Okay, so why a website?
I’m glad you asked that, otherwise I’d have nothing to write about today.
What is it, need your ego massaged?
Got a trumpet, feel the need to blow it – no matter how tiny a tune?
Okay, no need to go over the score and be hurtful.
The truth is, this is what authors need to do these days. It’s not enough to just sit down and write a book– and I’ve been doing that since 1992. Back then, you wrote the thing, your publisher got what publicity they could, you perhaps did an event or two, then you crossed your fingers and hoped for sales.
Now you have all of that plus Facebook, Twitter and whatever else you can use to get your titles out there into the ether.
A website, apparently, is vital.
So I’ve got one.
I didn’t put it together, I wouldn’t know how, so that task was ably shouldered by my pal Graham Turnbull who has done a wonderful job. Take a moment to give him a round of applause.
Yes, there is a certain amount of ego stroking, of course there is. Everyone has an ego. I admit mine is mahoosive. And yes, it does mean blowing your own trumpet – a filthy habit but it passes the time on long ocean voyages.
And I like talking about my books. I like to know if people enjoy them. I like it if – or when – they want to know about more.
I’ve also rediscovered my performance mojo, which I’d lost for quite some time.
Spending the night with Brian Cox
When I was a lad I wanted to be an actor, even attended junior courses at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, dahling. I performed in amateur plays. I did a bit of stand-up at school – puberty can be embarrassing.
Then I got a bit part in an episode of a BBC-TV show called ‘Sutherland’s Law.’ I was a drunken thief who may, or may not, have run a girl down in a stolen car. I only had two scenes – one stealing the car and careering round a corner with a stunt driver at the wheel and the other studying the damage to the front after we hit something. I didn’t share any scenes with the series’ star Ian Sutherland, although I did pass him his jacket in an Oban hotel.
It did, however, lead to me spending the night with actor Brian Cox.
Perhaps I’d better explain…
It was a night shoot so the actors huddled together in a mini bus for warmth while the crew did all the technical fiddley bits that were required. Brian Cox – yes, Brian Cox, Hollywood star and all-round good bloke and no, not the telly scientist – was the guest in that particular episode and he took it upon himself to be the morale officer, keeping our spirits with one-liners, stories and generally ripping the backside out of anyone with pretensions. He even signed my Equity application but I didn’t get in.
It was after I saw my performance that I realised Hollywood’s best had nothing to fear from me.
Facial recognition
The thing is, I hate seeing my face.
We’ve avoided putting my mug on the Home page, thankfully, although it does pop up elsewhere, like something nasty from the woodpile.
There are links to two videos here and I’ve not watched either of them. I don’t think I’ve ever watched any of my TV appearances, not since the ‘Sutherland’s Law’ experience. If I want to be scared I’ll watch ‘The Conjuring.’
I’ve got to get some more publicity shots taken and I’m not looking forward to it. Another friend, photographer Gary McLaughlin, does this for me (any pics you see here of me are generally taken by him). He likes seeing me squirm.
So, if the book tub-thumping is for ego then the glimpses of me certainly burst my bubble.