Thursday, August 20, 2009

Party with GLYN POPE!

We are well into week two of the biggest ever blog party by authors, world wide. Kick your shoes off and dance into our hearts, everyone is welcome - open invitation to win autographed books!

Ivy (Croatia) was the winner yesterday for Susan's autographed book. Congratulations! You prove that playing wins books!

Glyn Pope is a British writer who lives in France. Glyn and I have known each other two, maybe three weeks. We both subscribe to an industry news service out of the UK that covers the world wide publishing industry. I rarely post comments, but there was an article that was the most ridiculous industry prediction, full of fear inducing statements and plain old hogwash - I had to comment. Glyn also commented. I tracked down his blog, read it, followed. He noticed, emailed me, and there the conversation about writing and publishing began.

Glyn is studious and asks good questions, then he ponders the answers and comes to an insightful ruling. I find that to be a fascinating characteristic since I tend to discard doing things simply because "it is what everyone else is doing." I like logic and reason, two things mass behavior often lack, so I'm looking forward to many fresh conversations with Glyn.

Learning to Wave was Glyn's debut novel. Set in the Midlands, UK, and France, spanning thirty years, Rick goes from being a whizz kid at university to his fall from grace.

To The End of Love is an historical novel of two families that span three generations, from 1890's Russia to contemporary France. Both families are connected by the their grandparents' unrequited love. The characters play their scripts of love and survival in their day-to-day lives upon the historical backdrop Glyn paints.

Obviously I haven't finished reading Glyn's novel...something about a party, but let me share with you the opening lines from To The End of Love:

For a long time after Christine had died Richard rarely slept. When he did sleep his dreams were vivid. He decided it must be the local bread that was made from real ingredients brought in from the country rather than chemicals that a factory bread maker might turn out. Someone told him once that was how LSD was discovered from the flour of the country bread giving the inhabitants wild visions. One night he dreamt the plot of a novel.

From there, Glyn leads the reader steadily into the lives of his characters. The renowned French artist Anne Lamali, allowed Glyn to use her paintings for his book covers. To The End Of Love shows Glyn's daughter and her boyfriend. Learning To Wave is of his wife who Anne has painted many times.



Now, together, let's get to know each other a little better, it is a party ~ time to meet and greet old friends and new.

Party Game: Answer these questions in the comment section below to win To The End Of Love, signed by Glyn Pope and Anne Lamali, whose painting is on his cover art.

1. 'To The End Of Love' takes its title from which Leonard Cohen song?
2. Where can you buy 'To The End Of Love' and 'Learning To Wave'?
You may need to look at his blog to help you, http://glynpope.blogspot.com/



**If you need help navigating blogger, here are some basic instructions: http://nadinelaman.blogspot.com/2009/08/just-few-basics.html

The comment section is below this line. Click on the word "comments." That's where you can leave a note. eMail me if you have trouble with this...NadineLaman(at)aol.com

NOTE: This is new to me, so I'm passing it on in the event not everyone else knew this either. The comment section filled and began a page TWO. Look at the top of the first posted comment or below the last comment at the right corner. Click the word, "newer". Isn't that wild? Who knew it would do that???

211 comments:

  1. Good morning, Glyn...I know you're here putting on some new tunes...

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  2. Hey Glyn, jump over to your blog and approve my comment, will ya?

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  3. Morning everyone. Yesterday in France it was the hottest day on record. Well into the forties. The night was pretty awful. Today it is cloudy, a cool breeze and it may rain later. Its lovely. Just a day for sitting here and talking to anyone here who cares to speak to me!
    Its 9.24am. I imagine that Nadine will go to bed soon.
    But I'm still here.

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  4. It is just after MN here in Arizona. Isn't this wild to party around the world? I'm probably good for a couple more hours, then you're in charge. (I can't believe I said that out loud!)

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  5. I was going to ask you yesterday, Glyn, how long does it take you to write your first draft?

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  6. Glyn, we've had lovely weather but it looks like it is going tor ain here today in the UK. Great post about you as a writer! Are you going to link to it from facebook?

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  7. Hi DJ, Welcome, glad you stopped by. I saw you had been over on Glyn's blog a bit ago.

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  8. For my first novel 'Learning To Wave' it built up very slowly over a couple of years. I had 25thousand words. I sent it to a publisher. He said it had to be at least 80thousand. I did that. Now I've re-edited down to 60thousand. In total for years, ten years from start to finish. Now I can write full time I guess its a couple of years for a first draft. And then editing. Then someone to read it. Then I leave it. I go back to it then for my final edit, so three to four years to write a novel.

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  9. DJ how long did it take to write your frist draft?

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  10. To DJ I've just linked it from Facebook.
    Most of my hits to my home blog http://glynpope.blogspot.com/
    come from the Leonard Cohen Forums.
    I've never really understood why.
    Tho' my blog isn't really about writing, but what matters to me.
    A lot of them are based around my Grans diaries and my diaries that I've kept on and off over the years.

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  11. Ivy asked a question of Susan last night about advice to writers.
    I really try to persuade people to keep a diary.
    My children, I even buy them diaries, but they don't.

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  12. In the summer we took our daughter to a Greek Island for a holiday. I bought a new notebook for a diary. I said to her you can write in this. Oh no she said I can remember everything. But your children and grandchildren can't! And I know that when she's an old lady she will read my very detailed diary of the holiday and remember...

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  13. I guess there are diary/journal people and those who aren't or don't know they are. There are journal entries in my books...nearly a character too, like the beach. (I love literary devices - nothing like a little personification)

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  14. I can't wait to see what Ivy does when she reads this.

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  15. Oh I'm sure Ivy is here. She doesn't miss much. I bet she is off reading your blog...went to find the party game answer and got to reading.

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  16. No worries, Glyn, there are people here, I can hear them giggling in the kitchen. Wonder what Ivy is baking this morning.

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  17. Morning, Glyn & Nadine!

    Nadine, I can't help thinking there is a slight flaw with today's contest. Once one person posts answers to the questions, all anyone else has to do is copy them!

    Glyn, your novels sound very interesting. The plot of Learning to Wave sounds very much like my own life story ;-) I wish you every success with your new novel as well.

    Nick

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  18. Good morning, Nick!

    Yes, I discovered that flaw the first day. Still, it is more of an ice breaker than anything. Look how long I got by with it, you're the first person to mention. Guess I'm busted, but we still have a winner or two each day.

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  19. Were you here, Nick, on the day every post was supposed to have the word, 'chica' in it somewhere. That was so funny. Now I have myself stuck on it again.

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  20. Missed that one, Nadine. It sounds a riot. Are you sure there weren't illegal substances being passed around at the party that day?

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  21. Wow! Look at all of you here...I love throwing parties (for real) and one day I hope to meet all of you (for real).

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  22. Morning, guys!
    Of course Ivy is around, and she's making a traditional Croatian dish today. No donkeys.

    I have to run some things here , changing diapers, putting the lunch on etc. and then the party is getting started for me!

    Thank you for choosing me as the winner yesterday! It was a great day! But I don't doubt at all Glyn will make it just as awesome today as well. And thanks for the music!

    Nadine, do you see this tear sliding down my face? You're the best. Love you!!!

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  23. Nick, I'm pretty sure we are 100% legal, I'm married to a lawyer. (Don't hold it against me.) The games have been trumped every day...heh, heh, heh...but the winners really have won. We discuss the decision, comment become tie breakers. So post lots of comments.

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  24. True I hadn't thought of that. Okay, if I disappear for a while its because the dog needs walking.

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  25. Ivy, I love you too.

    Glyn, just give me an email head's up...

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  26. I should mention that the guest authors select the winners. It is based on party game, poise, and the swim suit -- Oh wait, that's Miss America. Never mind!

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  27. Glyn, I probably am going to crash at about 2 AM, that is 15 min from now. I'll be back in a couple of hours.

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  28. Did we lose DJ? Probably off samplying Ivy's cooking. There is iced sodas in the cooler on the patio, juice in the refrig, and the other 'stuff' is at the bar. Help yourselves and make yourself at home.

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  29. I'm back. Just reading any missed posts

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  30. Hi Ivy. Did you see my post about keeping a diary. I think keeping a diary is vital for a writer. And I don't mean blog, I mean sitting down and writing a diary in a book. My gran did and although the entries are fairly small they can be fascinating at times.

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  31. I'm just going to have some breakfast. I eat breakfast at about midday and then the evening meal, in the evening. I'll bring it here though rather than sit outside. The sun has come out again now.

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  32. Breakfast in the sun. I'm envious. Here in Staffordshire, UK, it's dull and wet (again) this morning. I don't think we've managed to have breakfast in the garden once during this miserable summer!

    LOL. Just realised how I'm living up to the British stereotype of talking all the time about the weather!

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  33. Ah, so you must be able to get oatcakes. Buy some for the party.

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  34. I had relatives from staffordshire

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  35. Sadly, though I've lived in this county for 15 years, I've never managed to develop a taste for oatcakes...

    Which part of Staffs did your relatives live in, Glyn?

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  36. Stoke on Trent. My Uncle Johnny who was a scrap merchant and spent odd occasions at Her Majesties pleasure. He could sing like Roy Orbison. He and his wife Vera had a one armed bandit in their front room.
    One weekend I stayed with them Uncle Johnny went out on the sunday morning and got oatcakes for breakfast, warm with bacon and eggs. I can taste them now.

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  37. Ah yes. Oatcakes are really a bit more of a North Staffordshire thing. We live in Burntwood, near Lichfield, which is down in the south of the county.

    Your Uncle Johnny sounds a colourful character. Good inspiration for a fictional character, I'd guess!

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  38. Burntwood was where my gran was born

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  39. Fancy that. Burntwood would probably have been little more than a hamlet then. Now it's a fair-sized town.

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  40. Maybe I missed it on another thread Nick. Do you write?

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  41. Hi, Glyn!

    Yes, I read the post, and I'm a diary fan myself. I've been keeping them since I can remember. So many things would have been forgoten if I didn't write them down.

    I love the type of books you write, stories with a strong historical background. One of my favorite books is by a Croatian modernist author, Nedjeljko Fabrio. His chronistery Excercizing Life follows several generations of two families (a rich Italian and a poor Croatian) throughout the historical tumults, when parts of Croatia were under the thumb of Italy. Eventually, during the communism some thirty years ago, the Italian girl and the Croatian boy fall in love, when her family decides to go back to Italy.

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  42. God, how I wish to translate that book so everyone could read it...

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  43. Good you're here Ivy. I'm pleased to hear that you keep a diary. I love history. I usually read two books at the same time (not totally the same time, I'd need four eyes). One fiction, one history. I'm very into the Tudors at the moment.

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  44. In high school, I hated learning history. I'm just not a fact person. So when we were doing the 17th century in Croatian history, I was reading a series of books by one of the first European female journalists and a brilliant writer, M.J.Zagorka. She mixes up love, intrigue and real historical figures, which made it way easier to remember some stuff in history.

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  45. Its facts for me, its personalities. So Thomas More's second wife is of interest. I can't, and don't want to remember facts about the Tudors.

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  46. I would love to read a good romance in the Battle of Roses. Any recommendations?

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  47. My novel 'To The End Of Love' has a reasonable amount about the second world war in it. I checked certain facts and then used them for my own purpose. With my unpublished novel set in 1947 I used a line from a history book by AN Wilson that there were food shortages in Britain during the late forties. Beyond that its all made up. Its just a story. I use facts that I've read, but if anyone wanted to use it as a history books they'd be fools.

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  48. Same here. I will remember all the tidbids of an author's life and work, but don't ask me for a specific year or name, I can't remember all of them...

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  49. After all so many historical films are incorrect. The present TV series The Tudors, great entertainment but historically inaccurate. But it is just entertainment.

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  50. I will give the Battle of the Roses some thought. I've got an author in mind but I can't remember her name. It will return.

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  51. That's true. But they need to appeal to the audience.

    I think I read a review of a novel on the Battle of the Roses, but I forgot where and when...

    Lately, I've heard a lot about The White Queen by Phillipa Gregory, about the Plantagenets, and Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross. These sound interesting.

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  52. Phillipa Gregory's great. She I would recommend. Anya Seton I read some years ago and she may be a bit twee now.

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  53. I'm back. Just popped out for another can of Party Seven ;-)

    Yes, I'm a full-time freelance writer, Glyn. I write mainly non-fiction (articles, courses, training materials, advertising copy, etc.). I do have a tongue-in-cheek sci-fi novella called The Festival on Lyris Five just published, though. I'm giving away a copy later in the party.

    If you have a moment, check out my blog at www.mywritingblog.com. I'm also on Twitter at http://twitter.com/nickdaws

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  54. I'm gonna be late tonight, so i'm gonna need a nap now. CU in about 45mins.

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  55. I'm here. Been following along for the last hour.

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  56. I'll just take a minute here to say that at the end of the party I'll post all the contact information for the guest authors in one post so it is handy for everyone. Including social networks. Party guests are welcome to post their twitter and facebook addresses(and whatever other internet contact)on that 'directory' post. Of course, if there is a need to exchange mailing addresses, let's do that by direct email, just to keep everyone safe.

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  57. I have returned. Just making a cup if fine English tea

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  58. Ta! I was just making a cup of coffee! Isn't this fun? Who would have thought? It will be interesting to see if, after this, other people throw blog parties.

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  59. Well helllooooo there! I´ve come to the blog party to get out of the sun. Burned my ankles yesterday, don´t want to spend the rest of my week in Mallorca under wraps now!

    The party is rocking! Have a great day Glynn, and sorry I missed Susan´s day yesterday.

    Have fun all,
    Carrie

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  60. Can I have some coffee? :)

    I got lost for a moment to put the kid to nap.

    Glyn, I came up with another good historical novel, Love is Eternal by Irving Stone, about Mary Todd and Abraham Lincoln. Very educative on the American history..and boy, long..very long..

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  61. I only have tea, I don't drink coffee. I like very long novels. Something to get your teeth into. I'm not keen on reading or writing short stories.
    Afternoon Carrie and welcome!

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  62. I know the States is only just waking up and GMT has a long way to go before bedtime but no one has answered the questions yet

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  63. it is 0630 here, can't be noisy in my neighborhood for another half hour.

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  64. Ivy, I have coffee...would you like a cup?

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  65. Beware of Darkness
    George is my favourite Beatle.
    I loved his meditative songs.
    The Concert for Bangla Desh is one of the best.
    Ravi Shankar, George Harrison, Bob Dylan what more could you want

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  66. I would love some! Thanks!
    I'm listening to Foo Fighters, silently...but makes no sense to listen it that way...

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  67. I'm a tea drinker myself. I especially like chai tea. Another cup, anyone?

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  68. I think we should all take our drinks to the patio, the birds are singing their morning song, it is comfortable temp, the sun has just come up...lovely lounging and conversation for a bunch of writers.

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  69. Foo Fighters a love of my son's.
    Yorkshire tea for me. I can't get into these funny teas.
    One thing the French can't do, probably amongst many things is make tea. They haven't a clue.

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  70. Glyn, you know how Croatian people make tea?
    Boil water.
    Pour it over a tea bag.
    Enjoy it.

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  71. Carrie left a box of Yorkshire tea here when she visite, I'll get you a cup!

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  72. I ordered tea "au lait" in Corsica once. It came with a little pot of hot, condensed milk. Ugh!

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  73. Ivy, that's how I make tea. The Croatians obviously know.
    Very French Nick, they haven't a clue.

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  74. Very worthwhile I think that a bunch of writers get together to discuss the finer art and talk about making tea. You gotta have your priorities:)!

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  75. She lives in France? Aww, can I go visit her? Pretty please?
    :P

    You're doing great Nadine!

    xoxo,
    Ella

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  76. You are very welcome good to have you along.

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  77. Ivy, have you just requested me as a friend on Facebook?

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  78. Yes. I love the little elephant on the picture.

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  79. Thanks! I read on your profile you like Camus. Stranger is one of my favorites, too.
    Where did everybody go?

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  80. The Stranger, I've read many many times since my sister gave it to read when I was 12. See my blog about Tom Simpson and Albert Camus.
    Reading The Rebel by Camus at the moment, which I can see is going to become a bible.
    I gather from your profile you like Greenday? I love them, seen them twice.

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  81. I think Nadine had an early morning meeting. But where is everyone else?

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  82. I get it, the Elephant. The photo was outside the Africa museum in Brussels.

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  83. I haven't read The Rebel, though I think I have it somewhere around here.
    Greenday...I love them. I love rock music of any sort, genre, era...hard to pick a favorite. These days, it's Aerosmith and U2. They had two big concerts here lately. I didn't get to see them :(

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  84. Nadine told me earlier she had an hour long meeting from 4 pm to 5 pm London time (i.e. now, as far as I'm concerned).

    Music wise, I'm an unreconstructed prog rock fan myself. The last concert I went to was in June, a live performance of Jeff Wayne's classic War of the Worlds album by many of the original artists. It was held in the Birmingham Arena, and was pretty awesome!

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  85. I've liked what I've heard of Muse, although I don't know their music well.

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  86. Anyway, I'm off for a game of tennis now, despite the fact that it;'s blowing a gale around here. Good to meet you, Glyn. I'll be back at the party tomorrow!

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  87. Nick, Jeff is cool. I like his live performance of Forever Autumn. I guess it will be your party music!

    Glyn, Muse...Muse...I don't know what to say. Just listening to Thoughts of a Dying Atheist. To say I love them would be a horrible understatement.

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  88. Bye Nick. Thanks for stopping by. See you tomorrow.

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  89. They come from my home town in the UK. My wife taught them in primary school. My daughter studied music with Mat. My wife and other daughter attended a reception, invited by Muse, and my daughter was kissed by them all!

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  90. Looks like you've had a good time partying!

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  91. I think, when I first started mentioning this, it wasn't clear what was a'foot.

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  92. Hi, you're back. I shall be leaving in a while for dinner. Grenouille tonight.

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  93. Glyn, I'm green with envy.
    Hey, Nadine! How was your day? We missed you. But I had a great time with Glyn, Nick, Carrie and Ella!

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  94. Hi Ivy,

    I was here a lot of the time, enjoyed the day, but only 0930 here! Lots more 'day' to go!

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  95. I have returned after an excellent meal. The cup of tea is brewing. So I'm waiting to hear from you all!

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  96. Well, Glyn, it is just us chickens at the moment. You sound like you are jazzed from all the fun. I'm glad you are having a good time.

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  97. ...and thank you for agreeing to do this.

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  98. General notice: Ray Derby has to drop out of the party, this time. I'm going to leave his link on the upper left sidebar for a couple of days. Please go look. His books are fantastic gov conspiracy stories. Even my hubby has read them and love them, so it isn't just me saying this. Treat yourself to one of his book, they are all good.
    Thanks! Chica-Nadine

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  99. We are still here...chatting via email, but watching for your comments. Chica!

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  100. I'm back after giving the tomatoes some water. I have a wonderful crop this year.

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  101. Good. I've heard that the crops in the north east are not fairing well.

    I'm going to catch a quick lunch. BRB

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  102. *North eastern States; New England.

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  103. I am so sorry I have missed most of today with Glyn and all of you. My computer crashed and my computer guy just got me back up. I am so behind now. ugh.

    I'll try to pop back in sometime. I so enjoy hearing and learning about all the great writers but duties here have called me away. I will try to get caught up and pop back later.

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  104. Hi Connie. Sorry to hear about your computer. But thanks for dropping by anyway.

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  105. Reporting to evening shift!

    Glyn, my tomatoes have been waisted after we had a terrible ice storm at the very beginning of the summer. Same with the peppers...

    Connie, nice to see you, hope the computer is in tact again.

    Nadine, chica! Now Jen has us both hooked to it!

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  106. Evening Ivy. Let's hope we have some visitors before bedtime in GMT world

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  107. I'm going to see my grandson in the UK on Sept 12th

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  108. Not yet, he's in my lap right now, we have two windows open. He's watching Fifi on Youtube in English...If I hear "Fifi, who we love so much" just one more time, I think I'll scream. It's playing the whole day long. Usually he objects when I talk or listen to something in English. But Fifi is allowed to do so.

    I think the European evening squad will report soon, after they are done with the evening activities.

    My son adores his grandpa, my father. It's wonderful to watch how they get along, and how much my father softens when the kid is around.

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  109. Yeh, grandchildren can get away with murder.
    I would never take my children into a McDonalds, but my grandson, if he wants to go well okay...

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  110. That's pretty much the case here. Not to mention shopping. But I have experienced the same with my grandparents. My granny would protect me, always yelling at my mom "You'll see when you get grandchildren!" Parents have to be the ones to raise, grandparents are allowed to spoil. LOL

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  111. Yes. Grandparents go home. They don't ultimately have the responsibility.

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  112. I'm just going for a shower. Ivy, hold the fort!
    Please.

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  113. Hello you two Chicas!

    You really have me thinking about the conversaton about readying -- I sort of lost track which day that was. You know how nearly every family has a picky eater, I think I'm a picky reader. I'll read until I'm full and with most books, that is within the first 10 pages. So if a book can keep me hungry, I'll finish it, otherwise, I don't give them a second thought. I know several people, once they start a book, even if they hate it, they will read the whole book. Which way are you?

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  114. Hi Connie and Carrie. Bye Connie and Carrie. Missed them both.

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  115. Hey, Nadine,
    I believe you're not the only one with such a taste. If I just can't get through a book, I'll rather drop it. Unless if it's for college. Then I'll finish it.
    But I'll hate every single word of it.

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  116. A question for everyone: if you could get back a writer from any era of the history, who would it be?

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  117. Oh Ivy, you made me chuckle. Sounds like me and marmite the other day with Nick.

    I like the after taste of a book. I enjoy the flashes of insight that come late and linger. I like discovering deeper levels of a well told story, I like the Ah-ha! moments where I undersatand the reasons something was written into the story. Or the other type of novel is the one that has a personal ah-ha for me, that answers a question inside of me.

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  118. Hmmm, good question. It would be a novelist for me, maybe Mark Twain. But I like Hemmingway's life style better.

    Who would you be?

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  119. Ivy, I think you are going to have to come to a party as a guest author when you finish your book. Let me know when.

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  120. Ivy asked an interesting question. What's your answer, Glyn?

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  121. Nadine, when that happens, you'll be the first to know!

    I would love to have a cup of tea with Mr. Tolkien. I'm a huge fan of his writing and imagination, and I don't mean only the LOTR.

    What exactly is marmite?

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  122. If I start a book I finish it. My problem with reading is that I can't read just to enjoy. I read critically. I discuss a book with my wife. Unless the author is superb like Anne Tyler, then I just want to give up writing.

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  123. Mu author to have back would be Camus. He died too young.

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  124. I sat in a pub in Oxford UK. There was a plaque on the wall saying that Tolkein and CS Lewis used to sit there over their pints. So I've sat at the same table as a pair of geniuses.

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  125. I've been in Deux Magots in Paris as well where Sartre, Camus, De Beauvoir and Picasso used to frequent

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  126. I don't think these experiences have done me much good though!:)

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  127. Glyn, are you trying to make me explode with envy?

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  128. Ivy, if you go to England and someone asks if you'd like some marmite with anything editable, firmly refuse. Politely, of course. It is the nastiest tasting black surypy spread. Carrie said it tasted salty. Our friend Cathy C dared me to try it. Salty is not the word for that taste. OMG!

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  129. Ivy, you don't know what marmite is? I am shocked to the core!

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  130. I love it. Well I guess I would. If you can eat donkey you can eat marmite

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  131. Glyn, I'm googleing it. Be back in a second.

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  132. If donkey tastes anything like marmite or is eaten with marmite, I'll pass, thank you very much.

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  133. Googling it is nothing like tasting that stuff. Eeeeeew!

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  134. Looks like tar.But Nadine, as you said, if donkey passes...I'd still rather have marmite, thanks!

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  135. I had that taste in my mouth for days.

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  136. "love it or hate it.
    LOL
    I think which side Nadine is. How about you, Glyn?

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  137. You either love or hate.
    In the UK you have vinegar on your chips, the French find the whole thought revolting

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  138. I love donkey, I love marmite, I love vinegar on my chips

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  139. Nadine, check thi out. Hilarious.
    http://www.marmite.com/

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  140. To be honest I don't love donkey. The taste was of dried meat. it could have been pork or beef.

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  141. Ivy, if you do try it, dip a fork in it, then lightly touch the end of ONE prong to your cracker, do NOT spread it on anything. *shudders*

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  142. Yeh they base their advertising around people hating it

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  143. There is omething similar "love it or hate it" here. It's a stew made of sheep intestinal. Some people choke in it.
    i never tried it, just the thought of it makes my stomach riot.

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  144. Cathy C felt so bad about telling me to eat it, that she sent me one of thoes little Paddington bears.

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  145. In Croatia you'd only get it from an English shop and probably pay a fortune. So I should forget the whole experience.

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  146. okay, what book is everyone reading now? (Don't you dare say a cook book)

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  147. Paddington bear is in the adverts as well. He makes marmite sandwiches for people and they hate them

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  148. I'm reading a hundred different recipes using marmite and donkey

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  149. Alright, bed time for you! No more marmite...

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  150. Giggling? I think it is a full belly laugh...

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  151. Whew, have we changed the subject yet?

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  152. Probably still looking for more info on marmite. Tasting is all the info one needs. Ulk!

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  153. I'm falling off my chair hear troughout the day. No more marmite. Nor any food .
    Kid watching Fifi again, pushing me away from the computer.

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  154. I meant here. The laughing is messing with my spelling.

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  155. ok. I usually read two books at the same time. A fiction and a non-fiction. At the moment I'm reading 'The Time Of Angels' by Iris Murdoch and 'The Rebel' by Camus

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  156. I'm reading Wuthering Heights, It's all about God by Samir Selmanovic, Aquis Submersus by T.Storm and Effi Briest by Fontane.

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  157. Ivy I would bring back Dickens, show that his books DID make a difference.

    Carrie

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  158. Hi Carrie, yeh I love Dickens.
    Ivy I only know Wuthering Heights

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  159. Party Game, answers to questions:
    1. From the song "Dance me to the end of love"
    2. From Turner Maxwell Books

    My Name is Roman Luszpak and I am from USA

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  160. Finally someone who follows instructions! I love it!

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  161. Hey the first to give the answers. I'm not saying that they're correct...Welcome Roman. Do you write?

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  162. Jump in and join the conversation, everyone is welcome.

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  163. Roman, Glyn is in France, Ivy in Croatia, and I'm in the southwest US

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  164. Glyn, I don't think you have to say.

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  165. I'll wait around until about 11pm. I'm not good at staying up late.

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  166. I'm back. Having another cup of coffee.
    Anyone wants some?

    The last Dickens I read was Hard Times few months ago.

    Hi, Roman.Nice to meet you.

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  167. Glyn, thank you for today. You have been here almost 14 hours, you don't have to stay longer...I'm going to email you before you leave.

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  168. Yes, please, Ivy. When does school start there?

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  169. Dickens wise I love 'A Tale of Two Cities'. it has the most memorable and meaningful lines - 'It is a far far better thing that I do than I have ever done, It is a far far better place that I go to than I have ever been'.

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  170. The academic year starts mid-October, though the exams start in September for those who have something left. Due to the divorce, I missed most of the June terms.
    The school year starts on September 7th, I think.

    I'll be gone soon, too. Thank you everyone for a wonderful day!

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  171. Goodnight everybody. Thank you for turning up today. See you at least for some of tomorrow. Maybe not as long. I'm gonna win one of these days!

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  172. Sweet dreams, good night!
    Thank you,Nadine! I'm gonna need it!
    Hugs,everyone!

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