Monday, March 06, 2006

Things are hotting up.

Okay, I'm starting to get nervous now. It may be something to do with the almost daily emails from Macmillan New Writing about up and coming promotional events. All very exciting, for sure. But it seems I may be expected to read at some of them. And it seems they expect me to read from my own book. I was hoping I might be able to get away with a chapter or two from one of the Harry Potters. That always goes down well with my daughter Claire.

In about a month's time, on April 7 to be exact, Taking Comfort will be released. Released. What a word. It makes it sound like it's been imprisoned. Perhaps there's something in that. Imprisoned in my brain, or on my hard drive. Or maybe it's more appropriate to think of an animal being released into the wild.

I hope it's going to be okay out there. I hope it can learn to fend for itself. I'm sure there will be some vicious predators after its blood.

Right now, advanced copies of all six of the first Macmillan New Writing titles are being studiously ignored by potential reviewers. No, probably not ignored, actually, given all the hoohah that greeted the announcement of the imprint. My palms are sweaty as I type, thinking about the attention that will be focused on the books. Some people will be looking for their prejudices to be confirmed, no doubt. But the majority, I'm sure, will approach the books with open minds.

I dream of getting a review as good as this one:

King of The Road review. (Scroll down for the second book, King of the Road by Charlie Williams.)

It just so happens that this is the book I'm reading at the moment and I know (in the virtual sense) Charlie through a writers' website we both belong to. All I can say is, it couldn't happen to a nicer chap.

2 comments:

Steve Kane said...

If you are cajoled into some public readings, I promise not to show up and pelt you with rotten vegetables.

I might heckle a bit, though.

Roger Morris said...

Thanks Mark and Steve. Steve, I shall keep you posted about any reading events.