A tree that flowers in May

Publication Day for Tainted Tree.

Actually it feels like any other day. M was going to London to fix a heating problem for a friend. We got half way to the station and he remembered he'd left his rail card behind. So returned, picked it up and then I dropped him there and went off to Sainsbury's where I bought up half the shop. Well, the family's coming back here after the party, so I had to get in some cakes, and extra milk and bagels and smoked salmon, just in case they're still with us in the early evening. (Though I expect for many of them, it will be just be tea and cake.) But we will still be left with close family, including the Son&Heir and his retinue. I have some of my chocolate brownies still in the freezer, so will probably bring them out, and try to add something else for a bit of variety.

When I got back and hour and half later, I opened the front door, and there was M's briefcase. Surely he hadn't left that behind too. But no. He was actually sitting in the kitchen eating a roll he'd bought from the local bakery. (He doesn't believe in making himself a sandwich - too complicated.) He'd sat on the train for 20 minutes and then they'd all been told that the signals at Wimbledon had been struck by lightening. So he got off the train, cadged a lift home from someone he knows near the station, and got our neighbour to let him in the house with the spare key.

In the meantime, my neighbour has bought two copies of Tainted Tree - one for her mother, who enjoyed my last book, and I sold another copy at Guildford Writers, me having read out the first three prizewinning pages. So the boxes are getting a bit lighter and I hope they come back from the party much depleted.

This month's Writers' News arrived, and there was much to agree with in it. The prizewinning letter to the editor complained about the effect on the book trade of discounting. I have long mourned the passing the Net Book Agreement, and would be very happy for books to be sold at fixed prices. What is the effect of discounting. As in the grocery business, the large chains can afford to slash prices. As this now happens in supermarkets, as well as book stores, it gives both the big stores an advantage over independents, but also disadvantages mid-list writers. The supermarkets take only the most popular books. Stores like Waterstone's are obviously in a different league, but nevertheless, their offers tend to concentrate on popular books too. So the modest sellers, or unknowns get squeezed out, just like the small shops. Who makes any money out of it? Not authors for sure; and people working in the book trade don't do too well either.

On the front page, of WN was an article about Amazon (I assume in the US) who are saying that all Print on Demand sales should be carried out by their own printers. YouWriteOn.com, will be offering help to authors (in due course - this doesn't seem to be set up yet) by including links to sites where books can be bought, other than Amazon. More power to their elbow. My books can be obtained from my website, or go straight to the order page, or alternatively from Goldenford and then 'Books'.