under another sun

Gah. Very broken sleep and feeling a bit wan and wussy. Began the day by fiddling with some poems, but mostly breaking them.  Went for a walk this morning, in perfect walking weather bright and cool. Pesky golfers have returned to their links now.  On the way home passed Raven's bakery and bought a bag of hot cross buns. Quips about my nice buns and understanding why people were Raven about them largely under appreciated.  Nice to have Jade and Sam about the place to chat to, both de-stressing quietly after the move. Two bits of good news... Matthew has taken my story  Doctor Spotlight for Horla. Very complimentary about it bless him. Also a lovely email sent to Robin but addressed to Robin and me from Kathryn Maris, she is very kind in it about the podcast which she thinks is very professional. Very good to hear.  Spent most of the day prepping for the two big interviews, LeAnne Howe and then in the evening  Yang Lian .   LeAnne over in Georgia USA ...

A bit more in focus revisited the story, The Merger , I wrote on holiday in Sicily, and also the What You Look For story I wrote shortly before I left. I sent What You Look For to Matthew Rees at Horla with fingers crossed. I also started working on the cover for Magnificent Grace. Lorraine working at home today. I got busy with the water pressure cleaner on the decking, and took off most of a year's worth of grime and guano. This is the closest I came to working with power tools, and it made me feel like a man.    In the evening we walked off to meet Anton in the Batty, where he handed over a Sherlock Holmes game for L and I to play. We had a bite to eat there, and generally caught up on gossip. Anton having the massive pain of having to sort out the identity theft that happened a few weeks ago, people buying stuff in Brighton. He is off on a short holiday with the bairns next week.  We left the Batty which is in its final weeks before the new owners take ov...

Happy start to my day, with a note read in bed (sent a little after midnight) from Matthew at the Horla website saying he would use my post on horror for his site. Otherwise, a productive morning although constantly plagued by the cats, getting back in the saddle with the long story currently called Nothing compares to you . In the afternoon I went to the gym and felt pretty good afterwards. Finished listening to Rosemary's Baby on the walk home. It was very much of its time, but nicely done by Ira Levin. Liked how a mother's love trumps the fact her baby has hooves, horn buds and golden eyes at the end. Home and some more work before Lorraine arrived having had a trickier day. Maureen phoned to say she was cycling on a machine to keep her legs good. An early night.

Saturday, and surprisingly perky considering last night's shenanigans. Woke up to find my short story, The Dark Fish , had been uploaded by Matthew the editor, who had been hard at work at 1am. Forced Lorraine to read it in bed, and went around saying the word Horror but only employing the first 'o' vowel sound. Lorraine and I chatting lots this morning, and putting things in their right mental boxes. Lorraine needs to say thing out loud to manage them. I perfectly understand this. My own speciality is venting in a self loathing, depressive and angry way, which depresses anyone in earshot, but leaves me feeling cleansed and happy. In the afternoon we scooted into town for some shopping, then Lorraine and I popped into The Bottom's Rest for a pint of Harveys. Beth met us there from work and we went back to the flat. A cheery evening with Beth and John. We ordered a curry takeaway from around the corner, and John and I went to collect it. We bumped into a cheery Inn...

Theresa May presented her deal with the EU today to mass Tory resignations. Essentially Brexit is a national suicide attempt, and May is trying to make that suicide slightly less painful. Many rabid Brexiteers want it to be more deeply damaging. Meanwhile the populace, bitterly divided by the lies they were told,  doesn't know what the hell is happening or who to trust. The closer we get to Brexit the madness of the 'taking back control' lie further reveals itself. And breathe. For me personally a rather good day. I did some writing. I sent stuff off to Michel and Pat and Perky. I went to the gym. I returned and did some more work, and then I got a note accepting one of my short stories to appear on a Horror story site called Horla . This was a bit of a boost. The story is about an astrologer and is called, The Dark Fish.   I wrote it in 1986, which I went through three rounds of revisions with the editor of a magazine called Panurge, before he finally rejected it. I ...