(31) Leafy Berkshire/ The World – Well, the end of another year. 2013 has been so successful and spectacular in so many ways. And a Christmas No.1 to wrap-up the year too. Fingers crossed 2014 will be even better. See you then.
(28) Canada – Paperback Marilyn stood at the #2 position in the Hot New, “best-selling new and future releases” in biographies section on Amazon Canada; beaten to the Top Spot by Last of the Summer Wine by Alan Bell (“damn cheek,” I hear you cry). But anyway, Keith’s runners-up position meant that the paperback edition had been in either the Top 10 or 20 Charts for an uninterrupted, record-breaking, ground-breaking 27-week run! (It first troubled that listing on June 17 this year.)
(26) Italy – Boxing Day saw Marilyn at n.11 in the “eBook Kindle > Arte, cinema e fotografia > Cinema e television” Kindle Store and n.30 in the “Libri > Arte, musica e cinema > Cinema e television” sections on Amazon Italy.
(25) Canada – Yes indeed. Keith achieved his first-ever Christmas No 1! And unsurprisingly, it was on Amazon Canada where the paperback Marilyn stayed at the Top Spot in the “Hot, best-selling new and future releases” section on the site. While on the same domain, on the very same day, the publication was to be found at #9 in the “Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( M ) > Monroe, Marilyn” area. Overjoyed to say the least! Happy Christmas everyone!
- Keith spent the great day, relaxing, chilling, and volunteering with his family at Oxford House, Berkshire. A most enjoyable day was had by all. (“Thanks to everyone for making the – potentially distressing - day so truly, truly special.”)
(21) Canada – Incredible! Just 9 days after its release, the paperback version of Marilyn raced back to the #1 position in the Hot New, “best-selling new and future releases” in biographies section on Amazon Canada. The good news didn’t end there! It also reached #1 in the “Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( M ) > Monroe, Marilyn”, the #13 spot in the “Books > Humour & Entertainment > Movies > Biographies” and the #15 position in the “Amazon Bestsellers” sections of the site. Will there be a Christmas No.1 we wonder?
- While in the Macmillan “Bestselling Paperback” charts, Marilyn climbed sharply from 272 to the no.86 position.
- Leafy Berkshire – Keith’s 2013 Christmas Tour continued with a return visit to John Barratt’s utterly fine bistro, for another round of fine conversation and top, top food, this time…sweet & sour Chicken. (“Thanks, John! You’re a top chef… and star!”)
(20) Italy –In Italy, in the Amazon.it Kindle Store, Keith’s Marilyn was to be found at n.11 in the “Arte, cinema e fotografia > Cinema e television” listings on the site.
(19) Leafy Berkshire – Keith’s 2013 Christmas Tour got underway.
(18) Leafy Berkshire – Via email, Keith was informed by Sarah Robertson of the Canadian Gage Group that the latest edition of ‘Contemporary Authors’ (edition 344) was due within the next three months. And why is that issue so important? Well, because it contains Keith’s entry!
(16) USA / Canada – Marilyn got off to a good start in the Macmillan Best-Selling paperback charts, even outstripping Python, Michael Palin’s Hemmingway’s Chair and Jackie As Editor, a book on the literary life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. (As Frank Sinatra once said to me, “Never name drop.”)
(13) Leafy Berkshire – Keith penned his latest Rockin’ The Box, a tribute to the late, great Lou Reed who passed away in October. It was his final Record Collector article of the year. Here’s to 2014!!
(12) Italy – A nice leap up to the n.9 position for Marilyn in the “Kindle Store > eBook Kindle > Arte, cinema e fotografia > Cinema e television” section on Amazon Italy.
(11) South London – Another visit to the Big City…for a Christmas catch-up (and working lunch) with Keith’s old chum, Tel.
(10) USA / Canada / Berkshire – Well, it’s finally here! The softback version of Marilyn Monroe: The Final Years was finally released. And on that day, it could be found in the #4 position in the Hot New, “best-selling new and future releases” in biographies section on Amazon Canada, and thus marked an uninterrupted 25-week straight run in either the Top 5, 10, 15 or 20 charts on the site. While on Amazon Italy, Marilyn could be found at n.47 in the Kindle Store “eBook Kindle > Arte, cinema e fotografia > Cinema e television” section of the site.
- UK / Europe – On the same day, the superb 2013 movie, Good Ol’ Freda, on which Keith was archive consultant, received its UK TV premiere at 9pm on More4. (Quite a day indeed!)
(9) Leafy Berkshire – With just one day to go before its big US / Canadian release, Keith’s consignment of paperback copies of Marilyn arrived in the UK.
(8) Leafy Berkshire – Even more typing on the new, forthcoming, particularly exciting new Fab Four project.
(6) Leafy Berkshire – Keith’s 2013, annual Birthday Tour got underway.
(2) Leafy Berkshire – Further batch of typing on the new, forthcoming, rather exciting new Beatles project, which Keith has just been commissioned for.
(1) Canada – With just a week before its release, the upcoming Marilyn paperback was still to be found at #3 in the “Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( M ) > Monroe, Marilyn” section on Amazon Canada, which meant that it had been placed in that listing now for 24-straight weeks.
