Friday, October 6, 2023

Life In The Fast Lane; A writer on tour

At the start of some moment in time, I suggested to somebody that I did a wee tour - just appearances at book shops, a wee chat, a bit of cake, sell some books etc. I think I would call it either being pro active or bonkers.
It seemed to involve a lot of ferries very late at night.

But first an update. The first event was at the wonderful book shop The Print Point in Rothesay. Karen, the owner, had put this up on Facebook, a card by Alex Clark Art. The artist had posted about his sadness at the loss of the tree. I think you can tell by the drawing, the way most of us in GB felt about that wee tree. Trees that are there when you are born, should still be there when you die.

The update of the tree is that the former tree surgeon's son who was arrested the day after the event has been released without charge. His father used to work on the estate and had recently been let go. That was only one story  that's doing the rounds.  Seemingly, it's a three mile walk to the tree and chain saws are heavy.
The next day, somebody else walked that distance with a sapling and planted it.
It was removed by the 'authorities'.

Better news is that a sycamore tree views getting cut down like that as a good hair cut and it will regrow better than it was before.

So there's a metaphor for life.


Old pic from the last time we did Print Point.
My October - I have a tour, a deadline for the first of November, a play to co-write for Oct 28th, a quiz to organise for Oct 27, a day job that has gone mentally busy - our busiest week in 36 years was the last week in Setember, and a birthday so big that people want you to think about things. Like pensions.

Oh and something involving ferries!

MJM accompanied me on the first leg of the tour to Print Point. Douglas had already been, they didn't want him back.

The Murmers is a creepy book that's gaining a lot of traction. It's about a woman who sees death when she looks at people who are about to pass. And what the rest of the family actually did to stop that curse being passed on.


The second gig was at Dunoon, which is not as island but it's a very long drive round. Another late night ferry home.

Mr Malone at Bute Museum considering the transport of his youth.

A non-devil devil stone.


A blurb about us this time around, taken from when we were there last time around.

And a huge cake that feeds 40 people. There were 47 there!

In the wonderful book shop in Dunoon, full of pens and books and art supplies and more books.
I'm pointing at the self help book....

Great display at the Museum

Annoying our great friend Denzil, always worth doing.....

A before event dinner!

Crammed audience!

Me trying to explain something......

The knife.... they trusted me with a knife!


Ahh, where we all belong... in a bookshop I mean, not on the shelf....

Caro

 

3 comments:

  1. What a fantastic whirlwind, Caro. And that cake! All I can say is, it sounds a lot more fun and romantic than my usual "tour," which involves driving around the pot-holed freeways of Southern California. Congratulations on the book and good luck with your mad October.

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  2. This looks like such a delightful tour to little places that wouldn't normally get a star author visiting. Congratulations on the book, and I envy your countryside adventure!

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  3. I imagine you in an itinerant circus coming to town in a horse drawn wagon filled with magicians and jugglers, wowing little kids and drawing cats and dogs into dancing. In other words I wish I were there! You're a creative force of nature...with or without a chainsaw. -- Jeff

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