Oh, Baby

And so, our first child, Alexander-James (AJ) Cyril Westlake was born at 13:35 on Saturday 7th June 2014, weighing in at an impressive 9lbs 7.
At approximitely 10:35 on Saturday 7th June 2014, after two days already spent in hospital, my wife confirmed, between desparate gasps of air and gas, that he was going to be an only child.
And so, AJ is now 15 days old and I now have that dreaded 'I'm due back in work tomorrow feeling.'

So what are my thoughts concerning Baby Westlake and fatherhood so far?
Well, AJ is undoubtedly a vampire. There is no other explanation why he would sleep all day and then rave all night.
He has an uncanny knack of weeing up in the air.
He is always a little angel whenever we have guests around and then, soon as the front door shuts, he turns into a rascal.

Oh, and our little boy is absolutely beautiful and we both cannnot wait for that first smile!
Time for a nap before the night shift begins.

Book Finished!

Afteernoon!
I've completed my collection of short stories!!!!
Twenty in total. And so much variety. Some will make you laugh, some will make you cry. Okay, I don't know about cry, unless you are of a certain disposition, but some of the stories are most definitely sad.
The compilation has been sent for proof-reading. Now I need to arrrange a title and a cover. I'm completely out of my comfort zone. Last time, everything was done for me.
Wish me luck!!!
And, of course, I'll keep you updated.

Book Review - Time to Let Go - Christoph Fischer

Time to Let Go is the latest release from Three Nations Trilogy author, Christoph Fischer.

This is a family drama that challenges a full range of emotions. Hanna is the glamorous air hostess who embraces healthy eating, keeping fit and yoga. Walter is the father who embraces the conventional - order, routine and hard work are the order of the day. Biddy is the wonderful mum with a heart of gold who is loved by everybody, and who also has debilitating Alzherimer's. 

The effects of Alzheimer's is a subject close to my heart, as my nan suffered with dementia. One day she could be the life of the party - drinking, singing and laughing - and then the next morning it was as if it never happened. And yet, because she lived in the moment, she was often very happy. And then next moment she would be terrified and abusive to those closest to her, begging to be taken home, even though she hadn't lived in her house for years. 

Time to Let Go is an important piece of fiction because doesn't only address the effects of Alzheimer's on the victim, but on the closest family. What is the best way of dealing with the disease? There is no right or wrong answer. My mum used to get very frustrated, and I'd reassure her that it wasn't Nan's fault. But then, I wasn't the one who had to look after her night and day, was I? Walter seeks to give Biddy a routine that does not confuse her - waking up at a set time, breakfast at a set time, etc. His daughter, Hanna, has a different approach. She wants to expose Biddy to variety and things she may enjoy - yoga, swimming and massages. Walter dismisses this as 'hippy' rubbish, until he observes how happy Biddy is.

The novel is very well crafted. There are a number of story-lines that overlap and piece together nicely. What is the full story behind Hanna and the death on her airline? Why is sibling Henrik, who appears to have it all, so jealous of Hanna's relationship with their other brother, Patrick? And why does Patrick seem to be so distant? 

If you enjoy novels that make you think, that questions your beliefs and understanding and that has characters with great depth, then I definitely recommend Time to Let Go. 

 

Whats Occurring

I've been quiet recently, but there are some good reasons.
Yeah, I know.
Excuses. Excuses. Excuses.
I've been working hard on my short story anthology, to the point where I'm nearly at the editing stage. Should be out for the summer, so you can read it in the garden without being blown away. How very lovely.
But I'm usually working on something anyway, so that isn't a good reason.
The main reason I've been quiet is that my wife is now 9 months pregnant. Just two weeks today till the due date. And so she has been keeping me very busy. I've been busy discussing breast pumps, mucus discharge and Braxton Hicks (which I have imaginatively renamed Branston pickles).
But I will be back soon with more interviews, reviews and features.
Promise!

Tales of the Unexpected

Hello, hello, hello!
When I was young (or younger than I am now) I had pen-pals. The thrill of receiving a letter through the letter-box was immense. Much, more more enjoyable than a message popping up on your email screen, I promise you (in some ways, I am quite anti-technology).
Anyway, yesterday morning I was clearing out my cabinet (the clearing out of my cabinet is very irrelevant) when something that sounded big dropped through the letter-box (no, it wasn't a bomb).
It was a package from Amazon. Nothing unusual there. Although, unusually, I haven't ordered anything from Amazon in quite some time. I tore open the cardboard packaging (I am very strong) and it was a book entitled The Expectant Dad's Survival Handbook.
Somebody had taken the time to buy the book and arrange for it to be delivered to me! I was very touched.
I've just found out (over a day later) who it is - one of my best friends, Adrian.
What a star!
Anyway, the moral of the story is - good old-fashioned surprises kick arse!!!

Writers Block

There are a few schools of thought on writers block. But, then, I like using the phrase 'schools of thought.' Much more interesting than saying there is more than one opinion on the subject; don't you think?
Some say it exists. Some say it doesn't.
Let's move on.
All I know is that I've been sat at my laptop for an hour trying to think of a good storyline for my next short story, and I still have a blank page.
Now, you could say that I just haven't managed to come up with a good idea for an idea.
But let's just say I have writers block.
Much more interesting; don't you think?

Interview with Allison Hawn, author of Life is a Circus Run by a Platypus

A very happy Saturday afternoon to readers and writers.
Let me share some thoughts and opinions with you. Hey, its my site and so I'm allowed!
In my very humble opinion, visual comedy is usually much more effective than written comedy. Watching somebody fall over is much funnier than writing about it (okay, I confess I like watching people fall over so long as I know they aren't hurt). Often it is not what is said that is funny but how it is said. They (and I do always wonder who 'they' is) say a painting speaks a thousand words (is that the right number?) and I think this may be right when it comes to humour.
Writing comedy is really hard, believe me. Reading bad comedy is even harder, believe me. Often the only person laughing is the author. Humour is incredibly subjective. And I'm a really grumpy critique of humour. Which is why, when I found myself laughing out loud (yes, literally a LOL) reading Life is a Circus Run by a Platypus, written by Allison Hawn, I knew I'd found a gem.
You know when something really funny happens and you excitedly try and tell your friends all about it, only for it to fall on death ears (and you really hate your friends when they don't laugh, don't you)? When you're forced to deliver the immortal line 'you had to be there for it to be funny?' Well, Allison doesn't experience this. Not one bit. Yes, she has the most incredibly bizarre and wonderfully weird experiences you could ever imagine. But then, and this is the really crucial part, she has the ability to deliver these stories to you in a unique and individual way, that will leave you laughing more than if you really were there.
And so, I am delighted to introduce you to the very talented Allison Hawn....


Hi Allison. Could you please tell our readers what your book Life is a Circus Run by a Platypus all about?

Imagine that on your way to work you are accosted by a troupe of dancing clowns who manage to block your car for nearly ten minutes. You sit there contemplating how much trouble you would get in for running them over as you eye the dashboard clock. Upon your late arrival at work your boss meets you and demands to know why you're late. You sigh deeply and say, "Dancing clowns."
Your boss nods and says, "Oh, well, carry on," accepting your explanation completely, no reprimand necessary.
This is my life. I have been called a "magnet for the bizarre" and "broken in the most fun ways" by so many people that I have lost track. Anyone who spends even a little time around me ends up just like my ex-boss, watching me straggle in having just survived some unbelievably strange event and wondering, "Oh no, did she get attacked by another six-foot-long iguana who wanted her pizza?"
After years of my friends and family telling me that I had to start writing about the indescribably weird things that happen to me on a daily basis, I caved and wrote a collection of true, bizarre stories called "Life is a Circus Run by a Platypus!"

At what point when all these wacky events were occurring did you think ‘I know what; that would make a hilarious story in a book?'

I'm not sure if there is really one crucial turning point. I come from a family that has a very rich oral-story-telling tradition, and so I started verbally telling my stories to people. I think the point when I realized that I should absolutely start writing this book came when one of my stories, which is actually included in my book, made someone laugh so hard they threw up.
It was at that moment that I agreed with what people had been telling me for years, that I should write. It's like if my life is so funny and strange that the human digestive system is no match for it, who am I to deny that it shouldn’t be shared with the world?

How did you ever think of that title?

The title was actually an accident. I have the worst time starting anything. This is explains why I have a ridiculous amount of things like pipe-cleaners, glue and clay, but absolutely no finished, Pinterest inspired, pieces of art to show for them. In college, when I was writing papers on a deadline, I would just throw a makeshift title on the page and start in on the meat of my paper. Then I would return and write a nice, coherent intro and title it something appropriate.
This is exactly what I did for my book, except, I forgot the part where I was supposed to go back and change the title. Luckily, my publisher ended up loving it and so my book became "Life is a Circus Run by a Platypus."
>Would you say you are a magnet for weird and wonderful people?
I think that is accurate, though not always co-occurring. Sometimes I meet weird people, sometimes I meet wonderful people and sometimes I meet people who embody both. Oftentimes my best friends are those who mix their weird with a complimentary helping of wonderful, though.

So what makes you laugh?

Almost everything, barring the truly terrible stuff of course. I long ago learned that you can view life in two ways: 1. As if everything is a bother. 2. As if everything is an adventure. Part of being on those adventures is being able to take a step back and look at a situation for what it truly is, and oftentimes situations can be truly hilarious.
Sure, at the time I am being attacked by a three-legged chinchilla things might be a bit bleak, but after a week, and the bite marks have mostly healed, I can see the humour in it.

You have lived all over America. Where did you get your most wacky material?

I'm not sure if any one place wins the gold medal in the "Crazy Olympics." I got to see the Promise Keepers (super religious men's organization) compete with a Grateful Dead concert in Eugene, Oregon. I viewed redneck parades in Atlanta, Georgia. I was chased by an elk in Anchorage, Alaska. I was tackled by a man dressed as Sailor Moon in Boise, Idaho. At this point, it doesn't matter where I go "wacky material" just hunts me down like a tiger going after a limbless shrew.

I understand you have a degree in psychology? Do you think this has influenced your outlook on people?

Insofar as I have better names than “bat-crap-insane” and “hot mess” with which to understand some people around me, yes. My outlook on people, though, has mostly been shaped by my experiences (good and bad), the realization that, as humans, we all have our own special quirks and the writings of Erving Goffman.

You had a weekly humour column with a local paper. How did you get that gig and what was your column all about?

I got that gig by being a staff sports and entertainment writer (which brought its own challenges) at a time when there was an opening for a weekly columnist. I pitched my column idea, appropriately called “Wandering in Wonderland,” and it was picked up.
The both wonderful and terrible thing about writing that column was that I was given total and complete free reign. Like a velociraptor on crack on a street lined with butcher shops, I was unleashed on an unwitting public. For two years, at which point I moved away, I wrote about anything and everything that popped into my skull on a weekly basis. Some weeks were brilliant, others were acts of pure deadline-meeting desperation, but it was an excellent experience.

Your one-liners are hilarious! Is this a natural talent or is it something you have consciously worked on?

The ability to develop one-liners really came from being tired of always having staircase wit. For those not familiar with staircase wit, it's when someone says something snarky or rude, and fifteen minutes later, as you're leaving down the back staircase, you suddenly think of the perfect comeback.
I was never a popular kid. I was loud, not built like a super-model, dangerously intelligent for my age and had a tendency to act like a velociraptor when I felt like it. So I was teased a lot. Shocking, I know. By the time I hit high school I had a black-belt in witty comebacks and a penchant for strange metaphors that I used to confuse my more persistent persecutors. I guess all of that just carried over into my writing.

Have you written any fiction?

I have, in fact. I wrote three full novels when I was in high school, none of which I expect will see the light of day. When you’re in high school you think everything you write is brilliant. The benefit of aging and gaining more experience is that you can honestly look at your writing and say, “Holy Awful Dialogue Batman!” and move on. Those first three novels were excellent practice and experience for me, though.
Now that I’m post-college and have a slightly firmer grasp on writing conventions, I am working on a science fiction novel that feels like it is progressing much better (according to my writing buddies) than my previous three attempts.

What are you currently writing and what are your writing aspirations?

Oh, I have my fingers in lots of writing pies right now, which means that basically what I have is a sticky mess and a whole bunch of people wondering how this is going to pan out into being productive.
I am working on a follow-up book to “Life is a Circus Run by a Platypus” which I hope will be released sometime this year. I am also working on a science-fiction novel as I previously mentioned and a memoir about my time spent working with homeless and at-risk youth as a street-based social worker. And then whatever else pops into my head in between now and death will become a project as well.

I understand you have a website. Could you please tell us what it’s all about?

Why of course! I currently write a blog called “Normally Surreal” (http://circusplatypus.blogspot.com/) that basically took up from where my newspaper column career left off. I write random musings and rants, I interview other authors and let people know about other fun bizarre experiences that I have recently survived. I also occasionally have contests, like the one that I have going right now in which someone will win a signed copy of “Life is a Circus Run by a Platypus!”

So where can we buy your book and where can readers find out more about you?

My book is available at:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Life-Circus-Platypus-Allison-Hawn/dp/0615810950
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/life-is-a-circus-run-by-a-platypus-allison-hawn/1115658836?ean=9780615810959
And from Sweatshoppe Publications’ (my publishers) website: http://sweatshoppemedia.com/bookstore.html

If you would like to find out more about me check out:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/platypusringmaster
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AllisonHawn (@AllisonHawn)
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7085837.Allison_Hawn
My blog: http://circusplatypus.blogspot.com/

And of course you can always read my book! You will find out way more about me in there, I promise!