Balloons, books and pop-up shops.

My week began with Pat coming home from hospital and me looking forward to having her with me and being able to look after her, not to mention no need for the daily journey up to London. After a traumatic weekend, I decided our little dog, Tuppence, needed to go away for a couple of weeks, so I set that up and sent her to a company called Barking Mad. We’ve used them before and have been quite happy with the way in which they operate. So, just me and Pat and some caring time.

I have also been able to get some time in with my WIP, having come to another decision to change the opening sequence. I’m taking a leaf out of one of Mark Billingham’s crime novels and beginning the story with a violent scene during which no character names are mentioned. The link, if you want to read the short prologue is at https://www.michaelparkerbooks.com/marcus-blake-prologue. Naturally it means a few more changes to the plot sequence, but that’s the life of a writer I suppose.

Another decision taken was to begin Mark Dawson’s ads for authors course again. Mark released his latest version which, as a paid up member of his SPF group, entitles me to all the updates. This means I’m getting it for free. So it’s a case of knuckling down and start again. I’m really looking ahead to July when Stuart Bache will be redesigning the book jacket for my political thriller, The Boy from Berlin. I need to have my head right for this because I have to spend money on promoting the book, and the only successful way is to use the big guns like Facebook, Amazon and BookBub. I tried a couple of small promotions last month, about $30 a shot, but achieved just one sale for the book. When I think back to the beginning of the year, I told myself that my latest book would be published by the end of March, and here I am in June still nowhere near finishing the damn thing. I know I have a reasonable excuse, but I don’t want to use Pat’s illness as an excuse. So, thinking of next month, new book jacket, new marketing campaign to follow and getting stuck into my WIP, maybe, just maybe I’ll see an upward projection in my book sales.

The photo I have inserted at the beginning of this post is an unusual ‘bouquet’ made by our grand-daughter, Gemma. She came over to see her Nan with our great-grandson Orin, yesterday. She’s a clever girl, our Gemma: has her own business too. We’re really proud of her. Perhaps I should get her to do PR for me, although I don’t think I’d sell many books by being associated with children’s entertainment, craft making and, sometimes, dressing up as a fairy.

One of our Chindi authors, Dan Jones, has come up with a brave project. He will be opening a ‘pop-up’ shop at Draper’s Yard in Chichester. It’s to sell his own books, fiction and non-fiction, and also his wife’s artwork. He has suggested us Chindians use his stall as an outlet for our books. We have been invited to put five of each title with Dan. He’ll display one at a time and top it all up as they sell. He’s going to be swamped with books from the Chindi group, but hopefully the project will not only help us but will also help Dan and his wife enormously. I might even sell some of my books. Wish me luck!

Home again

June 1st. 2019

I have a big smile on my face because I now have Pat home from the hospital. We won’t know the outcome of her surgery for a week or so because the results of the biopsies usually take about fourteen days to come through. Now we can begin to get her fitter and stronger. The surgeon said to me it would be better for Pat to be at home being nursed by me than having to put up with being stuck in the hospital; something I think most of us would agree with. It’s been difficult for both of us: Pat having to put up with major surgery and me having to traipse up to London every day. One of the ironies of my visits to St. George’s is that I used to live just a couple of miles away from the hospital in Earlsfield but couldn’t enjoy a leisurely trip down memory lane and thinking how it used to be in my young days. I did actually spend some time in St. George’s myself when I was about five years old. A lot different now of course.

Spending so much time in the car and sitting beside Pat’s bedside gave me a chance to catch up on some thinking and some reading (not while I was driving!). I mentioned the two books last week — well, I had to give up Alex Shaw’s book Code Black. I did try, I must admit, but in the end I found it too formulaic and more like a tourist guide around the town of Kviv in the Ukraine where Mr. Shaw lives. I didn’t give up reading though; I downloaded Her Last Breath by Charlie Gallagher. It’s a crime novel about a serial killer. Although these kind of crime thrillers can be similar, I found Gallagher’s book thoroughly enjoyable. It was well written with well-drawn characters. It kept me guessing about the who, the how and the why, and there was a neat little twist at the end to tie it all together. I’ve now started on another Robert Harris novel, The Fear Index. Should be good. I realise I won’t be able to get through my reading as quickly as I have in the last couple of weeks though.

I have also given a lot of thought to my WIP, which has been ‘Work NOT in progress’, and have started rearranging the chapter sequences in my mind and even the opening. I do wonder why I’m doing that, but I have read of some writers who rewrite their novels several times before getting it right. The problem for me is that I know if I continue down that road, I’ll never finish the damn book. I have also been dabbling — in thought, not in deed — about my proposed follow-up to Hunted, my pulp fiction thriller. I don’t know why I’m doing this; it will only end in tears.

My book sales are still flat-lining (almost). I tried one promotion of The Boy from Berlin with Fliploud which resulted in no sales, and I have just come to the end of a one week promotion, same book, with Author Shout. No sales there either. Hopefully I’ll get back on to AMS and BB ads once I’ve settled into a manageable routine with Pat. Wish me luck.

Between Books

It’s been quite a week for me because of having Pat in hospital. Worse for Pat because of the major op they performed on her lung. Her recovery isn’t going too well and I don’t expect her to come home until tomorrow. I haven’t touched my writing this week but have managed a fair bit of reading because of spending five hours each day sitting by Pat’s bedside. When she’s sleeping I can read. My ‘free’ time is four hours in the car going up to London and back each day, so no writing; only lots of thinking. Anyway, I finished reading one book and started another, and the contrast between the two simply highlights the gulf between gifted writers and those who are not so gifted but still sell.

The book I finished was An Officer and a Spy by Robert Harris. It’s about Alfred Dreyfus who was imprisoned on Devil’s Island by the French after an illegal trial and trumped up charges. The writing is superb and so well researched it was almost exhausting just reading the credits and how many documents and accounts Harris read in order to come up with a stunning classic. Brilliant writer who leaves many of us hopefuls standing.

The next book I started is a complete contrast. It’s called Code Black by Alex Shaw. I met Alex at the UK Southern Book Show last year. He wasn’t exhibiting but was in UK (I think he was at Worthing) and we got chatting, naturally. He is under contract with Harper Collins digital publishers. Alex writes the usual all action stuff: ex SAS soldier, Russians gangs etc., etc. It’s a kind of pulp fiction fare for a train or plane journey; easily read and filled with the usual jargon you would expect from this kind of book. But Alex has a good and creditable CV, so probably has a big fan base, and you can’t knock it. He lives in the Ukraine too, where he probably picks up a lot of intel on old Soviet matters. But two completely contrasting books and authors.

Where would I put myself in this company I wonder? Well, somewhere between the middle I guess. To give you some idea, this is an extract from an email I received from an unknown source via my blog post on Blogger.

I found you through the SPF Booklab podcast and thought you were wonderfully gracious about the dissection of your prologue and blurb. I don't take criticism well and would have fallen apart. I will be reading your book The Boy from Berlin - the new prologue is fantastic and raises lots of story questions. I was sad to hear about your wife's cancer and operation - will be praying for her recovery. The worries and stresses of the world certainly keep me from writing and any other creative pursuit. I know I should trust more but I'm not perfect yet. Go easy on yourself in this difficult time. May God bless you both. You're a great writer and I'm pleased to have found you. Prayers and best wishes from Victoria in Australia.

Naturally I want to thank the ‘Unknown’ person for that, but it came via a ‘no reply’ address. So if you’re reading this Mr. or Mrs. Unknown, thank you for your lovely words.

That’s my lot for this post. Hopefully I’ll have Pat back home tomorrow. We have an appointment with the surgeon at our local hospital in June. With luck he will have the results of the biopsies, which have gone to three London hospitals (again!) and be able to tell us what the next, positive step will be. Wish us luck!