Tentative beginnings to get another agent.

                         The Samye Ling is almost open again. I was there in February and was freaked the first afternoon by the cold after I went down to the riverbank and became chilled. Nowhere to get warm, They had the heating on a timer due to the eye watering cost of energy these days, but this time it was back in the old routine, almost. Anyway, the cafe was open and so was Potala House, where I normally stay. For the first time, I had room in Johnstone House in February which just felt weird.

                        There was something called the Monlam going on and the temple was mobbed every day with folk doing prayers, and some teachings from Drupon Rinpoche. He asked for a show of hands to see how many in the audience had done one of the big three or four year retreats ... about a fifth of the folk put their hands up. Impressive. 

                        An eighty five year old guy was sitting behind me sometimes. I met him on the Holy Isle. Turned out he'd only been in paid employment for three years of his life, and had made his living out of dealing dope till he did twelve years in retreat. You'd think butter wouldn't melt in their mouths. Someone else I know told me they were dealing in Amsterdam before they came to Scotland; someone else who did twelve years in retreat.

                        The top photo is of Lama Yeshe and Ani Llamo coming to the gate of the centre as I was leaving. I saw them going the opposite way, to Purelands, when I was in  a taxi on the way there. Lifted my heart, so it did.

                          Writing stuff since this blog is supposed to be supporting my Kindle account... So, one of the two folk I gave The Buddha, The Dakini, and The Dirty Old Man to, someone I met on the Indian pilgrimage who'd read some of my books, said she thought it was really good, which was encouraging. 

                            When I read Cold Killing while my friend was reading The Dirty Old Man, I found it okay. When I'd put it aside to concentrate on the writing the dharma book, I thought it probably needed filled out in "act three". But it's a crime thriller novel and works on plotline, so it's okay as it is, I've decided.

                            So now I've got two new books. I'd like The Dirty Old Man published because it might help folk who are interested in meditating, but it's not a genre novel, so it's chances are slim. The same with Cyclists, and it got published nearly right away. If I make any money from  The Dirty Old Man, I'll give it to the wee French nun who is trying to develop a retreat centre. But it probably won't make any money.

                            In my experience you get published by knowing people. Sending out emails to agents is probably not going to get you published, but I don't know anyone .... still I sent an email to someone and this would be a good place to keep a record of what I'm doing in this regard.

No 1: Daisy Chadley at Peters, Fraser and Dunlop. Picked her to send an email to because she was the last on the list of folk there who were willing to entertain folk like me, the random outsiders.