Four Movements will be hitting the virtual shelves of Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Reader Store and Apple iBook Store among others at the end of May.
Four Movements is the extraordinary tale of an ordinary upright piano from 1959 to the present day, told through the eyes of four sets of owners. It is a story of secrets, love and grief.
See the trailer here.
Watch this space!
Thanks to everyone who sent me constructive feedback on the cover I posted yesterday. My feeling, overwhelmingly was that it looked a bit DIY. This was confirmed when my wife told me she thought it was 'lovely' in the same tone as a parent might to a toddler who has scribbled on a piece of paper with a crayon...
So, I've decided to concentrate on concepts, and then, probably, pay an actual real life professional to produce it for me. Above are the two concepts I've come up with today, along with the first one I posted yesterday.
Which do you prefer??
This is the first draft of the cover. What do you think?
I received my best ever rejection today. It sounds like an odd statement to make, but it’s true. The literary agent, who will remain nameless, let me know that she enjoyed Four Movements. She liked the writing style and the story…
but…
(Yes, there is always a but)
…the market for debut authors and literary fiction is very difficult at the moment. She said as a result she has to be ultra-selective about who she takes on.
So it’s still a ‘no’, but it is by far the best one I’ve had. I am inexorably inching closer to self publishing.
The time has come now for me to finally admit to myself that I have a problem. I am an addict. Yes, it’s true. I am addicted to the George R R Martin books A Game of Thrones.
I read the first in the series, that will eventually number seven very long and satisfying books, last year for a book club. After being intrigued by the first book, I got the second, and I am afraid it was a slippery slope from there. Onto book four now, and I’m showing no signs of slowing. Once I’ve read the fifth, I don’t know what I’ll do. Mr M hasn’t yet finished book six, and the seventh is thus far away too.
I am surprised that I have become so obsessed with the books. They really are not what I would normally read. But, the reality is they are beautifully written, filled with intrigue and humanity, and are utterly gripping. George R R Martin is a wonderful story teller.
Lots more people are getting into the books now since the TV series. I’ve only seen the first season so far, and it’s a pretty good adaptation, but if you want all the blood, guts, gore, tears and fear, I implore you to read the books.
Suggestions please as to what to do with my time once I’m finished though…
So last night I went to my very first book launch! I wrote a short story a few months ago, submitted it to Little Episodes, who have published it in their new book: Queer Episodes.
Ta da!
The launch last night at Madame JoJo’s in Soho was great fun, with lots of fabulous cabaret acts, including Rosie Wilby, Jen Brister, Amy Lamé, Alan Wolfson and Carl and Lucie Barat. I was fortunate to have chums Lisa and Gemma with me who informed me that Carl Barat is somewhat famous and was in a popular beat combo called The Libertines. Otherwise I might have gone over and told him he did jolly well and I hoped he got a record deal soon…
There he is, above, singing with his sister Lucie. Gemma was a bit overwhelmed… See below (on the right):
It was great fun and slightly surreal – they were selling real live copies of the book with my story in! By the way, if you want a copy, you can pre-order it here: http://littleepisodes.org/
I’m now contemplating my train back home and still slightly shell shocked from my first book launch. Tea always helps…
I will not celebrate the death of Margaret Thatcher. While, as I’m sure it will come as no surprise, I didn’t support her policies or attitude, I cannot bring myself to dance on the grave of an elderly lady.
It is probably worth remembering that she was democratically chosen by the UK, not foisted upon us. In addition, how can we expect to make constructive and positive change to politics in the future if we are still focusing all our bitterness and anger on a long-finished Government? If you genuinely feel that strongly, don’t celebrate, organise yourself, work out how you can make a difference. That energy can be used for good.
Social networks make it all too easy for us to just vent our spleen without thinking about who might read our words. What would have been a tasteless utterance in a bar is now in black and white for all to see. I urge you to think before you press send. Someone somewhere has lost a mother, a grandmother.
“Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” – Martin Luther King
