Fly Joe!

Enough of this dull January nonsense, I have two publications to tell you about and they're making me feel very sparkly indeed.

The first is Seaglass, the anthology of short stories published by Black Pear Press in which my short story, Fly Joe! features. Seaglass is the name of the wonderfully evocative winning entry in the Black Pear Press short story competition from where the twenty short stories hailed.

And mine, well, it's about- Oh! You didn't think I was going to make it that easy for you, did you? Here's the beginning:

Hesta placed the food on the table in front of him, took the napkin and shook it to reveal a worn square.

"I've brought you lamb with redcurrant sauce and dumplings," she said, tucking the napkin into his collar. "Well, strictly it's not lamb but a couple of pieces of rubber from the bottom of me boots. I gave them a quick spruce up with the hose before of course, although being in the chicken pen, some of the poo does get a bit squashed in the grooves. We didn't have as many redcurrants as I'd have liked - been too hot, surprisingly - so I had to take the ones from near the ground; the ones you tell me not to touch because the fox might have pee'd on 'em. And the dumplings? Well, they're just dumplings, like me Mum used to make, the very finest with snips of bacon. But you were never too keen on dumplings, were you? Anyway, there we are, shall I feed you now?" she asked, finally sitting down on the edge of the bed and picking up the spoon.

Joe would have smiled if he could. Instead, he raised an eyebrow.

I hope you're intrigued and would like to see Joe fly. The rest can be bought here and to learn more about Black Pear Press, click here.

The second publication, the latest edition of Chase Magazine where I recommend three books which must be read this year, isn't new, I've been writing for Chase for years. However, it's just had a revamp and, personally, I'm delighted with what I see. Clever editor, Joe Cawthorn, has kept its Yorkshire identity but also afforded it much more of a professional glow, in my humble opinion. To access the on-line copy for free, click here.

I hope you enjoy my musings. Comments, good, bad and indifferent, always welcome :)