Debbie Robson's Blog - Posts Tagged "novel"
Kotara
Just found out this morning that I sold 12 copies of Tomaree in four hours! Very pleased with myself. I have recently had a woman in Port Macquarie tell my mother twice that she really loved my book and yesterday a woman came and told me how much she had enjoyed Tomaree and so had all the family. She then asked me for my autograph on a slip of paper with my booksigning details. The significance of it didn't sink in till later.
A New Start
Just began a new novel yesterday and it is so exciting to be back. I'm hoping that it will be short, almost a novella and quick to read. That is actually very important with the type of novel I'm writing. It's set in 1921 and I am now beginning to dive into that decade and totally immerse myself. Now where did I put my time machine?
Right now David Lambert has it and he has travelled ahead to 2500 to a tropical but decimated London (A Scientific Romance). I'll see if I can borrow it later.
Right now David Lambert has it and he has travelled ahead to 2500 to a tropical but decimated London (A Scientific Romance). I'll see if I can borrow it later.
Bookcrossing Novel
I have decided to regularly upload excerpts from my manuscript "Crossing Paths". I'm going to concentrate, for the moment at least on the releases.
Here's how one of my characters, a New Age writer named Jonathan Fairlight, discovers Bookcrossing at Polruan in Cornwall.
"While eating his lunch Jonathan couldn’t help staring at the woman opposite him. She seemed vaguely familiar. Where had he seen her? He was about to give up on the puzzle when he noticed that she had stood up and was walking towards him. She had left a book behind on her table. He got up to move to the back of the teashop to retrieve it when she stopped suddenly at his table and placed another book down near his left hand. He paused to try and read the title but it was upside down and in that moment she was off again, walking out of the teashop. He turned around and grabbed the book from his table and followed her outside into the warm sunshine. Jonathan stopped still and called out,
‘You left your book behind and another one too I believe.’ He watched as she turned to him slowly, in a rather aggrieved fashion.
‘Don’t worry about the other one. What’s it say on the front of the one you’re holding,’ she asked tiredly.
‘I’m sorry?’
‘What does the post-it note say on the front?’
Jonathan raised his eyebrows in surprise and bafflement.
‘What does it say?’ she repeated.
He looked down at the book in his hands. ‘It says, ‘Hi! I’m free. I’m a Bookcrossing book. See inside for details.’ Jonathan read this out slowly and clearly, feeling like a schoolboy.
‘It’s for you.’
Jonathan quickly read the title: 1979: A Big Year in a Small Town and the blurb on the back. It appeared the book was about a young schoolgirl’s coming of age in a small Scottish fishing village.
‘I don’t think so. You must have made a mistake. I mean this book….’
‘It’s for you to take home. I think you may know of someone to give it to.’ And with this she was off towards the quay where he noticed the ferry had returned and was churning towards the wharf.
He ran to catch up with her and as he came up beside her, he remembered where he had seen her: at Mr Bistro with Melloney. She had been two tables away. So the book was for Melloney.
‘I remember you from Mr. Bistro. You heard us talking? So you’re not psychic.’ He voiced the idea that had been running through his head a moment before.
‘Oh, I wouldn’t say that.’ With this remark she bustled onto the ferry, leaving Jonathan standing bemused, laughing until he remembered his half finished pot of tea and his quiche, which was probably cold by now. He returned to his table having missed by just a minute, an American woman pick up the other book, remarking to her husband, ‘Honey, would you look at this! It’s a Bookcrossing book. Why don’t I take it back home? Won’t that be fun!’
‘They’ll get a heck of a surprise when they see where it’s got to!’ her husband answered. Both of them laughed happily as they left the teashop with Jonathan passing them as he went back in."
Here's how one of my characters, a New Age writer named Jonathan Fairlight, discovers Bookcrossing at Polruan in Cornwall.
"While eating his lunch Jonathan couldn’t help staring at the woman opposite him. She seemed vaguely familiar. Where had he seen her? He was about to give up on the puzzle when he noticed that she had stood up and was walking towards him. She had left a book behind on her table. He got up to move to the back of the teashop to retrieve it when she stopped suddenly at his table and placed another book down near his left hand. He paused to try and read the title but it was upside down and in that moment she was off again, walking out of the teashop. He turned around and grabbed the book from his table and followed her outside into the warm sunshine. Jonathan stopped still and called out,
‘You left your book behind and another one too I believe.’ He watched as she turned to him slowly, in a rather aggrieved fashion.
‘Don’t worry about the other one. What’s it say on the front of the one you’re holding,’ she asked tiredly.
‘I’m sorry?’
‘What does the post-it note say on the front?’
Jonathan raised his eyebrows in surprise and bafflement.
‘What does it say?’ she repeated.
He looked down at the book in his hands. ‘It says, ‘Hi! I’m free. I’m a Bookcrossing book. See inside for details.’ Jonathan read this out slowly and clearly, feeling like a schoolboy.
‘It’s for you.’
Jonathan quickly read the title: 1979: A Big Year in a Small Town and the blurb on the back. It appeared the book was about a young schoolgirl’s coming of age in a small Scottish fishing village.
‘I don’t think so. You must have made a mistake. I mean this book….’
‘It’s for you to take home. I think you may know of someone to give it to.’ And with this she was off towards the quay where he noticed the ferry had returned and was churning towards the wharf.
He ran to catch up with her and as he came up beside her, he remembered where he had seen her: at Mr Bistro with Melloney. She had been two tables away. So the book was for Melloney.
‘I remember you from Mr. Bistro. You heard us talking? So you’re not psychic.’ He voiced the idea that had been running through his head a moment before.
‘Oh, I wouldn’t say that.’ With this remark she bustled onto the ferry, leaving Jonathan standing bemused, laughing until he remembered his half finished pot of tea and his quiche, which was probably cold by now. He returned to his table having missed by just a minute, an American woman pick up the other book, remarking to her husband, ‘Honey, would you look at this! It’s a Bookcrossing book. Why don’t I take it back home? Won’t that be fun!’
‘They’ll get a heck of a surprise when they see where it’s got to!’ her husband answered. Both of them laughed happily as they left the teashop with Jonathan passing them as he went back in."
Skive Magazine
I am so excited! An excerpt of (a chapter set in Athens) Crossing Paths is going to be featured in Skive Magazine Future, June 2010.
http://www.skivemagazine.com
I will update when the the Mazagine is online.
http://www.skivemagazine.com
I will update when the the Mazagine is online.
Meeting All My Helpers
Crossing Paths, my novel that is to be published in September, is unusual in that although it is a work of fiction, it is inspired by a real online book club and 40 real BookCrossers feature in the manuscript.
When I first started researching and writing the novel a lot of BookCrossers were helping me with my research and rather than make up BC names for the countless journal entries that were beginning to be a feature in the book, I asked my helpers if they would like a journal entry. Along the way 40 said yes.
Four years later I have been able to recontact all but four of my helpers. Some I still write to regularly and one day I would like to meet all of them including a lot of others that although they don't appear in the book helped me by answering often bizarre questions about places such as Lake Shawnigan and Turin; the traffic in Paris and a magnificent hotel in Looe, to name but a few. They will be listed in the acknowledgements along with a lot of other people not associated with bookcrossing.com
Here's to us getting together one day!
Debbie
When I first started researching and writing the novel a lot of BookCrossers were helping me with my research and rather than make up BC names for the countless journal entries that were beginning to be a feature in the book, I asked my helpers if they would like a journal entry. Along the way 40 said yes.
Four years later I have been able to recontact all but four of my helpers. Some I still write to regularly and one day I would like to meet all of them including a lot of others that although they don't appear in the book helped me by answering often bizarre questions about places such as Lake Shawnigan and Turin; the traffic in Paris and a magnificent hotel in Looe, to name but a few. They will be listed in the acknowledgements along with a lot of other people not associated with bookcrossing.com
Here's to us getting together one day!
Debbie
