When Phones Were Immobile and Lived in Red Boxes

 

A rare collectable?

It is very gratifying to still receive an order from Gardners this morning for my little book of childhood memories 1939-53 “When Phones Were Immobile and Lived in Red boxes”. It was published over four years ago and once I got down to a few copies out of the 750 run I stopped trying to sell them as I was hoping that ‘something would turn up’ that might get a major publisher interested. This would be truly wonderful as any money made on that book has been promised to Save the Children Fund. (Well over £1,000 has been donated already). Now down to two spare copies, I decided to see if any second hand ones might be available. Looking on Amazon I find two Americans are selling that book – one for £145 and the other £143. Has my little book become “rare” and collectable?

Visit Magpies Nest Publishing for details of that book and my others (two in pen names)

Still Waters Run Deep… to be released Dec.1st

 

Poster for book

 

 

“Still Waters Run Deep, stories of hidden depths” is my latest book of short stories. The prize-winning author, Geoff Nelder, reviewed the book and had this to say:

‘Don’t be fooled by the writings of Gladys Hobson. She appears like a harmless mature woman and so you settle one afternoon to relax into her stories. Then in goes the hot poker and you find the goings on in Ulverston, ignited passion, and Cumbrian emotions. The wicked are saved by pseudonyms, the innocent by their ignorance. This collection is a jigsaw of zeal and a genuine feel for landscape.’

Geoff  Nelder (Award Winning author of numerous works — latest novel, Exit, Pursued by a Bee)

    Mystery and imagination: humour and horror, love and hate, joy and sorrow, poignancy and lust. Passions run deep wherever you live! The settings are both local and further to the north of Cumbria. Photographs increase the reader’s pleasure.    

At a modest £5.99 it is expected to sell quite well (at least, locally) for those small presents to give to others, or to oneself, to while away those quiet times during the Christmas break.  Well, I have a smile on my face — I hope it will still be there in a few weeks’ time!

 

Still Waters Run Deep. stories of hidden depths

 

 

Hopeful author!

Still Waters Run Deep, tales of hidden depths

COMING SOON!

At last my new book is not only at the the printers, but today we approved the proofs!

Hopefully we will get the books ready for a December launch. At £5.99 it could be a nice little stocking filler, and just the thing to pick up during the long Christmas holiday and read one of the short stories. There is a story to suit every mood. 

 

The tales have Cumbrian settings, although some are imaginary even if based on actual places. Mystery and imagination: humour and horror, love and hate, joy and sorrow, poignancy and lust. Passions run deep wherever you live, and characters may be recognised as someone you know even though they are plucked from my imagination, which has been nurtured by a lifetime of observation of human characteristics — especially those little foibles seldom admitted to.

Each tale has an introduction as to what inspired the story to be written.

Visit Magpies Nest Publishing for all my books

Chester at night

 

Christmas lights in Chester

Not a good photograph but it gives an idea of the Christmas lights in the shopping areas of Chester.

It is rather lovely that at a rather dull and wet time of the year we have the brightness of special lighting to cheer us. Something that is free to look at even if shopping may reduce the contents of one’s purse.

We were in Chester partly to go to our friend Geoff Nelder’s book signing at Borders, Cheshire Oaks. What a huge bookstore! I strongly suspect that most book sales are of those piled up on the tables where their covers are clearly visible and you can’t help but notice them as you walk around the shop. Do I sound envious? You bet!

There are so many unsung authors, but that is inevitable in a world of big business and cheap books – so unlike the days when prices for books were fixed by the publisher. Do we read more now that books are cheaper? I guess with the growth of so many other diversions — TV, videos, games etc etc that is not an easy question to answer. Surveys may be done on book sales and reading habits but they do not tell us a whole storyl. What does speak volumes is the closing of independent book shops. We are almost directed by the big boys, celebrities and promotional techniques, as to what we buy — actually reading the books is another matter.

 

Chatting with Geoff at Borders

Chatsworth…in the autumn

 

Autumn glory in Chatsworth woods

 

 

Chatsworth House and estate have intrigued me since I first visited the park about sixty years ago! Many people will know the country estate – home of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire – from seeing it as the backdrop for a number of historical dramas on television.

The house is quite impressive as are all the buildings that make up the house and park. We visit the park two or three times a year, just to walk the many footpaths that take you through the beautiful grounds of the estate. So much can be said about the place and it is best to look at their website for all the fascinating details. (You can even stay for holidays in some of the buildings. The Hunting Tower, overlooking Chatsworth House and many square miles of the estate, particularly intrigues me. It was from the top room that the ladies would watch the lords and gentlemen ride their horses on their stag hunts. The whole area is steeped in history.

This time of the year is especially beautiful and so we had a walk through the woods before leaving our brief visit to Derbyshire. The day before we had attended the funeral of a dear niece. It was a reminder to us of the life and death cycle of all nature and yet the living on of all that is beautiful and memorable – beauty, love and joy are forever printed on our hearts.

Chatsworth revisited in the autumn