Simon Acland's Blog

I would like to say an enormous thank you to Elaine at Random Jottings http://randomjottings.typepad.com/ for her extremely generous review of The Waste Land. For her to say "hugely enjoyable, engrossing and engaging from start to finish - I loved this book and it will be going on my list of Best Reads for 2010" is praise indeed. But what I thought was really so special about her review was the extremely perceptive way in which she grasped what I was trying to achieve in the book. It is very satisfying to be understood!

My video has reached number one in the Meet the Author chart. Thank you everyone who has watched it.

Have a look at my video either on Goodreads below or at http://www.meettheauthor.co.uk/bookbi... if you are kind enough to help me get to number one on Meet the Author. Thanks!

Simon

Three years ago the venture capital company I had worked in for 20 years was sold. I started writing my first novel, which I called The Waste Land. Yes, I know the title has been used before, and yes, there is a reason for applying it to my book.

Now, at last, the book is published. It is available at www.charlwoodbooks.com.

Please DO judge this book by its cover, because I reckon that John Vernon Lord's illustration is one of the best things about it. Fortunately, some people seem to enjoy the content too:

Tim Waterstone called it 'highly original and a most enjoyable read.'

Douglas Hurd said that it 'will be thoroughly enjoyed by anyone with a taste for rollicking adventure laced with a subtle dose of literary learning.'

Stanley Johnson's view is that my 'gripping First Crusade mystery thriller rivals the Da Vinci Code for interest and suspense' (and my view is that I have written it in better English - sorry Dan!)