2009.

After a year of hard work and stress, I decided that perhaps I should write a book about something I am familiar with.

I am an experienced horse breeder, now retired. So my new novel (under constructon) is about - guess - you're right - horses. People are included in it, and I am pleased to say that it is progressing nicely. I haven't decided yet if it is a young adult story, or an adult one.
My hero is 18yrs old, so perhaps it is borderline.

I recently had an offer on my true story of the Lloyds Bank Blackhorse manuscript. Unfortunately, it was one of those offers that one can refuse. Joint venture publishing. After I had a go at self publish I decided that this wasn't for me. There is no follow up with it, and a Joint Venture would be the same, I felt. I spent a lot of time publicising my previous book and did make respectable sales. But not enough to justify the expense, and the publishers, more or less finish with promotion once they have done the book and got your money.
Harsh words? Probably, but I have been disappointed by it all.

Lately some books I have picked up to read, are so boring that after the first 20 pages I have tossed them aside. Some I have persevered with, and struggled to get through. Because they are so totally boring, without a proper storyline, badly written and the characters are without substance. How do they get in print? Why do they get printed?
I take a creative writing group each week, and my students, although mature ones, love reading and writing. The stuff they do for fun makes better reading than some of these new books we have tried.
If anyone out there has any ideas that one can do to get noticed, all thoughts will be welcomed. It is so very hard these days in any profession, especially with the financial blight that threatens us all.