Books For Older Readers

This week sees the official publication of my debut novel ‘DifferentGenes'. It tells the story of how sixty- two year old, Louise, discovers she is adopted and embarks on a journey to unlock her past. Intertwined within the mystery, is a love story. The publisher describes the book as ‘a moving tale of love in later life’.

It has come as no surprise to me that the book appeals to older readers. One reviewer said,  “As a recently turned 63-year old, it was satisfying to read a novel about a woman ‘of a certain age’, a woman who discovers that her life is not over AND still holds some surprises, albeit some she didn’t expect.”

These days most people in their sixties say how young they still feel. Many, like me, have reinvented themselves in retirement through new interests and energetic social lives. So how do you begin to market a book towards an older audience without implying that the novel is aimed at readers who are a bit ‘past it', which blatantly they are not? The problem is with the terminology. There is a whole generation of 50 + readers who most definitely cannot be described as ‘old’.

I approached friends and asked for advice about whether I should try and create a new genre. Suggestions followed, but, as yet, no vocabulary which has really caught the ‘feel young’ essence of an older generation. Indeed, some people I consulted were quite affronted that I dared to suggest any books were more suited to an older age group. Nevertheless, the majority of readers and authors, who I asked, expressed a wish for some sort of resource where books which might appeal to an older age group could be found.

So, at risk of offending my contemporaries, I have created a website. It is rather unimaginatively called ‘Books for Older Readers'. The publications are nominated by their authors, and the number of titles is growing daily. Unlike me, the website is truly young and in its early stages of development, but I hope that some readers will find it useful. This is the link. www.booksforolderreaders.co.uk

Arcadia J715; The Last Post

It is just after 4 pm on Tues 3rd October. I am sitting in our cabin, surrounded by packed suitcases. The sea is calm, and the sun is shining onto our starboard balcony. As you can see from the TV map, we are not far from the Cornish Coast. The massive size of the ship symbol on the TV maps always makes me laugh.

I have checked my phone for a UK mobile signal, but there is nothing yet, so I am am back into 'Airplane' mode. I'm hoping we might get a connection later.
It is no secret that this cruise has been one of mixed fortunes, and missed ports. But I have decided not to dwell on the negative bits. I remain loyal to P and O and will take up any issues with them privately. I am not generally in favour of gossip style 'trial by social media'.
The really good points on this cruise were:
The wonderful friends we have made (you know who you are).
The few ports of call which we did reach, especially Quebec.
Those passengers who have been kind enough to read my book 'Different Genes' onboard, and share their comments with me. Also your generous feedback on my poetry performance in the Passenger Show. This has meant so much.
The cabin stewards and waiting staff.....as attentive as ever. This is the lovely towelling swan which our steward, Rizwan, left for us last night.

And here are some of the hardworking crew from the buffet.

Although this is the final blog post of this cruise, the blog will continue with photos of the ship and New York still to come. I do send out a monthly newsletter about the blog and my writing for anyone who would like updates. This is the link Newsletter
Finally, can I send a very warm thank you to everyone who has followed our travels on J715. It is really important to a writer to feel that someone is reading their words, and you have done this in your thousands.
I wish all passengers on Arcadia J715 a safe journey home tomorrow.
Claire Baldry

Arcadia Entertainment

It is 4 pm on Sunday 1st October, just one hour behind current UK time. The sun is blazing into our cabin and the force 5 wind is causing a manageable swell. We only have three nights left onboard Arcadia.  All is well.
Mr Bits and I don't go to all the entertainment, so can't really give you a comprehensive view of everything available onboard. This is just a taster, necessarily limited by our own experiences. Sorry there is nothing in this post about the talented P&O Headliners, as the lighting tends to affect Mr Bits' eyes, so we no longer attend the Headliners' Shows.
There has been a good variety of 'background' musicians in all of the bars. We liked them all, but our favourite was definitely Matt and Sarah, who related really well to their audience, and Matt is an amazing guitarist.....his Mum must be very proud of him!!
As well as the many bars, the two main entertainment venues are 'The Globe' (night-club style') and the Palladium Theatre. Both venues are used for speakers, presentations, music and entertainment.

This is the Globe this morning, being used for a future cruise port presentation.

And here is the same venue, with Matt and Sarah, one evening.

The Palladium is a much larger venue, and definitely my favourite theatre of all the P&O ships I have been on. There are plenty of seats, wonderful boxes, and there is a real West End feel to the venue. Occasional pillars obscure a few people's view, but I think this may soon change. We heard the inspirational Calendar Girl, Tricia Stewart, speak there several times, and watched magicians and comedians....all good!

This is the Palladium used for today's (optional) Sunday Service.

Which brings me to my five minutes of fame! Yesterday I found myself on stage, as part of the Arcadia's Got Talent Show. It was a full house, and I would like to send a massive thank you to everyone who encouraged me both before and after the show.

 Well done to all my talented fellow passenger performers.

 I will post more photos in the next few days. 

Can I finally today thank those readers who have recently downloaded or purchased my first novel from Amazon. The ebook is only £2-48, and every purchase pushes the book up the bestseller ratings! For anyone interested, this is the link 'Different Genes'.