Wednesday, 4 June 2014

a one hundred and twenty fourth story...'norman's fourteenth love letter'

Dear, demure Rosalind:

My day queen, my sun-down princess, my night star – how I wonder how you are! 

I AM GOING TO BE PUBLISHED!

Simply cannot believe it.

Yes, the phone call that never comes for most mortals (with literary aspirations) came for me!  Are you happy?  I imagine so.  Are you smiling at the news? Laughing with joy?  Really, it is enough to make me go back to church (say a little prayer!), and perhaps to start believing in fate, and in destiny a la Napoleon!

When the editor – fantastic fellow named Charles (aren’t they all?!) – relayed the glorious news, I nearly cart-wheeled down the stairs (my landline is at the top of a small staircase leading to my attic bedroom), and if I had broken my neck in nine places at least I would have died happily.

Thankfully, I survive, and, I suspect, am soon to thrive! Monte Carlo here we come! (Do you want to come?).

The advance, admittedly, is a little on the meagre side (Charles told me this is always the case for a debut author), but the royalty rate – a whole 7% on net revenues – more than makes up for it!

Next stage for me is to think of names to write a testimonial for the book.  Your contributions, Rosalind, are more than welcome (so long as you don’t mind me having executive veto – it will be my name that rises or falls by association remember).  To begin with I’ll approach Geoffrey Archer, I think, perhaps Ian Rankin too, and someone from outside the world of books – I do admire that chap off Classic FM, David Mellor.

Once we (Chuck and I) have finalised details of the book launch I shall send you a golden invitation, with the letters VIP embossed and silver-lined (just to clarify I mean VIP as in ‘very important person’, not ‘visually impaired…’).  As to the venue, what about the Ritz? Or Brown’s Hotel (used to do splendid afternoon tea)? Or, perhaps a more boozy affair at The Slug and Lettuce?

Must dash (Fritz is hungry).

Do look forward to any news (whatsoever).

Yours,

Norman.

… professional writer.

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