Do you put things away and then forget what you’ve done with them? Stupid question. We all do that. Reading glasses, car keys, gloves. We put them down and then have to retrace our steps until suddenly there they are, right in front of us.
Last week I had guests for lunch and so the dining room – which doubles as a second office – had to be cleared of the stuff that accumulates wherever I’m working. I shifted most of it back to its rightful place in the “Snap & Scribble” at the bottom of the garden. Tidied away the rest out of sight (as you do).
In one corner of the dining room, next to an already overflowing bookcase (all my bookcases are overflowing, double stacked, books pushed in the gap at the top) was a pile of foreign editions of my own books. They arrive, I smile, I dump them on this pile just inside the door. In the way. So I moved them.
Then, this week, prompted by the arrival of a parcel of new foreign editions, I decided to do what I'd putting off.
First, register them at ALCS (the Authors Licencing and Collecting Society which pays authors photocopying fees and foreign Public Lending Right). Then offer them to anyone in the UK who fancied a book in one of a range of languages from Japanese to Greek.
Do you think I can find them? This pile of books nearly a metre high? I have, I swear, run out of places to look.
No doubt I’ll fall over them when I’m not looking, but in the meantime I have a Hungarian edition of The Five Year Baby Secret, Spanish and Italian translations of Wedded in a Whirlwind, Japanese editions of The Secret Life of Lady Gabriella and Dating Her Boss, something in Polish -- I'm down the S & S as I write this so I can't remember what it is -- and The Bride's Baby in French. There’s also this anthology with Diana Palmer; I’m not sure what language that's in.
If you fancy a copy to hone your own language skills, or know someone who’d welcome something written in their own language do get in touch and I’ll happily pass them on.
PANIC OVER…
Not in a pile, but in a big basket in the dd’s room – and yes I had looked there! -- along with all the other stuff that needs a home (or throwing out). So, more of all the above, plus German, Portuguese and Greek.
8 comments:
Oh Liz, I can so relate to that... you know you've just put someting away and for the life of you can't find it a few days later... then they always turn up to be right under you nose and you tell yourself... oh yea, I remember putting them there... Now why don't we remember sooner? LOL, I think we all just do too much and our hard drives & RAM are over loaded!
LOL! My buffer has crashed!
Smiling with you, Liz, as I'm looking round at the tip known as my office...
Smiling with you, Liz, as I'm looking round at the tip known as my office...
I'm shocking, Kate. I walk around in a daze saying "Where are my glasses..." all the time. I have three pairs for various tasks and I wander around with them in my hand and forget where I've put them down. I found one pair in the bottom of my "giving talks" bag this week. They've been missing since the first week in April!
You just like my father :)
anyway, do you have any books in Indonesia language? I live in Bali and it's hard to find your new books here. I usually got my ebooks from free download (and that's limited)or buy it second hand.
Mela -- I know, from my royalty statements, that I've had some recent Indonesian translations but I haven't received any copies of the books. They do usually send copies eventually -- if you email me at liz at lizfielding dot com with your full name and street address, I'll keep a note and if they do turn up and I'll be happy to send you one.
Robyn? Are you out there. I have what you want, and I've emailed you twice, but haven't heard back. I know that my server does have occasionally sulks, but I can't send the book until I have an address.
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