¦ dialling in from Sky Bunker ¦
05:20 GMT, Thursday 29th October 2009. Back into my early rise routine; first time since the recent stress at worked passed through and out my system. I've been up since 4 A.M. Snapped awake in the dark and smiled, sensing my brain switching on. Jo stirred next to me and murmured something about "come back to me at 6.30". I rolled over, cupped her fine backside in my hand, gave one pert buttock a squeeze, then disengaged from the seductive heat that collects beneath any duvet. The house isn't cold; we're in the grip of a freakish high-pressure system that has temperatures way above the norm for this time of year. I pad downstairs in the dark: there's a bright alabaster moonlight flooding through windows, casting the house in a horror-film mode... which I quite enjoy. Brew a mug of tea, pad through into front room supping the hot drink, grab a couple throws from the sofa and wrap one around my waist like a skirt to keep my bollocks warm, and a second I drape around my shoulders. Flick the TV on and squint for a few moments in the intense bright light: eyes adjust from prehistoric gloom to high tech. I check out BBC News 24: Islamisist shot dead in Detroit; 19yr old folk singer killed in Canada by Coyote.
A few minutes of this then I climb stairs, up two levels, into the dark cavern of the Sky Bunker. Flick switches, soft lamps come on, lava lamp glows deep red. Laptop comes on. MP3 player plugged into stereo. I put on an album I bought this week as a result of a facebook message from the artist: he'd seen I like Solar Fields so sent a "cheeky" but pleasant note saying I might like his music too. I've done the same thing with my books. And I'm always looking for new soundscapes to write to, so I checked it out, went onto Play.Com, found an album, previewed a few tracks and thought yeah, sounds all right, why not. "Code Eternity" by Asura. It's pretty simple electronic ambient stuff. Strong Jean-Michelle Jarre influence, with a bit of Enigma and some 303' effects. It's good writing music although I'm not sure I'd listen to it for any other reason. Here's the link to it:
Code Eternity by AsuraDog Eat Dog, the new book, is coming along slowly. It's proving to be the most difficult book I've written since Dante's Fool. Iron Man Project and Edge were a walk in the park compared to this. Currently onto chapter 12, back with Drobna: he's making his pitch to MOCID.
The public sneak preview is still available but is now locked at chapter 10. Many thanks to those who have asked to carry on the preview/edit process through private channels.
The "scary price slash" on all my published work is still in effect for 2 more days. So if you want to expand your collection or just dip your toe, now is the time to buy one because they'll not be this cheap again. Start with any of the novels,
God Seed,
Dante's Fool,
Iron Man Project or
Edge: they can be read in any order. Read more details
hereOr jump straight to my online store portal here:
Online Bookstore for David J Rodger Last weekend Jo and I met up with friends at out favourite new "secret place". Glencot House, a superb Jacobean Mansion set within acres of private land. I took my Rocket; it was a superb blast through ancient rural landscape, heading towards Wells with views of Glastonbury Tor pointing up at the sky from its vast mound in the distance. Glencot House is full of mystery and the promise of a good time. It's a hotel, tucked away out of sight from everything, £600 a night if you wanted to stay there but you can drop in and munch on a white-bread sandwich for £8, or enjoy a tureen of strong filter coffee. It's worth it for the ambience, and the chance to then walk around the grounds. Here's a link to their website:
Glencot HouseHere's some pics I took there:
Some good news and some not so good news about my mother. Blood test results show the cancers are currently in check. They're not the reason she's been fading so fast; the reason she's fading is because she's not eating. Her body has slipped into some kind of freaky starvation mode. Doctors told her Monday, "if you don't eat, you'll die." But the issue is complicated. Logic has broken down. My sister is up there, fighting to turn her state of mind around from negative to positive, to show encouragement and positive reinforcement, but it's a battle. She's certainly gone into a very dark place. Mum and I used to text every day if we didn't talk: I've not had a response back since I was last in Newcastle over a week ago now. So if you've got any spare prayers left, say one for my mum.