From Bill / Jessica

The work on SEALED SECRETS is proceeding well. I am half way through and the way ahead is clear. My characters are keeping me on the right track and introducing me to incidents that were not in my original scheme, but certainly are in keeping with their thinking and do improve the story.

Certain implications in the story, when I first considered an idea and outline, suggested the title. I believe it rests easily with the narrative and I don’t anticipate any change. There could be a suggestion from my publisher; there has been on the odd occasion in the past and it has been a good one.

See the entry Westerns for some latest news on a book that was first published 29 years ago !

  

From Bill

This is the cover of the Large Print publication of one of my Westerns published this August by Dales Large Print. After my first novel, a war story, was published in 1959 I turned to writing Westerns under the names of Jim Bowden, Floyd Rogers and Kirk Ford, and had 36 published, the last in 1993. By that time Jessica Blair had been born and she continues to thrive. The nineteenth historical saga by her is being written at this time. Back to the Westerns. INCIDENT AT ELK RIVER was first published in hardback in 1979. This is the first Large Print publication – a novel never dies !

I have been asked where was the picture taken?  It is made up of three photographs – digital images – taken on holiday in Scotland last year. My eldest daughter and I were staying in a cottage between Oban and Fort William. It faced West. The sunsets were magnificent. The camera clicked many times during the nine days we were away. Once home, and the pictures transferred to my computer, I used Arc Soft Panorama Maker to produce the picture used on this blog.

I have always been a keen photographer, chiefly for my own enjoyment, from the days of black and white (Dark-room days !), through slides (I have thousands) to the present digital era and all the possibilities that brings. More of that later.

Scotland has long been one of my favourite places. My wife and I spent many happy holidays there, enjoying the magnificent scenery, places of interest, and the hospitality, with our children, then when they went their own ways we enjoyed it together, and now I share it once again with my daughters. Again more of Scotland later.

So the Premiership League has started. I would not describe myself as an avid football fan but I am an avid Middlesbrough F C fan. I was brought up in Middlesbrough and, as a boy, used to go to all the home matches at the old Ayresome Park ground before the war. Those were the great days of Camsel, Fenton, Baxter, Mannion, Hardwick and more. After serving in Aircrew during the war I did not return to live in Middlesbrough but settled 40 miles away.  I have been an occasional game but have always kept a deep interest in the club. That was a great win on Saturday at home against Tottenham – the first game of the new season. Young players who gelled as a team and showed a more expensive team, in terms of money spent buying players, cash does not always mean success. Middlesbrough Manager, Gareth Southgate and Chairman Steve Gibson have got it right and this blend of players they have now could bring them success and cause many a surprise this season. Play as a unit Boro, with injection of individual flair when necessary and play for each other, and for the  supporters even those who can’t attend every match but are with you in spirit. Up the Boro !

In My Writing Life category, the entry this day mentions my visit to my publisher Piatkus in London. It mentions my daughter Geraldine who accompanied me. I motored from my home to hers near Boston in South Lincolnshire, stayed the night, and the following day she and I went to London by train. As I said in that entry she was particularly interested in the art production side of publishing. The reason for that interest is that she and her twin sister Judith both trained as artists, Judith at Birmingham, Geraldine at Hull. Geraldine went on to the Royal Academy. They both went into teaching and enjoyed being in the classroom but after 12 years, when administrative work took more and more time in school, they both left teaching to pursue their own careers in Art. They have exhibited at various venues throughout the country and have staged several two-persons exhibitions, as well as doing work for commercial companies.  Earlier this year they  got a website and were joined by Geraldine’s husband Nigel, who trained as a sculptor at the Royal College, where he lectured for a while. Due to incurring a disability which prevented him from pursuing a career as a sculptor he has turned to painting, encouraged in this by Geraldine and Judith.

Have a look at their Website:  Brabos arts.

On returning from London with Geraldine I stayed a few days with her and her husband; a mini holiday. I went to an Art class that she runs voluntarily every Monday evening for a very enthusiastic group of twenty people in Boston. I am no artist but I did some writing ( Art in another form). Having attended the class on previous occasions I saw people I had already known and met some new ones. All grist for the writer’s mill.

 

 

My visit to London at the invitation of my publisher was interesting and productive. When my publisher, Piatkus, with whom I had a happy relationship since 1990, became an imprint of the Little Brown Book Group, their offices were moved to 100 Victoria Embankment, London. This was my first visit there. My daughter Geraldine was with me and we were given a tour of the palatial, very well designed open-plan offices on the second floor and had an extensive view across London from the eight floor. It was most interesting to see the workings of a large publishing group. My daughter was particulary keen to see the artistic side to their publishing, (for more, see The Other Side Of Me). Discusions about my writing , the novel I am working on now and future projects were started right away and continued during an excellent lunch at an Italian restaurant opposite St Paul’s. I gained a lot from the exchanges which were with the Commissioning Editor of Piatkus. Her comments were also reassuring – I had heard that throughout the publishing world cut-backs were being made on sagas. She confirmed this but stated that though Piatkus were, at present, not commissioning any new saga writers, my position was safe and I should go on submitting ideas at the appropriate time. Of course things can change either way and as a writer I feel I should be able to adapt if trends demand it. Reassured that my historical sagas were still wanted I was inspired to press on when I came home after a few days with Geraldine. The writing has flowed since then !