Many years ago I met an author (and brilliant photographer), Jenifer Roberts, at The Society of Authors (UK) and we exchanged addresses. A year or so later I received a flyer for her book Glass http://www.amazon.co.uk/Jenifer-Roberts/e/B004UO6NWQ. I bought a copy, loved it, and we became friends. We self-published our second books at the same time, though hers, The Madness of Queen Maria, was later taken up by a mainstream publisher in Portugal. It is with enormous pride that I can report on the success of her latest book, Fitz. I can remember the beginnings of Fitz, the enormous lengths to which Jenifer went in researching this book, the endless drafts and improvements and the long cycle of agents and publishers who said… great writing, terrific story, but we are not sure it has a market… or similar. Well, after years of work and waiting it has found its natural home in New Zealand. The New Zealand Listener (see below) says of it “…This is history as it should be, alert, well-observed and informed…” about this man who was an “…infuriatingly mercurial personality but eminently loveable man.”
It is also in the top ten New Zealand non-fiction best seller lists. I can vouch for this as a great and entertaining read. Jenifer has set a brilliant example for aspiring writers and I am so happy to see this story reach the public it deserves.
Now for something completely different. We live (I say, as the rain it raineth ev-ery day) in a very dry area of the UK, and we have no pond and no obvious ground level source of water, yet every year I meet at least one frog in the garden. I don’t meet him/her in one particular damp spot, but anywhere in the third of an acre that is ours. So, there must be quite a few frogs living here. This is the best I could do in the way of a photo – he is in there – honestly.
Green Writing Room 
Via you I offer my sincere congratulations to your friend – she must be in seventh heaven ! 🙂
As for the frog … whatever you say, Hilary … [grin]
I will pass it on, thanks. The frog just didn’t fancy being an Internet star.
Damned unhelpful ! 😀
Fitz sounds like a really good book to curl up with. It’s so interesting how you became friends with Jenifer Roberts. We always have to have our eyes and ears open for opportunities that pass our way. 🙂
Yes, it is a friendship that has meant a lot to me.
Congratulations to Jenifer on Fitz. I never know how frogs and the like decide where to go. I put a pond in my Hertfordshire garden many years ago. Suddenly I had not just (noisy) frogs but newts as well. Where did they come from? No idea. But I was very happy.
They make me happy too.
You have an amazing ability to write genuinely enthusiastic appreciations!
Ah… I don’t write about the ones I don’t appreciate.
A froggy went a courting. He must have. Good review, BTW. –Curt
Of course! No wonder they get about.
Mum and Dad get frogs too with no pond but I think there were natural ponds before our house was built, the builders had to leave one pond in the middle of the estate but sadly it had to be all barricaded in and we couldn’t get close to it.
I liked reading about your friends book success, I like to read about my friends successes too it reminds you if you pursue your dreams you can achieve it.