The Good, the Bad, and the Lurgies
I’ve been really sick this week, but not dead yet so things are looking up again. It’s because I’ve been overly gung ho about drinking the tap water here after everyone warned me not to. I reckoned that the news reports of this municipality happily dispensing crap in the water supply didn’t apply to me. Well. Bottled water for me from now on, and I really don’t recommend cholera, no matter how “mild”, as a new way to diet. I’m still not feeling a hundred percent, so I’m going to take it easy for another couple of days, and not allow myself to zoom around too soon. Anyway.
Before I was taken down in my prime, I had the most fantastic birthday ever on Saturday. Thanks to the most wonderful friends on the planet, turning fifty was actually a lot cooler than I expected it to be. I learned that one guy can singlehandedly ingest a small chilli and garlic plantation on Portuguese buns and live to tell the tale, and that you’re never too old for pressies, choccies, champers, good buddies and laughter. I remember my fortieth birthday as being a bit of a downer. It felt like I was officially middle-aged and that everything would be all downhill from there. Fifty is totally different. Apart from the recent invasion of the innards, I’ve never felt better. I certainly don’t feel old, and I’ve got no intention to swop the skinny jeans or heels for twinsets and slippers quite yet.
I have to do an emergency re-edit and format of African Me & Satellite TV now. I thought that it was in really good shape, and that Shadow People would be the one with hidden typos or issues, but that’s just had another proofing and one typo was found. African Me apparently has quite a few issues, and I’m cringing with terror, so I’d better get to finding them. The second book in the Shadow People series is still a good way away from publishing, but my lovely furry friend and genius cover designer Chris Graham has finished the cover, so now the new book excitement has already started for me. It’s gorgeous! Thank you Chris!
Jo Robinson 
March 20, 2014 at 7:52 am
I hope you make a full recovery soon, and a belated happy birthday to you 🙂
LikeLike
March 20, 2014 at 8:01 am
Thank you lovely Alison! It was quite a bug, and it happens so fast that you don’t know whats hit you, but I’m going to be a lot more careful from now on – don’t fancy an encore of that. xxx 🙂
LikeLike
March 20, 2014 at 8:14 am
Sorry or hear you’ve been under par. Love that cover. It’s really cool.
Cheers
MTM
LikeLike
March 20, 2014 at 8:27 am
Thanks MTM! I must say – I’d rather have malaria as far as crap
symptoms go, and I feel more wobbly than I can remember. Chris is awesome – he totally gets what I see for my covers. Love that furry guy! ⭐ Sorry – need to get over the smileys. 😛
LikeLike
March 20, 2014 at 11:44 am
You smile as much as you like Jo – it’s YOUR BLOG LMFAO 😀
And Thanks to both of you regards the Cover – Jo describes things VERY well, so it makes my job easier 😀
LikeLike
March 20, 2014 at 1:11 pm
Thank you for not saying that I’m a demanding old coot! Now I’m going to have to write faster because I want number 3!
LikeLike
March 20, 2014 at 1:26 pm
Send the description over Jo 😀 😀 😀
LikeLike
March 20, 2014 at 1:33 pm
COOL! Doing it!
LikeLike
March 20, 2014 at 8:29 am
Please get well soon. The best of luck with your projects. 🙂
Blessings,
belsbror
LikeLike
March 20, 2014 at 8:32 am
Thank you so much! Blessings and Hugs to you! 🙂
LikeLike
March 20, 2014 at 8:50 am
Happy Belated Birthday! Hope you feel better soon and sending positive literary vibes for your re-editing x
LikeLike
March 20, 2014 at 10:30 am
Thank you my lovely friend! I’m needing those vibes right now – panic mode! XXXX
LikeLike
March 20, 2014 at 9:37 am
Happy birthday a bit late, and speedy recovery. In my early African days, I used to drink water from just about anywhere and never got sick from anything, but oh…after reading some water analysis and checked out what is really in there, I’ve become much more careful. I got some rough and rugged friends in the bush, and I’m the only wimp running around with bottled water, but oh well…
I could probably find this out from reading your blog, but where did you publish African Me and Satellite TV?
Cheers,
LikeLike
March 20, 2014 at 10:30 am
Stick to the bottled water – trust me! That tummy stuff is really 😳 African Me & Satellite TV is on Amazon, Createspace & Smashwords. Smashwords have distributed it to Apple, Sony, B&N & so on. 🙂
LikeLike
March 20, 2014 at 10:31 am
Did you self-publish it or did you go via a SA publishing house?
LikeLike
March 20, 2014 at 9:48 am
That is a fabulous cover — good luck with turning 50 and everything else!
LikeLike
March 20, 2014 at 10:26 am
Thank you Mira! 🙂 It really is fabulous – Chris is really great!
LikeLike
March 20, 2014 at 11:45 am
And blushes under his fur 😀
LikeLike
March 20, 2014 at 1:09 pm
🐻 That’s just cute now. 🙂
LikeLike
March 20, 2014 at 10:03 am
Thanks for the recommendations. Let me see if I remember – Chris Graham good, Shadow People – must read, cholera bad. Okay, I think I have them. And emergency edits for Satellite TV must not be too bad, I didn’t notice (hopefully not an indictment on me) Wonderful book!
LikeLike
March 20, 2014 at 10:25 am
LOL – you’re the coolest Mark! When Amazon loaded the paperback African Me from Createspace they loaded that as a kindle copy also where pieces of sentences went awol, and there were huge swaths of white space. They assure me they’ve taken it down now, but it’s too late for the guys who already have it – scary, scary! Some people have given it five stars but quite a few have said only four stars because it’s badly edited, so I’m well freaked out. I thought maybe a typo or a couple but not as bad as it seems now. 😦 And thank you some more! 🙂
LikeLike
March 20, 2014 at 10:27 am
Yes, it is hard to get everything right in both formats. Such is the life, eh? No wonder i didn’t notice since i had the Kindle copy.
LikeLike
March 20, 2014 at 10:35 am
True enough there Mark, although I’m not keen on anyone paying for my scribbles and finding them rotten. Never mind – learning all the time. 😉
LikeLike
March 20, 2014 at 10:37 am
I wholeheartedly agree! This is a grand adventure. I am amazed at how much I’ve learned in the past year. Me, an old dog.
LikeLike
March 20, 2014 at 10:43 am
It is a grand adventure! Now I’m grinning again! Of course we’re going to make oopses now and then – just have to read, repair, and run away! 🙂
LikeLike
March 20, 2014 at 10:36 am
Happy Belated Birthday! So sorry about the water. Hope you recover quickly.
LikeLike
March 20, 2014 at 10:42 am
Thanks Pamela! It was my own fault for thinking that I’m indestructible, and thinking that paying for water was a waste of money. 😀 Never again! xx
LikeLike
March 20, 2014 at 11:02 am
Belated happy birthday and I hope you feel better soon. That is an awesome cover. You know, I didn’t know ‘lurgies’ was a common word until now. I’d heard it in a Youtube video, but thought the guy made it up because I hadn’t heard anywhere else before or after until today.
LikeLike
March 20, 2014 at 11:11 am
Thanks Charles! I nearly fell off my chair when Chris emailed it to me – it’s perfect for the book. LOLOL! I’m not sure where that word comes from – I remember my mom calling tummy problems The Dreaded Lurgies. 😀 Ha haaaaa – funny! Like MTM’s phnark – I thought she made it up.
LikeLike
March 20, 2014 at 11:30 am
Apparently, it’s the British equivalent of what Americans call cooties.
LikeLike
March 20, 2014 at 1:16 pm
Cooties! I love that word! I’ve tried it out a couple of times around here, but I keep getting really nasty glares, so I stopped. 🙂
LikeLike
March 20, 2014 at 2:09 pm
It was a terror on the playground when I was a kid. Though I think it’s actually another word for a mysterious illness or something.
LikeLike
March 20, 2014 at 11:48 am
GET WELL SOOOOON JO (Dr.TSRA has ordered it) 🙂
LikeLike
March 20, 2014 at 1:08 pm
It will be done! I must admit a sudden aversion to drinking any sort of water – which is only to be expected considering my odd thought processes – but probably not healthy, as my second choices after water are generally intoxicating even while germ-killing. 😀
LikeLike
March 20, 2014 at 11:51 am
Reblogged this on Chris The Story Reading Ape's New (to me) Authors Blog and commented:
Turns 50 and STILL looks great, gets a LURGIE and is now recovering, Posts the new Shadow People Part 2 cover – This girl is UNSTOPPABLE 🙂
LikeLike
March 20, 2014 at 1:06 pm
Girl – like that word a LOT! 🙂 Thank you wonderful Furry Guy, and ESPECIALLY for that cover! It’s perfect!
LikeLike
March 20, 2014 at 2:18 pm
A belated Penblwydd Hapus wish Jo and I hope you soon get over what’s ailing you. A bout of that i no fun at all. Just be as Fantastic as Fifty as you normally are.
xxx Massive Hugs xxx
LikeLike
March 20, 2014 at 2:18 pm
Sorry to hear you have not been well Jo, and hope you are recovering nicely.. And really like your Book cover a lot.. Good luck with it 🙂 And last but not least.. a belated Happy Birthday.. I remember my half century was the best too 😉
LikeLike
March 20, 2014 at 2:42 pm
Reblogged this on Forget the Viagra, Pass Me a Carrot and commented:
Cholera and 50th birthday – what a week – still Jo makes it sound so matter of fact. And also an indication of what to expect with her stories.
LikeLike
March 20, 2014 at 4:17 pm
That is a great cover:)
Get well soon and happy belated 50th.
Turning 50, for me, was really exciting for some reason.
LikeLike
March 20, 2014 at 5:13 pm
I’m sorry to hear you’ve been ill. although it is nice to hear you are also getting better. when a number of people make a fuss of you it is hard to imagine a nicer or possibly humbling feeling, and a moment with friends, champers, chocolate, and in my case music, is hard to beat, whatever age you are.
LikeLike
March 20, 2014 at 7:03 pm
Reblogged this on Dog Bones From Our Frynds.
LikeLike
March 20, 2014 at 8:16 pm
Congratulations on the gorgeous book cover! Hope you are feeling better…bottled water all the way! Glad you are enjoying being 50! You are still a young’un…I’m 13 years ahead of you! Happy Birthday, Jo! 🙂
LikeLike
March 20, 2014 at 10:58 pm
Happy 50th Jo! I think we women underestimate the benefits of ageing. At 61 I feel as if I’ve entered the true golden years of my life. I’m now old enough to know what I want, brave enough to pursue it and young enough to enjoy every moment. I wish the same for you, and all ladies of ‘a certain age’. 😀
LikeLike
March 21, 2014 at 2:10 am
Congratulations on making it through the first half of the century! I hope that you find the second half even more fun, as you use all the wisdom that you earned. Hooray for continuing to be you as you cross the threshold of the new decade. What is it that fascinates us about certain numbers, anyway, like decades and quarters? I think that we are empowered by the collectively-agreed-upon, scheduled celebration.
I am impressed with your cover art. I especially like the placement of each element. It conveys to me the promise of intelligent sci fi with poetic language.
LikeLike
March 22, 2014 at 2:05 pm
True, true!! Now you put it into perspective – it’s all just numbers. I’m planning on living to be theeeee most crotchety old lady on the planet – looking forward to it. 😀 That’s what is so cool about Chris – he listens to the plot and takes note of key places and events in the story, and then he just nails it first time, every time. It’s been really good writing this one now, although I’m actually writing 3 & 4 too at the same time – so as not to lose the thread. And the research – love it! 🙂
LikeLike
March 21, 2014 at 2:33 am
1:Happy belated birthday greetings.
2: Sorry you’ve been ill.
3: Glad you’re feeling better.
4: typos – can’t live with ’em, can’t publish without ’em.
5: The new book cover looks beautiful.
6: Chris is certainly one talented artist.
LikeLike
March 22, 2014 at 2:01 pm
Thank you, thank you and thank you dear Cynthia! It’s a terrible shock to think that you have maybe one typo, and then find out that there are more. Really scary – just waiting for that dreaded one star review to pop up before I can load the reproofed version. Chris is so talented and wonderful, but heads for the treetops blushing into his bananas when he gets compliments most of the time. 🙂 xxxx
LikeLike
March 21, 2014 at 12:21 pm
So sorry you’ve not been well Jo, but glad to hear that you are recovering. Hope you’re back to full throttle very soon 🙂
Love the book cover, and yes, Chris is very talented indeed!
Ha Ha! Skinny jeans and heels…well, we both know where we stand with these – pardon the pun 🙂
And a fabulous 5oth! Wonderful! I landed myself in the hospital on my 40th (so not much fun there!) and was not in a good place in my life for a number of reasons but my 50th was much better so I know just what you mean about enjoying it. I had a party (first since I turned 19, and got to rock out with my grown kids!!!)
You are amazing, Lovely Jo…happy, happy belated birthday and now I know they don’t say Fifty and Fabulous for nothing looking at you 🙂 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 😉 🙂 😉 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Tons and tons of Birthday love and hugs to you 🙂 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
LikeLike
March 22, 2014 at 1:58 pm
I can just picture you rocking on into the night looking gorgeous Sherri! You certainly give meaning to the reverse ageing theory. I’m amazed at how long the tired / wobbly feeling has lasted with this thing, but I’m definitely better and overdosing on Vit C to try and stay awake. Thank you my lovely friend, and have a wonderful weekend with your wonderful love who you absolutely deserve! ❤ 🙂 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX LOVES and HUGS XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
LikeLike
March 22, 2014 at 7:14 am
Oh Jo, I’m so sorry you’re feeling so awful. I hope you feel better soon. I’m glad you had an awesome birthday. The cover is gorgeous! Chris did an excellent job! I’m so excited for you. I can’t wait for Shadow People 2: The Hunger to be available! 😉
LikeLike
March 22, 2014 at 1:54 pm
Thanks Vashti! I really love this cover too – I didn’t think I’d like any more than the first one but now I do. 🙂 xxxxxx
LikeLike
April 10, 2014 at 4:06 am
Happy birthday Jo…wishing you another 50 years on your journey. Love the cover!
LikeLike
April 10, 2014 at 9:48 am
Thanks Bev! Good to see you – I’ve been following the comments still rolling in on your Shadow People post. It’s really amazing all the differing opinions on those guys. 🙂 xx
LikeLike
April 10, 2014 at 8:00 pm
What a terrible thing to do to your water. I hope everything is resolved now and you’re feeling better. The new book cover is amazing.
LikeLike
April 13, 2014 at 12:48 pm
Thank you Carole! Chris Graham is a little psychic with seeing what you want in a cover I think. I found a shop in town that sells safe water on tap, so no more chances of the cholera. 🙂
LikeLike
April 24, 2014 at 5:46 am
Reblogged this on mihran Kalaydjian and commented:
The Good, the Bad, and the Lurgies
Very interesting!!!
LikeLike
April 24, 2014 at 6:46 am
Thank you Mihran! 🙂
LikeLike
April 24, 2014 at 8:10 am
Some years ago I had same experience with tap water: it took me 2 week to recover from the runs :-\
Hello Jo 🙂
LikeLike
April 24, 2014 at 8:26 am
Hello Niko! 🙂 It’s not a good way to have a body cleanse 😉 – just shows though, we put too much trust in the suppliers.
LikeLike
April 24, 2014 at 9:16 am
Yes, you’re right! 🙂 Have a nice day, Jo
LikeLike
April 25, 2014 at 11:45 am
Thank you Niko! And a lovely day to you too. 😉
LikeLike
April 25, 2014 at 2:22 pm
🙂
LikeLike
April 26, 2014 at 6:15 am
😉
LikeLike