Jo Jenner's Blog, page 10

Coming home

Jim Brooke walked along the canal tow path pulling his coat tight as the wind whistled around him. It was what his mother had called a lazy wind. 'It goes through you rather than taking the long way round.' He smiled as he thought about her chuckling at her own joke.
It was the first time he'd returned in twenty years. The canal seemed cleaner than when he had played along it but it felt darker almost foreboding.
A young policeman stood at the far end of the tunnel and as Jim entered he had t...

Marketing – Aaaaaaaaaargh!

I have finished my Open University course and have been producing some short stories which I felt where good enough to let the reading public view. Those of you who have read this blog before will remember my previous blogs on e-publishing How to and the next steps where I talked about turning those stories into an ebook and the simplicity of using Kindle Direct Publishing.

I have now had the book on the market for two months and have so far sold fourteen copies and generated one review.
So w...

Second instalment

I looked over at Billy as the roller coaster reached its highest point. It seemed to settle there for an age and then we were hurtling down towards a yawning chasm. Faster and faster, hurtling towards the Earth’s molten core. We dove into the bowels of the earth and whilst still underground the car levelled out and then began its ascent back to the surface. I kept my eyes closed until the car bumped to a stop and the shoulder harness raised up an inch as the electronic lock was released. I tu...

Birthday surprise

As I sat in the theatre I heard a mobile ‘phone ringing in the empty seat next to me. I slowly looked around. Everyone else was engrossed in the play. It rang again, the light from the screen lighting up most of the balcony section and showing the scowling faces turning towards me. I quickly picked it up and pressed the answer button.
'We have him,' a faint crackly voice whispered. 'If you want him back bring the formula to the warehouse at midnight. Come alone, or else!'
The phone went dead an...

How the experts do it - Philip K. Dick

Last week I was struggling to find something to read. Not a mean feet on the basis I own over two hundred books and have a kindle which gives me access to practically every book ever written. After many hours of perusing I finally settled on a collection of Philip K. Dick novels that had been bought as a birthday gift some years ago. I had read 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?' some years ago and really enjoyed it. That was before I had started to write and I hadn't realised how brillian...

Through the eyes of a blind man

Having recently read a post by a biker who was upset by the fact his appearance would make parents steer their children away from him, I was led to consider how different the world would be if we all judged by actions rather than appearances.
 
As the tattooed accountant of this blog I am aware of the difference reception I will receive depending upon whether people know I am an accountant or see my tattoos as their first impression of me..
I often use this to get a reaction but I know th...

What price freedom?

Standing waiting for the sale to start it all feels like a dream. I hold Nathan tightly. He is covered by a muslin cloth to protect him from the baking heat and to stop prying eyes. There has been a rumour that today’s sale will be extra special but no one knows exactly why yet.
I first came to the market three years ago. I am pale skinned for an Arab and the owner’s son had decided that made me fair game. I had always been courteous and never given him cause to think of me as anything more th...

It’s a Boy

Whilst enjoying the coverage of the royal birth I began to ponder the effort that had been gone into to change the act of succession and how it is now a mute point.
Don’t get me wrong I am glad it’s been done and it leads the way for equality in the future but just as anyone born after 1952 will only ever have known a Queen the next generation will only ever know a King, all be it possibly three different ones.
This is another position that is currently held by a woman but that the successor wi...

Difficulties of the Unknown Author

Having sold just eleven copies of my first book I was ruing following the self publishing route. I realised there is a lot more to this selling books lark than just putting it on Kindle and waiting.
Nothing highlighted this point more than the revelation this weekend that a book written by J K Rowling under a pseudonym had sold less than five hundred copies since its release in April.
The power of her name and her amazing back catalogue led to sales rocketing within hours of the secret being r...

The Hankie

I found it lying in the front garden almost untouched by the explosion. I don’t know if she had dropped it there or if it had somehow been blow out with the windows.
I hadn’t understood the panic when Mary had first called, but I did now. She was in a frantic state.
‘I’ve lost it,’ her old feeble voice sounding more so, over the poor connection of her mobile phone.
‘Lost what Mary?’
‘It’s gone. I know it was in my handbag and when I looked a minute ago it wasn’t there.’
‘Mary Calm Down,’ I was sh...