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Keeping the enthusiasm burning: seven years in retrospect
Autumn colours and cloud in Mickleden, 12th of October, 2005 Seven years ago, my life was very different. I was nineteen years old, and had just conducted a ‘gap year’ spent entirely within the United Kingdom, in which I worked at a garden centre, wrote prolifically, and went on several
The 21st draws closer!
I’ve been a little quiet on the blog and Facebook page recently, for which I apologise (although I think I’ve been making up for it with a stream of chatter on Twitter!) The truth of the matter is that, as publication date draws closer, I find that my
The stories will never come to an end: a celebration of humanity in the mountains
The upper cliff of Stob Coire nan Lochan. Without human context, to a human observer it is meaningless. As I read through The Only Genuine Jones for the final time and make my peace with the text before it goes live on the Kindle store, I have learned something from
Historical climbing re-enactment on Countryfile
Image from the BBC: http://goo.gl/SfQPe BBC1’s Countryfile is a programme that often covers topics related to mountaineering and the outdoors, but last night’s episode was particularly good and featured many locations and themes relevant to my novels. The episode focused on the Lochaber region of
One month until OGJ arrives on Kindle
Oscar Eckenstein says “Buy this book on Kindle!” The clock is ticking! The Only Genuine Jones will appear on Kindle on the 21st of October, 2012 (exact time to be decided, dependent on whether or not I have a shift at the day job to attend to…) Although I originally
Book trailer now out!
I have now produced a trailer for The Only Genuine Jones. Making a trailer is something I hadn’t considered until recently, but it seems to be a popular choice these days, given the enormous viewing audiences of services like YouTube.It’s not meant to be anything particularly fancy
The Only Genuine Jones: Frequently Asked Questions
1. What’s the book about … I’ve heard it’s something to do with mountains? Mountains and mountaineering are prominent themes. In my story, 1896 is the year when everything changes. A new era of difficult ice and rock climbing begins when the north face of the Matterhorn is
October the 21st: a date to put in your diary
I’m currently in a lull between periods of intense activity. Since July I have had The Only Genuine Jones professionally edited, had a cover design created, written a few book reviews (two of which have been very well received), and sent out advance copies to readers. I have stripped
Autumn: my most productive time of year
Autumn walks always focus the mind. The Butley River, November 2004. Although The Only Genuine Jones is the first book I’ve made a serious attempt at publishing, I have been writing for many years and have come to understand my habits very well. I started in the late ’90s
In our September…
Gearr Aonach and Aonach Dubh, with a corner of Stob Coire nan Lochan’s cliffs visible. 11th of September 2009. EVEN the mountains can look dull. When we remember their haze of August heat, the glaring rays that beat on flattened colour, unrelieving line, our clouded hours of life seem