FINDING TIME TO WORK??

Well I am delighted to say I have received the first draft print copies of the second series of the Little Friends Picture Story Books - Garden Adventures. I have to say they are looking good but as is normal the print is all askew. Hey Ho that's the joy of POD which my publisher says will be sorted PDQ!!!

Anyway after going through them carefully I have done some word amendments and some image amendments and hopefully they now look better and are ready to be printed correctly.

Luckily the front covers have not been changed and unlike my copies of the first set of Woodland Adventures they include a bar code and retail price? Ha ha well, these things do happen sometimes.

I have to say people who have reviewed the books are also delighted with them so I hope once the last lot are complete I can start promoting them with a vengeance.

Having said that I must confess that when I set out to write these stories it was purely for my own pleasure. After all I am supposed to be retired so it was a way to keep the 'little grey cells working.' Although I will confess it has been an enjoyable experience being involved in the fictional writing world. And certainly different to the factual one.

And of course it has introduced me to a variety of different people who have made the last few years very interesting and enjoyable. It's true what they say you do need a hobby and once retired you wonder how you ever found time to work???

I WAS ON CARDIFF RADIO!!

As I reported recently, like the rest of the UK I have been caught up in this horrible flu virus that has been doing the rounds. It seems that people have been dying from the effects of it. Maybe the bugs are fighting us back. Or maybe we are trying too hard to be clean? I remember the days when we played out in the dirt all day, ate our sandwiches with grubby hands and didn't wrap up because we weren't feeling the cold all the time. What has happened to us? It seems our desire to be cleaner could actually be killing us! This is my fifth week of the virus but fortunatly it looks as if I am finally beating the thing at last. Still coughing now and again but at least the cold appears to have gone. I live in hope.

Told my daughter in Australia about people dying from this flu and she told me not to! I said I had no intention as I was going to outlive my Dad to which she laughed. But, I meant it. He was 94 when he passed away and I would seriously like to at least reach the same age if I can. Mind you I also told her she would probably be looking after me to which she responded that was okay but she wasn't sure how her kids would cope with me. Told her tough they would just have to put up with a grumpy grandma!! What! Me grumpy. Never.

Yesterday was a good day as I approved the first draft of the basic cover design for the new set of the Little Friends Picture Story Books. They are being titled 'Garden Adventure Series.' Hopefully they will be in print within the next few weeks. Now I just have to finish the last set of draft books to be titled 'Farmyard Adventures Series' and that will complete the whole series of 18 books. It will be a relief as the reissue has been a long process but also a sad time that they are finished.

Also yesterday proved to be an interesting day for me as I was invited to be interviewed live by Ceri Stennett on Radio Cardiff for the 'Come on In' show. The time seemed to pass so quickly. I could have carried on chatting a lot longer. But, as Ceri said, I can always go back again. What a nice man. As I came out of the recording studio his next guests were waiting and they all complimented me on the interview, telling me how well I had come across. I felt quite chuffed by their comments. Certainly lifted my day for me. Now to see if I can download a copy for my records.

   Me and Ceri