My week with Richard and Judy

Over the course of the summer each of the ten selections in the Richard and Judy Book Club enjoy their time in the sun. This week it's the turn of The Book of Summers.

On Thursday (tomorrow), from 12-2pm, I'll be doing a live web chat through the R&J Book Club's Facebook page - go HERE to check it out. People are already posting their questions and my fingers are itching to answer them... I need to point out here that I'm possibly one of the few remaining two-finger typists (but no less quick fire - pit me against a touch typist and... well... perhaps not). I'm really looking forward to answering everyone's questions. Maybe see you online tomorrow?


This coming saturday (the 21st) I'm heading to my home town of Exeter to sign books at WHSmith Guildhall and will be there from noon. I attended Exeter College for my A-levels and studied English in a building just steps from the WHSmith door... happy times, and it'll be great to be back on home turf. If you're in the area, do drop by and say 'hello.'


My interview with Richard and Judy is also available to watch now, and you can see it HERE. And the podcast we recorded is also live - go HERE to listen. They were both so lovely and easy to talk to, quickly relaxing a twitchy, nervous author - it was great to be in the hands of such pros.


As part of the Book Club The Book of Summers also features in Woman's Own this week. As well as Richard and Judy's own reviews four Woman's Own readers have reviewed the book  - thanks to Nazreen, Deborah, Lizzy, and Karen for saying such kind things. I doubt that my delight in knowing that my book has been read and enjoyed will ever fade.


Then the book itself... the edition that's for sale in WHSmith has extra Book Club bonus material in the back, including an extended Q&A and a piece I've written called 'Travelling With A Book' about the inspirations behind The Book of Summers. I also talk about some of my favourite holiday reads that still bear the marks of my travels. Just as a reader never forgets a good book, I like to think a book never forgets a good reader. My shelves are groaning with happily dog-eared titles; dust-flecked and sun-cream smeared, we've had some grand adventures together.

Finally - talking of special books - my publisher Headline are marking this week with a competition to win a very limited edition copy of The Book of Summers. It's a signed proof*, is hard-backed, gold-foiled, and astonishingly beautiful (see above pic). There are 15 to win, from a print run of only 90. You can enter HERE - on The Book of Summers Facebook page.


Thanks to Richard and Judy, WHSmith, Woman's Own, Headline, and everyone else involved - especially the readers - for making this such a brilliantly busy week of Summers.




*... which means it isn't the final, final version - so beware odd typos and other inconsistencies!