De Ja Vu Blogfest

The Deja Vu Blog Fest is today, December 16th,  hosted by DL Hammons, Lydia Kang, Katie Mills and Nicole Ducleroir.
All of those taking part  will re-post their favorite blog offering, or one that didn't receive the exposure they would have liked.
(I apologise for this posting late, I was not around much today and had a few problems with my internet connection and hadn't realised my post was not up.)

Check out the other participants HERE

Mine is quite an old entry - 2008 in fact, although it doesn't seem like more than a couple of years ago.  2008 was notable for three quite different events .  The first, a sad one, was the loss of my beloved horse Sally (imortalised in my book 'Dancing With Fate'. The second and third events, much happier, were the release of my debut novel 'Starquest', preceded by the release of 'Dancing With Fate' by the Wild Rose Press as part of their 'Song Of The Muses' series.  I've now regained my rights for that story and re-published it on 'Smashwords', but Starqest, and the sequel 'Children Of The Mist' are still available from The Wild Roise Press in print and ebook.

Ayway, here is the post I wrote in the spring of that year about my other two horses, Harry and T'pau. 

Although I lost my little golden mare, Sally, at the beginning of the year, I still have my other two horses, Harry (Pentrepiod Sovereign) and 'Flying T'pau. Harrry is a lovely jet black Welsh Cob and an absolute sweetheart. T'pau is a gorgeous paint Quarterhorse mare, who likes to rule the roost and show Harry who's boss!

 

They are kept quite a long way from where we live, unfortunately. We don't have any land of our own but are lucky enough to be able to rent some land and buildings which we share with a friend. The land adjoins a bridleway so it's nice to be able to ride without having to go on the road.

 
This is the Bridleway (the narrow track winding into the distance)
It leads across some fields and then along a lovely leafy lane, over a little humpbacked bridge to some parkland.






We spent a lovely day today, just
'messing about' with the horses, moving fences and taking Bouncer for a walk along the bridleway. It was a bit too hot to ride, unfortunately, but Bouncer enjoyed himself sniffing in the hedges and tracking rabbits.

The summer rape is out now and the fields are looking lovely and green. When I'm walking or riding there are red kites flying overhead and we can hear the call of pheasants in the distance. I know some people love the city, but I'm a countrygirl and couldn't live anywhere where it wasn't green! England's countryside isn't as spectacular as my native Wales, but it's still very pretty. Much for my inspiration for my writing has come from being close to nature and her secrets, in the countryside



and to end with,  and to give you 'two for the price of one' here is another post from earlier this year which I'd love to share with you again.  If you care about the beautiful mustangs of the American West, please check out the 'Cloud Foundation'. There's a link in my sidebar.

'STARQUEST'    'CHILDREN OF THE MIST'  (The sequel to Starquest)  Dancing With Fate      'Freeread':'A BARGAIN WITH DEATH '

                  Also available on Kindle

Christmas reduction

Christmas is coming, and to celebrate I'm offering 'Dancing With Fate' for just 99c  (63p)

You can purchase it for this special price until 12th January 2012, so if you enjoy a story full of legendary magic and an enduring love story, take advantage of this bargain price.
HERE
For UK readers I am also offering autographed paperback copies at a special price of £3.50 email me at Hywelalyn@hywelalyn.co.uk for more details, and let me know what dedication you'd like.

A Tribute to Anne McCaffrey

ANNE McCAFFREY, the Irish/American Science Fiction writer, died on 21st November. This incredibly talented writer was my idol. I was enchanted by her 'Dragons of Pern' stories, and cried over 'The Ship Who Sang'. Many years ago. I wrote to her and was surprised and delighted to received a hand written postcard back, with the advice 'Write what you would like to read.' I've never forgotten it.

She wrote so many wonderful books  - the first one I read was 'The Ship Who Sang', which I originally read as a short story and was delighted to find it had become a full length novel.

The story is about Helva,  a severely disabled girl becomes the core of a starship, or Brainship, with her mind controlling all its major functions. Her brain had been saved and implanted into the titanium body of an intergalactic scout ship. The blurb says 'She had to choose a human partner, to soar with her through the daring adventures and exhilarating escapades in space.' This is actually a very moving love story but I won't say any more in case I spoil it for you if you have yet to read it.

She told Locus Magazine in 2004:

"I think the best story I ever wrote was 'The Ship Who Sang'. It still causes people to cry, including me. When Todd (her son) and I were reading it at Brighton, they had a BBC crew filming it. So there were these BBC cameramen hunkered down filming us, and comes the end of the story (which Todd always reads, because I can't go through it without weeping), I saw that these cameramen had tears rolling down their faces. That's such a thrill — a story I wrote at the beginning of my career, and it's still packin' the house." 

Anne McCaffrey is probably best known for her 'dragons of Pern' stories. Pern was a distant planet settled by humans but threatened from time to time by life-destroying "Threads", which fell from a neighbouring planet. To combat these, the humans genetically modified a species of winged reptile, native to Pern, each one of which was bonded symbiotically with a human rider from the moment  the 'dragon' hatched. These dragons and their riders fought the dreaded thread and a unique telepathic relationship formed between dragon and rider.  Anne  said she hoped to redress the balance because she felt dragons had previously had a 'bad press'.  'Dragonflight' is the first of the dragon books and chronicles the 'impressing' of Lessa with her Queen dragon and her romance with bronze dragon rider, F'lar.

Not all her readers realise that she was also very fond of horses and had her own stables at her home in Ireland. One of her few non Science Fiction novels is 'Ring Of Fear,' a thriller romance, set in the world of horse shows.

She had an amazing imagination, and created a variety of different and unique worlds.

She will be sorely missed by her many friends and fans.  Rest in peace, Ann, may your journey 'between' be smooth and your stories enthral the angels.

NB Most if not all of Anne's books are available on Amazon and you can find out more about this wonderful writer at http://pernhome.com/aim/








  'STARQUEST'    'CHILDREN OF THE MIST'  (The sequel to Starquest)  Dancing With Fate      'Freeread':'A BARGAIN WITH DEATH 'STARQUEST'    'CHILDREN OF THE MIST'  (The sequel to Starquest)  Dancing With Fate      'Freeread':'A BARGAIN WITH DEATH'

                  Also available on Kindle