Keith's September Newsletter

Hi Folks

I’m a couple of days late with this newsletter. It’s because I’ve been so busy with stuff that finding the time to sit down and write has been nearly impossible. I only managed to squeeze out a few thousand words this month on Attack Mars!! so you can imagine how hard it has been trying to do other things.

Anyway, I’m here now, so without further ado let’s get into it.

An Unexpected Turn Of Events

The big personal news this month is that not only have I been viewing properties but I have made an offer, had it accepted, I have a mortgage in place, and I am well on my way to owning my own one bed flat. I’d like to complete by the end of November, or at the very least this year, but you know how these things go. It could be months yet. Still, it’s out of my hands now. I’ve done all I can. The rest is up to the solicitors.

Speaking of spending a f*ck-ton of money, I got new glasses this month. Am trying varifocals for the first time and I hate them. I’ve swapped the inconvenience of having to put on my reading glasses in a shop for having to tilt my head all the way back to read the labels on the shelves, all whilst feeling dizzy when I walk around the place. I’m going to see if I can return them. I know everyone says they take a while to get used to but they’re proving to be more of an inconvenience than the inconveniences they were meant to replace.

Something that was worth spending money on this month though was puppy yoga!

Does exactly what it says on the tin. If I have to explain why this was worth paying for you’d never get it anyway. I’ve already booked the next session (it was 40% off!) and I can’t wait. One of the attractions of buying my own place was so that I can finally get a pet. Until that happens puppy yoga will have to do.

News From The Steam Factory

Despite this month’s low word count there were still several developments on the writing front this month. First and foremost was getting asked to be on a panel of authors for an event in Urmston on the 22nd.

I’m to be the self publishing person, doling out my wisdom on how to do it to anyone that asks. The others are a mix of self, trad, and indie publishing, with a wealth of knowledge between them. If you’re in Manchester and have questions you want answered it might be worth popping along.

There’s been some action on the short story front this month. Carnyx Press have closed submissions for their horror anthology so hopefully there’ll be news from them regarding The Wendigo In The Woods some time soon. And Translunar Travellers Lounge opened submissions for their next “fun sci fi” edition, which gave me the opportunity to submit Committee On The Bounty for their consideration. Not sure if it’s exactly what they’re looking for but that’s for them to decide. Never self reject!

Had a moment earlier in the month when I got an email saying the solarpunk anthology that I entered Weather Station 451 for wouldn’t be going ahead. Felt a bit down about that. Gave it a few days before replying only to find out that it was an automated email that had been sent out in error, and that the anthology would be going ahead after all. The correction was sent the same day but I didn’t see it, so I had three days of feeling glum. They were apologetic about it, and it was a genuine mistake, but it just goes to show you should never trust auto posting. It is not on you side. Also, double check the entire email before going into a grump, because there might just be a reasonable explanation a little further down lol.

Went to the Northern Publisher’s Book Fair last weekend. As you can see I got dressed up and everything. It was nice, I got to meet several people I only know online, but man was it draining. Talking to people can be hard work, and the fair itself was very loud. Lots of people around tables talking about books (which is boring to look at, hence the lack of photos). But I did manage to get the sequel to Clockwork Magpies which was good. Looking forward to reading that.

I also, on a whim, entered Glunda The Veg Witch for The Speculative Fiction Indie Novella Championship 3. It was literally the night before the deadline, I’d just finished work, I saw a post online and I thought ‘Oh why not?’ I had the stuff ready to go after submitting to the Book Blogger Novel Of The Year Award so I just went for it. A real preparation meets opportunity moment.

Surprisngly, the first review is in already! They say nice things, although I am surprised that they think Clum is younger than Glunda, despite the context clues. True I never really state his age, but I did think him being in the same class at school as her would cover it. And yes he does talk in a quiet, naive sort of way, but that’s because he’s a soft boy, simple, sweet, and full of hope, unlike Alar who’s a prickly dickhead. Two sides of the same coin if you like (with Glunda the serrated edge holding it all together, lol).

When I’m Not Writing

Finished reading Mistborn. Sanderson really stuck the landing with that one. You can see why he’s so popular. I’m now on Record Of A Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers, the third one in her Wayfarer series.

I’m enjoying it, but I’m not connecting with this book as much as I did the first two. I put that down to it having several storylines that rarely connect which mostly feature female characters who all sound very similar. I don’t have a solid picture of any of them in my head so it takes a while at the start of each chapter to know who is talking.

Still, it’s a good read, and it’s not going to put me off reading the rest of the series. I had similar thoughts when I started the second one and I found it wasn’t following the same group of charcaters as the first one, and I ended up loving that one, so I’ll probably end up loving this one too.

As the cheese toastie above suggests, the keto diet is over. It did its job but I’m going back to being vegan and eating less. I’m hoping that will help me continue to lose weight.

Speaking of doing things spur of the moment, I head down to London tomorrow to see Sigur Ros in concert at the Royal Albert Hall. Only booked the tickets yesterday. I saw a post on social media of them playing accompanied by not only a full orchestra but the giant hall organ as well and I thought, ‘I’ve got to get me some of that!’ It wasn’t cheap but it’ll be worth it. I’ll stay in a nice hotel, walk round the capital, see a friend who I haven’t seen in a while, and got to a concert I won’t forget in a while. What’s not to like. Plus I need to do these things now before I get a cat, because if I do them after the guilt will eat me up lol. I mean I’m sure I’d get over it, but in the beginning I’m going to be a full on cat person for a very long time.

Anyway, that’s me for now. Hope your September was as good and as interesting as mine. Looking forward to what October will bring. Maybe I’ll have some deals to announce, maybe I’ll be moving house, who knows, but it’ll be fun to find out.

Toodle-pip for now.

Keith