Rob in España

Writers Abroad - Call for Submissions

2013-05-06T18:18:00.000+02:00

Having been involved for the previous 3 years I am delighted to see that the Writers Abroad group are organising another anthology for 2013 - this from their site:

'Writers Abroad will be publishing their fourth anthology, with the working title of Far Flung and Foreign

We are seeking submissions of short stories, flash fiction, non-fiction pieces and poetry on the theme of foreign places, which must be firmly grounded in a particular place such as a country, area, town, village, building. The anthology will be print published and later available as an e-book.

This year Writers Abroad will be donating all profits made to the charity: Book Aid International. Book Aid International increases access to books and supports literacy, education and development in sub-Saharan Africa. They provided 543,280 new books to over 2,000 libraries last year alone and have sent more than 30 million books to partner libraries since 1954.

Author Amanda Hodgkinson will be writing the foreword. Amanda currently lives in the south west of France with her family. Her debut novel, 22 Britannia Road, was released in April 2011.
“An affecting story, extremely well told” (The Times)
“Riveting, luminous” (New York Times Book Review)
“Convincing and touchingly portrayed” (Independent on Sunday)

To view the rules and conditions of entry and how to submit please click on the button below:

Far Flung and Foreign Submissions'

TIM MAY OUT NOW

2013-04-29T17:02:00.000+02:00

New month, new TIM. The 102nd edition features some of my contributions including:

Cartagena Naval Museum – Well worth a visit whilst spending the day in this historical Spanish city in the Murcia province. See page 4.

The Legal Page – This month looks at the topical issue of Spanish tax returns. Whether you are a resident or non-resident, it contains important information for you. See page 18.

In addition, many other great articles to keep you informed, amused and entertained.

If you cannot pickup a copy – take a look online and/or download for FREE.

Open publication - Free publishing - More costa blanca

Franco’s International Brigades by Christopher Othen

2013-04-20T18:14:00.000+02:00

My review has just been published online by Book4Spain:

The Spanish Civil War, 1936-39 has spawned a huge amount of books since the war ended to the present day from a variety of authors. Tradition dictates that the victor gets to write the history books. However, Spanish Civil War literature has been written predominantly from the viewpoint of the losing Republican forces and rarely has a book detailed events from Franco’s Nationalist side.........

Full review available here

Valencia Natural Parks

2013-04-13T15:14:00.000+02:00

Just back from a few days walking in the Font Roja and Sierra de Mariola natural parks – in the Alcoy (Alicante) area.

I have posted a short review on Trip Advisor and will write an article for The Inland Magazine (TIM) June edition.

My photos are on Picasa

TIM April

2013-03-28T21:32:00.000+01:00

The 101st edition of TIM features three of my contributions:

Classic Cars and History – an article about my recent day out with the Phoenix Classic Car Club appears on pages 50-51. More photos here.

The final part in my series ‘From Poverty to Freedom’ – the post Franco era in Spain is on page 16.

The Legal Page – This month looking at the new tax laws on asset declaration, which is causing a lot of confusion and unrest amongst Expats explains all on page 20.

The magazine is available online if you are unable to obtain a printed copy.

Open publication - Free publishing - More costa blanca

Some Great Writers

2013-03-17T11:16:00.000+01:00

I am a volunteer in our local Alzheimer’s Shop working to raise funds for our day centre which treats patients with the disease and offer respite for their relatives. Numerous articles recently on how this disease is on the increase a worrying trend.

Anyway my small part is too organise the books (we also sell lots of other stuff) and so each Saturday morning I spend a few hours tidying them up and hoping to attract more people to make a purchase.

Recently I have tried making special displays from the vast stock we have of three popular and prolific authors – Danielle Steel, Maeve Binchy and Catherine Cookson.

Danielle (if I may be familiar) has written over 90 novels, translated into 28 languages and sold around 800 million books. She was born in America in 1947 and currently the bestselling author alive and the fourth bestselling author of all time, with over 800 million copies sold.

Whilst Irish born Maeve died in 2012, she left a huge legacy of work including 16 novels as well as articles, novellas and short stories.

My third amazing author is Catherine Cookson – who died at the grand age of 91 back in 1998. Her output is truly amazing - she wrote almost 100 books, which sold more than 123 million copies, her novels were translated into at least 20 languages. She started writing to combat her depression and in fact wrote under two other pen names - Catherine Marchant and Katie McMullen. She was a multi-millionaire but donated much of her money including her Public Lending Rights (PLR paid to authors for the use of their books in UK libraries).

So a truly incredible collection of authors – please come and see the display and buy some books if you are in the area of Torrevieja, South Alicante.

Spain Exposed now on Scoop.it

2013-03-07T17:25:00.001+01:00

I have recently setup a new online site using Scoop.it

'Scoop.it enables professionals to share important ideas with the right audiences giving them an opportunity to create and maintain a meaningful Web presence, a crucial component to the success of their business and career.'

Which makes it sound rather grand, I just think it is fun and is easy to use and share. Take a look, see what you think.

Happy 100th Birthday TIM

2013-02-27T17:48:00.000+01:00

The March edition of TIM is their 100th publication - my contributions for this edition are:

From Poverty to Freedom on Page 14

The Legal Page (pg 18) this month covers the Preferred Shares mis-selling issue

and

The Book Review Page (pg 32) features 'The Sentinel' new Spanish Civil War thriller,
'I am Spain' the SCW through the eyes of famous writers and poets,
also 'Borkmann's Point' a Swedish thriller.

Open publication - Free publishing - More costa blanca

Phoenix Classic Car Club

2013-02-21T13:16:00.000+01:00

Had a great day out with the local Phoenix Car Club for classic and specialist cars last weekend visiting some local places of interest, chatting with some of the owners and joining them for lunch.

Despite the misty weather I took plenty of photos and have a short article in next week’s local Coastrider newspaper and will have a full article in the April TIM.

Good to see some of our motoring heritage being safeguarded by these local enthusiasts.

Writers Abroad - Foreign Encounters

2013-02-13T17:28:00.000+01:00

Following this year's Writers Abroad anthology - Foreign Encounters being published on Lulu it is now available in ebook format either from Amazon Kindle or Smashwords

My contribution appears on Page 15.

"An encounter can be a chance meeting, a planned get-together or even a confrontation. This collection of stories, non-fiction and poems features a variety of foreign encounters: with family, friends, lovers, animals, cultures, or just with one`s own prejudices and preconceptions.
All proceeds from the sale of Foreign Encounters will be donated to Books Abroad."

Spain Exposed reviewed on SpainExpat site

2013-02-06T17:56:00.000+01:00

Apart from blogs, web sites, Facebook, Twitter etc another well-used electronic communication medium is Forums. There are probably forums for most topics but naturally, the ones I read and contribute too are for Expats.

An internet grapevine for exchanging information on Expat life. Changes to rules and laws, courtesy of our lords and master in Brussels, or matters relating to local services and Spanish culture.

An endless source of fact, fiction, rumour and debate. Take your pick.

SpainExpat.com is especially for those interested about life in Spain and I have been a frequent visitor over recent years. Apart from the actual forum they also have a page for books on Spain and have now added a review of my eBook 'Spain Exposed'

More Tranquillity with Vultures - TIM February

2013-01-29T14:46:00.000+01:00

The designers have done a great job on my latest article –

More Tranquillity with Vultures (Pgs 12-13)

Describing my latest adventures in the Alicante mountains.

The 2nd part of my series ‘From Poverty to Freedom’ covers the post Franco years of democracy (Pg 28)

This month’s Legal Page (pg 14) relates to recent Healthcare Law changes

for Expats in Spain.

You can view the magazine online by clicking below

Open publication - Free publishing - More costa blanca

David Boyd Haycock’s – I am Spain

2013-01-21T17:10:00.001+01:00

I recently discovered Books4Spain a web site exclusively selling books, both fiction and non-fiction, on Spain.

The site is run by a genuine lover of books, a published author and with strong links to Spain and it serves as a useful reminder that there are alternatives to Amazon.

After having posted some comments on the site’s associated blog, I was contacted by B4S and invited to write some reviews on recently published titles.

So I am currently reading David Boyd Haycock’s – I am Spain.

An extract from the book’s blurb:
“...George Orwell, Ernest Hemingway, Martha Gellhorn, Robert Capa, Gerda Taro, John Dos Passos, Felicia Browne, John Cornford, Stephen Spender... These were just some of the talented, committed and adventure-hungry men and women who travelled to Spain to join the struggle against General Franco's fascist rebellion.
Through their personal letters, diaries and memoirs, David Boyd Haycock brings the experiences of these remarkable individuals -- as well as many less celebrated but equally compelling figures -- stunningly to life...”

It has generated a variety of reviews in the press and I shall be publishing my review on B4S in the near future.

The Writers Bureau

2013-01-10T19:07:00.000+01:00

Have you been considering your plans and objectives for 2013?

The start of a new year is always a good time to take stock and try to decide on some new challenges.

I have been reviewing mine including my writing challenges and a number of other tasks falling under different headings.

If you intend to start writing or want to improve your skills, why not try a writing course and gain some more knowledge and experience.

The Writers Bureau offer a number of courses covering many different genres and topics see here for more.

They have experienced tutors who will give you valuable feedback on the assignments and encourage you to develop your writing skills.

The New Spaniards - John Hooper

2013-01-03T14:33:00.000+01:00

Many Expats living in Spain are interested in the history of their adopted country. Spain has an exotic and varied past, which has generated a lot of diverse history.
Much has been written on the topic especially 20th century Spanish history and the Civil War.

My new series of articles entitled ‘From Poverty to Freedom’, published in TIM, looks at the period after the war starting with Franco’s dictatorship and, following his death, the emergence of the current republic with democracy and restoration of royalty.

One of the best books written on this era is John Hooper’s ‘The New Spaniards’ and it is a valuable source of information and research.

This book, along with many others, is available from specialist web site Books4Spain which exclusively sells online both fiction and non-fiction books on Spain. B4S also has an interesting blog with a variety of topics and comments, including an interview with John Hooper.

TIM January 2013

2012-12-31T16:50:00.000+01:00

My main article in the January TIM is

Alicante – A Vibrant City for the 21st Century

A look at our regional capital with some of my photos on pages 12-13

My new series of articles ‘From Poverty to Freedom’ starts this month and looks at the years following the Spanish Civil War through Franco’s reign and after his death with the emergence of democracy. (Pg 28)

This month’s Legal Page explains the new Inheritance Laws and their importance when making a will. (Pg 18)

As ever also available online by clicking below if you cannot pick up a hard copy.

Open publication - Free publishing - More costa blanca

Merry Christmas

2012-12-24T16:21:00.001+01:00

Merry Christmas everyone – I hope you are somewhere warm and safe and that you have a great 2013.

Foreign Encounters by Writers Abroad

2012-12-17T13:37:00.001+01:00

Maybe you are already making plans for 2013, which involve relocating – maybe to a new country.

One piece of advice I would offer is to thoroughly research, from reliable sources, all of the aspects relating to your intended destination.
Especially important in the current climate when many countries are facing huge financial problems and are changing policies, which can affect residents and Expats alike.

I post on many forums, which can be a good source of information for people trying to understand the current issues and talking points, and another way of understanding new cultures is to read Expats articles and stories.

The 3rd Expats anthology from Writers Abroad ‘Foreign Encounters’ gives a vast range of experiences from people who are or have been Expats all over the world and so is worth reading. More information here.

My contribution is on page 15 entitled ‘Bad Day for an Expat’
The reality is not always fun in the sun.

My eBook Spain Exposed contains solely my articles relating to Spain and whilst not a relocation guide will give you an insight to this part of Europe.
Good luck with your plans.

Happy Christmas

2012-12-13T13:02:00.000+01:00

Things have been hectic at my local writers circle lately and not just with the recent themes – last weeks of ‘Erotica’ certainly proved popular – doubtless motivated by you know what (You don’t? Where have you been? – 50 Shades of Grey)

Despite various concerns over the cost and future of our current meeting location we are staying put – causing much murmuring of dissent over yesterday’s festive lunch. This was a prelude to next week’s official Christmas lunch - which is also contentious given it is at our meeting venue and we all oppose the cost.

Trying to organise a large group of writers is a bigger challenge than that of resolving the current Euro crisis but fortunately we have a new (unanimously) elected chair person – what a brave soul.

So as 2012 draws to an end the writers are revolting – well that has been known for quite a while.

Happy Christmas to everyone and may your 2013 be successful.

A myth about Kindle

2012-12-06T17:27:00.000+01:00

Modern day life in our 21st century requires us to use (or interface) with technology on a daily basis.

Whether we are in the kitchen with our electronic gadgets and machines, or in the lounge trying to successfully operate the video player (surely the most lambasted piece of technology ever? Well OK I am coming to computers) the challenge to master technology is unavoidable to some degree or other.

We were made many promises by the manufacturers and sellers of all of these wonderful devices – how easy to use they are, how beneficial, how we can’t live without them...........

The internet has given us enormous benefits to communicate, research, learn, create etc and even the tranquil world of reading has been invaded by eReaders (all these ‘e’ prefixes mean electronic by the way)

This invasion has been spearheaded mainly by Amazon with its Kindle (so named because it ‘lights a fire’ of reading and imagination) and in fact the Kindle has become so popular it is more widely used than the expression eReader, bit like we say ‘Hoover’ and not ‘Vacuum cleaner’

One of the myths about Kindle is that you can only buy Kindle eBooks from an Amazon site – this is not true and indeed you can also buy your actual Kindle device from other outlets as well (but only at the same price as Amazon sell them – I thought price fixing was against EU law?)

So why would you buy a Kindle eBook from another source – well is it not nice to have a choice and maybe support other ventures (I won’t get dragged into the tax debate here, but let’s just say that Starbucks has seen the tax light today)
Anyway if this topic interests you - Have a look here for a far more erudite look at the topic.

Time for Christmas TIM

2012-11-30T18:20:00.001+01:00

The Christmas edition of TIM is out now – my ‘More of Spain’s Secret Paradise’ appears on pages 12-13 this month looking at the amazing historical legacy left by earlier civilisations in Extremadura.

The Legal Page advises on Spanish tax and Book Review page features another great selection of books.

Next month I am launching a new series of articles: ‘From Poverty to Freedom’
Recent Spanish history from after the Civil War through to the post Franco years of democracy.

TIM can also be viewed online by clicking below.

Open publication - Free publishing - More magazine

The Crane Festival in Extremadura

2012-11-27T17:16:00.001+01:00

Extremadura is a great area in which to walk as I recently discovered but it is also a special area for birds - including Cranes.

A special festival is taking place from December 1st and the full activity list is here

Thanks to Books4Spain for using my review to help promote the 'Walking in Extremadura' book which can be obtained from B4S and is the ideal companion when visiting that region which I plan to do again in 2013.

My second article 'Spain's Secret Paradise' on Extremadura is published in TIM on December 1st and will also be available online.

In the meantime my first article is online here

The image is daybreak (yes I was up early, to walk before it got too hot last September)over Extremadura.

Spain Exposed now on Books4Spain

2012-11-17T18:27:00.000+01:00

I am delighted that my eBook - Spain Exposed is now available in EPub format meaning that anyone who owns an eReader can now download a format suitable for their device.

The EPub version is available from Books4Spain who have also listed the Kindle version because, contrary to popular belief, it is possible to buy (non DRM) Kindle version eBooks from other sources apart from Amazon. More of this topic available here.

So if you like reading eBooks I hope you will download and enjoy Spain Exposed and please feel free to leave a review either on B4S or Amazon.

Spain Exposed going EPUB

2012-11-09T13:09:00.001+01:00

My eBook, Spain Exposed, has been available on Amazon Kindle since January and I have been pleased with the sales and support from Amazon.

But not everybody who owns an eReader has a Kindle – so I have been investigating my options for making Spain exposed available on other eReader platforms by making it available in EPUB format.

Yes isn’t it complicated! After all a good old book is a book and if you can afford the cover price and read the language then away you go......

But we live in the age of technology so these tecky issues have to be confronted.
Bottom line – Soon I hope to be able to announce that Spain Exposed is downloadable for all types of eReader known to man (and woman)

Watch this space.

Robert Wilson - Javier Falcon

2012-11-02T11:35:00.000+01:00

I have always commented that writers love to receive comments or feedback, and that includes me. Naturally positive comments are preferred but if any criticism is constructive and well reasoned that that is also very useful.

Having just finished reading the 4th and final Javier Falcon novel by Robert Wilson, which I have reviewed in my TIM Book Review pages, I visited his web site and was delighted to learn that his first two books are being made into a film – can’t wait to see it.

I decided to email him and tell him I enjoyed his books and also to congratulate him on the film deal – naturally I was delighted to receive a reply (within the hour) from Robert Wilson - thanking me for my email and explaining that he is not planning any further Falcon books – shame.

So it appears that he too also likes to hear from his readers.