"It was imprudent of us, in the first place, to become authors. We could have become something regular, but we managed not to.
We were lucky, but we were also determined." Roy Blount Jr

"I don’t change the facts to enhance the drama. I think of it the other way round, the drama has got to fit the facts,
and it’s your job as a writer to find the shape in real life."
Hilary Mantel

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

More About My Book:

I've inaugurated a Kickstarter campaign to fund the launch and promotional campaign for A Pledge of Better Times. There's background information about the novel, plus a little film showing the locations where I did research.

A Pledge of Better Times on Kickstarter




Saturday, September 27, 2014

The Return

After a glorious summer, I now return to blogging in the autumn of the year.

I've had quite a busy time in recent months...a few batches of houseguests, additional home improvement and renovation, intermittent gardening, time at the lake, socialising with friends and neighbours and family, finishing up my novel--and preparing it for the press.

Here is the completed cover art for A Pledge of Better Times. It will be released in print and as an ebook in April 2015. More information will be forthcoming, you may be sure! For now I'll simply say that the lady on the cover is one of the book's main characters. And H.M. the Queen and the Royal Collection very generously granted a licence so that she might grace the cover of my novel. The original portrait hangs in Hampton Court Palace, where I've frequently visited it.


One reason for the delay in blogging was the dread of having to write a "catch up" post, when so much has been happening. So I'm keeping it to a few photos only--some roses, some dogs, some lake scenes. I hope that will suffice!









The last one was taken a little while ago, as I stood on the dock looking up at the hillside.

I look forward to blogging again soon. Nice to be back!