Writing & Studying

Image: The Borg

One very busy weekend later, and it’s back to the day job today for more of the same that went before. How thrilling is that? No comment.

Ranfurly
Friday ended up being a day off at the last moment, which gave me time in the afternoon to sort out the final requirements for December’s issue of the Ranfurly Review. Issue 17 will be out on the 1st and will include a special feature with the 2011 winner of the Poetry Super Highway annual poetry contest, Amber Decker.

South Side
In the evening, I had a grand wee night out with Gail and some friends. Gail and I had an early pint in The Blind Poet pub before enjoying a delicious dinner in the Pink Olive restaurant on the south side.

I discovered it in the summer with my mum, after we’d spent the day at Holyrood and before we went to see Lenny Henry in the Festival Theatre. It’s bijou, friendly, and the food is delicious. I plumped for the polenta followed by a sirloin steak, rounded off with a delicious portion of coffee and walnut cake, espresso, and the obligatory bottle of red wine.

Following that, we had a couple of shorts in The Pear Tree pub across the road, and then teamed up with my photographer chum, James Christie, and his new lady, Mhairi Coyle, in The Southsider pub. A very good night ensued, with a lot of whisky being consumed before we got a taxi home after closing.

Writing & Studying
Saturday and Sunday was all about two things: BACCARA BURNING and studying for exams with my daughter.

The studying work was, as you might expect, borne mostly by my daughter, with me there to help her formulate study plans, coach, and mentor her into a position she can tackle the exams confidently.

On the BACCARA front, lets just say that by the time Sunday had drew to a close, I was very happy with the end result.

It’s a book that gathers pace, starting as a slow burn in Italy and then moves to Scotland, where the action unfolds at breakneck speed. I think in the past, I’d been trying to reduce the ferocity with which the book moves, but working on it now I simply asked myself: “does it hurt the book?”

Answer: no. And the result is a bit of a mental romp through Edinburgh, with a local ghost, mysterious organisations and MI5 all thrown into the mix. It’s a book I’d want to read.

That’s all for today except to remind you of all the offers that I currently have running just now…

The 3 Ebook Deal and Free Poetry
Don’t forget to visit my revamped website at www.colingalbraith.co.uk and either sign up to the mailing list or ‘Like’ my Facebook page [www.tinyurl.com/colinonfacebook], as it will mean you’ll be entitled to a free copy of each of my next three novels. Alternatively, just scan the QR code to the right or text 3BOOKS to 88802 or go to the 3 Ebook Deal web page!

You’ll also find some great deals over at my poetry place www.chasstramash.com: all poetry ebooks are available for free download, 86p on the Kindle, and £3 (25% off!) for print copies.
Peace and out!