Hi,

March 1st started off with a hard frost followed by bright sunshine. It's cold, but at least the storms have moved on. Clambering around on a crumbling roof in adverse conditions, trying to replace slates that bear a surprising resemblance to blotting paper is a bit disconcerting. A guy in the pub, before COVID, said, why on earth didn't you re-roof before doing all that other work? Well, if money wasn't an issue, I suspect we might have done just that! We bought a wreck because that was what we could afford... It's been an adventure, but it is with a great sigh of relief that we find ourselves once again in possession of a kitchen and a shower! Renovating a wreck on a minuscule budget is not for the faint of heart.

Home Front Renovations

Nothing to report on the home front his month, save for the introduction of a wild-bird feeding station. It looks a bit Heath Robinson at the moment, but it serves its purpose, and we will tidy it up in the summer. The idea was to have it high enough so that it didn't become a cat feeding station, but as the ground below soon became littered with spilled seeds, and the sparrows and pigeons are hopping happily around the base, I'm not sure I succeeded with that aim. The feeder is a roaring success in other ways, though, never without a twitter of birds in the vicinity, either on the feeders, or gathering in the trees, waiting their turn. In the image, there is actually a coal tit on the long feeder, and a chaffinch in the cherry tree behind.

If you are new to this newsletter, or just bored, do go to my website to see some of the photo stories of our life here in Ireland.

https://chrislewando.com/storyboard/

Authorly News

I have been really busy this last month, but mostly not with my own writing. I have edited a couple of memoirs intended for self-publishing, and visited a self-made Irish millionaire who is looking for a ghost-writer. He pretty much owns the little town where he lives, and took me on a tour of his estate; just the 400 acres set aside for eventing, which include stables that can house 40 visiting horses, and a massive Norman castle which is being turned into an upmarket hotel... It was a fun day out, and I was treated like visiting royalty. I think he was a bit sad to discover I'm English, however, despite the fact that I didn't have a choice in the matter, so I have my doubts that I will end up with that particular job - which would have gone a long way towards paying for a new roof!

There is a lot of noise about how an author can get rich quick through self-publishing, but I can verify that it's not a done deal. As it would be easier to write for someone who is prepared to do all the advertising and selling for me, I continued to submit to mainstream publishers when windows of opportunity arose. Recently, an editor from a mainstream publishing house read Legend of the Selkie, and although she thought the book didn't suit her imprint, she loved the writing style, and asked me to write a synopsis for her. This I did, pronto, like; and with a little more discussion on plotting points, we came to an understanding. I am to write a couple of sample chapters, at which point she will put it before her team... Though, after many rejections over many years, it's probably safer not to get too excited at this point.

*** BOOKS FREE OR ON OFFER ***

An irritated reader last month was quite miffed at discovering that several of the free 'books' were novelettes. I don't have time to check every free book, so, if you get a short story, a badly written book, or anything else that is irritating, let the author know your thoughts; don't shoot the messenger!

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I welcome feedback on my writing.

Happy Reading

www.chrislewando.com

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