De-blog

If I didn't run a publishing company, and if I wasn't an author, today would be the day I'd leave GR. It's not that I've been naïve until now about how many spiteful, full-of-their-own-self-importance trolls reside there. Nor have I ever thought GR could or should do something about it. Freedom of speech and all that... But actually, no. Freedom of speech is not a licence to verbally bully others, particularly when those others are banned from defending themselves. Freedom of speech is the right to speak up for your beliefs, to be free to say whatever you want to say, but the freedom of one should not come at the cost of another. And herein lies the problem with GR (or any other site that allows posting of reviews, for that matter). Readers can say what they like about books. They can justify reviews that are attacks on the author by claiming they are offended by the author's views, as expressed in that one particular book. Authors have NO freedom ...

One surefire shortcut to understanding the poverty of language is to become a writer or an editor. Better still, become an editor of people who write in your native language even though it is not their first language, because no matter how gifted the linguist, they will, sooner or later, come up short. This particular issue recently arose when I was editing a story by an author whose grasp of English is superior to some of the students I have had the dubious pleasure of teaching during the past seventeen years, and I'm not necessarily referring to those for whom, like this author, English is a second or additional language. Fluency is not the same as competence, not even for a native English speaker, and competence is sorely overrated. I consider myself very competent in both my understanding and use of English. I would even go as far as to say I have a gift with words, inasmuch as I'm able to successfully bend them to my will, and in so doing create stories narrated in t...

Typically, I was out of the house when the email came with a link to the announcement of the 28th Lambda Literary Award Finalists .  I am delighted and a tiny bit gobsmacked that my novel, When Skies Have Fallen , is a finalist in the Gay Romance category. Congratulations to all! And thank you to the Don't Read in the Closet team - this book was made possible because of you. Beyond that, I'm speechless, so I'm going to post an excerpt and leave it at that! (p.s. the ebook is free - paperback also available: Purchase/Download Links on Beaten Track ) * * * * * “Good evening to you, Corporal.” His voice, a slow, deep rumble, startled Arty from his remembering. His breath caught in his throat as he fought to reply. “A good evening to you also, Sergeant…Johnson, isn’t it?” “Sure is.” The man held out his hand for Arty to shake. “Technical Sergeant Jim Johnson, at your service.” Arty reciprocated: “Corporal Robert Clarke.” The palm against his was big, rough ...

So, I'm home, I've had some sleep, and damn, it was good! I hadn't slept properly for at least a week (probably months), and my brain, not entirely convinced it was exhausted, had to give it one last hurrah at bedtime. I snuggled under the duvet, light off, Kindle in hand - I managed to read about four lines before I somehow fumbled my Kindle onto the bedside table and zzzz. Seven hours later... It's a glorious spring morning in North-West England. Blue sky, leaf buds, a crisp frost glistening in the pale yet radiant sun. My mission for today: to keep my thoughts clutter-free. See, I've been having some problems with that. Since Christmas, I've been writing on various instalments of Hiding Behind The Couch , alongside my other work of teaching social science, editing and publishing. There's nothing new there; I operate in a state of constant mental activity, bordering on hypomanic, and I'm happy that way. If I ever watch TV or movies, they need...