After reading Mel's
post about the exhibition of beautiful art mounted by his wife, artist Jane Brideson, I had the feeling creativity was in the air. Even before then, my dear friend Anne Marie Klein posted about her new book,
Love Ain't for Keeping and others around me are also involved in a drive of creative output.
It seems fitting, then, that I should be able to join in, just for a brief announcement. I have just read the publisher's edit of my book Watery Ways, which will hopefully be coming out very soon. Sunpenny Publishing have again been a great support to me by taking on this, my second book, and I am very grateful for their faith in me.
Reading the edit brought back a whole heap of great memories, and by the end, I was even moved to tears. What a fantastic baptism to the boating world I had. I feel so lucky. My only regret is that times have changed and with it, the harbour which I write about and have been so involved with for eleven years. Everything is more formal and bureaucratic now. I am just so glad I wrote Watery Ways when I did. It captures what was, for us and all our friends, a golden age.
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| The Oude Haven, the setting for Watery Ways |
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| My barge, the Vereeniging, which features in the book |
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| The best feeling in the world, being on the way on the water |
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| The image that captures it all: travelling by water |
My dream is that this book will be some kind of success and give me a little more independence. After all, the purpose of having a boat is to travel, and my aim has always been to take off to France with my barge and spend another golden age there. One that I could write about too perhaps?
Hi Val,
ReplyDeleteI know I've not checked in the blog world for a long time, too long.
This is wonderful news - so happy that your publisher has taken up more of your writing. Would be a shame if they hadn't!
All the best! x
Maria, I would just love to visit your blog again. Thank you for dropping by here and for your kind words. I am, and always will be a blogger first. FB is for me somewhere to share a few things, including my blog, but this is 'home' in a cyber sense. I shall keep an eye out to see if you write a post :)
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to read it!!
ReplyDeleteThat's from Sarah BTW! XX
ReplyDeleteHey, thanks, Sarah, my wonder niece. Would be proud to have you read it :) xxx
ReplyDeleteooh, I hope you are able to boat to France. My sailor friend in Sweden will take pleasure from your book if (with two babies) she will have time to read it. something I could get her for the holidays. something a little different.
ReplyDeleteThank you, dearest Ginabee! This is a dream I'm determined to keep alive xx
ReplyDeleteI am so proud of you, Val, and wish you every success with this book! I think you really did capture a snapshot in time of that harbour. It just didn't "feel" the same to see it last month.
ReplyDeleteAll the best, my dear, and i hope a bit more leisure time is upon you.
xx
AM
Hurray. Excellent news.
ReplyDeleteAnd...wonderful photos Val.
X
Thank you, dear Anne Marie. Funny that you should feel the same about the harbour. It is not the buzzing community of characters it used to be. All a bit bland and boring now. Leisure time is coming but not quite yet...in about four weeks now!
ReplyDeleteThank you too, sweet Grace. Glad you like the pics!
Such a great book, have it here but in it's original form!
ReplyDeleteVal, I LOVED Watery Ways and have actually read it three times as well as dipping in to it to read a section to Pete. Good luck with the latest edition xxx
ReplyDeleteThat's great news. As you know we are getting quite the VallyP collection here which I feel like I should tell everyone else commenting that I have even started reading them to my unborn child.
ReplyDelete...Ok that maybe sounded a little creepy but you know how I mean it.
String, thank you so much! You, Anne Marie, Maria, you were all instrumental in the writing of Watery Ways. Your enthusiasm and support have been behind all my books so far.
ReplyDeleteFran, thank you too. I'm really touched to know you've read it more than once. That's really special.I'm so glad you enjoyed it that much.
Stu...I think that's just wonderful..I was going to say something pithy, but actually, I think it's great and I'm honoured that you are reading my stories to your baby. Thank you!
Thank you for the mention Val, we are currently resting between exhibitions, for we are setting up in Birr county library tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteMany, many congratulations on your new book which am sure will be a raging success for you.
Thank you, Mel! I hope you have great success with the new exhibition and all the best to you bothxx
ReplyDelete