We make the fruity kind, and the being-in-the-right-place-at-the-right-time kind.
This morning I had a big, hefty dollop of the second kind with my toast.
***
Last night Badger was reading a textbook published by my favourite textbook publishers. (Ok, I realise I am coming across as slightly geeky here, that's fine.)
Entirely unprompted, she suddenly said "You should write for these people - you could write one of these. I saw on their website that they like people to email them if they want to write for them ... go on. You should. Go on."
Clearly an outrageous suggestion. I had no intention of following it up.
This morning, eating my breakfast, I found myself emailing them. This afternoon I got an excited reply email asking what I was up to tonight. This evening I had the first step of the 'audition process' with them on the phone.
I sort of wondered if they do this every week ... but no, apparently it's more like every six months. It was a phone conference thing, which they had already invited four other prospective authors to. Everybody else was in the US. It was all really quite fun.
I might get to write a book for them. I would very very much like to write a book for them. They think they would like me to write a book for them too ... maybe. (Lots more steps to go, but so far it is looking kind of positive).
If I had emailed them tomorrow it would have been too late.
I told them that if I was a superhero then my superpower would be tessellating.
Apparently this is what clinched it ...
Ms Melancholy is being very indulgent of my excitement. And quite stunned by my jam making skills. Again.
I am wondering whether Badger is psychic. But I shall keep this quiet, as everybody already wants to borrow our Badger and if they know she has magic powers then we might never get her back!
16 comments:
OMG, fantastic news Stray. Really brilliant. (Please can I borrow Badger?)
Good luck with this! It sounds like it could be fun.
A magic Badger? Well, I never!
How're prospects for the other sort of jam-making looking? Is there anything fruity up in dales land to boil down, or are you sufficiently above the tree line for only gooseberries to grow?
I knew something was amiss when I got home at 10 pm by the fact that Stray was wearing normal clothes. She works from home so is usually clad in fleecey trousers, hoodies she has had since she was 12, pyjamas or a combination thereof. But last night she was wearing completely normal clothes. For a job interview of course. On the telephone. It all makes sense really.
Amazing news! I am still trying to get my head round you having a favourite textbook publuisher though...
Lovely JJ, as you are first to ask you might possibly be able to borrow Badger - at least for advice. Thanks :)
Rising rainbows - thanks for dropping in! Pop by for a cup of blog-tea any time. Yes, it would be huge fun. I know writing about geometry isn't everybody's idea of heaven but weirdly it's mine!
Dr But Why? - yes! Amazing isn't it! If they put me on the chemistry title you might get a few pokes by the way.
There are plenty of brambly things growing and Badger's strawberries are rather lovely but not abundant enough for jam making. We have some friends who are away for the summer and have invited us to pick their red currants. Yum!
Ms M - you omit to mention the fact that when you're at home you're clad head-to-toe in 10-year-old velour outfits. But yes, I did put proper clothes on for the process, just to keep myself on my toes.
Random Reflections - I know. I have favourites of lots of things that other people do long sighs about. I like this publishing company so much that I have even read some of their books about things I don't work in ... eek!
Loving how you're outing each other's fashion horrors. If you chaps need any trenchant comments for your housebound slacker-wear, you know I'm your man.
We have a tree full of lemon limes. What can I make and don't say sorbet, we haven't got an ice cream maker.
xxx
Pants
Lovely Bobo, I fear you are right. We may need rescuing before it's too late from the depths of fashion hell. I look more and more like a bag lady every day, whilst Stray mostly looks like she has just been released from a young offenders' institution. Still, I don't feel inclined to take fashion advice from a man who dares tell his girlfriend she has a fat arse - I can only imagine what blunt instrument you would use on us.
Just delurking to say, Excellent news! And I love your answer to the superhero question - that would have clinched it for me, too.
Good luck!
Bobo - I shall bear that in mind if it starts getting out of hand! A few choice put downs might be just the ticket.
Lovely Ms Pants (note the deliberate absence of a vocative comma ...)
Oooh. lemon and lime. See, now I am a little bit challenged here, as our family have a bizarre allergy to citrus fruits, so other than a squeeze in a thai curry I never really come into contact with limes. However, I am a big fan of chutneys all round, so I imagine that some sort of lemon / lime based spicy relish would be fantastic.
Ms M - young offender? You want to be careful talking like that ... I might slash your tyres! (which would be silly as it's our shared van ... )
Hi Lucy - it's always lovely when someone delurks. I am all full of excitingness still. Must just focus enough to finish this first book though ... !
Anyone who makes jam deserves to publish whatever they want. Jam is yummy. I bet your book will be yummy too...and now velour...can't contain myself!
You can make jam and write books?! OMG! I am totally impressed! ;-)
Wonderful news, Stray - have fun with it!
Hey jon, I had no idea that triangles could be quite so exciting, but Stray is the most excited I have ever seen her at the prospect of being paid to write books about maths. The velour was my dirty secret, by the way. Don't tell everyone :)
Hey there AV, phew, you didn't disappear after all. I can confirm that Stray can make jam, write books and rolls her own sushi. Is there no end to this woman's talents? You take good care out there in the real world x
Ah, poke away.
Red currants? Summer pudding...??
Cant wait to hear how you get on.
Hope the interview went well.
Geometry is a mighty fine topic for a book. The plane crystallographic groups caught my imagination at uni though I never understood why but I have never looked at wallpaper the same way since.
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