Catch up (or at least hello)

I've not had much to say lately. It's school summer holidays so my days are busy with the boys. I'm still ill with my pyoderma gangrenosum, and a chest and ear infection which has lasted 5 weeks so far. (I'm waiting for yet more blood test results/autoimmune profile etc.) I've been taking large amounts of steroids and antibiotics, I think they rather drag one down. Off everything for the moment, except some steroid cream, and I'm hoping to shake the infection, start eating more healthily, take vits, maybe slowly exercise again. Gotta keep moving forwards.

I haven't been writing.

What I have been doing is reading. Yay for words!

I'm now a reader for PANK, which you may recall is one of my favourite magazines. I've been finding it utterly fascinating being on the other side of submissions and noticing some of the recurrent themes and images. It's so cool when you read a story or poem that dazzles. And it makes me feel that in some teeny (very teeny) way I'm putting a little (very little) back into the lit community.

I returned to work yesterday after 4 weeks absence. I was feeling rather shaky but ooh, it was lovely to be back. And there were some delicious books waiting for me. Yippee! Thank you to Joe for my copy of the very enticing Bristol Short Story prize Anthology (Volume 3). We haven't yet got copies in store but they are on order. Plus I have a couple of proofs of books that I really want to read. Result.

Speaking of new publications, edition 1 of Fractured West is now available and looks super scrummy.