Ready, set...

...go!

My short story collection, Rare Bits, is written, edited and available on Amazon!

And, it looks great. I read it myself last night and thought...yeah man, go boy!

Now obviously its normal author behaviour to put a link of their book on their blog, and so I'm duly complying.

This is just to get the ball rolling. I'll write up a more detailed report a bit later (once my 4 week old baby decides he no longer wants to sleep on my lap).

Happy Saturday

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rare-Bits-Chris-Westlake-ebook/dp/B00LG9Q4KY/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404546037&sr=1-1&keywords=rare+bits

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?