life is a journey
So let's hit the road
January is a fantastic time to vacation in the Caribbean, particularly when there is snow on the ground in outer London; and Anguilla is a fabulous island to visit, with its many unspoilt beaches, good hotels and restaurants, and wonderful people. Of course, I was not on holiday – honestly, Mr Accountant! – this was a research trip to flesh out locations and flavour for “Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing”, my crime novel set on Anguilla, which is on its edited and revised fifth draft.
I was also aiming to promote my self-published memoir, “First Memories”, about my father’s four months as a police officer on the island in 1969, and about my first trip there after his death in 2012. I took a dozen copies of the Amazon-available-only book in my luggage which I had aimed to leave at Anguilla’s National Heritage Centre for its owner, Mr Colville L. Petty, to sell and provide funds for the museum. Unfortunately, however, I discovered that the Heritage Centre has permanently closed, with Mr Petty unable to run it himself at his advanced age. My fall-back position was to visit “The Anguillian” newspaper, whose editor Nat Hodge was kind enough to talk to me thirteen years ago and even put a story about me in that week’s edition, entitled ‘British Invader’s Son Visits Island’. However, like Mr Petty, Mr Hodge is also a lot older and frailer now, and so I am unable to see him when I call into the paper’s office in The Valley, Anguilla’s capital. Luckily though, the receptionist at “The Anguillian”, Monique Webster, was not just sympathetic, but very enthusiastic. She agreed to take some copies of “First Memories” for the display of books about Anguilla on sale in the reception area. But, more importantly, she gets on the phone to her uncle, who just happens to be the Premier of Anguilla, Dr Ellis Webster, telling me I should pay him a visit. Fifteen minutes later, I am sitting with Monique in the Premier’s office, discussing my book – which he now has an autographed copy of - and hearing Dr Ellis’s own stories of the Anguillian revolution and the subsequent British invasion as a boy of six. A fantastic and privileged experience. On top of that, Monique also knows the assistant to the Royal Anguillian Police’s Commissioner, Robert Clarke, and gets me into the force’s headquarters to meet him too. Mr Clarke is a down-to-earth Ulsterman –the Harland & Wolf crane models on his desk are a give-away – and a fan of crime fiction. He was interested in the memoir about my police officer father, but more intrigued about my, as-yet unpublished, novel, which has chapters set in the building in which I was sitting. Invaluable flavour provided for my writing. I think Monique was disappointed not to be able take me around to see more sights and people. Though she did also introduce me to her cousin, Jamie Hodge, who is an aspiring politician; and to Evan Webster – another relative – who is an Anguillian country singer (and a very good one). After that, I was left with just four copies of “First Memories” and had already secured an appointment to talk to the owner of the island’s sole bookshop, Coral Reef Bookstore, to take some of them. Dawn Reid’s store is on the ground floor at the back of her lovely, detached home on the road from The Valley towards Little Harbour. It is a very pleasant establishment, with a good selection of books for adults and children, and a shelf for Anguillian stories, which will now contain my small memoir. Dawn is very complementary about my book, and enthusiastic about my crime novel plans. She only takes two copies, as she suggests I gift the remaining two to the Anguilla Public Library, but says she can easily order extra copies for sale via Amazon. Dawn also recommends two books by another author who has written fiction about the Anguillian Revolution, Montague Kobbe, both of which I buy. My final half-day on Anguilla, I visit the Public Library to donate the last copies of “First Memories”. It is lunchtime, so the place is empty aside from one lady who listens to my tale and is very welcoming. Happy to accept the two books, she calls down the head of the library to meet me too and they take a photo of me to use on the website to promote their new acquisitions. They also promise to have a launch party when my crime novel is published. So, mission accomplished. All my books distributed and some great Anguillian contacts made for the future. Monique comes up trumps again as well, putting a review of “First Memories” in that week’s edition of the newspaper. Now, I just need to finish the crime novel’s revisions and find myself an agent and publisher … Anguilla all primed to receive it! END
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorJon has travelled across the world but tends to gravitate back to the USA most frequently as he has so many good friends living there. Archives
January 2025
Categories |