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 :)
