Category Archives: Authors

The Dress by Minnette Meador #bookblitz

Today, at Celtic Connexions, I’m featuring a new release from an author new to me, Minnette Meador. So, without any further ado, shall we check out this book?

Minnette Meador

Blurb

THE DRESS, a comedy of oddities

an urban fantasy by Minnette Meador

Finnigan Harshmiere (Fin to her friends), was odd. Not in the normal sense of the word, but actually, truly, unbelievably odd. So when she is invited to her senior prom, her oddity not only gets her into trouble but creates a miracle she never saw coming. Comedy

“Finnigan Harshmiere (Fin to her friends), was odd. Not in the normal sense of the word, but actually, truly, unbelievably odd.

Dropped on her head as a baby by a stunned doctor, she came out of her mother quietly, with only a small yawn and blinking eyes to greet him. He smacked her twice to make sure, but all she did was scowl at him. Thus the dropping.

As she grew, “like a weed in the garden” as Grandmo used to say, the oddness grew as well.

She liked to stack her toys to play with them, and not just blocks; dolls, books, gizmos, gadgets, everything went into a perfectly straight tower with nary a crook or lean. Fin would spend hours as a child admiring her work and laughing and laughing.”

Buy Link

Amazon

About the Author

Minnette Meador

BIOGRAPHY

Somewhere between thirty and dust…red hair, blue eyes…six kids, one slightly used husband, and any number of pets from time to time… wanttabe hippy… wanttheirmoney yuppie… pro musician and actress for 20 Years… native Oregonian… lover of music, beauty, and all things green. Willing slave to the venerable muse. Minnette currently resides in Lincoln City, Oregon with her husband, having replaced the children with two cats. The cats pretty much run the show. Her novels include:

NOVELS & NOVELLAS:

Starsight, Volume I, II, epic fantasy, (Amazon)

The Centurion & The Queen, Book I in the Centurion Series, historical romance (Amazon)

The Edge of Honor, historical romance, Book II in the Centurion Series (Amazon)

The Gladiator Prince, historical romance, Book III in the Centurion Series (Amazon)

A Ghost of a Chance, paranormal romantic comedy, Book I in the Ghost Series (Amazon)

The Belle Stalker, urban fantasy thriller (Amazon)

Nogero, alternate universe fantasy (Amazon)

Phantom Hearts, paranormal romantic comedy, a Ghost Series Book

Writers’ Tips, Tricks, & Traumas, a book of writing tools (Amazon)

The Dress, a comedy of oddities, Novella (Amazon)

A Boy & His Wizards, a children’s read-aloud book as M.A. Smith (Amazon)

NEW WORKS IN THE WORKS:

The Pirate Prince, historical romance, Book IV (Amazon) 2024

Arpeggios in the Dark, sci-fi 2024

Wy’East, Book II, Urban Fantasy Thriller 2024

Haunted Hearts, Book II in the Ghost Series, paranormal romantic comedy (Amazon) 2025

Starsight, The God Wars (prequel), epic fantasy – 2025

Starsight, The Restless Seed (sequel), epic fantasy – 2025

 

DI Kate Young in A Truth for a Truth by Carol Wyer

Welcome to Celtic Connexions and one of today’s stops on the blog tour for A Truth for a Truth, featuring DI Kate Young by Carol Wyer, the fourth in this gripping series.

Young

BLURB

DI Kate Young’s team is hunting for a killer. What they don’t know…is that the killer is her.

DI Kate Young has known for years that her boss, Superintendent John Dickson, is a violent and evil man. But when she finally confronts him and accidentally shoots and kills him, she’s forced to cover her tracks before anyone can pin his death on her. With revelations about his corruption soon to become public knowledge, Kate sets up a trail of evidence to make it seem that Dickson has conveniently vanished…

But Kate knows the corruption doesn’t end with Dickson. As she heads up the team investigating his supposed disappearance, she also pursues other loose ends. Stanka, the sex worker who supplied the evidence against Dickson, leads her to crucial information on another corrupt officer, DI Harriet Khatri, and her dubious involvement with sex traffickers.

As the noose starts to tighten on Kate, she finds herself targeted by traffickers, the bent cops on her force and even her own team of detectives. Can she stay one step ahead of them all and bring Harriet to justice? Can she trust anyone around her? And can she possibly get away with murder?

 

My review

DI Kate Young

I loved this book!

This is the best one in this series, and the others were cracking excellent reads. Carol has a knack for creating tortured characters you want to love (or hate) and wraps them in a fast-paced plot that keeps you turning the virtual pages.

And the ending? I didn’t see that coming.

About Carol

Young

USA Today bestselling author and winner of The People’s Book Prize Award, Carol Wyer’s crime novels have sold over one million copies and been translated into nine languages.

A move from humour to the ‘dark side’ in 2017, saw the introduction of popular DI Robyn Carter in Little Girl Lost and proved that Carol had found her true niche.

In 2021, An Eye For An Eye, the first in the DI Kate Young series, was chosen as a Kindle First Reads. It became the #1 bestselling book on Amazon UK and Australia. The third, A Life For A Life, is due out March 15th, 2022, but is available to preorder.

Carol has had articles published in national magazines ‘Woman’s Weekly’, featured in ‘Take A Break’, ‘Choice’, ‘Yours’ and ‘Woman’s Own’ magazines and written for the Huffington Post. She’s also been interviewed on numerous radio shows and on BBC Breakfast television.

She currently lives on a windy hill in rural Staffordshire with her husband Mr. Grumpy who is very, very grumpy.

When not plotting devious murders, she can be found performing her comedy routine, Smile While You Still Have Teeth.

To learn more, go to www.carolwyer.co.uk, subscribe to her YouTube channel, or follow her on Twitter @carolewyer

You can also follow Carol at these links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCarolEWyer/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolwyer/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/carolewyer
Website: www.carolwyer.co.uk

Becoming Queen Bathsheba by Amanda Bedzrah #BECOMINGQUEENBATHSHEBA

I’m pleased to be taking part in Reading Between the Lines Blog Tour for Becoming Queen Bathsheba by Amanda Bedzrah.

Queen Bathsheba

Queen Bathsheba

BLURB

She is taken against her will by the most powerful man in Israel. A month later, she discovers she carries the evidence of their dreadful encounter. With her husband at war, this pregnancy could mean her death. When the king finds out that she is with child, he immediately summons her husband home from war, a cunning plan in mind. 

Will the king’s plan work?

Will her life be spared?

Will there be any consequences for the injustice?

Will love grow in the middle of pain and give birth to second chances?

This novel is a fictional retelling of one of the greatest Bible stories of all time. This is a story of injustice, betrayal, deception, heartbreak, forgiveness, love, redemption and second chances. 

It reminds us that there are consequences for our choices, and we serve a God of justice.  He can use the tragedies in our lives and turn them into purpose. 

No pain is ever wasted with God.

Extract for Becoming Queen Bathsheba

PROLOGUE 

c. 990 BCE Jerusalem United Kingdom of Israel

As the sun fades in the sky, I sit rocking gently, gazing out of the vast window of the King’s inner chamber and watching hints of orange icker over golden brown clouds. My son suckles at my breast on this night before his first year on earth. The banquet room is already laid out: one hundred seats at the table, with the nest silver and gold plates, cups and cutlery at each place. The guests will arrive the early next day, travelling from near and far, some for days, honouring the

King’s invitation.

One hundred lambs were slaughtered earlier this day; the night is still thick with the re from the smoke used to roast them in preparation for the morning. A seamstress arrived from Egypt more than a month ago, to sew the woven fabric for every royal in the house.

Though the sun is setting, the King is still on the throne, attending to matters of the nation of Israel. I am alone in his private quarters in the West wing of the palace. I look around me; the room is huge and quiet. How did I get here? I have asked myself this question at least a million times. Each time I try to think about it I am faced with painful memories. I paid a huge price for the crown that rests on my head. The more I think, the more I come to realise the cost, the pain, the sacrifice — the truth. Buried within my soul are words I have dared not speak or imagine; and yet, are dying to break free. Perhaps, someone somewhere may and comfort in my truth, in my journey, in my pain to becoming the woman I am today. It is, for this reason, I allow my mind to run freely today, closing my eyes and thinking back to three years previously, to the day it all began. I must remember, and I must write it down.

I place my son in the large woven basket filled with the softest wool blankets and equally soft cushions: I walk over to the large desk where paper and ink wait for me. I pick up the pen. I dip it in the ink. I apply it to the parchment. It is time to tell my story.

You can buy Becoming Queen Bathsheba at:

Amazon.co.uk

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY 

Queen Bathsheba

Amanda is a wife and a mother to three beautiful children. She is an author, a prayer minister, an inspirational speaker, a restoration catalyst, and a mentor. Amanda is passionate about seeing people restored and living a full life beyond salvation. 

She is a passionate Bible teacher who uses practical examples to teach godly principles. She is a Law Graduate (2:1 LLB Hons) from the University of Wolverhampton, a Prince 2 Practitioner, and she is certified in Business Analysis Practice. 

Amanda is also the founder and CEO of Empower a Woman (www.empowerawoman.org), a UK-based non-profit organisation that is set up to meet the needs of vulnerable women. 

Today she is in a much happier place. She is restored, healed, and delivered and is driven by her own personal mission statement for change:

Just because I can’t do everything

Doesn’t mean I won’t do anything

Even if I can only do something

I REFUSE to do nothing

Follow Amanda at these links:

Website – amandabedzrah.com

Instagram – Amanda_Bedzrah

Facebook – Amanda Bedzrah

Twitter – @Gigidoll2020

Amazon Author Page – Amanda Bedzrah

Burrowed by Maressa Mortimer #BURROWED

Burrowed is Maressa Mortimer’s latest novel.
Maressa

BLURB

The beautiful island of Ximiu has a plan for a more sustainable future. But not everyone living on the island is on board. Jasira, daughter of the governing matriarch, is determined to uncover the dark forces threatening her home. With the help of her friends, she embarks on a desperate bid to save her island community. When the price is higher than she had bargained for, will Jasira still find faith and beauty in the world around her?

Maressa

EXCERPT

Prologue

A good mystery was what she needed. And someone to admire her detecting skills. Jasira walked down the path from the ferry office to the harbour wall, her short brown hair glinting blonde in the sunshine. She stared out across the long channel leading to open water. So many exciting changes coming to Ximiu, but she would have to experience them without her best friend. Her dream of becoming a detective seemed to have left with Xandra. After all, every self-respecting detective needed a sidekick.

The sun was too bright for Jasira to see the open sea, but her mind had no problem following the route to the Mainland. She could just make out the small dark shape of the ferry, taking her letter to Xandra.

She leaned over the dark brown blocks making up the harbour wall. Jasira closed her eyes for a moment, feeling the slightly salty breeze on her tanned face, rough stone under her fingers and sighed. She let her eyes wander along the rugged coastline, the hills a green speckled yellow after the hot weeks of summer. Dry. Just like her soul at the moment, she thought. The poetic thought reminded her of Ilori. His mother was the Vice-Xibai and as the Xibai’s daughter, Jasira ended up spending a lot of time with Ilori. If only there was something to work on and practise her detecting abilities.

Jasira looked at the sun. It was time; she’d better go home. She drew herself up, hoping a heroic stance would give her energy to face the changes coming to her island. Jasira spun round, her trainer foot pushing off from the low harbour wall, turning her back to the water. She was in too much of a hurry to notice movement in the shadowy cliff face. Even as she walked, frowning, back to the city, the pale figure watching the ferry launch was too well hidden to catch her eye.

HOW TO BUY

https://www.amazon.co.uk

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

Maressa

Maressa grew up in the Netherlands and moved to England soon after finishing teaching training college. Married to Pastor Richard Mortimer they live in a Cotswold village with their four children. She is a homeschool mum, enjoying the time spent with family, travelling, reading and turning life into stories, she wants to use her stories to show practical Christians living in a fallen world.

WEBSITE LINK

vicarioushome.com

Marsali Taylor brings you A Shetland Winter Mystery #ASHETLANDWINTERMYSTERY

Marsali Taylor

The Shetland Islands are the backdrop for another murder mystery by Marsali Taylor.

Marsali Taylor

Blurb

It’s the dark nights in the run up to Christmas, and sailing sleuth Cass Lynch’s first night on dry land is disturbed by strange noises outside her isolated cottage. Tiny footprints in the moonlit snow trail from her front door before mysteriously disappearing. Soon Cass learns others were visited by the same tiny feet in the night.

It looks like ingenious local teenagers playing tricks – but what happens when festive games turn deadly?

Cass soon finds out as a schoolboy disappears, leaving only a trail of footprints into the middle of a snowy field. She’s determined to investigate, but uncovering the truth will also put her in danger . . .

Chapter One Extract One

trow: The trows were Shetland’s “little people”, who lived in mounds in the hill, and could only come out after dark. They liked bright colours, feasting and music (there are tales of human fiddlers being kidnapped underground for a trowie wedding), and were known for working mischief about the croft; sometimes their actions were more sinister, like substitut- ing a baby of their own for a human child (Old Norse, troll)
There was the sound of children giggling, stifled quickly as if they were up to mischief; a group of trainees planning some devilment. Kitten growled and jumped down from the bed. Whoever was on watch would deal with it, I thought, hunch- ing into the bedcover, and the thought jerked me awake. I wasn’t in my cabin aboard Sørlandet but in Gavin’s cottage in Shetland. Our nearest neighbour was a mile away over the hill, and didn’t have children.
I eased my nose out from under the downie and listened. Cat stirred and sat up. Nothing; silence, that dead silence after snow had fallen. There had been the first few flakes as Gavin had driven me back from the airport, followed by a rattle of haily puckles that had covered the ground in white; a good base for snow to lie on. I tilted my head up to look out of the window. Yes, more had fallen while I’d slept. The low hill of Papa Little was blue-white in the moonlight, and the stars sparked with cold light.
 I reached for my watch and pressed the button to light up the face. Half past eleven. Naturally the youngsters of the ship’s watch would be up at that hour, but I wasn’t on board ship now. All good land children were tucked up in their beds, sleeping peacefully, or illicitly playing on their computers or texting their friends. They weren’t wandering round a cottage miles from anywhere.
I was thoroughly awake now. Sørlandet had spent the last two months exploring the eastern seaboard of the States, and my body-clock was telling me it was six in the evening. I’d had a short nap to refesh me, and now I could get up and party. Beside me, Gavin was curved over on his side, back towards me, his breathing deep and even.
I slid out of bed and padded over to the window. The sliver of crescent moon had gone down, but the clear sky gave a pale light over the snowy hills and stars gleamed in the depths of the coal black water. There was no sign of move- ment anywhere, yet I had this sense of something stirring in the darkness. Kitten looked downwards from the sill, growled again, then trotted downstairs. I heard the clack of the cat flap.
Whatever it was, I supposed I’d better inspect. Maybe the ponies in the field behind the house had broken into the gar- den. I lifted up my bundle of clothes from the chair, and was tiptoeing out of the bedroom when I heard a car start up, way in the distance. I wouldn’t have heard it at all if I hadn’t been awake, if the back skylight hadn’t been open, if it hadn’t been such a still night. I reached the window just as the sound died away, and thought I saw a brief flash of headlights move across the starry sky. The silence closed in again.
I went slowly downstairs, not switching the light on. The ground shifted disconcertingly under me, as if the land had become fluid. It would take a couple of days before my balance adjusted. Freezing lino under my feet, the air icy on my skin.

AMAZON LINK TO BUY

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Shetland-Winter-Mystery-Sailing-Mysteries/dp/1472292065/

ABOUT MARSALI

Shetland
Author Marsali Taylor photographed onboard her yacht in Aith Marina, Shetland, Sep 2005

Marsali Taylor grew up near Edinburgh, and came to Shetland as a newly-qualified teacher. She is currently a part-time teacher on Shetland’s scenic west side, living with her husband and two Shetland ponies. Marsali is a qualified STGA tourist-guide who is fascinated by history, and has published plays in Shetland’s distinctive dialect, as well as a history of women’s suffrage in Shetland. She’s also a keen sailor who enjoys exploring in her own 8m yacht, and an active member of her local drama group.

You can follow Marsali at these links:

AUTHOR WEBSITE:www.marsalitaylor.co.uk

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/MarsaliTaylorAuthor

TWITTER: @marsalitaylor

Beyond the Hills by Maressa Mortimer

Beyond the Hills by Maressa Mortimer Blog Tour and Review #BEYONDTHEHILLS @vicarioush.ome

What happens when you go Beyond the Hills?
Beyond the Hills

BLURB

Macia Durus, daughter of the well-known Brutus Durus AMP, works hard to achieve a life of honour and prestige in her beloved Elabi. When a so-called “friend” challenges her priorities, Macia’s confusion threatens her carefully constructed plans. And her decision to investigate a forbidden book could have serious consequences for Macia as well as her family, turning their lives upside down.

Beyond the Hills

MY REVIEW

I had to step out of my comfort zone for Beyond the Hills, since it is a Christian/Dystopian type of book. That being said, the book was well-written and left you thinking. What if? Could you live in a strictly controlled society where emotions are frowned upon and faith of any kind was taboo? In some ways, things aren’t all that different in today’s society.

Written for a target audience of young adults, it’s a good read for any age.

LINK TO BUY BOOK

amazon.co.uk

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Beyond the Hills
I grew up in the Netherlands and moved to England soon after finishing my teaching training college. Married to Pastor Richard Mortimer we live in a Cotswold village with our four children. I’m a homeschool mum, enjoying the time spent with the family, travelling, reading, and turning life into stories. I want to use my stories to show practical Christian living in a fallen world.

AUTHOR WEBSITE

http://www.vicarioushome.com/

SOCIAL MEDIA LINK

INSTAGRAM/FACEBOOK @vicarioush.ome


Beyond the Hills

 

Harper’s Highland Fling by Lizzie Lamb

It’s publication day for Harper’s Highland Fling, the latest offering from friend and author, Lizzie Lamb.

Harper's Highland Fling

BLURB

After a gruelling academic year head teacher Harper MacDonald is looking forward to a summer holiday trekking in Nepal. Her plans are scuppered when her wayward niece, Ariel, leaves a note announcing she’s running away with a boy called Pen. The only clue to their whereabouts is a scribbled footnote: I’ll Be in Scotland.

Cue a case of mistaken identity when Harper confronts the boy ‘s father – Rocco Penhaligon – accusing him of cradle snatching her niece and ruining her bright future. At loggerheads, Harper and Rocco set off in hot pursuit of the teenagers, but the canny youngsters are always one step ahead.  And, in a neat twist, it is the adults who end up in trouble, not the savvy teenagers.

Can cupid convince Harper and Rocco that they have found their soul mates?

Faster your seatbelt for the road trip of your lifetime –

It’s going to be a bumpy ride

Buy Link

mybook.to/HarpersHighlandFling 

Meet Lizzie

Harper's Highland Fling

Hi, I’m Lizzie and I like writing about ‘that moment’ when the hero and the heroine fall in love. That, and trying to track down that all elusive hero-in-a-kilt, is what gets me in front of the computer every morning. In 2012, I published Tall, Dark and Kilted quickly followed by Boot Camp Bride, Scotch on the Rocks, Girl in the Castle and Take Me, I’m Yours. My sixth novel – Harper’s Highland Fling is now available on Amazon to download as an ebook or to order as a paperback. I hope to start work on number seven – Dark Highland Skies very soon. I belong to the Society of Authors and co-organise the Leicester Chapter of the Romantic Novelists’ Association. I present workshops on indie publishing, and deliver an annual ‘state of publishing’ lecture to Creative Writing students at De Montfort University, Leicester. Luckily the skills I learned over thirty-four as a teacher haven’t deserted me.

My feel good/uplit novels would be very happy to sit on the bookcase alongside Jilly Cooper, Jenny Colgan, Jill Mansell and Carole Matthews. And, as for writing for Scottish themed romance, it’s given me the chance to celebrate everything I love about my homeland and the opportunity to share those feelings with you.

Slainte Mhath.

Connect with Lizzie

viewAuthor.at/LizzieLamb 

www.facebook.com/LizzieLambwriter

lizzielambwriter@gmail.com

website: www.lizzielamb.co.uk

https://twitter.com/lizzie_lamb

Newsletter – http://tinyurl.com/ELNL-2016

Linked in: uk.linkedin.com/pub/lizzie-lamb/18/194/202/

Goodreads http://tinyurl.com/cbla48d

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/lizzielamb/

Harper's Highland Fling

 

The Shadow Prince ~ a Mortal Enchantment Novella

shadow prince

 

shadow prince

Blurb

THE SHADOW PRINCE is a prequel novella to the award-winning YA fantasy series Mortal Enchantment. Discover a world of elemental powers, courage, duty, sacrifice, forbidden romance, and a war for the very elements of life.

Sixteen-year-old Rowan is an elemental prince. Banished to the mortal world, he doubts he will ever return to Avalon and claim the fire court throne. Until he receives a challenge from his estranged mother. If he slays Kalin, the half-human, half-elemental princess and heir to the court of air, she will abdicate her throne. Is he capable of completing such a heinous task? And what price he will pay if he refuses?

Perfect for fans of Holly Black and Sarah J. Maas.

My Review

I have to admit I was out of my element here with a fantasy novel. I’m more apt to settle in with a police procedural, cozy mystery or a romance. But I’m keen to discover new authors.
The Shadow Prince didn’t disappoint. It was fast-paced and kept me turning the pages. Stacey O’Neale did a fantastic job of creating the setting for the elementals’ world. With a well-placed portal, these elementals can pass through to the land of mortals. Interesting concept.
As I said in the beginning, I was a bit out of my element, but having read this book, I’m anxious to read the entire series.

About Stacey O’Neale

shadow princeAward-winning author, Stacey O’Neale, lives in Annapolis, Maryland. When she’s not writing, she spends her time fangirling over books, blogging, watching fantasy television shows, cheering for the Baltimore Ravens, and hanging out with her husband and daughter.

Her career in publishing started as a blogger-turned-publicist for two successful small publishers. Stacey writes young adult fantasy and adult science fiction romance. Her books always include swoon-worthy heroes, snarky heroines, and lots of kissing.

Stacey loves hearing from readers. Follow her on Twitter @StaceyONeale, look for her on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Tumblr. You can also visit her blog at staceyoneale.com/.

 

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

SHADOW PRINCE

Direct from Australia, please welcome Dr. Bob Rich! #author #giveaway

Hi, Bob. Welcome to Celtic Connexions. I’ve had a nosey around your website and blog to get a better insight into the man who is Bob Rich. You have your fingers in many pies, as they say. Author, psychologist, environmentalist.

Thank you, Melanie, for the honor of having me here. I promise to behave as well as I can, which is usually not very good.

There is something funny about “psychologist.” In Australia, this is a registered term. I would be breaking the law if I referred to myself as a psychologist, even as in “retired psychologist.” Go to jail, go directly to jail, do not collect $200. 🙂  So, I have to be careful and say something like, “Bob Rich has a Ph.D. in psychology and 22 years’ experience in psychological counseling.”

While as Bob Rich I have no Celtic connections at all, I have actually been an Irishman who was transported to New South Wales (what later became Australia) for the term of his natural life. If that sounds odd, you have to read the story of my life, Ascending Spiral.

I met Bob recently, after he left a comment on my blog interview of our mutual (but virtual) friend, Joan Y. Edwards.

What compelled you to start writing? I use that phrase because as writers, we’re driven to do it.

I’ve always been buzzing with ideas, but never knew I was a writer until 1980. I enjoyed distance running, and as the miles passed, I sort of meditated, without thought, but at the same time all sorts of things cooked in the background. In school and university, that’s how I dealt with essays and assignments: read the question, go for a run, have the answer all ready and hardly needing any revision. Often, though, what cooked was some story or monologue or a new way of looking at something. I didn’t share these with anyone — who could possibly be interested in MY ravings — but many years later, these ancient thoughts were the kernels of some of my best stories.

I did scientific research in exactly the same way. I still didn’t know I was a writer, but my reports were actually readable. Then I retired for the first time at 35 years of age, and started building an adobe house, with my own hands, not by hiring Experts. I even invented a new way of making the bricks. One day, the local kids were playing a boys vs. girls soccer game, and needed one more male. They kidnapped me, and who was I to argue? I went, muddy boots and all, slipped, and tore a cartilage in my knee. Let me tell you, this is not a good idea. So, there I was in hospital, with nothing to do. I borrowed the office typewriter (you know, one of those ancient things with wire levers, worked entirely with biological power), and wrote an article about my new way of making adobe bricks for Earth Garden magazine.

I’m still writing for them, 39 years later. My articles resulted in my first book, The Earth Garden Building Book. This came out in 1986. The 4th edition finally went out of print in February 2018. During that time it sold hundreds of thousands of copies. This was because although it was well-researched nonfiction, it was also fun to read.

Then I decided to train as a nurse. This meant staying in a nurses’ home. Being surrounded by gorgeous 18-year-olds, I had the choice of making a fool of myself or of doing something useful with my time. So, I tried my hand at short stories. The first one won second prize in a contest, and I’ve been writing fiction since.

Your books have a spiritual side to them, as in goodness prevails in the end. Can you tell us more about this underlying thread that brings the books and characters to life?

Melanie, that’s an astute observation. It is certainly true of the stories I’ve written this century, but it wasn’t always so. Look, until about 15 years ago, if an insect annoyed me, I killed it. I simply can’t do that anymore. I’ll either put up with them, or catch them and take them outside.

My novel, Ascending Spiral is actually my life story, fictionalized to protect the guilty. The hero, Pip, faces all the life experiences I did, but handles them the way I wish I had at the time. This is a valuable form of therapy, as I describe in my latest book, From Depression to Contentment. Because I had significant past life recalls, Ascending Spiral is the story of several lives as experienced by the same spirit (me/Pip). And I learned a lot of things about myself, including that, as Dermot, an Irishman born in 1780, I became a bully. I have no doubt that being on the receiving end for the first 20-odd years of my life was paying fair restitution. So, from my childhood on, I have always hated bullying victimization, exploitation. As a youngster, my response was to belt up the bully. As I grew, this changed to leading the bully to a better way of being.

So, my early novels, and short stories, and my award-winning biography, Anikó: The stranger who loved me celebrate the ability of the downtrodden in overcoming those with power. I have a collection of 26 short stories with the title Striking Back from Down Under. But my first novel to win a first prize, Sleeper, Awake has no villains. There is plenty of tension and conflict, but no nastiness. And, as you note, the books since have the theme of leading people to spiritual growth. This is true of my two recent novels, Guardian Angel and Hit and Run and also of my self-help book, From Depression to Contentment.

Where do your ideas come from?

To some extent, I’ve already answered this question, but if you have time for a few laughs, you might want to read one of my monthly essays on writing at Bobbing Around. There I introduce you to Little Bob, who lives inside my head, and does the actual work.

I mentioned in my introduction you’re an environmentalist. I’m not talking tree-hugging extreme, but you care about climate change and the effects it’s having on the earth. What have you done to create a ‘carbon-neutral’ or as near to as possible in your home and community?

Melanie, there are only two kinds of humans on this planet: Greenies and Suicides. I am a Professional Grandfather. Every person under about 25 qualifies as my grandchild; they only need to apply. I want a survivable future for them, and a future worth surviving in.

In the 1970s, I joined a recently established rural cooperative. Working for a sustainable future was an explicit part of what we were about. This cooperative is still vigorous. I’m still a member, although too many injuries have forced me and my wife to move closer to shops and doctors and things.

One of my mottoes is “Live simply, so you may simply live.” In 2001, I described how I do that, and why, in a speech, Saving Money — and Saving the Future. It even has a handout on what to do to reduce your personal footprint, and the first item is: get rid of your TV.

My electricity bill shows that my daily consumption is about one-tenth of that of my neighborhood. And of course we have solar on the roof. I am a member of a local group with the aim of making our little town 100% carbon neutral, and also a member of a political party with environmental sustainability as its major aim, the Australian Greens.

The trick is to have philosophy come before a list of recipes for action. This philosophy is, “Only two things matter in life: what you take with you when you die, and what you leave behind in the hearts of others. Everything else is Monopoly money.” Let go of stuff, and you won’t be stuffing up our lovely planet.

As a writer, there is always something percolating in the grey matter, whether it’s for the work-in-progress or ideas for future projects. How do you keep track of them?

Sometimes, I carry an idea around for years before doing something with it. Often, something around me leads to a concept, and I record it in a file, which goes into a folder in my computer. I occasionally inspect these, and one might take off.

Do you have a favourite time of day to write? I’m talking bum in chair and fingers on the keyboard (or pen to paper even).

Paper? PAPER? Not while paper is minced trees. In a sane world, paper would be recycled rags, agricultural waste like straw, or harvestable plants like bamboo.

I think on the keyboard, and my favourite time is whenever the world lets me. Before I retired the last (5th) time, this may have been ten-minute spans between clients, or between getting home and “Dinner is on the table, darling!” Now, life is far freer, and I have more time.

Today, I helped to run a solar energy workshop in the morning, then instead of writing worked on my answers to you, then a nice lady from a newspaper came to interview me about that community I mentioned, and if I wasn’t still answering your questions, I’d be writing.

But then, answering questions from lovely people is just as creative. The current children of my mind can wait.

Of your 18 books to date, do you have a favourite?

I don’t like playing favourites among my children. It is always the last project I’ve finished.

What’s next for Bob Rich?

Since early 2015, I’ve had an on and off and on again project, the Doom Healer series. Four books are complete, and I’ve submitted the first to a publisher. I am working on the 5th and probably final volume. This one is fun. Twelve humans have invaded a planet in another Universe, in order to help this Universe to grow up and become enlightened. Only, this planet, Magog, has 26 billion people of the dominant species, who are genetically cannibals, and where punishment for any crime is to have the victim torture you to death as slowly as possible (then eat you).

My twelve “special children” are doing well. You can read the start of this volume here: The Doom Healer part 5.

And what’s next after writing this is to once more thank you. I welcome comments, and am happy to offer an electronic version of one of my books to one randomly chosen person who comments before [2 weeks after the interview goes online]. You can inspect the list of books at Bob’s Booklist.

Here is one of my standard wishes, to you and our visitors:

May you live in contentment.
May you be healthy.
May you rise to your challenges.
And above all, may you grow spiritually.

About Bob

Bob Rich lives inside his computer. Everything outside of that, including you, is an illusion. This is just as well. In the outside world, there is a lot of suffering, and wars, conflict, terrible stuff. In the reality of his computer, you’ll find the same things, only there are solutions that work, so it’s a much nicer place to be.
Bob has been magically inhabiting his private world for a long time, and has written regular reports, some of which are disguised as short stories, others as novels. You can find out about them, and more about him, at his blog, Bobbing Around.
Naturally, you can’t believe anything he says, because he is a storyteller.
The picture shows Bob leaning against one of his favorite people.
Bob
You can follow Bob at the following links:
Writing showcase http://bobswriting.com
Environmental site  http://mudsmith.net
Newsletter archives with lots of good stuff http://mudsmith.net/bobbing.html

 

Thanks so much for agreeing to this interview. It’s been a pleasure hosting you here, today. Don’t forget the giveaway for your chance to win an electronic copy of one of Bob’s books!

 

 

 

N.N. Light’s Book Heaven ~ December giveaway

N.N. Light's Book Heaven

There’s still time to enter the December Curl up with a Book Giveaway! No better time to fill up that kindle you got for Christmas.

Having a hard time choosing what to read this month? While there’s so many wonderful authors and books available, it’s imperative to have a dependable and responsible place that can help you choose what to read. It’s even better when you get a chance to win free books! Every month, you can win free books from multiple authors hosted by N. N. Light’s Book Heaven. Numerous authors are offering their books in this collaborative group entitled Literary Giveaway Portal.

Literary Giveaway Portal:  https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/literary-giveaway-portal

Here’s the list of books up for grabs in this month’s giveaway…

e-copy of Tied Up With Strings by Madeline McEwan

e-copy of Three Lessons in Seduction by Sofie Darling

e-copy of Too Good to be True by Livia Quinn

e-copy of Debriefing the Dead (Book 1 of The Dead Series) by Kerry Blaisdell

e-copy of The Cauldron Stirred (Guardians of Erin Book 1) by Judith Sterling

e-copy of Arresting Mason by Amber Daulton

e-copy of The Queen of Paradise Valley by Cat Dubie

e-copy of The Mystery of Flight 2222 by Thomas Neviaser

e-copy of Once Broken by D. M. Hamblin

e-copy of A Debt to the Devil by D. M. Hamblin

e-copy of The Kitchen Imps by A. L. Butcher (Smashwords voucher)

e-copy of The Colony and The Last City by RM Gilmour

5 e-copy of Angelica by Clabe Polk

2 autographed print copy of Erin’s Gift plus swag generously donated by Nancy Fraser (US/Canada only)

e-copy of Life Sucks After You Die by Crystal-Rain Love

e-copy of Dickensen Academy by Christine Grabowski

audiobook copy of Rescue Love by Melissa Keir (US/Canada only)

e-copy of To Save a Lady by Patricia Preston (US only)

2 e-copy of Cinderella Busted by Petie McCarty

print copy of Sweet Seduction by Janet Lane Walters (US/Canada only)

autographed print copy of Seventeen Days by Linda Griffin

e-copy of It Happened on Dufferin Terrace by Melanie Robertson-King

e-copy of Dreamtime Sensuality by David Russell

e-copy of Romeo Vs. Juliet (Descendants of Time Book 1) by Laura Hogg (US only)

Enter the rafflecopter giveaway below for your chance to win!

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