Good news all round

Had such great and surprising episodes through The Purple Rose and I’ve had so much to do that I quite forget to keep this blog up to date! I took the plunge and went for a 2nd print run in January  so in between stuff to do with the novel, I had a poem published in this years’ Best of Manchester Poets by Puppywolf and, at the launch reading, a woman I vaguely recognised came up and asked to buy the book. I had no copies on me then, but the result of that meeting was that she read the book and recommended it to her reading circle,who invited me to come and talk to them.

How good is that? I’m going to speak to five other groups in Manchester and a church women’s group in Cheshire. Of course it’s lovely to talk about it and about the writing of it but the most fascinating experience (apart from the Radio Manchester interview) was when I dragged my husband out with me to Chapel en le Frith, Derbyshire (on a day when it had just stopped snowing). Lyndsey Noden, owner of the new book shop there called ‘Reading Matters‘ fell in love with the book and laid on a cheese and wine evening where I spoke, signed the book and, most important of all, met the owner’s 90 year old mother.A sprightly woman who, on reading the book, told Lyndsey about her job ,way back,as a youngster at a Jewish owned factory where she learnt a lot about Jewish life. She experienced so much  nostalgia which The Purple Rose brought to her- but also shared these memories with her daughter as a result.

What else  Oh yes. Just heard that a local library specifically recommended it to someone I know. What a thrill that was. And of course I am still turning out articles on Judaism for the local newspaper, The Messenger, on behalf of the Interfaith Group.It’s quite a different thing to do but I enjoy it; I think I’ve had 6 pieces in so far. that’s it for now.