Category Archives: Author Diana Jackson

March 19, 2024 · 9:28 am

The Joy of Author Talks

Today, Monday 18th March, I am looking forward to talking to The Monday Group who meet at the Erskine Church in Burntisland. I enjoy talking to folks about something interesting and sharing news about my writing. There’s something special about talking to potential readers face to face.

The most unusual author talk I ever gave was following a picnic with The Weston Shore Society sitting beside Southampton Water; evocative of scenes in Ancasta.

Weston Shore Southampton

Here’s a blog I wrote about talks a while back and why I love giving them:

“On Wednesday I took a trip out to the far reaches of Fife, to the wee town of Auchtermuchty. I think I can even roll my ch’s and pronounce this lovely name correctly. It is set in beautiful, I was going to say rolling countryside, making the journey from where I live quite enjoyable.

If you are an author and you have never given a talk, I can highly recommend it. Around thirty ladies and gentlemen were so appreciative and attentive, that it was such a pleasure experience.

My talk this time was ‘Early Female Aviators.’ When I say early, I mean around WW1, and even before.

I hope I come a long way in redressing the balance in the knowledge of these daring, invincible and determined ladies of the past, who also overcame prejudices, which we would find hard to imagine today.

I end this talk by showing an amateur video (taken by myself) of clips of the old aircraft at The Shuttleworth Collection, Bedfordshire, which I have already shared with you a couple of time on this blog.

A virtual Tour of The Shuttleworth Collection

which has a vivid description of an extra special air display we attended back in 2012.

…and here’s a little video on my Facebook Page.“

A woman today came up afterwards and said that seeing the video brings the daring feats of these women aviators to life.

Anyway, I would like to thank the folks of Erskine Church, Burntisland, Auchtermuchty and also Cupar Probus for their warm welcome, and being such attentive audiences.

“One wonderful thing about giving an author talk is, if it is successful, you invariably meet someone who invites you to a different venue at a later date.

Ce La Vie!”

Interesting that todays talk began with a small service, as did a talk I gave a few years back in Kirkcaldy. I think it was rather special.

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March 5, 2024 · 12:51 pm

Copyright Issues ~ Seeking Advice

image my Freepik

Eventispress hopes to publish the prequel to my debut novel Riduna late on in 2024.

Background

It was written by my parents at the same time as I wrote Riduna, and was published by The Daily Mail in one of their offers to publish a book and print half a dozen copies for the author for £50. There was no ISBN.

Mum and Dad gave out copies to close family members, but they were always concerned that they did not manage to put in any conversation. They tried, but couldn’t quite make it work. When Dad was first suffering with Dementia I thought it might be a great stimulating activity to work on it with them both, but sadly Covid came along and it was impossible to do so.

I decided a year ago to get the novella out again and work on it, as a tribute to both of my parents, who I sadly lost during Covid. Once it had been edited, I sent it over to the Alderney Society to give it a read through, just in case there were any historical bloomers, but then I thought of copyright issues.

What did I do next?

First I wrote to The Society of Authors, of which I am a member. They have an excellent team who look into legal matters for their clients. Their response was that I needed permission from my sister, the only other beneficiary of my parents’ estate, but also from the Daily Mail.

What happened?

I searched through the website of The Daily Mail to find a suitable person to write to. Having chosen the best fit, I worded my email carefully and sent it off, with no idea when I might receive a reply. To my surprise I had a lovely email within a fortnight, giving my permission to go forward for publication, with a statement to write on the copyright page of the books:

“An earlier version of the novella “Heaven on Earth” was published with the Daily Mail in 2009. Permission to republish has been given by the Daily Mail and Christine Rychlewski, Diana’s sister.”

And finally …

The final step now is a cover designer and off for publication.

Eventually, I will sell the book as a tribute to my parents, Patricia and Arthur Jackson, with all profits to The Alderney Society.

Watch this space!

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February 20, 2024 · 9:44 am

The Private Life of Spies ~ The Missing Years

Recently I posted a link to one of my blog posts on my personal Facebook Page, rather than my author Facebook page. Why? because it was about my own life in a series and of family history posts but it was personal too:

Diana Mary Jackson (1958) ~ Alderney
I was reflecting on having a letter about receiving my old age pension.

It prompted the comments:

A friend: “Why are there no photos of you between 16yrs and 50 yrs?

Another friend replied: “Diana let slip over a glass of red wine once, that she was a spy!’

This made me laugh, especially as Alexander Mc Call’s Private Life of Spies was sat on my bedside table, only just opened. (I will review it next week, when I’ve read the final short story, which has been a much needed light interlude, I must say!)

And so I searched old photos, to come up with ones in the in between years:

In my 20’s, teaching in Aylesbury
In my 30’s ~ what do you think of the hair?
The bottom one is flying a glider on my 40th, top in Madeira

I then planned some trips to far flung places; teaching in Sri Lanka, visiting family in Australia and then on to the USA where my niece was studying. (Do you like the Pretty Woman pose in LA?) I grew my hair longer for these trips, so that I could tie it back:

My next far flung adventure was to South America with my niece:

My family in Australia say that I go on adventures when I have a crisis in my life!

At the end of my forties, getting married changed my world for the better, except that contentment made me put on weight, which I’ve battled with ever since.

Here’s a special photo of of one of my last days in Bedfordshire before heading north to Fife:

Oh dear, the final days at Barnfield College

Happy memories of a great bunch of colleagues, more like one big happy family really, until we were broken up by cut backs and redundancies.

Hence:

The Healing Paths of Fife ~ A Fantasy Memoir

On Amazon

Currently sold in aid of The Kirkcaldy Foodbank. Over £750 profits donated to local charities so far.

Yes, I have thought of writing a spy novella inspired by a trip to Cuba, but I’ve never been a spy. With an author it’s all in the mind, you see!

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