The Snowing and Greening of Thomas Passmore

What's to be said?

It's out there. It's released.

Can't think of anything else to say.

Gob-smacked!

Six Unspectacular Facts

I’ve been tagged by Stella with a meme: to provide six unspectacular facts about myself. The rules of the meme also include linking back to he/she who tagged, mentioning the rules, tagging a further six bloggers by linking, and leaving a comment for each blogger.
Here goes:

1. Because I’m not very good at handling animals, my first pet was a tortoise (easy to catch and easy to pick up).


2. My first ambition in life was to be a stage coach robber (not sure who would’ve looked after my horse, given my poor animal-handling skills, but I couldn’t have made a quick getaway on a tortoise).


3. I’m better at swimming underwater than on the surface (I suck – literally).


4. Was a vegetarian for over twenty years, but started eating fish after almost colliding with an edible-sized whiting, which had a length of fishing line hooked to its mouth. Tried unsuccessfully to catch it, and was unsure whether I’d release it or eat if I did, but started craving fish from that point on. (Fortunately, I haven’t been tempted to jump into paddocks and wrestle with cows or sheep, or any other living thing... except the occasional carrot and potato.)


5. When people ask me what the R of my middle name stands for, I tell them Rumpelstiltskin (even though I can’t spin gold from straw).


6. When I stopped working for the Post Office, I had to sign the Official Secrets Act (which I’ve probably contravened by mentioning it), even though I never could remember the price of a first class stamp.


7. I believe it’s healthy to question accepted values and beliefs, and that some rules need to be broken. (Hence a seventh unspectacular fact and, in the absence of directly tagging six other bloggers, an invitation to join this meme if it interests you. If you choose to, let me know and I’ll post a comment.)

Countdown

It's been a busy and exciting week. The Portland Observer ran an interview on Monday 11th August (click here), the PaperBooks website has leapt into high gear (regular blogs, an Online Shop with special offers, heaps of useful links...) and The View From Here launched the second edition of its print magazine (click here to preview and/or order).

And The Snowing and Greening of Thomas Passmore is now less than two weeks away from appearing in UK bookstores!!! (If anything deserves three exclamation marks, for me this is it.) I'll be posting the occasional blog over at PaperBooks before and after the release, so if you get a chance it'd be great to see you there too sometime.