Who gives a monkeys about Blue Monday


Hey all,

Hope you're having a good (blue) Monday so far.

A massive thank you for all the kind messages, orders and shows of support already. A few of you have outdone yourselves. Woah.

After a half-day of the proper job, I went for a nice stroll and ended up scribbling a long off-the-cuff ramble which I've posted on social media.

I won't regale that here but depending on your social media tipple of choice you can read if you'd like on:

Twitter / X
LinkedIn
Instagram - TBC
Facebook - I don't have a clue how to share the link outside of Meta these days but you should be able to find it on my profile...
TikTok - Apparently someone has shared something on there. Don't ask me 🐵

As promised here is a link to the book > https://www.amazon.co.uk/Monkey-State-gripping-dystopian-fantasy-ebook/dp/B0DT4YMZG8/ < the monkeys have finally escaped the cubicle that is my ageing Macbook Pro. Try to use a short link like this if sharing with your network, aha.

I'm heading off for some 'celebrations' shortly. Excitement and a sense of relief more than anything. But, there are two more books to finish off in the trilogy, so I'll get back to the Jungle Gym pronto.

No Monkey Business,
— J. R. Roberts

P.S. Only major hitch so far seems to be that Amazon has linked me to another J. R. Roberts who has an impressive body of Western gunslinger titles should you be interested...

Jim Roberts - Newsletter

Sign up to instantly get your free copy of "The 11 Best Stories of the Last 101 Years - According to Jim", plus receive behind the vines content from The Monkey State book trilogy.

Read more from Jim Roberts - Newsletter

Some ideas find you in fun places. Early on in the writing of Book 1, I was visiting my sister and now brother-in-law in Glastonbury. A strange spiritual home of sorts due to its epic musical festival. It was before they had the boys (my two wonderful nephews!) and I found myself alone in a coffee shop, nursing a latte and letting my mind wander. Later that same day I climbed the Tor, ideas brewing, and somewhere between the coffee and the climb, something found its way into the mythology of...

No, I'm not plotting another sequel. No, I've not replaced Claude. No, Tia hasn't had a baby. Today, I wanted to shout out another author with their own monkey. A charming one too. Serena Choo is back with The Dancing Monkey and Living The Way of Zen. I wrote about the original a few moons ago and was delighted to see an email from her recently mentioning a new book ready to launch. I've already devoured the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) and am now reading it again on Kindle Unlimited at a more...

I want to start with a question for you today: Why do you go on holiday? Category A To escape your job for a week or two? To escape your current life for a longer period? To take a break from your normal routine and worries? Category B To do a certain thing you've always wanted to do? To go to a certain place or country you've always wanted to visit? To return to a place (that's not your home) that you like, love or calls you? Your answer may be a bit of both, but probably leans more towards...