9 September 2010

It seems that I might well have underplayed of my friend’s daughter’s book Sister. I suggested that she sent details to my friend in Dubai, Jeremy Brinton, who is managing director of Magrudy’s, who runs 13 book shops in the UAE.  He may well be interested in stocking this book –nothing ventured nothing, nothing gained. This is what she wrote:.

.           ‘…about our daughter’s novel, a psychological thriller. It is her debut, called SISTER by Rosamund Lupton. She has been extremely fortunate to be selected by Richard and Judy to be one of the eight        books chosen for their new Book Club this autumn, and SISTER is the first title to be promoted for two weeks. In the first week (2nd September when it was published – 8th September) WH Smith has        sold 22,000 copies, and in the first three days there were sales of 15,695 overall. This put her 12th in the Bookscan paperback fiction list for the week 29th Aug – 4th Sept which is a great start. She has also been translated and published in Holland, Germany and France (so far the Book Club edition only), and the USA will be publishing it early next year. BBC Radio 4 have chosen SISTER to be the         Book at Bedtime reading from 20th September for two weeks.’

Still no sign on my laptop so yet another call to customer services at Toshiba.  I ascertained that the repairs, so-called, had been carried out (probably not more than 15/20 minutes  to replace standard component parts) and that it will be dispatched within three working days.  Bear in mind that Toshiba were told almost a month ago when they picked up this laptop, that it was from a disabled person who totally relied upon voice activation for written communication.  Even at this late stage you would think they could have expedited the return, but no, it all has to grind through the system.  I am not impressed, indeed, even when  I informed the customer services agent that I had catalogued the whole sorry saga on my blog, which is read daily by a round 2500 people, throughout the world, they did not seem to concerned.

My OT, Sarah Moss popped in as ofternoon with a new gutter frame.  The original one had developed a rather alarming bend in one leg, no doubt from a me leaning heavily on it when negotiating steps.  She has made an application to Social Services for some sort of hoist for the bathroom which, at the end of the day, I cannot see how it can be turned down, bearing in mind that before very long I will have lost the use of both arms and legs, and even if I resorted to a commode, how would I get up from it?  My only fear is that Social Services will consider the proposition but only after an assessment on  site which may well take several months, which is something of  which I do not have a superfluity.