A HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE!
I'm not going to post on anything humorous, or contentious. This is my last post before Christmas and I want to thank everyone who helped me during this year. Especially:-
Marit Meedith - A Norwegian lady who has helped me promote the Temporal Detective Agency books as well as helping just about everybody in her own Welsh village. She also makes the most wonderful fabric animals!
Carl Hedges - A lady who runs a wonderful blog site and invites people like me to join her in conversations on her Pink Sofa. Unlike many authors she promotes the competition!
Carol Drinkwater - Who not only acted in one of my favourite TV series some years ago, and now wited some of the most interesting posts on FB. I value her as a friend.
Caleb Mason - My publisher in America and CEO of Publerati Publishing, for believing in me and the Temporal Detective Agency.
Blimey! I suddenly realised that if I thanked everyone who deserves thanking, I'll be here until 2013. So the ladies who inspired Merlin and Tertia are thanked more than they can imagine.
A happy Christmas to everyone and an incrdeibly prosporous New Year to everyone.
Richard
Blog on, Dudes!
Monday, 24 December 2012
Wednesday, 19 December 2012
A YEAR OF HIGHS AND LOWS!
As the end of 2012 approaches it's good to look back on the highs and lows and try to dwell on the highs. Don't forget the lows - and there have been a few - but concentrate on the high points, both personal and universal.
Universal highs -
1. The Olympics. Say no more really. Few people thought we could pull it off. Many thought Britain would fail dismally, both as an organiser and as a team, but Lord Coe and Team GB make it a Games to remember. Danny Boyle, Mr Bond and Mr Bean gave us a great opening ceremony and the entire competitor team did themselves proud.
2. The Paralympics. A phenomenal event on a par with the Olympics in every way, even though it had a much smaller budget.
3. Bradley Wiggens. The first Brit to win the Tour de France, only to follow it up with a gold at the Olympics and the Sports Personality of the Year trophy. Rumoured to be Sir Wiggo in the New Year.
4. Claire Balding. 2012 was Claire's year. She matured from being a horse race commentator, to becoming a past-master of most sports and a consumate linker.
5. The Diamond Jubliee celebrations. Only marred once when the BBC tried to dumb down the river pageant. Even the great Claire Balding dumber-down on instructions one suspects. The Queen and Philip and most of the Royal Family carried it off well.
6. Gaddafi was overthrown, though it remains to be seen what will fill the Libyan vacuum.
7. Felix Baumgartner became the highest skydiver.
Universal Lows -
1. Lonesome George, the last Pinto Island tortoise in the Galapagos Islands died, making the species extinct
2. Hurricane Sandy killed 209 people, though we only heard about the few in N.E America.
3. Greece imploded financially and the rich fat cats over there famously said that "only the little people pay tax".
4. A 20 year old in America took his mother's collection of guns, including an assault rifle and hand gun, and murdered more than 20 infants and some of their female teachers. More than 9,000 people were shot and killed in the USA in 2012. During the same period the next country had less than 100 killed. Hopefully America will learn.
5. Typhoon Bopha in the Philippines killed 1,020 people with 844 people still missing. Anyone heard of it?
I can think of a few more, but it would be interesting what other people consider univesal highs and lows.
Blog on, Dudes!
As the end of 2012 approaches it's good to look back on the highs and lows and try to dwell on the highs. Don't forget the lows - and there have been a few - but concentrate on the high points, both personal and universal.
Universal highs -
1. The Olympics. Say no more really. Few people thought we could pull it off. Many thought Britain would fail dismally, both as an organiser and as a team, but Lord Coe and Team GB make it a Games to remember. Danny Boyle, Mr Bond and Mr Bean gave us a great opening ceremony and the entire competitor team did themselves proud.
2. The Paralympics. A phenomenal event on a par with the Olympics in every way, even though it had a much smaller budget.
3. Bradley Wiggens. The first Brit to win the Tour de France, only to follow it up with a gold at the Olympics and the Sports Personality of the Year trophy. Rumoured to be Sir Wiggo in the New Year.
4. Claire Balding. 2012 was Claire's year. She matured from being a horse race commentator, to becoming a past-master of most sports and a consumate linker.
5. The Diamond Jubliee celebrations. Only marred once when the BBC tried to dumb down the river pageant. Even the great Claire Balding dumber-down on instructions one suspects. The Queen and Philip and most of the Royal Family carried it off well.
6. Gaddafi was overthrown, though it remains to be seen what will fill the Libyan vacuum.
7. Felix Baumgartner became the highest skydiver.
Universal Lows -
1. Lonesome George, the last Pinto Island tortoise in the Galapagos Islands died, making the species extinct
2. Hurricane Sandy killed 209 people, though we only heard about the few in N.E America.
3. Greece imploded financially and the rich fat cats over there famously said that "only the little people pay tax".
4. A 20 year old in America took his mother's collection of guns, including an assault rifle and hand gun, and murdered more than 20 infants and some of their female teachers. More than 9,000 people were shot and killed in the USA in 2012. During the same period the next country had less than 100 killed. Hopefully America will learn.
5. Typhoon Bopha in the Philippines killed 1,020 people with 844 people still missing. Anyone heard of it?
I can think of a few more, but it would be interesting what other people consider univesal highs and lows.
Blog on, Dudes!
Saturday, 15 December 2012
LOTS OF LINKS AND SELF PROMOTION!
Since Trouble With Swords was published as an eBook two weeks ago it's done very well in the Amazon rankings, though like every schoolboy's report says "it could do better!".
The book has had some great publicity (some unintentional) from friends and my thanks to those who joined on the Facebook launch party last Saturday.
So, the links:
The wonderful Carol Hedges (author and fighter of good fights against local authorities!) interviewed me for her well-known blog, the Pink Sofa. Very comfortable it was too and the sweets were lovely and chewy.
http://carolhedges.blogspot.co.uk/
Authorsden have around a million books and short stories on their very complete site, with author biogs and book write-ups. Under the heading of Young Adult they have over 1,200 books and this week Trouble With Swords has been featured along with 17 other YA titles as their main headline books.
http://www.authorsden.com/categories/cat.asp?catID=59
If you search on Google for Trouble With Swords Google tells you there are 16,500,000 results. I looked and expected my book to be around 3,000,000 or so and impossible to find. Not a bit of it. My boo was number one search result with the lin to Amazon. Top of the page! I was impressed! In fact it was also result number two with the link to the FB launch party!
https://www.google.co.uk/#hl=en&tbo=d&sclient=psy-ab&q=trouble+with+swords&oq=trouble+with+swords&gs_l=hp.3...2314.7186.0.8438.19.12.0.7.7.0.172.940.10j2.12.0.les%3B..0.0...1c.1.40yB9dm1sPg&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.1355325884,d.d2k&fp=e6e6c8241fc0fe8&bpcl=39967673&biw=1280&bih=699
Talking of Amazon..... The most important link of all is the Amazon link so you can buy Trouble With Swords!!!
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Trouble-Swords-Temporal-Detective-ebook/dp/B00AFEKVE6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1355511685&sr=8-2
Or if you're outside the UK:
http://www.amazon.com/Trouble-Swords-Temporal-Detective-ebook/dp/B00AFEKVE6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1355511685&sr=8-2
Don't forget to buy and review!
Blog on, Dudes!
Since Trouble With Swords was published as an eBook two weeks ago it's done very well in the Amazon rankings, though like every schoolboy's report says "it could do better!".
The book has had some great publicity (some unintentional) from friends and my thanks to those who joined on the Facebook launch party last Saturday.
So, the links:
The wonderful Carol Hedges (author and fighter of good fights against local authorities!) interviewed me for her well-known blog, the Pink Sofa. Very comfortable it was too and the sweets were lovely and chewy.
http://carolhedges.blogspot.co.uk/
Authorsden have around a million books and short stories on their very complete site, with author biogs and book write-ups. Under the heading of Young Adult they have over 1,200 books and this week Trouble With Swords has been featured along with 17 other YA titles as their main headline books.
http://www.authorsden.com/categories/cat.asp?catID=59
If you search on Google for Trouble With Swords Google tells you there are 16,500,000 results. I looked and expected my book to be around 3,000,000 or so and impossible to find. Not a bit of it. My boo was number one search result with the lin to Amazon. Top of the page! I was impressed! In fact it was also result number two with the link to the FB launch party!
https://www.google.co.uk/#hl=en&tbo=d&sclient=psy-ab&q=trouble+with+swords&oq=trouble+with+swords&gs_l=hp.3...2314.7186.0.8438.19.12.0.7.7.0.172.940.10j2.12.0.les%3B..0.0...1c.1.40yB9dm1sPg&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.1355325884,d.d2k&fp=e6e6c8241fc0fe8&bpcl=39967673&biw=1280&bih=699
Talking of Amazon..... The most important link of all is the Amazon link so you can buy Trouble With Swords!!!
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Trouble-Swords-Temporal-Detective-ebook/dp/B00AFEKVE6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1355511685&sr=8-2
Or if you're outside the UK:
http://www.amazon.com/Trouble-Swords-Temporal-Detective-ebook/dp/B00AFEKVE6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1355511685&sr=8-2
Don't forget to buy and review!
Blog on, Dudes!
Sunday, 9 December 2012
TROUBLE WITH SWORDS
Launch Update
I'm not one much for personal publicity (ahem!), but after the official launch yesterday at the Facebook party event I feel I need to make a few comments.
1. Without the help of some great friends I couldn't have even attempted to hold the launch party. In no particular order, not even alphabetical!
- Marit Meredith has helped from Day 1 when I wanted to publish Leap of Faith, my first Temporal Detective Agency book. She wrote me up on her blog and has been a tower of strength in convincing me to get things finished. She's a multi-talented lady and I love having her as a friend. In the not too distant future, when the Agency series is established, she and I will be collaborating on a very special cook book. Yesterday Marit helped keep the drinks running and the foodies plates full.
- Carol Hedges has become a good friend over the past few weeks and as well as helping me host the event yesterday, she wrote up a wonderful interview with me about my books. You can read it at http://carolhedges.blogspot.co.uk/
- Caleb Mason is both my agent in the States and my eBook publisher. He's also the CEO of Publerati Publisher. He was in the party for 8 hours yesterday helping to meet and greet. He also asked some devilishly hard quiz questions and gave away excellent eBook prizes..... copies of Trouble With Swords!
2. Amazon's rankings are both weird and delayed. By the end of the party Trouble With Swords hadn't moved on the Amazon UK ranking and if anything has slipped. I looked this morning and it had climbed nearly 20,000 places. I just looked again tonight and it's climbed another 4,000 places!
3. The chance of being the first result presnted on a Google search when there are 16,500,00 results is... well, 16,500,000 or thereabouts. And yet if you Google Trouble With Swords it tells you there are 16,500,000 results and the very first one presented is my book showing the Amazon link. It's the most incredible thing that money couldn't buy. Well, it almost certainly could, but not the sort of money I have! The power of Google.
4. I now have a fair bit of work to do in loading Trouble With Swords onto Goodreads and Authorsden.
5. I can now carry on writing the third book in the series, loosely titled A bigger Bang Theory.
6. Did I hear someone say "Where can I get the book?". Silly me, of course you want the link. You can get it at Amazon.both in the UK and Internationally. The UK link is http://www.amazon.co.uk/Trouble-Swords-Temporal-Detective-ebook/dp/B00AFEKVE6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1355062818&sr=8-2
I'd get o copy quickly while it's still in ctock!
Thanks again to everyone who came to the party, even greater thanks to those people who bought a copy of the book and gretest thans to those who bought the book and are going to write a review. Above all, thanks to Marit, Carol and Caleb.
Blog on, Dudes!
Launch Update
I'm not one much for personal publicity (ahem!), but after the official launch yesterday at the Facebook party event I feel I need to make a few comments.
1. Without the help of some great friends I couldn't have even attempted to hold the launch party. In no particular order, not even alphabetical!
- Marit Meredith has helped from Day 1 when I wanted to publish Leap of Faith, my first Temporal Detective Agency book. She wrote me up on her blog and has been a tower of strength in convincing me to get things finished. She's a multi-talented lady and I love having her as a friend. In the not too distant future, when the Agency series is established, she and I will be collaborating on a very special cook book. Yesterday Marit helped keep the drinks running and the foodies plates full.
- Carol Hedges has become a good friend over the past few weeks and as well as helping me host the event yesterday, she wrote up a wonderful interview with me about my books. You can read it at http://carolhedges.blogspot.co.uk/
- Caleb Mason is both my agent in the States and my eBook publisher. He's also the CEO of Publerati Publisher. He was in the party for 8 hours yesterday helping to meet and greet. He also asked some devilishly hard quiz questions and gave away excellent eBook prizes..... copies of Trouble With Swords!
2. Amazon's rankings are both weird and delayed. By the end of the party Trouble With Swords hadn't moved on the Amazon UK ranking and if anything has slipped. I looked this morning and it had climbed nearly 20,000 places. I just looked again tonight and it's climbed another 4,000 places!
3. The chance of being the first result presnted on a Google search when there are 16,500,00 results is... well, 16,500,000 or thereabouts. And yet if you Google Trouble With Swords it tells you there are 16,500,000 results and the very first one presented is my book showing the Amazon link. It's the most incredible thing that money couldn't buy. Well, it almost certainly could, but not the sort of money I have! The power of Google.
4. I now have a fair bit of work to do in loading Trouble With Swords onto Goodreads and Authorsden.
5. I can now carry on writing the third book in the series, loosely titled A bigger Bang Theory.
6. Did I hear someone say "Where can I get the book?". Silly me, of course you want the link. You can get it at Amazon.both in the UK and Internationally. The UK link is http://www.amazon.co.uk/Trouble-Swords-Temporal-Detective-ebook/dp/B00AFEKVE6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1355062818&sr=8-2
I'd get o copy quickly while it's still in ctock!
Thanks again to everyone who came to the party, even greater thanks to those people who bought a copy of the book and gretest thans to those who bought the book and are going to write a review. Above all, thanks to Marit, Carol and Caleb.
Blog on, Dudes!
Saturday, 8 December 2012
TROUBLE WITH SWORDS
Launch
Hi everyone. I'm immensely proud to say that my second book in the Temporal Detective Agency series was published last Friday and has its official launch today with a Facebook party and many other events to celebrate.
Trouble With Swords has already sold as many copies as the first book Leap of Faith, which is also selling fast this week. Exciting times!
Please help me celebrate by visiting the Amazon site:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Trouble-Swords-Temporal-Detective-ebook/dp/B00AFEKVE6/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1354958592&sr=8-5&keywords=richard+hardie
Ther book is available on both Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com.
You can also Google Trouble With Swords and the first item to appear will be my book and the Amazon link. Spooky, so well done Mr Google.
Thanks in advance and I hope you enjoy reading it.... waht am I saying! Of course you will!
Blog on, Dudes!
Launch
Hi everyone. I'm immensely proud to say that my second book in the Temporal Detective Agency series was published last Friday and has its official launch today with a Facebook party and many other events to celebrate.
Trouble With Swords has already sold as many copies as the first book Leap of Faith, which is also selling fast this week. Exciting times!
Please help me celebrate by visiting the Amazon site:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Trouble-Swords-Temporal-Detective-ebook/dp/B00AFEKVE6/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1354958592&sr=8-5&keywords=richard+hardie
Ther book is available on both Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com.
You can also Google Trouble With Swords and the first item to appear will be my book and the Amazon link. Spooky, so well done Mr Google.
Thanks in advance and I hope you enjoy reading it.... waht am I saying! Of course you will!
Blog on, Dudes!
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