Thanks to The Book Maniac!

 Last year a Canadian book blogger by the name of Shawn Mooney (known online as Shawn The Book Maniac) bumped into my wee book 'With or Without Angels'. He held an online chat with a fellow book blogger Lindy of Lindy's Magpie Reads. I was so excited at their inspection of my book, not least because they both loved it. They had a good discussion about some of the finer points of the book and what I had written.

Then a couple of weeks ago Shawn contacted me to ask if I would be a 'mystery guest' on one of his Friday shows - just to chat about my writing and/or my reading. I am an English teacher by training and experience and if there's one thing that's true of many English teachers, they love to talk about books and writing. I leapt at this opportunity, even though I do find it hard to talk enthusiastically on ZOOM... needing the energy of the audience in the room with me.

On Thursday - 4pm our time in the UK and 10am Shawn's time, we had a zoom chat that was fun and easy and I got to be myself. Shawn said afterwards that I did not seem at all nervous... but I was!!!

On Friday Shawn posted the first half hour of this chat as part of his Friday Mystery Guest spot. He was so taken with everything I had to say - everything!!! - that he has decided at a slightly later date to show the full unedited chat on his Youtube page.

Thank you so much to Shawn - for being such an avid reader, for liking something I wrote and for extending an invitation to me to just talk... every retired English teacher's dream.

Oh and he announced in the zoom chat thingy that he and Lindy are going to read 'Blue Postcards' together and do another online chat about it... soon.

Here's the link to Thursday's zoom chat with Shawn: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pW4CyuPfqF0

COVER REVEAL

Here's the cover for my upcoming new book and a link to the launch event. Cover design by the wonderful Anna Morrison; and some lovely endorsements on the cover. Can't wait for this book to be published - released on 18th April with a launch event at the lovely Golden Hare Bookshop in Edinburgh.

 https://goldenharebooks.com/products/hope-never-knew-horizon-launch-event-with-douglas-bruton-book-ticket-option?_pos=1&_sid=ed71a409a&_ss=r

First project of the year!!

 I have spent 8 days in January working on a brand new project - well, I say 'new' but it has been rattling around in my head for two and half years waiting for me to be ready. I have, as some of you know, set myself the target of completing at least 3 writing projects a year, so this feels like a good start. The working title for this one is 'DEAD BLUE WHISPERS' which I hope is suitably enigmatic. I wrote the first draft in five days and then reflected on what I had done... with some dissatisfaction I might add. Then looking back at an old notebook I realised I had left out a very important thread, so have spent the past three days putting that right. It clocks in now at 40,000 words and I like it a lot more.

THANK YOU SUSAN OSBORNE

 Susan Osborne's book site 'A Life in Books' reviews the books she reads throughout the year - and she reads and reads and reads. Earlier in 2023 Susan read and reviewed my wee book 'With or Without Angels' which she loved. At the end of each year Susan flags up what were for her the stand out books of the year - 20 books in 2023 and 'With or Without Angels' gets another mention as it was one of the twenty!!! Thank you Susan. I hope you get to read my new book in April 2024!

https://alifeinbooks.co.uk/2023/12/books-of-year-2023-part-one/

Just Stumbled on this...

There's a lot written about Plagiarism... it's clearly a thorny subject, and complicated too. Here's an article that throws some light on it. I think there's sense in this article too - but then I would say that because it very much mirrors conclusions I have arrived at with my own wrestling of the subject. This is a very moving article too. Give it a read. Would love it if this got a comment or two here!!!

 https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2004/11/22/something-borrowed-plagiarism

KAFKA - CENTENARY OF HIS DEATH

I write a lot and some of what I write gets published but a lot doesn't. Mostly that's OK. I don't dwell on the stuff that doesn't make it into print. I just move on and write something else, something new. Last year (2023) I completed four writing projects. That's one more than I set myself to do each year. One of these writing projects was accepted for publication within a week of being written; another took about six months to be accepted but it was at least accepted. Yet another is in a competition somewhere and I am waiting to hear about it before sending it off someplace else. And the fourth, I know, needs a serious rewrite; but that's OK too.

I have many novel-length works just sitting on my computer and I don't worry about that. I have no regrets about these foundered projects. Indeed I feel I'm very lucky to be published and to be read. So no regrets at all... well, except one.

Some years ago - is it really 16 years ago? - I completed a collaborative project with another writer. It was a six months long writing project, which is a lot longer than I spend on a writing project these days. I loved the experience of this collaboration. It took me to places I never would have gone on my own. This other writer loved it too. What's more, this other writer is an exceptional editor and rewriter. The work could have been astounding.

But soon after completion of the project we fell out, this writer and I, and the work got tossed into limbo. It is a work that this year would have had some significance, this year being the centenary of Franz Kafka's death. This work we completed may never ever see the light of day and, though I have come to accept that, it is nevertheless something I deeply regret. I return to the work often and every time I do I feel quietly sad and quietly heartbroken.

2 BOOKS!!!!

 As I have reported here already, I have another book coming out in March/April 2024. But I have just signed a contract for yet another book coming out in Spring 2025!!! 2 different publishers!!! Very exciting for me!!! More about these projects will follow!!! xxxx