Jae De Wylde (The Thinking Tank), Niamh Ni Bhroin (The Singing Warrior) & Jo Parfitt (Sunshine Soup) in Cafe Quirky
No posts for a few days, and here I am with so much to catch up on! The Thinking Tank is now officially launched and I am officially knackered – but in a very good way. Loved the launch evening in Stamford SO much. Folks from my very, very past (including lovely ex-beau) and folks from my not-so-long-ago past – delightful, creative souls I worked with at Travelsphere Holidays for example, lovely folks from my past-ishwhen I used to live in Rutland, and brilliant folks from my very present amongst whom I now have the pleasure to live. The support was fantastic and humbling.
And then came the evenings in Den Haag. My fab publisher at Summertime (www.joparfitt.com) organised two splendid events – the first in Cafe Quirky (www.cafequirky.com), a great arts cafe in a leafy spot in den Haag, which offered just the right intimacy for what turned out to be a very writery evening – made all the better for me by the arrival of my Dutch relatives and marvellous music on the fiddle by Ian Parfitt, and the second at the American Bookshop in den Haag (www.treehouse.abc.nl), again a perfect venue for readings and literary gatherings. It was such a delight to meet so many people, all supportive of new writers. If I have any advice to offer as a result of this, it’s this: Get yourself amongst those who really care about writing. It will inspire and uphold you – even when you are convinced that what you are doing is worthless – because they will be able to judge its worth and lift you up over your nerves and fear. I have to thank someone in particular, who always seems to offer the right message at exactly the right time, and who was on hand all weekend with her inimitable wit and words of encouragement. Niamh Ni Bhroin (www.thesingingwarrior.com) has experienced more of life’s crappy stuff than most but still finds the positive in the crap. Check out her website for her inspiring autobiography, audiobook and CD.
Then on to book signing in Oakham at Walkers Books (www.walkersbookshops.co.uk) yesterday. And what an amazing blessing that was! The staff could not have been kinder – and the customers were so interested – and interesting for that matter. 36 books went in under four hours – a huge surprise since I had been warned that book signings in general can be tedious indeed. It was brilliant chatting with Rutlanders and visitors alike and I look forward to the feedback many promised to provide. So herewith another lesson: Authors, make sure that at all times you have access to enough of your books. I am waiting anxiously for another delivery pending more book signings, which may or may not be busy – but I sure as hell will kick myself if we run out of books! But then, as my darling husband pointed out (another of life’s earth angels who always manages to point out the jewel in the crap), I’d be a lot more bothered if I were stuck with an entire truckload of books that nobody wanted to buy! And of course, as always, he’s right!
Please come sign with me 11am-3pm tomorrow at Walkers Books in Bourne and on Saturday in Stamford!
Life's Crappy Stuff 