This is hard work!

I don't know how I'd be managing to do this edit if I was working full-time. I set myself a target of 10 chapters today, but I've only managed five chapters in four hours. Then I had to cut up the A3 pages and scan them - over 100 pages - into the PC and email them over to America. Blinking hard work! Still got about ten more chapters to do... I'm hoping I can convince them in the future to use more digital methods!

Am hard at work on next novel too--I did what I said and moved the beginning completely and it works much better. was really stupid to have the chapters I was going to have starting it out as it sort of laid out the entire plot right then and there which isn't exactly what it needed. I have the main characters in place -- even if not all of them have names yet!!--and I have the ending in my head already, which is great. I like to get the ending written before I'm too far into the book. It helps to give me something to aim at.

Today - being the 23rd here already - is The Hard Day of the year for me, and not in a good way.  Just let me say what I've said before: No matter how much your parents drive you up the wall-no matter how much you are dreading A Family Christmas (or whatever you celebrate) just remember that one day you won't have them and hold every moment you have with them dear.  Just do that, will you?

Book blather

If you want some inspiration about what to read, what to buy after Christmas - when those sales kick in! - then you can do worse than to check out Lisabea's amazing Post That Ate Christmas - a huge post of M/M writers and bloggers discussing their favourite books. Josh Lanyon, Patrick Fillon, Teddypig, Ally Blue and many many more.

Talking of books. I just want to have a quick book wibble as I have read tons recently and haven't discussed 'em.

Luck in the Shadows by Lynn Flewelling.  Far too many L's.

I was really annoyed that my library didn't have a copy of the Nightrunner series and I had to get a copy from another library which cost me £2.50. *grumps* I might as well have bought a cheap copy.  However it was well worth the money and I will now go and buy the remaining books rather than get them from the library. 
( Spoilers )

The Taos Truth Game by Earl Ganz.

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Notre Dame de Paris.

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The Loom of Youth by Alec Waugh.

( Read more... )

Don't rush to read it thinking it's a great gay romance, because it's not, but it's a great insight into that era, that class-essential reading for historical writers imo.  Hayden Thorne did a great review of it here, btw - and the book is available free online at Gutenberg.

I think I'll make a list of what I read in 2009, gets so I forget sometimes. I had to ask gehayi what the name was of The Historian because although I vaguely remembered the plot, that's all I could remember.

And not books, but TV. John Adams starts this week!  Hurrah!  I've heard so many good things about this series, so I'm really looking forward to it.

Food Glorious Food.

OK: Here's what we'll be having on Christmas Day.  

Smoked Salmon starter of some kind. Roulade, or parcels, with salad. Whitebait.

Champagne Sorbet

A selection of Norfolk turkey, goose, lamb and beef
Sprouts with chestnuts, glazed parsnips and carrots, mange tout.
Roast potatoes
pigs in blankets
Yorkshire puddings
Stuffing
Definitely no cranberries.

Mince pies (shortcrust)

Christmas pudding with brandy butter, cream, custard.

Cheeseboard!

Just what we normally have, in fact.  The only difference is that I'm going to be going for the easy option in all cases - if it's ready prepared, I'm going to buy it. And no Christmas cake, because SOMEONE never wrote her recipe down, and so that's gone forever!!!  I'll have words with her when I see her next!!

Plan: Shove in Oven. Set Timer.

Loaf watching the telly with Pick and Mix (Oh My God - Where will I get that when Woolies shuts?) and Baileys until cooked.

Boxing Day: Whole Salmon with homemade chestnut stuffing.

Sausage rolls too, (puff)

Puzzled.

What I don't understand about this remake of Survivors is:

Why the blinkerty blink don't they have guns?  It would be the first thing I'd get. Perhaps they've never seen a survival film.