Update

[altariel]

Things are busy around here... we're moving from our home of fourteen years to another place across town. We've been in the new place just over a week and have carried across the necessities (TV, cooking gear, coffee pot) with the rest (sofas, Daleks, books) to follow. We got a new bed, which collapsed. What larks.

A major book cull (of 600 books) has been completed, and the Amnesty Bookshop is the lucky recipient. (I tried to donate them to Oxfam, but the guy who rang up to collect them was so rude with me that I decided I'd rather give them to a local independent book dealer. I don't think it's reasonable for someone to get cross with me because I'm not at home during working hours for him to drop by that moment on the off-chance. I wasn't expecting gratitude, but I was expecting to be able to arrange a mutually convenient time for all concerned.)

But enough about all that. On to more interesting things.

Please go and buy Behind the Sofa, a wonderful book stuffed full of celebrities memories about Doctor Who, all in aid of Alzheimer's Research UK. Seriously beautiful, and with some fantastic contributors.

In other news...

The anthology Dark Currents, which contains my short piece "In Tauris" is now available for preorder. And if you're at Eastercon, come to the launch party, 5pm, Friday 6th. Be there or be elsewhere.

The Worlds of Deep Space Nine series is getting a German release (as six individual novels rather than three anthologies of two) with beautiful new cover art. Take a look here.

Thank you to shezan and green_maia for my blue dragons!

OK, that's all for now. Have to go and write things down.

Comments

[uitlander]

I was wondering whether to say something as what looked uncannily like your house was listed on rightmove when a friend was showing me possible places. Good luck with the new place. How exciting.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Ha, yes, there it is! The new place is grand. Once we're a bit more settled and the semester is out of the way you'll have to come round.

(Will you be at Eastercon?)

[uitlander]

That sounds like a wonderful plan!

Yes, I'll be at Eastercon, although I've decided not to stay in the hotel and will be in a Travelodge instead. I'm heading down by train on the Friday if you want to co-incide travel plans.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Coordinating would be good. We're staying in the overflow hotel, and the plan is to head down some time on Friday (aiming to be there well before the book launch at 5pm).

[uitlander]

You have a book launch? Cool!

This sounds like a possible plan. My original thoughts were to head down to London leaving between 9 and 10, take train & tube to Heathrow Central and then use a bus in the free travel zone to get to the hotel with an ETA of lunch time. Could go a bit later if you prefer. I'd wanted to allow time to work around bank holiday weekend public transport timetables.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

An anthology in which I have a short story is being launched.

That was pretty much my plan for travel, although I'd lean towards a 10am departure rather than 9am!

[uitlander]

I feel my first 'con purchase of the season coming on.

I suppose, as i'ts for you an' everything, I could inconvenience myself and have an extra hour or so in bed ;-)

[altariel.livejournal.com]

:-D

[iainjcoleman.livejournal.com]

Hope Jefferson isn't too lonely. Whereabouts is the new gaff?

[altariel.livejournal.com]

We popped by today and Jefferson was doing fine. I think he's enjoying the attention from the house viewings. The new gaff is just over Hills Road bridge going out of town: fantastic bus routes, right by the station, across the road from the cinema.

[trixieleitz]

Not far from where I used to be, then! Enjoy!

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Not far from where you used to be at all!

(Less salubriously, there was a stabbing on Coronation Street on Friday night. The area was sealed off when we went past on the bus yesterday morning.)

[trixieleitz]

Aaaaack!

[altariel.livejournal.com]

A couple of guys under arrest. I think there were other connected incidents in Market Square, and Fen Ditton.

[drasecretcampus.livejournal.com]

Convenient for Plurabelle Books - though I presume the secret would be to browse online and go in to buy as they forbade me from looking at the actual shelves.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

The time I went there was nobody about, so I wandered around the shelves happily until someone noticed I was there and came and hauled me out.

[gair.livejournal.com]

I think he's enjoying the attention from the house viewings.

Loving this idea. Hope everything goes brilliantly, and wish I could be at the launch, as you know I think 'In Tauris' is a masterpiece.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

He's a big old show off that Dalek. Bless you for being lovely about "In Tauris" and I wish you could be there too.

[fallingtowers.livejournal.com]

Heh. That's where my B&B was when I came to visit Cambridge last May. The bus / proximity to the train station was very convenient indeed.

Best of luck with the move! Hope it won't upset the resident Daleks. :)

Also, I'll be at that launch party! \0/

[altariel.livejournal.com]

And I can get round to the university library in 15 minutes. Fab.

Also, I'll be at that launch party! \0/

Hurray!

[narie.livejournal.com]

I used to work for Amnesty, and I can guarantee you that they'll take better care of your books than Oxfam. Well, or at least they would've back in the day, but they had people who actually knew what books were worth and were very used to dealing with sizable collections. Theere was a management change a while ago, however, so the place may not be as awesome anymore :(

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Amnesty was my first choice, but there was a delay in them getting back to me - for very good reasons, but I wanted to make sure I had a back-up in case I ran out of time. I tried another small local charity, but they couldn't cope with that amount of books.

Oxfam was my last resort, and when the Amnesty folks were able to get back to me and name a time that suited, I was very relieved. After that phone call I wouldn't have given them to Oxfam anyway, and would have spoken to one of the market stall guys to come and get them. I'm really glad to have your inside info that they'll take good care of them. The only downside is that it's one of my favourite charity bookshops (still awesome) and it'll be flooded with stuff I don't want for ages!

[uitlander]

I know the person who does the Archaeology & Science Fiction for the local Oxfam. She doesn't sort out the collection and delivery side of things, and does complain quite loudly and frequently about how some of the other volunteers behave towards donors. I'll let her know they cocked up on this one.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I got the impression that the guy who was doing their pick-ups for them was fitting it in between other paid work. So I did understand that he rang to see whether I happened to be on the spot when he was in town... but then I wasn't impressed how annoyed he got because I wasn't immediately available for his convenience (are many people likely to be at home during working hours?). He pretty much refused to schedule a time to collect until I asked him who his contact at Oxfam was and what his name was.

I have a feeling they actually might be paying him to do these pick-ups, in which case they need to find someone else. Because it's not on whether you're operating as a charity or as a business. If this is helpful information for your friend, do pass it on.