On 13/3 an enjoyable meeting at Goldsboro Books, Cecil Court, just off Charing Cross Road.
Goldsboro are pre-eminent as suppliers of pristine first-editions to book collectors worldwide. I was there to sign hardcover firsts of A Time For Heroes, supported by my publicity guru from Headline Review, Ben Willis. Goldsboro director David Headley joined us, with his assistant Daniel Conway.
I say ‘us’ as my wife Jan came up to town also, so a good time was had by all. And that’s not to forget Toby who was there too, furry, four-legged & who spent time lying on my feet under the signing table; David’s charismatic dog I should add.
This photograph* showing smug author with a couple of book proofs of ‘A Time For Heroes’ will irritate a number of my readers who were promised copies.
Unfortunately Headline could not provide as many as anticipated so my mailing list had to be pruned rather drastically. For which sincere apologies to those I had to let down.
Without exception anyone who has seen the almost-finished product has admired the cover; to such an extent that they’d probably buy the book whether the contents were any good or not. The designer, Craig Fraser, captures precisely the mood of the novel that explores our need to look up to those we judge heroes (here literally), without always questioning why.
One of the early reviews came from Joan Deitch, my copy editor, who described ‘Heroes’ as ‘an exciting and complex story with an A1 villain-a stunning read with an apocalyptic and inspirational finale.’ She added: ‘ I loved soaring round the skies with all the pilots.’
By now the bulk of the proofs have been distributed to Headline’s mailing list of literary critics so there’s nothing more to do than wait, in the hope that they share Joan Deitch’s opinion.
Publication dates have been confirmed, by the way: 29 March 2012 for the hardback, Ebook and trade paperback, 13 September 2012 for the paperback.
* A Dickens character, I forget which, observed that there were two kinds of portrait: the serious and the smirk…
Headline Review dust jacket synopsis
A magnificent, sweeping three-generation historical epic encompassing two world wars, about the nature of heroism, the romance of flying and the eternal conflict between fathers and sons.
War makes heroes of men, but at what price? As the twentieth century dawns Guv Sutro becomes a pioneer aviator against his father’s will, piloting a primitive glider over the fields of Sussex, helped by the unquestioning loyalty of his friend Stan Kemp. A ruthless course to fame and adulation follows: soon he is a fighter ace on the Western Front, then a record-breaker between the wars. But as another global conflict approaches his beliefs are questioned. With England once more at war his son Tim, a reluctant pilot in the RAF, strives to shed the burden of his father’s reputation while Will Kemp, his boyhood friend, the son Guv felt he deserved, seeks to emulate the man he still idolises in the Battle of Britain.
The fate of these men is bound together in the monumental ambition and terrible tragedy of a time for heroes.
Read a sneak peak of the first chapters here!
Publication date: Hardcover edition March 2012, paperback July 2012
High And Over, after a certain amount of back-and-forth between author and publisher, is now A Time For Heroes. A publication date has also been confirmed, for the hard cover: 29 March 2012, which means the paperback will be nicely timed for the summer holiday market. But naturally, loyal readers, don’t let that stop you buying the hard cover.
The promised first chapter taster will be here in a week or so, I’m still kicking around the opening sequence, so vital to making someone a) read a page or two in the store or on Amazon b) not return it to the shelf or click on something else.
High And Over, the just-completed novel, has received an enthusiastic response from Headline Review: ‘ very good, wonderful raw energy, vivid characters, great flying scenes, great sense of period, a terrific piece of storytelling.’
So far so encouraging, but there are some structural issues to work out and also they’re not so mad about the title. I’m delaying the excerpt until these discussions are concluded. But overall it’s a relief to know there’s such enthusiasm in Euston Road. Meanwhile, I’ve had many e.mails from readers saying they think it’s a great idea. Slightly untypical, below, was one from Kevin Bolt who says he doesn’t need the preview:
Dear Frank,
Just finished reading your three books and was totally gripped, finishing them over a couple of weeks. When I finished To Play The Fox and couldn’t find a sequel, my stomach sank that maybe that was simply the end. So I hunted down this site and was relieved to find you’re keeping busy. Don’t leave us hanging on too long to find out what’s in store for our boys Kit and Ossie! No need to release a sneak chapter as far as I’m concerned, I’ll buy it the second it hits the shelves regardless,
Kevin Bolt
This from David Weston:
Dear Frank Barnard,
I’m writing to tell you how much I enjoyed To Play The Fox. I found it thrilling, informative and very moving. I can’t wait to read the other two books and the sequels I’m sure you have in line. Very pleased to see that my old friend Julian Fellowes thinks highly of you as well,
FB: David’s mention of Julian Fellowes, he of Gosford Park and Downton Abbey, provided a clue to the fact that this is the David Weston of the Royal Shakespeare Company who understudied Ian McKellen’s Lear on the 2007 worldwide tour and has had a notable career in the theatre, in films and on television. His diary of the Lear tour is due for publication by Rickshaw Publishing in September. Covering McKellen is an excellently written, insightful and amusing account, a future classic of its kind; I’m planning to review it for Oldie soon.
With all 186,000 words of the new novel delivered to my publisher I’ve been considering a sneak preview by offering a chapter to those who check out my website; a single chapter that gives a taste of what’s to come, probably in Spring 2012.
My editor Martin Fletcher agrees it’s a good idea but we’ve yet to confirm which chapter it might be. This book, my fourth, is somewhat different from those that went before; Kit and Ossie are nowhere to be seen, kicking their heels in North Africa somewhere waiting for the invasion of Sicily to begin. They’ll remain grounded for a while yet, as I await Headline’s judgement on the new MS. I’m nervous that they might demand cuts, given its length, but like most writers I maintain that it’s like pick-a-stick. Remove the wrong stick and the whole damned thing collapses. Besides, when you’ve laboured over every word, sentence, paragraph, chapter you’re loathe to bin anything.
Whatever sales, marketing and publicity plans Headline may have, I’m still constantly assured that a book’s success depends on word of mouth. So this is a device to get readers talking well ahead of publication. I look forward to hearing how many would like to accept the offer.
Many people, it seems, think of writing a novel. But there’s thinking of it and doing it. Peter Cook met an acquaintance in Hampstead once. ‘ What are you up to these days?’ ‘ Writing a novel.’ ‘ Neither am I,’ said Cook.
To put things in perspective, for anyone considering the task, this pile of paper is the end-result of about two years work (from starting research to typing ‘The End’) on my fourth book, High And Over. It runs to 150,000 words and 450 pages. Winston Churchill put it perfectly: ‘ Writing a book is an adventure
To begin with it is a toy and an amusement; then it become a mistress, and then it becomes a master, and then a tyrant. The last phase is that just as you are about to be reconciled to your servitude, you kill the monster and fling him out to the public.’ Now that the High And Over MS is ready for submission to Headline Review I am, God help me, already thinking of embarking on the ‘adventure’ all over again. I’m not sure why: it’s a mystery. As mysterious as wondering who the heck had the patience to write that great wodge lying on my study table.
On the writing front the new novel is on schedule for delivery to Headline Review mid-February 2011, with publication either later that year or early next.
At present it amount to 92,000 words but at least the end is in view.
