Small world or big hands... (or Welcome to Serendipity City).

Categories: uncategorized

Date: 12 January 2005 20:38:42

So it's been a plan for me to meet up with someone for what I thought would be a low key interview about the book... (Which I hardly ever seem to talk about on here so I shall today...)

Brief recap: I started to write Dr Sylver and the Library of Everything a couple of years ago, it was published in September to good reviews and occasional flurries of interest :) People who I respect and like have said nice things about it like 'awesome', 'tremendous' and other pleasant words to hear when they're talking about something you're worked on. Since then it's been a constant list of things being done, emailing contacts, asking the publisher to post the book to various people that sort of thing. Generally it's been a blast, and certainly a highlight of a year where I was made redundant three times and other up and down events...

OK back to the now bit :) I'd been asked to come up to London to meet someone who would write an interview. So far, so pleasant, seemed like a nice way to spend a day. Then through an increasingly enjoyable series of emails the writer and I found that we had loads in common, primarily a love of computer games. Helped me feel at ease. Not only that but it seems we both liked the book in question :P

Anyway, the day started abysmally. Autistic son has been coming down with a flu-ey type of bug which has resulted in increasingly tricksome behaviour. Instead of carefully planned organising I had to try and help calm things down, while getting daughter ready for the school run. Then walked her to school. Topping it all off my throat was beginning to feel pretty unpleasant as well. So far, so not to plan.

Then it all started to click. Met a couple of parents in the playground who offered me a lift to the train station. The moment I was dropped off I met up with another friend (PA to the Bishop of Egypt donchaknow :) ) who was also going to London, so we stood and chatted on the train and generally had a very pleasant time. Met up with the contact relatively easily (apparently there are two Costa coffee shops at London Victoria, fairly quickly sorted) and we had a really cool chat about computer games and the like. Was aces. Normally the only games chit chat I get to do is at youth group, and then it often revolves around GTA San Andreas and why I'm not keen. so was good to speak with someone my own age about it all... What I also didn't mention, although I expect it was a shared feeling, is that in my ten years and over in the games industry I've worked with one other Christian and known of two others. To add another name to the list (although I'm not specifically in the industry any more) is great.

Tubed into town. Went to Trocadero, he beat me on Initial D, I think I beat him at Raiden (although that was collaborative, but I had the higher score :) not that I'm Mr competitive here but I HAD THE HIGHEST SCORE), he beat me at Outrun 2 on the last stage (gutting) and I trounced him at Air Hockey. Although, as the review has yet to be written I feel I ought to point out that I felt he seemed to be having an off day. Then he had one go on Dance Dance Revolution and if I'd taken him on at that he would have wiped the floor with me, so happy to watch I was.

spoke for a couple of hours about the book and all sorts, had lovely meal at Wagamamas, waddled over to Computer Exchange (sorely tempted by Pro Ev 4 for Xbox but shouldn't so didn't -sigh). Also had a quick blast on the Nintendo DS which is just excellent. One day.. oh yes....

Just such a hugely pleasant day. Topping it all off chatting about one of the endorsements I'd been hoping for (mainly because I'm very fond of the people I'm seeking the opinion of) it turned out that the contact we had was a shared contact, having lived a couple of hundred yards from my house a few years back and now going to the same church as the guy interviewing me. All told, serendipitous all round. I wrote a quick note for the potential endorsee: Either it's a small world or God has big hands...

Got home and Stephen was miles better than this morning and went to bed easily and back to normal. Sat here and typed a couple of words ( :@) ) and now ready to sleep like a lump.

Currently listening to: Nicki Rogers: Feeder Lane (By accident. Meant to put something else on but clicked the wrong link, but it's a nice way to wind my ears down for the night..) Currently playing: No energy. Playing the counting sheep game. Probable high score today: 8.5