Those of you who have kindly read Sell the Pig will know that dogs are a big part of my life. I've had them since my late teens, usually German Shepherds or border collies. Meic, you may recall from the book, was a border collie.
Twitter wasn't around at the time of Sell the Pig, or at least, if it was, I hadn't yet discovered it. Which is a shame as through it I met the wonderful Karen Wild, @WildPaw, who talks so much sense on the subject of training and behaviour in dogs. She has a newly published book out, What Your Dog Wants, and I'm getting my autographed copy.
I'm sure it would have helped me a lot with Meic, and will do wonders with the current canine incumbents who are a pair of border collie hooligans.
I'm pleased to report that Sell the Pig continues to do well, thanks to all you kind people out there, and the many lovely reviews it has received, mostly 5-star. If you've read and liked it, please tell your friends. If you've not yet read it, why not give it a go?
It's available for Kindle from Amazon.co.uk where it's currently in the top 100 for Travel > Continental Europe> France, from Amazon.fr where, at the time of writing it's at no. 30 for Travel > Europe > France and from Amazon.com.
No Kindle? No problem! You can download a very simple FREE app that lets you read it on your computer or posh phone. And believe me, if I've managed to do it, it must be easy.
It will be coming out in paperback soon, I promise, hopefully before the end of the year, and will include some black and white photos.
What would you particularly like to see pictures of?
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Moving to France - why the Auvergne?
Faithful readers of Sell the Pig will already know that my decision to move to France's Auvergne had a lot to do with a certain drinks advert.
Back in the 1970s, Dubonnet was advertised with a slogan of, I think, "Way up there" to the sound of the achingly beautiful shepherd's song Bailero from Canteloube's Songs of the Auvergne. This link is far from being the best ever version of the song but it does have the advantage of showing you some of the stunning scenery of this very green region with its hopefully extinct volcanoes.
Having listened to the music, I'd long held a desire to visit the region and as soon as I did, it captured my heart. So I was amused on a recent guided walk round a little local town, Cunlhat, (and if you think it looks hard to pronounce, I can tell you the locals pronounce it nothing like it looks!) to come across this painted gable end, advertising Dubonnet!
It's rather ironic, as when I first began work as a cub reporter in Manchester, my editor was nicknamed Pissquick - you can guess why - and his wife was an alcoholic, whose favourite tipple was Dubonnet.
But that's another story - perhaps for the sequel to Sell the Pig!
Back in the 1970s, Dubonnet was advertised with a slogan of, I think, "Way up there" to the sound of the achingly beautiful shepherd's song Bailero from Canteloube's Songs of the Auvergne. This link is far from being the best ever version of the song but it does have the advantage of showing you some of the stunning scenery of this very green region with its hopefully extinct volcanoes.
Having listened to the music, I'd long held a desire to visit the region and as soon as I did, it captured my heart. So I was amused on a recent guided walk round a little local town, Cunlhat, (and if you think it looks hard to pronounce, I can tell you the locals pronounce it nothing like it looks!) to come across this painted gable end, advertising Dubonnet!
It's rather ironic, as when I first began work as a cub reporter in Manchester, my editor was nicknamed Pissquick - you can guess why - and his wife was an alcoholic, whose favourite tipple was Dubonnet.
But that's another story - perhaps for the sequel to Sell the Pig!
Thursday, August 2, 2012
A kitchen, a cushion and a lot of gingham
Because I couldn't get the blasted photo to swivel itself the right way round, here's a link to the blog of my good friend Fiona Ridley with some lovely photos of said cushion and all about how she made it for me. She's now taking commissions!
Thrilled to say that sales of Sell the Pig are creeping up nicely since the big giveaway last Friday. And it's also nice to see some more reviews coming in and especially reviews from people who are completely unknown to me. When one self-publishes, it's inevitable that the first people to buy and review tend to be family and friends so it's reassuring to hear that it seems to be going down as well with complete strangers as with those who already know, or know of, me.
In that greedy way of authors hungry for praise, would love to see some more so if you've not yet left a review, please do. Thanks.
Thrilled to say that sales of Sell the Pig are creeping up nicely since the big giveaway last Friday. And it's also nice to see some more reviews coming in and especially reviews from people who are completely unknown to me. When one self-publishes, it's inevitable that the first people to buy and review tend to be family and friends so it's reassuring to hear that it seems to be going down as well with complete strangers as with those who already know, or know of, me.
In that greedy way of authors hungry for praise, would love to see some more so if you've not yet left a review, please do. Thanks.
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Life in France after Sell the Pig
Thought it was about time I updated the blog as it seems to have gone very quiet on here lately.
Those of you who follow me on Twitter and Facebook will know that, some five years after the end of Sell the Pig I'm still happily living in France, though no longer at the Pink House, I plan to stay here, and recently celebrated my 60th birthday here in my own little "grottage".
I enjoy giving as much as receiving on my birthday, so to mark the occasion I gave away copies of Sell the Pig for the first and only time. Some 400+ new readers took advantage of the occasion to get their free copies, so I very much look forward to reading some more reviews.
Since living in France I've discovered the delights of Twitter and Facebook and have made many new friends, some in the flesh, some still as cyber-friends. And it turns out I have some very talented friends, judging by the marvellous presents I received.
Being totally useless at any form of crafts and completely unable to thread a needle or cast on to knitting needles or whatever, I was amazed at the stunning hand-made crochet cushion from my clever friend Fiona Ridley, whose stunning crafty skills you can discover for yourself at her blog KnitKnatKnotUK.
Also in the picture is the gorgeous fan sent to me by my soul sister Kay, back in UK, because while poor old UK has been freezing and drowning, we've been languishing in temperatures well into the 30s.
As usual, I do hope you will take the time to add your comments here and please, if you haven't already done so, do please add your review for Sell the Pig on the Amazon site from which you bought it. Thanks.
Those of you who follow me on Twitter and Facebook will know that, some five years after the end of Sell the Pig I'm still happily living in France, though no longer at the Pink House, I plan to stay here, and recently celebrated my 60th birthday here in my own little "grottage".
I enjoy giving as much as receiving on my birthday, so to mark the occasion I gave away copies of Sell the Pig for the first and only time. Some 400+ new readers took advantage of the occasion to get their free copies, so I very much look forward to reading some more reviews.
Since living in France I've discovered the delights of Twitter and Facebook and have made many new friends, some in the flesh, some still as cyber-friends. And it turns out I have some very talented friends, judging by the marvellous presents I received.
Being totally useless at any form of crafts and completely unable to thread a needle or cast on to knitting needles or whatever, I was amazed at the stunning hand-made crochet cushion from my clever friend Fiona Ridley, whose stunning crafty skills you can discover for yourself at her blog KnitKnatKnotUK.
And another very talented friend who is closer to home is Christine Phillips, who painted a beautiful water colour of my favourite rose, Wild Edric, taking proud centre stage in this photo. Christine runs the wonderful B&B and gite, Les Hirondelles, at Chabanol, barely an hour's drive from here, and you honestly couldn't find a nicer place to stay if you're visiting the Auvergne.
As usual, I do hope you will take the time to add your comments here and please, if you haven't already done so, do please add your review for Sell the Pig on the Amazon site from which you bought it. Thanks.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Famous author of Sell the Pig, Tottie Limejuice
Some authors have to wait for years after their demise to get this sort of recognition, but I just had to share what my friends David and Tiger have been up to ;)
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Another review of Sell the Pig from Goodreads
When it comes to all things t'internet, I'm a bit slow on the uptake, as you'll have gathered if you've either read Sell the Pig or followed any of my witterings on either Twitter or Facebook. Which is why I've only just discovered that there are some more reviews for Sell the Pig on the Goodreads site, including one which I hadn't yet seen myself.
So for anyone who doesn't have access for that site and who might be interested, I'll post it here. It's a kind 3-star review from Clair whom I don't know, I don't think, but who, like me, made the move from Lincolnshire to France. Clair says:
This is the story of a lady who makes the move from rural Lincolnshire - like myself - to rural France - like myself. Though the similarities between us end there.
Whereas I came over here as a fresh-faced 22 year-old dragging a couple of suitcases along on a Eurolines coach, Tottie makes the move much later on in life, together with her 90-year old mother, who suffers from vascular dementia, and her brother and his depressed dipsomania. Oh, and we mustn't forget Meic, her epileptic dog. All of them, with a nurse and carer accompanying them for the trip, in a motorhome and an old van.
It's a very touching read that takes us back to Tottie's childhood and around the UK and France, as we learn about her family and her later quest for a new home, somewhere to live her dream and let her mother enjoy one final adventure. Tottie's style is open and honest, raising a smile here and touching a nerve there.
I have to admit I was a little bit disappointed not to learn more about their actual life in France - this book is really about the search for their new home and how they make their move, but I guess that means that the adventures they experienced once settled in the Auvergne are all to come. Now I've followed them this far on their journey, I do hope that their is a future episode and we get to find out how it all worked out for them.
Thanks for the review, Clair, really appreciate you taking the time to write it, as one Yellowbelly to another, albeit adoptive, one.
So for anyone who doesn't have access for that site and who might be interested, I'll post it here. It's a kind 3-star review from Clair whom I don't know, I don't think, but who, like me, made the move from Lincolnshire to France. Clair says:
This is the story of a lady who makes the move from rural Lincolnshire - like myself - to rural France - like myself. Though the similarities between us end there.
Whereas I came over here as a fresh-faced 22 year-old dragging a couple of suitcases along on a Eurolines coach, Tottie makes the move much later on in life, together with her 90-year old mother, who suffers from vascular dementia, and her brother and his depressed dipsomania. Oh, and we mustn't forget Meic, her epileptic dog. All of them, with a nurse and carer accompanying them for the trip, in a motorhome and an old van.
It's a very touching read that takes us back to Tottie's childhood and around the UK and France, as we learn about her family and her later quest for a new home, somewhere to live her dream and let her mother enjoy one final adventure. Tottie's style is open and honest, raising a smile here and touching a nerve there.
I have to admit I was a little bit disappointed not to learn more about their actual life in France - this book is really about the search for their new home and how they make their move, but I guess that means that the adventures they experienced once settled in the Auvergne are all to come. Now I've followed them this far on their journey, I do hope that their is a future episode and we get to find out how it all worked out for them.
Thanks for the review, Clair, really appreciate you taking the time to write it, as one Yellowbelly to another, albeit adoptive, one.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Book reviews - have your say about Sell the Pig
I know it can be a real grunt writing reviews on Amazon. I've had some really lovely kind ones for Sell the Pig there myself and I'd really love to reply to them there but incredibly, although I've bought things from the site under my pen name, it won't let me post replies.
It's probably because I haven't bought Sell the Pig from there. I gladly would buy my own book, just so I could personally thank everyone who's taken the time and trouble. But although I have an account (several, in fact) and have downloaded a Kindle app, I somehow can't get Amazon to see the right Kindle for the right account. It's almost certainly my fault because I'm a muppet, but I still haven't found out how to overcome the problem.
So I thought it might be a nice idea to reproduce the reviews here on the blog and invite people to add their comments. It's a much friendlier forum here so if you're a bit shy, this is a great place to have your say. And don't forget, I really need your feedback so I can start working on the first of the sequels or prequels or whatever they turn out to be.
I did mention in Sell the Pig that I had a working title of Biff the Useless Mention, which is still a possibility, although at the moment I'm leaning towards Is That Billinge Lump?
So come on, all you kind and lovely people, what are your thoughts? What would you like to know more about? Which bits did you enjoy most and what were the bits you didn't like? One reviewer thought it was a bit boring in places. Did you? If so, which places? I need you to work with me if I'm going to do better next time!
Meanwhile, here's the first of the promised reviews. I'll reproduce them in the order they appeared on Amazon, and this is from the very lovely @BubblyNatz with whom I chat often on Twitter. It's a 5-star review posted on20 Feb 2012 and entitled Sell The Pig - bugger!!!:
If you are an avid reader and an avid reader of true stories then you will love Sell the Pig! It is both lighthearted and heartfelt! The author regales you with her tales of her mother and brother, beloved dog and touches on earlier and later parts of her life too! Which all in all leaves you wanting more.Please do give this book a go you won't regret it and like me will be urging the author to write more!
Thanks so much, Natz. So, everyone else, do you agree? Please leave your comments below. Thanks.
It's probably because I haven't bought Sell the Pig from there. I gladly would buy my own book, just so I could personally thank everyone who's taken the time and trouble. But although I have an account (several, in fact) and have downloaded a Kindle app, I somehow can't get Amazon to see the right Kindle for the right account. It's almost certainly my fault because I'm a muppet, but I still haven't found out how to overcome the problem.
So I thought it might be a nice idea to reproduce the reviews here on the blog and invite people to add their comments. It's a much friendlier forum here so if you're a bit shy, this is a great place to have your say. And don't forget, I really need your feedback so I can start working on the first of the sequels or prequels or whatever they turn out to be.
I did mention in Sell the Pig that I had a working title of Biff the Useless Mention, which is still a possibility, although at the moment I'm leaning towards Is That Billinge Lump?
So come on, all you kind and lovely people, what are your thoughts? What would you like to know more about? Which bits did you enjoy most and what were the bits you didn't like? One reviewer thought it was a bit boring in places. Did you? If so, which places? I need you to work with me if I'm going to do better next time!
Meanwhile, here's the first of the promised reviews. I'll reproduce them in the order they appeared on Amazon, and this is from the very lovely @BubblyNatz with whom I chat often on Twitter. It's a 5-star review posted on
If you are an avid reader and an avid reader of true stories then you will love Sell the Pig! It is both lighthearted and heartfelt! The author regales you with her tales of her mother and brother, beloved dog and touches on earlier and later parts of her life too! Which all in all leaves you wanting more.Please do give this book a go you won't regret it and like me will be urging the author to write more!
Thanks so much, Natz. So, everyone else, do you agree? Please leave your comments below. Thanks.
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