Michael Jecks's Blog, page 8
April 17, 2019
Sad To See Them Go!
A strange thing, to sell off old toys from my childhood. But yesterday I sold off a cowboy figure and two knights (one black, one silver, naturally). Like Action Men, they are all one foot tall, and their selection of weapons was quite well made and designed.
The Action Men will also be going to a new home shortly. They are on eBay being auctioned for sale tonight. And then, I suspect I might also sell off a pen. It’s a delightful Cross fountain pen that was given to me out of the blue by Cross pens, and it is lovely – a Peerless 125 in gold – but the sad fact is, I’ve never really had a use for it. It writes beautifully, and the barrel and nib are gorgeous … but I never liked the cap. It’s huge and gobby, and just too over the top for me. It handles wonderfully, but it’s not the same as my Visconti, which is my daily carry pen. Unless I’m out, in which case I use my TWSBI Go! pens.
It’s odd, though, disposing of things. It’s not something I’ve ever been good at. I’ve mentioned before that I am an inveterate hoarder, and I only have to glance about my room here to confirm that. There is a lovely box over there on the table, that was made by my father-in-law. It serves little useful purpose, really.
The hall has a lovely oak cupboard, which houses my collections. In there are the paraphernalia of my old smoking days. A number of lighters, some 70 pipes that I collected over fifteen odd years of smoking, left-over cheroots and cigars, and tankards of all shapes and sizes. Why do I keep them? God knows. But they all hold memories. I can’t just throw them out.
And then there are the other things. The collections of books I wrote myself, stacked in plastic boxes in the other side of my office; the audio books on tape and CD; the tea-chest, a beautiful mahogany box with two tea caddies inside, and a velvet section where the mixing bowl once stood (long since lost, sadly), and old toy cars to remind me of past passions.
Perhaps I need to put more things on eBay!
April 16, 2019
Nôtre Dame
Old ruins, like those shown in these pictures of Okehampton Castle, are appealing. It is wonderful to walk about them and imagine what the places would have been like in their heyday. Yet no one who loves history can help but be appalled at the sight of an international monument like the cathedral of Paris going up in flames yesterday.
I have never been to the cathedral, sadly. When I have been able to afford foreign trips, Paris has been more of a staging post en route, rather than a destination. The price of hotels and restaurants were enough to deter someone living on an author’s salary. Yet I had always wanted to visit, to see the site of the Louvre castle, the Bastille, and of course the cathedral of Nôtre Dame.
It is hard to conceive of the damage that must have been done to the building. The spire, the roof, and so many of the fabulous paintings, carvings and windows have been lost for ever. This morning we are told that the basic structure remains, but that is not as good as it may at first sound. The intense heat of a fire such as yesterday’s will do irreparable damage even to stone walls. Some stones will fail as a result of their experience, the mortar will crumble, and the water that has now seeped into the foundations will be causing still more problems.
Cathedrals throughout the centuries have suffered. Many, while attempting to build spires of ever more impressive height, suffered from builders and masons who had, shall we say, more impressive artistic than engineering skills. Many are the spires that collapsed due to insufficient foundations, incompetent construction, or poor choice of materials. Others have fallen prey to the hideous destructive power of new weapons, such as Coventry and Königsberg, Monte Cassino and Cologne. More damage is done
Already millions have been promised to Paris to rebuild Nôtre Dame. The sad truth is that many of the valuable, irreplaceable treasures that were held inside have been lost forever. However it is possible, hopefully, that they will all live on, if only as photographs held here on the internet or elsewhere.
For me, as a lover of history, I feel dreadfully sad to think that I will never now see the cathedral in its majestic glory.
[image error]
April 15, 2019
Working While Family’s on Holiday
There is no doubt that writing is a great deal easier (for me) when school keeps my family at bay.
My wife helps at the local college. When teachers were off sick, away on training, or otherwise engaged, the school used to call in qualified teachers through an agency. But agencies tend to charge large sums for their commission – especially when they know that the school is desperate.
So the college decided that it would be a great deal cheaper to have an in-house resource for those occasions when there were not enough teachers. They hit upon the brilliant idea of having a group of people who could stand-in for staff – and my wife is one of them.
[image error]
That means that usually, through the week, I can sit at home and work without the myriad interruptions that families can cause. I can sit at my desk and type all day, and continue through into the evening, while the others are catching up with homework, filing, and the multitude of social media apps that occupy teenagers nowadays.
But when it’s holiday time, suddenly my life is turned topsy-turvy. I still have to walk the dogs and work, but suddenly there are these blasted things which are taller than me now, and which mumble their way around the house. Once they are up from their bed, anyway. At least today the entire household was out of bed by 11.00. But then they can cause alternative interruptions like today, when an affable son came into my office and sat five feet away, chatting to the dog, who was also sitting on the chair with him, while watching a YouTube video dedicated to past, unsolved (I think) crimes. A chip off the old block, as you might say. And not conducive to constructive concentration while trying to work.
[image error]
The mere mention of homework was enough to send him scurrying for his Biology. And thus I can now sit and type for a little, before returning to the proofs for Dead Don’t Wait, which is the next thrilling instalment of Jack Blackjack’s hazardous existence. Poor devil – I’m beginning to grow quite sorry for him!
Meanwhile, I have to record some videos this week – a review of Anthony Riches THE SCORPION’S STRIKE from Headline, a comparison of some more blue inks, and a look at some more influential writers I admire.
Wish me luck. I’ll need it!
[image error]
April 12, 2019
Situation Normal – AFU
Apologies for the military slang – but what a couple of days I’ve been having. And no, not in a good way!
For the last couple of months – perhaps longer – I’ve been suffering from the famous Apple spinning wheel of death. I had my suspicions about the causes, and was pretty sure that it was the amount of data I have stored on the machine’s hard drive.
It became an issue the more videos I recorded for YouTube. When I loaded iMovie at the same time that iTunes or Photos was open, the computer died. With monotonous regularity. There would be the spinning wheel, and then nothing would happen. The computer had to be turned off and on. Which would fix things – but when this happens four times in rapid succession, you know that there is an issue.
So I have been trawling through the internet support pages for Apple to seek an answer, and today, at last, I gave up and called them. And lo and behold! a short while later there was an answer. And having done something with my machine (don’t ask me what), the thing is working again. So far.
So I am back. For now – and hoping that normal service will soon resume.
Meanwhile, I managed to load my latest video yesterday, after three hours of trying, and although it is not about the most expensive subject or even about books, it has garnered a large amount of views. What’s it about? Eight inks from Diamine, which happen to be different shades of blue. Yup. Nothing else. And it’s one of my most popular videos. (If you want to see it, it is here.)
Which goes to show that, no one can tell which videos will gain the strongest audience. I would never have thought a comparison and review of inks would be interesting to that many people.
[image error]Lovely new Homo Sapiens and my leather writing desk
So: now that the computer is hopefully mended, I can get back to the day job by attacking the proofs that have just materialised from Severn House. They are for Jack Blackjack (or, as I prefer, Bloody Mary) book 4. And while I work on this, I have to bear in mind that they have commissioned the next two books in that series.
If anyone is keen on audio books, by the way, I should mention that ISIS has their latest 11 Templar books available for download from Audible. That means rather a lot of titles are now available. You should try them out!
Have a wonderful weekend!
April 10, 2019
Writing and Editing
And so, having disposed of the copy edit last week, I am now reliably informed (Natasha is never wrong) that Severn House will post the proofs of the next Jack Blackjack story to me today, so I’ll have to work through them from tomorrow or Friday.
It’s an odd job, being a writer. You need plenty of time to concentrate, to let your mind range over possibilities and their implications – but every time I try to do just that, another wodge of paper appears and derails all my thoughts.
Of course if it were only publishers, it would be easy. However all writers need to be aware now that they have to combine the writing with the marketing. Severn House are very good at marketing and publicity, but all too often other publishers are leaving all that work to the authors – which has two obvious results.
[image error]I’d rather be out walking! Nice old tree has collapsed.
First, many authors find themselves getting bogged down in the mire of marketing which they never wanted to be involved in, and which detracts from their writing time; and, second, many writers go through publishers because the publishers promise to market their works. If the publishers won’t commit to even a minimal amount of effort (I was told by one editor that they had held a “social media campaign”. It involved one tweet in two years), there is no earthly point in authors agreeing to give rights to publishers. Why on earth should they, when they could earn infinitely more by remaining as independent publishers of their own works?
However, I have to admit that I enjoy making videos (look me up on YouTube as WriterlyWitterings), although the planning beforehand and editing afterwards does take a fair amount of time. It is marketing, but it’s also making me a load of friends in areas I wouldn’t have expected. I had no idea, for example, how many people there are who really enjoy discussing pens and pencils. Yes, I’m a geek for a decent fountain pen, and still more so for a gorgeously coloured ink, and people who like pens seem to be calmer, kinder folks! And while making videos takes time, it gives me an excuse for reading more (because I record reviews on books – here’s my latest: https://youtu.be/bz6eMZ84kks), and taking some time away from the keyboards!
Right – now to get as much done on this book before the proofs of the other one reappear.
Wish me luck!
April 9, 2019
Review: Casanova and the Faceless Woman
Review: Casanova and the Faceless Woman
Published by Pushkin Vertigo, ISBN 978 1 78227 453 7 £9.99
[image error]
It is always a delight to discover a new author whose work is both refreshing and novel.
Last week I finished one book and was wondering what to try next. Fortunately for me, Pushkin Vertigo got in touch about a new book they were launching, and offered a review copy. I rarely turn down the chance of a review copy.
I read many books for reviews, but the sad fact is, not all get written up. There is a simple reason for this: as I have said plenty of times, I will not tend to review books I really dislike, because what I detest may well appeal enormously to other people. So I prefer to review books I like, giving the reasons why, and those books I don’t enjoy, I leave to people who who like them. I don’t see it as my job to slag off the hard efforts of other writers.
The was no hesitation about this book, however.
First, a digression: it arrived superbly well presented. In this sad age of print-on-demand, leading to thin covers, poor binding, and printing that I could do better on my laser printer at home, it is always a joy to receive a book that actually feels like a piece of quality when you pick it up. This is one such. The pages are not the very best quality, but they are as good as a paperback should be – in other words, they’re the same quality as a book I would have bought in the 80s. The cover is glorious, a dark, grim red, with a mysterious figure in eighteenth century costume walking along a road, with the towers of a cathedral (Notre Dame?) in the distance. A woman is visible some way ahead of him. The picture itself is framed as though it was an oil painting. Continuing with the feeling of a book that has been valued by its publishers, the cover has flaps which are folded back on themselves, so they have the appearance of a jacket on a hardback.
I’ve wittered on about the book’s appearance for a while. Why? Because it shows that the publishers have taken pride in this book, and that they value it. Why does this matter? Because most publishers appear to look on books as mere commodities. They don’t seem to care about the look of their books. This is one in which the publishers are demonstrating great confidence.
As they should. Olivier Barde-Cabuçon is a very skilled writer – I imagine. I say that because this is a translation. I will come back to that point in a moment.
Barde-Cabucon manages to write in a style that could have been contemporary with his story. It is direct, but never tedious. There are some relatively flowery descriptions, but these tend to be brief and to the point, unlike, say, THE NAME OF THE ROSE, (one of my favourite historicals) which, I admit, had several sections where my natural inclination was to scoot past the descriptions and on to the action. I believe that two or three pages interpreting a doorway is basically two pages too many.
This story begins with a young girl being deposited on the street in Paris from a coach. As she alights, a voice from inside the coach tells her to be careful. And she tries to be – but soon her screams are heard, and she is discovered by the famous Casanova.
But this is not a book in which Casanova is the primary protagonist. They are Volnay, the Paris Inspector of Strange and Unexplained Deaths, and his companion, a man known as the Monk.
These two are known about France for their skills at detecting clues in the murders of the King’s subjects. Volnay himself was given his job because he managed to save the king from an assassination attempt, and although he had been a republican in his youth, now he sees his task as being to support victims by finding their murderers.
His friend has also been a rebel, and enjoys great understanding of anatomy, which is essential in their trade.
This murder is one that will test them, however, because when Volnay is called to the dead woman and searches her pockets, he discovers a letter. It carries the King’s seal.
Volnay is a man on honour and integrity, and will not look at this letter. He keeps it sealed. But others know of it, and they are prepared to go to any lengths to discover it.
There is the delightful and beautiful Chiara D’Ancilla, the Comte de Saint-Germain, the King’s mistress, Madame Pompadour – but also the fearsome Brotherhood, and the Devout Party.
So many secrets, so many spies, so many dangers for a policeman trying to do his best.
This is a book that I thoroughly enjoyed. Well-written and excellently presented. However, there is one last point I have to make: the key element in this excellent book.
All too often we pick up foreign books and read them with delight. It doesn’t matter who the author is, and we get to enjoy the flavour of their writing without noticing the fact that – well, we aren’t reading them. We are reading a translation, which is really an interpretation of the work, the entire story taken and put into English for us to devour.
Sometimes those translations are dreadful. And we blame the author. Wouldn’t touch his/her books again, we say. And when the translation is good, we congratulate the author. In reality we should recognise that there has been an individual sitting between the author’s words and our reading: the translator.
This book is so good because the translator has done a magnificent job as well as the author. So tonight, raise a glass to Louise Rogers Lalaurie – a lady who can take a text and make it perfectly comprehensible in a foreign language, a rare skill.
I highly recommend this book, in case you hadn’t realised.
April 8, 2019
The Trials of Typing
I have used many computers in my time. I started out with dedicated wordprocessors such as the Olivetti, and progressed to simple personal computers like the ACT Sirius (which was gorgeous) and Apple Ice. But I never could get to grips with Supercalc!
I progressed from them to the lovely Wordplex machines, which I sold for five years or so, before moving to Wang Labs and their dedicated WP systems. They were great. Infinitely better than the hideous, low tech, badly designed, clunky Rank Xerox “document processors”. No they were, they were dreadful. I left that firm as soon as I could.
[image error]
Since then I’ve been a happy user of AST laptops, IBM PS2s, Toshiba laptops, and more recently, Apple iMacs, MacBook Airs, and now my beautiful iMac and Astrohaus Freewrite.
People ask me why I love the Freewrite so much. Well, today is a case in point. I have written some 1,500 words on my Freewrite. Why? Because for some reason my iMac has stopped working again. There appears to be some contention between iTunes and Photos, such that when the two are loaded in the Apple’s memory, they both cause the computer to hang. So far today I have had to restart this machine four times. I haven’t, intentionally, watched the clock every time I’m trying to write, because frankly this machine would end up out of the window.
And meanwhile the Freewrite continues working seamlessly and smoothly. For less than a third of the cost of an Apple.
This may well be my last Apple.
Hey ho. Hopefully this will get posted. Even more hopefully it’ll include the photos I’ve been trying to load. They are of my childhood collection of Action Man uniforms and equipment. I used to adore these things, and although several items got damaged (when my parents allowed my nieces and nephews to play with them), it’s been fun to get to know them again. Time to accept the fact that I’ll never play with them, though! Better to sell them to a collector.
It’s been a strange day. Up at 5.30 to see off my daughter, who’s returned to university, and then taking photos of Action Man gear, an old snooker table from the 60s, and other items for eBay. It’s a shame to get rid of these things, but I have to accept that it’s not always a good idea to keep hold of too many items from the past.
[image error]Incidentally, I have my new Phonak hearing aid now, which allows me to listen to conversations that I couldn’t have heard last Thursday. Not only that, it allows me to listen to music straight from my phone – and acts as a hands-free in the car. I am very impressed and delighted!
April 5, 2019
Hoarding Can Be Good
[image error]Okay, I admit it, I am pretty bad for hoarding.
Look at my bookshelves. I am not going to read every one of these again. In fact, I suspect only perhaps 15% of them will be read. I have books I adore (and know pretty much off by heart), and which I cannot get rid of because they are my comfort-reads; there are some which are so bad, so unremittingly dire, that I keep them to remind myself I cannot sink that low; and then there is the middle ground, the Lehanes, Grishams, Deavers and others, which I know I won’t read again, but which, well, they hold a place in my affections, I guess.
[image error]Then again, there are the research shelves. These are packed with books I don’t and probably won’t need. But they have to be kept hold of, because once in a while I might need to check on what poisons were in use in the 1500s, or what alchemists were up to in the 1200s, or … there are many aspects of research when writing an historical.
But do I need that snooker table? No. It really should be sold. As should the hanging file trolley. We don’t need that. And the old toys … ah yes, I knew there was a point to this rambling.
You see, I am really enjoying making YouTube videos about books and writing. I know, it seems a silly occupation, but there is a ready audience for short films talking about pens and inks. And I’ve done well with my book reviews, too. People seem to like them.
But, I only have one camera. It is good – it’s a Nikon – but it is not designed for making videos, it’s designed for making photos, and it is exceedingly good at it. But it fails for me on both counts.
Although it is a very competent video-maker, it falls down because it cannot auto-focus while filming. Taking a photo it’s fine, but filming is not. I have to set it up on manual focus and ensure I am sitting within that precise range. It’s not ideal.
For outdoor photography it’s not idea, either, purely because it’s so damn big. It is impossible to take subtle, candid photos with it, because people see this hulking great black box and realise what I’m doing. Besides, I dislike looking like a tourist.
So I have been looking for some time at different options. Sadly they all appear to be in the region of £1,500 and upwards for anything that would do decent video and photography. Which is way out of my league. Even the second hand Fuji X100F, which I mention because it is beautiful, costs over £800. That would be, I think, an ideal every-day carry camera. Light, discreet, and takes wonderful photos. I could keep the Nikon at home for recording films, and take the Fuji out every day. That appeals.
But not at that cost.
However, I have a lot of items here that are not books which I could easily sell. Old toys, old fountain pens, and the Good Lord knows what else besides. I even have a load of crates full of my own books that I could sell.
Maybe, just maybe, I should be concentrating on clearing out the old clutter.
But that will come later. First, today, I have to siphon off some home brew which has been sitting and resting after I mixed in the finings yesterday; walk the dogs; write this blog (okay, done); do emails; do twitter; get the sourdough starter to wake up after a week in the fridge; write up some notes on a review; edit two videos; drive to Exeter to have new hearing aid equipment synched with my existing aids; pick up daughter from the station; get to the college, where we’re participating in a quiz night in support of the A level students …
When I first started writing, I thought it would be a way of having an easier life, and less to do. I was wrong.
[image error]
April 4, 2019
New Pens
I am very fortunate, having a number of very good fountain pens – the best of which are definitely my two Viscontis. I love the material the Homo Sapiens are made from, which is based on volcanic rock from Etna, and is seriously indestructible. They are ideal pens for daily carry, because nothing will scratch them.
But I’m getting more and more enthusiastic about my latest pens – three TWSBI Go pens.
[image error]Three TWSBIs all in a row
The Go is a very simple design indeed. It is made from clear plastics, so the whole mechanism can be seen. There is a cap, which is very simple. There is not even a clip, only a little fixing so that it can be attached to a lanyard. In the barrel, there is the most simple design imaginable: a spring-loaded plunger. You put the nib into some ink, press and release the plunger, and the pen’s full.
[image error]Delightful, simple mechanism
When I first received a TWSBI Go, I was quite pleased with it … but not over the moon. Look at it, after all. It’s not the prettiest plastic, not the best weight, not the best balance or thickness. And yet … somehow, with all these imperfections, TWSBI has managed to create one of the nicest writing experiences I have had! I absolutely love the 1.1 mm stub nibs in particular, which lay down a very reliable, thick vertical line, that slims to a thin one horizontally. You get a better view of the ink’s colour and of shading with nibs like that.
I’ve a video up today at 5.00, if you want to see more about how the pens work. It’ll be available at https://youtu.be/tNuuQxcxG-w on YouTube. In that, I’ll also be showing three different inks, just to show off my three pens.
Will the pens be replacing my Viscontis? Not a chance. However, it has made me think about selling some of the other pens. For example, I have a Cross Peerless 125, which is beautiful and exceptionally pleasant to write with. But, there is one significant failing for it – and that is, I adore my Viscontis, I love my solid silver Conway Stewart, and now I am enormously fond of my TWSBIs as excellent writers for daily use. What is the point of keeping a pretty, thick gold plated Cross pen, when it’s not going to be used? So, I think that I might, reluctantly, put it on eBay.
I am coming to the conclusion that there really is very little point in holding onto things that will not be used. Someone else may well have a good use for it, after all. Except that rule doesn’t apply when it comes to books, of course. There are very few books that I would willingly give away … although one or two would not be missed, it has to be admitted!
And the really strange thing is, I have one TWSBI pen, an Eco, which is considerably more expensive than these Gos, but which really doesn’t feel anything like as good to use – not to me. And it’s odd, because the barrel and piston filling system are very effective and feel more expensive, and the nib is exactly the same as the ones in the Gos. The Eco just doesn’t make me feel as happy as the cheap and cheerful Gos!
And now, back to the current copyedit. Wish me luck!
[image error]Happy hound
April 3, 2019
Writing in the Cold!
It is rare indeed that I can wake up, stare out towards the moors, and see snow smothering the top of Cosdon Beacon.
This is all wrong. The snows should not continue into April. I am happy enough to wake to the sight of snow in February and March, but those months have gone. I fully expect to be able to put away the thicker woollies and resort to thin pullovers by now.
Not that it feels that the winter has gone from inside the house. There is something grimly chilly about a granite house. The granite soaks up moisture, and as it releases it, keeps the whole building cold. So as I write, I spend lots of time imagining summer weather, with warm, balmy afternoons and a need for ice-cold drinks.
But … While editing my latest Bloody Mary series story involving Jack Blackjack, I realise I made a serious mistake. All the scenes feel damp – I appear to have pushed Jack into filthy rainstorms in every section. My plans to edit in a feeling of warmth and comfort have been replaced with sogginess and mud.
The only good thing is, I really have enjoyed rereading this one. It’s due to be published on 31st July – preorders are available, I understand – and while I usually find my books to be hard work by the time I’ve read them 20-30 times, this one remains fresh and cheerful. I particularly like the new coroner, and the two fraudulent felons, as well as the villagers. The people and the story seem to hang together very nicely. It even made me chuckle a couple of times while working on it again.
Which is more than I can say about a book I have just, thankfully, set aside.
I have been thinking a lot about whether I should just be honest about me feelings for some books. I tend to avoid negative comments, but sometimes …
This book has a tortuous plot. Nothing wrong with that. But it is oddly dissatisfying, and it’s taken me a while to work out why. I think it is because the characters are generally two-dimensional – or less. They appear, and as the author springs some evil, well-formulated plan on them, they react. But they don’t react from their own well-defined motivations or character – they don’t have any – instead, they react purely in a fashion that will suit the plot. And when there is a clever twist, where two characters are playing against each other – well, it reads like one man having an internal monologue, not two men explaining themselves. They use the same language, the same sentence structures.
No, I’m not going to say who wrote the book, but it is depressing when I compare it to, say, a novel by Frederick Forsyth. And if you haven’t seen it yet, my review of his work is here: https://youtu.be/e0H7gNzo8JY – I am reviewing books and authors every Sunday evening and every Tuesday evening at 5 pm UK time, so go to my YouTube channel, subscribe, and hit the bell symbol if you want to be notified when there’s a new video coming up. Tonight there’s an extra one, too: a review of The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. If you like crime thrillers, this one is different!
STOP PRESS! If you’re a Kobo user, and prefer your books there, I’ve good news for you! Kobo have selected the first Knights Templar Collection to be featured in their eBook Bundles sale which runs in both the US & CA from 3rd-10th April! US: http://ow.ly/HLwl50p0drcCA: http://ow.ly/szWu50p0drd
