Sunday, October 30, 2011

Going Digital

I think I'm falling behind a bit with these blogs.

The past few weeks have been so busy that I really haven't had time to write them. And I've been suffering a bit of a reaction to a 'flu jab which I got a couple of weeks ago which has turned into a very minor chest infection. Not enough to floor me but enough to slow me down a little bit.

However, I've been able to keep on with my projects one of which is a new one on the Spanish Armada in Ireland which is very exciting. We're looking at the trail o a survivor from the Armada who treked his way overland from Sligo to North Antrim - Francisco de Cuellar and his adventures read like a novel. All good stuff possibly for future tourist material.

The other big thing is that New Page have been contact with me and we're doing a deal with a company to produce enhanced e-books. Now for an old technological dinosaur like me I'm not fully sure what this is but I know it's a book which can be downloaded to a tablet or new Amazon Kindle device which also includes animation, interviews with the author and the like - maybe even movies. I'm assured that they're the next step in modern fiction and that this new company is most impressive. I'm all for the advance of technology but I still like the feel and smell of an actual book. They'll never take that away from me but I suppose I can give it a go. The people at New Page are very excited about this and who am I to stand in the way of progress.

I'm told that the book company will want to interview and film me for the "extras" on the book and will be doing it next year. They're doing quite a lot of my back catalogue too so maybe all of you who want to ask me to expand further on some things will get your wish.

Anyway, I think that the first of the new books will be out next October all being well. My son who is heavily into technological things is also very excited about this as well, so maybe I'm doing something right. It's the future I'm told and I'm not going to argue. It'll be interesting to see what it's like. You'vbe all been warned well in advance! I'd fortify yourselves with strong drink now!

Sunday, October 16, 2011

In the Wee Hours

Where is the time going? I promised that I'd do more on this blog and I haven't been able to find the time.

I've been up to my eyes in interviews on the radio - mostly in the States but in oher parts of the world as well. For instance this morning I was up at 3 am to speak to Brisbane and then at 5 am I was speaking to Boulder in Colorado. It really wasn't worth my while going to bed - you roll in and in you're so frightened of actually sleeping through the alarm, or at least I am, that you can't sleep anyway. So it's just as handy to get up and do some work. The only thing is that I'm writing this and I'm absolutely zonked. They didn't tell me this when I started being a writer. We finished this morning about 7 but as I'm usually up by that time anyway, there seemed very little point in heading back to bed.

Earlier in the week I did Burlington in North Carolina and I've also done Baltimore and Newcastle upon Tyne in England. Next Sunday night I'm speaking on the Strange Frequencies radio show - I'm not sure where that comes from as I'm starting to lose track and before that 10/19 on the Mancow Muller show which I think is somewhere in Illinois.

The new book - The World's Creepiest Places - is now out and seems to be generating some interest as does the article on poltergeists in Ghosts, Spirits & Hauntings. I did an interview on that this morning with Barb Adams in Colorado.

Still finishing American Vampires and have got another section of A Haunted Mind almost completed which is the new book on Lovecraft. I've seen the cover for this which Ian Damiels hs done and it's terrific.


Anyway, I'm heading off to bed early as I'm really getting too old to be sitting up all night - though it never used to bother me when I was younger. I promise I will keep this blogsite better updated in future. Oh and buy the World's Creepiest Places - you'll not be disappointed unless you're looking for a book on quantum physics!