Happy, Sad

So, earlier today I met up with the lovely Caroline Smailes to run through the first lot of edits for Freaks!. Thankfully, there wasn’t all that much to do, but what we needed to do, we did. We changed some words, we re-jigged the story order slightly – that kind of thing. And I’ve just, this minute, emailed the whole thing to our splendid publisher (I am hoping, very much, that he likes what we’ve done). That makes me happy. I was happy the other day too, because, as well as including the suggested changes to the manuscript, the feedback was great. It was, as it always is, a relief (I’ve learned that me thinking something’s good, doesn’t mean anyone else will!). So, yes, happy.

But a little sad as well. It kind of marks the end of an era in that, I think, this’ll probably be the last time I’ll need to meet up with Caroline to discuss all things Freaks!. (It also makes me wonder how on earth we wrote the whole bloody thing without meeting once, but that’s another story!)

Tonight, I think I’ll celebrate. It’s been a big job, we started it almost a year ago and, although there’ll be more work we’ll have to do on it before publication (next April, folks), we’ve done it. We’ve made something we’re both hugely proud of and excited by – and all this is without mentioning the illustrations Darren Craske has done for it! I don’t know where I’ll go later, or what I’ll do (it’s at times like this I kind of wish more of my friends lived closer) but I’ll do something to mark the day. It’s only right.

For now, I’ll simply allow myself a very little, but very satisfied, yay! 


***
And a photo – mid-edit…


For Lovers Of Small Handbags

Thrilled to see the lovely WritersLittleHelper’s review of Not So Perfect on her blog today. Big thanks to her, and to Dan Powell whose blog she won the copy from.

She said ‘In a few carefully chosen words, Perring can make the reader care for a character who vomits lemurs.‘ which made me smile and happy.

***

In other news, it was very hot yesterday and it is very hot today. I have been working in shorts. I’m not sure how long I want this to continue for.

***

And in other, other news, I’ve been writing, which has felt good. I think that little break I had was needed.

New

Yes, that thing up there is new. I made it in an attempt to give things a bit more colour around here. Do let me know what you think, good or otherwise.

(And, I must give a nod to the very talented Derry Dillon for the Celt illustration, who drew it for the cover of my first book.)

I should be back soon (probably moaning about how I’ll be thirty in less than a month). Until then, enjoy!

Good News

Well, my break went well in case you were wondering. I’ve had a few days off of doing nothing (other than recharging) and that may well continue for a little while. Apologies to those still waiting for things from me – I AM  on it.

But I wasn’t ONLY doing nothing. Nope. No siree. There was some work that needed to be done, and some meetings I had to go to – and as a result of those I’m very pleased to be able to say that, yesterday, we (me, Caroline Smailes and Darren Craske) were able to deliver the finished manuscript (including illustrations) of Freaks! to our publisher, the very wonderful Friday Project. That makes me happy – I’m very proud of what we’ve done, but I’m a little nervous too and very much hoping they like it. But mostly, I’m very happy.

It’s been a lot of hard work for all concerned. 50 stories. 50 illustrations. Hard work but fun. And to celebrate I wandered into town yesterday evening and treated myself to a couple of beers because, if there’s one thing I’ve learned, moments like that don’t happen very often (3 books in 5 years) and I think it’s important to mark them in some way – even if it’s on your own, relaxing with a beer (because no-one else really gets it, or because they get snooty when they see someone else having a bit of success), or watching a really cool 1963 Doctor Who serial, or eating cake (and yes, I did all three which, interestingly, has resulted in my having a rather unexpected crush on Susan Foreman).

So there we go. More from me soon.

Meanwhile…

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRsfKK34SFY]

Hello!

It seems like an awfully long time since I posted anything kind of personal on here, and for that I apologise; it’s mainly been I’m reading here, or I’m interviewed there, and whatnot, and while that has a chance of being interesting (I certainly hope it does), it can get a bit samey. It’s certainly felt like it has. So, sorry.

But there has been a reason for it. Oh yes. And mostly that reason’s been: BECAUSE I’VE BEEN EXCEPTIONALLY BLOODY BUSY. And that’s no bad thing – I’ve been busy with good stuff, so I’m not complaining. But it has got me thinking. You know, for the past three years (it may be longer) I haven’t stopped. I’ve written Not So Perfect, I’ve signed a contract for it, done the edits, then launched it, then promoted it – while setting up a short story specific editing company. And I’ve, along with Caroline Smailes, written Freaks!, signed a contract, etc etc, blah, blah, blah. On Friday, I finished the final tweak to the final story. The book is done (for now) and can go to the publishers. (Hooray!)

And that means that I can have a break.

Writing a book is hard, hard work. Deeply rewarding and a huge amount of fun (especially if you’re lucky enough to have people like it), but hard, hard work. Promoting the book’s the same, especially if, like me, you’re a bit shy and not too fond of being the person everyone’s watching. And I’ll not lie: it’s been made more difficult by other people, people who might not want me to have a book out there, who might not want me to be on the ‘scene’ (I’ve discovered, over the few years I’ve been writing professionally (my first book was published in 2006, when I was a naive 26 year old) that there are two sorts of authors: ones who like, support and promote good literature and who support the industry (without it, there wouldn’t be ANY authors), and those who like, support, and promote their own work, and feel they can dictate what the industry should be; I hope I fall into the former category!).

So, it’s been a lot to deal with. It’s been a lot of hard work and not, as that naive 26 year would have had you believe, all fun and roses. And I should say, I’m not complaining. I’m simply, err, babbling. I love my job and wouldn’t change it for the world. It’s just, well, not so perfect (would I want it any other way?)!

So, for now, I’ve got almost nothing to do. I need to catch up with emails (which I WILL do) and there are a few people I’d like to interview but, those aside, for the first time in years, I’m going to take a short break. I might go for a walk, or go shopping. I might go to a city and wander. I might go to a cafe or doze or read. Hell, I might even go on holiday. We’ll see.

But yes, even if it’s only for a few days, a break sounds really bloody good.

One Year Ago Today

I was getting ready to do this.

Yep, I launched Not So Perfect this time last year. It has FLOWN! And it has, mostly, been a great twelve months.

I wanted to take the time here to thank everyone who’s bought a copy, everyone who’s taken the time to review it (feel free to continue, folks!), everyone who’s emailed me to say nice things about it and everyone who’s supported me. Thanks also to those who helped out with the blog tour and to those wonderful people at Roast Books, who made the book a pleasure to hold and to look at (and for all the other bits of hard work they’ve done, and continue to do too).

Yes, thank you, folks. I really, really appreciate it.

***

Also, big thanks to the lovely and talented Lynsey May, who gave me, Not So Perfect and the reading last week a mention on here blog.