The gift of Gift

Stanley - Thursday

What can you do?  Sometimes things just don't work out as you planned.

Today's blog was a happy one; a wonderful story; an uplifting tale.  What's more, unlike the normal me, I had it done and dusted on Monday.

The, yesterday. in my quest to make it better, I went to tweak it, and . . .

You can guess what happened next.  I lost everything.  Except the title of the blog.

With a deep sigh, I went to resurrect the blog.  Were my travails over?  No!  My computer ran out of charge and, to my chagrin, I found I had left the charging cord in Denmark.  I had the charger, but no way to connect it to the wall.

I tried to rewrite everything on my phone, but the keyboard is not conducive to writing extended pieces.  The keys are too small, and my fingers too big.  I understand now how Trump can send so many Tweets. He doesn't have that problem.

Then I ran out of time.  I had to go into London, to Waterstones Piccadilly, for a mass book event.  Fifteen Orenda Books authors at one event.  I was nervous: pitch your book in 60 seconds; read an excerpt for 90 seconds.  Amazingly, it went off very well, with about 60 people in the audience lapping up the variety and diversity.

I wasn't up to rewriting my blog when I returned to my friends' home late last night.  After all, the three Norwegian authors at the event had brought several bottles of Aquavit for us to celebrate Norway's independence day. 

So here I am, on Thursday morning, without a blog, without my computer, and a train to catch to Bristol for Crimefest, where I moderate a panel this afternoon.  I am writing on my friend's Windows machine.  It's weird, and I expect every moment to see a ransom note flash on the screen.

So, my friends, I can't tell you about the gift of Gift.  But since it is a good story, and because we are in need of a time-out from the stress of everyday headlines, I offer a link to the New York Times article that also reported on the happy rise of Gift Ngoepe - about whom I am sure Jeff knows all there is to know.

Here it is:

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/08/sports/baseball/gift-ngoepe-south-africa-pittsburgh-pirates.html

____________________________________________

 

Murder Is Everywhere

Author Recognitions and Events

 

ANNAMARIA ALFIERI

Thursday May 25, 6PM
Orinda Books
Orinda, California.

Wednesday May 31

Janet Rudolph Literary Salon:

"The History of Hot Places: Clashes between Colonialism and Local Cultures”

Joint appearance with Michael Cooper

June 11

Books NJ Festival

Grounds of the Paramus Public Library

Paramus, New Jersey

June 16-18

Deadly Ink Conference

Hilton Garden Inn

Rockaway, New Jersey  

CARA BLACK

Murder in Saint Germain, Aimée Leduc’s next investigation, comes out June 6, 2017.

 

ZOE SHARP

May 18-21   

Crimefest in Bristol UK

Friday May 19, 2017

Panel 1010 – 1100

Ticking Clocks: A Race Against Time, with M.R. Hall (Moderator), C.J. Box, Adam Hamdy, Richie Marnes.

Sunday May 21

         Panel 0930 – 1020

The Indie Alternative, moderating panel with A.A. Abbott, David George Clarke, Barbara Fagan Speake, Ian Sutherland.

MICHAEL STANLEY

Dying to Live (Kubu #6) to be released in May in UK & South Africa and in October in USA

May 17

18:00 – 20:00

Orenda Road Show (Stanley)

Waterstones Picadilly (London)

 

May 19-21   

Franschhoek Literary Festival (Michael).

Saturday May 20        

Panel 11:30 – 12:30:

One Voice, Two Authors with Alex Latimer and Diane Awerbuck

Sunday May 21

Panel 11:30 – 12:30:

The Author as Chemist with Joanne Harris and Ekow Duker

May 18-21   

Crimefest in Bristol UK (Stanley)

Thursday, May 18

Panel 14:40 - 15:30:

What Are You Hiding? - The Dark Side Of Human Nature 

 

Friday, May 19
Panel 12:30 - 13:20

Panel: Power Corrupts - Who Can You Turn To?

June 13

South African launch of Dying to Live 18:00

Love Books, Melville, Johannesburg