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Welcome to my place in the blogosphere!
feel free to explore the Flight Deck and check out my books and website.
Then fasten your seatbelts, sip a glass of something sparkling and let's chat awhile!
I hope you'll stop by again for guest authors and spotlights from time to time.

Beloved Enemy joined Starquest and Children of the Mist to continue the Destiny Trilogy and I'm thrilled to announce was shortlisted for the R.N.A. RoNA Awards 2017, awarded 2nd Runner up in the RONE Awards 2017 and was the winner in the SF/Fantasy category of the 'Best Banter Contest'.

Sunday 1 March 2020

Happy St David's Day!


I make no apologies for being unashamedly patriotic today

MARCH THE FIRST IS ST DAVID'S DAY!

I have put my Welsh flag up in the garden and am wearing my daffodil. The daffodils in the garden arrived several weeks ago - very early, I'm usually willing one or two at least to open by St David's Day, but I guess it's all down to gobal warming!

(The leek is also a traditional Welsh symbol worn on this day, because St David is said to have ordered his Welsh soldiers to wear leeks in their helmets when they went into battle against the Saxons,but the daffodil is prettier and doesn't smell so strongly!😄 )

ST DAVID'S DAY TRADITIONS
Many people outside Wales don't realise that St David's Day is as important to the Welsh as St Patrick's Day is to the Irish. Each year, the annual St David’s Day parade takes place on 1st March,  in Cardiff. A colourful parade takes place in the city centre. There will be parades across the whole of Wales including in Aberystwyth in Cardiganshire (my hometown), and in  Caernarfon,  Llandudno and Wrexham, plus a variety of St David's Day Celebrations in Bargoed, Blackwood, Caerphilly And Risca Town Centre.

The day is also commemorated with children taking part in concerts called 'Eisteddfods'  in schools or village halls, although today being Sunday, they will probably have them tomorrow instead, if they didn't have them on Friday.)

FOOD
Cawl
A variety of traditional Welsh food is eaten, in particular, cawl, a clear soup,made of course,with leeks as a prime ingredient, eaten with bread and cheese. Its meat content varies with the region. Where I come from, which is mountainous sheep country, it  is always  lamb or mutton, but it can also be fish, bacon or sometimes beef. The broth or soup also includes potatoes, carrots, and other seasonal vegetables.

Welsh cakes
Traditional Welsh costume
Then there are Welsh cakes, a kind of scone,  rolled out as a dough with currents, and baked on a griddle or 'bakestone'and  absolutely delicious served hot with butter, and just as good cold, sprinkled with a little sugar,. Alsos bara brith, a malty fruit cake made with tea, cut like bread and spread with butter,  and Welsh rarebit, toast covered with rich cheese sauce made with beer and seasoned with Worcester sauce, then poured onto the toast and grilled until bubbling.


ST DAVID
So who was St David. and why March the 1st?
Well he died on that day in 589AD.

Dewi (the Welsh form of David) was born to Welsh nobility in the late fifth or possibly early sixth century.  The Anglo-Saxons had invaded Britain by that point and had driven most of the inhabitants into what was known as the Celtic Fringe: Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Cornwall, and Brittany.

He was educated in Cardiganshire and then went on pilgrimages, founding religious centres across Wales and England, including one at Glastonbury. He even travelled as far as Jerusalem, where he was made an archbishop.

He eventually settled at Glyn Rhosyn (now St Davids), in south west Wales, where he established a religious community. Many miracles have been attributed to him.including causing the ground to rise beneath him when preaching so that everyone could see and hear him.

When David died he told his devoted followers to: "Be cheerful and keep your faith and belief, and do the little things that you have heard and seen through me."

His remains were buried at the Cathedral of St Davids in Pembrokeshire. It became a popular place of pilgrimage and  two pigramages to St Davids were said to equal one to Rome and three equalled one to Jerusalem.

THE RED DRAGON
To end with I thought I'd tell you why the red dragon (Ddraig Goch) appears on the flag of Wales.  You might be surprised to learn that it relates to the Arthurian legends.

King Vortigern came to the mountains of Eryri, in Gwynedd. On the summit of one of these, which was then called Dinas Ffaraon, he decided to build a fortress.

Then the king sent for artificers, carpenters, and stonemasons, and collected all the materials for building. In the night, however,they all disappeared. Materials were procured from all parts a second time, but a second time they disappeared in the night. A third time everything was brought together for building, but by morning again not a trace of them remained.

Vortigern called his wise men together and they told him he must find a child born without a father, put him to death, and sprinkle with his blood the ground on which the citadel was to be built.

The king thought the advice of his wise men was good and sent messengers throughout Britain in search of a child born without a father.When they eventually found one, they took him to Vortigern the king.

The boy asked why he had been brought before the king and when they told him he was to be sacrificed to enable Vortigern to build a fortress, he told the king his wise men were wrong and that there was a pool beneath the ground where they were trying to build. In the pool were two vases and in the vases a tent.  in the tent were two sleeping dragons, one white and one red.

The dragons fought each other, and the eventually the red one one the battle and drove the white one away.

The boy told the king and his wise men that the pool was the emblem of this world, and the tent that of Vortigern's kingdom. The red dragon was the king's, but the white serpent was the dragon of the Saxons,  At length, however, his people would rise and drive the Saxon race beyond the sea. But he must seek another place to build his citadel.

The boy's life was spared. He became famous as the great magician Myrddin Emrys , or Myrddin ab Morfryn (Merlin, as he is called in English), and the mountain on which he proved his mighty power was called  Dinas Emrys instead of Dinas Ffaraon.  Thereafter the red dragon became the symbol of Wales and is portrayed on the Welsh flag. (Myrddin is the hero of one of my books a short novella, 'Dancing With Fate.')


 Finally, I thought you might like the recipe for Welshcakes. Traditionally cooked on the hob, on a 'bakestone' they can also be cooked in a heavy frying pan.

 Ingredients
•    225g/8oz self-raising flour
•    110g/4oz salted butter, cut up small
•    85g/3oz caster sugar, plus extra for dusting
•    handful of currents or sultanas
•    1 egg, beaten
•    milk, if needed
•    extra butter, for greasing


Method
1.    Sift the flour into a bowl and add the butter.
2.    Rub with your fingertips, until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
3.    Add the sugar, fruit and beaten egg and mix well to form a ball of dough, using a splash of milk if needed.
4.    Roll the dough out on a floured board to a thickness of about 5mm/½in.
5.    Cut into rounds with a 7.5–10cm/3-4in plain cutter.
6.    Rub the bakestone or heavy iron griddle or frying pan with butter, wipe away the excess and place on the hob until it is heated through.
7.    Cook the Welsh cakes a few at a time for 2–3 minutes on each side, or until golden-brown.
8.    Remove from the griddle and dust with caster sugar while still warm. Delicious eaten hot but can also be eaten cold, spread with a little butter



For insider news and subscriber-only info, subscribe to my occasional Newsletter. I promise not to spam and your in-box will only see an email from me every 3 or 4 months or so - unless of course I have something really Newsworthy to share! I also promise that I never have and never will share your information or email address with anyone or any organisation.  http://madmimi.com/signups/196357/join

Sunday 16 February 2020

Weekend Writing Warriors, Snippet Sunday, Show Australia some love

                                 Snippet Sunday Facebook  Group

Don't forget to visit the other authors at the link above, there's something for all tastes.

Hi folks, 

I hope you had a lovely💗 Valentine's Day 💗and were spoilt or did the spoiling for) your loved one, if only a little bit. I had chocs and flowers from the hubby, dog and horse 😻 )

Something a little different from me for Snippet Sunday this week. (This will probably be the last time I post for a while but I'll try and visit my Writing Warrior friends whenever I can.)

Show Australia Some Love

As I mentioned last week,  The Wild Rose Press, and 48 authors have published three volumes of short stories to raise funds to help those affected by the devastating wildfires.

The ebooks  can be found on Amazon as well as any other distributor where you purchase ebooks. They're available now. Print  versions are also available from Amazon but Amazon will take their cut, whereas all of the money raised on the Wild Rose Press will go to the charity.

My contribution is in volume 1 and is an historical western - a change from my usual SF/Fantasy romances.
 

https://www.amazon.com/Australia-Burns-Show-Some-Love-ebook/dp/B0848W2HQT

My contribution is Portrait of a Gunfighter. It is in volume 1, and is a departure from my usual SF/Fantasy romance, although it still has romantic elements.  Historical Westerns were actually my first love until I started writing stories that are 'out of this world'.



SNIPPET
(Please excuse some creative punctuation to conform to the ten sentence rule)

Almost two hours after High Noon; Freemont Street lies deserted, wilting in the fiery rays of the afternoon sun. I draw back the lace curtains and peer through the window, the only sign of life is a single horse, a large bay, hitched to the rail on the other side of the street.

“We’re gonna have to go now, Honey.”


The words, although spoken in a soft tone, startle me, I turn back from the window, to face the four men standing, waiting. 


“Please—please don’t go. Let the sheriff handle it.”


“It’s too late for that now, Hun. You know it is -  Sheriff Behan’s worse’n useless, if he was goin’ to stop it, he should’ve stepped in a long time ago.”


I know, deep down, that he has to go, but it breaks my heart to think he might be going to his death. I look up at him, trying to smile, and cling to him briefly, “Go then, God be with you.”


“We’ll be all right, Darlin’.”


Another hand touches my arm.,“Don’t you worry none, Sweet Lady we know what we’re doing.”





One of the most important anthologies ever! From the authors of The Wild Rose Press.
February 14 was not just Valentines Day—it was also the release date for Australia Burns: Show Australia Some Love.

This is a three-volume book of stories by a total of forty eight authors at the Wild Rose Press. Romance, thrillers, mystery—whatever you like, and something for everyone. We are donating ALL proceeds to the Australia Red Cross, to be distributed as needed to help rebuild, rehabilitate, and help the thousands of people and animals affected by the horrible fires which swept across Australia, and the aftermath of the rainstorms.


Australia Burns: Show Australia Some Love will be available at all online stores. Please help us raise funds to help in this tragedy. It is now available on Amazon and The Wild Rose Press.

NOTE: If you buy the print from the Wild Rose Press it will bring in more money to send. https://www.thewildrosepress.com/product/australia-burns-volume-one
You get forty eight wonderful stories to enjoy and you’re supporting relief efforts in devastated Australia.

For insider news and subscriber-only info, subscribe to my occasional Newsletter. I promise not to spam and your in-box will only see an email from me every 3 or 4 months or so - unless of course I have something really Newsworthy to share! I also promise that I never have and never will share your information or email address with anyone or any organisation.  http://madmimi.com/signups/196357/join

Friday 14 February 2020

CHARACTER INTERVIEW WITH KERRY FROM ‘BELOVED ENEMY’

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

 The Hero of Beloved Enemy is in a special Facebook Interview at the Fantasy and SF Lounge - do come and join us if you can!
 





BLURB
Cat Kincaid is obsessed with killing the man she believes is responsible for the torture and death of her sister, but when she eventually catches up with him, survival becomes a greater priority than revenge.

 Kerry Marchant, haunted by memories, regret and self-blame, shields himself from the pain of the past by committing himself totally to the starship, Destiny, of which he is part owner. However, the beautiful, red haired woman who reminds him of his lost love, and who he suspects is working for a corrupt regime, represents a possible threat not only to the ship, but to his heart.

Marooned on an inhospitable planet, they need to work together to stay alive, fighting not only unknown assailants, but their growing attraction. But how can they learn to trust each other when he has vowed never to get close to a woman again, and she made a solemn pledge to destroy him?







For insider news and subscriber-only info, subscribe to my occasional Newsletter. I promise not to spam and your in-box will only see an email from me every 3 or 4 months or so - unless of course I have something really Newsworthy to share! I also promise that I never have and never will share your information or email address with anyone or any organisation.  http://madmimi.com/signups/196357/join

Wednesday 12 February 2020

A special three book Anthology for Australia - and a #Giveaway



This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions for AUSTRALIA BURNS, three collections published by The Wild Rose Press for a very special purpose. Stories in this collection are contributed by authors who care about Australia and the relief efforts from the devastating bushfires. All profits from the book will be donated to charities involved with the recovery efforts. The publisher and authors are not affiliated with the charities. They simply want to show Australia their love and support. The books will be available on February 14, but are currently available for pre-order. Enter the Rafflecopter for a chance to win a $10 Amazon/BN GC.

I am so happy and privileged to have been able to contribute a story to this wonderful cause.
Volume 1


Stories in this collection are contributed by authors who care about Australia and the relief efforts from the devastating bushfires. All profits from the book will be donated to charities involved with the recovery efforts. The publisher and authors are not affiliated with the charities. They simply want to show Australia their love and support.
 A collection of Short Stories in Mainstream Fiction, Women's Fiction, Thrillers, and Mystery

A Solicitous Wife by Madeleine McDonald
No One Knew by Larry Farmer
Pinochle by Brenda Whiteside
The Tuesday Night Meeting by Peggy Jaeger
911, What's Your Emergency? by D. V. Stone
Tall Tales by Laura Strickland
Fare Gain by Alexandra Christle
The Note by Stephen B. King
Three Ghosts by Julie Howard
Detective Paws and Lip Gloss by Maureen L. Bonatch
The Ring by Margaret Ann Spence
Portrait of a Gunfighter by Hywela Lyn
Six Hours or So by Lisa Wilkes
Prussic Acid by Melody DeBlois

Volume 2
Stories in this collection are contributed by authors who care about Australia and the relief efforts from the devastating bushfires. All profits from the book will be donated to charities involved with the recovery efforts. The publisher and authors are not affiliated with the charities. They simply want to show Australia their love and support.

A collection of Romance, Young Adult, and Women's Fiction Short Stories

    Che Gelida Manina by M. S. Spencer
    Recipes for Love by Carol Henry
    Waiting for Caleb by Gini Rifkin
    Wings of Fire by Jana Richards
    A Lark by Gabbi Grey
    Apple Crisp by Terry Graham
    Goody Twoshoes by Mark Love
    The Number by Barbara Bettis
    Deadly Homecoming by Peggy Chambers
    An Egg-Cellent Witness by Marilyn Barr
    Season of Withered Corn by Judy Ann Davis
    Beneath the Pines by Debby Grahl
    Christopher Reisner by Linda Griffin
    Unexpected Love: Chase Allen by Anna Lores
    The Cowboy and the Lady by Jean Adams
    The Heart Necklace by Amanda Uhl
    The Relaxation Response by Darcy Lundeen
    Dancing Through Tears by Jeny Heckman


Volume Three

Stories in this collection are contributed by authors who care about Australia and the relief efforts from the devastating bushfires. All profits from the book will be donated to charities involved with the recovery efforts. The publisher and authors are not affiliated with the charities. They simply want to show Australia their love and support.

A collection of Paranormal, Horror, and S.F. Fiction Short Stories.
   The Pilot's Son by CJ Zahner
    The Vengeance by Rhonda Gilmour
    A Climb to Kill by ML Erdahl
    Born of Fangs by Sydney Winward
    Johnny Appleseed by Robert Herold
    Rebellion in Slot III by Roni Denholtz
    Home, Sweet Mobile Home by Alana Lorens
    The Filthy Human by Tori V. Rainn
    Baby Daddy by Kerry Blaisdell
    The Witch of Calico Island by Cat Dubie
    Stained-Glass Vision by Mary Morgan
    A Witch's Protocol by Tena Stetler
    I Choose Life by Kristal Dawn Harris
    Together Forever by N. Christine Samuelson
    Where Is Your High School Sweetheart? by Donna Kunkel
    Lost and Found by Joanne Guidoccio
    Nursery Chimes by D.S. Lucas

Volume One Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0848W2HQT

Volume Two Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0849MSLBT

Volume Three Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084H4J37S

(UK readers can find all three volumes HERE)

a Rafflecopter giveaway



For insider news and subscriber-only info, subscribe to my occasional Newsletter. I promise not to spam and your in-box will only see an email from me every 3 or 4 months or so - unless of course I have something really Newsworthy to share! I also promise that I never have and never will share your information or email address with anyone or any organisation.  http://madmimi.com/signups/196357/join

Sunday 9 February 2020

#WeekendWritingWarriors #SnippetSunday - The Matchmaker's mare


                                 Snippet Sunday Facebook  Group

Don't forget to visit the other authors at the link above, there's something for all tastes.


Hi folks, 

This is from the draft of my current 'work in progress' unpublished fantasy romance 'The Matchmaker's Mare' which takes place in Wales. The  story is told from three p.o.vs. and two time-lines. 

This snippet starts a few lines from the previous one. Megan and Glyn have become good friends, sharing a common love of animals.Glyn piques Megan's curiosity by hinting that the cottage might be haunted. As you see, if you've been following this from the start, we've sort of come full circle, so I'm going to leave it here - I may post a bit more if I ever get it finished and published.

 (This is only a rough draft to give the gist of the novel, and is subject to change and edits - and improvement on the creative punctuation which is needed  to adhere to the ten sentence rule!) Any feedback gratefully received.


 SNIPPET

 “As you must be aware, Wales is full of myths and legends, and this area has more than its fair share, and one old tale concerns a young woman called Rhiannon, who lived in this cottage long ago.”

“Go on,” she prompted, as he hesitated once more.

“Apparently, as well as being the village matchmaker, she also cared for all the sick and injured animals the villagers brought her. She loved animals and especially, her little mare, which the villagers whispered, had the power of flight; others said this was just a rumour put about by folk with an overactive imagination.
 
 “So what happened to her?” Megan asked.

“Sion Sienco, a local gypsy, was in love with Rhiannon and forever playing tricks on her to try to gain her attention, but to start with she would have nothing to do with him. Sion would do things like causing her milk cow to go dry, or spiriting away her beloved pony and hiding the animal in the woods.”

She grinned at him over the rim of her mug. “I’m not surprised she spurned his advances if he did things like that.”

He smiled ruefully. “I suppose men sometimes do silly things when they’re in love, and of course it was a very long time ago, and stories become distorted in the telling."

Show Australia Some Love



As I mentioned last week,  The Wild Rose Press, and 48 authors have published three volumes of short stories to raise funds to help those affected by the devastating wildfires. As of this moment, in the state of New South Wales alone, there are 60 separate bushfires burning, of which 20 are out of control. The weather forecast over the next few days is soul destroying as it's expected to be in the low 40's C - about 105 in F with strong winds. In some rural areas, those who have not left their homes have been told it is now too dangerous to move - there is no way out. They must stay and defend their houses.

The print volumes can be purchased from:
 

https://www.thewildrosepress.com/product-category/writers-shop-cat/special-release-paperbacks

The ebooks  can be found on Amazon as well as any other distributor where you purchase ebooks. They're available now for pre-order and will be released on 14th February. Print  versions are also available from Amazon but Amazon will take their cut, whereas all of the money raised on the Wild Rose Press will go to the charity.

My contribution is in volume 1 and is an historical western - a change from my usual SF/Fantasy romances.
 

https://www.amazon.com/Australia-Burns-Show-Some-Love-ebook/dp/B0848W2HQT

 Please, if you can, purchase at least 1 volume to help our Australian friends. Thank you





















For insider news and subscriber-only info, subscribe to my occasional Newsletter. I promise not to spam and your in-box will only see an email from me every 3 or 4 months or so - unless of course I have something really Newsworthy to share! I also promise that I never have and never will share your information or email address with anyone or any organisation.  http://madmimi.com/signups/196357/join

Monday 3 February 2020

Let's show Australia some love!


I sent this information out in my Newsletter, but for those of you who haven't seen it, my publisher, The Wild Rose Press, and several editors and authors have produced three volumes of short stories to raise money to help those affected by the terrible wildfires in Australia.

As of this moment, in the state of New South Wales alone, there are 60 separate bushfires burning, of which 20 are out of control. The weather forecast over the next few days is soul destroying as it's expected to be in the low 40's C - about 105 in F with strong winds. In some rural areas, those who have not left their homes have been told it is now too dangerous to move - there is no way out. They must stay and defend their houses.

This is a quote from Rhonda Penders, joint owner of the Wild Rose Press. (slightly amended with updated information.)

"Authors have always been known to help one another but when our own Australian author, Stephen King, asked his fellow authors what could be done to possibly help his beloved Australia during the horrendous wildfires, The Wild Rose Press authors stepped up in a big way.
 

The result of that initial conversation, less than a month ago, is a 3 Volume Anthology.  Over 40 authors donated a short story.  The Wild Rose Press’ editors, artists and production staff donated their time and talents to edit these stories and compile them into an anthology._
 

Volumes 1and 2 have  just released and are available to purchase on our website in print form. Volume 3 will be available shortly.
 

https://www.thewildrosepress.com/product-category/writers-shop-cat/special-release-paperbacks

The ebooks- and volume 1 and 2 print (vol 3 to follow shortly) can be found on Amazon as well as any other distributor where you purchase ebooks. They're available now for pre-order and will be released on 14th February.
 

https://www.amazon.com/Australia-Burns-Show-Some-Love-ebook/dp/B0848W2HQT
 

All proceeds from these 3 anthologies will go to help support the recovery of Australia.  We asked Stephen to decide where the profits would go to do the best work and after much research he continued to come back to The Red Cross.  We can identify where we want the donation to go and we will have it go directly to the efforts of The Red Cross in helping with the recovery effort in Australia."

My contribution is in volume 1, and is an historical western - a departure from my usual SF/Fantasy genre.

I hope you will be able to purchase at least one of these volumes to help with the aid efforts for our friends in Australia. There is a large variety of wonderful stories, something for everyone. Thank you.


For insider news and subscriber-only info, subscribe to my occasional Newsletter. I promise not to spam and your in-box will only see an email from me every 3 or 4 months or so - unless of course I have something really Newsworthy to share! I also promise that I never have and never will share your information or email address with anyone or any organisation.  http://madmimi.com/signups/196357/join