A little reflection after the fuss has died down

I have announced before in this blog that I now have a Reader Group on Facebook, called Lesley Cookman's Libby's Loonies, and Murder And The Glovemaker's Son is the first Libby book to be launched since its inception.

Over the few months it has been going it has become more a group of friends than anything else, and I can genuinely say it's the nicest group I belong to. Some of the members have been readers for years, some have been readers but not in touch with me, and yet others are brand new! So, just for this group, I thought I'd do a little count up. Glovemaker is Libby 19 - looks impressive  - (can't actually believe it) but there a few more altogether. So...19 full length epics, one short story (5000 words) in an Accent anthology, 2 short stories in My Weekly, and 2 (so far) long short stories, or novelettes. There are 2 in the Alexandrians series, 2 romances (under a different name!) and a How To book on panto. Oh - and 7 pantomimes and one musical. And now I've typed it, I wish I hadn't. (I didn't include the short stories and features I wrote before I became a novelist.) It looks so bl**dy boastful, doesn't it? But it's just the life of a working writer over the last 38 or 40 years

Anyway, for this book, my lovely local bookshop, Harbour Books in Whitstable, hosted a book launch for me - with Prosecco! (I think I drank most of it.) It turned into more of a friends and family party, but they all bought books, bless 'em. And I made a speech which mainly consisted of me thanking them all, over and over again. 

But one of the nicest things was the fact that two of my readers and members of the Loonies turned up in person. One of them, Suzanne, has been a reader and regular correspondent for years, giving me invaluable advice on matters ecclesiastical, along with another friend, Frances. The other was Pam, who had only appeared on my radar since the Loonies came into being. I made them both stand up and embarrassed them...

Then, yesterday, I was given my very first Online Launch, conducted on Facebook. Luckily, I didn't have to organise it - I wouldn't have known where to start - and for two solid hours I had to stare at the laptop (fighting off the cats) trying to follow multiple posts and conversations. There were competitions, only one of which I have to judge later today. It was exhausting, and I honestly don't know if it does any good. If there's a sudden spike in sales, maybe...

What has prompted this particular blog is the strange phenomenon of the Celebration of Achievement. A friend was puzzling over a news item yesterday: Madonna has reached 60. Really? So? Why is that remarkable? Was she not expected to? And why, each time the dentist performs a successful extraction are the flags not put out? Or the plumber saves a domestic house from flooding? Or the myriad of experts with whom we surround ourselves go about their daily lives saving ours, or at least facilitating them.

I'm not saying I don't enjoy the celebrations (or the accolades!), after all, my whole family are or were performers, from my father to me and my husband and all four children. I LIKE applause. I like being liked. But there are people out there doing far more worthwhile things with their lives. It's exactly the same when I'm complemented on my afore-mentioned children. They're all performers, as I've said, and they are all good at it. One of them is also a very clever writer. And people in audiences up and down the country come up to me and say "You must be so proud! They're so good!" Well, yes, but not one of them will ever be rich. And I'm not sure I had anything to do with their talent, so I don't want to takethe plaudits.

I hope this doesn't sound ungrateful - believe me, I'm not - but I just feel a little bit undeserving.  And now I'll put the self-flagellation kit away, and go back to being normal Libby - I mean, Lesley....