So You Want To Write A Book!

 

Writing a book is easy. Getting it bought by the public is the hard part. Just when I thought I’d completed the task of researching, writing, editing and finding a publisher – I was then faced with the real challenge of getting people to read my work!

To give you an example, “From Handbags to Hand Grenades” was released in January 2025. Since then, I’ve repeatedly contacted over 800 media outlets from newspapers to TV – yet so far, all I’ve managed to do is secure just three interviews in obscure and hard to reach far corners of the British Isles.

I also have multiple social media profiles and make bi-monthly contributions to over 440 specially targeted groups to those who I think would like the book. After combining all the figures from each group I’m looking at a collective potential audience of roughly seven million views of my posts every two weeks. Yet, this again was slow on the uptake and all I seem to attract are hordes of fake marketing agents and scammers who try and offer me their services. It’s been a bit of a surprise with how little the overall response has been, and a very steep learning curve.

However, there is something positive in all of this. Despite the knockbacks, the mistakes I’ve made and the constant worry of whether I’ll make any money; I can be proud to say I’ve produced something out of nothing. And that something is now being read by others who are enjoying my work and leaving a string of five-star reviews across the board. I found out recently my book is being sold in 86 countries which was a real boost and has now recently become available in audio format – as well as Paperback and Kindle.

Promoting and selling is like a rollercoaster, full of highs and lows and you never know what’s coming around the corner. If someone had told me before I embarked on this three-year journey what I was going to be facing, then I may have had second thoughts. But here I am, and I’m glad that despite the difficulties faced, I’d say to anyone who’s thinking about doing this to go for it. The feeling of something tangible in your hand that you’ve created is like nothing in this world - even more so when you see that others are enjoying it too. It’s quite awesome and something I’d highly recommend. If this is one of your dreams in life, then you ought to give it a go.

From Handbags to Hand Grenades by Mark Robertson is the inspirational true story about former Police Officer Kathryn West. The book talks about her life, career and dangers met every day for officers on the thin blue line. From the Tavistock Square bombing to Grenfell Tower, West’s first-hand experience talks candidly of chilling tales and memorable moments of life on the beat during her 30 years in the MET. Paperback and Kindle available on Amazon, with the audio version available to download from Audible. Click on the links below to order your copy today.

 

For Paperback and Kindle (UK) Click here.

Paperback and Kindle (Rest of the world) Click here.

Audio version Click here.

#london #crime #Truecrime #Murder #terrorism #mitcham #wandsworth #tooting #wimbledon #raynespark #clapham #croydon #claphamcommon #grenfell #grenfelltower #westminster #collierswood #claphamcommon #richmond #belgravia #whitehouse #Politics #Politicians #greenwich #tolworth #sutton #cheam #ewell #merton #brixton #kingstonuponthames #truecrime #policewoman #policeofficer #truecrimelovers #truecrimefan #truecrimebooks #crimebooks #policelife #reallifepolicing #policeinaction #londonpolice #metpolice #ukpolice #ukcops #thethinblueline #truecrimeaddict #truecrimestories #londonstreets #policelife #onthebeat #lifeontheline #truecrimeobsessed #truecrimeallthetime #reallifeheroes #reallifestories #newbookstagram #newbookstoread #bookshelf #newbookrelease #uniquebooks #britishauthor #britishbooks #britishwriter  #metpolice #ukpolice #truecrimefans #truecrimebooks #handbags #hand #grenade #grenades #handgrenade #handgrenades

Sale of Marmite Collection.

Are you a lover or a hater? 

Dear visitor,

This page is for the sale of Marmite products which belonged to my beloved late wife Laura. As some of you will know, she passed away from Cancer in 2020 at the age of just 45. More info about Laura can be found here.

Laura was a collector of Marmite memorabilia and wanted others to benefit from her incredible collection, which originally amassed over 300 items. Some pieces have now been sold and I'm now starting the next round of sales which you can have for exceptionally low prices. 

In the picture below, you will see two sizes of box described as small and large with the items contained within the box written on there. To keep things simple, a small box is priced at £10 and a large box at £20. However, if you purchase two boxes or more, you get all subsequent boxes after the initial one for half price!!! 

With reference to the other products, they are done on a price per item basis, but the sames rules as above will apply - buy the first item at full price and get the second item for 50% off. Carriage cost will be extra based on weight and sent by Royal mail using either a tracked and signed for method - or Special delivery whichever works out best as per the consignment. 

To place your order, please email me on davidwalkerfj@gmail.com and put MARMITE SALE in the subject line. Include a clear description of the boxes you would like along with a full name, address and post code. I will then reply back confirming availability, along with the total price including the carriage and payment details. Once payment has been received I will ship out the items to you. Please note - under new rules that PayPal has recently set out, I have decided not to accept PayPal as a method of payment.

Please help me to keep the memory of Laura alive by owning a part of her special collection. She was a caring and wonderful person who always went out of her way to help others. If you have any questions then don't hesitate to get in touch where I will try and answer them as best I can. All jars are in extremely good condition with very little wear / tear / damage as they were originally stored in either a display cabinet, or set of drawers as you can see in the photo below. 

Please note - due to their age, the contents of the jars should not be eaten. No responsibility will be accepted for anyone who attempts to do this. Everything is for decorative purposes only. 

Thank you in advance. 

David. 

Buy one item and get a second for HALF PRICE!!!

 Meade ETX 90 EC motor issues.

Blue connector was completely removed.

That's a bit concerning!

Missing screw to hold the worm in place

Red and blue wire from the blue connector. These came out when I removed the threaded bolt which they were tightly wrapped around. 

Well now I know what was making the rattling sound!

Looks like I need to get a new one...

 MEGA MARMITE COLLECTION SALE!

Search Twitter / X #megamarmite

Love it or Hate it, millions around the planet are attracted to Marmite. This collection belonged to my late wife Laura Walker, who passed away in February 2020 from Cancer. She requested that her collection was to be sold off with the proceeds donated to the British Heart Foundation. The images below shows the entire collection available on offer. Prices start at just £10 per item which anyone who collects it will know, is a real bargain! 

If, however, you would just like to make a donation to the British Heart Foundation without making a purchase, you can do so via the Just Giving website here. 

You can read about who Laura was and her journey with cancer here. 

EMAIL ME:   davidwalkerfj@gmail.com   to place your order.

Most items have Marmite inside and the lid still sealed. However, due to the ages of the product, consumption is not recommended. 

The whole collection consists of over 200 items!

Prices start at just £10 per item. If you have any questions, see something that you like or want to reserve something in advance, email me at davidwalkerfj@gmail.com and place your order today!

Shipping may be possible on some items but I discovered that Royal mail prices were a lot more that originally thought, so please be advised that packing and shipping costs could be as high as £15 for a standard 250g jar. Larger items of course will cost more. 

Here's a newspaper article from the Bournemouth Daily Echo on Saturday 22nd June 2024 which does show a few more items to be sold - the story even made front page!

Photo Credit: Dorset Echo

Laura Walker

BBC Dorset ran the story online 25th June 2024. You can view it by clicking on this link here.

Listen to the news article on 107.8 Radio Jackie in London here.

Dorset Echo here.

BournemouthOne.com Radio Station Article here.

BBC South Today early evening News 28th June 2024 

BBC South Today late evening news 28th June 2024 (Short version)

Also seen in the Sun, Daily Star and Mirror Newspapers.

This is a hand held recording of my Channel 5 debut on the Storm Huntley Show 27th June 2024.

 You may be able to get a higher quality image by clicking here.

Like, share and donate, to make Laura's legacy help benefit others! 

Thank you. 

Marmite Collectors Sale

Specialist Jar Price List - based on a 250g sized jar

 

Summer of Love                                                                     £100

Newport number 150                                                             £500

Sun / Superhero’s / Camper Van                                             £50 per jar

Any metal lid jar 2oz                                                                                                     £175

Gene Project                                                                           £50

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road                                                 £150

Rocketman                                                                             £150

Heritage                                                                                 £100

Paddington Bear in a box                                                     £50

Pride                                                                                       £50

Marmighty (with Egg Cup)                                                  £50

Valentine                                                                                 £25

Guinness                                                                                 £25

Brexit                                                                                      £25

Hypnosis                                                                                 £20

Trick                                                                                       £20

Treat                                                                                       £20

I love You                                                                                £20

Large Ceramic Rare Jar                                                         £250

Pin badges                                                                                 £5

Set of 7 Brown jars                                                                 £180

Set of 9 Brown jars                                                                 £200

Tea Pot                                                                                     £20

XO Boxed                                                                                 £30

XO Unboxed                                                                            £25

Jigsaw Puzzle                                                                          £10

Large Ceramic Cookie Jar                                                     £120

Memo Board                                                                             £20

Set of 4 Collectors Spoons                                                     £40

2017 Calendar                                                                         £5

Wooden Cheeseboard Knife Set                                             £25

Cookbook                                                                                 £5

Ceramic “Marmite” Serving Dish                                         £120

Cufflinks (Unboxed)                                                                £5

Cufflinks (Boxed)                                                                     £10

Peanut Butter Spread                                                             £10

St John Skelton                                                                        £60

Compact Mirror                                                                     £15

Classic Cars x 4                                                                     £80 

Ink Blotter                                                                              £40

Salt and Pepper Pots                                                             £30

Sanitarium 250g Marmite                                                     £20

Sanitarium 500g Marmite                                                     £35

No Noise Set                                                                             £50

Cancer destroys more than just the patient

I've done my best. God knows I've tried.

I'm tired and had enough. I've no more strength to give. 

It's time to stop.

#cancer #grieving 

Strange lights seen over London 31st October 2013

Earlier this evening I saw something I can't explain. I know that by writing this blog I could be up for a fair bit of ridicule and skepticism but quite frankly, I don't care as what I'm about to describe was nothing short of incredible!

I got off the train just after 7pm at Streatham Common in London, when I became aware of green and turquoise lights in the sky in the distance. At first, I didn't think anything of it as there is usually a lot of activity one way or another, with large planes from Heathrow and Gatwick airports.

The lights started to come closer and at speed, before they then stopped and hovered. Then they darted off at an angle, again at speed, before stopping once more. They dropped altitude and travelled in an elongated letter "S" shape, passing over my head no more than 200ft up. By now I'm transfixed, there was hardly any traffic around and yet, not a single sound could be heard from this thing. The "craft" was probably around three quarters the length of a single deck bus and swept by me gracefully travelling at what I estimate to be between 80 and 100 mph.

It headed towards the common then stopped again, as abrupt as it started. Hovered for a few seconds then darted. First in one direction, then another without slowing down. I'd been watching for around 10 minutes so telephoned my wife who was at home and told her what I was looking at. She agreed to come and meet me as our home wasn't far away. By now the craft is around 200 - 300 metres away, yet the lights are as clear as anything and have risen to somewhere between 800 and a 1000ft.

Moving around, hovering, darting in different directions and completely defying any general rules of flight, the craft then used what I can best describe as white searchlights, as I saw large beams move from left to right reflecting on clouds in the distance. This it did for some time (around 2-3 minutes) whilst all of the time the turquoise lights are still there, now with added, smaller red lights.

Suddenly, all lights went out and became replaced with a single much brighter amber / yellow light that flashed rapidly like a beacon for around 30 seconds. This then stopped and the green, turquoise and red lights came back on again.

All the time this is happening the craft is either hovering or moving at speed left and right without a second to pause from one direction to another. By now my wife is almost with me, so I briefly glanced around to see her. Literally, two seconds later I looked back, but to my dismay this thing had shot out of sight.

Scanning the skies we both see it again, only this time it had to be the best part of over half a mile away. A single red dot in the sky, which then slowly over a period of around 5 minutes came towards us. The light was steady, its speed and direction almost constant and at first I thought it was just another plane. The height by now had got to thousands of feet over our heads, when instantly, the red light disappeared, the green and turquoise lights came on again, and the whole craft dropped like a stone out of the sky. It raced through the atmosphere and in the space of just a single second the craft stopped abruptly, around 800ft high - less than a couple of hundred metres from where we were stood.

Again, it hovered before gracefully going off, back in the direction it had just come from. Twisting and turning until it went out of our sight beyond some houses. We waited and continued to scan the skies, but it had gone.

Did anyone else in the Norbury, Mitcham, Streatham or Streatham Common areas remember seeing this spectacular event? There were cars, buses and the occasional pedestrian, surely someone else can verify that they saw this too?

I'll leave you to make up your own mind, but I know what we both saw that night and I know that neither of us were able to logically explain it.

The online predators who tried to make me a target.

I’d like to say I’m able to see the good in people. But in recent times I’ve discovered new depths that a predator will turn to. Back in February I lost my wife to cancer, and since her passing I’ve now twice become a target on social media, from scumbags posing as young women who want to, “get to know me more”.

The first was obvious and I could smell a rat within five minutes. “She” had only two photos on her Facebook profile. The images showing a curvaceous young girl probably in her twenties wearing skimpy clothes that barely touched the edges. She said she was a hairdresser from Texas who claimed to have lost both parents at the age of four. And the only thing that would make her happy was “a real man to make her feel like a queen”.

Now I may be vulnerable right now, but I’m not stupid; so, decided to play along and waste their time. For the next hour we chatted, and I fed her a pack of lies saying I was 98 years old, live in a straw house on Bodmin moor and take my annual holiday in Azerbaijan. But no matter what I threw her way, she still came back professing my profile photos made her have special feelings towards me. It was a complete crock of s**t!

However, this was a children’s playground compared to my next stalker. Here, with just a single photo on their LinkedIn profile they amassed over 500 connections. This one was more subtle than the last and the conversation was slower. They initiated the dialogue stating they were bored due to lockdown and just fancied a chat. I’m far from looking for a new partner but I am lonely, especially in this wretched lockdown. So a chat with a connection on a professional business platform was a welcome relief. Over the next few days, we would each leave the occasional message as they tried to gain my trust. But when I started to ask more about them, I began to get suspicious with their answers, and it wasn’t long before the same pattern started to emerge.

The person in question went by the name of Malissa, and said they were a 33-year-old travelling nurse from Canada. However, a quick search of their profile photo revealed two interesting things. “Malissa’s” LinkedIn photo is identical to a Facebook profile under the name of Alia dating back to 2016. Further research however reveals the actual person in the profile photo is 36-year-old American born Playboy model, Sara Jean Underwood.

I’ve notified both LinkedIn and Facebook that this photograph is being used on these popular platforms so hopefully they will take appropriate action. As for “Malissa”, I told her I was going to write this article and asked why she had made a fake profile. Within minutes, it was amusing to see her side of the conversation had disappeared, and the profile was instantly deleted. In the meantime, for anyone else who thinks they can take advantage of someone who is recently widowed, my advice to you, is don’t waste your time with me!

I’m now having to readjust back into the single life once more and deal with my loss. My wife was the most wonderful person you could ever meet. She was kind, funny, warm hearted and generous. Now I have a massive hole in my heart that will never properly heal. She may not physically be with me, but I will still always love her, until the end of time.

To see more about how cancer in the family really affects your life, click on the link below to follow my wife’s journey as she dealt with dealing with this wretched disease.

https://davidwalkerfj.blogspot.com/2019/10/cancer-is-hell-documenting-lauras.html