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!

1,000

So, we’re here. Finally. This is blog post number 1000!

(I warn you now, this post is a big one. But only because of all the free and discounted stuff I’m giving away!)

First off, thanks to all who’ve dropped by here to read, and an extra special thanks to those who’ve come back. I honestly wouldn’t have kept at this were it not for you.

So, to celebrate…

This blog, as far as I’m concerned has always been about two things: me burbling on about things I find interesting, and trying to spread the word about good books and fiction and stuff.

So, here’s what I would like you to do. Over this week, I’d like you to recommend a book/arts/writer’s blog here. Put it in the comments with a link so people can see and visit (and they’ll see your blogs too, of course).

And what do you get for doing this? I’ll tell you what. You’ll get the chance to win a signed copy of one of my books. Either my children’s one, ‘I Met a Roman Last Night, What Did You Do?‘ or my short story collection, ‘Not So Perfect‘. I’ll pop names into a tin and pick them out at random (ie when I feel the urge). There will be five winners and I’ll write whatever those winners would like me to in their books.

***

In my other job, I edit and give feedback on short stories. This usually costs £45. If you send in a story and include the passcode ‘1000’ I’ll do it for £25 (limited to the first 10, with the first one being FREE).

***

And here’s a first (well, two firsts, actually!). I never post my own stories here, but as today’s a little bit special I’ve decided to make an exception (well, two exceptions!).

Here’s a never seen before story. And it’s a love story. I think it’s the only love story I’ve ever written and it feels kind of appropriate.

I Have Never Kissed You in a Taxi
Nik Perring
I have never kissed you in a taxi. It’s true and I tell you that. You say, ‘What?’ so I say it again.
            I smile. Meet your eyes and I speak, all serious, like this really, really matters. I really think it does.
            I tell you a second time. But before I do I shift closer, put a hand on yours to make my words heavy.  
            ‘I have never kissed you in a taxi,’ I say.
            You frown and smile at me, both at the same time. You say, ‘Really?’ and when I nod you go on, you continue, you say, ‘Is that really important?’
            Important? Of course it’s important. It’s everything to me.
            I want to kiss you everywhere.
            I want to take you to Paris, take you up the Eifel Tower, right to the top and I want to kiss you there. I want to take you to Berlin and to Boston and to China – press my lips to yours by the Great Wall. I want to take you everywhere, to show the world that you’re mine, to them all just what we’ve got.
            Then I say, ‘I’ve ordered a cab.’
            ‘When for?’ you ask.
            I look at my watch and say, ‘About half an hour.’
            You ask me where we’re going.
            ‘I don’t know,’ I reply. ‘It doesn’t matter.’
            You do that smiling-frowning thing again. You look at me. ‘But I don’t know what to wear,’ you say, ‘and even if I did there isn’t enough time for me to get ready.’
            ‘That doesn’t matter either,’ I tell you, because what matters is kissing you in a taxi, because we’ve never done that before. Because I want to show you to the world.          
            And because I never want us to run out of places to kiss.

***

So, what are you waiting for?

Once again, a really heartfelt THANK YOU for reading and for your support. It means an awful, awful lot.

Looking forward to your blog suggestions.

Much love, thanks and appreciation,

Nik.

Your Suggestions Please

As I mentioned briefly yesterday, I noticed that I’m not too far off the 1000th entry here, on the blog.When I started it (to babble on about this book) in 2006 I think I kind of hoped I’d still have something to say a few posts/years down the line. And I’m very, very lucky because I have. And I’m very, very lucky because you folks keep coming back here and reading what I have to say (or should that be: indulging me?).

Anyway, without wanting to come across as arrogant or anything horrid like that, and to show my appreciation to everyone who’s read what I’ve had to say here on my little old blog, I’d like to do something to mark the occasion. I’d like to celebrate it with you.

So, if anyone has any suggestions as to how we might celebrate this (mid-sized) milestone – do leave a comment.

And, if there’s anything you’d like to see here, or for me to talk about, then let me know. I’ll do my best to oblige.

(I’ve just had a look at the first few posts I did and found this photo, from the August of 2006. I doubt that suit still fits me.)

13 posts to go…

Nik’s Dieting Tips

A very little piece of flash fiction of mine has just been published by the brilliant Metazen. It’s called, You Are What You Eat (An Alternative Explanation For the Disappearance of the Dinosaurs By Someone Who Might Have Been There) and you can read it by clicking here. I hope you like it.

Ooh, and I discovered yesterday that, on amazon, you can now Look Inside my children’s book.

Two Things That Made Me Very Happy Happy Today

The first was an email I received. It was a review of my book by Archie Clark. It put a big old grin on my big old face.
Archie said:

“I Met a Roman last Night, what did you do? By Nik Perring.

 

Review by Archie Clark. Aged 8.

 

The book ‘I met a Roman last night what did you do? ‘ is a very good book. It starts with a boy called Jack who does not want to go to bed,  he wanted to find out more about the Romans he’s learning about them at school. Eventually he went to bed and to sleep and in his dream he met a Roman and the next night he met a Celt and the

next day when Jack was at school the teacher, Miss Bean told them they were gong on a surprise school trip. That night he dreamt he met a Viking the next morning Jack went on a school trip. That night Jack wanted to stay up to find more info on the computer but he knew he needed his rest for sports day, so he went to sleep and he met a young girl in the war then he woke up and went to sports day.

 

Make sure you buy this book for your child. I would rate it age 7+ and the story 9+.”

Thank you so much, Archie, for such a well written and brilliant review. I hope you find lots of other really good books to read.
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And the second thing that made me very happy today was the postman delivering me this, Heaven Can Wait, by Cally Taylor.

Look out for an interview with Cally here shortly. I can only hope it’s half as good as the one she did with Caroline Smailes.

On Writing and Place – An Interview With Me

A litttle while ago (well, months probably) I agreed to write a short piece on writing and place for Tania Hershman’s excellent blog. I started it many, many times over but couldn’t work out what I wanted to say. I knew what I thought about it, and I thought that that thought was a simple one. But just like that last sentence it was far more complicated than I’d anticipated.

Anyway. I’m interviewed today over at Tania’s blog, about writing and place. I think it makes sense. It does to me now. I’m interested to know what you think of it.

What a Review!

There’s little nicer to read as a writer than a good review of your work, and when that work’s for children, as my book I Met a Roman Last Night, What Did You Do? is, and the good review is from someone who isn’t a proper grown-up (quite yet!) then that’s even better. So, yes, reading Jacob’s intelligent and thoughtful review here made me very happy.

What also makes me very happy is being interviewed by the terrific Caroline Smailes. I read her second book, Black Boxes earlier in the year and utterly loved it; it’s the best book I’ve read this year – and I was lucky enough to interview her here.
So as much as I’m hobbling around on a dicky foot, and as much as the antibiotics I’m taking to cure the reason for such hobbling are making me feel just a little bit horrid, I am rather happy.
Thank you, Jacob, and thank you, Caroline.

Why Hurting Can Help

About eighteen months after my book was published I was informed it contained a typo. Where it should have said reins it said reigns. Now, I’ll not lie to you (how could I – and why would I want to?) – I was gutted. And embarrassed. I’d missed it – and not through being illiterate or sloppy. My book was not perfect. That editors had missed it too, and readers (as far as I’m aware) was no comfort. It really stung. 

And I told people about it, I mentioned it to author friends of mine. And most of them said don’t worry. It’s fine. Lots of books have typos. And although it’s not ideal, it’s not something that should cause anyone to give up writing.
And their warmth and their words helped. (It’s still something that irks me, but I’m over it.)
I received an email from a member of my writing group earlier. She’d had her first poem published and whoever had published it had made a mistake. It was formatted (cleverly) in a specific way and had ended up in the finished booklet wrong. Formatting out the window.
And I could see why she’d be upset. I know how much time she’d spent on it, and she wondered how it could have missed.
And I could tell her that I knew how she felt. And that, really, it was okay (the poem, to be fair, does look great even though it doesn’t look the same as she’d intended) and that people do make mistakes. And, I think, I cheered her up.
The most important thing is that it was published. Nothing should take the shine off that.
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I hugely enjoyed this interview: Tania Hershman dribbling with Elizabeth Baines. Curious? Go have a look.