Only one book shop left in Wales!

Dear Friends,

The last post of 2020!

First of all - thank you! It's been so great to have sales, clicks, hearts, thumbs up, interested comments and even some great reviews. Launching a book's like coming out on stage for a first night: You can't see the audience, but you so badly need to feel them there rooting for you and some applause at the end makes you breathe that sigh od relief.

What a challenge it's been producing a book this year, with furlough of staff at the publishers, no launch possible, no live readings, signings, lectures, interviews...

However, some great fun online! It took a while to get used to the medium - I love a live crowd and the 3D feedback; love going off the track and the laughs, gasps and questions, but after a waffling couple of practice runs I got the hang of it better. We did a series of 7 'Live from Nanteos' sessions with the current Squire of the mansion sitting at the back all masked up and it made all the difference even to have an audience of one. These included:

All Hallows Eve

The Wicked Squires of Cardiganshire

Meet the Powell Women

Mud and Marble: Living conditions in Eighteenth Century Cardiganshire

An online interview with Waterstone's Inge Manning

The Hunt

A Weird, Wild Georgian Christmas

All these are up on Facebook sites, Instagram and Youtube, with details on my web site and those run by Y Lolfa and Plas Nanteos Mansion.

It's been great collaborating with people in the States - online festivals, magazine articles, interviews etc too, something I didn't do with my previous novels at this early stage. Some good news too in that The Dipping Pool's been the best selling novel in Wales and had some good reviews.

However, lockdowns mean no browsing in a bookshop or library, often how I pick up my own reading material. I do read reviews and occasionally follow up on their recommendations, but am as likely to be 'led by my nose,' relishing the

random joy of an open minded hour in a second hand bookshop in particular. More than ever, lockdown favours the 'big guys' in terms of getting their literary products reviewed and advertised prominently for readers to then order specifically online.

Though all my books are available to buy online, (from more surprising sources advertising in Japanese, Dutch and German, for example, as well as the usual Amazon, Waterstones!) there is now only one shop in the whole of Wales (The UK/ Europe?) where you can physically go in and buy a copy - the tiny, family run local shop in the little coastal village of Llanthystud: Stordy Wyre 01974 202866 As they sell mainly food, they can stay open. Hooray!