Suzy Henderson

As it's Halloween, I thought I'd let you in on a great new anthology, available from today and featuring one of my friends, Author Lindsay Avalon. I'm sure you will all agree that the cover looks fantastic. The stories have been contributed by four authors and it's available now on Amazon.uk & Amazon.com. Published by Moon Rose Publishing. Synopsis: Think you know your fairytales? Think again. These aren’t your normal happily-ever-after. Within these pages, a murderous Little Mermaid gets her revenge, the Cinderella doesn’t really want to wear the slipper, Snow White is up to her eyes in industrial experiments, and the Beauty is in fact the Beast.  This collection of four novellas will surprise you, make you gasp in horror, sigh with relief, and sit on the edge of your seat. And most of all…they will make you rethink everything you think you know about dark fairytales… Song of the Abyss-Lindsay Avalon Princess Nerissa had envisioned a perfect wedding to a ha...

Today my guest post is from Paulette Mahurin, author of "The Persecution of Mildred Dunlap." Here she talks about her reasons for writing and why her work is so vital. I sincerely hope you find this to be both interesting and inspirational. Paulette Mahurin is a Nurse Practitioner in Ojai, CA, where she lives with her husband and their two rescue dogs.  She is passionate not only about writing but also about rescuing dogs which they have been involved with for many years. All of the profits from her books go towards the first no-kill animal shelter (SPARK) in Ventura County, CA, a most worthy cause. _________________________________________________________________________________ I have had several loves in my life, but ranking at that top is Tazzie, my beloved rottweiler girl, who went on to the  rainbow bridge September, 2011, seems like yesterday. I still miss her, the wagging of her little stubby tail when I came  home, the drool at the sid...

Some years ago I found myself drawn to discovering my families past. I knew certain facts of course but when I thought about it I realised that there were many gaps. As for a family tree, I didn't have one. Thus I began with Ancestry.co.uk, compiling the tree and attempting to gather all the relevant data -births, marriages and deaths. It wasn't a problem as far as my parents and grandparents went but for those more distant relations it was a challenge. Here enters the enlightening world of the census. It simply is fascinating. At present you can only search from 1841 -1911 but for me this has proven eventful. The census has been invaluable in providing me with many facts such as household members, addresses and occupations of the head of the household. I found my great grandparents, my great - great grandparents and so on. I discovered that my great-great grandmother was a maid in service in the late 1800's. Perhaps this explains my love of period drama's such as ...

A huge "thank you" to Liliana Soare ( http://lilianasoare.wordpress.com ) for tagging me in ' The Next Big Thing' blog hop. The way this blog hop works is for each tagged author to answer the questions about their most current book. It is my turn to answer a set of ten questions and to tag three authors, whose blog pages are listed further below. I warmly encourage you to visit their pages next Wednesday the 24th October to find out a little more about their novels. Here's my interview: 1.   What is the title of your book? My book is still a work in progress -famous last words in a sense but I think I've decided on the title now and here it is: 'The Burning Blue.' It might be obvious to some people and it might not but it's certainly relevant to the subject matter. 2.    Where did the idea for the book come from? Ideas can literally come from anywhere but this particular idea arose from my passion for both World Wars. There are still s...

Ladybower Reservoir in Derbyshire has been an area for unexplained sightings and strange aircraft sounds for a number of years. Indeed it was here that the famous Dambusters Squadron carried out training flights in preparation for the raid on the Ruhr Dams in Germany . The reason being that Derwent Dam, situated between Ladybower Reservoir and Howden Dam was the only one we had that closely resembled the German Dams. Locals claim to have seen what has been identified as a Lancaster Bomber flying in the skies above the Reservoir. Others claim to have seen a plane that crashed, exploding into flames yet nothing was ever found following a search. One particular Lancaster Bomber, nicknamed Vicky the Vicious Virgin, crashed during a routine training flight on the 18 th May 1945. The entire crew of 6 men from the Royal Canadian Air Force were all tragically killed. Other reports include people who have collected pieces of wreckage from crash sites up on the Derbyshire ...

Today, free on Kindle to download: Synopsis A women's Brokeback Mountain. The year 1895 was filled with memorable historical events: the Dreyfus Affair divided France; Booker T. Washington gave his Atlanta address; the United States expanded the effects of the Monroe Doctrine to cover South America; and Oscar Wilde was tried and convicted for gross indecency under Britain's recently passed law that made sex between males a criminal offense. When news of Wilde's conviction went out over telegraphs worldwide, it threw a small Nevada town into chaos. This is the story of what happened when the lives of its citizens were impacted by the news of Oscar Wilde's imprisonment. It is a chronicle of hatred and prejudice with all its unintended and devastating consequences, and how love and friendship bring strength and healing. Synopsis When Christine Blacksworth's larger-than-life father is killed on an icy road in Magdalena, New York, a hundred miles from the '...

What a fabulous picture! I'm ashamed to say that I've only recently discovered this -the Imagine Peace Tower, located on Videy Island, off the North coast of Reykjavik, Iceland. It is dedicated to peace and is inscribed with the words to Lennon's song, Imagine, in 24 languages. Every night from the birthday of the former Beattle, October 9th right up until the anniversary of his death, December 8th, the tower is lit. This picture illustrates the effect of the projected light source with the aurora of the Northern lights behind. John Lennon was an amazing artist of creativity. The Lighthouse was a concept thought up by Yoko Ono and something John asked her about at one of their first meetings.  Now it is a reality and a monument not only to him but for world peace and for mankind. It is a place where people can visit and remember John and where they can think and pray in silence. John's music touched millions of people and lives on today. He was an ...

Author: Louisa Young Published in 2011. Synopsis: A letter, two lovers, a terrible lie. In war, truth is only the first casualty. ‘Inspires the kind of devotion among its readers not seen since David Nicholls’ One Day’ The Times While Riley Purefoy and Peter Locke fight for their country, their survival and their sanity in the trenches of Flanders, Nadine Waveney, Julia Locke and Rose Locke do what they can at home.  Beautiful, obsessive Julia and gentle, eccentric Peter are married: each day Julia goes through rituals to prepare for her beloved husband’s return. Nadine and Riley, only eighteen when the war starts, and with problems of their own already, want above all to make promises - but how can they when the future is not in their hands? And Rose? Well, what did happen to the traditionally brought-up women who lost all hope of marriage, because all the young men were dead? Moving between Ypres, London and Paris, My Dear I Wanted to Tell You is a deeply...

Suitable for readers aged 7 – 12 Synopsis: For Toby, a holiday at Pirate’s Cove is nothing like he expected it to be…   With the help of Hattie, a strange local girl, her dog Scamp and Rufus, the intelligent rat, the secrets of Salt Guesthouse are unravelled. Why are there mysterious beach fires and eerie singing at night? What is Hattie hiding? Why has a dead man been spotted in the town and why are the children in such grave danger?  Review: Having recently read and reviewed another of Helen Laycock's books, "Mandrake's Plot," I can once again assert that this is another gem amidst the many children's books. Children up to the age of 12 or perhaps slightly older will indeed enjoy this adventurous tale. Salt guesthouse was situated in Pirates' Cove. Even the name of the place is suggestive of an adventure about to unfold. The author is very precise in setting the scene and providing rich descriptions of places and people - not overdone at ...

This could be so easily described as a rock star novel but that would be too simplistic. Sadie Grubor's Young Adult novel is rather more intense and deeper than that. The male protagonist, Christopher Mason is the famous lead singer of The Forgotten. He appears initially as a stereotypical rock star, all brooding and difficult, at least to the outside world. However, behind the scenes he has had a very difficult past and one which has marked him psychologically. Enter Mia, the lead singer of Hushed Mentality, an all girl group who are starring as the opening act for The Forgotten. Christopher sets out to depose this group and eliminate them from the tour. Will he succeed? There is a notable tension between the two main characters who initially appear to be poles apart. Is Chris on a journey of destruction and will he become a fallen star? Perhaps the more steady going Mia can prevent him from going off track altogether. This is an interesting plot with tension, good pace and ...

  Suitable for readers aged 7 – 12. Synopsis: Evie and Mia meet on a train on their way to St.Agatha’s Boarding School for Girls. When they are dropped off at a disused railway station in the middle of nowhere with no one to meet them, they trek through the pelting rain and darkness for miles until they find a sign to St.Agatha’s which points to an unlikely overgrown track leading up a mountain path. The school is a foreboding place, set high up on a mountain, surrounded by a sea of mist, and overlooking a loch. Coming face to face with the grotesque caretaker, Mandrake, does nothing to allay their fears. What is the significance of the strange rings worn by Miss Blackthorn, the head teacher? Why does Evie not receive any post from her parents?  Evie and Mia stumble across a forgotten burial chamber where the skeleton of Sister Beatrice lies, clutching a note. The note details a curse which she has laid on the land. Locked in the chamber as a punishment, the girl...

Meg is herself adrift following the death of her father. She never knew her mother, having been told that she  drowned when Meg was very young. Having never been to the coast before, she finds herself suddenly drawn there, to Trinity, Newfoundland. Whilst there, events unfold that see her discovering her mother for the first time. She meets a man called Devin and falls in love with him along with a man she sees in her dreams. Her dreams are vivid and are of Faerie. It transpires that Devin is the Guardian of the Gateway. He's in charge of keeping the gates of Trinity closed so that humans and supernatural beings remain separated. It is Devin who informs Meg of her mother and how a selkie came to fall in love with a mortal man. Meg's world is turned upside down as truths are uncovered and a new reality dawns. Meg's mother wants her to make the journey to Faerie. She is faced with the ultimate dilemma -stay and live peacefully with Devin, whom she has grown to love or le...

As a writer, I know that once I'm published it will be fantastic to have my fellow writer friends to assist me with promotion. However, one has to participate in this also. Recently I was invited to join an online group of writers, authors, reviewers. I never realised just how vibrant and diverse the group would be. More than that, I never realised just how many new friends I would make and that is the amazing thing. As writers, whether we are shy and retiring creatures of the pen or outgoing stars desperate to dazzle in the night sky, we can all communicate effectively online and form strong bonds. We do this for various reasons. Mainly, we do it for friendship and support but also for promotion. Novelists, poets and short story writers among us, we all have our paths to follow and we all require a readership. Utilising social media has been something of a mini explosion for me over the last 4 months. My blog is busier. My twitter following has tripled and I now have more than ...

A brief note about the BBC's adaptation of "Parade's End." I'm truly saddened that it has finished. Did many of you watch it? I loved it but then I would -it's just my sort of thing. The protagonist, Christopher Tietjens was a fantastic character. He plays a top civil servant from a wealthy family who subsequently enlists during World War One. Whilst at the Somme, he proves to be an admirable leader whilst suffering from the effects of war, both physically and mentally. Whilst sitting out one particular heavy bombardment in the trenches, he declares to a fellow officer, "give me fourteen end rhymes of a sonnet and I'll write the lines. In under two minutes and a half." He does exactly so.  I'm not sure if I could write a sonnet in so short a time but then I've never really tried. I would have to describe myself as a slow writer. Enid Blyton or Barbara Cartland I am not. I doubt whether I'll be capable of churning out one novel ...