66 replies to this topic

[The diarist]

Welcome to CBn, Samantha. You're right about this place being addictive; CBn puts something in the water, you know.

Benzedrine? And what, may I ask, is TWIMC?

PS Thanks for your analysis of why Bond wasn't called Bond - pretty close to the mark. I am going to try to explain it to Mr S, but I'm now quite confused myself...

[terminus]

TWIMC is Mr Hitch's rather excellent fanfiction.

[The diarist]

So, my question is this - if IFP were to approach you to write a Bond continuation novel (under your real name, presumably) akin to Colonel Sun, License Renewed, The Man With The Red Tattoo et al, would you be willing to immerse yourself in such a venture ?

And if so, given free reign to write such a Bond book, how would you make it your own ? What directions would you take Bond in as a character in the new millenium ?

This is pure fantasy, as they won't ask me and I am a bit busy, in any case, with Miss M to do it if they did (and funnily enough, I think Bond books probably should be written by a man; a woman might have an agenda to change him?) So, although it would be an incredible thing to be asked to do, I can't even begin to go there.

Sorry if this is a bit of a hopeless answer. I hope you enjoy the book.

[terminus]

A perfectly viable answer, Ms Weinburg, thankyou

[The diarist]

An honour indeed for a Bond creative to venture into the forums.

Presumeably if you have lurked here in the past before beginning your own piece of Bond lore, you will have seen the way in which some of the more emotionally interested in Bond, have expressed their views.

Did this in any way give cause for concern before committing to the leap into Bond kingdom.  Indeed, going one step further, what swayed the final leap into the forum culture?

To be honest, my lurking only started once I had finished writing my book - and has accelerated at an alarming rate recently. Had I known about CBn before, I fear I would have been too terrified of your reaction to have written TMD. I knew there were serious Bond fans out there - and I wanted to to write something they/you would enjoy - there are quite a few references in TMDs that only those with a deep knowledge of the bokos would pick up on. I also tried to be acreful not to amke any great clangers - though I fear, on the continuation front anyway, I failed in that respect. (More on that later). However, I also wanted to make it accesible to people who ahd never read a Fleming book. Quite a tightrope, at times. So, in general, yes, knowing there were Bondologists out there was scary.

As for the forum culture - it's fun, I was lurking around here anyway, I need distraction, and I wanted to try to explain some of my decisions.

And please, don't let my rpesence limit your criticism - I need it as much as I need the praise (well, almost!)

[The diarist]

Aw shucks, Samantha, fame at last!!! But if you insist...

Sorry, got to go now, but I promise I am not ignoring you, Mr S. I will try and come up with an intelligible reply v soon.

Thanks for all the thought you've put into it anyway!

[Simon]

As for the forum culture - it's fun, I was lurking around here anyway, I need distraction, and I wanted to try to explain some of my decisions.

Thanks for that.

As for the forum presence, I hope the need for distraction doesn't drive you to distraction.

Best.

[Mister Asterix]

[quote name='The diarist' date='6 November 2005 - 13:46'][quote name='Mister Asterix' date='4 November 2005 - 22:04'][mra]Welcome to the forums, Samantha.


I

[Blofeld's Cat]

Welcome to CBn Samantha.

If you have the time to join our happy gang the least I should do now is buy your book. I've being in two minds about it, but you've swayed me now.

I am so pleased. I hope you enjoy it.

Cheers for the response, Samantha.

Will let you know what I think of it.

[The diarist]

[quote name='Mister Asterix' date='7 November 2005 - 05:56'][quote name='The diarist' date='6 November 2005 - 13:46'][quote name='Mister Asterix' date='4 November 2005 - 22:04'][mra]Welcome to the forums, Samantha.


I

[David Schofield]

Aw shucks, Samantha, fame at last!!! But if you insist...

Sorry, got to go now, but I promise I am not ignoring you, Mr S. I will try and come up with an intelligible reply v soon.

Thanks for all the thought you've put into it anyway!

Don't worry, Samantha. Thanks for just getting involved with us all.

Lookk forward to hearing from you.

[Trempo]

Welcome Samantha,

I just finished the book. Congratulations to it. It is a great book and I enjoyed it very much. Sometimes one can think of JM as a real person.

In the interview with CBn you said the next book is about the year 1963. Will the last book of the trilogy be about 1964 or will you choose another year.

[DLibrasnow]

Your book arrived in the mail today...I'm sure we (the posters on CBn) will all have lots of questions as we get into it.

[Doctor Shatterhand]

Dear Ms. Weinberg,

Thank you so very much for joining this website forum and for allowing CBn to interview you about your book.

I have not had the chance to read your book yet but I'm looking forward to it over the holidays. As for worrying about what people will say or think about your writing or (God forbid) a mistake in the Bond timeline - don't let any of us stop you. As we say in the colonies - GO FOR IT! OO7 Books are written for entertainment and I'm sure you and IFP will not let us down.

I have one question (I apologize if it has been asked already though I cannot find it in the interview or the forum) and the reason I'm asking it is that I work in the American media known as the Fox News Channel and we share office space with Britain's Sky News here in Washington DC. Which news organization do you (or did) currently work for?

Thanks again for taking the time.

[Bryce (003)]

You're right about this place being addictive; CBn puts something in the water, you know.

Now that's just a evil rumour started by people that have seen me tampering with the water-cooler.

[DLibrasnow]

As for the forum culture - it's fun, I was lurking around here anyway, I need distraction, and I wanted to try to explain some of my decisions.

And please, don't let my rpesence limit your criticism - I need it as much as I need the praise (well, almost!)

I think you would be surprised at how many "Bond authors" do lurk in these forums. I remember writing a post critical of one of Raymond Bensons continuation novels and the next thing I know there is an email from Raymond setting me straight on a couple of points. I have also heard from reliable sources that John Gardner is a member of the CBn forums.

[TortillaFactory]

Just got the book yesterday! As soon as I finish studying for the two (!) tests I've got on Thursday, I will dig in.

[The diarist]

Aw shucks, Samantha, fame at last!!! But if you insist...

Why DID you alter Fleming's ableit vague chronology? You date CR to 1952 - okay - but Moneypenny in the Diaries did not join MI6 until 1953. M didn't become M until 1956? Yet, Fleming name-checks both in CR and the other novels written/set before 1956. As you state in your interview with Zen, the Mau Mau didn't influence your dating the Diaries, surely Moneypenny being that bit older - so to fit with the Fleming "facts" - wouldn't have made her that bit less physical/resourceful in 1962?

And, of course, why cannot Bond be "Bond" if Moneypenny, Messervy, Tanner etc. are real names? I don't want to sound thick - I could be! - but don't see the benefit of it. The Diaries work perfectly well within the Fleming world as it is (same complaint to Mr Pearson, BTW).

Thing is, Samantha, if you'd written a pile of rubbish, I wouldn't have cared: the Diaries IMHO fits very well WITHIN Fleming.

PS - Zen, here, present and correct - wife and kids need attention too.

I've been thinking about all sorts of clever ways to answer your - very good - questions, but have decided that the truth might be best. I very much wanted to stay true to Fleming as far as I could and read the books several times, made notes, re-read them, cross-checked things, highlighted inconsistencies and so on. When I found the perfect spot in which to slot my story, I was both excited and relieved. At that point, I took a detour to 'develop' my characters. This involved, among other things, writing long biographies of the main players. I immersed myself in Miss M's story, the whole Kenya thing. I thought Mau Mau sounded like a good idea - since it gave her a reason to question the status quo, which might give her cause later to question her alliegence; kin or country? Then, I tried to think of an ideal age to make her - I wanted her to be in her mid-thirties - old enough to be in a position of considerable seniority, but young enough to relish a bit of 'off-piste' adventure.

Unfortunately, somehow - and I regret this - the parallel tracks of story devlopment didn't quite match up. I am afraid I didn't think about the dates of CR etc in relation to Miss M and indeed M joining the Firm. So yes, you were right. It was a mistake. I'm sorry, but there's no going back now. I wish I could plead a Fleming-like unconcern for continuity, but that's not the case. I really wanted to get it right.

As for Bond's name: once I decided to try to make the diaries seem authentic - and Fleming's works based on real events (and yes, that whole thought did arise out of the obituary M wrote following Bond's disappearence in YOLT), then it seemed improbable that Fleming would have used his real name. If he moved the location of MI6 - which he did - then surely he would have had to disguise his hero's identity. I know there are some logical inconsistencies - relating to the obituary, Miss M, TAnner etc keeping their real names - but I couldn't see a way around that.

However, this is very much half a line, mentioned by Kate Westbrook and never referred to again throughout the book. I am sorry if it causes concern; it shouldn't.

Thank you Mr S for reading it with such attention. I wish you could have done so pre-publication. I hope you enjoy Vol 2, in which I will attempt to avoid the more obvious bear pits.

[The diarist]

Welcome Samantha,

I just finished the book. Congratulations to it. It is a great book and I enjoyed it very much. Sometimes one can think of JM as a real person.

In the interview with CBn you said the next book is about the year 1963. Will the last book of the trilogy be about 1964 or will you choose another year.

Thank you. I am so glad you liked it. I am not going to stick closely to the confines of a calendar year. Miss M, after all, wrote in undated journals - it was pure chance that the 1962 one began and ended on the appropriate date. All I can say at this point, is the plan is to make the next two sequential.

[The diarist]

Dear Ms. Weinberg,

Thank you so very much for joining this website forum and for allowing CBn to interview you about your book.

I have not had the chance to read your book yet but I'm looking forward to it over the holidays.  As for worrying about what people will say or think about your writing or (God forbid) a mistake in the Bond timeline - don't let any of us stop you.  As we say in the colonies - GO FOR IT!  OO7 Books are written for entertainment and I'm sure you and IFP will not let us down.

I have one question (I apologize if it has been asked already though I cannot find it in the interview or the forum) and the reason I'm asking it is that I work in the American media known as the Fox News Channel and we share office space with Britain's Sky News here in Washington DC.  Which news organization do you (or did) currently work for?

Thanks again for taking the time.

Oh gosh, the doctor, how terrifying...

Thanks for getting the book and I hope you enjoy it. I have worked for all sorts of papers and magazines mainly here in the UK. For the past eight years or so, however, I have concentrated on books - making only occasional forays into journalism (mainly print).

[David Schofield]

Aw shucks, Samantha, fame at last!!! But if you insist...

Why DID you alter Fleming's ableit vague chronology? You date CR to 1952 - okay - but Moneypenny in the Diaries did not join MI6 until 1953. M didn't become M until 1956? Yet, Fleming name-checks both in CR and the other novels written/set before 1956. As you state in your interview with Zen, the Mau Mau didn't influence your dating the Diaries, surely Moneypenny being that bit older - so to fit with the Fleming "facts" - wouldn't have made her that bit less physical/resourceful in 1962?

And, of course, why cannot Bond be "Bond" if Moneypenny, Messervy, Tanner etc. are real names? I don't want to sound thick - I could be! - but don't see the benefit of it. The Diaries work perfectly well within the Fleming world as it is (same complaint to Mr Pearson, BTW).

Thing is, Samantha, if you'd written a pile of rubbish, I wouldn't have cared: the Diaries IMHO fits very well WITHIN Fleming.

PS - Zen, here, present and correct - wife and kids need attention too.

I've been thinking about all sorts of clever ways to answer your - very good - questions, but have decided that the truth might be best. I very much wanted to stay true to Fleming as far as I could and read the books several times, made notes, re-read them, cross-checked things, highlighted inconsistencies and so on. When I found the perfect spot in which to slot my story, I was both excited and relieved. At that point, I took a detour to 'develop' my characters. This involved, among other things, writing long biographies of the main players. I immersed myself in Miss M's story, the whole Kenya thing. I thought Mau Mau sounded like a good idea - since it gave her a reason to question the status quo, which might give her cause later to question her alliegence; kin or country? Then, I tried to think of an ideal age to make her - I wanted her to be in her mid-thirties - old enough to be in a position of considerable seniority, but young enough to relish a bit of 'off-piste' adventure.

Unfortunately, somehow - and I regret this - the parallel tracks of story devlopment didn't quite match up. I am afraid I didn't think about the dates of CR etc in relation to Miss M and indeed M joining the Firm. So yes, you were right. It was a mistake. I'm sorry, but there's no going back now. I wish I could plead a Fleming-like unconcern for continuity, but that's not the case. I really wanted to get it right.

As for Bond's name: once I decided to try to make the diaries seem authentic - and Fleming's works based on real events (and yes, that whole thought did arise out of the obituary M wrote following Bond's disappearence in YOLT), then it seemed improbable that Fleming would have used his real name. If he moved the location of MI6 - which he did - then surely he would have had to disguise his hero's identity. I know there are some logical inconsistencies - relating to the obituary, Miss M, TAnner etc keeping their real names - but I couldn't see a way around that.

However, this is very much half a line, mentioned by Kate Westbrook and never referred to again throughout the book. I am sorry if it causes concern; it shouldn't.

Thank you Mr S for reading it with such attention. I wish you could have done so pre-publication. I hope you enjoy Vol 2, in which I will attempt to avoid the more obvious bear pits.

As I've said in my earlier post, you've certainly "cracked" Fleming's Moneypenny, Tanner, M, etc. I can believe them doing/saying the things you have them do, which is more than I can say for most of the continution authors! I would also applaud the timescale of the novels, using 1962 as the year for setting it when so much both for Bond and the world happened. I particularly liked your nod to the movies in the Foreward, mentioning M sending Bond to the Carribean in 1962 and sending the Armourer in too!

I appreciate your candour in your reply. Sadly (or otherwise) I have read the Fleming's an awful lot and after a number of readings notice more of Fleming's incidental (and often contradictory) incidental detail. IMO, as Bond is a child of the 1950s I tend to pay more attention to when the novels took place than most.

I believed when I read it that your book would work within the Fleming dates (Moneypenny being slightly older and still being as adventurous).

Suppose you could get round it by suggesting the dates were misinterpreted/misread by Kate Westbrook from Government files... Hell, a lot worse has been blamed on editors over the years...

Regards

DS

Edited by David Schofield, 10 November 2005 - 09:56 AM.

[spynovelfan]

Good idea from David, there, I think. Ever read any Flashmans, Samantha? I love the way he has footnotes in the back and he has that extra dose of verisimilitude of some of the stuff Flashman tells us being wrong. In one of the books - forget which - Flashman writes he hears someone singing a particular song, and when you look up the footnote, 'Fraser' tells us that his memory must be faulty because that song wasn't released until two years later. As I haven't yet read your book - I intend to! - I can't give any more specific advice, but I wonder if you couldn't dispense with all of this in one small footnote saying that "it appears from this remark and others that there are some small chronological discrepancies between Miss Moneypenny's account of personnel movements in SIS and those of Fleming in his novels. It may be that our diarist is mistaken on her dates, or that Fleming had advance knowledge of events from a contact within intelligence that has not yet come to light, or a combination of the two. It could also be that Moneypenny has wrongly identified her birth date..."

Or something along those lines. Just one footnote of a few lines to make the likes of David happy.

[Doctor Shatterhand]

Oh gosh, the doctor, how terrifying...

LOL - I seem to have that effect on some people. But don't worry, the torture will only hurt for a little bit.

[Robert Watts]

Okay, I know fair and well this is a very late reply to a topic over 5 months old. 'The Diarist' may very well have disappeared and stopped lurking on this forum by now. I'll also admit I am yet to tuck in to The Moneypenny Diaries. I'd just like to comment on what a great concept this series is, and what a suitable name Jane is for Moneypenny.

Regards,

R.Watts

Edited by Robert Watts, 28 April 2006 - 01:36 AM.

[Double-Oh Agent]

Has anybody heard any news about when The Moneypenny Diaries: Guardian Angel will be released in the U.S.? Last I knew it was going to happen at some point, but that was some months ago. An update would be appreciated.

[Qwerty]

Doesn't seem to be yet. It does look like US fans can purchase the UK edition used here: http://www.amazon.co...7651167?ie=UTF8

[zencat]

Has anybody heard any news about when The Moneypenny Diaries: Guardian Angel will be released in the U.S.? Last I knew it was going to happen at some point, but that was some months ago. An update would be appreciated.

No word yet, Double-Oh. Sorry.

[Pam Bouvier]

I ordered it through Amazon UK. It took maybe a week. It came in great shape. Not overly expensive either.

[Double-Oh Agent]

Thanks for the info guys.

Maybe the U.S. is waiting to release it around the time of Casino Royale. (I certainly hope it isn't any later.)

[Robert Watts]

Anyone seen the cover art for the next one?

http://commanderbond...p...&item=33573

It reminds me vaguely of Chopping's work (in a good way)