back to the nitty gritty

Well now, it's back to the nitty gritty, to the things that can go wrong with one's old jalopy, to a mother blackbird who doesn't seem to be taking her nest sitting as a full time job, and to correcting my recent manuscript of the second historical novel, The Ming Admiral.
Number one is the old Toyota Camry estate needs something done to the back brakes and as it has been at the mechanic's since 9.30 this morning, it harbingers bad news. It needs not just a grind but a new part. And that means $$$$!

Number two is Mother Blackbird is too often not on the job. I check on her each morning to give encouragement but the nest sits forlorn with a blue egg covered by some straw. Father BB checks it more often than she does, though he doesn't sit. I am blessed that for the second consecutive summer, a bird decides to build a nest under the eaves of my covered patio three feet from where I am sitting. Last year it was a fantail, a most gorgeous little bird with tail feathers that fan out, hence the name. It's nest was beautiful, made with a lot of love and lined with spider webs. So perfect that it is now under a glass dome at Tristan's house as part of nature's exhibits.

Number three. The Ming Admiral has returned from assessment by one of NZ's literary leading lights and he has found few problems with it. He thinks the battle scenes terrific amongst other positive comments. So it means some work re-adjusting parts, etc before it is ready for the next stage. The question is to hunt down and be rejected by dozens of mainline publishers and agents or to self publish as I did with the first historic novel, MEMORIES IN THE BONE, bearing all the costs but having instant printing and total control. I have spent the price of two years' holidays on the marketing which will see the book launched in the USA in January 2013 nationwide though it is now available on all book websites. So look into that , please, fans! It's on Nook, Kindle, Kobo, Sony, Powells -- every website in every bookstore across the US. I believe it is also on Kindle UK.

So it is down as I said up top, to the nitty gritty of writing. Tonight I shall do a reading in INSIDE OUT in a cafe in the yuppie part of Auckland. I shall read from MEMORIES IN THE BONE. Think I shall do the chapter on the fall of Nanjing and the death of Hong XiuQuan who thought himself God's Chinese Son and Jesus' Younger Brother, who started the Taiping Rebellion which killed over 20 million people. Pretty meaty. Hope I don't get too many butterflies. There will also be music from NZ bands.

Will post next week on this event. Do give comments on how you like my blog and pass on to your mates.
Adios, amigos.