the bathroom cleaner out to make it look normal again. Then when I reached the car, running slightly late, someone had broken my wing mirror so I had to go back to the flat to get K's car keys and take his instead. Ah the joys of Sunday morning, eh. Still, K has mended the wing mirror now (what a hero!) and I'll pick up some more face powder during the week, so all is not entirely doom and gloom in the shires. Gosh, how calm I sound - must the be Quakers' influence - or have I been swopped for a nice, cheery alien? Who can tell ...
Anne Brooke
Thursday, January 06, 2011
Discounts, dentists and danger
Book News:
For a brief but happy time, A Dangerous Man found itself at No 77 in the Amazon US Kindle charts, but it's not used to those dizzy heights so it's not there now, ah well. Other amazing news is that I have received my first ever royalties for this novel from Cheyenne Publishing (the book's previous outing with another publisher I cannot mention will remain ... um ... unmentioned ...), so thank you, Mark, for that. Hurrah!
I'm also pleased that The Girl in the Painting was the No 2 International Bestseller in December for Untreed Reads, so that's heartening news too. And, not to be outdone, the 25% discount on my Amber Allure books is still in place until Saturday 8 January, so there's still sale shopping time.
Meanwhile, I've finished the publisher edits for The Gifting and have sent those back to be put into the proofreading process. And I've made some formatting changes to Hallsfoot's Battle ready to send them to my second lovely independent editor. Well, she made such a wonderful job of the edits and the blurb for The Gifting prior to submitting that novel to places that I really hope she's got time for the second in the Gathandrian Trilogy also. Good editing makes such a difference, so much so that I go through one consultancy stage and two independent editing stages before I even think of submitting a novel anywhere. Never say I don't take writing seriously, eh!
And at Vulpes Libris today, you can find my review of Yasutaka Tsutsui's picaresque novel, The Maid, which is definitely worth a read and a fascinating addition to my list of Japanese novels in translation.
This week's meditations are:
Meditation 477
All your history
written on
your skin:
the grief, pain
and shadows that let
the hope come in.
Meditation 478
What man abandons
is left to God
to finish
and in the beginning
is already written
the end.
Meditation 479
When you’ve killed once
anything
is possible
but nothing you do
will bring back
that life again.
Life News:
Back at work this week, which is always a shock. Really, I think my true vocation is not being at work, but there you go. Though actually it wasn't as fearsome as I'd been dreading, but of course it's been a shorter week, so let's see how things go when the real week kicks in next week ... Mind you, the Dean brought chocolates in to keep us all going, so gains at least ten Dean Points for that generous act. We definitely needed it.
Today, I've started off my year with glittery teeth as my rescheduled appointment (due to weather and the frozen shoulder crises) was this lunchtime. I was a bit peed off though as I turned up twenty minutes early as usual but they wouldn't let me in as they close between 12 and 1pm (which I didn't realise), and my appointment was at 1pm. Not a problem usually, as they are charmingly old-fashioned, but it would have been nice if when I'd attempted to get in the locked door, someone had at least come to chat to me, apologise and ask me to come back at 1pm. But no - they were sitting in the waiting room having their lunches, from where they could all see me (shivering and soaked through with the rain, btw ...), they all turned round to stare, but nobody smiled and nobody got up, and then they just all turned round and went back to eating and chatting again, which I thought was rather on the rude side of rude, really. Seeing as I pay privately for treatment, a modicum of customer service would have been nice! So I trudged back to the car feeling sad and rejected (cue violin music ...), from where I then decided to walk to the nearby garage to get a sandwich, and as a result got more soaked by cars/buses going through puddles on the way, and then came back to sit in my car till the magical hour of 1pm turned up.
Once inside, I did make my point clear to the unfamiliar dentist who happened to be on Reception, but she didn't seem greatly interested, and she didn't apologise but just pointed out to me that the sign on the door said they closed for lunch. Hmmm, not the pleasant attitude I'd been hoping for then - especially as I wasn't querying the sign, but just the staff response. Ah well. Hell, if I'd been in their position, I would have at least got up and been nice when I saw a customer trying to get in. I would probably have let said customer in too, and sod the rules, just to get them out of the cold and damp - but perhaps it's me that's the old-fashioned one these days? With all that, I didn't make much conversation with the hygienist (who was, I think, one of the ones who'd ignored me in the first place), and just grunted when asked questions. Because, when it comes to discourtesy to someone who's not a customer, I of course am the Queen of the Art, ho ho. Still, at least I have shiny teeth. Perhaps when I go tomorrow - for a filling this time; Lordy, what fun my week is proving to be! - my teeth will be so dang shiny that the nice dentist I actually know might let me in without argument. At least I'm not going at lunchtime though!
I also had some difficulty when at my physio appointment this afternoon as I was trying to check whether I'd come to the right place (as the physio has other locations in the area she goes to as well), but the surgery receptionist kept trying to send me away to sit down as she said she didn't have a list from the physio today. Which wasn't actually the question I was trying to find the answer to. Seeing as I am of course a calm and loving individual full of the milk of human kindness, I did not collapse to the floor weeping and kicking my legs - though it was tempting - but just asked again until the receptionist finally understood what I was getting at. I did a lot of smiling too - good teeth, you see - so I hope to get my reward in heaven, one day. And at least I was allowed to be inside.
Anne Brooke
For a brief but happy time, A Dangerous Man found itself at No 77 in the Amazon US Kindle charts, but it's not used to those dizzy heights so it's not there now, ah well. Other amazing news is that I have received my first ever royalties for this novel from Cheyenne Publishing (the book's previous outing with another publisher I cannot mention will remain ... um ... unmentioned ...), so thank you, Mark, for that. Hurrah!
I'm also pleased that The Girl in the Painting was the No 2 International Bestseller in December for Untreed Reads, so that's heartening news too. And, not to be outdone, the 25% discount on my Amber Allure books is still in place until Saturday 8 January, so there's still sale shopping time.
Meanwhile, I've finished the publisher edits for The Gifting and have sent those back to be put into the proofreading process. And I've made some formatting changes to Hallsfoot's Battle ready to send them to my second lovely independent editor. Well, she made such a wonderful job of the edits and the blurb for The Gifting prior to submitting that novel to places that I really hope she's got time for the second in the Gathandrian Trilogy also. Good editing makes such a difference, so much so that I go through one consultancy stage and two independent editing stages before I even think of submitting a novel anywhere. Never say I don't take writing seriously, eh!
And at Vulpes Libris today, you can find my review of Yasutaka Tsutsui's picaresque novel, The Maid, which is definitely worth a read and a fascinating addition to my list of Japanese novels in translation.
This week's meditations are:
Meditation 477
All your history
written on
your skin:
the grief, pain
and shadows that let
the hope come in.
Meditation 478
What man abandons
is left to God
to finish
and in the beginning
is already written
the end.
Meditation 479
When you’ve killed once
anything
is possible
but nothing you do
will bring back
that life again.
Life News:
Back at work this week, which is always a shock. Really, I think my true vocation is not being at work, but there you go. Though actually it wasn't as fearsome as I'd been dreading, but of course it's been a shorter week, so let's see how things go when the real week kicks in next week ... Mind you, the Dean brought chocolates in to keep us all going, so gains at least ten Dean Points for that generous act. We definitely needed it.
Today, I've started off my year with glittery teeth as my rescheduled appointment (due to weather and the frozen shoulder crises) was this lunchtime. I was a bit peed off though as I turned up twenty minutes early as usual but they wouldn't let me in as they close between 12 and 1pm (which I didn't realise), and my appointment was at 1pm. Not a problem usually, as they are charmingly old-fashioned, but it would have been nice if when I'd attempted to get in the locked door, someone had at least come to chat to me, apologise and ask me to come back at 1pm. But no - they were sitting in the waiting room having their lunches, from where they could all see me (shivering and soaked through with the rain, btw ...), they all turned round to stare, but nobody smiled and nobody got up, and then they just all turned round and went back to eating and chatting again, which I thought was rather on the rude side of rude, really. Seeing as I pay privately for treatment, a modicum of customer service would have been nice! So I trudged back to the car feeling sad and rejected (cue violin music ...), from where I then decided to walk to the nearby garage to get a sandwich, and as a result got more soaked by cars/buses going through puddles on the way, and then came back to sit in my car till the magical hour of 1pm turned up.
Once inside, I did make my point clear to the unfamiliar dentist who happened to be on Reception, but she didn't seem greatly interested, and she didn't apologise but just pointed out to me that the sign on the door said they closed for lunch. Hmmm, not the pleasant attitude I'd been hoping for then - especially as I wasn't querying the sign, but just the staff response. Ah well. Hell, if I'd been in their position, I would have at least got up and been nice when I saw a customer trying to get in. I would probably have let said customer in too, and sod the rules, just to get them out of the cold and damp - but perhaps it's me that's the old-fashioned one these days? With all that, I didn't make much conversation with the hygienist (who was, I think, one of the ones who'd ignored me in the first place), and just grunted when asked questions. Because, when it comes to discourtesy to someone who's not a customer, I of course am the Queen of the Art, ho ho. Still, at least I have shiny teeth. Perhaps when I go tomorrow - for a filling this time; Lordy, what fun my week is proving to be! - my teeth will be so dang shiny that the nice dentist I actually know might let me in without argument. At least I'm not going at lunchtime though!
I also had some difficulty when at my physio appointment this afternoon as I was trying to check whether I'd come to the right place (as the physio has other locations in the area she goes to as well), but the surgery receptionist kept trying to send me away to sit down as she said she didn't have a list from the physio today. Which wasn't actually the question I was trying to find the answer to. Seeing as I am of course a calm and loving individual full of the milk of human kindness, I did not collapse to the floor weeping and kicking my legs - though it was tempting - but just asked again until the receptionist finally understood what I was getting at. I did a lot of smiling too - good teeth, you see - so I hope to get my reward in heaven, one day. And at least I was allowed to be inside.
Anne Brooke
Sunday, January 02, 2011
Books, plants and trains
Book News:
I'm happy to say that both Vulpes Libris and I have been shortlisted in two separate categories for the Book Blogger Book Awards, and there's still time to vote, so all support greatly appreciated! Vulpes is in the Best Literature Blogger category and you can find me in the Best Author's Blog section. The "submit" button appears at the very bottom of the lists once you've ticked some, just in case you're wondering, as we were. Nice to be in such good company for sure.
Much to my surprise and delight, The Girl in the Painting has received its first official review, with some very thoughtful 4-star comments appearing at Three Dollar Bill Reviews - many thanks indeed, Emily, and I will be writing more of these literary feminist shorts in the future, I hope. Not to be outdone, A Dangerous Man gained a brief 4-star review at Goodreads, so many thanks, Alli, for those comments also.
For today, and possibly tomorrow also, you can get 25% discount off all my Amber Allure books so there's still time for that essential New Year bargain shopping experience. Go on, you know you want to!... And I'm continuing with the publisher edits for The Gifting so hope to get that finished within the next week or so. All things being equal.
Today's meditation is:
Meditation 476
Surely this punishment
will not last
for long
and better days
will rise once more:
may this be
our song.
And the Sunday haiku is:
This winter morning
begin the year with haiku:
my seasonal vow.
Life News:
Frankly I'm very glad to see the back of 2010. The last section of it has on the whole been quite nasty and difficult, and good riddance to it is what I say. I hope 2011 is better, the main thing being getting out of the flat and away from our tricksy middle neighbours. That's my aim for this spring and I really want to be out of it all by Easter or I may well run mad. You have been warned. Anyway, I'm trying not to think of it too much as it just makes me really upset, angry and depressed, and I don't want to go there too ruddy often really, not so early on in the year. Deep sigh.
Nicer news for this week is that K and I enjoyed our trip to Kew Gardens, though the broccoli soup was rather overwhelming, I must say. We left half of it and consoled ourselves with cake. As you do. We've also bought an orchid, a hyacinth and an African violet so at least there's something nice in the flat apart from ourselves.
And today we've had a great time with Peter & Sue (hello, both!) trundling up and down the Watercress Line and indulging ourselves with ham, egg & chips (bliss ...). Great to catch up, though I'm not convinced the photos will show any degree of sanity amongst us. Ah, the slow pace of life is definitely the best one.
Anne Brooke
I'm happy to say that both Vulpes Libris and I have been shortlisted in two separate categories for the Book Blogger Book Awards, and there's still time to vote, so all support greatly appreciated! Vulpes is in the Best Literature Blogger category and you can find me in the Best Author's Blog section. The "submit" button appears at the very bottom of the lists once you've ticked some, just in case you're wondering, as we were. Nice to be in such good company for sure.
Much to my surprise and delight, The Girl in the Painting has received its first official review, with some very thoughtful 4-star comments appearing at Three Dollar Bill Reviews - many thanks indeed, Emily, and I will be writing more of these literary feminist shorts in the future, I hope. Not to be outdone, A Dangerous Man gained a brief 4-star review at Goodreads, so many thanks, Alli, for those comments also.
For today, and possibly tomorrow also, you can get 25% discount off all my Amber Allure books so there's still time for that essential New Year bargain shopping experience. Go on, you know you want to!... And I'm continuing with the publisher edits for The Gifting so hope to get that finished within the next week or so. All things being equal.
Today's meditation is:
Meditation 476
Surely this punishment
will not last
for long
and better days
will rise once more:
may this be
our song.
And the Sunday haiku is:
This winter morning
begin the year with haiku:
my seasonal vow.
Life News:
Frankly I'm very glad to see the back of 2010. The last section of it has on the whole been quite nasty and difficult, and good riddance to it is what I say. I hope 2011 is better, the main thing being getting out of the flat and away from our tricksy middle neighbours. That's my aim for this spring and I really want to be out of it all by Easter or I may well run mad. You have been warned. Anyway, I'm trying not to think of it too much as it just makes me really upset, angry and depressed, and I don't want to go there too ruddy often really, not so early on in the year. Deep sigh.
Nicer news for this week is that K and I enjoyed our trip to Kew Gardens, though the broccoli soup was rather overwhelming, I must say. We left half of it and consoled ourselves with cake. As you do. We've also bought an orchid, a hyacinth and an African violet so at least there's something nice in the flat apart from ourselves.
And today we've had a great time with Peter & Sue (hello, both!) trundling up and down the Watercress Line and indulging ourselves with ham, egg & chips (bliss ...). Great to catch up, though I'm not convinced the photos will show any degree of sanity amongst us. Ah, the slow pace of life is definitely the best one.
Anne Brooke
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Gardens, glasses and angst
Book News:
Much to my surprise, A Dangerous Man briefly found itself at No 25 in the Amazon UK charts, so that was nice. In addition, The Hit List gained a 5-star review at Goodreads, so many thanks for that, Chris - much appreciated.
On the sales front, there's 25% off all my Untreed Reads titles until the end of the year, so shop early shop often, and start your New Year with a bang. As it were.
Only one meditation this week as I slowly slowly get back into the habit again, and here it is:
Meditation 475
Sometimes the best victory
and the one
you remember
is simply to outlive
the one
you hate.
Life News:
A bit of an up-and-down week really. We've had a lot of nice outings, including visiting The Egyptian Book of the Dead exhibition at the British Museum, which is well worth it especially if you're into death rituals and bodies, as I am. We also enjoyed seeing the Lewis chessmen, which are wonderful - much smaller than I thought they'd be (silly me, eh) but absolutely exquisite.
We've also visited Wakehurst Place in the fog, where the gardens were interesting but ... um ... foggy and we probably need to go back when we can actually see things. And today, we've had a lovely time at Savill Garden, which I love and which is just as beautiful in winter, with some amazing winter displays and trails, as it is in the summer. The shop's good too and I've finally managed to buy some decent new soapdishes, which I've been looking for for ages, and a nice big happy mug too. So I can aim to be happier in 2011, ho ho.
On the way back we popped into a garden centre to look for candles, and I managed to smash one of the displays and cut myself with glass whilst doing so. Good for me, eh. The staff were lovely though and I didn't have to pay for the chaos I caused, for which I am hugely grateful - it was probably the look of total shock and the blood dripping from the finger that brought out their compassionate side. Anyway, I've calmed down now, thank the Lord, and next time I want to look at anything breakable, I will get K to lift it up for me.
Meanwhile, I've also had another physio session and the frozen shoulder is definitely on the mend, though it makes itself known every now and then. And I've bought a really lovely winter coat in the sales at Debenhams, with which I am hugely happy.
This week's drama has been the Crisis of the Missing Glasses. I attempted to watch the Rolf Harris (I have a soft spot for dear old Rolf) art show last night and realised I couldn't find my tv watching/driving glasses anywhere. Cue frantic searching of the flat, weeping and sobbing (the latter two being mine, naturally). And cue recording of Rolf. I felt really stupid and assumed I'd somehow lost them in Guildford yesterday whilst meandering round the sales. So this morning I spend 45 minutes ringing round shops I can remember being in to see if they had found them. Everyone was really lovely but sadly no glasses. I then did some more weeping and rang the optician's to make an emergency appointment to get replacements. Bearing in mind you never know how long they're going to take and I do take a while choosing new ones anyway, I decided to chance it as it's only a short trip to Godalming and take the car in myself rather than make K wait around while I faffed about. I got in the car and there the buggers were!!! What joy and bliss abounding!!! You can't imagine the relief ... especially as I've just saved myself c£300 replacement costs, double hurrahs and put out the bunting.
Anyway, K has now made me put my phone number in both my reading and my "missing" glasses cases so if they do genuinely go astray at some point then I have a better chance of getting them back. And, when I rang the optician to cancel the appointment, they were hugely pleased that their long-distance customer service skills were as top-notch as ever, gawd bless 'em. How I love a happy ending.
As a result of all that, K and I have also had a discussion about how much of a stressed-out drama queen I'm becoming - though as he freely admits that when he first met me I was stressed-out and hugely unhappy way back then, then perhaps it's not as much of a shock to him as I always assume it is when I get myself in a state now. But I do think I'm getting much worse as I get older - is it my hormones?? Or perhaps the general lack of the sort of hopeful attitude I had twenty years ago that I most definitely don't have now? I'm sure I used to assume in my twenties that things would improve no matter how bad they were, whereas nowadays I just assume they'll probably get worse and I get very angry and frustrated about it. Lordy, what a delight I am to be with indeed ... Anyway, as a result of all this deep thought, I've bought myself an anger management book and a set of bible reading notes to start in January to see if that helps. I should also do more meditation too, I think, as I'm not really very committed to it these days, particularly as my church life went downhill earlier in the year. I'm wondering about going back to the gym too, maybe, as in the old old days beyond recall I used to get rid of a hell of a lot of steam there which helped with the aggression levels, but let's not get too over-enthusiastic. Bloody Rome wasn't built in a bloody day, eh. And I don't want to set myself up for too much personal failure before the year has even begun - there's plenty of time for that yet!
Happy New Year, in any case, to all.
Anne Brooke
Much to my surprise, A Dangerous Man briefly found itself at No 25 in the Amazon UK charts, so that was nice. In addition, The Hit List gained a 5-star review at Goodreads, so many thanks for that, Chris - much appreciated.
On the sales front, there's 25% off all my Untreed Reads titles until the end of the year, so shop early shop often, and start your New Year with a bang. As it were.
Only one meditation this week as I slowly slowly get back into the habit again, and here it is:
Meditation 475
Sometimes the best victory
and the one
you remember
is simply to outlive
the one
you hate.
Life News:
A bit of an up-and-down week really. We've had a lot of nice outings, including visiting The Egyptian Book of the Dead exhibition at the British Museum, which is well worth it especially if you're into death rituals and bodies, as I am. We also enjoyed seeing the Lewis chessmen, which are wonderful - much smaller than I thought they'd be (silly me, eh) but absolutely exquisite.
We've also visited Wakehurst Place in the fog, where the gardens were interesting but ... um ... foggy and we probably need to go back when we can actually see things. And today, we've had a lovely time at Savill Garden, which I love and which is just as beautiful in winter, with some amazing winter displays and trails, as it is in the summer. The shop's good too and I've finally managed to buy some decent new soapdishes, which I've been looking for for ages, and a nice big happy mug too. So I can aim to be happier in 2011, ho ho.
On the way back we popped into a garden centre to look for candles, and I managed to smash one of the displays and cut myself with glass whilst doing so. Good for me, eh. The staff were lovely though and I didn't have to pay for the chaos I caused, for which I am hugely grateful - it was probably the look of total shock and the blood dripping from the finger that brought out their compassionate side. Anyway, I've calmed down now, thank the Lord, and next time I want to look at anything breakable, I will get K to lift it up for me.
Meanwhile, I've also had another physio session and the frozen shoulder is definitely on the mend, though it makes itself known every now and then. And I've bought a really lovely winter coat in the sales at Debenhams, with which I am hugely happy.
This week's drama has been the Crisis of the Missing Glasses. I attempted to watch the Rolf Harris (I have a soft spot for dear old Rolf) art show last night and realised I couldn't find my tv watching/driving glasses anywhere. Cue frantic searching of the flat, weeping and sobbing (the latter two being mine, naturally). And cue recording of Rolf. I felt really stupid and assumed I'd somehow lost them in Guildford yesterday whilst meandering round the sales. So this morning I spend 45 minutes ringing round shops I can remember being in to see if they had found them. Everyone was really lovely but sadly no glasses. I then did some more weeping and rang the optician's to make an emergency appointment to get replacements. Bearing in mind you never know how long they're going to take and I do take a while choosing new ones anyway, I decided to chance it as it's only a short trip to Godalming and take the car in myself rather than make K wait around while I faffed about. I got in the car and there the buggers were!!! What joy and bliss abounding!!! You can't imagine the relief ... especially as I've just saved myself c£300 replacement costs, double hurrahs and put out the bunting.
Anyway, K has now made me put my phone number in both my reading and my "missing" glasses cases so if they do genuinely go astray at some point then I have a better chance of getting them back. And, when I rang the optician to cancel the appointment, they were hugely pleased that their long-distance customer service skills were as top-notch as ever, gawd bless 'em. How I love a happy ending.
As a result of all that, K and I have also had a discussion about how much of a stressed-out drama queen I'm becoming - though as he freely admits that when he first met me I was stressed-out and hugely unhappy way back then, then perhaps it's not as much of a shock to him as I always assume it is when I get myself in a state now. But I do think I'm getting much worse as I get older - is it my hormones?? Or perhaps the general lack of the sort of hopeful attitude I had twenty years ago that I most definitely don't have now? I'm sure I used to assume in my twenties that things would improve no matter how bad they were, whereas nowadays I just assume they'll probably get worse and I get very angry and frustrated about it. Lordy, what a delight I am to be with indeed ... Anyway, as a result of all this deep thought, I've bought myself an anger management book and a set of bible reading notes to start in January to see if that helps. I should also do more meditation too, I think, as I'm not really very committed to it these days, particularly as my church life went downhill earlier in the year. I'm wondering about going back to the gym too, maybe, as in the old old days beyond recall I used to get rid of a hell of a lot of steam there which helped with the aggression levels, but let's not get too over-enthusiastic. Bloody Rome wasn't built in a bloody day, eh. And I don't want to set myself up for too much personal failure before the year has even begun - there's plenty of time for that yet!
Happy New Year, in any case, to all.
Anne Brooke
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Christmas completed
Life News:
Well then, it's all over for another year and I have to say it's a relief. Only the aftermath to go now, though it's always nice to have holiday time, naturally. That said, Christmas hasn't been too bad this year - K and I had a nice relaxing day together yesterday, and the champagne was grand. I've never met a champagne I didn't like though. Pressies were wonderful and even my mother didn't provide her usual really strange present amongst the goodies, so I suspect she's been swopped for someone else, but Lord knows who. I was also thrilled when K came home after work on Friday bearing a bouquet of Christmas flowers. They look lovely and, believe me, I'm worth it.
The only present he didn't manage to get (and which he, bless him, drove all the way to Bracknell for on Friday) was a book on anger management I mentioned I wanted to get during the week. Well, these waves of pre-menopausal/pre-menstrual rage are getting quite debilitating for us all. There must be a solution somewhere. Though sadly, K didn't manage to get the book as when he finally got to the bookshop the one copy they had was reserved for someone else, dammit. He did admit he wondered briefly about whether he should burst into a fit of rage (so non-K ...) at the counter that he couldn't buy an anger management book but thought, probably wisely, that might well be an irony too far. Plus he was rather nervous about whether he should be getting his wife an anger book for Christmas at all. Sometimes failure can indeed be the best result! Ah well. I shall buy it online at some point.
In the meantime, we have graced the door of the church for the Christmas morning service, which went on rather too long for my liking (didn't they know we had a bottle of champers cooling nicely in the fridge and wanted to set it free??) and I have managed to stave off my potential cold, hurrah.
This morning, we have enjoyed a pleasant, if chilly, walk at Wisley and I'm slobbing this afternoon, big time. Bliss, on both fronts. Though it's very strange about the Wisley shop - it's so posh and lovely, and I leap in with every intention of buying something whenever we go but most times never actually do. It's probably outclassing my tastes, I fear.
Book News:
I am now about three-quarters of the way through the edits to The Gifting but am giving it a couple of days' break at the moment to catch my breath before 2011 comes upon us. Hope to finish going through it in early January.
I was also pleased to see that A Dangerous Man made it up to No 52 in the Amazon US Kindle charts on Christmas Eve, so that was a very nice surprise indeed. Makes Christmas almost worthwhile, don't you know, ho ho ho.
Anyway, here's a poem:
TV Heaven
Sunday nights
are for murder,
something cosy
with a hint of spice
to get your teeth into,
not gory enough to put you off
your cocoa and cake
but with enough blood
and interesting corpses
to give a certain zest
to the cheese and biscuits.
It’s an essential bridge
from the deep deep peace of the weekend
to the frantic hurly-burly
of the working week
so sit down, switch on
and don’t speak.
And the Sunday haiku (the last one of 2010!) is:
The sound of winter:
crackle of ice harmonised
with the grey dove's song.
Anne Brooke
Well then, it's all over for another year and I have to say it's a relief. Only the aftermath to go now, though it's always nice to have holiday time, naturally. That said, Christmas hasn't been too bad this year - K and I had a nice relaxing day together yesterday, and the champagne was grand. I've never met a champagne I didn't like though. Pressies were wonderful and even my mother didn't provide her usual really strange present amongst the goodies, so I suspect she's been swopped for someone else, but Lord knows who. I was also thrilled when K came home after work on Friday bearing a bouquet of Christmas flowers. They look lovely and, believe me, I'm worth it.
The only present he didn't manage to get (and which he, bless him, drove all the way to Bracknell for on Friday) was a book on anger management I mentioned I wanted to get during the week. Well, these waves of pre-menopausal/pre-menstrual rage are getting quite debilitating for us all. There must be a solution somewhere. Though sadly, K didn't manage to get the book as when he finally got to the bookshop the one copy they had was reserved for someone else, dammit. He did admit he wondered briefly about whether he should burst into a fit of rage (so non-K ...) at the counter that he couldn't buy an anger management book but thought, probably wisely, that might well be an irony too far. Plus he was rather nervous about whether he should be getting his wife an anger book for Christmas at all. Sometimes failure can indeed be the best result! Ah well. I shall buy it online at some point.
In the meantime, we have graced the door of the church for the Christmas morning service, which went on rather too long for my liking (didn't they know we had a bottle of champers cooling nicely in the fridge and wanted to set it free??) and I have managed to stave off my potential cold, hurrah.
This morning, we have enjoyed a pleasant, if chilly, walk at Wisley and I'm slobbing this afternoon, big time. Bliss, on both fronts. Though it's very strange about the Wisley shop - it's so posh and lovely, and I leap in with every intention of buying something whenever we go but most times never actually do. It's probably outclassing my tastes, I fear.
Book News:
I am now about three-quarters of the way through the edits to The Gifting but am giving it a couple of days' break at the moment to catch my breath before 2011 comes upon us. Hope to finish going through it in early January.
I was also pleased to see that A Dangerous Man made it up to No 52 in the Amazon US Kindle charts on Christmas Eve, so that was a very nice surprise indeed. Makes Christmas almost worthwhile, don't you know, ho ho ho.
Anyway, here's a poem:
TV Heaven
Sunday nights
are for murder,
something cosy
with a hint of spice
to get your teeth into,
not gory enough to put you off
your cocoa and cake
but with enough blood
and interesting corpses
to give a certain zest
to the cheese and biscuits.
It’s an essential bridge
from the deep deep peace of the weekend
to the frantic hurly-burly
of the working week
so sit down, switch on
and don’t speak.
And the Sunday haiku (the last one of 2010!) is:
The sound of winter:
crackle of ice harmonised
with the grey dove's song.
Anne Brooke
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Is it all over yet?...
Book News:
I've had a lovely and very thoughtful review of A Dangerous Man at Three Dollar Bill Reviews, so many thanks to Kassa for that.
In the meantime, I'm carrying on with the publisher edits for The Gifting and am now nearing the halfway mark, which is nice.
Life News:
I have to say I am now totally fed up with 2010, to be honest, and really wish it was over. Sorry to be the Bringer of Misery (ah, it's my habitual role, you know) but there it is. On the whole, it's not been a great ending to the year and for me it has most definitely outstayed its welcome.
Part of this is because illnesses are greatly abounding - though the frozen shoulder is considerably better now, thanks to the magic skills of my physio, Helen (may her name be praised). I can now raise my arm above my shoulder, hurrah, though moving it backwards is still beyond me. And I must also sing the praises of my TENS pain relief machine and the newly-discovered Deep Heat patches - which really really work, well gosh. However today I am coming down with a cold so am fully expecting snorting, coughing and wheezing to be the accompaniment to our Christmas guinea fowl and rum butter on Saturday (Lordy, but there's a combination for sure). Still, I am taking Lemsips and echinacea in the hope of fending off the inevitable.
The slightly surprising news is that I have discovered that if I have actual physical pain (such as the frozen shoulder), then I feel considerably less depressed. I can quite honestly say that during the first few days of FS I've never been mentally happier. Really, it was a great shock to me. On the other hand, now the FS is on the mend, I feel the customary gloom pouring in, and indeed yesterday evening was a real and serious downer, double groans and pass me the revolver. Back on a double dose of St John's Wort & Passion Flower, and today I feel marginally better, probably because I gave up totally on the day last night at 9pm and simply went to bed. So, the trick is to have a low level of real pain that is evident but not too debilitating and I am Ms. Sunshine herself. Dream on, eh.
Alongside all this, we had our first viewer of the flat this week - they were "very keen" apparently and would "definitely make an offer", according to the estate agent (ho ho, as if), and since then there's been silence. It now appears they don't like the outside stairs, and the estate agent (in the manner of all estate agents everywhere) is wrong. Now I can't believe I let myself fall even a little for the possibility of hope and I will certainly not be doing that again - it's part of what contributed to the serious meltdown of yesterday.
At the same time, Bellway Homes are getting very pushy indeed about our potential part-exchange situation and have been ringing us up every five minutes asking when they can send round yet another estate agent to give a PX value. Luckily they're on holiday now until next week so will not be pursuing us further for a while, and so I've left a message saying we're happy to sort another visit out in January when everyone's breathed after Christmas & the New Year again. Really, I have no idea what their sudden and frantic hurry is as the house of theirs we like isn't even built yet, for goodness sake. Plus I like to keep our options open just in case something better comes up (which they know) so have no intention of making any sort of final decision until at least the end of January. Ha! From now on I am no longer going to be super-nice (if indeed I ever was) but determined.
However, the overarching feeling about houses at the moment is that I really hate being in the flat and want to get out as soon as I can - like the year itself, our time here has way outstayed its welcome and I wish we'd got out sooner. If it gets to February and we have f**k all coming our way in terms of escape routes and Bellway are still playing silly devils with us, then quite frankly I'm out of here. If we have to sell this one later and live in a hovel until we do, then that is exactly what we'll do. A month ago, I didn't want to spend my birthday here, and now I'm damned if I have to spend Easter in the place. I really hate it and actually I really hate our absentee middle neighbours too. Thank God they don't actually live in the house.
Other delights of the season (ho, b****y ho) are this morning I had to go into Godalming to pay a cheque in to Santander Bank that I owe to my delightful absentee downstairs neighbours (hurrah, at least someone in the house is nice!). I must say Santander in Godalming wins the Grumpiest Staff of the Year award by a long way - they were really nasty to deal with and quite unforgivably rude to the customer in front of me too. Are they on drugs? Or maybe they should be ... Anyway it was an unpleasant experience all round and I'm just hugely glad I don't bank there. They're almost on par with Godalming Lloyds and that's saying something.
On a more positive note (at last!), I have wrapped all K's presents so am ready to fully ignore the Big Day on Saturday in the manner to which we have become accustomed over the last eighteen years. Somebody crack open the ruddy champagne already.
Happy Christmas and see you on the other side!
Anne Brooke
I've had a lovely and very thoughtful review of A Dangerous Man at Three Dollar Bill Reviews, so many thanks to Kassa for that.
In the meantime, I'm carrying on with the publisher edits for The Gifting and am now nearing the halfway mark, which is nice.
Life News:
I have to say I am now totally fed up with 2010, to be honest, and really wish it was over. Sorry to be the Bringer of Misery (ah, it's my habitual role, you know) but there it is. On the whole, it's not been a great ending to the year and for me it has most definitely outstayed its welcome.
Part of this is because illnesses are greatly abounding - though the frozen shoulder is considerably better now, thanks to the magic skills of my physio, Helen (may her name be praised). I can now raise my arm above my shoulder, hurrah, though moving it backwards is still beyond me. And I must also sing the praises of my TENS pain relief machine and the newly-discovered Deep Heat patches - which really really work, well gosh. However today I am coming down with a cold so am fully expecting snorting, coughing and wheezing to be the accompaniment to our Christmas guinea fowl and rum butter on Saturday (Lordy, but there's a combination for sure). Still, I am taking Lemsips and echinacea in the hope of fending off the inevitable.
The slightly surprising news is that I have discovered that if I have actual physical pain (such as the frozen shoulder), then I feel considerably less depressed. I can quite honestly say that during the first few days of FS I've never been mentally happier. Really, it was a great shock to me. On the other hand, now the FS is on the mend, I feel the customary gloom pouring in, and indeed yesterday evening was a real and serious downer, double groans and pass me the revolver. Back on a double dose of St John's Wort & Passion Flower, and today I feel marginally better, probably because I gave up totally on the day last night at 9pm and simply went to bed. So, the trick is to have a low level of real pain that is evident but not too debilitating and I am Ms. Sunshine herself. Dream on, eh.
Alongside all this, we had our first viewer of the flat this week - they were "very keen" apparently and would "definitely make an offer", according to the estate agent (ho ho, as if), and since then there's been silence. It now appears they don't like the outside stairs, and the estate agent (in the manner of all estate agents everywhere) is wrong. Now I can't believe I let myself fall even a little for the possibility of hope and I will certainly not be doing that again - it's part of what contributed to the serious meltdown of yesterday.
At the same time, Bellway Homes are getting very pushy indeed about our potential part-exchange situation and have been ringing us up every five minutes asking when they can send round yet another estate agent to give a PX value. Luckily they're on holiday now until next week so will not be pursuing us further for a while, and so I've left a message saying we're happy to sort another visit out in January when everyone's breathed after Christmas & the New Year again. Really, I have no idea what their sudden and frantic hurry is as the house of theirs we like isn't even built yet, for goodness sake. Plus I like to keep our options open just in case something better comes up (which they know) so have no intention of making any sort of final decision until at least the end of January. Ha! From now on I am no longer going to be super-nice (if indeed I ever was) but determined.
However, the overarching feeling about houses at the moment is that I really hate being in the flat and want to get out as soon as I can - like the year itself, our time here has way outstayed its welcome and I wish we'd got out sooner. If it gets to February and we have f**k all coming our way in terms of escape routes and Bellway are still playing silly devils with us, then quite frankly I'm out of here. If we have to sell this one later and live in a hovel until we do, then that is exactly what we'll do. A month ago, I didn't want to spend my birthday here, and now I'm damned if I have to spend Easter in the place. I really hate it and actually I really hate our absentee middle neighbours too. Thank God they don't actually live in the house.
Other delights of the season (ho, b****y ho) are this morning I had to go into Godalming to pay a cheque in to Santander Bank that I owe to my delightful absentee downstairs neighbours (hurrah, at least someone in the house is nice!). I must say Santander in Godalming wins the Grumpiest Staff of the Year award by a long way - they were really nasty to deal with and quite unforgivably rude to the customer in front of me too. Are they on drugs? Or maybe they should be ... Anyway it was an unpleasant experience all round and I'm just hugely glad I don't bank there. They're almost on par with Godalming Lloyds and that's saying something.
On a more positive note (at last!), I have wrapped all K's presents so am ready to fully ignore the Big Day on Saturday in the manner to which we have become accustomed over the last eighteen years. Somebody crack open the ruddy champagne already.
Happy Christmas and see you on the other side!
Anne Brooke
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Notes on a winter week
Brief notes this time due to difficulties with my arm:
1. Talking of which, had a bit of a relapse with the arm over the w/e probably due to trying to do too much on Friday. Have tried to ease it down this weekend.
2. Think my new St John's Wort/Passion Flower pills might be working as I felt confident enough this morning, in spite of health problems, to change my earrings for the first time in a year. Well, gosh. Not sure that will happen again for a while though.
3. Winter has revisited us - so I'm absolutely dreading the journey to work tomorrow already. Hope K can get the car out of the road as I really don't want to struggle with walking and trains.
4. Rather disappointed by Strictly Come Dancing. Pamela should have won - especially as hers was the only showdance worth watching and the only one that was actually a dance. A very disappointing final.
5. A Dangerous Man gained a 5-star review at Goodreads, so many thanks for that, Marsha.
6. I'm struggling on slowly with the edits to The Gifting but I can only do a few pages before my arm starts to give me grief. The last couple of nights have involved some very broken sleep so I am hoping for a full night's sleep tonight, please God.
7. We've put an initial deposit down on a new-build property in Guildford, but we still have to look at part-exchange possibilities and timings, so it's all up in the air at the moment. In the meantime, the flat remains on the open market.
8. The Sunday haiku is:
This winter garden
rises to embrace my skin,
silences the sky.
Anne Brooke
1. Talking of which, had a bit of a relapse with the arm over the w/e probably due to trying to do too much on Friday. Have tried to ease it down this weekend.
2. Think my new St John's Wort/Passion Flower pills might be working as I felt confident enough this morning, in spite of health problems, to change my earrings for the first time in a year. Well, gosh. Not sure that will happen again for a while though.
3. Winter has revisited us - so I'm absolutely dreading the journey to work tomorrow already. Hope K can get the car out of the road as I really don't want to struggle with walking and trains.
4. Rather disappointed by Strictly Come Dancing. Pamela should have won - especially as hers was the only showdance worth watching and the only one that was actually a dance. A very disappointing final.
5. A Dangerous Man gained a 5-star review at Goodreads, so many thanks for that, Marsha.
6. I'm struggling on slowly with the edits to The Gifting but I can only do a few pages before my arm starts to give me grief. The last couple of nights have involved some very broken sleep so I am hoping for a full night's sleep tonight, please God.
7. We've put an initial deposit down on a new-build property in Guildford, but we still have to look at part-exchange possibilities and timings, so it's all up in the air at the moment. In the meantime, the flat remains on the open market.
8. The Sunday haiku is:
This winter garden
rises to embrace my skin,
silences the sky.
Anne Brooke
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Flash fiction and physio
Book News:
I'm carrying on, slowly, with the edits for The Gifting but I can't do very much very quickly due to the current health issues (see below).
However, keeping me ticking over is the fact that the Fiction at Work flash fiction anthology is now starting to be available although I believe its official launch date is next year. It includes a piece from me about relationships and zoos, Over in Ten. So I hope you enjoy it.
Meanwhile, a couple of my books have become available at Rainbow Ebooks, and you can also currently get discounts on a fair amount of my work at Books On Board too, so that's nice.
Today, at Vulpes Libris, I'm reviewing Meg Cabot's Queen of Babble, which is a fabulous, and fabulously funny, novel and I can thoroughly recommend it.
Life News:
This week, since Sunday, I've had a recurrence of my frozen shoulder problem, so it's not been a particularly pleasant week, health-wise. I spent most of Monday night on the sofa in rather a lot of pain (I even sobbed at one point, ah the shame of it!) and staring at bits of TV I never knew were on at 3am and beyond, though I did manage about 2 hours' sleep in slices, so one must be grateful for small mercies. Mind you, the rerun of Hornblower was nice, and I am probably now addicted to US glamour soap, Gossip Girl. Ah, the hair, the make-up, the dresses, what fun. And thank goodness for my TENS pain relief machine which was strapped to my arm almost throughout, and also for my rediscovery of the anti-inflammatory pills I used two years ago when I last had a frozen shoulder.
On Tuesday, I rediscovered the Co-Codamol pills as well and that's been a real life-saver. They're strong enough to knock a horse out in 30 seconds so do very well for me, hurrah. I also think, Monday apart, it's not been as bad as last time or possibly I'm aware of what it is so don't fiddle about trying to pretend it's not happening. Still, I can drive short distances if I'm careful, which I couldn't before so that's good. And since Monday, sleep hasn't been a problem.
Anyway, I had an appointment with the doctor on Tuesday afternoon and I'm doing some emergency physio sessions with the delightful Helen who saw me through it all last time round. She's a miracle-worker - I had the first session with her today and have two more booked for next week which should see me through to and beyond Christmas, so that's good.
In the midst of all that, we've had the team away day at work which I managed okay, with the help of my trusty machine and pills, and also our office Christmas lunch which was fun. The chocolate parfait with chocolate sticks was to die for, I swear it. And I'm able to use cutlery properly now (hurrah!) as long as I don't have to do too much cutting. Indeed the good side of this whole thing is that I can't do the cleaning or shopping, and am only on light washing up duties. There's always a silver lining, eh ...
Anne Brooke
I'm carrying on, slowly, with the edits for The Gifting but I can't do very much very quickly due to the current health issues (see below).
However, keeping me ticking over is the fact that the Fiction at Work flash fiction anthology is now starting to be available although I believe its official launch date is next year. It includes a piece from me about relationships and zoos, Over in Ten. So I hope you enjoy it.
Meanwhile, a couple of my books have become available at Rainbow Ebooks, and you can also currently get discounts on a fair amount of my work at Books On Board too, so that's nice.
Today, at Vulpes Libris, I'm reviewing Meg Cabot's Queen of Babble, which is a fabulous, and fabulously funny, novel and I can thoroughly recommend it.
Life News:
This week, since Sunday, I've had a recurrence of my frozen shoulder problem, so it's not been a particularly pleasant week, health-wise. I spent most of Monday night on the sofa in rather a lot of pain (I even sobbed at one point, ah the shame of it!) and staring at bits of TV I never knew were on at 3am and beyond, though I did manage about 2 hours' sleep in slices, so one must be grateful for small mercies. Mind you, the rerun of Hornblower was nice, and I am probably now addicted to US glamour soap, Gossip Girl. Ah, the hair, the make-up, the dresses, what fun. And thank goodness for my TENS pain relief machine which was strapped to my arm almost throughout, and also for my rediscovery of the anti-inflammatory pills I used two years ago when I last had a frozen shoulder.
On Tuesday, I rediscovered the Co-Codamol pills as well and that's been a real life-saver. They're strong enough to knock a horse out in 30 seconds so do very well for me, hurrah. I also think, Monday apart, it's not been as bad as last time or possibly I'm aware of what it is so don't fiddle about trying to pretend it's not happening. Still, I can drive short distances if I'm careful, which I couldn't before so that's good. And since Monday, sleep hasn't been a problem.
Anyway, I had an appointment with the doctor on Tuesday afternoon and I'm doing some emergency physio sessions with the delightful Helen who saw me through it all last time round. She's a miracle-worker - I had the first session with her today and have two more booked for next week which should see me through to and beyond Christmas, so that's good.
In the midst of all that, we've had the team away day at work which I managed okay, with the help of my trusty machine and pills, and also our office Christmas lunch which was fun. The chocolate parfait with chocolate sticks was to die for, I swear it. And I'm able to use cutlery properly now (hurrah!) as long as I don't have to do too much cutting. Indeed the good side of this whole thing is that I can't do the cleaning or shopping, and am only on light washing up duties. There's always a silver lining, eh ...
Anne Brooke
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Edits, Entertainment and an Honorable Mention
Book News:
I'm very happy to say that I have the first round of edits back for The Gifting from Bluewood Publishing so I am happily getting on with those. I'm now on Page 100 of c470 pages so am doing okay, I think. Onward and upward, as they say.
I've also got a new webpage for the second in the Delaneys series, Entertaining the Delaneys, and this will be published by Amber Allure Press on 20 February 2011. I'm planning a series of four or five to this one, so there's more to come.
Other thrilling news is that The Hit List gained an Honorable Mention is this year's Rainbow Awards for Gay Contemporary Romance Fiction, so it's been really lovely to be in that ... um ... list also (sorry, couldn't resist it!). Not to be outdone, A Dangerous Man gained a very nice 5-star review at Goodreads from CAS (thanks, CAS) who called it "One of the most incredible stories I have read in a long, long time" - I hope in a good way! And Maloney's Law was, briefly, at No 19 in the Amazon UK charts, which was very nice indeed.
This week at Vulpes Libris I've also reviewed Kate Fenton's romantic novel, Picking Up - which I have to say is definitely not one of her best, and I'm a die-hard Kate Fenton fan. My advice is don't start here - but get any of her glorious earlier novels I've mentioned in my review - if you can ...
The meditation for this week is:
Meditation 474
The sharpness of thorn
and the clarity
of cedar
are a bitter memory
on the distant hills
of Lebanon.
The Sunday haiku is:
The soft snow settles
into the corners of life.
It outlasts the thaw.
Life News:
I've had my six-monthly dental appointment (hello, Margaret!) and have to have a filling redone, sob - can't fit it in until January but hey it's always good to have something to look forward to in the post-Christmas zone, eh. Besides, the dentist and her glamorous assistant are always a joy to visit, so what could be nicer, tee hee? And at least I still have all my own teeth - thus far.
Yesterday, K and I spent the day at Mother's doing the early Christmas thing. I think it was okay and neither of us murdered the other (Mother and me, not K and me ...) so that can only be a positive outcome indeed. And, say what you will, but the old matriarch does make a damn good fairy cake. Chocolate too, mmm. Not entirely sure what the ritualistic tapping of the jam pot lid meant though, but you can't have everything. Perhaps she was releasing the Genie of the Jam? Who can tell ... And, while we were out in the family (yikes!) zone, the new tenants moved in to the ground floor flat, so I hope they're settling in well. It will be nice to have someone else in the house other than us, I must say. They have a young child too (gosh!) so that's certainly a new thing. We kept up the House Tradition of leaving champagne and chocolate biscuits on their front doorstep before we left to see Mother, along with a card of welcome - so I hope they don't think we're too scary. Also, seeing as this means there is another woman in the place for the first time in 17 years plus plus, I left the obligatory note For Her Eyes Only about the Victorian pipes and what that means in real terms in case she may not know that. It surprises me how few people do, but then again I was brought up in the country with no mains sewage so one learnt on one's mother's knee never ever to put anything down the toilet that the Victorians wouldn't have expected to be there. Say no more, eh ... Otherwise, we're all in our Wellington boots down in the cellar having a ... um ... high time, and you don't really want to go there.
This morning, we put in an appearance at church for the first time in ages, so God, and the vicar, were duly startled. I was astonished anyone remembered our names, really. It was also the Family Service, which was scary, but we coped. Though, during the talk, when the speaker asked us all what preparations we were putting in place for Christmas, I'm not sure my answer of "having the family row in order to get it over with" was exactly what the vicar was expecting. I suspect I'm probably banned from the Family service for life now.
Finally, and on a rather worried note, I am getting concerned about my right arm. It's distinctly painful today and I'm having trouble making it do anything useful, like getting dressed, having a bath etc etc. I've taken a pill to stop the pain, and later this afternoon, I think I'll use my pain relief machine - but I'm really really hoping it's not the onset of another bout of frozen shoulder. I can't bear that, as it was agonising enough the first time round! And I don't have time for it either. If it's any worse tomorrow though, maybe I should go to the doctor. I'll see.
Anne Brooke
I'm very happy to say that I have the first round of edits back for The Gifting from Bluewood Publishing so I am happily getting on with those. I'm now on Page 100 of c470 pages so am doing okay, I think. Onward and upward, as they say.
I've also got a new webpage for the second in the Delaneys series, Entertaining the Delaneys, and this will be published by Amber Allure Press on 20 February 2011. I'm planning a series of four or five to this one, so there's more to come.
Other thrilling news is that The Hit List gained an Honorable Mention is this year's Rainbow Awards for Gay Contemporary Romance Fiction, so it's been really lovely to be in that ... um ... list also (sorry, couldn't resist it!). Not to be outdone, A Dangerous Man gained a very nice 5-star review at Goodreads from CAS (thanks, CAS) who called it "One of the most incredible stories I have read in a long, long time" - I hope in a good way! And Maloney's Law was, briefly, at No 19 in the Amazon UK charts, which was very nice indeed.
This week at Vulpes Libris I've also reviewed Kate Fenton's romantic novel, Picking Up - which I have to say is definitely not one of her best, and I'm a die-hard Kate Fenton fan. My advice is don't start here - but get any of her glorious earlier novels I've mentioned in my review - if you can ...
The meditation for this week is:
Meditation 474
The sharpness of thorn
and the clarity
of cedar
are a bitter memory
on the distant hills
of Lebanon.
The Sunday haiku is:
The soft snow settles
into the corners of life.
It outlasts the thaw.
Life News:
I've had my six-monthly dental appointment (hello, Margaret!) and have to have a filling redone, sob - can't fit it in until January but hey it's always good to have something to look forward to in the post-Christmas zone, eh. Besides, the dentist and her glamorous assistant are always a joy to visit, so what could be nicer, tee hee? And at least I still have all my own teeth - thus far.
Yesterday, K and I spent the day at Mother's doing the early Christmas thing. I think it was okay and neither of us murdered the other (Mother and me, not K and me ...) so that can only be a positive outcome indeed. And, say what you will, but the old matriarch does make a damn good fairy cake. Chocolate too, mmm. Not entirely sure what the ritualistic tapping of the jam pot lid meant though, but you can't have everything. Perhaps she was releasing the Genie of the Jam? Who can tell ... And, while we were out in the family (yikes!) zone, the new tenants moved in to the ground floor flat, so I hope they're settling in well. It will be nice to have someone else in the house other than us, I must say. They have a young child too (gosh!) so that's certainly a new thing. We kept up the House Tradition of leaving champagne and chocolate biscuits on their front doorstep before we left to see Mother, along with a card of welcome - so I hope they don't think we're too scary. Also, seeing as this means there is another woman in the place for the first time in 17 years plus plus, I left the obligatory note For Her Eyes Only about the Victorian pipes and what that means in real terms in case she may not know that. It surprises me how few people do, but then again I was brought up in the country with no mains sewage so one learnt on one's mother's knee never ever to put anything down the toilet that the Victorians wouldn't have expected to be there. Say no more, eh ... Otherwise, we're all in our Wellington boots down in the cellar having a ... um ... high time, and you don't really want to go there.
This morning, we put in an appearance at church for the first time in ages, so God, and the vicar, were duly startled. I was astonished anyone remembered our names, really. It was also the Family Service, which was scary, but we coped. Though, during the talk, when the speaker asked us all what preparations we were putting in place for Christmas, I'm not sure my answer of "having the family row in order to get it over with" was exactly what the vicar was expecting. I suspect I'm probably banned from the Family service for life now.
Finally, and on a rather worried note, I am getting concerned about my right arm. It's distinctly painful today and I'm having trouble making it do anything useful, like getting dressed, having a bath etc etc. I've taken a pill to stop the pain, and later this afternoon, I think I'll use my pain relief machine - but I'm really really hoping it's not the onset of another bout of frozen shoulder. I can't bear that, as it was agonising enough the first time round! And I don't have time for it either. If it's any worse tomorrow though, maybe I should go to the doctor. I'll see.
Anne Brooke
Wednesday, December 08, 2010
The traumas of travel
Life News:
Getting back to work wasn't as bad as I'd feared on Monday, although I had a terrible headache in the afternoon and had to come home early just in order to go to sleep to try to get rid of the thing. Yes, I did take the usual pills but sadly they didn't work. Felt better on Tuesday though, but I made sure I got out for a walk at lunchtime which helped, and I kept working at the computer without my glasses now and again as I felt it staved off any return of the headache moment. Might need to get my eyes retested, as it does seem to be the work screen, or maybe the overhead lights, that's setting it off at the moment - as the home computer is fine.
Have switched my working days this week as I've attended the funeral for the father of one of the University Janes today, which was sad but expected as he really hadn't been well. Had a very difficult journey there and back though - I got terribly confused and ended up on the M4 instead of the M40 on the way there, so panicked and got hugely stressed and headed to Heathrow as I thought I ought to be able to pick up the M25 again there. Which I did do, but the traffic was horrendous and I nearly had an accident twice. Lordy. The funeral was difficult too, as these things are, but Jane gave a very good eulogy, which impressed me as I don't think I'd ever be able to do that. Ever. It brought back memories of my own father's funeral too - odd how the death of friend's mothers, though sad of course, doesn't quite hit home in the way the death of the older men does. Also there were people there whom I haven't seen for ages and who, to be honest, I wasn't sure I wanted to. But it was okay in the end - we chatted a bit and then I left, as I didn't want to stay for the post-funeral lunch. God, but I'm never sure what those things are for but, anyway, I had to get back. Not sure either how I feel about said people - it feels like history now, to be honest, which I suppose is healthy, rather than being stressed out about it all. Still, the end of friendships can be a difficult stage to negotiate - someone ought to write a book about it.
On the way home, I managed to get lost too - my brain was a total blank and I was finding it tricky to keep (a) alert and (b) awake. Never a good way to be driving really. I found myself in a road I didn't recognise at all, saw a Dog Rescue Centre (of all places!) and stopped to ask them directions. Hell, they must be used to stressed-out strays flocking at their doors, as they were super-nice and gave me directions to get back to the M25 which even I could understand, thank the Lord. And I don't even like dogs.
Today, we've also put the house back on with another estate agent, even though we're still considering the part-exchange and new house option - on the grounds that it does no harm to keep all the options open. I don't feel very confident about any of it though, but didn't have the energy to do anything beyond just agree with most of what the new agent was saying - though I'm proud of the fact that I kicked him into touch about price - we've already dropped it three times and it's now on at £209,995, and I'm not going any lower until we've at least seen the New Year in. Besides, the other agent we had in to look at the part-exchange price quoted us £225,000 so I still think it's a snip.
Book News:
I've sent back the completed edits for Brady's Choice to the publisher, and that's due out on 23 January. I'm quite pleased with it as it's more meditative and grown-up in some ways than my other gay short stories. We'll have to see if readers agree though.
The Hit List was at No 47 in the Amazon UK Kindle charts during the week and can also be purchased directly from the publisher at a 25% discount during December.
Meanwhile, A Dangerous Man found itself at No 29 in the Amazon UK charts and at No 78 in the Amazon US Kindle charts, so thank you to those who are buying it. It was also, much to my delight, showcased at Erotic Horizon Books on Monday, so thank you, EH, for that. Much appreciated.
This week's meditations so far are:
Meditation 471
Some courage
is never seen
but vanishes into air
like the first mist
of morning,
so fragile
you hardly know it.
Meditation 472
Our lives
are a single arrow
shot through clear air
framing bright sky
for a heartbeat
and landing silent
upon the waiting earth.
Meditation 473
The secret
at the heart
of everything
is simply the need
never to be
forgotten.
Anne Brooke
Getting back to work wasn't as bad as I'd feared on Monday, although I had a terrible headache in the afternoon and had to come home early just in order to go to sleep to try to get rid of the thing. Yes, I did take the usual pills but sadly they didn't work. Felt better on Tuesday though, but I made sure I got out for a walk at lunchtime which helped, and I kept working at the computer without my glasses now and again as I felt it staved off any return of the headache moment. Might need to get my eyes retested, as it does seem to be the work screen, or maybe the overhead lights, that's setting it off at the moment - as the home computer is fine.
Have switched my working days this week as I've attended the funeral for the father of one of the University Janes today, which was sad but expected as he really hadn't been well. Had a very difficult journey there and back though - I got terribly confused and ended up on the M4 instead of the M40 on the way there, so panicked and got hugely stressed and headed to Heathrow as I thought I ought to be able to pick up the M25 again there. Which I did do, but the traffic was horrendous and I nearly had an accident twice. Lordy. The funeral was difficult too, as these things are, but Jane gave a very good eulogy, which impressed me as I don't think I'd ever be able to do that. Ever. It brought back memories of my own father's funeral too - odd how the death of friend's mothers, though sad of course, doesn't quite hit home in the way the death of the older men does. Also there were people there whom I haven't seen for ages and who, to be honest, I wasn't sure I wanted to. But it was okay in the end - we chatted a bit and then I left, as I didn't want to stay for the post-funeral lunch. God, but I'm never sure what those things are for but, anyway, I had to get back. Not sure either how I feel about said people - it feels like history now, to be honest, which I suppose is healthy, rather than being stressed out about it all. Still, the end of friendships can be a difficult stage to negotiate - someone ought to write a book about it.
On the way home, I managed to get lost too - my brain was a total blank and I was finding it tricky to keep (a) alert and (b) awake. Never a good way to be driving really. I found myself in a road I didn't recognise at all, saw a Dog Rescue Centre (of all places!) and stopped to ask them directions. Hell, they must be used to stressed-out strays flocking at their doors, as they were super-nice and gave me directions to get back to the M25 which even I could understand, thank the Lord. And I don't even like dogs.
Today, we've also put the house back on with another estate agent, even though we're still considering the part-exchange and new house option - on the grounds that it does no harm to keep all the options open. I don't feel very confident about any of it though, but didn't have the energy to do anything beyond just agree with most of what the new agent was saying - though I'm proud of the fact that I kicked him into touch about price - we've already dropped it three times and it's now on at £209,995, and I'm not going any lower until we've at least seen the New Year in. Besides, the other agent we had in to look at the part-exchange price quoted us £225,000 so I still think it's a snip.
Book News:
I've sent back the completed edits for Brady's Choice to the publisher, and that's due out on 23 January. I'm quite pleased with it as it's more meditative and grown-up in some ways than my other gay short stories. We'll have to see if readers agree though.
The Hit List was at No 47 in the Amazon UK Kindle charts during the week and can also be purchased directly from the publisher at a 25% discount during December.
Meanwhile, A Dangerous Man found itself at No 29 in the Amazon UK charts and at No 78 in the Amazon US Kindle charts, so thank you to those who are buying it. It was also, much to my delight, showcased at Erotic Horizon Books on Monday, so thank you, EH, for that. Much appreciated.
This week's meditations so far are:
Meditation 471
Some courage
is never seen
but vanishes into air
like the first mist
of morning,
so fragile
you hardly know it.
Meditation 472
Our lives
are a single arrow
shot through clear air
framing bright sky
for a heartbeat
and landing silent
upon the waiting earth.
Meditation 473
The secret
at the heart
of everything
is simply the need
never to be
forgotten.
Anne Brooke
Sunday, December 05, 2010
Houses, haikus and health
Life News:
The good news is I'm feeling a lot better, hurrah, and the snow is vanishing, double hurrah. I've even actually been out of the house today for the first time since Tuesday, so I'm definitely on the mend. Less danger of slipping too.
All this weather we've been having plus illness has meant K and I didn't get to see the one-woman play about Jane Austen's Women in Guildford on Friday, which might have been fun so I'm sorry we missed it. Plus we've had to put our Christmas visit to Mother off until next Saturday, which is what I thought would happen.
In the meantime, we've had another estate agent round to give us a quote for potential part-exchange, and we've spent today doing a thorough site visit both of the development in Guildford and the one in Chobham Lakes, just to see how we feel about them, when compared. The Chobham Lakes one is certainly nice but it might be just too executive and be striving for too much of a community feel for us. On the plus side, it's definitely quiet and if we go there I'll be able to use my car to get to work, though the drive will be longer. On the other hand, the Guildford development has an extra bedroom on the third floor which I love the sound of (it's not been built yet as it's very new!), plus a nice looking conservatory, although it's noisier as it's nearer the road and I'll have to go to work by bus as it's too near the University to get a car pass. Ah, decisions, decisions. At the moment, the Guildford development is winning by a nose, but we'll see what we feel like tomorrow - our attitudes change by the hour ...
Book News:
I'm happy to say that the second in my Delaneys series, Entertaining the Delaneys, has been accepted for publication by Amber Allure Press on 20 February 2011. I've got ideas for two more stories as well so it looks like I'll get at least a set of four out of good old Liam, bless him.
A Dangerous Man is now available in Kindle versions at Amazon UK and Amazon US, so lots more shopping opportunities to enjoy. And Thorn in the Flesh is being offered at a 26% discount plus free worldwide delivery at The Book Depository, so ideal winter reading for all.
The Sunday haiku is particularly relevant as the father of a friend of mine died this week, I'm sorry to say:
Under quiet snow
our old men are vanishing,
taken by winter.
Anne Brooke
The good news is I'm feeling a lot better, hurrah, and the snow is vanishing, double hurrah. I've even actually been out of the house today for the first time since Tuesday, so I'm definitely on the mend. Less danger of slipping too.
All this weather we've been having plus illness has meant K and I didn't get to see the one-woman play about Jane Austen's Women in Guildford on Friday, which might have been fun so I'm sorry we missed it. Plus we've had to put our Christmas visit to Mother off until next Saturday, which is what I thought would happen.
In the meantime, we've had another estate agent round to give us a quote for potential part-exchange, and we've spent today doing a thorough site visit both of the development in Guildford and the one in Chobham Lakes, just to see how we feel about them, when compared. The Chobham Lakes one is certainly nice but it might be just too executive and be striving for too much of a community feel for us. On the plus side, it's definitely quiet and if we go there I'll be able to use my car to get to work, though the drive will be longer. On the other hand, the Guildford development has an extra bedroom on the third floor which I love the sound of (it's not been built yet as it's very new!), plus a nice looking conservatory, although it's noisier as it's nearer the road and I'll have to go to work by bus as it's too near the University to get a car pass. Ah, decisions, decisions. At the moment, the Guildford development is winning by a nose, but we'll see what we feel like tomorrow - our attitudes change by the hour ...
Book News:
I'm happy to say that the second in my Delaneys series, Entertaining the Delaneys, has been accepted for publication by Amber Allure Press on 20 February 2011. I've got ideas for two more stories as well so it looks like I'll get at least a set of four out of good old Liam, bless him.
A Dangerous Man is now available in Kindle versions at Amazon UK and Amazon US, so lots more shopping opportunities to enjoy. And Thorn in the Flesh is being offered at a 26% discount plus free worldwide delivery at The Book Depository, so ideal winter reading for all.
The Sunday haiku is particularly relevant as the father of a friend of mine died this week, I'm sorry to say:
Under quiet snow
our old men are vanishing,
taken by winter.
Anne Brooke
Thursday, December 02, 2010
Not the best holiday week ever ...
Life News:
Well, this is our holiday week and so far it's definitely not been great. Poor K had to go into work all day Saturday, and then on Monday had to do a fair amount of work remotely. Plus on Tuesday, he had to pop into the office for an hour or so, but thankfully it wasn't too long. Not to mention the fact that I've had a horrible and developing cold since Monday, so haven't been able to do that much anyway apart from watch bad TV and attempt to solve crossword puzzles, groan, moan. Though I did go in with him on Tuesday, so K dropped me off in Woking while he went to the office. I don't mean to be mean (as it were), but Woking isn't the most exciting place in the world, and definitely doesn't do itself justice when it's starting to snow seriously (I hate snow!) and I'm not feeling well.
So I wandered round in the indoor shopping arcade for a bit and had a cappuccino and a sit down in the theatre cafe. Which was quite nice and relaxing really. When K finished work, we decided to pop into The Lightbox Gallery as we've been meaning to go for a while and have never got round to it. It probably wasn't the best time to go, however, as one of the exhibition halls was shut and they were having a big focus on (a) childhood illustrations and (b) the history of Woking. Lordy. Neither K nor I are great fans of children though the illustrations were pleasant enough. But, quite honestly, the history of Woking can be summed up with the words: Railway; Mental Hospital; Cemetery. And that's about it really, though they're charmingly keen about it. It could have done with a mention of the H G Wells connection, but surprisingly was silent on the matter ... Ah well.
Today, we were planning to go up to London to see the Egyptian Book of the Dead exhibition at the British Museum but the snow and ill health have definitely stopped play. Plus we were planning to do our site visit of the housing development in Guildford, but that's likely to be put off from tomorrow again, I suspect. And goodness knows whether we'll be able to visit Mother in Essex on Saturday. Just as K and I have spent some time wrapping their presents up and doing our Christmas cards as well. Typical!
Mind you, we have, during our holiday week (ho ho), managed to do battle with various companies. We have sent a strongly-worded letter of complaint to Mann Countrywide, and I've also had to telephone Page & Moy travel company no less than seven times since Monday simply in order to get them to send us the correct discounted invoice they promised. Lordy, but they have made it all hugely complicated, though I am at least proud that I managed to keep my temper and not shout or sob, but that's probably because I'm not well and don't have the energy. I doubt it's to do with anything as spiritual as a growing maturity, God forbid. Anyway, it's interesting that (a) I asked to speak to the Administration Manager, Lynne Carter, four times in clear language but each time they refused to put me through - the last time because she was "too busy to speak to me". What rudeness! I am also way too busy to want to speak to her once, let alone seven times, yet I somehow make time in my schedule to do so ...; and (b) when they finally deigned to send the discounted invoice they had actually added the 10% discount instead of subtracting it, the fools, so they had to send it again (after yet another phone call from me). Anyway, one thing that's come out of this is that if you want anything useful done by Page & Moy, ignore Lynne Carter (she's just soooo busy, dahlings, that she can't speak to anything so lowly as an actual customer) and try to get to a lady called Lynne Barker who is nice, efficient and can also do Maths. Must be a rare thing in her office ... Why isn't Lynne B the manager?...
Book News:
I'm pleased to say that The Hit List found itself at No 36 in the Amazon Kindle charts, and Tommy's Blind Date was at No 69 in the same charts, though it's flagging now, ho ho.
My mood was also much cheered by the news that The Girl in the Painting is proving to be an ongoing bestseller for Untreed Reads, and so I must write more literary lesbian short stories in the future, I see. I already have an idea for one, so watch this space ...
And, not to be outdone, I've reached the 90,000 word marker, with much kicking and squealing, in The Executioner's Cane so am now well into that final third. I fear a hell of a lot of editing will need to take place when the first draft is done though. As ever! Meanwhile, I've reviewed P G Wodehouse's The Girl in Blue for Vulpes Libris today, so click through for your essential fix of foppish charm and wit. You know you want to!
Anne Brooke
Well, this is our holiday week and so far it's definitely not been great. Poor K had to go into work all day Saturday, and then on Monday had to do a fair amount of work remotely. Plus on Tuesday, he had to pop into the office for an hour or so, but thankfully it wasn't too long. Not to mention the fact that I've had a horrible and developing cold since Monday, so haven't been able to do that much anyway apart from watch bad TV and attempt to solve crossword puzzles, groan, moan. Though I did go in with him on Tuesday, so K dropped me off in Woking while he went to the office. I don't mean to be mean (as it were), but Woking isn't the most exciting place in the world, and definitely doesn't do itself justice when it's starting to snow seriously (I hate snow!) and I'm not feeling well.
So I wandered round in the indoor shopping arcade for a bit and had a cappuccino and a sit down in the theatre cafe. Which was quite nice and relaxing really. When K finished work, we decided to pop into The Lightbox Gallery as we've been meaning to go for a while and have never got round to it. It probably wasn't the best time to go, however, as one of the exhibition halls was shut and they were having a big focus on (a) childhood illustrations and (b) the history of Woking. Lordy. Neither K nor I are great fans of children though the illustrations were pleasant enough. But, quite honestly, the history of Woking can be summed up with the words: Railway; Mental Hospital; Cemetery. And that's about it really, though they're charmingly keen about it. It could have done with a mention of the H G Wells connection, but surprisingly was silent on the matter ... Ah well.
Today, we were planning to go up to London to see the Egyptian Book of the Dead exhibition at the British Museum but the snow and ill health have definitely stopped play. Plus we were planning to do our site visit of the housing development in Guildford, but that's likely to be put off from tomorrow again, I suspect. And goodness knows whether we'll be able to visit Mother in Essex on Saturday. Just as K and I have spent some time wrapping their presents up and doing our Christmas cards as well. Typical!
Mind you, we have, during our holiday week (ho ho), managed to do battle with various companies. We have sent a strongly-worded letter of complaint to Mann Countrywide, and I've also had to telephone Page & Moy travel company no less than seven times since Monday simply in order to get them to send us the correct discounted invoice they promised. Lordy, but they have made it all hugely complicated, though I am at least proud that I managed to keep my temper and not shout or sob, but that's probably because I'm not well and don't have the energy. I doubt it's to do with anything as spiritual as a growing maturity, God forbid. Anyway, it's interesting that (a) I asked to speak to the Administration Manager, Lynne Carter, four times in clear language but each time they refused to put me through - the last time because she was "too busy to speak to me". What rudeness! I am also way too busy to want to speak to her once, let alone seven times, yet I somehow make time in my schedule to do so ...; and (b) when they finally deigned to send the discounted invoice they had actually added the 10% discount instead of subtracting it, the fools, so they had to send it again (after yet another phone call from me). Anyway, one thing that's come out of this is that if you want anything useful done by Page & Moy, ignore Lynne Carter (she's just soooo busy, dahlings, that she can't speak to anything so lowly as an actual customer) and try to get to a lady called Lynne Barker who is nice, efficient and can also do Maths. Must be a rare thing in her office ... Why isn't Lynne B the manager?...
Book News:
I'm pleased to say that The Hit List found itself at No 36 in the Amazon Kindle charts, and Tommy's Blind Date was at No 69 in the same charts, though it's flagging now, ho ho.
My mood was also much cheered by the news that The Girl in the Painting is proving to be an ongoing bestseller for Untreed Reads, and so I must write more literary lesbian short stories in the future, I see. I already have an idea for one, so watch this space ...
And, not to be outdone, I've reached the 90,000 word marker, with much kicking and squealing, in The Executioner's Cane so am now well into that final third. I fear a hell of a lot of editing will need to take place when the first draft is done though. As ever! Meanwhile, I've reviewed P G Wodehouse's The Girl in Blue for Vulpes Libris today, so click through for your essential fix of foppish charm and wit. You know you want to!
Anne Brooke
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