Please read the full link, to see if this book is something you would like to buy. In years to come, it will be a fascinating history of a small part of Scotland during the Coronavirus pandemic of 2020. (Kindle version available too)
I’m excited to be a contributor in a new anthology which provides a unique record of life in my Galloway, my own wee part of Scotland, during the first 12 weeks of lockdown.
Writedown: Lockdown in the Galloway Glens at the Time of Covid brings together the work of 22 writers, each with a Galloway connection. It is a collection of prose and poetry, hopefulness, hopelessness, anger, humour and quiet endurance in which the writers tell the story of a community dealing with life in unprecedented times.
The idea behind the project came from author Margaret Elphinstone, when her writing classes could no longer meet. Inspired by the Mass Observation project which encouraged ordinary people to keep wartime diaries, she invited anyone interested to contribute – 22 of us did.
Margaret said: “In times of trouble people want to be together but with lockdown people had to isolate, sometimes…
Jim’s tales of Port Naain and the poet Tallis Steelyard are always a delight. He also includes so many memorable characters and their escapades, that it is very easy to become invested in them. His latest book features the delightful Maljie. At only 81 pages it is a short and easy read, costing just 99p in the Kindle version.
It is available from Amazon of course, where you can find more of his books to delight you.
I am very happy to feature the latest book from author and blogger Stevie Turner.
Here is her synopsis of the new novel.
Esme Jones and husband Aron have completed their family and have twin sons Jared and James. Esme’s older sister Eden Reece is desperate for a child, but a hysterectomy has put paid to any chance of her becoming a parent. When Esme offers herself as a surrogate, Eden and husband Billy are delighted. However, when Esme notices the first fluttering of life inside her and a scan reveals that she is carrying a girl, both sisters are not prepared for the outcome which threatens to tear the fabric of the whole extended family apart.
‘Barren’ is released on the First of October, and is available to pre-order now. For the whole of that month, it is on offer at just 99p/99c.
It is also free on Kindle Unlimited.
For readers outside of the UK, here is the Amazon.com link.
Stevie is a very engaged member of our blogging community.
To find out more about her writing, or to visit her blog and social media pages, please follow the links below.
American blogger and writer Pete Springer is a retired teacher. He has only been blogging for less than two years, but has already become a great asset to our blogging community. https://petespringerauthor.wordpress.com/
He has published a book that he hopes will interest and inspire new teachers, based on his own memories of a lifetime as an educator.
Here is one of his recent posts, giving some idea of what you will find on his blog.
An Impressive Young Man
There are times in a teaching career when you wonder, “Was it all worth it? Would I do it again?” My answer has always been a resounding “yes” to those questions, but I don’t think there is a teacher alive who hasn’t wondered about those things on occasion. All teachers inevitably have bad days, and it can leave you feeling, “What am I doing? I must be the world’s worst teacher.”
One of the mysteries of teaching is that you can have one of these awful days from nowhere. With experience, you learn that these things can happen randomly for no apparent reason. Many times, it has nothing to do with you but difficult situations that are going on in your students’ lives that you are unaware of. Sometimes you discover why things went amiss, but many times you don’t. Just as often, the following day, everything goes according to plan, and you feel like the consummate professional. Such are the ups and downs of being an educator.
This past week I had one of those beautiful post-teaching experiences that reminded me why I became an educator. When you’re in the middle of a school year, you have these memorable experiences when you see a child accomplish something remarkable or observe a fantastic transformation in a child’s academics or behavior. While these accomplishments are rewarding, the big payoff often comes years later.
I taught Samy Awwad in third grade several years ago. He was a bright and sometimes mischievous (never mean) boy with a great deal of potential. I had the pleasure of teaching Samy’s brother the year before him, and his younger sister two years after I taught Samy. They all were exceptionally bright students with promising futures. Unsurprisingly, their parents set an excellent example by being educated, kind people, who put tremendous value on education.
Just because a student is intelligent is no guarantee of future success. I saw bright students get sidetracked for various reasons as they became young adults. The most common reasons were dysfunction in the family, childhood trauma, lack of motivation, hanging out with the wrong peers, or substance abuse problems.
Then there are students like Samy Awwad, who not only do well in school but take their natural ability and run with it. Imagine being a sixteen-year-senior, having already received preadmission to Stanford, and starting up a nonprofit organization for young people.
Awwad’s nonprofit is called IMMUNIGLOBAL. http://www.immuniglobal.org/ His primary focus is to bring education and awareness of the importance of vaccinations to the community in fighting preventable diseases such as the measles or flu.
Immuniglobal is not a small undertaking. Awwad built his nonprofit from the ground up, including website design and development, workshops, outreach, and phone education.
He approached the problem of vaccine education logically by first building his website from scratch to provide information regarding immunizations. A couple of the most startling facts on Awwad’s website are that according to the World Health Organization, between two and three million deaths are prevented each year by vaccinations. According to the CDC, a savings of an estimated 42,000 lives occur in the United States per year.
Awwad sees the big picture and comprehends that real change comes at the grassroots level while also understanding the need to work with huge companies. He has partnered with large organizations and institutions such as the CDC, CLOROX, and UCLA.
The level of thought and action that Awwad has taken is inspiring. He recognized the lack of immunizations that were happening in Humboldt County, his place of residence. Humboldt was recently ranked 54th out of 58 counties in California in terms of vaccination rates.
So why do some people choose not to get their children vaccinated? There appear to be several reasons. According to The Journal of Pediatric Pharmacology and Therapeutics, the four most prevalent anti-vax philosophies are:
Religious Reasons
Personal Beliefs or Philosophical Reasons
Safety Concerns
Desire for Additional Education
According to a National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) survey, the top reasons for not getting a flu vaccine are:
36% feel they are healthy and do not need the shot.
31% do not like needles.
30% do not think it works.
27% worry about the risks.
While 70% believe it is vital to get an annual flu shot, only 46% say they typically get vaccinated.
Perhaps what is most troubling is that diseases that were once mainly under control are becoming more prevalent again. Measles cases are on the rise. The majority of people who get measles are unvaccinated.
Beyond the probable life-saving gains, vaccines have an economic benefit and cut medical costs throughout the world. When diseases occur, more hospitalizations are the result. The COVID-19 pandemic has added considerable costs and added higher risk to medical professionals.
Awwad realizes that one of the most effective means of communication is to take his knowledge to the community directly. He has made several presentations in K-12 classrooms in Humboldt County. (Most of these have been at the high school level.) His approach helps young people become more educated about vaccines and encourages them to become involved in vaccine education and other current critical issues.
One of the most important local programs that Awwad became involved with was a vigorous vaccine education program at McKinleyville High School. He organized an Adolescent Immunization Poster Contest with the Humboldt County Department of Public Health and some local pediatricians.
With the outbreak of COVID-19, the importance of developing a vaccine has come to the forefront. Worldwide deaths have now reached over 600,000 people with several times more than that becoming ill. Even those who make a full recovery from the Coronavirus may have long-term health effects.
Awwad looks at the present and the future to see how he can use his talents and energy. Once a COVID-19 vaccine is released to the public, he would like to present a series of vaccine-related workshops and activities in schools and other places around Humboldt County.
As far as what comes next for Samy Awwad, the possibilities are endless. He is one of thirty undergraduate fellows selected recently at Stanford’s chapter of an organization called “Effective Altruism.” The goal for this two-month fellowship will be to identify the most pressing issues in the world and then decide how best to implement this resulting knowledge in his career.
Awwad plans to take a gap year to continue his work with ImmuniGlobal before enrolling full-time at Stanford. The most likely path for him will be a future in medicine as a physician. Another possibility is for Awwad to study and conduct research in the field of brain diseases. He is always thinking several steps ahead and has several other irons in the fire unrelated to vaccinations. He hopes to use his voice to help minorities and find ways to tackle important issues such as racism and classism.
I find great inspiration from Samy Awwad’s selfless acts to improve his community and make a difference throughout the world. I can’t wait for the next chapter in his life, and I know that his teachers are all proud of the young man he has become. If ever you doubt America’s youth, perhaps Samy and others like him will help change your mind.
Please find some time to check out Pete’s blog, and get to know him and his writing.
This morning I am delighted to feature a book from Scottish blogger and writer, Mary Smith.
Here is her own bio.
Mary Smith is an author, journalist and blogger based in Dumfries & Galloway in south west Scotland. Her work includes fiction, non-fiction, memoir and poetry.
Her memoir, Drunk Chickens and Burnt Macaroni about her years in Afghanistan, allows the reader to meet some of the women with whom she worked and provides an authentic insight into the life and culture of the country. Afghanistan also provides the setting for her novel No More Mulberries. Her poems have been widely published in poetry magazines and anthologies and her full length poetry collection, Thousands Pass Here Every Day, is published by Indigo Dreams.
She has, working in collaboration with photographers Allan Devlin and Keith Kirk, four local history books published by Amberley Publishing.
Currently, she is contributing to an anthology about life under lockdown and turning her blog, My Dad’s a Goldfish, into a memoir about caring for her dad through his dementia.
Donkey Boy & Other Stories is her latest fiction publication and first short story collection.
Shot through with flashes of humour the stories here will entertain, amuse, and make you think. Mary Smith’s debut collection of short stories is a real treat, introducing the reader to a diverse range of characters in a wide range of locations. A donkey boy in Pakistan dreams of buying luxuries for his mother; a mouth artist in rural Scotland longs to leave the circus; a visually impaired man has a problem with his socks; and a woman tries to come to terms with a frightening gift – or curse.
This review gives you some idea of what to expect from this delightful short story collection.
Testimonial from Margaret Elphinstone, author of The Gathering Night
Whether we’re in urban Pakistan, an old-fashioned travelling circus in Scotland, or repressed suburban Britain, Mary Smith’s stories take the reader right to the heart of a situation. They focus on characters who are disinherited by mainstream cultures. Whether it’s the boy from Peshawar whose father can’t let him stay at school, the adopted child who is marginalised by an identity she can’t recognise, or a woman escaping from lethal oppression, these people have been forced to abandon a part of themselves. The take on this theme varies from first person narrative ironically revealing its own complacency, to an impersonal voice which takes us right to the heart of suffering. The final story is perhaps the most chilling: is the character suffering from all-too-acute perception of cruelty and brutality, or is she simply crazy? In these stories the reader’s position is always ambiguous: are we colluding with dispossession, or are we honestly able to listen?
Today I am featuring a book from North American blogger and writer, Ann. She is totally blind, yet manages to write professionally, and help out many others by promoting them on her blog.
Here is her bio.
Ann Harrison is the author of The Spirit of Creativity: Inspirational Poems for the Creative at Heart. Three of her previously published books are in the process of being revised and rebranded. She has also been published in several anthologies, including a devotional entitled God Things: Hope for the Hurting, alongside Jen Lowry and fifteen other authors. Aside from her work as a Christian fiction author, Ann is a professional freelance writer. She also hosts the Inspirational Journeys Podcast, where she gives authors, creative artists and entrepreneurs a platform to share their stories. When she’s not interviewing special guests, she hosts solo episodes providing book reviews, reading selected poems, and sharing tips and encouragement for aspiring authors.
Her featured book is a collection of poems. Here is what she has to say about it, including a link where it can be purchased.
The Spirit of Creativity:
Inspirational Poems for the Creative at Heart
Ann Harrison’s first book of poems delve into her creative journey, given to her by the Holy Spirit. The first section, entitled A Writers Life, covers her journey from writer to creative dreamer, until she blooms into a published author.
The second section, entitled Seaside Poems, will take you on a walk along the seashore, where the Holy Spirit and your muse awaits to fill your heart and mind with inspiration, pulling you out of your creative slump. Allow the Holy Spirit to help you fill page after page with words, pictures or fill your hands with whatever creative task you strive to undertake, as you read these verses, which come straight from the author’s heart.
The third and final section entitled Poems from the Heart, describes the journey of a lost soul as he gives his heart to Jesus and finds a new beginning. Others describe a narrator’s sorrowful tears melting into joyful music and singing. Some of these verses touch on the author’s spiritual walk with the Lord and the music God has placed within her soul. Open your heart and let your mind wander as the Holy Spirit speaks to you through each verse within these pages.
Today I am happy to feature the latest romantic novella from British writer and blogger, Julie Round.
More Fish In The Sea is about a widow visiting a dating agency, and the men she meets.
Julie is a valued member of this blogging community, and has had many books published. She lives by the sea in Southern England.
Here is her short bio.
A former schoolteacher, tutor of dyslexics and Kent County Councillor, I am married to Ben and we have two sons, Martin (Sticky) a journalist and Gordon, a part time actor.
Since retiring to Worthing I have been writing novels and poems. My social life revolves round traditional jazz and folk music.
Please turn to our Book page to find out more about the novels, the Gallery to see what I and the rest of the Sea Scribes have been doing and find my blog at https://juliecroundblog.wordpress.com/
More about Julie’s books can be found here. https://www.juliecround.co.uk/
This is a link to the book on Amazon. It is available in paperback or kindle format, and is free to users of Kindle Unlimited.
Please try to find time to connect with Julie via one of the links, and buy a copy of her book if you enjoy romantic novels.
I am very happy to feature the latest book from Marjorie Mallon. Originally from Singapore, Marjorie is now based in the lovely city of Cambridge, England. She is a blogger and published author who does a lot to help promote other writers. Please give her the support of this great community.
Marjorie has sent me a bio, and a complete synopsis of her new book ‘This Is Lockdown’.
I will let her tell you the rest.
Author Bio
I was born on the 17th of November in Lion City: Singapore, (a passionate Scorpio, with the Chinese Zodiac sign a lucky rabbit,) second child and only daughter to my parents Paula and Ronald, only sister to my elder brother Donald. I spent my early childhood in a mountainous court dwelling in the Peak District in Hong Kong.
It’s rumoured that I now live in the Venice of Cambridge, with my six-foot hunk of a Rock God husband. My two enchanted daughters often return with a cheery smile.
Sometimes when the mood takes me, I adopt an alter ego, M J – Mary Jane from Spiderman. I love superheroes!
When I’m not writing, I eat exotic delicacies while belly dancing, or surf to the far reaches of the moon. To chill out, I practice Tai Chi and Yoga. If the mood takes me, I snorkel with mermaids, or sign up for idyllic holidays with the Chinese Unicorn, whose magnificent voice sings like a thousand wind chimes.
My favourite genres to write are: YA fantasy, magical realism, and various forms of poetry. I blog about books, writing, photography and inspiration at: https://mjmallon.com.
I enjoy writing articles celebrating the spiritual realm, my love of nature and all things magical, mystical, and mysterious. One of my greatest pleasures is reading. I’ve written over 150 reviews at my lovely blog home: https://mjmallon.com/2015/09/28/a-z-of-my-book-reviews/
I’m a member of a professional writing body. SCBWI, the Society of Children’s Writers and Illustrators.
This Is Lockdown is a compilation/anthology of twenty-nine authors, bloggers and creatives from the UK, Ireland, US, Australia, Zimbabwe and Italy.
How did it come about?
I’d started writing my COVID diaries and asked fellow authors to answer this question: How do writers, creatives, artists and bookish souls cope with isolation? Is their capacity to cope different from the rest of the population? It’s an interesting question and one that fascinates me.
I featured many authors on my blog, and these ‘isolation writers,’ contributed their pieces to the anthology.
So, encouraged by this, I kept on writing short stories, flash fiction and poetry. I compiled these pieces of writing and photographs from my walks in This Is Lockdown and included the ‘isolation writers’ and several other pieces and poetry from authors and bloggers.
The fabulous authors, bloggers and creatives who’ve contributed their isolation pieces, poetry and writings to This Is Lockdown – I’d like to give a shout out to them all.
Richard Dee, (Sci Fi , Steampunk, Amateur Detective author,) Catherine Fearns, (Amazon Bestselling Author of Police Procedural/Mysteries and Music Journalist,) Lynn Fraser, (Author,) Jackie Carreira, (Writer, musician, designer and aspiring philosopher,) Willow Willers, (Poet and writer,) Sharon Marchisello, (Murder Mystery, Financial non-fiction,) Fi Phillips , (Author, Copy Writer) Jeannie Wycherley, (dark stories, suspense, horror,) Chantelle Atkins, (urban fiction, teen/YA,) Tracie Barton-Barrett, (Speaker/author,) Peter Taylor- Gooby, (Crime, Love Stories, Political Fiction,) Ritu Bhathal, (Chick Lit romance, poet,) Alice May , (Author, Artist and Speaker,) Miriam Owen, (Blogger and Doctoral Researcher,) Drew Neary and Ceri Williams (Ghost Horror, Supernatural,) Katherine Mezzacappa, (Author name: Katie Hutton,) (Historical Fiction/Romance,) Sally Cronin, (huge supporter of indie community/blogger/author) Debby Gies (D G Kaye), (Memoirist/NonFiction,) Adele Marie Park, (Fantasy, horror, urban fantasy,) Marian Wood, (blogger, poet and writer.) Samantha Murdoch, (Writer, Blogger,) Beaton Mabaso (Blogger, African Storyteller,) Frank Prem (Poet, Author,) Anne Goodwin (Author, Book Blogger) Sherri Matthews (Writer, Photographer, Blogger,) and Jane Horwood and Melissa Santiago-Val – Community Masks 4 NHS.
This Is Lockdown is an anthology and compilation of diaries, short stories, flash fiction, contributions from the ‘isolation writers,’ plus poetry written during the time of lockdown in the UK. This Is Lockdown is written from a writer’s perspective highlighting the simple pleasures of day-to-day life during such an uncertain and frightening time. It also gives a glimpse of the blogging, writing world. The book showcases several authors and their thoughts on what it is like to experience ‘isolation’ as a writer. I also discuss the handling of the pandemic and my thoughts on what might happen next. In the final part of the book I include my latest short story idea: a YA romance and various short pieces of poetry, and flash fiction inspired by the pandemic.
This Is Lockdown buying Link:
Universal link: mybook.to/Thisislockdown
Amazon UK link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08CD1MCFB?pf_rd_r=NPA6S5SQJ30A6VYX87Q5&pf_rd_p=e632fea2-678f-4848-9a97-bcecda59cb4e
Amazon US link:
Today I am featuring a non-fiction book from American writer, Maryanne.
Here is her own short bio.
Maryanne Christiano-Mistretta is an international author, award-winning journalist, and public speaker. Her latest book “Be (Extra)Ordinary: 10 Ways to Become Your Own Here” can be found in Barnes & Noble bookstores.
She is the sole proprietor of her home-based business “Pear Tree Enterprises” (www.peartreeenterprises.com). She works as an editor, ghost writer, and public speaker.
Maryanne Christiano-Mistretta received a medal for “Best Speaker” at Toastmasters International. She was awarded Toastmasters Certificate of Appreciation for outstanding performance and valued contribution to Toastmasters District 83 Annual 2019 Conference.
Maryanne Christiano-Mistretta resides in New Jersey, with her husband, Dennis, and their beloved cats.
This is her book blurb for “Be (Extra)Ordinary: 10 Ways to Become Your Own Hero”
What’s holding you back from being the extraordinary person you were created to be?
Inspirational author and speaker Maryanne Christiano-Mistretta walks you through ten steps you can start taking today to elevate your life to next-level joy, success, and contentment. A survivor of intense bullying, Maryanne shares her hard-won wisdom to empower you to embrace your uniqueness, connect with the people who deserve you, and cultivate the courage to create the life you’ve always wanted.
You’ll learn how to love, respect, and advocate for yourself so you can become your own superhero–no cape required!
Here is an Amazon link that you can use to find out more, and buy a copy if you wish to do so.
Maryanne is also running workshops based on her book, and you can find out more about those from this link.
I am also giving workshops based on the book. The link is here: https://courses.allfalfa.com/en/listings/975347-be-extraordinary-10-ways-to-become-your-own-hero
The Workshops are $40 per class, but if someone is struggling due to lay-offs because of covid, I will get them in FREE!
Please try to find time to welcome Maryanne to our great community.
This is Jeanne’s description and synopsis. As you can see, it is the second book in a series.
Chronicles of Riss
Book 2 of Adventures in Sorcery
Confronting evil sorcerers. Fighting monsters. Dueling metal golems. Searching for a sea monster. Hunting lost treasure. Finding a missing show dog. Competing in talent contests. Helping lost children. These are just some of the widely varied exploits that the young mercenary sorceress Marissa “Riss” Cobalt shares in this second Adventures in Sorcery book. Riss reveals how she ended up as a mercenary and chronicles some of the many adventures, ranging from fun to serious, that she’s had prior to the events of Kismet and Tell.
I consider it as a YA Fantasy and is a collection of fun, light-hearted short stories.
If this is the kind of genre that appeals to you, then please follow one of the links to discover more, and buy your copy.
Please take some time to use the link above the book photo to check out Jeanne’s website, and get to know this very nice lady who is a great part of our blogging community.
beetleypete 