Saturday Night Thoughts on Promoting Books…
So its Saturday night and I find myself sat in front of the PC wondering yet again just how in thee world you actually promote a book. You see its November and believe it or not but The Last Observer hasn’t yet made any best seller lists and quiet honestly I am a tad disappointed. I reckon that by now my friends and family are sick to the back teeth of the hearing about the bloody book and probably do the internet version of crossing to the other side of the street when they see me coming! I reckon most of them that will buy it already have so I need a broader audience. But how? I must have spent hours googling ‘how to sell my novel’ and similar search
Read More »My Dunkirk
It was 1974. Unlike many kids from Hull, I had already been abroad. My parents had driven in 1962 from Hull to St. Tropez and back in a Reliant Robin with me in tow. We still have cine film – miles and miles of french hedgerow goes flying by for much of the film as my parents marveled at their bravery of driving so far on small French roads in a three wheel car that attracted looks of disbelief from the locals. I guess they felt like they would never return and so best film as much as possible? The film also has me in it sitting in the warm blue ocean, looking at artists painting St. Tropez harbour and interfering with the locals’ game of boules…. But, I digress.
Read More »Smoke on the Water (and Everywhere Else Too)
I got my first guitar when I was 12. It was an acoustic. My father also got a guitar at the same time and while he focused on learning notes I focused on chords. He and I would play various folk songs where he would pick out the melody to my chords…. At age 14, I was bought a Woolworth’s electric and small amplifier. Of course, I was soon ‘jamming’ with other kids and we formed a band called Brutus shortly thereafter. actually, we simply met one night a week to sit chatting, strumming and tasting my Dad’s home-made beer shandy. Brutus however eventually became Nemo and Nemo had a weekly practice at the Conservative Club up in Willerby Square. Eventually, we could actually play a few songs…. passingly. The
Read More »Discipline and Routine
I am a man who likes routine. I have to admit that, though this may make me dull and boring and isn’t necessarily an Aquarian trait, I like routine. What I mean is that I like a schedule. Change is inevitable but lack of routine creates anxiety in me….Sticking to a routine requires discipline. Just recently, I don’t appear capable of that self-discipline. The result is that I become a mess of anxiety that achieves less, does nothing and, since this becomes an endless cycle, I will eventually disappear up my own arse I am sure. Part of the problem is that I am sick and cannot muster the energy to apply the self-discipline. I have finally given up on the ginger, lemon and honey teas, disgusting-colored fruit and vegie
Read More »Peering at the World Through A Haze
Pretty much all week and through the weekend I have been seeing the world through the haze of a severe head cold. As a result, I have been trying to avoid doing any writing as I can’t think straight. Even today, I am still riddled with this dreadful cold virus thingy. Instead of writing then I decided to do some promoting. Always a good thing to do if you write as otherwise you write for no reason as no one reads your stuff! I decided to promote my poetry for a change and I made Astral Messages and Weird Tales free for the weekend on Kindle. Said promo ends at midnight tonight so you STILL HAVE A CHANCE! As of last looking, over 150 copies of Astral Messages had been
Read More »The Eagle’s Saga
Soaring up high Flying oblivious Eros aims and let’s fl y The arrow finds its mark Straight through my heart Dying, I fall In pain and in shock Why me and why now? How much does my red blood run Falling away from the light of the sun Perhaps better To die falling from glory Discovering I am yet a fool Than betray myself to fate Hurting kin and life mate What can I say? One who thought love Would never again Deem to show me a glimpse Of her beautiful face The smell of her skin The feel of her touch The lilt of her voice The look in her eyes What is between us? The vengeful fates cackle While spinning their eternal web Objective achieved The plot in
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