More Old Friends

A few more spare and extra copies of CP’s old books have come to light, mostly in surprisingly good condition. We need to make space in this house crowded with books, so once again I am offering several of these … Continue reading

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Woking Work

Because we had business in nearby West Byfleet, and it was a lovely day, we decided to drive on afterwards to Woking for lunch and have a look at the Wellsian sites there. I take my duties as Vice-President of … Continue reading

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“Excitement’s Building Up!”

Simon Spanton at Gollancz has sent me a couple of advance copies of The Adjacent. To Simon I therefore say, Thanks! No matter how many years I have been doing this, the moment when you see the first copy of … Continue reading

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Sometimes I get out a bit

As part of the annual Charing Cross Road Fest, my new novel The Adjacent will be launched at Blackwell’s Bookshop (100 Charing Cross Road) on Saturday 22nd June. I will be in conversation with Simon Ings, from 12:30 lunchtime. Tickets … Continue reading

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SELECTIVE INDEX — May 2013

Here are links to some recent blog entries on this site: 12 May 2013 Bomber Command memorial – the most recent entry. ‘In June 2012 a permanent memorial was created to the RAF Bomber Command campaign of the second world … Continue reading

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At last, Dad! At last!

We are now only a few weeks away from the release of my next novel The Adjacent (to be published by Gollancz on 20th June), so it’s time to mention a debt. The background for a section of the book … Continue reading

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The Explorer by James Smythe — Harper Voyager, 2013, £12.99, 265pp, ISBN 978-0-00-745675-8

The Explorer is the second of James Smythe’s novels to be released within a few months. This UK publication is datelined 2013 although it is copyrighted 2012, perhaps from an earlier US edition. Could this be a first novel, or … Continue reading

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Sizing Up Books

With writers almost universally using computers, books have been getting longer and longer. When I began publishing in the 1970s, a full-length novel was usually between 70,000 and 80,000 words, but shorter novels often appeared. During that period word-length was … Continue reading

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Good Old Friends Mostly Gone

All the spare copies of The Affirmation and The Quiet Woman that I had for sale have now gone to their better places, and I have no more. Thank you to all who ordered, and I hope the books have … Continue reading

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Good Old Friends to Go

An unexpected find: a handful of first editions of some of my older books has come to light, and as storage space is always at a premium in this house without cupboards I would be more than willing to sell … Continue reading

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