The worst thing about being a published writer is not knowing what the reading public might think of your work. If you have read my earlier blogs you will know that success happened a long time ago for me. My last publication was in 1992: that was “Brightside” published by Penguin. My newspaper and magazine reviews always had been good, and those for “Brightside” were no exception. But that was in the days long before Amazon would invite the reading public to write exactly what they thought of a book, under the title name, on its website. My books are now out of print, so unless it is possible to review a second hand book on Amazon (and who knows, perhaps it can be done) I guess I shall just have to accept it as a boat I missed. Which is a pity because I am hoping at some future date to negotiate a reprinting of “Brightside”, and a whole bunch of first class reviews on Amazon would help enormously in achieving that goal.
I recently googled my name and received some rather pleasant surprises. The following is a list of references which quite unexpectedly were to warm my heart:
b3ta qotw g.h.morris
eye candy for bibliophiles (click on g.h.morris)
William redfern g.h.morris
bebo.com g.h.morris
Friends and family almost always tell us what we want to hear about our books and the manuscripts we dump on them, and that’s to be expected. But learning your book resonates, lingers for years in the memory of strangers or features among the top ten books someone has read, and features in a list of recognisably worthy companions, gives one a sense of real achievement.
I also see that I get four mentions in the Bloomsbury Good Reading Guide (1st edition 1988). To make a favourable impression is what we strive for, and to learn we have been successful should only be a dig in the ribs to move on to greater things. Writing may be a lonely old business, but to know I have touched base with somebody out there makes it less so. It tells me the meaning of those sweated words has, however miraculously, somehow been received and understood.
g.h.morris; exercises his literary muscle 
Hello gh morris, Today I had occasion to mention your wonderful Brightside Trilogy to friends who had come for a Christmas visit and exchange of gifts. We got talking, and there was some reference to inflatable dolls along the way, which in turn led me to recall an inflatable girlfriend in one of the Brightside novels.
My friends were intrigued by my description of the trilogy, so I loaned them my precious battered copy of the 1992 Penguin edition as they’d never heard of it.
It is a long time since I have read it, so I hope they return the book, so I can read it again before I die.
By the way, Eye Candy For Bibliophiles is one of my blogs, so I’m glad you came across my reference to the Brightside Trilogy.
Merry Christmas from Melbourne, Australia
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Hi Anne,
Thanks for your kind comments re the Brightside Trilogy, both in your email and previously in your blog. It’s encouraging to know we writers are not alone when we receive a communication such as this. I have always been intrigued by originality hence can’t help but wonder if, from among your huge library of contemporary novels, you are able to cite any other inflatable dolls.
I have just finished a novel which has been many years in the making. Shall be sending it to agents after Christmas so watch out for “A Brotherhood of the Disarranged” next year.
Have a good Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Gerald
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Hi Gerald,
To answer your question regarding inflatable dolls in novels, I can’t offhand recall another novel that contains them, so I think your use of one is original. I loved the inflatable flying animals in your novels, by the way.
What good news it is that you have a new novel in the works. I will certainly acquire a copy.
Best wishes from Oz.
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Thinking of inflatable dolls, not something that I do regularly. the only other use of an inflatable doll that I remember was in a computer game of the 1990s. It was in fact called Tex Murphy Overseer, an adventure game, the third in a series. The inflatable doll is used ingeniously to escape a sticky situation about midway through the game.
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