Thank you all so much for your kind words and encouragement about my novel. If you do happen to read it, could I ask you please, to write a review for me? I need lots of reviews, preferably good ones!
Ed and I went into Norwich today for hair cuts (when I read that it makes it sound as we both have hair down to our shoulders. We don’t. Honestly. Well, not now, anyway) and I felt so sorry for the girl selling The Big Issue in the pouring rain, that I bought a copy. I quite often buy a copy when I go to Norwich, but seldom read it. Today, with nothing to do in the hairdresser’s, I started to read it.
There was an advert for a proofreading and editing course. Considering how much it has cost me to have my novel edited ( 15p per word – and a lot of words, work it out) – and only about three words were changed since it was virtually oven-ready – this sounds like a good idea.
If I can professionally proofread and edit and charge less than 15p per word, I should soon make my fortune. Or something. At least it would make considerably more than writing a novel is likely to make. Anyway, even if I don’t proofread other people’s books, I shall definitely proofread and edit my next novel myself, now I know what is expected. It’s a sequel to “Heaven Spent” and nearly finished.
Meanwhile, I’ve sent off for details of the course (which I can do online) just to see what transpires.
Ain’t this fun?
It’s happened at last – my novel is published!
What an age this publishing game takes. The publishing company guarantees to publish within a year, and they just about made it.
What is this amazing and fantastic novel about? I hear you ask.
Called “Heaven Spent”, it’s set in rural Norfolk parishes in the UK, and features a young, enthusiastic female curate who is sent to work with an elderly, traditional male incumbent. Added to this explosive mix is a stranger, a beautiful girl who appears from nowhere and is searching for her father.
Do have a look at the website (where you can order it, if you’re so minded): www.eloquentbooks.com/HeavenSpent.html or if you live in America, I understand you can buy it from Barnes and Noble or Amazon.com.
Here is the cover, hopefully to whet your appetite:
On Sunday evening our choir sang “Olivet to Calvary” at a local church. It’s a gorgeous piece, and I so enjoyed singing it. In fact, I decided I like it so much that I downloaded it from iTunes. Not that our production was quite up to that standard, but what the heck.
Today I drove back to the old patch to have lunch with my former rural dean. We always got on well together and since I left, have met two or three times for lunch. He took me to a little local pub/restaurant, tucked away where no one could find it, and had a fabulous meal. But the place is so hidden that there was only one other couple there. Such a pity when the food is excellent.
We had a long mardle (good old Norfolk word for chat) and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. He’s coming up to me next time (in June) and I plan to take him to the pink place. It’s not actually called that, but it is pink and they have a conservatory, where you can look over the animals in the next field as you eat. All very rural and typically Norfolk.
Meanwhile Ed and I are actually playing golf together tomorrow – this is a rarity – so I’m looking forward to that. Naturally rain is forecast…
The young man reappeared in the evening with Ed’s computer all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed (the computer, that is) and raring to go.
“Wow!” I said, impressed. “How did you do it?”
He smiled, modestly. “I just restored it to a previous time.”
Well that’s easy enough. I’ve done it tons of times myself. But how did he get past the black screen to be able to reach a restore button?
“You keep tapping on F8 as you boot up,” he explained. “That brings up a menu where ‘restore’ is one of the options.”
So now you know, boys and girls. When your computer dies and you’re completely stuffed, keep pressing F8. Anyway, we were well pleased and considered it £19 well spent.
Today Ed and I had a really special treat. We went into Norwich for lunch, then went on to the Theatre Royal to see “Les Miserables”. It was absolutely brilliant, from beginning to end. The music, the acting, the scenes – all fabulous. Today is the last day in Norwich, it tours elsewhere in the country now.
I’m so glad we saw it, for the memories will remain with us for a very long time. Aren’t shows like that great?
Back in the swing today with a game of golf. Although there are loads of lovely golf courses in Portugal we didn’t play, as you need a new mortgage to be able to meet the green fees.
Lovely weather today, warm, sunny and spring-like. Pity the golf didn’t match, but never mind, it’s early days yet. I haven’t played since Christmas, so it’s good to start again.
Meanwhile, a young man came to sort out Ed’s computer. His runs on Windows (mine is Linux), so when our daughter came over yesterday with a CD Rom to enable me to synchronise my mobile phone with my computer, I was thrilled. Problem was, the programme wouldn’t run on Linux and I don’t have the experience to make it work, so I borrowed Ed’s computer. The programme loaded OK and I was able to download all the photos from my phone, although I didn’t manage to synchronise my calendars, which what I really wanted to do.
Later in the evening, Ed booted up his computer – or tried to. Windows started to load, then went to a black screen. Whatever we tried – no results. So feeling somewhat guilty, I rang this guy to come and sort it out this morning.
When I got back from golf I fully expected to see Ed tapping away, but no. The guy couldn’t do anything either, and has taken the laptop away with him to see if he can do anything at home with a diagnostics programme.
Computers – I love them and I hate them in roughly equal measure. At the moment it’s hate…
