The
world's still crazy but we seem to be safe in our little bubble here in New
Zealand. It’s scary listening to our medical experts who warn us that this is
only one of many pandemics we are
bringing on ourselves I wonder what the world will be like in 10 years time and
feel we are slipping back a few centuries to be like our ancestors who feared
the various forms of plague with no knowledge of what it is or how to conquer
it. Just like today really as our experts are struggling to find out how to
give us a vaccine to protect us. As a
writer the experience of listening to people who have the knowledge and skills
to work with this virus and yet hear their frustration as the virus slips away
and does something unexpected and they have to add that into their efforts has
been a learning process.
The church fiasco remains
hanging around the parish’s neck. I do feel supported by the angry three
quarters of the parishioners but that means they are set against the vicar and small
clique. It’s all a horrible unchristian mess and hurts us all. I’ve put the
problem into the Archbishop’s hand. He, at least, has his secretary reply to my
letters. The bishop doesn’t, nor does his archdeacon. They’ve just been try to
squash the dissent but the rumours fly. More and more parishioners are telling
me they believe that the vicar deliberately organized her supported to attack
me. It’s a horrific thought and depressing to think that the Anglican church
now has different values from the ones I grew up with.
The ‘Tales from
Japan’ anthology is now at the pre-order stage. I’ve been doing the preparation
work, work which differs from paying the editor and proof reader sand cover
designer to do their skilled work. This involves spending hours on websites
working out algorithms and key words, sorting out the proper approach by email
to my beta readers and reader pals and the most attractive offers for new
readers. It’s like painting a room, all that time spent cleaning and masking
and taping up, floor clothes down and then it takes a couple of hours to paint.
It’s the same sort of preparation work before launching an e-book. Print copies are
much easier.
The novel is still at the proof reader, cover designer stage – I’m having
problems getting the right people. But it is going out on pre-order for October/November
publication. I’m still not sure but the working title is now: Try
To Remember a novel about A Wild
Colonial Venture. I shall be pleased to get it
out to the readers who’ve been asking for it for a year.
