Writers Abroad

I had an update from Jo, Writers Abroad group leader - great to know the anthology in which I had 2 pieces is selling well:

Foreign Flavours, our 2011 Anthology has now been published and to date we have raised just a little over 500 Euros for our charity - The Book Bus Organisation. We are now planning to turn the book into an Epublication and hope to make a bit more dosh for this very deserving cause. We have also entered the anthology for the Writers News Anthology competition which closes at the end of the month.
 
Fingers crossed for a win in the Writers News competition....more to follow.

Copywriting Course

I received my final assignment feedback from my tutor this morning which means I have finished my Copywriting course.


It feels rather like finishing a good book - you never want it too end and a sort of emptiness comes over you.

But it has been both enjoyable and informative - whether I shall actually use the new found skills remains to be seen.

If you are interested in any genre of writing and need to acquire new skills then give the Writers Bureau a go - I can thoroughly recommend them.

Discover Jason Webster

I discovered him online whilst searching for books on Spain - I took the plunge and started with his 'Guerra' - Living in the shadows of the Spanish Civil War. I thoroughly enjoyed it (review here)

So I moved onto his 'Duende' What is duende - well that is rather the point of his book as he gets caught up in the world of flamenco and much more besides. My review:

Being an Expat myself it is naturally interesting to see how others fare in this country - and Webster was determined to scratch his itch and find 'Duende' it nearly killed him. His story gently unfolds then the pace hots up and to be honest I could not put it down. He has an easy style to read but still conveys a lot enabling the reader to feel, smell and sense the different environments he finds himself in. Whilst I do not claim to have had all the same experiences I do relate to many of his points and thoroughly enjoyed it. But please don't think this is the typical Expat life! But a welcome change from much of the drivel Expat 'literature' out there. Good for JW. 

Next up 'Andalus'....

The Chinese Attack

Great to see another of my friends getting into print -

The Chinese Attack
by John Bishop
Pages: 400
Imprint: Vanguard Press ISBN: 978 1 84386 8 919 1

Jack has always done his duty. Always obeyed orders without question. Until the murderous futility of war drives him not just to question but rebel. However, protest leads to humiliation. And the Chinese Labour Corps. Where he’s plunged into a world of prejudice, suspicion and deadly cat-and-mouse games in which the losers will pay with their lives. Can Tien, his enigmatic servant, and the outspoken Eve, an Australian nurse desperate to hide her marital status, help him evade the malign reach of injustice? If not, the firing squad awaits them. And Jack keeps making wrong decisions. So in the end his choice is stark:’All or nothing,’ he shouted in Mandarin...

Good luck - hope it is a bestseller.

Best online deal - here - with FREE shipping, even Spain

Happy New Year 2012

Well here we go again - full of good intentions and those New Year Resolutions - good luck with yours.

The first edition of the year of TIM is on the streets and available online. My contribution is a short article on the Spanish Constitution and how it causes an annual early wake up call - see more on Page 20.

ps If you are using Firefox browser some functions may not work. Don't blame me!

Open publication - Free publishing - More costa blanca