27 October
We are not the same
I have to report that my wife (who is Chinese) and I are not the same. This has been confirmed over the years by a number of remarkable additions to the English language she has made. Some are not repeatable, But just to confirm that we are different, she has said that we are like cheese and chalk. Yes, I think that confirms it.
21 October
Book launch
We went to a book launch the other day, up in Glasgow’s Hillhead Library, where my own book was launched. This time it was the turn of Barrie Condon and Demons, a sort of murder mystery with a hint of the paranormal and lots of humour thrown in. As it happens I proofread this book so I know what I’m talking about for a change. Demons, published by Sparsile Books, is an enjoyable read and is, of course, remarkably free of typos. If you fancy reading a book that will make you smile and simultaneously make you wonder who (or what) dunnit, you won’t do much better than Barrie’s book.
20 October
Muffins on the NHS
Some time ago I tore tendons in my leg and was in agony for several weeks. Paracetamol didn’t work. Neither did Aspirin or Ibroprufin or even Co-codamol. Not even the little black tablets the doctor gave me, whatever they were. In the end my wife (who is Chinese, remember) lost her temper and said, ‘Why doesn’t the doctor just prescribe you muffins?’ Why not, indeed.
27 May
Waterstones
I was in Glasgow the other day (for a proofreaders’ meeting, no less) and I popped into Waterstones in Sauchiehall street. I wanted something to eat but of course I couldn’t resist looking to see if my book was there. It was! All excited, I told the guy on the till, and he got me to sign the shelf copy and took a photo of me proudly holding Three Into One Does Go. He said he’d post the photo on Waterstones Instagram account, but I’ve no idea if he did. Anyway, I swaggered back out onto Sauchiehall Street feeling quite the famous author.
18 May
Book Launch!
About 45 people turned up at Hillhead Library for my book launch. It would have been closer to 60, but a number of folk couldn’t make it, mainly due to illness. It seemed to go well. I managed to give my talk and I didn’t notice anyone falling asleep. I signed a load of books so Sparsile were pleased. What was especially nice was that some of my old university friends came up, not only to attend the launch but also to have a reunion of sorts at the same time. They stayed in Ayr (some of them next door!) and we went out for a meal after getting back from Glasgow. So, thank you everyone who came to support the book launch and a special thank you to old Leicesterites who made the trip. I better start writing my next book.
18 April
Book launch day
It’s Thursday. On Saturday the launch of Three Into One Does Go is going to take place at Hillhead Library in Glasgow. Might be as many as fifty people there, all intently listening to my every word. Eek. It’s been a while since I spoke in front of a largish audience but I’m hoping it will be a bit like riding a bicycle: once you’ve done it, it’s something you don’t forget. No doubt I shall in due course report on how well (or not) everything goes on the day.
18 April
A personal peeve
You can’t smile words. You can say them, you can shout, whisper or scream them, but you can’t smile or (worse) beam them.’Yes, it’s a nice day,’ smiled Roger. No no no. Just turn it around and you can see how wrong that is. Roger smiled, ‘Yes, it’s a nice day.’ If Roger really has to smile, that first sentence should be either, ’Yes, it’s a nice day.’ Roger smiled. Or something like, ’Yes, it’s a nice day,’ said Roger, smiling. I am just reading a best-seller, and someone has just beamed some words. Aaargh. Words fail me.
09 April
An unexpected lift
I needed a bit of cheering up after recent news (see last post) and what happened today certainly helped.I went in to Waterstones in Ayr today to get a ticket for an upcoming book launch later this month. Very much to my surprise, copies of Three Into One Does Go were on the shelves, and the manager insisted that I sign them! I hadn’t even known that the books were in Waterstones, so to say I was gobsmacked and surprised is something of an understatement.
05 April
Some bad news
I had been trying to contact my old friend Beryl, who was planning to come up to my book launch from England. She appears in the book and we were going to do a sort of duologue as one of the readings. But alas, she didn’t answer for some weeks and then just yesterday her brother picked up instead. I expect some of you have been there before: I knew immediately what had happened. Beryl had died a week or so ago, superficially from a stroke, but she had a lot of things wrong with her. I used to ring her about monthly, just for a chat, and she was always cheerful and never complained. She and her husband Ralph turned my life upside down...in a good way...very many years ago. I shall miss her.
28 March
Cover reveal
Excitingly, here is a sneak peek at the cover of Three Into One Does Go.
Actually, not much of a sneak peek if you are a Twi... X user, as it appears on my pinned tweet.
The book launch itself approaches in April.
More of that anon.
27 March
Not my book launch
I went the other day to a book launch in Waterstones, Sauchiehall Street. The book in question was Crow Moon, written by Suzy Apsley, and she was being ‘interviewed’ by Michael Malone, another local (to Ayr) writer who has published many books, and who I’ve known for a long time. It was all very jolly. I couldn’t help thinking there were a lot of spoilers in the conversation, but nobody seemed to mind. I shall try to avoid doing that when my own turn comes to give an interview and a speech. I have barely started Crow Moon, but no doubt I shall give it a review (see the book review section elsewhere on this site) in due course.
27 March
On being proofread (2)
So Gerard returned the annotated, proofread version of Three Into One Does Go. It was impressive. He found things that I, Jim the editor, and a few early readers hadn’t. In particular, he found a typo in a poem I wrote... oh... forty years ago, and which I have used in various places over the years. Ouch. Quite a few of the things he spotted were actually caused by Word and InDesign not talking to each other properly, so to be fair I could never have seen them. But even so... And editors watch out: InDesign doesn’t pick up what it really should from a Word import. Italics, for example. It seems just to ignore that. So that’s the proofreading done. Cover next, and then an anxious wait until the book launch itself in April. Of which more anon.
27 March
Leg damage
I have to report that I managed to tear a tendon in my upper leg. To say it was painful is an understatement. For two months I was unable to stand, never mind walk, properly, and for some reason lying down made it worse. So I was sofa-bound for most of that time, day and night. On the plus side, I don’t remember ever seeing so much of the Australian Open. But I don’t recommend tearing a tendon as an excuse for staying up. All healed up now. But being extra careful.
