Every September Hailsham, in EastcSussex, has 2 weeks dedicated to the Arts.
There is something for everyone. The Downland Poets hold a poetry reading, with an open mic, a local Townswomen’s Guild puts on a play. There is music in the church and other venues, workshops in painting, glass work and other things. Comedy is also included.
There is street drama, a talk on the history of Punch and Judy, and the magic of pantomime, as well as a performance by the Ukrainian Choir and Dancers.
Children aren’t left out, either. There are puppet shows and workshops for them, too, as well as stories. And a writing competition.
There is also a short story competition for adults, and a ‘Meet the Author’ session. No, I’ve not been invited to take part in that! 😕
Near the beginnjng of this festival, artists were invited to enter artwofk to be disp.ayed in shop windows. I had some of my paintings exhibited in that.
On one of the bridges, more recently, artists has been exhibited on a bridge over a disused railway line, now a footpath.
During the pandemic, the organisers put artwork online in a virtual art gallery. They have continued it this year, and I am pleased to say that some of my art is exhibited.
I saw a post on Reddit where the person asked about how we each came about being a writer. I answered, but then thought it might make a post for my blog.
In the beginning, I always loved books and stories for as long as I can remember. When I was very little, long before I could read, maybe about 3 years old, I loved a story called Pink and Ponk. It’s still available on Amazon! I knew it off by heart. One say, I was holding the book and speaking the words, when a friend of my mother saw me and thought I was actually reading!
When I could read for myself, I read a book by Enid Blyton, called Shadow the Sheepdog. I loved that book and reread it many times. It inspired me to write my own story. That was the first story I remember writing. I also devoured many other of her books, as well as books like Black Beauty and Little Women.
Also, when a child I made a little fairy out of grass and made up tales for my little sister about it.
When I was at school, I loved English lessons where we were told to write a story or an essay. I enjoyed both types of writing. I also enjoyed the literature lessons where we read many classic books. It was here that I discovered the Bronte sisters. And unlike many of my compatriots, I also enjoyed poetry.
In my teens I wrote a very bad romance. I only read it to my friends, They were kind about it, but fortunately, it has now disappeared into the mists of time.
After my A levels, I went to do teacher training in Manchester. Here I studied science as a main subject and maths as one of my subsidiaries. As I liked English literature, I chose that as my other subsidiary subject. It was here, at college, that I took to writing some poetry. My first ever published work was a poem I wrote about the atomic bomb. (It was the time of the Cold War, the Aldermaston Marches and CND.) It was published in the magazine of UMIST (University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology).
During this time, I discovered Lord of the Rings, I was doing a teaching practice at a primary school. A 9 year-old boy asked me if I’d ever read it, and recommended it to me, telling me I should first read The Hobbit. When I found them in the library, I was immediately turned on to fantasy.
Then my writing adventures stopped as I began work, got married and had a family. No time for writing.
My writing started with a Dungeons and Dragons scenario I wrote. I read the Dragonlance Saga and found out it was based on a D&D scenario, and I thought I’d try my hand at converting my scenario to a novel. A standalone was what it was going to be, but in the way these things happen, it’s now up to the 4th book with more to come. The story hasn’t yet finished. (Although the characters think it has!)
Then came the inspiration to write Elemental Worlds, which turned into a duo. It could have been a standalone, but it would have been rather long. I really enjoyed writing that one (or pair, I should say!)
I began writing poetry again at this time.
My daughter had a book when she was little that had a very short story or poem for every day of the year, so I conceived of writing one poem every day for a full year. I did manage to do this, and it’s now published as 2 volumes, January to June and July to December. It has a variety of poems from limericks and haiku to longer narrative poems. Some serious, some amusing.
Another thing that has been fermenting in my head for decades is a saga of a family through the ages. This started when I was in my teens and I was walking with a friend and her family in Derbyshire. We came across a ruined mansion. This picture has been in my head ever since, so I started to write a historical series, now up to Book 2.
I’ve also written 3 novellas; The Wolves of Vimar prequels.
Currently I’m writing Book 3 of the historical series, and hope to soon get on to Book 5 of my fantasy series (The Wolves of Vimar.) I am also working on some short(ish) stories inspired by fairy tales. 2 are already written and 3 is on the way.
And that’s how I became a writer!
If you are interested in any of my books, you can click on the image in the side bar. It will take you to where you can choose your favourite retailer.
Some of these books are also available as audiobooks.
I don’t usually post two reviews immediately one after the other, but I was asked to review this collection of poems, so here is another.
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book of poems comprises thoughtful images. Kevin Morris writes beautifully about his life experiences. He contemplates mortality in his poems, but not in a morbid way.
His thoughts from hospital, where he underwent an operation for a brain abscess, give us an insight into his thoughts on this close brush with the Grim Reaper.
The poems in memory of his friend are touching. Here is one of my favourites.
Your Shadow
On a day in early spring I heard the birds sing As we walked together And, as we walked, I wished to talk With you my dear old friend. But it was my shadow That walked in sunshine For you have crossed the line Where all things end.
I cannot cry Or go where you have gone, Yet our friendship lives on And one day I will become A shadow in sun And shade For life is made Of fleeting shadows. And I know That I must one day go Where you have gone. But other men May see my shadow Walking beside them And know me And their own mortality.
I also enjoyed the one he wrote to his guide dog, Apollo.
Dog and Human (Dedicated to Apollo)
You know not what I write As day turns to night But lie near me Unaware of our shared mortality. We love our walks. You just do What dogs do— While I have my thoughts Of endings And how I envy you!
I enjoy Morris’s unusual rhyme schemes. They make the poems interesting and unusual. And I love the cover.
This is a wonderful collection of poems, and I fully recommend them to you. Even if you’re not a poetry person, you will be sure to find some you enjoy. They will give you food for thought.
I give it 5*
The explanation of my ranking of books doesn’t fit with poetry as it’s for novels.
Have you read ;any of Kevin Morris’s poetry? What did you think of it? Please leave your comments in the comments box.
OVERVIEW This is a ‘nice’ Regency story. There is little to object to about it. However, I found it very similar to her first book in this series.
STORY Isabel is a young woman whose family has fallen on hard times. Her father has recently died and left debts. When Francis, Earl of Bengrave asks for her hand in marriage, she sees it as a way to help her family, and agrees to marry him, although she barely knows him. What she does know, is that he has a reputation as a rake, and has a long-term mistress, Mrs Morrell. Francis needs to marry to secure an heir for his title and fortune, and has picked Isabel as a likely candidate. The couple agree not to interfere with each other’s lives too much. The story is told from the POVs of both Isabel and Francis.
CHARACTERS Isabel. At the beginning, Isabel is naturally nervous of the unknown man she has married, but gradually, as she learns her husband is basically a kind and generous man. As she grows in confidence, so she asserts herself more. Francis. He is naturally worried his lifestyle will be impacted, but tries hard with his new wife, giving her gifts, although he is reluctant to join in with the Regency society. I did feel that he was very similar to the protagonist in her first book,
WRITING Although well-written from the point of view of grammar and spelling, I felt the story was a little too simplistic. There was little tension. The protagonists didn’t have to struggle much to discover they had fallen in love with each other. Nor did Francis have too much difficulty in getting rid of his mistress. That could have been made much more of, and becomes built around ‘will he, won’t he’ get rid of her. The other thing I felt was that the protagonist in this book was almost interchangeable with the one in her first. Nevertheless, it was a pleasant and easy read.
I give it 3*
My ranking of books. In order to get a particular number of stars, it is not necessary to meet all the criteria. This is a guide only. 5* Exceptional. Wonderful story. Setting well drawn, and characters believable–not perfect, but with flaws. Will keep you up all night. No typos or grammatical errors. 4* A thoroughly enjoyable read. Great and original story. Believable setting and characters. Very few grammatical errors or typos. 3* I enjoyed it. Good story. Characters need some development. Some typos or grammatical errors. 2* Not for me. Story not very strong. Unbelievable and flat characters. Setting not clearly defined. Many typos or grammatical errors. 1* I hated it. Story almost non-existent. Setting poor. Possibly couldn’t finish it.
I decided to repost some of my earlier blog posts as there are new people who won’t have seen them. Here is the first one.
I apologise for being a day late with the interview with Archmage Yssalithisandra, but she was extremely busy with some new magic texts that have recently come to light and put the interview off for a day.
Me: Good morning, Archmage Yssalithisandra. I am glad you decided to meet me and answer afew questions that our readers would like toknow about.
Yssa: Please call me Yssa. Everyone does, you know. It is a pleasure to be interviewed by you.
Me: How is it that an elf is working in Hambara and not in Rindisillaron, the elven homeland?
Yssa: I came here because of the Mage Tower. There is no longer one in Rindissillaron, you know.
Me: I believe there was one once though. Why has it not been found or rebuilt?
Yssa: Mage towers are always built on special places where the mana is at its strongest. Places where it wells up rather like springs out of the ground. The whereabouts of the Mage Tower in Rindisillaron has long been forgotten, as is the case of the towers in most places in Khalram.
Me:Why has this occurred?
Yssa: It was after the Forbidding when they were deserted for several hundred years.
Me:The Forbidding?
Yssa: Yes. Two hundred or so years after the death of Sauvern, there was an uprising by a group of mages who thought that because they could weave the mana, they were superior to others and that they should be the rulers of all the lands in Khalram. There was another group who opposed them, of course and the result was a terrible war. The results were so devastating that when the rightful rulers were restored, the practice of magic was forbidden throughout the lands that make up Khalram. All books of magic were burned and the mage towers were, for the most part destroyed. All people who could do any magic were put to death too.
Me:So that is why you are researching the past. To find the lost spells. How long ago did the Forbidding occur?
Yssa: How long? Well it began about 600 years ago and lasted for about 3oo years. That means that it ended about 300 years ago.
Me:And in 300 years you still haven’t found all that was lost?
Yssa: Remember; there were no mages in the continent when it ended, nor any books. We had to start again from scratch.
Me:How is your work coming on?
Yssa: Oh, we’re beginning to make more progress and we keep finding books that had been hidden away by mages when they thought they would be executed. One such is the one Mabryl found and Carthinal brought to Hambara.
Me:Do you think that the mage towers will ever be re-built?
Yssa: That depends on whether or not we can find where the nodes were that they were built on. In the past there were said to have been mages who were able to detect these places, but we know of none at the moment. There are a few mages who can weave the mana without recourse to arcane language and hand gestures, but use just the power of thought, and it is possible that some of these could do so as they are much more sensitive to magic. We have yet to find any though, so at the moment it’s just a hypothesis.
Me:You met Carthinal when he came to take his tests. What did you think of him?
Yssa: (blushing slightly) He is a very charismatic young man. He is also a very talented mage. I oversaw his practical test, as you probably know, and was most impressed.
Me: Is it true that you had a relationship with him while he was in Hasmbara?
Yssa: (looking down at her hands.) Yes. It was brief, and then he left to do the job that the Duke set him. I don’t know when he’ll be back, but I don’t expect him to want to continue with me.
Me:Do you think you will ever go back to Rindissillaron?
Yssa: Probably not. I do go to visit my parents as often as I can. Mother says it’s not often enough of course. She misses me, I think. I have no brothers and sisters, so I’m her little lost lamb. She means well, but she does fuss.
Me:Thank you for giving up your precious time, Archmage.
Yssa: Yssa!
Me:Sorry, Yssa. I am sure our readers will be interested in the history that you have told us about, and good luck with the research.
Yssa: Thank you. It was a pleasure talking to you. Grillon’s blessings on your readers.
Carthinal met Yssawhen he went to the Mage Tower in Hambara to complete his apprenticeship as a mage.They had a brief affair before Carthinal went on the quest to find Sauvern’s Sword.
Later Yssa became more important in Carthinal’s life and appears in several of the books in the series.
If you would like to know more about Yssa and Carthinal, you can read about them in The Wolf Pack, Book 1 of The Wolves of Vimar series.
The ebook version ofThe Wolf Pack is free.
Click on the book title to buy, or on the book’s image in the side bar to go to your favourite online store.
There are also some prequels where you can find out a bit more about the characters in the books.
I was just reading about avocado growing, and how it is having a terrible effect on the world. Deforestation, crime, causing droughts by water use etc.
But you can read it for yourself by following this link!
Do you eat avocados? Will the information in this stop or reduce your consumption?
Feel free to share this, and link back to this site.
I’m trying to get back into blogging after a hiatus. I thought I’d post this story.
It’s rather disturbing, but I think it should be read by as many people as possible. This kind of thing has happened before, and I can see the distinct possibility of it happening again. That worries me.
Some people might say that this is only fiction, but beware! Fiction can become fact.
Pete has an interesting blog. He posts fiction in serials, but also pictures, snippets about his life in Norfolk, and funnies. It’s well worth a look at some of his other posts while you’re there.
I’m back from my holiday, but am now, as the title says, not in a good place. I have lost my enthusiasm for writing and haven’t done any for weeks. I hope this passes.
Personal things have raised their heads, too. I don’t want to go into them, but they are affecting how I feel about things.
I can’t bring myself to write my regular blog post at the moment, but I will still visit and comment on your posts. I may even reblog some if that’s OK.
You may have (or not) noticed I’ve not posted this week. I’m trying to finish a story and it’s taking me forever. It’s supposed to be a short story, but it’s getting too long.
I’m going on holiday at the end of this month, too. It includes the first week in June, so I’m going to take a break from blogging until I get back. Then I can hopefully finish the story and get on with my historical novel.
Dragons Rule OK. V.M.Sang (author) 