Friday 25 September 2009

I posted on another blog somewhere - I can't remember where - that the Summer is over. So here's a picture of Cut Short in the Summer before I write any more.



It's September and the evenings are drawing in, here in the UK. A few weeks ago it was light until after ten, now the sun has set by seven thirty. The evenings have vanished almost overnight. The weather hasn't yet made up its mind. One day it almost seems to be winter, reminding me that I'll soon be scraping the ice off my windscreen in the mornings. The next day is sunny, reminiscent of Summer. In the UK you don't know from one day to the next what the weather is going to be like: hot or cold? wet or dry?

My publisher has produced a new poster : LOOKING FOR A UNIQUE CHRISTMAS GIFT? What could be better than a book personally inscribed and signed by bestselling popular author Leigh Russell In bookshops, several people have already bought copies of Cut Short for Christmas presents. Christmas? I'm still clinging on to memories of Summer.

It feels like a few weeks since Cut Short was published, and now the MS for Road Closed is with the publisher. I've seen design ideas for the jacket. I'll know when a decision has been made because I'll see the book cover on my publisher's website. You might see it before I do, if you happen to look at my publisher's website first. When it's finalised, I'll post a copy here and see what you think of it.

The time has flown by so fast. I still can't believe I'm a published author. It has been a life changing experience, changing not only my lifestyle, but who I am, how others perceive me, and how I see myself.

Some authors say they want to feel their books have changed other people's lives. I don't believe for one second that my crime thrillers are going to have that effect on anyone. I hope my books engage and entertain; that's the most I would aspire to. But I would like to think that my experience might change other people's feelings about their own lives. Because if I can reinvent my identity in my fifties, anyone can do so at any age.

My advice for success in becoming who you would like to be? Work hard, be lucky and be brave. The last is perhaps the most important, and the most difficult. More difficult even than being lucky? Well, perhaps.

I hope that made sense. I'm not very good at giving advice.

What's your advice?

Tuesday 22 September 2009

Havant Literary Festival

I am at HAVANT LITERARY FESTIVAL on the evening of 28th September where I'll be talking about my writing, and answering questions.
There are still a few tickets left if anyone is able to come along.
It would be great to see you there!
http://havantlitfest.wordpress.com/

Wednesday 9 September 2009

Friday 4 September 2009

Enjoying achievement


Here it is again - back to my original picture. I'm feeling philosophical today. I've written enough about the promotional tour for my first book. It has been a very exciting summer, so I'm sure you'll forgive me for having wittered on - and on - about my book signings, talks, interviews, blog, etc etc and all the shinnanigans that go along with being published. But you must be getting very bored with reading about all that by now. So, the summer's almost over and I'm going to return to the original purpose of this blog: asking questions and sharing experiences. I hope you join in the discussion. Otherwise it's just me, and I don't want to sit here talking to myself . . .

What I want to know is, WHO MOVED THE GOALPOSTS? Let me explain. It involves travelling back in time, but don't worry, we're not going far.
If anyone had told me just two months ago how many of my books would have sold by now, or that I would have been interviewed on BBC Radio (not once, but 3 times!) or met so many enthusiastic readers, I would have jumped for joy so vigorously I would have been over the moon in no time. Probably hit my head on a distant star on the far side of the moon . . . Yet here I am, two months on with all that 'success' to bolster me up, and I'm wondering why Cut Short has fallen down the amazon sales ratings today. Why aren't more people buying Cut Short on amazon?
So here's the big question -
Does enjoying our achievements only lead to complacency?
Is it better to feel dissatisfied, because that is what spurs us on?
What do you think?

LINKS
author schedule - http://www.noexit.co.uk/features/authortour.php
amazon.co.uk - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cut-Short-DI-Geraldine-Steel/dp/1842432710
amazon.com - http://www.amazon.com/Cut-Short-DI-Geraldine-Steel-No/dp/1842432710