My first text!

Perhaps it's a little late in the day for a writer and a scientist to have sent his first text, but there it is. Last week I sent my first ever text. I was in temporary command of one of my wife's phones (at the hospital where my daughter was having an operation) and a text came in that, if unanswered, would considerably inconvenience me - so I replied. Go me!

My embracing of technology is somewhat inconsistent - I got my first home computer (a ZX Spectrum) in 1982, but I don't have a smart phone and my very basic clamshell phone keeps getting cut off for "inactivity" despite having credit on it. To be fair, it does spend months uncharged in a drawer.

Basically I'm phone-phobic, which is the sharp end of my introversion. I don't like talking on a phone. You'll only find one podcast with me on it, and I've been invited to take part in dozens over the years. I'm not a social butterfly ... social cicada is more my speed - broadcast a lot of noise (online) and pop up in person once every seventeen years.

This is perhaps not the ideal configuration for an author. According to some sources authors need to network, press the flesh, and do business at conventions. In fact in a recent lawsuit one author was claiming that attending conventions was a vital part of his job. In my experience ... not so much.

We work with what we've got. Text is my medium, so perhaps in future I'll send more texts. But don't hold your breath!

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The Girl And The Stars - Giveaway!

Contest Closed

Win a signed copy The Girl And The Stars.

My stock of second hand padded envelopes is building up again courtesy of Amazon so it's time for a giveaway.

Unfortunately postage to America has become slow, unreliable, and hyper expensive, so winners not in the UK will get the Book of the Ancestor short story, Bound, The Red Queen's War novella, The New World (not available anywhere but the omnibus), and Road Brothers. All in e-book.

It's a "Belly of the Beast" contest.

To enter, simply send in a photo of one of my books (on a kindle/phone if need be) on the belly of a pet (only if the animal in question is TOTALLY HAPPY with this) or your own belly if petless or lacking a sufficiently chill pet. Stuffed animals also qualify.

Here are two examples:

The randomly selected winners are 7, 18, & 24 many thanks for all the great entries!

Entries

#55 Dawn

#54 Jonathan

#53 Anny

#52 Dave

#51 Helen

#50 Emmerentia

#49 Franck

#48 Ellie

#47 Glenn

#46 Kyle

#45 Adriana

#44 Willian

#43 David

#42 Jeremy

#41 Travis

#40 Angelika

#39 Laura

#38 Raffael

#37 Alison

#36 Nikki

#35 Mark

#34 Mordechai

#33 Naomi

#32 Chris

#31 David

#30 Michael

#29 Andrew

#28 Chris

#27 Sean

#26 Blanche

#25 Simona

#24 Julia

#23 Chris

#22 Zane

#21 Anthony

#20 James

#19 Asti

#18 Leeann

#17 Ian

#16 Tyler

#15 Peter

#14 Kirsten

#13 Matt

#12 Mark

#11 Sherrina

#10 Karen

#9 Martin

#8 Gary

#7 Paul

#6 Steve

#5 Juliet

#4 Tracey

#3 Tammy

#2 Tina

#1 Mike

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