The last of the student care services marketing events in the library today – thank goodness, we cry!... It hasn’t been a roaring success – to put it mildly – and I’ve been really glad to get it over with. Grand total of people who’ve popped into see us over the last three weeks at our display: six. Though to be fair, I did have one email query today as a result of my electronic flyer, which I’ve sent out over the last couple of weeks to try to drum up interest. Unfortunately that student couldn’t come, but at least I could give some virtual advice. The only other response was a lass asking about her library books. Hmm, I suspect I may not entirely have got the message across then, Carruthers … Somebody pass me my rifle and put us all out of our misery …

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Today its dark and drizzly. I've just posted my challenge off. Think I put it in the wrong place. Still, that's a habit I have, putting things in wrong places. Cinnamon Press is running a competition but the deadline is close. Hope I've time to do it. Oh, for sun, a small house on the island of Paxos and time. Not forgetting a case of red wine, 2 packs of Golden Virginia with filters and papers of course.

When I was researching my piece for the Guardian blog, I received an extraordinary letter from my friend the double axe-murderer Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov. I had hoped that the editor of the Guardian Online books section would publish it in its entirety, but she didn't. So I reproduce it, with permission, below:

"When the last page is read, the book closed and placed on the shelf, dust already descending on its cover mercifully shrouding the author's name and the work's title, is it really where the story ends? For those who care enough to wonder (and in my case to experience such question as a vital doubt) the answer will be 'No'...."


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A Day at Wembley

The only word that possibly suits Wembley Stadium is Immense. Sure, the old stadium was a unique place, but somehow I cannot remember it being so huge inside. Whatever the feelings about Old or New, the stadium was a fitting place for the NFl game between the Dolphins and Giants.

Unlike other American football games played at Wembley back in the 80's, this one was for real. So watching how teams play in regular season was a great scene. It's a pity we were not a little bit close to see some of the sideline acitivity in close detail.

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Phew! At last, I’ve got those dang Student Induction minutes done. And sent to the Chair to correct before I send out to the usual suspects. Which he usually takes a while over as he’s so busy elsewhere, but today he read them straight off and sent me a charming little note making only two small changes and commenting; “Excellent minutes from a rather unstructured meeting”. So that’s certainly made my day. Shame I’ve already had (and survived – another phew …) my review, eh.

This lunchtime, I finally made it to my Hormone Guru appointment at Surrey Park Clinic. And what an utterly charming, lovely and helpful woman she is – so different from my own (horrible) doctor. We had a fantastic in-depth chat, and she thinks I might be insulin resistant, which explains the messed-up hormones, the rollercoaster ride through a normal month and the bouts of depression. Apparently. And is also one of the joys one can expect if you come from a family riddled with diabetes and bowel cancer. Well, never say life isn’t exciting here in downtown Godalming!...

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Well, being as it's Hallowe'en tomorrow, here's a scary story. It originally appeared in Flashshot in February (I think) 2005.

SPADE

The damp cold from the cobbled street seemed to soak into his bones, causing them to throb almost as much as his head.

A hand to his mouth brought away more blood. Moist over caked hands.

He opened his mouth to speak, but found he could not. He wanted to ask why, and not being able to did to his soul what the spade had done to his body.

Something blocked out the light from the street lamp; the spade.

Finally he was able to speak, although the words would be his last.

“No. Dad. Stop.”

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I wonder most of the time about past or present, realising my writing attitude are definitely changing, whereupon the first completion of illiterate attempts to imitate a literrary genius, I demanded my family read my work as if it was a news flash from an atom bomb just dropped on London. Now it is all very different, my characters are all my best friends( the nice ones any way)the town in which they live is all a big secret, draping the created world around my shoulders almost like protective cape.
I have had one book pubished, amazingly when I received the first copy, noting something I did not like, took direct steps to my study(a renovated coal cellar)to alter the damn thing; suddenly realising that was not possible for the work was no longer mine. My world was now a complete through road,even a rat run for people's minds to run riot over once protected environment, sad isn't it!!!

Well, today I sent off the very last of my Advance Review Copies to those interested in reviewing my book. I wish I had printed more but so far the responses have been positive so I suppose it is okay that I only printed the amount that I did. The actual book should be here in a month¡¦s time anyway, so that is good news. ƒº I just recently submitted my files to Amazon¡¦s Search Inside, so depending on how long it takes them to process the book, you should be able to see more than the cover soon! I also submitted my book to Barnes and Nobel for inclusion on their website, but it sounds like there is a significant wait period before they accept or decline your book. So now it¡¦s just a matter of waiting. In the mean time¡Xbetween schoolwork¡XI am working on ideas for my second book in the ¡§Laura¡¨ series. I am really excited because I will get to go and visit her in Bavaria in the springtime. I will need to take plenty of reference photos of her because she is growing so quickly! I¡¦d like the two other books I have planned to take place when she¡¦s still a child. There are so many things to think about¡Xbut that¡¦s what makes it fun and challenging. Well, that¡¦s all for now. I will let you know of any upcoming news!

Amber
http://www.chrysalispress.com

Is it just me or are Mondays in the winter season becoming increasingly wearisome? I’d like to start a campaign to stop them altogether – I’m sure it would be much more beneficial for all if we could just go straight to Tuesday, or even Wednesday. Oh yes that would be better. I wish! Mind you, the feeling probably isn’t made any better by the fact that this is the first working day since the dark nights have come upon us. Groan.

This morning, I muddled through the small collection of emails waiting for me at work though, sadly, none of them have been from the Chair of the Induction Group meeting I minuted at lunchtime. So I had to go into the wretched thing with nothing but draft papers and a bright smile. Hey ho, so much for the organised professional, eh. Still, at least the sandwiches were nice ...

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Up at the crack of dawn today to go birdwatching in Pagham Harbour. Goodness me, but it was wild and windswept in the south. Not to mention the rain. The first bird-hide we came to was distinctly strange as it was set on one side of a busy road with the lake on the other side. Cue cries of: Oh look, is that a redshank? No, it's a lorry. No, a bus! It was also tricky when you actually tried to open the window to get a clearer view as the Force 9 gale took your breath away and the sound of the traffic drowned out the noise of the birds. Ah well ...

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