Those who dwell with Cat Cavendish

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Catherine Cavendish, ghosts, Horror, New book, Penryhn Hall, Those Who Dwell in Mordenhyrst Hall

The Many Ghosts of Penrhyn Old Hall By Catherine Cavendish

Those Who Dwell in Mordenhyrst Hall features a stately home with a terrible past.

I have long been fascinated by old houses and the way they can exude an atmosphere all of their own; one that isn’t so much about the furnishings, fixtures and fittings, but more about what those ancient walls have absorbed – stone tape style – from what they have stood witness to over the centuries. In fact, I keep a decidedly open mind where stone tape theory is concerned. Who is to say that people and events don’t record themselves in some way, just waiting to be replayed when circumstances allow?

Take Penrhyn Old Hall for example.

 

Situated near Llandudno, this magnificent old house is now a pub and restaurant, proud of its ghostly heritage – so much so that it holds regular paranormal evenings.

The Hall gets its first mention in 1327 although these days most of the building dates from Tudor times. It has a number of ghosts who wander its rooms and corridors.

In a room above the Baronial Hall, a monk has been seen on a number of occasions. He also ventures out into the passage. A young girl haunts the stairway.

She is a descendant of the Pugh family who owned the house in the 16^th century. They were a strict Catholic family who harboured renegade priests during times of persecution of the Catholic clergy and faith. In the Tudor bar, the fireplace hides a priest hole where they would have hidden when suspicious soldiers arrived. At one point, Robert Pugh and a priest named William Davies fled for their lives to the nearby headland known as the Little Orme. They lived in a cave there and smuggled in a printing press. Here they could print Catholic literature. Their cave home was raided in 1587 but they managed to evade capture, finally being caught in Holyhead in 1592. Pugh escaped but Davies was convicted of being a Catholic priest and was hanged, drawn and quartered. Many years later, a withered hand was discovered in a hidden case at Penrhyn Old Hall. It is presumed to be that of William Davies – maybe he is the one who haunts the upstairs room?

Given such firm Catholic convictions, imagine then the family’s distress on finding out that one of the daughters wanted to marry a Protestant. Worse than that she planned to elope with him, knowing her family’s displeasure. Even worse than that. She was pregnant. Clearly she had to be stopped. Her sisters did so – by killing her. No wonder she hasn’t left.

In the seating area of the Function Room, sits a young man in a perpetually foul mood who reacts badly if disturbed, while on the dance floor is a soldier who was injured and unable to return to the war. He is not happy about it.

Beside a fireplace in the Tudor Bar, an old lady sits, then stands and ascends the stairs.

Also in residence in the restaurant, is the ghost of a mischievous boy who sprinkles salt on the tables. He is only one of a number of mischievous child spirits who like to cause a little mayhem.

A paranormal investigation revealed the presence of a woman who stated that she lived there between 1750 and 1800, having arrived at the Hall when she became pregnant. According to the investigators, she didn’t appear to realise she was dead and appeared scared of two other ghosts alleged to have been in the room with her.

Outside the Hall, a lost and shadowy figure moves about so, all in all, you get a lot of ghosts for your money at Penrhyn Old Hall. One thing is for sure, with all this activity, you’re never alone – even if the room you are standing in appears empty.

If you fancy a visit to Penrhyn Old Hall, here’s their website: https://penrhynoldhall.co.uk/

AND NOW….. Cat’s new book, released today.

Evil runs deep at Mordenhyrst Hall…

When Grace first sets eyes on the imposing Gothic Mordenhyrst Hall, she is struck with an overwhelming sense that something doesn’t want her there. Her fiancé’s sister heads a coterie of Bright Young Things whose frivolous lives hide a sinister intent. Simon, Grace’s fiancé, is not the man she fell in love with, and the local villagers eye her with suspicion that borders on malevolence.

Her friend, Coralie, possesses the ability to communicate with powerful spirits. She convinces Grace of her own paranormal gifts – gifts Grace will need to draw deeply on as the secrets of Mordenhyrst Hall begin to unravel.

You can find Those Who Dwell in Mordenhyrst Hall here:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Simon and Schuster

Waterstones

and

 wherever you normally shop for books – online or in the High Street

About The Author

Following a varied career in sales, advertising and career guidance, Catherine Cavendish is now the full-time author of a number of paranormal, ghostly and Gothic horror novels and novellas.

Her novels include: Those Who Dwell in Mordenhyrst Hall, The After-Death of Caroline Rand, Nemesis of the Gods, Dark Observation, In Darkness, Shadows Breathe, The Garden of Bewitchment. The Haunting of Henderson Close, The Devil’s Serenade, The Pendle Curse and Saving Grace Devine.

The Crow Witch and Other Conjurings is a collection of her previously published and brand-new short stories.

Her novellas include: The Darkest Veil, Linden Manor, Cold Revenge, Miss Abigail’s Room, The Demons of Cambian Street, Dark Avenging Angel, The Devil Inside Her, and The Second Wife

She lives by the sea in Southport, England with her long-suffering husband, and a black cat called Serafina who has never forgotten that her species used to be worshipped in ancient Egypt. She sees no reason why that practice should not continue.

You can connect with Cat here:

Catherine Cavendish

Facebook

Twitter

Tik Tok

Bluesky

Instagram

Mastodon

Images:

Shutterstock

Nik Keevil and Flame Tree Studio

Author’s own

Kate Furnivall and the Child of the Ruins

Tags

#Berlin, Allies airlift, Berlin 1947, heroines, Tempelhof Airport, writing, WW2

KATE … Haha! To be honest, dudes, it almost WAS called Hamster of the Ruins because ‘hamstering’ was what the people of Berlin called going out to search for food after the war. They would scurry through the city trying to find scraps of anything edible during this time of hardship. So yes, hamsters get a good look in this time!

KATE — Child of the Hamster? It has a nice ring to it, I must admit. If the book was set in Hamburg, it would have been a perfect title. But as it all takes place in Berlin 1948, nope, it doesn’t work this time. Nevertheless, you guys, hang in there and one of these days you’ll grab the title headline. How about Bobby Bub Blasts Berlin. Now that’s a book I’d jump at!

KATE —-You are spot on. As you can see.

Kate — The genus Cricetus is the black-bellied European hamster. It is native to grassland in a large part of Europe, extending from Belgium, through Germany to Russia. It was considered a farmland pest and was trapped for its fur. So by 1948 the pesky critters had moved into parts of Berlin thinking it safer, (more smartass dudes!) but quickly found everyone there was starving and hamsters were top of the menu, at risk of being skewered and roasted over an open fire. Whoops! Sorry, dudes. Too much information!

Kate– You’re right. I mean—–

Kate – Yes, you’re right. The big crucial moments in history fascinate me. I like to explore their impact on the woman or man in the street. This story had been hovering like a shadow in the back of my mind for a long time. While writing other books, I could sense this one’s breath growing ever hotter and more urgent and each time I visited Berlin to see my son and his family who live there, I felt the story of the amazing Berlin Airlift struggling to get out. 

     It was an old piece of black & white film footage of soldiers unloading the Airlift planes at night at Tempelhof Airport that finally triggered Child of the Ruins.

I went to the Allied Museum in Berlin and was knocked out by what I found out there about the Airlift. So many tales of bravery and sheer hard graft.

The story refused to let go of me, but it wasn’t until the covid lockdown that I finally found the voice it had been seeking. The Airlift suddenly had huge resonance.

     It is the story of a city blockaded by an enemy. Inhabitants are not allowed to leave. There’s a shortage of food, fights over scraps. So many people lost their livelihood. And everywhere lay a fear of people around you and a fear of being reported if you broke the rules. And aways a dangerous presence in their midst. It resonated in a big way because it felt like what we were all going through at the time of the terrible covid pandemic.

      Soviet Russia decided to blockade the Allied-controlled sectors of West Berlin. Stalin cut them off from all supplies, permitting no access by land or water, with the intention of starving its two million people into submission and driving the American, British and French forces out of the city to allow total Communist Soviet control. A first step towards taking complete control of Germany. 

     He was convinced it would be a pushover because he knew the West had no stomach for another war. Boy, did he get that wrong! The Allies put into operation an almost impossible day and night Airlift of essentials to keep the inhabitants alive. Everyone said the feat was impossible but America’s General Tunner made it happen. A never-ending stream of aircraft landed and took-off constantly day and night for almost a year in all weathers. But tensions were running high as Soviet military power threatened and life within the city was hard.

KATE — Child of the Ruins is about Anna Wolff

and her search for her son among the wreckage of Berlin. Anna is a rash and resilient, brave and foolhardy young woman. It’s simple: in the chaos after the war, survival depends on cunning and knowledge. It means that the line between right and wrong has become dangerously blurred.

     The story takes place during the Berlin Airlift in the winter of 1948. Anna lives with her mother in the Russian sector where food is scarce and where people are snatched from their beds with no warning. Spies and informers are everywhere. Words are whispered for fear of reprisals and no one knows who to trust.

     Times are hard, so Anna takes a job out at Tempelhof, the American airbase. But she is a damaged young woman. Three years earlier Anna and her mother were attacked by Red Army soldiers and Anna killed one of them. This is the dangerous secret that she and her mother share, but when the resulting child is born, Anna’s mother abandons it out in the city. Anna is grief-stricken and searches for the child among the many Wolfskinder, the orphan kids who live like rats (or hamsters!) among the ruins.

     When Anna begins work at Tempelhof, to her horror people start dying around her. She realises she is being stalked — but by whom and why? As she deepens the search for her son, the more dangerous her life seems to become. But Anna is tenacious and it’s only a matter of time before the hunted turns into the huntress herself.

     At Tempelhof she is befriended by Ingrid Keller, a risk-taker who used to be a highwire circus performer, and she is also helped by Timur Voronin, a major in the Soviet Red Army. Together they are drawn into the dangerous world of Soviet espionage, until her enemy is forced out into the open. Then she must battle her own demons to find the truth.

SHEY —Kate, thank you so much for visiting and sharing your wonderful book. I have to say folks, it is beyond amazing. I have read all Kate’s books and been an unashamed fan of hers since her very first, The Russian Concubine, and I honestly feel, hand on heart, this is her absolute best, which is really saying something, given how much I have loved every one of them. I am loving every word for so many reasons, the characters, the history, the descriptive writing. Personally, given my dad belonged to a generation that seldom talked re their war time experiences, it has given me glimpses of the Berlin he was briefly in after the war, before being assigned to work in repatriation in the refugee camps. It’s is actually one of these rare books I never want to finish, it is THAT good. Before you go, Kate though, Berlin is obviously very different these days. Can you share an ideal day there with us?

KATE-–Ah, bliss!

My ideal day in today’s wonderful Berlin would kick off with a fabulous strong Turkish coffee in the buzzing Kreuzberg Kieze(neighbourhood). It’s a hotspot for artists with loads of cool restaurants around Kottbusser Tor.  

   

     When I’d downed my Schrippe and jam, I’d stroll along the Landwehr Canal, admiring the decorated barges, to the awesome flea market on a Saturday morning where I love to burrow for hours. Talking of fleas, I bet there are lots of hamsters hiding alongside the canal!

       Then lunch. This is the high spot of my day, both literally and figuratively. I’d head over to the revolving restaurant way up in the sky at the top of the Fernsehturm (tv tower) in Alexanderplatz, 207 metres (720ft) up to be exact. The panoramic view out over the city takes your breath away and makes me think of those brave pilots in 1948 flying in with their life-giving cargo who would have had a bird’s eye view of a very different Berlin.

Kate and her lovely family -below

The afternoon might be a wander past the magnificent Reichstag (Brit architect Norman Foster’s symbolic rebuild) to the Museum Island or I might hop on a tram to Eberswalder Strasse to lay flowers at the deeply moving Berlin Wall memorial.

Finishing off with the fun buzz of outdoor karaoke in Mauerpark, then a fabulous lingering meal at PeterPaul’s restaurant in Mitte district and – depending on my mood – either a spectacular show at the Friedrichstadt Palast or an intimate schnapps with my mate Bobby Bub in a local bar where we get chatting (in pretty basic German) with a bunch of Berliners. Prost!

Kate —And thank you so much for having me, dudes. It’s been great. .

1948, Berlin. World War II has ended and there is supposed to be peace; but Russian troops have closed all access to the city. Roads, railway lines and waterways are blocked and two million people are trapped, relying on airlifts of food, water and medicine to survive. The sharp eyes of the Russian state police watch everything; no one can be trusted.

Anna and Ingrid are both searching for answers – and revenge – in the messy aftermath of war. They understand that survival comes only by knowing what to trade: food; medicine; heirlooms; secrets. Both are living in the shadows of a city where the line between right and wrong has become dangerously blurred.

But they cannot give up in the search for a lost child . . .

Kate Furnivall didn’t set out to be a writer. It sort of grabbed her by the throat when she discovered the story of her grandmother – a White Russian refugee who fled from the Bolsheviks down into China. That extraordinary tale inspired her first book, THE RUSSIAN CONCUBINE. From then on, she was hooked.

Kate is the author of ten novels, including THE SURVIVORS, THE RUSSIAN CONCUBINE, THE LIBERATION and THE BETRAYAL. Her books have been translated into more than twenty languages and have been on the Sunday Times and New York Times Bestseller lists.

Of hamsters and hecklers

Tags

Dundee, Eddie Scrymgeour, Joseph Lee, Jute, Juteopolis, Mary Brooksbank, Mary Shelley, Mary Slessor, O Halflins and Hecklers An Weavers An weemin, Play, RRS Discovery, Verdant Works, William McGonagall, William Wallace, Winston Churchill

“Step back in time and experience the rich history of Dundee through the eyes of its working-class heroes. In this powerful and moving theatrical production, we follow the lives of the “halfins, hecklers, weavers, and weemin” who built this city from the ground up.

From the bustling textile mills to the gritty streets of the city’s tenements, this play takes you on a journey through Dundee’s past like never before. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll be inspired by the resilience and determination of the people who made this city what it is today.

Featuring a talented cast of local actors and a stunning set design that brings the past to life, this is a theatrical experience you won’t soon forget. So come and join us for O Halfins, An Hecklers, An Weavers, An Weemin, and discover the untold stories of Dundee’s working-class heroes.”

Cast in order of singing/speaking – Jane, Richard, Shey, John, Amara, Paul, Liz, Coreen, Anna, Mike.

Sound–Kevin

Produced by –John

Director/stage manager and props –Shey

The band Duke Box and Co. Paul. Alex, Johnny, John Joe, Michael, Tommy.

and their choir, Liz, Gill, Alice, Mary, Helen

played some of the music that was specially written for the play –words John, music Paul, music Shey and is now available here and on Apple Music. During the play the band also played music by Mary Brooksbank and Michael Marra.

“What was jute to Dundee and Dundee to jute?

Against the backdrop of 1900 years of history, local, national and worldwide, a pair of dodgy tour guides attempt to answer the question with the help of a variety of characters from William Wallace to William McGonagall and beyond, to name a few.”

‘A refreshin’ thocht provokin’ weave o tales. Gaun see it if ye can—the nicht and the moarn.’ Poet Jim Macintosh.

‘A ‘Cheviot, Stag and Black, Black Oil’ style show especially for Dundee.’ Dr Fiona-Jane Brown, author of ‘Hidden Aberdeen, History on Your Doorstep and Under Your Feet.’

Cat Cavendish on The Ghost of Erlestoke Prison and a new release

Tags

Catherine Cavendish, Earlestoke Prison, Flame Tree Press, ghosts, hauntings, Horror fiction, new Release

‘Erlestoke is a charming Wiltshire village on the edge of Salisbury Plain with a history dating back centuries. In fact, as such, it has a lot in common with Canonbury Manor in my latest novel, The After-Death of Caroline Rand.

There used to be a grand house here – Erlestoke House – which was built between 1786 and 1791 and designed by George Stewart, an eminent architect of the time, on the instructions of the owner Joshua Smith, a wealthy timber merchant. The house was constructed in the grand Palladian style, around 365 feet long, three storeys high. It commanded views right across the valley and was set in glorious parkland complete with ornate bridges, a lake and waterfall.

Smith’s grand project necessitated the demolition of an Elizabethan house plus several cottages but at least he didn’t leave the ousted villagers homeless. He built new cottages for them, and these still exist to this day. They have their quirky elements though. Strange carvings of gargoyles and classical figures which may have originated in the demolished Elizabethan house.

In 1819, Joshua Smith died. The estate and lands were sold to a Jamaican plantation owner – George Watson-Taylor – who paid the equivalent of some 5.5 million pounds in today’s money (around $6,900,000). But, once slavery had been abolished by British law, Watson-Taylor’s fortunes nosedived, and he had to sell a lot of the house’s treasures to pay his debts. Unable to afford to live there any longer, he moved away, and the house remained closed for four years until it was leased to John Cam Hobhouse (later Lord Broughton), a close friend of Lord Byron.

Fast forward to 1844 and George Watson-Taylor’s son, Simon, took over the lease of Erlestoke House. He was married to Lady Charlotte Hay and she is the one who is said to be the restless spirit that now haunts Erlestoke Prison. How Erlestock House became part of Erlestoke Prison is down to a devastating fire in 1951 which destroyed most of the house leaving only the central section. The prison was built in 1960, incorporating what remained of the old house which now comprises the Education and Works department and its basement below.

But why does Charlotte haunt her old home?

Lady Charlotte Hay was the daughter of the 8^th Marquess of Tweeddale and Lady Susan Montagu. While she lived at Erlestoke House, she appears to have guarded her privacy jealously, resenting villagers wandering across her land in order to visit the local church of St James. As a result, she had the church demolished and funded its replacement – a new church called the Holy Saviour, built in Gothic style and situated outside her estate. It was completed in 1880 – seven years before Lady Charlotte died and at a cost some twice the anticipated amount. No doubt, she was not exactly happy about having to shell out far more money than she had bargained for.

Is this why her spirit is restless?

Whatever the reason, she has been seen walking in the basement beneath the Education block – and in what remains of the old house. Descriptions of her appearance vary but she is often depicted as a shadowy figure, female, usually captured at the edge of the observer’s peripheral vision. But one more tangible report happened a few years ago when an instructor in the Education Department was talking to a prisoner near the exit. Suddenly a shadowy figure passed between them – and they could have been no more than four or five feet apart. It then disappeared. She is also seen in the grounds, sometimes walking where the old church stood. When she does so, she appears dressed in black in the style of the late 1800s. She has also been seen by the site of a former ornate bridge. Whether this really is the same ghost or not, the staff of Erlestoke Prison refer to her as Lady Charlotte.

A former employee reported a strange incident he experienced while working the night shift. He was alone at around two a.m., in the Education and Works Dept and, in accordance with standard practice, had locked himself in, while he caught up with some paperwork. Suddenly, from the room directly above him, he heard footsteps. He knew he should be the only person in the building at that time, so he went to investigate, conducting a thorough search as he did so. He found no trace of anyone. With no other explanation available, he put this down to a nocturnal visit by Lady Charlotte.

Another member of staff reported hearing the sound of children playing in the Works rest room – even though there were no children in the entire building.

More disturbing reports exist from staff members claiming to have had scary encounters on the basement stairs. Some have said they were pushed up them by unseen hands. In common with many basements, this 300 year-old one at Erlestoke is certainly a creepy place to be. Especially if you’re on your own…at night. So, take care, won’t you?

You should also take care if you see a sign to Canonbury Ducis. I would avoid it if I were you. Alli Sinclair didn’t – and look what happened…

The After-Death of Caroline Rand

At a weekend house-party at ancient Canonbury Manor, Alli is caught between fantasy and reality, past and present, in the life of Caroline Rand, a famous singer from the late Sixties, who reportedly killed herself in that house. Alli soon learns that evil infests the once-holy building. A sinister cabal controls it, as it has for centuries. Before long, her fate will be sealed, and she will learn about her role in the after-death of Caroline Rand.

It begins with a chilling greeting: “Welcome to The Columbine, Miss Sinclair. You are expected.”

The After-Death of Caroline Rand

Available from:

amazon

Bookshop.org

Simon and Schuster

Barnes and Noble

Waterstones

Kobo

and

 wherever you normally shop for books – online or in the High Street

About The Author

Following a varied career in sales, advertising and career guidance, Catherine Cavendish is now the full-time author of a number of paranormal, ghostly and Gothic horror novels and novellas.

Her novels include: The After-Death of Caroline Rand, Nemesis of the Gods, Dark Observation, In Darkness, Shadows Breathe, The Garden of Bewitchment. The Haunting of Henderson Close The Devil’s Serenade, The Pendle Curse and Saving Grace Devine.

The Crow Witch and Other Conjurings is a collection of her previously published and brand new short stories.

Her novellas include: The Darkest Veil, Linden Manor, Cold Revenge, Miss Abigail’s Room, The Demons of Cambian Street, Dark Avenging Angel, The Devil Inside Her, and The Second Wife

She lives by the sea in Southport, England with her long-suffering husband, and a black cat called Serafina who has never forgotten that her species used to be worshipped in ancient Egypt. She sees no reason why that practice should not continue.

You can connect with Cat here:

Catherine Cavendish

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Mastodon

Goodreads

Images:

Shutterstock

Nik Keevil and Flame Tree Studio

Author’s own

When in Prague . . .

Tags

Kampa Park, Prague, The Anthopoid Church, the Archibald, the Champagne Lovers, the Charles Bridge, The Klementinum, the Strahov Library

SHEY.. Indeed. It is the door to our little studio room at the Archibald Hotel at the Charles Bridge.

And this

Well, obviously this is a statue with a pigeon on its head. If it had had a hamster on it I’d have taken that but it didn’t. As for the diff between a Charles Bridge statue and a hamster? Well, they are being renewed cos they are world famous and worth renwing . Hamsters now?

And this is maybe the best band that play there. The Champagne Lovers. Of course if they loved hamsters they might have been called that, but they’re not and who can blame them?

. And this??? Just outside our hotel at night.

The Strahov library inside . . . out ….. and a hand written and hand painted, many centuries ago, manuscript, preserved in a glass case, incase, talking such things, hamsters are about.

A scooter we never used to get about Prague.

And a ladder we never climbed to get to get into the roof space of the Klementinun. Obvi it’s not allowed, although doubtless a hamster could climb it.

The prog for the United Islands of Prague Music fest that was allowed. So we allowed ourselves twice. And to be drawn down through the dark trees later by the strains of Cohen’s Hallelujah, taking some of the of the attendees with us, to sit on the grass outside a community centre where a folk evening was in full swing.

The Anthropoid Church where the Czech Paratroopers having holed up after taking down Reinnhard Heydrich, took down as many of the 700 Waffen SS troops as they could during a four hour seige that ended when they took their own lives. I also chose this one, despite ahving been there a few years ago cos of the Mr’s thing about calling it by its proper name and insisting it wasn’t round the corner where I said it was. This guy stopped, asked if he could help us and had abso no idea what the Mr was talking about when he gave the proper name. ‘Anthropoid Church,’ I said. ‘Round that corner,’ said he.

Bicyles in Kampa Park at the Islands Fest. The ‘juniors’ arrived first, complete with helmets and were all given money to spend on the stalls. Then the ‘bad’ boys arrived sans helmets and headed for the converted watermill bistro. When I think of the places, I’ve been rounded up out of at that age, the rounding up I did in earlier drama days, I got to say,without exception they all appeared back on time, totally sober, happy just to be there, got on their bicycles and headed off.

,

Oh…all right . The Klementinum library ceiling. And part of the Klementinum

Lastly, some scary wifies…

made by Hana Purkrabkova. Of course if she had known about hamsters she’d made some scary statues of them but she didn’t, so she never. This one I chose cos this one I am not meant to have, having missed the notice forbidding photography….. Here’s hoping no hamster dude will tell. . . . .

Okay…SO, the trip to Prague went something like this.

Airports, Edinburgh x 2, Schiphol x 2 Prague x 2

Airports escorted by Airport Security, once for over a mile, in — 2

Airport check in operators it was then necessary to charm in order to avoid baggage charges —2

Hotels – 1, the fabulous Archibald—lucky them–at the Charles Bridge.

Attractions visited—even luckier them–Old Town, Wenceslas Square, Petrin Park and Observation Tower, the Anthropoid Church and exhibition, the Klementinum, Charles Square, Our Lady Before Tyn, the Strahov Library, Kampa Museum, Kampa Park.

Random, on the doorstep things to watch and go to — 2, the Prague Marathon x 1, the United Islands of Prague Festival x 2 Kampa Community Centre Sat night music, on the wander back from the Festival x 1

Days stayed—4 and a half

Miles walked — c 35

Feet hanging off –yeah

Eateries visited – 5 + festival street food booth x 2, they sold great chips.

Beer consumed – a lot.

Weddings gatecrashed–None

Pictures??????

But of course.

Clothes maketh the heroine

Tags

Romance, writing, Wryson's Eternity

It’s cup of kindness time . . .

Tags

New Year

USA. UK.  India, Italy, Canada, Spain, Germany, France,  Kenya, Turkey, Indonesia, Finland, South Africa, Nigeria, Singapore, Japan, Thailand, Australia, Pakistan, Ireland, Brazil, Romania, Philippines. Peru, Austria,  Nepal, China, Uganda, Bangladesh, Poland, Guatemala, Malaysia, Jamaica, United  Arab Emirates, Mexico, Chile, Israel, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Switzerland, Sweden, Bahrain, Somalia, Saudi Arabia, Mauritius, Iraq, Ghana, Egypt, Belgium, South Korea, Czech Republic, Greece, Trinidad and Tobago, Russia, Denmark, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, El Salvador, Croatia, Ukraine, Panama, Bolivia, Vietnam,. Argentina, Portugal, Columbia, Bulgaria, Myanmar, Taiwan, Afghanistan,  Malta, Benin, Qatar, Namibia, Paraguay,  Mali, Lithuania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Norway, Moldova, Macedonia, Guadeloupe, Serbia, Iceland, Haiti, Algeria, Guinea, Mozambique, Cote d’ Ivoire, Kosovo.

T’was the fortnight before Christmas…..

Tags

Book-Blip, Christmas, EPUB, Mobi, New online bookstore

‘T’was the night before Christmas and all through the house,

NOT a Creature was stirring, not even a mouse. ‘

CUE The Hallelujah Chorus—properly spelt.

https://www.book-blip.com/

D. Wallace Peach and the Necromancer’s Daughter

Tags

Ball gowns, D. Wallace Peach, Dragons, fantasy, Legend, Magic, The Necromancer's Daughter

Greetings Shey, I’m so happy to be visiting with you and the Dudes.

We often chat about gowns and your heroines’ beautiful attire,

so I thought today we could touch base on the topic of fashion.In The Necromancer’s Daughter, my poor character Aster spends most of the book dressed as a peasant and filthy from weeks of rough travel. But there’s one point in the book where she’s dressed up to meet her uncle, the king. Here’s a peek (slightly condensed):

Layers of rose, cream, and violet silk cascaded around her legs like water. Even on the high wooden soles of her embroidered slippers, the wide openings of her sleeves nearly brushed the floor. Two women wrapped her waist in a blue sash and smoothed out the puckers in the final layer, a sleeveless blue robe embroidered with dragons along the hem.

The queen entered and stepped behind her, tall and imposing. The two of them gazed into the standing mirror. “The colors suit you, Aster. Anything brighter would have left you looking like a ghost.” The queen swished around her for a final inspection. “We have completed our transformation. Let us see if the king approves.”

One lady bustled for the door while the others pinched at Aster’s clothing, correcting invisible oversights. Despite the supple apparel, Aster stepped into the hallway as if she balanced a tea set on her head.

“You’re not posing for a portrait,” the queen whispered. “You must let the clothing flow. Therein lies the beauty of silk.”

I also created a graphic for a gown! 

This isn’t Aster’s gown, since it’s not the right colors. But it’s the style – based on traditional hanfu Chinese clothing.  And that’s the dragon Grandfather with Scars behind her.

Thanks so much for letting me come over and play!

***

Blurb:

A healer and dabbler in the dark arts of life and death, Barus is as gnarled as an ancient tree. Forgotten in the chaos of the dying queen’s chamber, he spirits away her stillborn infant, and in a hovel at the meadow’s edge, he breathes life into the wisp of a child. He names her Aster for the lea’s white flowers. Raised as his daughter, she learns to heal death.

Then the day arrives when the widowed king, his own life nearing its end, defies the Red Order’s warning. He summons the necromancer’s daughter, his only heir, and for his boldness, he falls to an assassin’s blade.

While Barus hides from the Order’s soldiers, Aster leads their masters beyond the wall into the Forest of Silvern Cats, a land of dragons and barbarian tribes. She seeks her mother’s people, the powerful rulers of Blackrock, uncertain whether she will find sanctuary or face a gallows’ noose.

Unprepared for a world rife with danger, a world divided by those who practice magic and those who hunt them, she must choose whether to trust the one man offering her aid, the one man most likely to betray her—her enemy’s son.

A healer with the talent to unravel death, a child reborn, a father lusting for vengeance, and a son torn between justice, faith, and love. Caught in a chase spanning kingdoms, each must decide the nature of good and evil, the lengths they will go to survive, and what they are willing to lose.

***

MY REVIEW. -SHEHANNE MOORE.

I’ve said it before and I will say it again, fantasy is not my preferred genre. But a  special author and  story will always convince me to click ‘buy.’ And D. Wallace Peach is such an author.  Her world building –for me a key element in fantasy writing—is second to none.  Set against that we have Aster, the stillborn daughter of the King of Verdane.  Yes, you may wonder how a stillborn baby can go on to be the heroine in a fantasy novel, but trust me she is because the man tasked with saving her has the gift of bringing the dead back to life. He just doesn’t manage it immediately.  The themes are universal. An ageing  man suddenly aware he has an heir, an Order that will stop at nothing–not even murder–to thwart this,  a  perilous journey through lands torn between ,hunted and hunters, in other words, good versus evil at every turn, and a fantastic cast of characters along the way, all in the skilled hands of a writer who knows how to deliver.

The dudes give it 5 paws.

D. Wallace Peach.

A long-time reader, best-selling author D. Wallace Peach started writing later in life when years of working in business surrendered to a full-time indulgence in the imaginative world of books. She was instantly hooked.

In addition to fantasy books, Peach’s publishing career includes participation in various anthologies featuring short stories, flash fiction, and poetry. She’s an avid supporter of the arts in her local community, organizing and publishing annual anthologies of Oregon prose, poetry, and photography.

Peach lives in a log cabin amongst the tall evergreens and emerald moss of Oregon’s rainforest with her husband, two owls, a horde of bats, and the occasional family of coyotes.

***

Links:

US: https://www.amazon.com/Necromancers-Daughter-D-Wallace-Peach-ebook/dp/B0B92G7QZX

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Necromancers-Daughter-D-Wallace-Peach-ebook/dp/B0B92G7QZX

CA: https://www.amazon.ca/Necromancers-Daughter-D-Wallace-Peach-ebook/dp/B0B92G7QZX

AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/Necromancers-Daughter-D-Wallace-Peach/dp/B0B9FY6YZJ

IN: https://www.amazon.in/Necromancers-Daughter-D-Wallace-Peach-ebook/dp/B0B92G7QZX

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

Apple

Amazon Author’s Page: https://www.amazon.com/D.-Wallace-Peach/e/B00CLKLXP8

Website/Blog: http://mythsofthemirror.com

Website/Books: http://dwallacepeachbooks.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Dwallacepeach

***

The fascination of Capybaras with Mike Allegra

Tags

Capybaras, Mike Allegra, Rodents, Sleepy happy Capy Cuddles, Writing for children, Writing tips

“Hi, Dudes! I cannot even begin to say what a pleasure it is to finally meet you! As I think you know, I love all rodents. I am very pro rodent. I’m prodent. I might be the prodentest person in the history of ever. So to meet you at last is a dream come true…..”

QUESTION ONE. You caught the reading and writing bug young, was that what drew you to write for children?

MIKE ALLEGRA. I don’t think so. When I was young, my goal was to write stories that adults would find funny. It was easy to amuse my friends, but if I could get my parents or my teachers or my cranky Uncle Bill to laugh, well that was an achievement. When I pulled it off, I felt like a million bucks.

Now that I’m an adult with an adult sense of humor, I’ve done a 180. The challenge and the joy of my career is to make kids laugh. I love writing kid’s stories because it gives me permission to delve into the silly side of my personality.

Being silly is not only fun for me, I think it makes me a better person. The world would probably be a better place if more adults allowed themselves to get their silly on.

Could a worldwide increase in fart jokes lead to world peace? I’m not sure, but it’s a hypothesis worth exploring.

QUESTION TWO. You’ve written plays, worked as a reporter, an editor, as well as being an author, which would you say is your favorite and why? 

Mike Allegra . All of the writing gigs in my life were fun and rewarding in one way or another. My two years as a reporter, however, was, far and away, my most valuable work experience. It made me the writer I am today. The job taught me how to research and write fast, polished work on tight deadlines. It taught me how to work with editors, conduct interviews, and deal with critics. It also taught me the ins and outs of government, which may not be important from the perspective of a writing career, but is essential to anyone who wants to be a good citizen. (We should all want to be good citizens.)

I recommend a stint as a reporter to anyone who wants to do this writing thing as a career. I even wrote a blog post about it:

But my most satisfying work is my children’s book career. I love letting my imagination go wild. I love visiting schools and meeting my readers. The gig isn’t very lucrative, but it makes me terribly happy.

QUESTION THREE Which book have you had the most fun writing?

Mike Allegra . That’s a tricky one, but I think it’s my most recent picture book, Sleepy Happy Capy Cuddles. The main character is a capybara, the world’s largest rodent. (See? I told you I was prodent!) I’ve been fascinated by capybaras ever since I’ve first heard about them as a kid in the 1980s. Back then (and now!) I kept gerbils as pets, so the idea of a rodent being the size of a golden retriever captivated me in ways I can hardly explain. When I became an adult, and I learned more about these ginormous critters, I was even more captivated. Capys cuddle with other animals! They babysit each other’s children! They are excellent foster mothers to other species! They are amazing swimmers! And they are soooo cute! How could I not write a book about a cuddly capybara?

God, I love this book.

QUESTION FOUR Have you ever written a book about a hamster? 

I feared this question might come up.

My picture book, Scampers Thinks Like a Scientist, stars mice; another book of mine, Everybody’s Favorite Book, features a guinea pig; and, as I mentioned, Sleepy Happy Capy Cuddles has a capybara. But no hamsters yet. No gerbils either—much to the consternation of my beloved fur children, Dusty and Oreo. But fear not,

I have more books in me. I’m sure I can get a couple of cool dude hamsters in one of them sooner or later. I’ll write a book starring gerbils, too.

MIKE ALLEGRA Ah. Writing tips? Question five eh?

Okay……. I will give them. Aspiring writers please forgive the tough love:

Your book ideas are worthless if you don’t write them down. Don’t just talk about your ideas; don’t pass the buck by trying to collaborate with someone; don’t say, “You know, I really should write a book.” Get your tush in a chair and start writing. Writing is slow, hard work. It can sometimes be frustrating, exhausting, maddening and make you want to bang your head against the wall. But don’t get discouraged. Keep going. Because when those words of yours finally come together in just the right way, when your story makes people think, laugh, or see the world with a new point of view, well, dang, that’s the best feeling in the world.

QUESTION SIX 6. What’s next for Mike Allegra

MIKE ALLEGRA Well, in addition to running around telling everyone about Sleepy Happy Capy Cuddles, I’m also gearing up to run around to tell everyone about my next picture book, Pirate and Penguin, which will be out in May 2023. It’s the story of a penguin finding his way onto a pirate ship and being mistaken for a chubby, mute, monochromatic macaw. It’s a fun one. 

BIO:

Mike Allegra is the author of 17 books for children including the picture books Sleepy Happy Capy Cuddles (Page Street, 2022), Scampers Thinks like a Scientist (Dawn, 2019), Everybody’s Favorite Book (Macmillan, 2018), and Sarah Gives Thanks (Albert Whitman and Company, 2012). He also wrote the chapter book series Kimmie Tuttle (Abdo Books, 2021) and Prince Not-So Charming (Macmillan, 2018-19; pen name: Roy L. Hinuss). Scampers was the winner of Learning Magazine’s 2020 Teacher’s Choice Award and was selected for inclusion in the Literati Kids subscription box. His story, “Harold’s Hat,” was the winner of the 2014 Highlights fiction contest and was published in the July 2015 issue.

Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Mike-Allegra/e/B00E5M07EI?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1663250421&sr=1-1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mike.allegra