January 1st. 2022
First
of all I would like to wish you all a very Happy New Year. I’m sure we all wish
for a better twelve months than we’ve experienced over the previous batch. For
me, mine has been about rebuilding. I’ve had good moments and not so good
moments. I’ve had one of my titles published by Wild Rose Press in America, so
now I can say I have an American publisher (whoo-hoo!). I signed up for a writers’
retreat holiday in Ireland this coming June, and although I have registered for
the holiday and been accepted, nothing has been confirmed with regard to
payment and travel details. So as a kind of ‘insurance’ against losing out on
that (I don’t expect to by the way), I have registered my interest in the Self-Publishing
Show in London which will be during the week I’m hoping to be in Ireland.
Since
my last blog post I have ventured back into advertising again, but with little
success. I’m not too fazed by this; it is kind of ‘par for the course’ for me.
I have also been researching a novel which will be fourth in the Marcus Blake
series. My efforts there have been sporadic too, but I have learned certain
things I never knew. For instance, I thought a Grand Jury was permanent in the
States and covered the whole country, but not so; a State Grand Jury has to be
raised each time there is a question about bringing someone to trial. State
Grand Juries are not trial juries (this is where I could do with some help from
John Grisham). I have also followed the drugs trail from Colombia to Canada,
paying attention to the various ‘mules’ used along the way and seen how each mile
increases the value of the drugs and the cost to the end-user. I have watched
videos, been to the local library and used Google extensively. I have hatched
out a steady plotline (up to a point) and have been told my story sounds very
exciting and I should get it done ASAP. But that’s not me, is it? Mr.
Prevarification, that should be my by-line. I do have some worthwhile excuses
though, like most of us in the build up towards Christmas.
I
went to see my Great Grandon, Orin (he’s four) in his school nativity play. Me and
his Mum (my granddaughter, Gemma) could only see the top of his head because he
had been put behind the bigger kids. Gemma watched from a standing position like
some of the other parents. It was great fun though. It’s always good to see the
toddlers trying to perform, even though some of them insist on waving to their
mums and dads. I’ve put decorations up and taken decorations down. I’ve had a
new TV installed and spent ages learning how to operate it and the new remote
control. I also enjoyed our last Church House Group which was a Christmas
affair and went well. I was also persuaded to take my neighbour and her friend
to the Fish & Chip Bingo night (Christmas edition!). I don’t like bingo but
agreed. I won’t be doing it again though.
The residents
of the Park Home Estate on which I live have formed a Facebook Group: ideal for
advising people of developments, events, problems etc. I offered to help anyone
who had dreams of writing a book but didn’t know where or how to start or were
maybe too embarrassed to admit they had such pretensions. I said I would do
this for free, and would probably need a couple of sessions, an hour or so
maybe, to get them on their way. I had one response, and that was from a lady
who was asking on behalf of her husband. She wasn’t sure she could persuade him
even though he wrote short stories but had nothing published. I suggested the
three of us meet for a coffee, have a chat, and see what develops. She thought
that was a good idea. I’ve heard nothing since. Bit like my promotional work.
Oh, I received three books
for Christmas: Captain Tom’s Life lessons; The Glamour Boys by Chris Bryant,
and The Pathfinders by Will Tredale. I might have finished Captain Tom’s book when
I come to write my next blog post.
So, that’s it for another
month. I do hope that whatever you do, whatever you plan and whatever you hope
for, your wishes will all come true. Good luck for 2022.
