The Best Day Of Your Life (ft. self-promotion)

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Clarkman
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PostThe Best Day Of Your Life (ft. self-promotion)
by Clarkman » Sun Sep 01, 2019 10:35 pm

I thought this would be a bit more palatable than a shameless and boring publicity thread.

I'm interested to know if there's a clear and defined pick for the best day of your life.

The great American author Kurt Vonnegut famously had a philosophy of trying to actively recognise and acknowledge the happy moments in his life. As he voiced through one of his characters: “I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, ‘If this isn’t nice, I don’t know what is.’”

On Thursday, my novel, The Art of the Body, is being released. This is my technical debut in the UK, as my previous book was published by an indie American press. Whereas this work is a proper, full work of fiction, published by one of the biggest publishing houses in the world.

A decent number of people have said in passing, things to the effect of: "You must be so excited!" or "This will be the best day of your life!", but honestly, I don't know how to feel. It's been such a long time coming that I feel pretty numb about it.

I'm proud of the work itself and think it stands up, but it doesn't feel like its mine any more. I'm more interested in doing the people proud who believed in me, and those who invested substantial amounts of time and money in bringing the book to market.

GRcade has been hugely supportive in the past of forumite's creative projects, including my own, so I hope you'll indulge me to provide a few links to preorder :wub:

For those kind enough to consider buying, a rating or review on Amazon or Goodreads post-release are HUGELY helpful in marketing the book and pushing it up the algorithms.

Thank you guys :oops:

Cover and info:

Image

'Raw and powerful' IMAGE

Maintaining one person's dignity is nearly always at the expense of someone else's. I have learned this for you.

Janet is caught between care work and caring for herself. Her life revolves around Sean, a talented fine art student, living and working with cerebral palsy. Both Janet and Sean are new to London and far from their families. Both are finding a means of escape through pushing their bodies to the limit.

When Sean is faced with an unexpected and deeply personal tragedy, Janet must let her guard down at last and discover what she's prepared to fight for.

The Art of the Body is a novel about dignity and intimacy, tenderness and brutality, unafraid to explore uncommon bodies in unusual ways.


Amazon
The Book Depository - current cheapest price
Waterstones
Foyles

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Pedz
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PostRe: The Best Day Of Your Life (ft. self-promotion)
by Pedz » Sun Sep 01, 2019 11:22 pm

I only read picture books with boobs in sorry.

Best days ofy life were when the kids were born. Life is gooseberry fool otherwise. gooseberry fool!

Congrats.

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Denster
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PostRe: The Best Day Of Your Life (ft. self-promotion)
by Denster » Mon Sep 02, 2019 1:07 am

It's out at the same time as David Cameron's biography. Sorry mate.

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PostRe: The Best Day Of Your Life (ft. self-promotion)
by Denster » Mon Sep 02, 2019 1:08 am

When my daughter was born is the best day of my life.

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Outrunner
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PostRe: The Best Day Of Your Life (ft. self-promotion)
by Outrunner » Mon Sep 02, 2019 9:16 am

The day I arrived in Japan for this first time. I'd wanted to go for so long and finally plucked up the courage to do it. The actual build up had a few stumbling blocks (snowed in a at Heathrow for 24 hours risking missing the tour, being so tired by the time I got there I got the wrong train) but when I actually got off the train and into Tokyo I was so unbelievably happy.

Honourable mentions, getting accepted for university this year

When I passed my BTEC with Distinctions in every module. It was especially gratifying because I'd ballsed up my GCSEs at school and drifted for three years doing nothing. Then spent the next three years and 2 BTECs trying to make it up to myself and my parents. I got student of the year for the college and was nominated for student of the year for the East Midlands too

Please do not post this in the "No Context" thread
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PostRe: The Best Day Of Your Life (ft. self-promotion)
by Godzilla » Mon Sep 02, 2019 9:36 am

First visit to America. Saved for a year, went by myself. Spent a week in Vegas, did the grand canyon, walked the strip countless times and ate my weight in American food.

Being on the strip and hearing Don't Stop Believing blast out was as close as I've gotten to a movie scene. Also visiting the cinema in Vegas and experiencing people shouting out during a horror movie. "That's gotta hurt" etc. If it had happened in the UK I'd have hated it but in the US it added to the atmosphere.

Other days of note, finishing Uni, first trip to Amsterdam and a birthday in Dusseldorf.

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PostRe: The Best Day Of Your Life (ft. self-promotion)
by Balladeer » Mon Sep 02, 2019 9:52 am

It’s still probably finding out my A-Level results. Which is fair enough for Outrunner (congrats by the way!) but for me it’s twelve years ago.

Is that sad? It feels sad.

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PostRe: The Best Day Of Your Life (ft. self-promotion)
by Rocsteady » Mon Sep 02, 2019 10:05 am

Denster wrote:It's out at the same time as David Cameron's biography. Sorry mate.

:lol:

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PostRe: The Best Day Of Your Life (ft. self-promotion)
by OrangeRKN » Mon Sep 02, 2019 10:16 am

Congrats again on the book Clarkman! Did you choose a pen name to get near the front of the shelf? :P

Picking out a "best day" is difficult but I reckon I'd go for one of my house christmas celebrations with old housemates. Spending the whole day drinking, playing games, having a big christmas dinner, swapping secret santa presents, and then collapsing asleep by 10pm.

My close friend's wedding was a pretty brilliant day too.

Less socially, I have very fond memories of finishing my second year resits at uni, grabbing a crate of beers on my way through town, then just sitting in front of the TV in our student house that I had all to myself and just drinking and playing Sly 4 which was newly out :wub:

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Outrunner
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PostRe: The Best Day Of Your Life (ft. self-promotion)
by Outrunner » Mon Sep 02, 2019 11:17 am

Balladeer wrote:It’s still probably finding out my A-Level results. Which is fair enough for Outrunner (congrats by the way!) but for me it’s twelve years ago.

Is that sad? It feels sad.


Thanks, for context my BTEC story is from 20 years ago and I'm still proud of that. I'm going to university after being out education for 20 years! So I don't think it's sad that you're still proud of your A-Level results

Please do not post this in the "No Context" thread
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PostRe: The Best Day Of Your Life (ft. self-promotion)
by Balladeer » Mon Sep 02, 2019 11:50 am

Outrunner wrote:
Balladeer wrote:It’s still probably finding out my A-Level results. Which is fair enough for Outrunner (congrats by the way!) but for me it’s twelve years ago.

Is that sad? It feels sad.


Thanks, for context my BTEC story is from 20 years ago and I'm still proud of that. I'm going to university after being out education for 20 years! So I don't think it's sad that you're still proud of your A-Level results

Ah fuzzbuckets, misinterpreted your story. Sorry! Glad you’re managing to go after all this time, hope you enjoy and that it’s useful! :)

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PostRe: The Best Day Of Your Life (ft. self-promotion)
by Outrunner » Mon Sep 02, 2019 12:06 pm

Balladeer wrote:
Outrunner wrote:
Balladeer wrote:It’s still probably finding out my A-Level results. Which is fair enough for Outrunner (congrats by the way!) but for me it’s twelve years ago.

Is that sad? It feels sad.


Thanks, for context my BTEC story is from 20 years ago and I'm still proud of that. I'm going to university after being out education for 20 years! So I don't think it's sad that you're still proud of your A-Level results

Ah fuzzbuckets, misinterpreted your story. Sorry! Glad you’re managing to go after all this time, hope you enjoy and that it’s useful! :)


:D No worries! I'm very nervous but excited. I've wanted to do it for a while but not had the courage to see it through. Various circumstances have pushed me in this direction now but this is definitely the right decision for me and I wish I'd done it earlier. Still, it's never too late :)

Please do not post this in the "No Context" thread
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Mommy Christmas
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PostRe: The Best Day Of Your Life (ft. self-promotion)
by Mommy Christmas » Mon Sep 02, 2019 12:10 pm

https://ibb.co/4S6Mk4C


Can't get images to work for me but...


Good Luck with the Book!

:dread:
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PostRe: The Best Day Of Your Life (ft. self-promotion)
by Mommy Christmas » Mon Sep 02, 2019 12:14 pm

Denster wrote:When my daughter was born is the best day of my life.


This. For Both Sprogs.

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PostRe: The Best Day Of Your Life (ft. self-promotion)
by Curls » Mon Sep 02, 2019 12:16 pm

I'm sat in work eating revels and drinking tea. This is the best moment of my life.

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PostRe: The Best Day Of Your Life (ft. self-promotion)
by Tomous » Mon Sep 02, 2019 12:40 pm

30th May, Wembley, drunk, with my Dad and one of my oldest mates, Swansea 4 -2 Reading, promoted to the PL


My wedding day I guess... :shifty:

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PostRe: The Best Day Of Your Life (ft. self-promotion)
by Moggy » Mon Sep 02, 2019 12:42 pm

If the wife is reading this then my best day was either my wedding day or the day my son was born.

If the wife isn’t reading then it was the day I strawberry floated 6 hookers while snorting industrial amounts of cocaine.

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Clarkman
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PostRe: The Best Day Of Your Life (ft. self-promotion)
by Clarkman » Mon Sep 02, 2019 12:47 pm

Mommy wrote:https://ibb.co/4S6Mk4C


Can't get images to work for me but...


Good Luck with the Book!


Superb, thank you lad.

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Clarkman
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PostRe: The Best Day Of Your Life (ft. self-promotion)
by Clarkman » Tue Sep 03, 2019 10:58 pm

If anyone wants to come, the book launch is tomorrow in Central London. PM me for details. Free booze.

Corazon de Leon

PostRe: The Best Day Of Your Life (ft. self-promotion)
by Corazon de Leon » Tue Sep 03, 2019 11:28 pm

Good luck Clarky! It's good to see what appears to be a pretty big launch for you, especially as you've been writing for just about as long as I can remember you being on GR. :)

Best day of my life is an interesting question. The obvious answer is my wedding day in July, but it went so fast and was so stressful to organise that I think both me and my wife were as relieved as we were happy when everything went well. :lol:

Stress aside, it was a bloody great day though. Managed to get all the people closest to us - including some of my wife's closest family members from Australia - into one room for a night, and had a brilliant laugh. We had people fly in from the US, come up from down south, Banjo even came in from Russia for it. We had arcade machines, it was just great.

The other candidate was my PhD viva; passed with minor corrections(which is pretty standard). I'd been hyping up the exam in my head for literally years and hadn't told anyone other than my now-wife I was sitting it, just in case I failed. As it turned out, the whole thing was over in an hour, which is pretty short for a history viva. Went home and surprised my brother, then my mum with the news. We then got a tonne of Chinese food in and it was just a brilliant, cathartic relief. :lol:

It's Celtic 2-1 Barcelona. Tony Watt and Big Vic :wub: :wub: :wub: :wub: :wub:


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