Guess where I've been?

 

Yes - it was a few days in London - research and a day at the London Book Fair. The research was productive - first a trip to the Wallace Collection in Manchester Square. I visited a few favourites - including two paintings by Watteau that I have used in a book. Sorry to say I can't remember which book!  I think is was Masquerade. The main object of the exercise though was to see Caravaggio's painting of Victorious Cupid which is currently on loan from a gallery in Berlin. I have plans for a future book that will involve a missing Caravaggio painting - he led a pretty tumultuous life so there are a few of them, but I'm going to invent one - and with all drama he enjoyed I think it will be plausible. But - hey, it's a story - I made it up. The cupid was wonderful. A street urchin with eagle wings as the god of love. You can see it HERE  

On my last day I popped over to the British Library. The heroine of the WIP, Nel, will be spending some time researching there so I wanted to reacquaint myself with the place. I had a good prowl around, and reacquainted also with the shop, that had a three for two offer on the BL Crime Classics So my credit card got an unexpected airing. I think I will renew my readers card so I can have the full experience next time. Got to get the paperwork sorted for that. 

And in between was the Book Fair at Olympia. It was big, and very interesting. I'd been before, many years ago. It's humming with publishers and industry professionals, doing business, and fascinating for an author to see a huge and dynamic industry at work - all the various publishers, UK and foreign - and extra services, from literary themed socks to tote bags.  I was interested in things related to self publishing and there was plenty to see. I explored and talked to a lot of people, attended a panel on Kindle Unlimited, connected with a few old friends, picked up leaflets and brochures which I now have to read and digest. I was particularly interested in the companies offering services like distribution and audio, such as Audible, Ingram Spark and Gardners.  I'm expecting that the WIP will be self published, so I'm looking forward to learning more. I'd like to be able to offer paperbacks as well as e-books and as most of my books have audio versions that would be good too, but it is all very ambitious at the moment. But we can dream. I especially fell for the paperbacks with the gorgeous sprayed edges. Yes please!!!

It was a good and useful day. Plenty of food for future thought. And for making plans, when the time is right. It will probably start as baby steps, but it is good to understand the possibilities.  

Now - write the book!!!!!!!!!!!