Heide and Iain's newsletter - Getting ready to be sociable with the world.

Published: Sat, 05/15/21

Heide and Iain’s Newsletter

Fiction and general silliness

Iain: Hello, {{ subscriber.first_name | capitalize() or "friend" }}. We’re thinking about being sociable today.

Heide: Are we?

Iain: Even during in lockdown we’ve been a bit sociable with each other and sitting outside to talk nonsense and plan books together.

Heide: It has been weird being collaborative authors where we’ve not been allowed to be physically indoors with each other for the best part of a year.

Iain: But we’ve also been sociable, with each other and other people virtually. I have done sooo many zoom based quizzes this year with family and school colleagues and my old pub quiz team.

Heide: I have actually met some new people that I have been zooming with. A group of vintage sewing machine enthusiasts who get together and play with sewing machines while chatting. We make things on the calls as well. Last week I made a hat from an old blouse (sewn on a 1929 treadle machine if anyone is interested)

Iain: You made a sun hat. That’s why it’s raining.

Heide: But I think I’m looking forward to being sociable in person too.

Iain: Rushing to the pubs when they re-open?

Heide: No, not that. I’m looking forward to a time when we can go meet friends, attend events and I think part of that will be going to writing events.

Iain: Oh, it’s been a long time. We were both due to attend the Fantasycon and StokerCon conventions last year but they were sadly cancelled.

Heide: One thing we have booked accommodation for is the Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate in July.

Iain: Road trip!

Heide: And we’ll be taking our poor mistreated spouses along with us.

Iain: So they can drink our book profits while we meet people to talk about writing. And, of course, we’ll have our new crime novels out then too.

Heide: Yes, all three of our brand new Sam Applewhite crime novels should be published by mid-July. Have we shared the covers with our newsletter subscribers yet?

Iain: Hang on…

Iain: We’ll be letting everyone know when they’re available to pre-order.

Heide: They are crime novels but we should make it clear to our loyal subscribers that they’re still very silly books, full of angry seals, crazy old people…

Iain: And Vikings. Don’t forget the Vikings.

Heide: Did I show you my plans for my new mobile book-selling backpack which I might create in time for our Harrogate trip?

Iain: Er?

Heide: You know how when we have book stalls at some events, people stop by to see what vaguely book-related nonsense we’ve brought along to entertain them?

Iain: Ah yes.

Heide: Well this is the mobile version. We put it on your back and draw attention to these amazing covers.

Iain: Wait, what? My back?

Heide: I can put some padding in the shoulders...?