Al's Latest news and self promotion

Hi All,
First of all I've tried to update and refresh this mailing list. If you find yourself surprised to be on it, or are thoruoughly bored of getting emails from me, please reply and let me know, I will unsubscribe you!
It's been an awfully long time since I sat down to do one. I still blame this on the phenomenon of "London Time" ie. There not being enough of it.
Anyway, it's the weekend and Camilla and myself are able to enjoy the amazing London April weather on our roof terrace, we'll barbeque this evening and yesterday we played rounders with friends on Hampstead Heath yesterday, not a bad life.
Things at work have been extremely busy, we appointed a new PR agency, had all the publishers present their titles to us for the next 6 months (and therefore a lot of new events to plan!). It's very busy in a good way.
For two days last week we had no emails, they went down completely and I suddenly remebered what the phone was for, I started speaking to people, instead of emailling them- I got lots done so maybe there's something to be said for those "no email days" after all. Then again, I also had to use my own hotmail account to get some essential work done so maybe those "no email days" are completely impossible.
Last weekend my brother was here and we did some fun things. I loved the movie 300 at the cinema, I lost around £4.20 at Walthamstow Dogs, which I highly recommend- not losing money, but the Dogs- and we went to Brighton. It was a good Easter. Next weekend we visit Preston for my Dads birthday my plan is to convince Camilla that England can compare to Norway for scenic beauty, if you assume that, England comprises only of the Lake District.
Much as my torrent of commentary in emails has dried up, so has my writing. Depressingly I haven't made much progress with "Ascension" the prequel to my book "Rooftops" (and when I say "book" I mean "unpublished manuscript"). I have about 10 chapters and no direction so I'm looking for some inspiration and time to devote to it. The orginial story is still winning supporters, our Children's book buyer liked the book so much she wants to send it to the kids editor at Random House, this is indeed a glowing recomendation and may represent the best chance yet of getting to work with an editor and seeing something go into print. The only problem is that the buyer went on holiday recently and I don'rt know if she's sent it yet, or means to send it, so I'm on tenterhooks.
You'll see in my "signature" below, which, for those of you who ever wondered, is a corruption of a great line from the cartoon show Futurama, that I've added a new web address- www.adblogging.blogspot.com which is a new iniative- I know that this seems ill advised, especially seen as how I've already been moaning about not having time to write. This new blog isn't really about writing, it's more about ranting, something I'm infintely more capabale of and it represents a series of thoughts, letters, and information on adverts and branding. Have a look, or don't bother. It seems that everyone is getting into "blogging" at the moment, but if that's true then how come nobody looks at my pages? Everyones happy enough to self perpetuate Facebook with friend requests around every two minutes but no one wil post a single comment on my dedicated writings. Indicitive possibly, of a conversation I had with someone recently that the "blogshpere is a total illusion and no one really uses it. Well, no one appart from me obviously.
To create and maintain a consistent and well viewed blog takes literally hours of clicking, and researching on various pages of the interweb which, in my mind restricts the most prolific users to the terminally unemployed or the happlessly single. Thankfully I'm neither- but I'm doing my best OK?!
One more development on the writing front I may, or may not, have some work in a new book coming out with Littlebrown publishers called "Where's the Kitchen" http://www.amazon.co.uk/Anyone-Seen-Kitchen-Oonagh-OHagan/dp/1847441289 which came about after a conversation I had with a publicist who knows the author at World Book Day. I'll let you know if I end up in it. For those of you who have been recieving these for the duration you may remeber the joyous time I spent in a very odd flat in Lewisham, South London, when I first moved here. "Where's the Kitchen" talks about similarly odd flat experiences through the medium of notes left for fellow residents. I currently have the notes my landlord left for me framed on our hallway wall and if you're ever in town- they're well worth a look!
Finally if anyone is at London Book Fair on Wednesday come and see me talk at the Seminar room on Events at 12:30pm.
I've put that shameless bit of self promotion in despite knowing, for a fact, that no one who reads this will be a London Book Fair. I say shameless but I am a vbit ashamed. I probably should have just said: "Oh! and I'm talkiong at London Book Fair next week" but I wanted to make it sound more important. It works both ways though; I also wanted to make you the reader feel that you were reading some kind of insider book news about the "industry" and therefore were privy to something important.
Perhaps my assumption that you'd care is the flaw behind these emails.
All the best,
Alistair