Can you succeed by being kind?

How Hotel Flamingo was born out of a desire to be positive

Hotel Flamingo, the book that launched a thousand friendships.

I was raised to be kind and respectful to people. There was a definite ‘put others before yourself’ vibe that came from my mum and gran.

Both of them were old-school lefties and worked hard all their lives for the community – gran was a member of the St. John’s Ambulance, as well as a cleaner, campaigner, and was regularly travelling to Lourdes on the Across Jumbulance. She wasn’t religious, but was first in the queue on the bus to see the Pope, as well as taking cakes for the local church jumble sale. Admittedly, she did enjoy the perks of her first-aid knowledge, such as being a regular first-aider at Worcestershire Cricket Club, and occasionally running the first-aid shed (for it was a shed) at Newquay beach in Cornwall. Mum was less a part of an organisation, more just always doing stuff for others, particularly her friends, in-laws and mother as they grew older and less able to do things.

Both of them didn’t like to see me show off, both of them didn’t like to see me make a scene, both of them didn’t like me to get more than others if I didn’t deserve it. I'm not sure they treated my brother in exactly the same way, although he’s definitely retained elements of their teachings.

The news from the US this week has shown us very much that it doesn’t pay to be kind to people, in fact it probably pays to be the exact opposite. I mean, I’ve certainly found being kind at times has not served me well. I once tried to do a good thing at school only to get royally beaten up for it a few hours later. I don’t do good fisticuffs as I tend to stand there perplexed, wondering why anyone would want to do such a thing, but that’s probably a story for another time.

Hotel Flamingo was born out of a desire to put something good and positive into the world. I’ve probably spoken a little about it before, but I wrote it in the years following my mum’s death. In the year before her death, I’d been working on a series of books about a young Robin Hood, which had been a bit brutal, very mediaeval, and probably unlike a book you might think I would write.

(One day I will publish them. The things I could tell you about mediaeval village life are limitless, and I can’t have learned all that stuff for nothing. If you are interested in the time, Terry Jones wrote a marvellously readable book and TV series about mediaeval lives that I heartily recommend.)

Two books were written and a third plotted out before my editor left and the series was canned. Needless to say, creative darkness and real-life darkness do not sit well together and I quickly wanted to bring a bit of sunshine into my world…

The idea for a bright and cheerful hotel where all animals are welcome, was definitely a response to this and the growing darkness in our world. Anna always tries to be kind and find compromise. She always thinks she can achieve the unachievable, and do things right, even when the big hotel up the road is flashier, has more power and a much more competitive attitude to business. Can the little run-down Hotel Flamingo succeed against this brute?

I like to think the underdog can always win, but it does ask the the question: can you succeed by being kind?

Something happened this week that reminded me that yes you can.

We recently housed a german student for a month. It was a spur of the moment thing – a decision made after a difficult experience at her previous hosts – and literally a few hours after we were asked she was walking through the door. I like hosting and having guests. Needless to say, she was lovely and became part of the family. We introduced her to Ghosts (and we were all really excited to hear there is going to be a german version!) not to mention Wallace and Gromit, and the Antiques Roadshow. A proper slice of old Britain!

[Sidenote: it’s interesting how when you watch the Antiques Roadshow with a german, it brings home exactly how much as a country we are still caught up in WW2.]

Anyway, a week after she left, a marvellous bag of local german treats arrived at our door. Each one had a wonderful note attached.

German mustard!

Mustard! Christmas had definitely come early.

Even the dog got a pressie!

And even our dog got a present. Our miniature schnauzer can be a bit noisy, but she makes EVERYONE welcome.

This counts as a huge success to me. Yes, kindness definitely pays dividends (if only in dog treats,) but I have learned most of all it creates friends. I believe that is the biggest success of all.

I was at a 30-year anniversary of PC Pro in the week (a magazine I used to work on) and one of the more recent writers who I didn’t know was asking which books I’d written as he had children. I always wince at this question as I’m so used to people never having heard of anything I’d written. Unusually, he knew Hotel Flamingo, having read it with his children a few years ago. He showed me a text message later on from his daughter, who having heard that he was with me was starstruck. THIS was wonderful, and humbling.

It turns out that writing positive books full of kindness also makes you friends.

A KICKSTARTER UPDATE!

The crowdfunding campaign continues! I’ve been head-down in Hotel Flamingo world this week so haven’t done as much promotion as I’d like, but if you haven’t pledged for a copy of The Little Shop of Magic, do go and sign up as there’s only a few weeks left.

This is a book I’ve written and illustrated all myself, and I’m using the crowdfunding website Kickstarter to fund its printing. I wanted to take control of things, set deadlines and create a book I love in between my other work.

It’s looking great, and I have actually roughed out quite a lot now, so I might share some of the artwork next week. I’m really excited to show you all :)

Time is running out on my crowdfunding campaign!