Robertson, Dirk's blog

Books? It looks like I can't even write a blog without spelling mistakes and missing words. Back to the drawing board..

My recipe has been accepted for a cooking book compilation. Great fun! I think cooking and writing have a lot in common, Ingredients, preparation, timing, delivery, presentation and would you eat it yourself.......?
Mine is wild salmon on a bed of mashed potato, caramelised onion, peas and lemon, topped off with cottage cheese, creme fraiche and parsley. This has made me hungry. Off to cook.

I am going over my next book, again and again. It is the only way to get it in shape. The visit to the dentist was more confortable.....

Dropped in to Eagles Nest Airport and watched some take-offs and landing. Resume my lessons in a few weeks. Good to watch people fly. All good for the writing..........

Found myself a National, in Staten Island. Will take the ferry at the end of August and take it home with me...........where it belongs.

Passed my motor cycle test. Very proud of it but nervous. They are fine and safe standing still but as soon as a perosn gets on them and they start moving, all bets are off. I am going to give it a lot of thought. I won't ride a bike in the morning. I won't ride one when I am upset and I won't ride one in bad weather and I certainly won't ride one when I owe anyone money. The distraction of having something like that on my mind is too much. So that probably leaves about 5 minutes between April and September! Still it is good for the writing to know what something actually feels like!

It is so hot, here in Virginia. Feel like I am working probably harder than I am with sweat dripping onto the keyboard.

I have been on a journey.It started in Chicago, where I signed some books and did a workshop at the Printers Row Literary Festival. It was great fun. I rolled into the station and asked a stranger to recommend a hotel. They did so - glad I listened. They chose well. Everyone made me very welcome. After this I went to Detroit, racking up my Amtrak points on the way, to stay with my cousin one night, then my aunt and uncle the next. Then flew to Amsterdam, then Edinburgh. I was a judge, for UNICEF's childrens' short story telling competition. I judged the entries from Africa.

I win a meal at the Broadway diner in Waynesboro. Only the very best hots dogs are served here so I make my way there at my earliest opportunity. I am not ready for the Elvis special yet. I plump for the Hawaii - very nice. With chips and a soda. Dined like a king. Maybe I'll see you there, sometime. Then I went and booked a flying lesson. The sky was blue and the air still. Felt like the right thing to do. Finished the day off working on the next book. Set in the Florida Keys. I think it requires some research - Aloha! Oh, sorry. that's Hawaii...

The signing at Book Expo America was great. It was packed and everyone wanted books, including mine. Signed away till they were all gone then bade farewell to the Mystery Writers booth and bumped into someone from London. A blast from the past. Good fun. It was sweltering so after a cold drink, I headed back to the hotel. Nice, trendy, credit card land. The next day after more of "it's the computer, I don't know why it's happening, blah, blah...." I'd had enough. Just checked out, left my bags with checked luggage at Amtrak and hit the streets with my guitar.