Women say that Men.......

Can't multitask, but I'm going to have to! I really must make a start on
editing/ proof- reading Augustus and I should knock off a few more
chapters of Eliezer book two. My excuse for not having already made a
start is jet- lag and a touch of Bubonic plague (OK, Man- Flu, but it was
a really, really bad dose). Oh, that and the fact that my faithful
'lapdancer' has been in the Apple repair shop. All the news about that is
on Facebook, but suffice it to say the issue has not yet been resolved, I
await a reply as to whether or not it will be fixed FOC with baited breath
and nervous wallet.
Other news, John the GRP reckons that the hull/ keel/ rudder repairs will
be completed before December. He wanted to finish by the end of this month
but we're awaiting a shipment from Oz. Now he says he can source the
material locally, so after I've assaulted the piggy bank work will
recommence.
There was a traditional Fijian wedding in the house the other day, one of
Rosemary's brothers. Apparently the local custom is to have a civil
ceremony then at a later date a traditional one. Very colourful, but I
didn't want to intrude by wandering around with a camera. If I can get
hold of some of the photos that Alice took, I'll post them if the family
are happy for that to happen. I spent part of the time drinking Kava. I
still can't claim to actually like the taste of it ( the custom is to 'yam
sing' the bowl, i.e. drain it in one go) but I did have a good nights
sleep. Obviously Kava suppresses the symptoms of Bubonic plague, not a lot
of doctors know that!
Now to chase up Emma the Agent and find out where she's sent the Eliezer
manuscript to. I see that her website has been updated to gshow the new
title ( Eliezer's Journey) and a plot synopsis. She remains enthusiastic
so I remain optimistic of finding a different publisher.

Cruising: Boat maintenance in exotic locations
HTTP:/blog.mailasail.com/troutbridge
Fiji: +6799212518

Lunch with a film producer

Well OK, let's be totally honest here, I went up to London for a couple of days to stay with my daughter, who is pursuing a career in the media industry, but hey! One day, I'm sure she'll be producing ads if not films. We went to Simpsons on the Strand for a very expensive lunch, well I hadn't seen her for two years and may not see her again for another two. Simpsons figures in my 'Doctor Augustus Pierre LeMesurier' novel, which is about to be edited them marketed. speaking of novels and one step forward and a shuffle back, Vamptasy (who published 'A Man out of Time) have run into some financial difficulties, which means that they are no longer handling me as an author (amongst others, I'm not alone in having my contract broken). Emma the Agent is reviewing the editing that I've sent her and will be frantically proof reading, prior to submitting the revised manuscript to other publishing houses by the end of this month. I should get my royalties from Vamptasy by January, but true to slightly disorganized form they neglected to tell me how many copies had actually been sold. As Emma said, never mind these things happen for a reason! I'm jetting off back to Fiji next week. Back to reality, i.e. boat repairs. Apparently things are progressing well. A pity that spares have proven so expensive in this country AND very few companies will actually ship stuff, they all want to use couriers. A bit pricey when you want a new stove and hob! I've also found that even going to see companies face to face doesn't guarantee better service. Hey ho. One last party on Sunday, then I'll start work on editing firstly the Tim stories, then 'Augustus'.

The long silence

I can't believe it's nearly a month since I posted anything, such a lot has happened. I'm writing this in the UK, where I've been for the last two weeks. Going through the galleys for the paperback, it became obvious that there were a horrific number of typos which had slipped through the net. To make a short story of it, the person tasked with proof-reading the manuscript has been 'dispensed with', and after a false start with an editor hired-in by the publishers, Emma the Agent and I are madly proof-reading/editing the original manuscript, trying to get it finished ASAP. The publisher has temporarily withdrawn the book from the various e platforms, but hopefully I will have finished 'my bit' by the middle of next week. After Emma has approved my changes and I've approved any changes she makes to my changes, THEN the publisher has a look at it in more depth than the first time she got it, it's likely to be the middle of November before the book is available again. Hopefully the paperback version will be out before Christmas! All this meant that I didn't get up to Aberdeen, I was too busy! Oh well, never mind. Other news is that Emma the Agent thinks that she might have found an illustrator for the 'Tim' stories, so based on this experience, once I've finished the current round of editing, I'll draw breath and take a close look at the 'Tim' manuscript. OH yes, I've heard from 'Latitudes and Attitudes' magazine that they have accepted my article and photos about the 'reef encounter'. No word as to when the publication date is, but I'll let you know as soon as I know.