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Alexander Rooksmoor

@arcrooksmoor.bsky.social

780 followers 1.1K following 3K posts

Author: 55 'what if?' history; historical crime; fantasy & steampunk books available on Amazon & some published by SeaLionPress too. See also: https://rooksmoor.blogspot.com/

rooksmoor.blogspot.com

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Alexander Rooksmoor @arcrooksmoor.bsky.social · Sep 11

For my latest novel I have gone back into the Magic Realism genre. 'The Obscured' is set among the community of the Obscured in contemporary UK and Pakistan. It was influenced by Christopher Priest's 'The Glamour', but seeking to explore the challenges for such people facing 2020s technology.

Book cover for 'The Obscured. A Magic Realism Novel', showing a woman looking into a mirror but instead of her own reflection only see the chair and bookcase behind her. The image is surrounded by words in Farsi.

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Alexander Rooksmoor @arcrooksmoor.bsky.social · 57m

Yes, we tried it once 21 years ago. I had got 16 pages into her book and had sent her 25 pages of notes already, when we realised that if I persisted, it would be divorce.

Alexander Rooksmoor @arcrooksmoor.bsky.social · 1h

Though it helped if you knew the title they were spoofing.

Alexander Rooksmoor @arcrooksmoor.bsky.social · 1h

We all want to see the movie, already.

Alexander Rooksmoor @arcrooksmoor.bsky.social · 1h

It does rather look like the friendlier version of 'Attack of the Clones'.

Alexander Rooksmoor @arcrooksmoor.bsky.social · 1h

If this guy is not in the dramatisation of this case, then something is wrong.

Alexander Rooksmoor @arcrooksmoor.bsky.social · 2h

While I find it difficult to watch, I know if I genuinely come away from a series really hating a character, I have witnessed good acting. Jack Gleeson is another like that. I know many people find it difficult to envisage him as at all a nice guy after 'Game of Thrones'.

Alexander Rooksmoor @arcrooksmoor.bsky.social · 2h

Rather than it actually reflecting the content. This week I was offered some vampire books which seem to be going into the 'Fifty Shades' category. I guess it is what sells (well?) for some authors, but it did not seem to fit with the general theme of my stall.

Alexander Rooksmoor @arcrooksmoor.bsky.social · 2h

Yes, I did too. I have a couple of copies on my stall. A lot of vampire books these days, well for the past 20 years, have had a heavy romance element or are specifically YA focused. I look at the YA stuff carefully as I know some female authors' work gets put into that category by default.

Alexander Rooksmoor @arcrooksmoor.bsky.social · 2h

No, but I will look it out though, online.

Alexander Rooksmoor @arcrooksmoor.bsky.social · 2h

Not really sure what you mean. I love living in Scotland, there are lots of benefits, but we go from very long days to very short days very quickly.

Alexander Rooksmoor @arcrooksmoor.bsky.social · 2h

Thank you. If I can get her one then it will be a start. The potential customer assumed I would have lots fitting her criteria but most are historical or have romantic content. I don't carry anything deemed 'erotic'.

Alexander Rooksmoor @arcrooksmoor.bsky.social · 13h

Yes, and it was pitiful. Ironically for the size of his ego this man seems to have no self-respect. Who portrays themselves as an military-scale defecater?

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Alexander Rooksmoor @arcrooksmoor.bsky.social · 13h

Come to North-East Scotland, we would love some daylight at 18.00 this late in the year.

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Alexander Rooksmoor @arcrooksmoor.bsky.social · 13h

You have to forgive him sometimes, he is not actually from this planet.

Alexander Rooksmoor @arcrooksmoor.bsky.social · 13h

Never come across this one, at present I only have a copy of 'The Dogs' in store.

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Alexander Rooksmoor @arcrooksmoor.bsky.social · 13h

She annoyed the hell out of me so much for so many episodes I felt compelled to write a novel where she gets eliminated early on (credit to Eliza Butterworth's acting), but she does have some redeeming qualities near the end of the story, in my view anyway.

Alexander Rooksmoor @arcrooksmoor.bsky.social · 13h

Different folks, different strokes (of the pen).

Alexander Rooksmoor @arcrooksmoor.bsky.social · 13h

historical. I am not expecting Stephen to respond, but I thought some people responding here might have some suggestions. Thanks in advance.

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Alexander Rooksmoor @arcrooksmoor.bsky.social · 13h

I run a second-hand bookstall focused on fantasy, science fiction and horror. I have been unable to satisfy one customer who set me the task of finding her a vampire book, set in contemporary times (not even the 1970s), that is not YA and has no romance in it. She spurned 'The Historian' as too

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Alexander Rooksmoor @arcrooksmoor.bsky.social · 13h

I would actually see it as a negative comment on his social skills and those of the other people he is inviting.

Alexander Rooksmoor @arcrooksmoor.bsky.social · 16h

I had to look that up! Over here bubble tea places tend to be distinct and tend to have an almost exclusively East Asian (heritage) clientele.Their customer demographic also tends to be younger than the average for coffee shops.

Alexander Rooksmoor @arcrooksmoor.bsky.social · 16h

Yes and once again, certainly where I live, St. Luke's Day proved to be a sunny day in October, as tradition says it will be.

Alexander Rooksmoor @arcrooksmoor.bsky.social · 16h

He is very much in the model of Clement Attlee, but he did not have to put up with memes, AI and social media while he was running the country in his quietist way.

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Alexander Rooksmoor @arcrooksmoor.bsky.social · 16h

However, I would question the behaviour of, and regulations around, the Thai monarchy.

Alexander Rooksmoor @arcrooksmoor.bsky.social · 17h

Plus, in videos put out on his social media and that of his vice-president, he is shown as a king.