A Kinda Update...
Firstly, thank you to everyone who has sent me emails asking about the next Blandford books. I do try and respond to everyone, but I know a couple have probably gone wayward this last year. ‘A Visit to Bedlam’ is currently with beta readers and in the last stages of construction. It will probably need some tweaking and fixing of stuff, but I think the story is pretty much finished. It is Blandford related if not specifically about him, and he does appear and narrate. I have certainly had a crisis of confidence in getting this one finished as it has been a real struggle. Hopefully my very patient publisher will like it.
Book 5 of the actual Blandford series (tentatively named ‘In Fortune’s Favour’) is currently being planned out in detail, although I have a good idea on the plot already, and I plan on having that finished before the end of the year. The grumpy old sod in my head is quite insistent I don’t get distracted again! However, all depending on external forces beyond my control… My mum is fortunately stable at the moment, and as long as she has tennis or Greg Davis to watch she’s mostly happy. It is hard for a former PE teacher to be so immobile though, especially with my nagging.
I’ve also been involved in a music project for one of my oldest, dearest, friends from school, which is now out on itunes, spotify, bandcamp etc etc. Dave Andrew: Kinda Blues is a bluesy piano based EP, with Dave mining his personal influences to produce some tributes to the greats. I was honoured when he asked me to do some of the vocals for him (I’m also free and I do what I’m told… mostly), and fortunately my voice hasn’t degraded too much from the last time we played together 20 or so years ago. There’s a bit of spoken word as well as some singing on there, so right up my street!
Dave’s an award winning music producer and jazz pianist based in KL, with multiple TV and film credits, as well as a banging solo Acid Jazz album for Warner (we’ve both come a long way from getting ‘rusticated’ from school…), so it really was great fun to play together like we were teenagers again! All the profits from the EP are going to tiger conservation in Malaysia, which I know is a cause he’s worked for before and is close to his heart.
I do hope you get a chance to give it a listen.
Kinda Blues: Spotify
Kinda Blues: Youtube
