This post is coming out a couple of days late, but I wanted to make sure it appeared in late September, rather than slipping into October. It’s been a busy old month, as you’ll see below, but I’m happy to report we managed to get away for a couple of days to celebrate my birthday. I even ignored all my emails for four whole days! And nothing disastrous happened as a result. So maybe there’s a lesson in there somewhere. But now it’s full steam ahead once again.
Writing This Month
Nothing to see here! My textbook is with the publisher; and my next novel is up on pre-order. I was hoping to do some planning for book 2 in the series, and I did a lot of thinking about it as we were driving around the Cotswolds, but I can’t honestly say I put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard at any point. But next month…
Sales and Marketing
The focus this month has obviously been on Murder at Mountjoy Manor. It’s now up for pre-order on all the digital platforms. And I’m currently taking orders for signed paperbacks, prior to sending my order to the printers. You can find all the details here.
Following eighteen months of very little happening, I’m going for a range of launch parties this time around. We’re holding our usual shindig with live music, cake and fizz, here in Chudleigh. Additionally, I will be running a Zoom party to bring in my friends and colleagues from further afield. And at the beginning of November, I’m sharing the stage with fellow Exeter Writer, Richard Handy, in a joint launch party in Crediton, as a partner event to the Exeter Literary Festival. All these events are free; but each one needs an invitation due to restrictions on numbers and for catering purposes. You can find all the details here.
Out and About
Chudleigh Writers continues to meet face to face, albeit very spread out and having to raise our voices across the room. And later this week, Exeter Writers is also meeting physically for the first time since February 2020.
Last month, I mentioned a WI booking for July 2022. I now have another one for February 2022. The diary is looking positively busy once more (or at least, not completely empty).
Exeter Literary Festival
After a gap of a year, ExeLitFest returns with a weekend of events for readers and writers between 5th and 7th November. Details of all the events can be found on the website and tickets are on sale right now.
Although the main festival is in November, there is an exciting opening event in the Royal Albert Memorial Museum on Saturday 9th October entitled A Greener Future? Featuring Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Jonathon Porritt, Lucy Siegle, Natalie Fee and Professor Peter Cox, one of the world’s leading climate scientists, it promises to be a lively afternoon of insight, discussion and debate with the UK’s leading green writers, broadcasters and thinkers. Tickets are selling fast for this special event. Get all the details here.
