Another month!

The excitement is over..two books did arrive but unfortunately the Autobiography/Memoir needed some work to it and it is still in the cooker. My patience is being sorely tested as I am waiting for dates such as 4/6/12, 14/6/12 and 24/6/12 to see some progress on my books. WOW this must be the slowest of slow publisher trains I have ever had the misfortune of jumping on. Allright I realise I am not the only one being published but really!!!!
Meanwhile I have received an e-mail re our foreshore redevelopment...you know the one...the Elizabeth Quay or should I say the Betty Pier? A much more apt description missed by many in the newspaper some time ago. The public not having been invited for suggestions in naming the development my money is on Betty's Pier...even Perth's Betty's Pier would do or... rather a bit long on second thoughts.
Also did you know that the Liberal Government is changing the Land TITLE from CROWN land ( peoples' ownership) to State Government land...now we can understand why the Aboriginals are so sensitive about us taking over their land. Let us hope the voters at the next election see the folly of their past and vote for the party which knows. DOWN WITH THE EMPEROR I say!!!! The PAST is PAST....unless you are my age when it comes back to mind and the present again...yes early memories try to dominate our thinking...with the EMPEROR it seems and the whole LIBERAL PARTY everywhere the past is their present. WAKE UP AUSTRALIA and let us move forward!

getting warmer!

It is indeed. I have just been e-mailed from the parcel tracking people at Welshpool...two e-mails with different package numbers...does that mean both my books will be delivered today? I can't contain my excitement...so I will upload the cover of my novel...at least that will be a start. I did adjust the picture to straighten but it appears I must have chosen the original image not the altered one. Oh well you do get the idea and I think the writing is legible. the ISBN is 978-1-742842-19-6 The KIN DEEP and the inability to mourn book no. is ISBN 978-1-742842-48-6 and the publishers are Bookpal of QLD. Cool cover don't you think? I'll photograph the memoir when the real thing appears on my doorstep....today?...of course!

False Alarm!

Don't count your chickens before they hatch! You wouldn't believe it but my publisher sent me an e-mail to say that my mockup book had been sent last Wednesday hence the excitement. But guess what? It had all been a mistake...an automatic e-mail which shouldn't have been sent to me. Ho Hum! And here I was sitting at home each day so I wouldn't miss the big delivery. So now a week later I am expecting both books to be delivered tomorrow.  Watch this space! The workers at the other end have assured me that it takes only one day for books to be delivered to Perth...I can't wait to see that! But I will print the book's cover for you at least so when it hits the market you will know what it looks like. No I won't...it won't upload it because it is not a jpeg or image of any kind. I wish I knew a bit more about computers.
Anyway I have had time to do lots of reading ie. "Visitation" written by Jenny Erpenbeck and translated into the English by Susan Bernofsky. Oh the light pops up I'll see if she will translate my memoir into German for me seeing the characters are all German and originate from Prussia and Munich. But Get real Connie I took a grip! Susan Bernofsky is a top translator living in New York and very very qualified...why would she bother with me? She wouldn't so I will have to do my own search for a translator. At least I had the opportunity to read her blogs and which put me onto a number of interesting books..."Berlin Stories" again her translation of Robert Walser, the late Swiss Author as well as "The Walk".  And another writer, Uljiana Wolff " False Friends", Ugly Duckling Press, also translated by Susan Bernofsky. Susan has actually translated for Gunther Grass and won an award...now that is saying something.

Original ideas

To answer a sixyear old's question...do vegetables feel pain when we bite into them? Well honestly who knows? BUT confucious (confused, moi) has been told that the molecules of chlorophyll and haemoglobin are almost identical which gives rise to the question...Were we plants at some stage? Or which came first, animals or plants? Thinking of the existence of Stromatolites at Shark Bay, able to be viewed by anyone, are these animals and plants at the same time? Plants do like to respond (hear) to music perhaps even a charming conversation so does that mean they have feelings?
Anyway, Ruben James Vigo has finally made his appearance on this planet. Hooray! We are excited! Good on you Jo and Duncan! And he does have feelings...I have it on good authority that he is calling his parents regularly.

Good news week 2 !

Today is Thursday the 17th in WA and surprise surprise my publishing company is running ahead of itself...'Baggage' mock print is on its way to me and 'KIN DEEP' will be on its way in the next two days. That is so amazing! I can't believe it. I thought I would have to wait another week before I heard from everyone out there. So I'll keep my fingers crossed...perhaps my creative juices (choices) will begin to flow now that I can relax about my babies (books) making an appearance. By the way Johanna I am still waiting to hear about yours...are you done? Or are you still in the process? Either way I am thinking of you two (three)...please let us know as soon as possible. And all the best for an easy delivery!

Creative Juices

Who mentioned that? Oh me, that's right! Yes I am waiting and waiting for the title to come my way...I have ideas...but...and our next grandaughter is also holding herself back...patience...patience..patience...but when oh when and if only....a friend is reading my book's printout...he is a budding writer himself and has a relative whose book has just been fought over by six publishers in England. Oh how I wish... but hoping won't get me anywhere...I know that...so.....

Good news week

We are swamped with good news. I am wearing a new hat...my defacto step grandmother hat. I have a beautiful defacto step grandaughter born in Sydney last week. Hence I haven't had time to blog but am catching up now. Mother and baby are well and at home getting on with the new life they have created for them selves and others. And now, we are waiting patiently for the next defacto step grandchild to arrive...this time in Zurich, Switzerland. It should be any moment now and we are waiting....waiting....comeon Johanna...push. Will it be a boy or a girl? Come on girl...push!
But waiting is not new for us ladies...waiting to be invited out (that's showing my age) waiting to be rung up (again my age shows) waiting to be asked to marry him (my age again?) waiting for him to come home, to remember our wedding anniversary, birthday etc.etc.etc. And...why do we do it to ourselves? Because at most times we lack the control to do otherwise. As I write I am waiting for the mock printing of my books, this Friday for 'Baggage' and next Friday for 'Kin Deep'...oh how I wish the time would fly...I suppose Johanna and I have that in common at the moment.
 But it has not all been good news...I have not been selected for the 'free' website offered by the publisher...oh well...I'll keep waiting...this time, for my creative juices to flow...my next book...what will I write about next?

Hurray

It might be raining outside and thunder forcing the clouds to scatter but it is not Friday the thirteenth. In fact it is May the 4th and despite what the top of the page tells you, the date I mention is the date of someone living in Western Australia. So I can speak with confidence when I write that today has been one of the best days so far in my journey of book publishing. I have received and agreed to the cover design of my novel, "Baggage"...a brilliant piece of work created by the graphic designer of Bookpal, my publishing company. In my excitement I forgot to thank the person responsible...I notice now that he has left his own little mark, a small hand, in the title on the back of the book. This I don't mind at all as I think it adds to the mystique of the book's image. The whole thing is in red and black with a white background. Cool, wouldn't you say? I wonder how long before we can all see it? As I just heard Steve Job say on a show about his success...stay hungry and stay foolish! I think I qualify for both as I am self publishing and want to win a 'Free' Website to help people get in touch with my books.