Authors Electric

Last month I wrote about my impending trip to the United States for my nephew’s wedding and I am happy to report it all went ahead and a magical time was had by all. After writing my last blog I had high hopes that my travels would greatly enhance my creativity. However, I must confess, at the outset so much was exactly as I expected. Was this because I’ve been to the States before, watched copious amounts of US TV dramas that little surprised me or that an already highly worked imagination had already conjured up these locations while reading? Many places we visited reminded me of novels I’ve read in the past few years. As we wandered through the Washington art gallery, I couldn’t help but be transported to the pages of The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. Airy, expansive rooms with high ceilings housing the most exquisite paintings. They drew you in from afar revealing the most breath-taking details as you moved closer. How do artists convey the sheen of a piece of silk, the glint o...

It happens to the best of us on both sides of the Pond: we sigh goodbye to our Sexy in time. Then we wonder endlessly how to get it back. Now, of course, in an elegant group like AE we're far more likely to discuss our plumage than our poundage. Nor do we begrudge the few who never lost their Sexy: Tom Wolfe                      Donna Tartt George Bernard Shaw                   Yukio Mishima Still, as some Italian or other once said, I found I'd come to a dark wood. And in that wood I feared the loss of the wild young stallions who'd coursed through my soul. You know, those writing Glory Days: before we find ourselves saddled with rules laid down by addle-brained agents...and fear of rejection or failure. Pay attention. This next part's important:  You may not know your Sexy's gone until it's hit the road. Or as some say in the UK: until it's upped and left ...

Recently I had to borrow my wife’s Kindle (thanks to the biggest bugbear in the ebook system – no longer can two people share a simple book without handing over their entire bookshelf. Sort it out, Amazon.) My own Kindle is one of the early models with keyboards, the e-reader equivalent of the brick mobile phone, so at first I could only slam her Kindle Paperwhite against a rock while grunting, ‘Where controls? Me need make words.’  Me have kindle fire! Eventually the rock bumped the ON switch, and I was away. I’d been looking forward to reading Donna Tartt’s ‘The Goldfinch’, partly to dispel my suspicion that Donna Tartt was actually one of those spoofonyms like Eileen Dover or Claude Boddy (respective authors of ‘The Great Descent’ and  ‘Lion Taming For Beginners’). For instance, ‘The Baker’s Hat’  by Donna Tartt… Aaaaaaanyway, I got reading, and soon noticed a nifty little feature boasted by the newer Kindles. A message at the foot of the page said, ‘Ti...

Photo shoots don't always develop into sales success. In fact, some well-known authors have stayed away from cameras, while talented authors rely on bland photos suggesting average work. For all that, some savvy pros have reinforced their 'brands' with photos commanding us to give their work a look. Here is a small gallery containing a few of my faves: Since entering the online arena two years ago I'd thought about getting a photo that packed some magic of its own. The shot I had been using, the only one I had, was taken--well, a while back. I no longer smoked, to start with. And the old moody look seemed old hat. So I hit the gym and lost some weight, hoping to channel the image of my fictional hero, Boss MacTavin. Then I set out to find a photographer. And here is where my tale begins to suggest a Saturday Night Live skit. In two years I dealt with four photographers, offering half the fee upfront if we could meet to discuss ...