A Man of Insignificance

[admin]

I was very pleased to receive a cheque for £240 payable to Friends of Marple Memorial Park from "A Man of Insignificance" author K.C. Dowling this afternoon. This money represents a percentage of the first edition sales, which have now ended. Kevin has also kindly proposed to donate 4% of any future net royalties for 2015 to the Friends of the Park, which is brilliant too.

I'd like to thank Kevin for this fantastic contribution towards the park, which he told me about several weeks ago but asked me not to publicise until after the elections.

If you haven't read the book yet, I'd strongly recommend it as a good read. You can still buy it as explained here: http://amanofinsignificance.com/k-c-dowling/

I'm delighted to report that following the launch of his new book "A Man of Insignificance" on 23rd November 2014 local author K.C. Dowling has chosen to support Friends of Marple Memorial Park by donating a share of the proceeds from its sale. Friends of the Park will receive a portion of the royalties from both direct local sales and Internet sales.

Initially we propose to put any funds received toward the Marple Skatepark Development Project Community Funding but any longer term income from sales may be used to support other projects in the park too.

More details about this, including ways of purchasing your copy, can be found on the Friends of the Park web site:

http://www.marplememorialpark.org.uk/our-projects/skate-park-improvements/a-man-of-insignificance.html

[K.C.Dowling]

Thank you to everybody thus far who has bought the book, read it or supported it in any way.

[simonesaffron]

That's interesting admin,  I read the speech in the book but I wasn't at that meeting and I didn't actually know it was the real speech. Talk about truth and fiction. 

[admin]

I finished the book a few days ago and I must say that I enjoyed it very much. The Stanley Oldknow character didn't stand out for me the way some others have mentioned but I really liked the two main characters, especially the cynical but witty councillor Danny Senetti - he would certainly get my vote. I must admit that I could see how the plot was developing towards the last third but it didn't actually spoil it for me. I also enjoyed the few subtle (and occasionally blatant) references to Marple, particularly the barnstorming speech by Danny against the supermarket planning application. It was almost word for the same as a real one I once heard and had the same effect as the first time I heard it too!

I was hoping for a bit of romance between the good Doctor and the jaded Danny but it looks like I will have to wait for the sequel, which was perfectly set up in true Jurassic Park fashion!

[simonesaffron]

Sorry, excuse my manners.

Congratulations K.C. Quite an achievement. 

[simonesaffron]

I finished reading it earlier today. I found it a very good book. It held my interest throughout. I particularly enjoyed  the main character's little mental soliloquies. I also liked the structure of the book and the way that it moved through time without you really noticing. I would recommend it to anybody. 

[K.C.Dowling]

Thanks K.C.

I've got a question. There is word in the book, I can't quite find it now but it is in the chapter where the Captain first enters the sisters lounge in Dublin. I'm not sure if I am spelling it correctly but the word is Stradogue  what does the word mean ? I can't find it in the dictionary.

Hello again Looby Lou. In the tiny one roomed huts that Irish peasants lived in, in 1848, modesty was preserved as best as it could be by an ordered sleeping arrangement. This arrangement was dependent upon the size of the family and the gender mix. This was known as 'Sleeping in Stradogue'.
In the main, the objective was to keep the boys away from the girls.
You won't find this word in an English dictionary as it is an Irish word.
Hope this explains.

[simonesaffron]

This is not my review so please don't ask me any questions as I won't be able to answer them.

A friend of mine Beryl Bainbridge ( No not that one) has read the book and asked me if I would post this revue on her behalf. I hope that you don't mind admin. She lives in London now but she grew up in Marple , in the 50's/60's,  she also visits us regularly so there is a connection.

Beryl's Review   

This is an unusually written book. A murder mystery detective with an intellect. The writing style is deliberately yet subtly inconsistent and moves around between progressive and causist and others in between. It seems to depend what chapter you are in at the time. That said, I think it works wonderfully well. The plot is very well thought out and the characterization and dialogue are both superb. The 1920's detective Stanley Oldknow is so original that his charisma leaps out from the page.The main character Danny Senetti, has ponderings which are genuinely priceless. In particular his musings on mobile phones and doctors are both tremendous examples of hilarious cynicism at its best. You have to concentrate on AMOI, it isn't a book for reading in 5 page extracts going to and fro on the tube. Anyway well done the author. I thoroughly enjoyed t and was sorry when it ended.I'll keep watch for your next one.

[Loobylou]

Thanks K.C.

I've got a question. There is word in the book, I can't quite find it now but it is in the chapter where the Captain first enters the sisters lounge in Dublin. I'm not sure if I am spelling it correctly but the word is Stradogue  what does the word mean ? I can't find it in the dictionary.

[K.C.Dowling]

Hello Loobylou,

First of all thank you for buying my book, reading it and posting your encouraging comments.

The cover depicts the scene in Chapter 3. The year is 1848 and the Irish Peasant boy, who has been sitting in despair and humiliation all night beneath the three trees, rises to his feet before falling into the old priest's open backed cart.

If you look carefully at the cover you will the shape of the Man of Insignificance standing within the shape of the three trees.   

Alas, I did not draw the bookcover, I ONLY WISH that I had the talent. It is an original hand drawing, it hasn't been taken from a computer and it isn't any kind of graphic design. It was drawn by an artist called Luciano Ratto Braga. Luciano lives in Brazil, he was over here in the summer and I asked him if he would design the cover. I gave him a synopsis of the book and that is what he came up with.       

[Loobylou]

Does anybody know anything about the cover? It's very interesting and appears to be hand drawn. Did the writer do it himself?

[jragain]

I went to a local auction last week and a signed copy of the book went for over twice the cover price !   I know it was to raise funds but that is still impressive. 

[Loobylou]

I've just read the book. I wasn't expecting it to be so good, but it was. Once I started it, I couldn't stop.

If the author reads this, I thought that the 1920's detective was a tremendous character.I'd like to read a book where he features. 

[admin]

I'm delighted to report that following the launch of his new book "A Man of Insignificance" on 23rd November 2014 local author K.C. Dowling has chosen to support Friends of Marple Memorial Park by donating a share of the proceeds from its sale. Friends of the Park will receive a portion of the royalties from both direct local sales and Internet sales.

Initially we propose to put any funds received toward the Marple Skatepark Development Project Community Funding but any longer term income from sales may be used to support other projects in the park too.

More details about this, including ways of purchasing your copy, can be found on the Friends of the Park web site:

http://www.marplememorialpark.org.uk/our-projects/skate-park-improvements/a-man-of-insignificance.html

[jragain]

I just looked the Christmas Cracker up - it looks good - and a chance to meet three local authors on one day !   Although it did confuse me at  first because the page i ended up on here was for Saturday December 7th - it was for last year!  I found a newer page in the end :-)  It is Saturday 6th this year.

I think I will take my copy to see if I can get it signed.