Tonka watch... Day 26 - BACK ON THE ROAD!

...and then off the road, 12 minutes later.

Yes, we were told he was ready to go and after ponying up an amount of money so great that I am ashamed to mention it here, Mrs Blog and I took Tonka out for a test drive on the N4. With B-doubles full of sugar cane trundling around us and suicidal minibus taxi drivers screaming past at 140 kph the newly 'repaired' Tonka managed a staggering 20kph before I was able to turn him around (at some risk to Mrs B and I) and limp back to the garage.

Legion of Fans (LOF), are you as sick of Tonka Watch as I am? I doubt it. However, once he is back on the road, for good, I will get back to tackling the big issues, such as plastic shoes, German safari fashions and monkey pooh. I promise.

Today's lessons in motor vehicle repair:

1. Don't pay until you've done a test drive (duh, I hear you say)
2. Don't believe any mechanic who says, "one week, 10 days at the most".

The latest train of diganostic thought is that it's the injector fuel pump. Never mind that there was nothing wrong with the injector fuel pump when we took Tonka to hospital, or that he was doing his customary and health 80kph maximum speed on the way to town.

The only good news amid all this tragedy is that I am rocking along with book seven, which is now about two-thirds of the way through.

Oh, and SILENT PREDATOR has been picked up by my very good friends TEA Publishing in Italy, for translation and release next year. It will be called "Cacciatore Silenzio" (or something like that) which means "Silent Hunter". Who'd have thought Cacciatore meant 'hunter'. I always thought it meant 'stew'. I love the Italian language, even if I don't understand it, almost as much as I love all the people in Italy who have bought my books so far.

In other news just to hand... plans are afoot for my next round-Australia tour, to promote Book 6, which is due out next July/August. Guess what?

Yes, South Australians, roll out your churches and your serial killers... I expect to see plenty of both when the Blog roadshow rolls into ADELAIDE!

Comments

Anonymous said…
Being recent convert,first of all LOVE your books - been up since 3am reading Silent Predator - only bought it then ight before and finished (and that is working full time too!). Great read and keep writing. Have devoured Wilbur Smith and Beverley Harper in the past - can't understand how I haven't seen your books before this. Charlize WOULD be perfect and Daniel Craig would be perfect too - the silent, dangerous looking and craggily handsome type.
tonypark said…
Welcome, Anonymous, and thanks for your comments. Your cheque for $13.25 is in the mail.

My mother thinks Charlize could be too tall for danny, but if she wears flat shoes and he has a little milk crate to stand on, all should work out just fine.

At 6'6" I could make myself available as a stunt double for Danny in certain, ahem, close-up scenes.
Anonymous said…
Please publish road show dates on site... forgive me if they are there already I did try and find them. Esp when you are coming to Adelaide. Homesick Zimbo living here now(thanks Aus for having me) and keeping the old soul nourished with your African tales. Would love to attend reading of new book. Cheers Terri