Ali Bacon's Blog, page 20
October 23, 2012
E-book launch is just another day – not!
Well what is a launch-day in the virtual book world? Let’s face it, no one is plying me with drinks and as per usual I was the breakfast chef chez nous. I suppose, as I am fond of intoning re Christmas, it is after all, just another day.
But no sooner had I switched on the laptop than I discovered Jontybabe has posted the full version of her Amazon review here and that Carol E. Wyeris already up and running over at Facing 50 with what I now consider to be some very dubious revelations about my...
October 17, 2012
Friends, writers, countrymen

Before we were famous
Or maybe I shoud have chosen that ‘tide in the affairs of man’ quotation because it’s proving a mega month for Bristol Women Writers. First of all there was the launch of Jean Burnett’s Who Needs Mr Darcy (and a party on Saturday at Toppings of Bath – who could ask for more!) and now Shirley Wright (whom you met here) has won second prize in the very well-supported Wells Literary Festival Poetry Competition.Shirley has won several presitgious prizes and I’vehad the pleasu...
October 14, 2012
Either an author or a publisher be
Wellin an ideal world, that would be my preference. Because while Thornberry are publishing A Kettle of Fishon Kindle (out now, dont’ya know!) I’m publishing the print edition myselfusing Feedaread, as recommended by a number of writing buddies.So as well as being a published author I ‘ll now be self-published too, and if that makessense.
More puzzling is the fact thatI’m really not enjoying this process much, and have been very scratchy all week as a result.Why should this be? I’m all for sel...
October 8, 2012
And finally – my own stiletto moment
Couldn’t resist Carol Wyer’s invitation to her own party and my own entry in her Surfing in Stilettos competition.
(Nice shoes, shame about the legs!)


Make way for Carol E. Wyer, who’s Surfing in Stilettos
Today’s guest became a member of the irrepressible Love a Happy Ending group just as I did, and now (in fact TODAY) her second novel Surfing in Stilettos, about a ‘mature’ gap-year trip to France, is published by my good friends at Thornberry and very much reflects the spirit of her blog Facing 50 with Humour (well, what other way is there to do it?) Coupled with the fact that from her photo Carol looks just like a friend of mine who lives in Crawley, I can think of no better reason to warm u...
October 5, 2012
Welcome Jean Burnett and Who Needs Mr. Darcy?
A huge welcome to Jean Burnett, a writing friend who has just hit the big-time with her Jane Austen comic spin-off Who Needs Mr Darcy?, already showcased at this year’s Jane Austen Festival in Bath. And with Jean’s unerring sense of occasion (and fun!) she has even come dressed for the part.I’m going to pretend I am similarly attired, or maybe even wearing Lydia’s amazing lilac ball-dress. Afterall, that’s what the virtual book tour is all about. So excuse my while I shake my ruffled neckline...
October 2, 2012
My first, my last, my Next Big Thing
Thanks to both Miriam Wakerly and Carol Wyer, both of Love a Happy Ending, for tagging me in the ‘Next Big Thing’ round of blog posts. Because my current work in progress is still taking only faltering steps, I’m cheating a bit by telling you about my first novel which, despite the time it has spent ‘in the drawer’, still has a place in my writer’s heart. In fact I’m thinking of dusting it down and giving it another airing, so who knows? My last big thing might just become my next!
What is the...
September 26, 2012
All set for publication – a cover is revealed
The last week or two havbe been hectic – and that was before our trip to NYC (photos coming soon!) But I’m delighted to report that the lovely Thornberry Publishing will now be publishing Kettleon – tada! -
! 23rd October 2012!
and to mark this announcement I havetarted up my banner and revealed the final cover design. I particularly like the print version (which I hope to get out soon after the Kindle edition) as it looks so much like a real book. (Note to self, it is a real book – almost!)
Wor...
September 16, 2012
Meet Mark S. Bacon, my unexpected guest

Is this the real Mark Bacon? We may never know.
Only yesterdayI spotted a suspiciously unsolicited email from someoneintroducing himself as a ‘fellow writer and a Bacon’. Call me stupid, but I always feel a kind of connection to a namesake of any kind, and so (call me stupider) I threw caution to the winds and opened it. Straight away I liked that he didn’t ask me to read his sci-fi-YA-fantasy novella, as many of my unsolicited emailers do. It also helped that he wrote me a polite letter telli...
September 10, 2012
State of Wonder: further explorations
Ann Patchett’s State of Wonder (blogged about it here) was possibly my favourite book of last year and so when another Twitter user alerted me toanemail discussion aboutthe book I was happy to be included. It’s a while since I participated in serious literary criticism (Euripides may have beeninvolved!) and at first I was a bit taken aback by the depth and detail of theanalysis. However it was a very interestingexperience and made me aware of aspects of the bookI otherwise would have missed....