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Did you see Brian Blessed, on QI the other day, as large and jolly as the Green Giant, talking about how he had met a wolf dog, I think on an expedition to Mongolia? He said how much it loved him, feeding it Mars Bars in his tent, and how, being a lusty fellow and missing his wife terribly, he almost kissed the splendid creature. It reminded me of visiting a wolf sanctuary in Colorado, while on tour for my dearly beloved ‘publisher’ Abrams, when I snogged a wolf. Well, actually, it gave me a wolf kiss through the fence, all tongue and slobber, but before you think it so terrible, apparently wolves’ saliva is enormously clean and can kill any known germs dead. Well, that’s what they told me! As ever, hearing those animals howl cut through the soul, but I also heard of how, when one wolf lost his mate, he dug a hole to lie in, and when he howled that night the whole pack stayed strangely silent. Ah, we have much to learn from animals, but Brian Blessed’s friend accompanied him up through the snows on what must have been the most thrilling walk. He may be accused of ham, or frightening the deaf, but I will always remember his triumphant Augustus in the BBC’s rarely matched I Claudius, bemoaning the state of Roman marriage.

DCD

PHOENIX ARK PRESS, perhaps influenced by the cut price, serialised thriller that became a Christmas sensation, now being fought over by publishers, are delighted to announce the repricing of ebooks, in line with reader’s pockets and expectations. David C Davies’ richly artististic vampire novel, The Blood Garden, which creates a new vampire crime genre, Dominic’s Sand’s venture into renaissance murder, ICE, and the delightful little children’s fairy tale, Michelangelo’s Mouse, telling the tale of a painting rodent who wants to be famouse, are now all available at only 99p, and a dollar and a half in the US.

Happy New Reading Year and please spread the good word!

FROM LHUNA
I still think about my first read through The Sight this time of year, aptly in the cold of winter. Profound books have a habit of getting adopted into a readers subconscious, changing them sometimes, I guess that’s the power of media. Sometimes it will snow outside and I’ll think of Larka’s pain and eventual courage. Kar’s lifelong loyalty and romance, turn to insanity, and then liberation through Larka’s blessing. That stuff doesn’t leave a readers mind, not if they feel it deeply enough.

Best wishes, stay warm this winter.

Dear Lhuna,

what a charming and deeply touching letter. When people talk of ‘getting over’ sadness or disappointment, and I know that is probably to encourage, I’m afraid Scream went far deeper than that. It is not a question of easy self pity either, but of what can flow in thought, feeling, insight and story. That is why what Abrams ended up doing was not only wrong towards a person they knew so personally, but as part of any creative or artistic process too. I have ‘fought’ to hold some voice and independence in even creating Phoenix Ark too, but it has also been too much of a battle at times and stolen away a very simple joy, which is my being able to do what I do best, or did, tell creative and powerful stories and share them with readers in the most appropriate and professional way too. Indeed it was intrinsic to my voice and life power too. But my stories have always been drawn rather deeply from life battles and experience and that’s why Scream almost killed me off. That can sound melodramatic but many writers have talked about the risks they can take with what they write and how it can harm or help their lives. Anyhow, it was lovely to hear from you again, to know that past stories have inspired and to you and all who have dipped into Phoenix and found something at least interesting, have a very Happy Christmas Hols and a very brilliant and creative New Year.

DCD

I love your novels and everything about them please tell when your novel “Scream of the White Bears” will be released in the United States, sir? I check any Page and every page about your books once a week because, I’m so busy but I make time to check your books! Please when will u release it in the United States??? We’re all dying inside to read it!!!! 🙂 :):):)
PuddleJumper

Oh dear, that makes me sad and guilty again, because despite promising to get to it this year, I am afraid I am trying to survive and earn a crust too, so I have turned to a non-fiction project I would dearly love to do. I promise I will get to Scream though, even if it cannot be published mainstream, and it will certainly come out in the US in some form. Thank you for writing and if there has been any disappointment I am very sorry, but it was not as great as the hurt and disappointment I faced over it. It is what makes it a difficult thing to revisit. Love your name, by the way.

DCD

God, the ex Goldman Sachs man on Newsight tonight, Richard Sharp, is the reason bankers should be heaped in scorn. The smugness of the man, the attempt to blame a world crisis on Government debt alone and the complete disinterest in people out there too, even if they haven’t a clue how to fix it, or survive in the bewildering system. Those people within the city and Wall Street knew it was a no lose game there, because capitalism could not afford to allow them to fail. They are still the ones able to take their huge slices and in the US 1%’s share in the cake has gone up by 300%. Meanwhile youth unemployment is at its highest since records started.

It may well be that Labour turned Britain into a super casino, and did many harms, but banks pushed loans, debts, products, services at us, as if there was no tomorrow, and then, when the fan got covered in nastiness, the risks of lending to small businesses were throttled on the page. The complexity of derivatives though, the gamboling and speculation on parcels of debt, the hiving off and corruption, in cases like Enron, means those smuglet bankers have played games that have had vast effects on the rest of us. But quite apart from the unconcern of a man like Sharp, in the face of such extraordinary scenes in New York and London, what about the wider issues of Capitalism in allowing 7 billion to live together well on a shrinking and self consuming planet? They will not tell that truth because no one knows how to deal with it. It was that trader this year, talking about how he looked forward to crises in the chance to make money, like many clever speculators, though others lose the gamble, who told us that Governments don’t rule the world, Goldman Sachs does. That’s why Sharp doesn’t like politicians attempting to intervene, which is surely half the point of politics, but if we really think we live in a Democracy can someone please tell us how to vote down the technocrats Richard Sharp? Well, in Greece and Italy technocrats are in the seats and Dan Snow argues it is a momentary Democratic tweaking, but we will see.

A comment from a participant – the marvel and mystery deepens.

Apart from the simple fact that I was in the front row of the audience and watched the dice roll all the way down the chute (that you can see me actually building on the show at one point) into the glass bowl. There were a few practice rolls off camera and Wayne’s wife handed the dice to him each time (Derren never touched it). The choice of number was the audience’s and the choice of roll was Wayne’s. We could’ve done the show without Derren for what he contributed.

Catch up with thoughts and comments on Derren Brown’s new series ‘The Experiments’ by clicking on the blue link below.

DERREN BROWN’S REMOTE CONTROL!.