Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
Bulbs => Galanthus => Topic started by: Martin Baxendale on February 26, 2009, 04:28:58 PM
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As I mentioned in another thread, my new book "The Snowdrop Garden" should have come out in February to coincide with the snowdrop season but publication had to be put back to April. So if anyone's been expecting to see it in the shops, it won't be there yet.
However, it can be pre-ordered in advance of publication, from Amazon UK who are offering free postage and packing on it (link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_w_h_?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=The+snowdrop+garden+Baxendale ) or from any high street bookshop.
As it's my first novel, I'm expecting everyone to rush out and buy it, tell all their friends about it, buy copies for everyone they know as presents and generally do their bit to help make it a bestseller (or at least not a total dismal failure).
I should stress, in case anyone gets the wrong idea, that this is a novel and not a factual gardening book about snowdrops (although I have written a few gardening books in the past).
Maggi suggested I put a picture of the cover and some details on the forum, so here's a (not terribly good) photo of the cover and the blurb from the pre-publication publicity sheet which includes the ISBN, which may be required in bookshops when ordering:
THE SNOWDROP GARDEN
A NOVEL BY MARTIN BAXENDALE
A wickedly funny and heart-warming tale of
love and misunderstandings, international
intrigue and a last-ditch attempt to save one
of England’s most beautiful and important
woodland snowdrop gardens.
To be published in paperback April 2009,
price £7.99p
This book may be ordered in advance from Waterstones
or any other bookshop, or online from Amazon.co.uk
(free delivery available). Alternatively, for a signed copy,
send a cheque for £7.99p plus £2.00p postage and packing
to Martin Baxendale, 21 Bisley Road, Stroud, Glos. GL5 1HF
(please make cheques payable to Martin Baxendale).
ISBN 978-0-9550500-9-1 (International Standard Book
Number—may be required if ordering from a book shop).
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I am looking forward to it Martin.
The big question is.... will I recognise any of the characters as caricatures of forum members?..... ??? ;D
Good luck
John
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I am looking forward to it Martin.
The big question is.... will I recognise any of the characters as caricatures of forum members?..... ??? ;D
Good luck
John
Gulp!! I hope not! No, all characters are of course completely fictional, although there are inevitably some distinctly semi-autobiographical aspects to one of the central characters, who's a mad keen snowdrop grower; it is, after all, written by someone who's a mad keen snowdrop grower and has been for over 30 years. The main female character may also ring some bells with one or two forumists.
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Is it Maggi?
I bet she's trying to kill the snowdrop enthusiast, spray weedkiller on the snowdrops and is incessantly ringing bells.
Paddy
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Is it Maggi?
I bet she's trying to kill the snowdrop enthusiast, spray weedkiller on the snowdrops and is incessantly ringing bells.
Paddy
Paddy, are you trying to make me appear like a horticultural Cruella de Ville? And if so, who's been tellingtales out of school?? :-X
I think the heroine of Martin's book will be an elegant and beautiful spy, probably of Slovak origin, dark and mysterious.....with green leanings.... ;D
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Ha, ha!
I knew that would draw you out!!
And! I thought you were of Scottish origins through and through; never knew you had any Slovak background at all.
Paddy
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Ha, ha!
I knew that would draw you out!!
And! I thought you were of Scottish origins through and through; never knew you had any Slovak background at all.
Paddy
Don't be daft, Paddy, how many red-haired little round Slovaks do you know? :o
I do however have a horrible fear, from some of my conversations with Martin, that I might appear in one of his cartoon books as a comedy character....... :-[ :-\ It's a risk you take with writers, though, isn't it?!
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Maggi, the trick will be trying to decide just how much of it is autobiographical and how much the product of my overactive imagination. ;)
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Apologies to anyone on the forum who pre-ordered and paid for my snowdrop-themed novel, The Snowdrop Garden, and has been waiting for it to come out. The plan to publish in April (delayed from February) fell through, but the book is finally at the printers and due for publication in early June. I'll post again when it's actually in the shops and available through Amazon.
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For those who I know ordered their copies of my novel The Snowdrop Garden from Amazon in February and have been waiting a long, long time for it to arrive, it's now in stock at Amazon.co.uk and you should receive your copies soon if you haven't already.
Huge apologies for the very long delay in publication which meant some people paying last winter for a book that they'll only just be receiving now in mid-summer. Sorry. :-\
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Can we still get a signed copy direct from you as suggested umpteen posts ago?
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Can we still get a signed copy direct from you as suggested umpteen posts ago?
You can indeed. And again, sorry about the delay.
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I've just finished reading your first novel - good fun Martin ( it made me blush in places - such language from an octogenarian! :o )
I have one question I really really just have to ask.....
Is Humphrey Whimpleton-Pughe based on a real life person?...... Or would you rather not answer that. ;D ;)
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I've just finished reading your first novel - good fun Martin ( it made me blush in places - such language from an octogenarian! :o )
I have one question I really really just have to ask.....
Is Humphrey Whimpleton-Pughe based on a real life person?...... Or would you rather not answer that. ;D ;)
The answer to that would be no, definitely not. I'll be sending you a couple of bulbs, John, as soon as the soil dries out enough for me to lift snowdrops promised to people this year. Been too busy (apart from the waterlogged soil) with my latest book - Women Are Wonderful, Men Are A Mess. Just got it off to the printers this week. Finally I have some time for gardening! :)
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You read faster than me John. I got Martin to send me two, one for my mum. I think she has broadened her book choice since her Mills & Boon days as I saw 'The Kite Runner' in her lounge the other day. :o
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You read faster than me John.
Anthony, I have a one hour on the train to London each morning and one hour on the train home each night and an empty house when I arrive back in Kent - so not necessarily a fast reader.... ;)
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I was spurred on by reading John Finch's post earlier today to take up "The Snowdrop Garden".... which has been waiting patiently for me to get my reading glasses on for longer than it deserved.
Tootled off with it at teatime and finished in time for "Have I got more news for you?"
It was just the ticket for a spot of time off; I don't get much time for reading fiction in fact I have a tough time remembering the last novel I read.... :-[
I have very much enjoyed reading Martin's book .......I will not say much about it, since I would not wish to spoil the story for others who have yet to read it.... ::) :o
An absolute MUST for all Galanthophiles, but amusing for us normal folks too.....I rather think Martin has "cracked it" with this tale of romance, snowdrops derring-do.... and slovak cuisine!!!!!
I thoroughly recommend that you seek it out and enjoy it for yourself. I rather think it would make a super gift for any gardening chum, too, because they will find the galanthophilia fun and non gardeners will be amazed.......I wish you terrific success with the book, Martin..... I enjoyed it immensely!
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I tried coffee 'Slovak style' last week. Haven't been able to sleep since! :o
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I tried coffee 'Slovak style' last week. Haven't been able to sleep since! :o
;D
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Martin,
Is the 2£ postage OK also for mail to Sweden or what will it be?
Cheers
Göte
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Göte, if it costs £2 to post in the UK it will be cheaper to post to Sweden, and that is no joke! ::)
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Martin,
Is the 2£ postage OK also for mail to Sweden or what will it be?
Cheers
Göte
I've sent you a pm, Gote.
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Maggi, thank you for the super review. I'm blushing! :-*
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Maggi, thank you for the super review. I'm blushing! :-*
I didn't know (diddly dum, diddly dum)
that Maggi (diddly dum, diddly dum)
could read (diddly dum, diddly dum)
so fast (diddly dum, diddly dum)
or is it (diddly dum, diddly dum)
that she (diddly dum, diddly dum)
couldn't (diddly dum, diddly dum)
put the (diddly dum, diddly dum)
book down(diddly diddly diddly dum)
(got to the point eventually). ;D
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I've had emails and pms from some forumists asking why they haven't seen my novel, The Snowdrop Garden, in bookshops. I've replied to those who've enquired, but in case anyone else looks for the book in the shops, doesn't find it and wonders why - it's a b****y disaster! >:(
The distributors who were supposed to be marketing and selling the book into the book trade shut down their marketing and reps department just days after the book was published, as an economy measure! That's left the book with no marketing and no reps selling it into the chains and independent bookshops. I'm rushing around like a blue-bottomed fly trying to do what I can to rescue things and get the book into some shops, but it's an impossible task for one person on his own. I'm also trying to find another publisher, with decent marketing and representation, to take it over but that's not an easy task in the middle of a recession!
Anyway, enough of my moaning. Such is life! The long and the short of it is, if anyone was thinking of picking up a copy on a visit to the local bookshop (as some forumists contacted me to say they were going to do, but couldn't find it) then I'm afraid chances are you won't find it, at least not yet. But you can order it from any bookshop, and of course from Amazon and the other online book sellers.
I'm also hoping to be selling copies at the galanthus gala in February.
Isn't life just wonderful? I heard a joke today that just about sums up my mood right now: After a holiday in the Orient, a man finds his willy has come out in green and purple spots. The doctor tells him it's a rare Mongolian willy disease and it'll have to be amputated. The man decides to seek a second opinion and goes to see a Chinese medical specilaist who says "Western doctors! They're always in too much of a hurry to suggest surgery." The man's very relieved. Until the Chinese doctor adds "Leave it a couple of weeks and it'll fall offf on its own."
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Sorry to keep banging on about my novel, but could I ask UK forumists for a favour - if any of you come across a review of my first novel, The Snowdrop Garden, in newspapers or magazines (including gardening magazines) could you send me a message or post details here.
Someone told me last night that they'd seen a review a while back but couldn't remember if it was in a newspaper or a magazine, let alone which one! A lot of review copies went out so it could have been in just about anything. I don't have a clipping service and should probably investigate that possibility but I imagine such services are not infallible, so if people could let me know if they see any reviews, that would be very helpful.
I need some good reviews to help get the book into more shops, given the sudden demise of the distributor's marketing department and team of reps who were supposed to be pushing the book into the shops (see previous post for major moans about that!)
Thanks, and sorry again for going on about this. The unexpected lack of representation and marketing for the book is so frustrating and making so much extra work for me.
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Maybe there should be a new thread to discuss coffee. Yes I'm a coffee snob. How does Slovak coffee differ from Czeck or anyone elses coffee. I couldnt get enough of Czech coffee from a small coffee house in Beroun. I think a cup of coffee was about 30p. I tried Turkish coffee in a hotel in Praha 6 but couldnt drink it. Lithuanians at my last job drank Turkish coffee
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Mark,
Oh dear, you'll stop liking me once you here this..... I don't drink coffee!! :o :o Or tea for that matter (except for lemon and honey on occasions). ::)
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The only real difference with Slovak coffee is how incredibly strong they often make it - many heaped spoonfuls in the bottom of the cup, stirred and stirred and left to stew until it's inredibly high-octane and blows your head off! :) I used to drink a lot of coffee, and had one of those old French aluminium espresso pots, but had to stop after I drank the eqiuvalent of a couple of dozen espressos in a morning, following a heavy night involving a bottle of red wine, and started to get incredibly anxious. :(
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Do they use ground coffee? I can recommend Lavazza Italian coffee from Tesco or the coffee shop just outside arrivals at Stansted.
Paul I dont like instant coffee now that I have got on to the real thing
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Yes, ground coffee is strongly favoured over instant. I used to drink Lavazza a lot. illy espresso dark roast, also from Italy, is very good too - the one you see on supermarket shelves in tins.
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I must try it next time I run out
On Friday I went to visit some Belizeans who have come to live in Londonderry. My mother is Belizean and these people come from the same village. They gave me the best coffee I have ever had. Colombian coffee imported by a Honduran living in Dublin
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I think "The Snowdrop Garden" would be a great Christmas gift ....... for people who can read, of course........ ;D
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I think "The Snowdrop Garden" would be a great Christmas gift ....... for people who can read, of course........ ;D
And have not already got it ;D
Göte
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I think "The Snowdrop Garden" would be a great Christmas gift ....... for people who can read, of course........ ;D
And have not already got it ;D
Göte
But even if one already has the book... it makes a good gift for others!
If only we had more relatives who can read! :-X :P
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Martin, congratulation!!
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Martin, congratulation!!
Thank you.
And thank you, Maggi, for yet another plug for the book. I'm still struggling to market it myself after the distributors shut down their marketing department and sacked their team of salaried reps the week after it was published, leaving me high and dry. It's an uphill struggle, I can tell you. The nice thing is that most people who've read it tell me they really liked it and thought it was very funny, which is always good to hear. If I could just get some more publicity for it and get it into more shops. I do have an idea in mind and will post something soon.
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Still time to buy the book......
However, it can be ordered, from Amazon UK who are offering free postage and packing on it (link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_w_h_?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=The+snowdrop+garden+Baxendale ) or from any high street bookshop.
As it's my first novel, I'm expecting everyone to rush out and buy it, tell all their friends about it, buy copies for everyone they know as presents and generally do their bit to help make it a bestseller (or at least not a total dismal failure).
I should stress, in case anyone gets the wrong idea, that this is a novel and not a factual gardening book about snowdrops (although I have written a few gardening books in the past).
Maggi suggested I put a picture of the cover and some details on the forum, so here's a (not terribly good) photo of the cover and the blurb from the pre-publication publicity sheet which includes the ISBN, which may be required in bookshops when ordering:
THE SNOWDROP GARDEN
A NOVEL BY MARTIN BAXENDALE
A wickedly funny and heart-warming tale of
love and misunderstandings, international
intrigue and a last-ditch attempt to save one
of England’s most beautiful and important
woodland snowdrop gardens.
price £7.99p
This book may be ordered in advance from Waterstones
or any other bookshop, or online from Amazon.co.uk
(free delivery available).
Alternatively, for a signed copy,
send a cheque for £7.99p plus £2.00p postage and packing
to Martin Baxendale, 21 Bisley Road, Stroud, Glos. GL5 1HF
(please make cheques payable to Martin Baxendale).
ISBN 978-0-9550500-9-1 (International Standard Book
Number—may be required if ordering from a book shop).
Merry Christmas!
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Nice idea, signed copies are always nice to have especially if you know a little about the person. Good luck with your book and hopefully if lots of us on the forum purchase one it may help a little, especially after all your hard work.
Angie :)
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Martin,
Is that P&P just for within the UK, or international? I am hoping to buy a copy of it, and was going to try to find out about signed copies...... so you've covered that quite nicely, but I wanted to check re the postage (although you've probably already got other international orders already in transit with that postage charge by now I would imagine?)
I hope you get squillions of orders Martin!! 8)
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Hi Martin.
I need a few presents for New Year gifts re Galante-files,could You please inform me on the price in Euro if that is possible,or do I have to send in Sterling ?
Happy New Year.
Guy
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Perhaps you could offer it for a TV show. Last night I watched
a Midsomer episode about a string of murders by orchid
addicts wanting to own the only plant of a spectacular yellow
orchid.
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Perhaps you could offer it for a TV show. Last night I watched
a Midsomer episode about a string of murders by orchid
addicts wanting to own the only plant of a spectacular yellow
orchid.
What a great idea! I remember that Midsomer Murder episode..... I love the series...... would never move to the "county", though! Too dangerous by half!!
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Not fancy being part of the Midsomer set Maggi?
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I'm surprised there are any villagers left. The murder rate seems
higher than that of Detroit.
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I'm getting this image of the BD as a DCI, Maggi as the long suffering, your dinner's in the dog, wife involved in all sorts of local do gooding, a sort of Taggart meets the Shires. To complete the image it could be set in the rural NE of Scotland and all the dialogue could be in Doric......
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I can just picture it............ "there's been a murder". 8)
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Sorry I haven't got around to answering queries about my book over Christmas and the New Year. Our whole family, including me, have had flu, and we're still recovering. But I'll get answers to everyone's posts, private messages and emails as soon as I can.
In the meantime, the good news is that Amazon UK are doing a special offer price of just £5-99p instead of £7-99p ( and free delivery to the UK and Ireland). Here's a link:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Snowdrop-Garden-Martin-Baxendale/dp/095505009X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262725614&sr=1-1
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Only 1 copy left or is that a marketing thing to make the person by it now? Used copies also?!
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.
Only 1 left in stock--order soon (more on the way).
14 new from £2.75 7 used from £1.05
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Only 1 copy left or is that a marketing thing to make the person by it now? Used copies also?!
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.
Only 1 left in stock--order soon (more on the way).
14 new from £2.75 7 used from £1.05
According to my distributor's sales sheets, Amazon UK have been selling a fair few and re-ordering regularly, so I imagine they will have more in stock soon. It's a pretty good price reduction.
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Martin,
Is that P&P just for within the UK, or international? I am hoping to buy a copy of it, and was going to try to find out about signed copies...... so you've covered that quite nicely, but I wanted to check re the postage (although you've probably already got other international orders already in transit with that postage charge by now I would imagine?)
I hope you get squillions of orders Martin!! 8)
Martin,
I'll ask this again. I would much rather get a signed copy, being as I "know" you and all. ;)
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Sorry, Paul. I'll check postage to Aus. and send you a PM a.s.a.p.
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Why is it retailers, i.e., Amazon, always reduce the price further after I've bought something :'( Never mind, reading thebook will doubtless cheer me up
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Martin,
I have taken the convenient route and ordered from Amazon.
Looking forward to the read. Paddy
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http://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/SearchResults?bt.x=54&bt.y=10&sortby=3&sts=t&tn=The+Snowdrop+Garden
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'S'Truth, David, you'll depress the lad! :-X
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So.... should all these people already selling the book second hand be taken as a warning that we won't like it? ;D ;D ;D ;)
What I find amazing is all the different postages charged for within the UK. :o And down to £ 1.47 is pretty amazing!! That seems ridiculously cheap? And it isn't just one copy either, as they talk about shipping them from their warehouse. ???
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So.... should all these people already selling the book second hand be taken as a warning that we won't like it? ;D ;D ;D ;)
Yes, that's what it means, Paul.
A lot of review copies were sent out, and a lot of free sample copies to the trade, and it's not uncommon for some of those to end up being sold as second hand books or as very cheap new books (since they cost the bookseller nothing).
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I WAS being facetious, Martin. ;D I'm still interested.
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Martin,
I enjoyed your book. The funny thing is that I felt I have experienced parts of it.
We also have bears in Sweden. (Although the last ones were killed about 300 years ago)
We also hand out the presents at Christmas Eve and we eat the strangest things including funny fish and an excess of sausage and pork at the time.
I also remember Bratislava from the Communist days when the two national sports seemed to be wine drinking and black market money changing.
I will NOT put the book on the second hand market.
Cheers
Göte
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We also have bears in Sweden. (Although the last ones were killed about 300 years ago)
You missed a few in the north Göte ;)
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We also have bears in Sweden. (Although the last ones were killed about 300 years ago)
You missed a few in the north Göte ;)
Not really. I missed "the last ones in my neighborhood were killed". In fact we have an increasing population of bears but as you say, they are mostly in the north.
The forum members have eyes as eagles - no mistake remains unspotted ;D
Göte
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This ranks (alongside Maggi's incredibly flattering review) as one of the nicest reviews I've had for my novel, from Paul Moir at the Painswick Rococo Gardens, posted as a comment on John Grimshaw's Garden Diary blog in response to John's equally nice and very thorough review. I just couldn't resist sharing it here, even though doing so doesn't exactly demonstrate a lot of modesty on my part ;D I think I need a blushing emoticon here.
Paul Moir said...
I heard about Martin's book in the Cotswold Life and thought it ideal to sell in the shop during our snowdrop season at Painswick, particulalry as he is a local author. Martin dropped off some signed copies and I thought I would leaf through it to see what is was all about. After no more than a couple of paragraphs I was hooked and the book has become a great source of amusement amongst our staff and volunteers.
Some of the language may be a bit fruity but that is the charm and I would strongly recommend it.
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fruity language? Does this equal swearing?
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fruity language? Does this equal swearing?
Yes. Mostly from Lady Cherrington. She's quite outspoken. ;D
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Quite plummy then?
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Quite plummy then?
Indeed. ;D
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Really fruity then! ;D ;D ;D
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Just a quickie to say that I'll be selling and signing copies of my novel, The Snowdrop Garden, at the Snowdrop Gala again this year. So if anyone going to the Gala has a copy they'd like signed, bring it along and I'll be happy to oblige.
Also, just found this incredibly nice review of the book on Amazon which says about the book pretty much everything that I set out to make it. It's right up there with Maggi's review last year in terms of feel-good moments :)
"5.0 out of 5 stars light-hearted, funny read, 5 July 2010
By Cap'n Hands - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Snowdrop Garden (Paperback)
Good book. Bought it for a read on holiday and found it really entertaining. The author has a fun style of storytelling in the first person and the dialogue is surprisingly free-flowing considering this is Mr Baxendale's first novel. There are lots of 'brit abroad' type laughs, and a good few digs at us here at home which offer a look at how the things we do in the UK may seem ridiculous to other Europeans. I am not a snowdrop collector or enthusiast, but in reading this was surprised to find out about the extent of the e-culture surrounding gardening, and the book contained a good deal of information that would appeal to gardening enthusiasts without becoming paticularly 'geeky' on this subject, and manages to use it as a good plot device.
All in all a good read, with lots of funny jokes, gardens and Russian gangsters thrown in for good measure. Write some more books please."
I'm blushing as I post this, but it really is nice to get reviews like this and Maggi's equally glowing summing-up.
By the way, I also noticed that Amazon currently have the novel on special offer at £6-39, own from £7-99. Link to the Amazon listing here:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Snowdrop-Garden-Martin-Baxendale/dp/095505009X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1296837871&sr=1-1
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I knew I wasn't the only person who liked it!! ;D ;D
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My novel is now available from Amazon as an e-book for Kindle at just £1.71p, for anyone who has such a thing:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Snowdrop-Garden-Romantic-Comedy-ebook/dp/B005XA5PL6/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1319900821&sr=1-1
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My novel is now available from Amazon as an e-book for Kindle at just £1.71p, for anyone who has such a thing:
Don't have that sort of thing myself, but I did get to read your book, Martin, while in the UK in April! Sounded awfully autobiographical - where's this manor-house you now live in then? ;D
cheers
fermi
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My novel is now available from Amazon as an e-book for Kindle at just £1.71p, for anyone who has such a thing:
Don't have that sort of thing myself, but I did get to read your book, Martin, while in the UK in April! Sounded awfully autobiographical - where's this manor-house you now live in then? ;D
cheers
fermi
Quite autobiographical, Fermi. But no rambling manor house in real life, sadly :-\