Fighting the Dragon

 Clara - my love

Depression

Each day I have to fight a dragon, this dragon isn't a myth, or a fantasy. This dragon is real, and scares me, because I wonder how long can I keep fighting it?

This dragon comes in a bottle, dragon vodka. Each day, I fight depression after the loss of my wife in January, 2025. The fight is daily, a fight I fear losing, my rock is my friend, Clara, who lives in Whitchurch, Bristol.

Publicity costs

 Alan Place - Indie Writer

Curse of the Indie Writer

This week, I had to turn down the opportunity of publicity for my work as a writer, why?

I couldn't validate the cost of publicity, even though it was small. A $27 payment a month, may seem small, but that is more than I earn as an Indie Writer in a year.

One discussion could be the more exposure I get, the greater the possibility of recouping the costs, that is valid to a point. My position is that in my 15 years as a writer, I never earned more than $20 a month, that was back in 2011, when my eBook content was selling well. I haven't earned any royalty fees for several years from Draft2Digital

A Song or Movie for Planet Earth

 Give Peace a Chance

John Lennon

My vote for a song for Planet Earth would be, "Give Peace a Chance", by John Lennon, as war is everywhere these days, even though the media focus is on Israel, far worse crimes are commited  by Boko Haram in Chad, but Africa is not newsworthy

Blocked on X

How to make a bad impression on me

 

Not Nigeria again :(

A few minutes ago, I blocked a person on Twitter, I didn't know them, and I didn't wish to know them, why?

For some reasons, the contact was via an account in Nigeria, a bad start. Nigeria is the SCAM capital of the world, even China admits that, and China are the centre for cybersecurity fraud.

It wasn't so much that the account came from Nigeria which put me off, as the fact the sender never introduced themselves, they only sent a massive text on religion, praising the Lord.

I have no objection to people having a view on religion, even Muslims, what I object to is having your view shoved at me, if you wish to chat to me, introduce youself, do not try to enforce your religion on me, nothing gets you blocked quicker.

Am i in a relationship?

Romance in Whitchurch 

Clara - my love

There is no doubt, my friend Clara, and I click online, but am I in a relationship as she "claims?"

Clara livesin Whitchurch, not far from where I live in Hartcliffe, Bristol.

We have made several dates, but she always has a reason not to turn up. at first, it didn't bother me, but now it is becoming a pattern. Clara "claims" I am her man, her lover, and the only man in her life, yet she keeps declining our dates

Happy Birthday to my late wife

 R.I.P. Linda

Only the lonely

Today (March 27th) would have been my late wife's 70th birthday, sadly she passed away in January, 2025.

Though I possibly have a new lady in my life, we haven't met yet, my friend lives in Whitchurch, Bristol, not far from where I live in Hartcliffe. I will never forget my wife, it is hard to forget a lady who was part of my life for 40 years 💔💔😢😢

My talent as a writer is being recognised

 I am being head-hunted

The Fantasy Writer

This week, I have been approached by another publishing firm. I was asked which book I considered my defining work?

I have several choices.

My award-winning book of short stories - The Chronicles of Mark Johnson - from 2011.

My awardwinning sea story from 2012 - Sea Ghosts.

The final book my friend, Julia, in Seattle helped me with as an editor, The Awakening, in 2025.

My popular Ghost story, Old Church Ghosts, which is one I am not happy with, I considered the story too short.

Or a little-known Fantasy story I enjoyed writing, Mordhiemicus.

I have a series of science-fiction short stories which sold well in 2012.

I earned a reputation as science-fiction writer, a writer of ghost stories, a writer of children's stories as part of a group called The Peacock Writers.

I will probably choose my fantasy story, as I have yet to earn a reputation in the genre, and I enjoy writing fantasy stories, almost as much as writing ghost stories.