Short Independent Stories

Bakewell Bookshop (see link left) have sent an e-mail over to say they are now stocking The Secret War – and better still, they’ve invited me to talk at the Bakewell Arts Festival in August. I’m in the process of confirming a date and I reckon the format will be a chaperoned talk followed by a Q&A and informal signing. This will coincide with (I hope) the completion of the follow-up to The Secret War, so I may even do a reading from the new book. However, in this lark things have a habit of falling through (like the “e-sheaf” thing – just in case anyone else asks about this, no I’m not sure what happened there either) – so once the talk is confirmed I’ll post a date on the blog and the website.

And as we’re on the subject of independents, the wedding in Dumfries last weekend allowed a brief encounter with another supporter of the book – the owner of Fordingbridge Bookshop (see link left also) in Hampshire. They’ve been stocking The Secret War since it was published and it was nice to finally meet up – albeit at the end of the wedding and quite briefly (I was dashing out to catch the coach back to the hotel). However, that fleeting and slightly inebriated chat will be rectified come July – I’ll be popping in on the way to Bournemouth to have a natter and sign any stock they have…

…Which leads to a slight change of tool bar. I’ve grouped The Secret War retailers under “Stocked Where?” just in case this blog inspires curiosity, and curiosity turns to…

Well, you get the picture.

And finally

Just thought I’d sign post the non-regular Grumpy Old Bookman readers to a new writing competition. GOB has this link over on his blog-site, but rather than go round the houses, it’s basically “how do you solve a problem like a writer” or “Richard and Judy’s Writing Competition version 2 (but not for Channel 4)”. My career benefited directly from such a competition, so I think it might be a good thing – if handled well enough.

If you’re interested, click here.

Like GOB I would like to choose who I was mentored by (Jeffrey Archer or Joan Collins are offered), but I think the prospect would be terrifying and exciting in equal measure.

Okay, I confess it would be more the former…