Author - Alan Miles

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Newsletter - 17th March 2026

Hi. 

In the last two weeks, I've been emerging from my comfortable cocoon, spreading my wings, and getting out to see the world. And it's not just because it's suddenly Spring. (Or it is today, at least). 

I'm so grateful to you 50 or so newsletter subscribers for your interest in my writing. But with my plans to publish both 'The Foreign Aide' and 'The Marathon Years' in 2026, it's time to start putting the books in front of a lot more eyes. Like this:

3 sample pages from the new Milesposts website: The chapter Index pages for 'The Foreign Aide', and 'The Marathon Years'. And a new Bookstore page.

BookSirens is a well-regarded website that has lots of readers eager to read books in their favourite genres and then write honest reviews. 

You can get a free advance copy of my book 'The Foreign Aide' from BookSirens too — either as an ebook or as a .pdf file — by using this special link.

Get a BookSirens review copy of my book
A picture of 'The Foreign Aide' book cover. There's a headline

Substack has become the publishing vehicle of choice for many creative writers, journalists, thought-leaders. I've now decided to host my blog there (as well as on my website). My plan is to find others with similar interests and to open up two-way conversations.

Check out my Miles Postscripts Substack

Should you subscribe to Substack?

There are two possible benefits Substack would give you. First, if you want to see posts as soon as I publish them instead of waiting for this fortnightly newsletter. Substack would notify you immediately. And second, I've set things up in Substack so that you can choose the content you wish to subscribe to. If you only want to read my posts on Dementia & Care, you can do so. Similarly you can keep in or rule out my posts on the Middle East & Conflict or My Writing Life. (Note though, that in the next couple of weeks I hope to include the same options in this newsletter.)

Just a note on reading with Substack. All the links below should be accessible to you without signing up to Substack. If you wanted to subscribe to my Substack then you would need to provide your email address.

But with or without Substack, I'll continue to tell you in this newsletter about everything I've published in the last fortnight. So here are all my recent posts:

A YouTube video — An Introduction to BookFunnel (and an e-reader primer) for those downloading advance copies of the Foreign Aide from the Miles Posts website.

Welcome to Miles Postscripts — an introduction to my Substack site. (Substack)

Why Substack? Why Now? — Explaining my aims. (Substack)

The Foreign Aide — The Blurb. What you'll see on the back of my novel. (Substack)

Destination Beirut — The first in a series of background posts to 'The Foreign Aide'. How I ended up in Beirut in 1974, thinking I was going to France. (Substack -- and soon the Miles Posts blog.)

Introduction to 'The Marathon Years' — my memoir about a decade of dementia care ... and a love-story, as featured on my website (Substack)

Gatekeepers — a poem you may have seen before if you've been following me for a while. The theme: 'As we eliminate risk, we risk eliminating joy. With rather a nice YouTube video celebrating the waterways around my native Tonbridge. Like this one at the end of my boyhood garden. (Substack). 

A stream in late summer, with not a ripple on the surface to disturb the reflection of the sky. On the banks clusters of early-crop blackberries.

That's quite enough to be going on with for now. Unless you want to check out my Facebook page and review my updated work history. Or see a photo taken at the weekend where I had a fun morning making Salford an 'UnDirty Old Town'

One final question. What's the best time of day for me to send my newsletter out to you? Last time I sent it in the early morning. Today it's  going to be the evening. Does it matter to you? If you have any preference (maybe you don't!), just drop me a reply.

So that's all for this time. See you in a couple of weeks.

Alan

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