In appreciation of the inspirational and motivational people I have met along the way, as well as those who I will never meet, but whose words and actions have inspired and motivated me.
With My Magical Christmas StoryQuest Collection completed, I started work on my newest StoryQuest book, The Pirates of Monkey Island. The story features two characters who quickly become the reader’s trusty crewmates: One-Eyed Brenda and Jimmy Smallhands. Brenda has one eye and Jimmy has very small hands – do you see what I did there?
Following the joyful inauguration of the 46th U.S. President, Joe Biden, hundreds and thousands of overlayed images of Bernie Sanders started appearing everywhere, ridiculing the mittens he was wearing at the ceremony. It touched a nerve with me. For goodness sake, he is seventy-nine, it was 4C and blowing a howling bloody gale, but I’m guessing his hands were warmer than anybody else’s. So, to whoever started circulating these memes, back off! You’re not so funny!
I have never been so emotionally involved in an American Presidential Election in my life but, since last Tuesday, I have been glued, as America’s future teetered on a knife-edge, and I’m not even American.
Thousands of miles away from America, the land of the free, we heard the news we were hoping for. We cried, imbibed and danced to Kool & The Gang’s Celebration on our patio in the middle of our night waving sparklers in the air. The feeling of joy, as well as relief for a bunch of Brits thousands of miles away, was very real.
Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you. Ruth Bader Ginsburg 15th March 1933 – 18th September 2020
I first became aware of Gerald Durrell when someone gave me a copy of one of his books. After reading that book, My Family and Other Animals, I learned that Gerald Durrell had started a ‘zoo’ in Jersey, Channel Islands. As I would find out later, through my own first-hand experience, it was – and still is – so much more than a ‘zoo’.
Wear a sodding mask! It’s not all about you! If you don’t want to wear a mask to protect yourself, then do it for others who are less robust than you. There are people out there fighting pre-existing conditions whose lives are already a struggle. The last thing they want is to contract COVID-19. If they do, the probability is that they won’t survive it. Do you really want that on your conscious? Is that really YOUR CHOICE? So, get over it! Wear a sodding mask!
In November 2019, I had the pleasure of interviewing children’s author Becci Murray, who had recently published her book, Billy’s Brain Booster Juice. Earlier this month she released a children’s poetry book – subtly entitled, ‘Don’t Wear Your Knickers on Your Head (and other very serious poems about really important stuff)’, which has been a long time in …
Becci Murray warns ‘Don’t Wear Your Knickers on Your Head’ Read More »
For the first Author Interview of 2020, it gives me great pleasure to introduce you to one of my fellow Jersey Writers Social Group members, Dreena Collins. In September last year, Dreena entertained a packed Maria Richie Room at the Jersey Arts Centre, during the 2019 Jersey Festival of Words captivating us all with her engaging wit, and her passion for creative writing.
During 2019, Dreena self-published three volumes of her excellent short stories and flash fiction, The Blue Hour, The Day I Nearly Drowned and, most recently Bird Wing. The Amazon reviews alone are glowing.
Emanuel Andrei Cosutchi is a Sci-Fi and Fantasy author from Romania. Emanuel is another author I have ‘met’ through the blogosphere, and I am delighted to welcome him to Lost Blogs, to chat with us about his writing.
Thanks to the wonders of the Internet, I very recently ‘met’ the Canadian author, Gila Green, who is based in Israel. Since then, I’ve got to know her a little better, as she kindly agreed to be interviewed.
To date, Gila has written four novels, and her work has been shortlisted for many awards, which is no surprise. Her books focus on everyday people tackling immigration, racism, alienation, war, politics, romance, poverty, terrorism, and surviving. After I read those words, I was instantly drawn.
Gila was a joy to interview, honest, funny and an example to us all in terms of her gutsy determination to see her work in print. She finishes up the interview with a few of her top tips for us aspiring writers.
Christmas is coming and finding presents for the younger members of our families is at the forefront of our minds. Today, we have a great idea for the 8-12-year-olds in your lives, the recently published Billy’s Brain Booster Juice which, as the reviews will tell you is… a rip-roaring tale!! Perfect for 8-12-year-olds.
It gives me great pleasure to introduce you to Billy’s creator, the author Becci Murray from Gloucestershire. Becci has written sketches for children’s television, along with theatre plays for a children’s drama company and now, Billy’s Brain Booster Juice.
Over the last few years, I have benefited enormously from the support and encouragement from fellow writers. One such person is fiction writer Rajani Sharma, from Bhilai in Central India. Her own writing journey started during her teenage years when she kept a journal. Now married with two children, her passion and energy for writing should be an inspiration to us all.
In October 2019, the Jersey Writers Social Group will celebrate its second birthday. Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to chat with author James Sillwood who is the founder of the Jersey Writers Social Group, to find out a bit more about his writing journey, as well as the recently published anthology of work by the Jersey Writers Social Group.
Extract from a frank and honest interview with Jersey Writers Social Group Member, Abigail Summer.
TESSA: What was the hardest part of writing this book?
ABIGAIL: I wasn’t prepared for the emotional turmoil. Many of the things that Colette endured were my own experiences. Two scenes were particularly hard to write. The first is when Colin opens up to Leanne about his childhood; at an early age, he couldn’t understand why he was dressed as a boy when he identified as a girl. The bullying at school, and the loneliness of his early teenage years.
It’s Easter Saturday and I’m on a roll. I would like to introduce you to another of my Jersey Writer’s Group members, Juanita Shield-Laignel, features writer and editor for The Jersey Life.
CONCORDE – A SLEEK MODERN MIRACLE OF MODERN TECHNOLOGY As a Concorde enthusiast, I am luckier than most; I flew on her twice, and my late stepfather was Chief Test Pilot, Brian Trubshaw. It grieves me to say I have no memory of 9th April 1969 – the day Brian and his crew roared along the runway …
Sometimes fate introduces you to someone in a heartbeat. You don’t have time to cultivate an enduring friendship, but that person still leaves a lasting impression and that person for me was my creative inspiration, Barbara Large.
Jersey is no longer a literary wasteland, the Festival of Words is in its fourth year and is inspiring the lives of many. Richard Skinner, was part of the packed programme this year and he is exactly as the author, Renée Knight, so succinctly describes him… ‘An enlightened and liberating teacher.’
I returned home with my head buzzing and lost all track of time, as I embarked on a wine-fuelled creative writing binge.
I might fantasize about being the fourth Blonde Plotter but, for now, I feel like d’Artagnan in awe of the Three Musketeers as my novel is-still-in-progress.
