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Hamburg 1947: a place for the heart to kip by Harry Leslie Smith

Golden Duck — Wed, 23 May 2012 16:17:10 +0000

Reviewed for the Indie ebook review site 23.5.2012

Reviews

Golden Duck — Thu, 03 May 2012 15:07:45 +0000

I've had a few reviews recently that have left me breathless with delight. One from a reader on Amazon who has spent much of his working life as a teacher of teenagers Click here

Another from novelist Linda Gillard who writes as a self-confessed landlubber and (I suspect) only came to read the Salt Stained Book because she was stuck in a hospital waiting room.

And a whole generous page in The Oldie from my heroine Rosie Boycott

On Friday April 13th ...

Golden Duck — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 11:16:38 +0000

Francis's shed (aka study, studio, library, garden room, sactum, retreat) burned down very very fast and everything he kept here was destroyed. It's hard to over state what he's lost - except, as he has been quick to point out himself, NO ONE was injured or lost their lives. As there was a 10000 mains power cable hanging down, un noticed n the darkness, this was indeed fortunate. As was the ready help from our neighbours which stopped the oil tank going up znd possibly the fire spreading to the tall tree nearby which could have come down on the house.

The out pouring of sympathy and kindness from our friends - and even some people Francis has never met - has been a great support.

You are standing into danger!

Golden Duck — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 09:04:44 +0000

How lovely it is to work with Claudia - and how lucky we are to have hawk-eyed friends like Peter Dowden (and Andrew Craig-Bennett - the man who knoes about dragon's toes). My article on Working with an Illustrator for the indie e-book review

Marine Quarterly

Golden Duck — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 21:10:14 +0000

Latest number of the Marine Quarterly arrived today. Looks lovely, smells good, includes Richard Woodman on tea clipper captains, Brian Callison on Richard Woodman (reviewing The Real Cruel Sea), masthead drawings by Claudia Myatt and a review of A Ravelled Flag. Bliss it is to be alive!

The two boat family - if only ...

Golden Duck — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 21:37:00 +0000

Neat little article by Claire Holmes in The Suffolk Magazine. Life on Goldenray as we wish it was. Exhausted myself on Saturday trying to clear some of the GROT before Claudia arrived for a few days. Long to see F able to be scrambling about in his panama again

the Indie E Review Site

Golden Duck — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Once again this was Jan's idea. Our friend Jan Needle - author since the year dot, sailor, campaigner and allround good guy -- has recently begun republishing his distinguished backlist and adding new titles as e-books. He's fortunate in his technically savvy son, Matti 'Grammaticus' Gardner and togther they're building up Skinback Books. Jan joined with other professional authors who have independent e-book projects to form the Authors Electric blogspot and I was allowed to fill a gap on the 9th of every month. Then Jan's friend, author Cally Phillips founded a peer-review site the Indie E Review, again for professional authors with independent projects. I've been sent four titles toreview so far and they've all been awesomely good. I'm planning to do some gentle re-designing here so that I can share the glad tidings but meanwhile haste ye to Cally's site.

(Don't forget you don't have to buy a kindle or other dedicated e-reader. You can always download reading apps for free.)

Okay - and there's SUCH a lovely review of The Salt-Stained Book.

Midnight Blue by Pauline Fisk

Golden Duck — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 13:31:00 +0000

Reviewed for the Indie E Review site 29.2.2012

Waking up Global

Golden Duck — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 13:00:00 +0000

What a start to the day! I turn on the jolly old 'pooter and me Google Alerts alerts me to a comment on A Ravelled Flag. This is an event in itself as ARF has been languishing with a bad dose of second child syndrome. I clicks the link and finds a review from the great Todd Klein , lettering artist, in New Jersey. I hastes me to The Facebook and nails it to the board. Within minutes Peter from New Zealand and Bob from the Phillipines have pressed their digits to the LIKE button. Thank you ALL!

And it felt pretty good too when the Otago Daily Times wafted its blessing across the oceans.

Mondays Are Red by Nicola Morgan

Golden Duck — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 13:39:00 +0000

Reviewed for the Indie E Review 26.2.2012