Saturday 24 October 2009

House for Sale



Penrhiw House, ABERCYCH, Boncath, Pembrokeshire, SA37 0HB

Reduced to £199,950

Anyone out there looking for property in a fabulous setting? If so, this house might fit the bill. Apart from a lovely sitting room and dream country kitchen look at the garden! If you know of any reflexologists then this house comes with the option of continuing the owner's business. He has a list of almost 200 clients and he has never advertised so there is huge potential to expand.



All this and a beach only 7 miles away.

For lots more info go here

Wednesday 21 October 2009

The People's Friend Subs Update

Have just heard PF will only now accept hard copy plus sae, or with a request to recycle and have a reply via email - the latter best all round, I think. But no denying it's yet another blow to the writer. I suppose they're trying to save the expense of printing out our emailed stories and passing the expense of postage on to us.

Tuesday 20 October 2009

Who Rules the Fiction Roost?

I sent the novel out again last Wednesday to a small independent publisher in the UK. It came back just short of 12 hours with a 'Though you write fluidly with well-drawn characters and an unusual and intriguing plot...we have to decline at this time.' Blah, blah!

I no longer want to kick small furry pets or throw things at the wall when I hear this. I kind of expect it and I would give up were it not for a half dozen full ms reads by agents who were full of praise for it but subsequently turned it down with varying excuses basically blaming today's marketing climate. In other words, the industry is at the mercy of the big book chains.

Robert McCrum in his article in The Observer writes:
How can good new writers be published when the industry is ruled by people who aren't interested in originality?

How indeed? And, okay, maybe I am deluded and like many an X Factor contestant I should give up the dream...but I can't.

PS No furry pets were harmed in the making of my novel - only offspring and Himself.