What is Myrrh Anyway?

Thursday, 16 October 2008

My Myrrh Moo MiniCards

Having been hard at work on a novel for the last six weeks, I'm now taking some time to work at the other side of the writing business, as it were - that of self-promotion. Such is the lot of a freelancer; you have to learn to blow your own trumpet pretty fast if you don't want your latest publication to sink without trace among the other 399 new books published in Britain alone every day! Hence the renewed vigorous blogging and the latest promotional item I've had made up - Moo MiniCards, to help promote What is Myrrh Anyway?

Moo MiniCards are great. They come printed with an image on one side and six lines of text on the other. In my case, that's enough space to entice someone to look at the card with an intriguing question on one side along with the details of my latest book on the other. I'm going to make sure I've got a box of my minicards with me everywhere I go, so that I can hassle coffee shops, bookshops, and perhaps even libraries, to see if they wouldn't mind me leaving a handful around the place, on tables, by the till, wherever.

So, keep an eye out and you might just be able to snap one up for yourself.

Tuesday, 14 October 2008

What would Christmas be without carols?

These days, carols and carol singing are inextricably tied to Christmas, but it should be remembered that carols have been written for many other festivals that occur throughout the year. A song does not even have to have any religious relevance for it to be called a carol!

There is, of course, a whole chapter on the subject of Christmas carols in What is Myrrh Anyway? However, due to such things as word limits and page limits, I wasn't quite able to cram in all the tasty facts about carols I would have liked, so here they are - presented for free! A small Christmas gift from me to you. ;-)

Did you know...?
Joy to the World was written by Isaac Watts in 1719. However, the current music that accompanies the carol was adapted from Handel’s Messiah by Lowell Mason.

Did you know...?

Adeste Fideles (which is also known as O Come All Ye Faithful), was supposedly written by Saint Bonaventure, Saint Francis’ biographer, who died in 1274. However, the earliest existing manuscript is dated 1790 and signed by one John Francis Wade, a French Catholic music dealer.

Did you know...?

Origins of God Rest You Merry Gentlemen are obscure but it is likely that it comes from 16th century Cornwall.

Did you know...?

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing was originally written by Charles Wesley, the famous hymn-writer, in 1737.

Did you know...?
The children’s favourite Away in the Manger was inspired by Martin Luther’s From Heaven Above I Come to You, written in 1535.

Monday, 13 October 2008

Kings of Orient like you've never seen them before

Neil Kring Cole delivers his own 'unusual' take on a well-loved Christmas classic. You have been warned...

Highly informative

This is the clipping of What is Myrrh Anyway? that appeared in The Bookseller magazine. The Bookseller is the lead publishing and bookselling trade magazine, and it's very difficult to get a review in there at all. As a result, although the reviews that appear are inevitably somewhat on the small side, any mention in The Bookseller is a real coup.

However, it still feels rather like Earth's entry in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: 'Mostly harmless.'

Saturday, 4 October 2008

What is Myrrh Anyway? Hits the ground running!

What is Myrrh Anyway?, published by Icon Books, is available from all good bookshops now!

I happened to be in the Richmond branch of Waterstone's today, so if you're passing that way tomorrow you'll find a festive message scribbled in the front accompanied by a scrawl that happened to be my signature.

Consider it an early Christmas present from yours truly. ;-)