moosifer jones's lair & grouch – online home & blog of Mags L Halliday

This Timewatch on the Boxer War is a fairly good grounding, for anyone wanting a basic history. It contains a George Morrison who seems to owe a fair bit to Brendon Fraser in The Mummy but I can live with that.  One of the talking heads, Diane Preston, wrote the book I used a lot for research on Warring States as she is very good at outlining the issues and actions taken.

At the chap’s at the weekend, I bemoaned Timewatch being on opposite Strictly Come Dancing with the comment “I’ve read books on that!”. To which the chap’s flatmate’s response was “You wrote a book on that”. It’s odd the extent to which, once a book is done, the historical topic becomes an interest divorced from that research process. I know I read this article and associated leader on the Internationales at the weekend – and the many articles over the last seven years about the reconciliation work going on in Spain – with fascination. I suspect the fiction set in those periods acts as a focus for my research, rather than a catalyst. The catalyst is just curiosity about something and a desire to learn more. I still have the Border Reivers on my research list, and have done for about six years, but there’s yet to be a focal point to trigger the active reading around them.

You! Yeah, you! The ones who have read Warring States. Did you know you can vote for it and give it a lovely ranking? Not just at amazon dot co dot uk, but at places like The TARDIS library or Shannon’s DW rankings. Sadly, you can’t actually vote often, on account of the guys who run those sites being wise to authors just voting themselves lots of 9s.

Warring States is now available from amazon.co.uk at the rather lovely price of nine English pounds and tuppence. Isn’t that lovely, reasonable and all those other fabulous words? And it’s eligible for free shipping if you can think of something for a tenner you also want to buy from Amazon. You could add an album by the Hives and a copy of Wide Sargasso Sea and have change from 25 quid. Or you could pre-order the new Franz Ferdinand album and wait a week or so for My Lovely Novel to be delivered to your very door! Or, if you’re like me, to your office desk because you won’t be in when the delivery guy calls.

American Amazonians can now get Warring States for twelve of your American dollars, plus a few dimes.

This is great news to me, after the con merchant was trying to flog it for more than thirty quid, as I can now happily point anyone who asks towards Amazon and there is the faint chance that, you know, they may actually not only buy but read a copy.

I am happy.

History 101 is now ‘available’ from Tesco which makes me feel slightly odd. It does say delivery takes 28 days, whereas play.com goes for 24 hours so play.com remains the best option.

Meanwhile I have been sending off press releases and putting up posters for the Warring States talk. The space at the bookshop is not huge – perhaps 12 people in chairs and any extra (ha!) in the overspill room – but that does mean if it’s just friends who show I won’t be staring at an empty room. I think I have about 20 minutes material (intro to boxer rebellion, intro to Faction Paradox, a couple of readings) which leaves me 5 minutes for the inevitable overrun, 5 to stare into the howling abyss which follows my “any questions?”, and half an hour to socialise, chat, look at the photography exhibition. At some point I’d better get my notes in order…

Some capitalist scumbag bastard is trying to sell Warring States on Amazon.co.uk for a staggeringly stupid UKP29.99. This is a TOTAL and UTTER con and I’ll be looking to find a way to stop it. Bear in mind the US price is USD15.95 (approx UKP10) so this piece of scum is trying to sell the book at three times its cover price. I don’t want my name connected to an exploitative little tosser like this seller. “Cake please”? I’ll give you cake and I’ll stuff it in your mouth till you choke.

If you want to get a first hand copy in the UK, try the following sites, all of whom offer the book from between UKP10.99 and UKP15.99:
The Comic Guru Presents
Galaxy Four
Burtons
The Who Shop
Forbidden Planet (currently sold out of WS at Shaftsbury Ave. but are restocking, apparently)

Hells, if they are all sold out, ask me because I’ve got over ten copies stacked up downstairs waiting to be sent out. But don’t buy from this wanker on amazon.co.uk.

Warring States can now be ordered via Amazon.com with a rather nice 32% discount and eligible for the thingy discount delivery (Kelly – do NOT order it, love).