TIME AND WRITING

I went to the book prize award ceremony and dinner last week and although I didn’t win, I enjoyed meeting so many interesting people very much. One was a 91 year lady who won the non-fiction prize. She made the most interesting speech of the evening. I only hope I’m that lively at her age. 

Now I’m looking forward to the publication of my crime thriller A Fatal Façade at the end of August.

In the meanwhile, I’m surging forward with my novel set in Vienna in the 20^th century. I’m so emerged in Viennese history at the moment that it’s a surprise to me when I stop writing to find myself in the 21^st!

THE LAST HOUR!

Only an hour left [UK time} before voting for the People’s Book Prize closes.You'll see my psychological thriller, THE DAY OF THE SWANS  half way down the page. The finalists are in alphabetical order.

http://www.peoplesbookprize.com/finalist.php

I’ll be travelling up to London later today to be interviewed by a TV crew before the awards ceremony dinner starts. After dinner, the three awards to the winners will be announced by the writer Frederick Forsyth. Should be an exciting evening if we can manage to get through the London traffic!

More about it later this week.

INTERESTING BLOG SITE

I’ve discovered an interesting blog site where the David and Donna ask people to contribute guest contributors to write something helpful for other writers. I hope you find the following information useful.
http:// tweedling.com/2013/05/guest-post-linda-m-james/

Only four days left to vote for The Day Of The Swans! 

I do hope you’ll vote if you haven’t done so yet.

http://www.peoplesbookprize.com/finalist.php

VOTING FOR SWANS

I know that some of you have already read my psychological thriller THE DAY OF THE SWANS which has become a finalist in The People’s Book Prize and enjoyed it, so I hope the rest of you read it. This is a prize which is judged by readers and not judges which I think is wonderful. The voting opens tomorrow,  21st May and closes on 29th May. I would be so grateful if you’d vote for it as I’ve been told that the story is gripping.

Here is a link for voting for it between those dates. If you follow the instructions on line it will take you a few minutes to vote.

http://www.peoplesbookprize.com/book.php?id=807

I’ll be going to the awards dinner on 29th May in London where the 3 winners will be announced. [Fiction, Non-fiction and Children’s Section.]

The winners will be presented with their awards by the writer Frederick Forsyth. It will be an exciting, if nail-biting evening, which is being televised!

Many thanks for your support.

All the best

 Linda

THE CHANGING FACE OF VIENNA

In my last blog I mentioned that I returned to one of my favourite cities - Vienna where I lived thirteen years ago, but forgot to mention something fundamental that has changed there. It seems a small change, but I don't believe it is. 

Shops are now open on Saturday afternoons and some of them are even open on Sundays. That was unheard of when I lived there. The weekend was for family and friends – not for shopping. Once I became used to food shopping early on Saturdays, I enjoyed the quietness of the streets once the shops had closed. This was Britain in the 50s in another country: small shops; personal service and very little unemployment. It was a shock to discover shops open at weekends and I realized that long opening hours changes how people live their lives. Now Vienna does what we do and shops all the time. 

I believe the constant obsession with buying, buying, buying is not only making people poorer, but  unhappy too. Having lots of possessions doesn’t create happiness, does it? Family and friends do.

Do people have the same obsession with consumerism in your country as we do in the UK?