Catching Up - Part Two

17 October

It’s 2pm and having completed my ‘must do’ tasks for the day, I have a free hour or so in which to update my Writing Life diary.
Ever since I abandoned the summerhouse on Monday, I’ve been getting used to my new routine. There are no more early mornings with pen and paper in my retreat at the bottom of the garden – and I have to say I miss it. There will now be an unnatural and unwanted lull while I wait for Chapters 1-3 of MALALREN to be typed up by my Dear Lady Wife (God bless her) before I can get to grips with the rework. This, of course, will be the next step in my campaign to attract an agent for my new book. I’ve already made a start in that respect, having sent an email to Zoe King of The Blair Partnership as my first choice. We met at the York Writers Conference in September when she kindly volunteered to take a copy of BIRDS OF THE NILE to read. Anyone who is prepared to do that clearly gets preference. I await her reply.
Meanwhile, I’ve taken to filling my writing time with reading, not something (I’m ashamed to admit) I’m normally able to manage. I seem to have accumulated a pile of books on my bedside table which I’ve told myself I should read as soon as I have the time. Now I theoretically have the time, so my excuse is gone. Just out of interest, here they are in no particular order.
The New Middle East by Paul Danahar : A (weighty) reference book about the politics of The Arab Spring which I began in readiness for my Wakefield Lit Fest event (Egypt in Crisis). Pages 1-125 seemed to provide me with all I needed to know and I haven’t yet progressed beyond there.
To Catch A Rabbit by Helen Cadbury : Helen is a fellow member of York Authors and I bought my copy at her book launch in June. I read it over the course of last weekend and as I am working with her at Ryedale Book Festival on Saturday, we will be no doubt be discussing it then. Watch this space ...
The Universe Versus Alex Woods by Gavin Extence : My current read. I first met Gavin on the York leg of his nationwide (hardback) book launch tour where he seemed to enjoy good support. I came across him for the second time at Wakefield (by which time the paperback was out) where there were more good comments. On the strength of these I bought the book for my wife who has thoroughly enjoyed reading it and recommended that I do so. And as I always do what DLW tells me ...
Stoner by John Williams : I first heard of this via an interview given by Ian McEwan and thought This sounds like my kind of book. Time will tell.
And finally, Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates : A perennial favourite, this haunts my bedside table. Having read it once a few years ago, it has remained in situ ever since so that I can dip into it from time to time to remind myself of what great prose reads like.
Then, after my morning read, I revert to promoting BIRDS OF THE NILE. The manic period leading up to and following the Big Book Launch seems to have quietened down and things are returning to something like normal. The face-to-face campaign continues and so far I have personally sold 149 copies. Having taken delivery of 285 to begin and given 17 away as complimentary and lent out 14 on sale or return, I am left with a further 105 in stock. At the current rate, these should last until Christmas. My stock sheet (I keep an inventory) looks like the scorecard for a Geoff Boycott century ie. all in ones spaced out over a long period of time. Having said that, I seem to have managed a boundary at Ilkley last Thursday.
More opportunities for sales over the next couple of days as I am at Wolds Words (Louth, A Defence Against The Dark Arts) tomorrow and at Ryedale Book Festival (Malton, Does Travel Broaden The Literary Mind?) on Saturday. That being the case, I may not pass this way again before Monday. I’ll hopefully talk to you then ...