A 93-year-old author who has just had her first book published is to use the proceeds to house friends who she says are currently living "miserable" lives in care homes.
What a fantastic story in today's Telegraph - proving that, firstly, it's never too late, and secondly, that all those over "a certain age" aren't just sitting around and idly twiddling their thumbs and waiting for great-grandchildren. I am really inspired by this, good for you Lorna Page! Full article here.
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15 comments:
Its a wee bit odd. Authorhouse seems on the face of it to be a self publishing outfit. Nicely produced books... but where does the six figure 'advance' come from?
It is lovely that the lady is buying a house and giving rooms to friends who need them. Sounds like a sales pitch. Or am I a cynic? 'Buy this book and help to house three old ladies'...
something's not quite right here. Although sure... I hope IM writing at 93.
Author House dont pay advances. On the contrary: you pay them. Mind you, for the story to have travelled like this, presumably, someone's met and interviewed, and so forth?
Ive got my sleuth's hat on now: look!
Curiouser and curiouser. 'Lorna Page' happens to also be, coincidentally, one of multiple pseudonyms of a thriller/commercial writer called Michael Rowland.
His other pseudonyms are:
Annette Adams, Jack Bassett, Hazel Baxter, Karla Benton, Helen Berry, Lewis Brant, Alison Bray, William Brayce, Fenton Brockley, Oliver Bronson, Chuck Buchanan, Rod Caley, Roger Carlton, Janita Cleve, Sharon Court, Vera Craig, Wesley Craille, John Delaney, John Dryden, Freda Fenton, Charles Field, Graham Garner, Burt Kroll, Helen Langley, Henry Lansing, Harvey Lant, Irene Lynn, Stuart McHugh, Hank Madison, Chuck Mason, G J Morgan, Glebe Morgan, Edna Murray, Lorna Page, Olive Patterson, Alvin Porter, Alex Random, Donna Rix, Matt Rockwell, Charles Roscoe, Minerva Rossetti, Norford Scott, Valerie Scott, Bart Segundo, Bart Shane, Frank Shaul, Clinton Spurr, Roland Starr, J D Stevens, Mark Suffling, Will Travers, Sarah Vine, Elaine Vinson, Rick Walters, Neil Webb
isnt the world of writing wonderful!
oops... strike that first man's name, its not Richard Rowland, ... tis Donald. here's the link. of course, may be a red herring... I'm off to write a thriller of my own!"
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/r/donald-s-rowland/
Ah, V, very interesting point! I hadn't got that far, wowed by the headline and the lovely pic. Huh, this is confusing. Anyone know anything more??
Ok, this is crazy! They didn;t mention any of this in the article, it's a blatant lie. Although I think that this second Lorna Page is not the same person as the 93-year-old, that is possible.
Turns out we're not the only ones to spot this: RebeccaRiots smells a rat. The story's been picked up by the BBC etc... I think the Telegraph added in the bit about the advance, that's just wrong. Blimey! Such intrigue! She has a great publicist :)
it is all over the web! and BBC news, all the papers... and the book (I'm watching it) even though you can't buy it, it has to be ordered on Amazon... its whizzed up the ratings today. Someone's been v cute big time...
Should we do something? tell someone? Some ombudsman watchdog??!
nah, fair game, the public. How many blogs are spreading the word? And papers, e-news sits... and weveryone buzzing to buy and see this mamzing book... the rating on Amazon is now under 100. This morning it was at 24,000 or summat!!!
Only published (sorry, self-published) on 12 July. Four weeks ago! So in less than a month, she has got an advance from a company that doesnt pay advances, got all these royalties, sold her flat, bought a five bedroom house in devon, (with son and wife) and invited all these friends to come out of homes!!!???
Come ON! who do they think we are!!
Well, she's real, I just listened to her on Radio 4's PM. She sounds bewildered by the interest in the story. They're still saying "the proceeds" from her "considerable success" with the book is going towards rehousing her friends, but she corrected the interviewer in that she's "not necessarily getting them out of care homes". I think she's being spun, but whether it's by the media after a story or Author House in the background, I can't say. Poor old dear sounded worn out, and fed up.
The good news - she wants to write "a book of short stories" next! Good plug, that.
Aw, that makes it sound so sad, she's being used by those spin doctory people. Ah well, not all bad if she makes loads of money - I can't wait to read her short stories!
I don't think it is any worse than the hype that pumped up The DaVinci Code - and that was a stinker.
Not only do I hope that I too am writing when 93 but I hope that I can also do 'raunchy' - apparently she has in her novel!
She's part of a circus that she is clearly unprepared for.......
...proving that, firstly, it's never too late, and secondly, that all those over "a certain age" aren't just sitting around and idly twiddling their thumbs and waiting for great-grandchildren...
As one of 'them' I can assure you many of us don't. Twiddling thumbs and knitting woollen knickers for babies in Africa is so bloody boring!
Julia, you're right, hype is hype is hype, that;s the way it goes. Raunchy? Really? I think that's fab.... Funnily, you made me realise that both the blog posts I posted yesterday were about grannies doing or thinking things grannies aren't "supposed" to!
Deborah, that does sound bloody boring, may we never be reduced to that. :)
In my novel The Sleeping Madonna there are some pretty raunchy scenes ... and why not? We still 'do it'(with much pleasure, thank you) and can also write about it, can't we? Must admit that some of the scenes did make me blush :^)
No advance, she paid them, she didn't buy the house at all... the "facts" about this story are dropping like flies.
Meanwhile, a host of young hopefuls are now posting their work off to AuthorHouse. It's a shame.
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