Mollie Mathews's Blog, page 12
June 7, 2020
Ways to make a difference
“Pleasure and Pain represent as twins since there never is one without the other; and as if they were united back to back, since they are contrary to each other.”
Leonardo da Vinci
[image error]
Dear readers,
I heard it once said that we need chaos to create a dancing star. I do hope, and believe, that in the wake of the tsunami of the pain so many are experiencing that constructive change will come.
History suggests it does. Without Claudette Colvin’s pain of being arrested at the age of 15 in Montgomery, Alabama, during the segregated 50s the civil rights movement may not have been born.
Nine months before Rosa Parks defied segregation laws by refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, in March 1955, Claudette Colvin did exactly the same thing.
Colvin was the first person to be arrested for challenging Montgomery’s bus segregation policies, so her story made a few local papers – but nine months later, the same act of defiance by Rosa Parks was reported all over the world.
Like Colvin, Parks was commuting home and was seated in the “coloured section” of the bus. When the ‘white’ seats were filled, the driver, J Fred Black, asked Parks and three others to give up their seats. Like Colvin, Parks refused, and was arrested and fined.
It seems so crazy to realize how people once thought – and how some still do. In the wake of George Floyd’s murder, the spotlight is shone on the inequalities and abuse of power that still remain.
Today, I was appalled to learn that a statue was once erected to ‘honour’ a man who profited from slavery. This man trafficked over 80,000 men, women and children, ripping from their homes and families in Africa and shipping them to the Americas. I read a BBC report about protesters tearing down Edward Colston’s slave trader statue, posing with a knee on the figure’s neck – reminiscent of the video showing George Floyd, who died while being suffocated by a Minnesota police officer, and rolling it into the river>>https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-52954305.
And the world has spoken! This is wrong. This is unjust. The abuse of power must stop.
Closer to home, I am proud to say that New Zealand has a clear history of standing against oppression. New Zealand signed a partnership agreement with Maori to help curtail the law-breaking British. New Zealand was also the first country to give women the right to vote.
In early colonial New Zealand, as in other European societies, women were excluded from any involvement in politics. Most people – men and women – accepted the idea that women were naturally suited for domestic affairs, such as keeping house and raising children! Only men were fitted for public life and the rough-and-tumble world of politics.
It seems to me current politics in many countries have become too rough-and-tumble —even vulgar.
Conflict often heralds change. As current protestors have said, “We’re tired of being afraid.”
Oppressors rule via the active cultivation of fear.
When women in New Zealand first agitated for the vote they were knocked back. A number of New Zealand’s leading male politicians supported women’s suffrage. But three attempts in 1878, 1879 and 1887 bills or amendments extending the vote to women (or at least female ratepayers – another hurdle) failed to pass in Parliament.
Skilfully led by Kate Sheppard, campaigners and others organised a series of huge petitions to Parliament: in 1891 more than 9000 signatures were gathered, in 1892 almost 20,000, and finally, in 1893 nearly 32,000 were obtained – almost a quarter of the adult European female population of New Zealand.
Political manoeuvring stepped up and played dirty to try to stop change. By the early 1890s opponents of women’s suffrage began to mobilise. They warned that any disturbance of the ‘natural’ gender roles of men and women might have terrible consequences. The liquor industry, fearful that women would support growing demands for the prohibition of alcohol, lobbied sympathetic Members of Parliament and organised their own counter-petitions. (today the liquor industry is still a powerful and dangerous force – so much violence and family harm is caused by this highly addictive substance)
“The suffragists’ arch-enemy” writes nzhistory.govt, was Henry Smith Fish, “a boorish Dunedin politician who hired canvassers to circulate anti-suffrage petitions in pubs. This tactic backfired, however, when it was found that some signatures were false or obtained by trickery. (mmm – does history repeat?).
People who gain from maintaining the status quo will fight hard to retain their position. Which is why we must all play our part in standing against abuses of power. Whether this is teaching, painting, creating art that uplights the world, telling our stories of standing against abuse and regaining our power, promoting and supporting the disadvantaged or joining a protest movement —what matters is we use our power.
For example, Colvin credits her teacher with instilling her with the knowledge that later led her to feel empowered. “They (our teachers) lectured us about Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth and we were taught about an opera singer called Marian Anderson who wasn’t allowed to sing at Constitutional Hall just because she was black, so she sang at Lincoln Memorial instead.”
As a therapist, I remember a Maori client saying to me, “I never thought a person like me would be able to be helped by a person like you.”
I was so shocked. “Why? What’s wrong with you?” I asked. Looking back I realize, quite possibly I was seeing the world through my eyes, not hers.
I wasn’t naive, I had taught students at University about the injustices inflicted upon indigenous peoples following the British occupation of New Zealand, and attempts to partner, not over power. Including the creation and signing of The Treaty of Waitangi. But intentions can be lost in translation. Years later Maori are still fighting for equality and true shared Sovereignty.
An African man we met in the Caribbean told me a similar story of feeling marginalised. As a poor man, he said, they were given access to inferior, less-skilled doctors. As a result of receiving poor medical care, his daughter had died.
Our time starts now
‘Our time starts now,” says David Attenborough in an exclusive interview in Mindfood magazine. We need fresh thinking and new ways to discover how to make a difference. It’s up to every one of us to help preserve peace, beauty, and kindness on this planet. There are simple and effective ways to do this.
I try to play a small part in the stories I tell and the books I write. As one reader wrote about Claimed by The Sheikh:
[image error]
“Look after the animals and plants. This is their planet as well as ours,” says Sir David Attenborough, reminding us that the whole world is in peril. Which is why I created a hero, Sheikh Tariq an Hassir, who rescues animals who have been abandoned in zoos or trafficked.
Claimed by The Sheikh, touches on a number of subjects I love and care about with the twists and turns in the plot. I always love celebrating the strength of the human spirit, and what people do when faced with seemingly insurmountable challenges in their lives, and how unexpected events can turn disaster or tragedy into something good.
I love the fact that Melanie follows an unusual path as a pioneering architect—traditionally regarded as a male-only career. I love how hard she works at it. I always enjoy exploring how each of us uses and expresses our particular talents. And I felt a bond with her because I too studied architecture—but I didn’t have the courage and determination that Melanie had to finish.
Watching Melanie struggle with discrimination, knock-backs, and success, and the price you pay for them, was familiar to me too. Each person lives success differently and her adventures along the way help her become the person she is destined to be.
Whatever your path in life, you have a gift. Something nobody else can do as beautifully and skillfully as you. It may be standing up to discrimination, marching against the abuse of power, speaking forcefully to stop people setting fire to their cities, or quietly penning a blog post to encourage others or spotlight abuses.
How you express it, how you live it, and how you share it with others is unique to you. You have your own special way of dealing with life and the talents you’ve been given, whether you hide those gifts or share them openly.
I hope you enjoy reading this post and also enjoy Claimed by The Sheikh. Victory and success come in many forms and guises. Sheikh an Hassir has created a sanctuary for endangered animals who now flourish under his care.
Melanie creates an award-winning building to showcase many of their animals to dedicated the world and unite people of differing faiths. Both overcame significant obstacles. Their path is an exciting, fascinating, and rewarding one, and I’m sure yours will be too!
Remember, be kind and keep hope close to your hearts.
[image error]
I hope you enjoy this excerpt from Claimed by The Sheikh.
[image error]
Chapter one
“Are you trying to kill her?” Tariq na Hassir, the formidable ruler of the Kingdom of Avana, seized the animal handler’s arm, forcing him to release the rope laced around the baby giraffe’s neck.
“She has suffered enough trauma.” Tariq dismissed the man with a fierce scowl that struck fear into enemies.
A slither of panic crept into the young man’s hushed apology. “I am sorry your Excellency.”
“Release the others from their cages,” Tariq growled.
The man did not have to be asked twice. He knew from experience that the Sheikh’s retribution for disobedience would be swift and merciless.
“You are safe from harm,” Tariq said softly, stroking the baby giraffe’s long neck with a gentleness that belied his strength.
“No one will ever hurt you again, Noor,” he said softly, impulsively naming her as his fingertips swept through the calf ’s fur. He let his long supple fingers linger a moment upon her tail. Thankfully they had saved her in time, he thought as he reached for the reins, clenching his powerful hands around the soft leather.
The rage he had first felt on hearing about the ruthless murder of the new born’s mother still roared through him. Had she been executed to pay a tail dowry to the father of some money-mongering bride, he wondered? Or did some heinous person pay thousands of dollars for a wretched fly swatter?
Noor looked up and met Tariq’s dark gaze. In her innocent eyes, he saw her despair, her disillusionment, her disgust with humanity. He recognized her trauma as though it was his own. Because it was.
“Humans,” he said, his voice marinated with contempt. “The people you should be able to trust, the people who say they care, the people whose actions should be driven by love—the majority are driven by nothing but selfishness, deception, and lies.”
Taking a bottle of milk, Tariq placed the teat to Noor’s lips. The calf ’s silky black lashes grazed her cheeks as she gazed down at the foreign object then looked back at Tariq. She stared silently up at him, her eyes moist and bewildered.
Tariq had trained himself to shut down his emotions but that skill suddenly failed him. His chest trembled with suppressed rage knowing the orphaned baby would never again taste her mother’s milk.
“What passes for love among some people is abhorrent,” he said in a low, strained voice. “On behalf of humanity, I apologize.”
The killing of the calf ’s mother and three other rare Kordofan giraffes by trophy hunters seeking their tails further motivated the Sheikh’s commitment to transform his anger into action.
“Do you really think you can save her?”
Tariq looked at Anwar, his younger brother by 11 months. His head was slightly bowed but he could see his eyes were fixed in sadness and longing.
Tension ripped down Tariq’s spine. “Our father’s reign of terror and tyranny have robbed Avana of prosperity and peace. I will make it my personal mission to right the injustices of the past. War and hostility must end. And it starts with how we treat those most vulnerable.”
His fingers shook as he gripped the bottle of milk as Noor, at last, began to suckle.
An eerie silence swept across the precipitous landscape of Avana’s Tiwa oasis. Tariq lifted his gaze to the horizon. The only movement visible to his naked eye was the wind etching a delicate furrow as it crawled over the golden dunes.
“Not only will I provide a sanctuary for hunted wildlife and orphans like Noor, but I will liberate God’s most precious creatures from the many closing zoos and other inhumane habitats around the world,” he said as he glanced over at the other animals being unloaded from the custom-built crates.
“I will create a world-acclaimed sanctuary, impenetrable by those with impure and malicious hearts. It will be the most magical, marvelous, mesmerizingly unique place, the number one eco-tourism destination in the world. I will create meaningful employment for our people, restoring their dignity, attracting millions of visitors annually and contributing billions to the economy. But more importantly, I will show the world how kindness and compassion can be turned into plutonium and change the world.”
Anwar glanced at the now lush landscape and recalled how barren it had once been. With no sign of life in sight, others had found it impossible to fathom his brother’s vision to transform the punishing and unforgiving conditions into a haven for so many endangered species. Yet, as with everything Tariq turned his formidable will and mind-blowing wealth to, he had succeeded where mere mortals were destined to fail.
Anwar’s heart swelled with pride as he thought of all his brother’s achievements. “It’s an audacious and admirable plan. And if anyone can pull it off it’s you, brother. Your passion, your drive, your unrelenting ambition and pursuit of goals exceeds mere mortals. And you have the endurance and power of 13,000 Arabian horses, but aren’t you setting yourself up for too much hard work? Why don’t you relax? Kick back. Enjoy the fruits of your reign?” Anwar said, tossing his head in the direction of the harem. “Other men would.”
“Women were our father’s weakness,” bitterness bled from Tariq’s words. “I too once made the same mistake. I too paid the price.”
There was a tense silence while Tariq lifted his gaze to the sky and studied the giant falcon circling above.
“Was it not you who once taught that your greatest weakness can also be your greatest strength?” Anwar asked.
Tariq shook his head, biting down a terse retort. “I was misled,” he said. He nodded his command to the animal handler lingering at a respectful distance and petted Noor as she was led away.
“All kinds of atrocities are committed in the name of love, which is why it is the most dangerous of emotions, and why I am forever turned off to women.”
Chapter Two
Shielding his eyes from the blazing sun, Tariq looked skyward, honing in on the falcon’s intense, focused gaze. The power, the force, the courage and the vision of the hunting dog of the sky inspired him. And unlike humans falcons were loyal—a quality Tariq valued above all else.
“The best time for a man is the time he spends with his family,” he said, glancing toward his brother. “My people are my family. My animals are my family. You are my family,” he said, patting his brother’s shoulders.
“The first responsibility of a leader is to make his people happy and then to provide them with the required security, stability, comfort, progress and development to ensure their survival. My loyalty is to you all.”
Tariq’s head jerked backward sharply as he recalled the brutal tyranny of his father. “Besides what sort of man doesn’t want to care for his family? Only an ego-driven tyrant like our father would turn a blind eye to the plight of our people and the cruelty imposed on God’s creatures.”
Tariq gritted his teeth, his jaw locking against the strain of suppressing his emotions. There was no point voicing the hostility he felt toward his father. There was no purpose in reminding his brother that his father was a behemoth, a beast, a toxic mix of oppressiveness and evilness who had wielded monstrous power and made their lives a misery.
“This has to be the most isolated place in the world,” Anwar muttered, gazing out forlornly at the neutrals and as-far-as-the-eye-can-see block tones of the desert. “No wonder mother fled to London.”
While Tariq missed his mother deeply he didn’t share his brother’s despair. He was a thirty-six-year-old ruler who was pouring his power, his infinite wealth, his heart and soul into the land and the animals who he now offered sanctuary. He was a king filled with purpose.
“There is a lot of anti-Islamic sentiment in the world. People believe we are a nation of murderers. Thanks to people who corrupt our ways for their evil agenda. Thanks to our father and his violent, corrupt rule. Thanks to warlords and governments who seek to profit from war and spread their lies. Because of all these things the international community fears us. They have been driven away. I want to bring people back here. I want to restore our nation’s pride. I want to show the world the beauty and kindness of true Islam. Our people have suffered enough shaming and violence,” Tariq said.
“Again, you have set yourself a formidable task. Are you sure you’re not throwing yourself into this audacious cause just to forget about your disobedient wife?” Anwar said.
“My ex-wife,” Tariq corrected. His brief marriage had been a disaster. He should have resisted the arrangement. He should have refused to cement his father’s power-base by marrying the daughter of his pugnacious uncle.
Loyalty. That was Tariq’s weakness. Loyalty, to family, no matter the personal cost.
The marriage was as archaic as it was disastrous. But that didn’t stop Tariq wanting a family—one that didn’t place demands on him he wasn’t equipped to keep.
Duty—that’s what counted.
The irony didn’t escape him. Duty had claimed his marriage. He knew Fatima took other lovers, just like he knew that some people weren’t suited to marriage. But he also knew that if he hadn’t been more married to his people and his quest than he’d ever been to his wife, he might have prevented her from escaping in the night with his bodyguard in a run-down-old jeep. He might have prevented her from being buried in the sandstorm that led to her death.
He gazed out at the stark, undulating desert landscape. If he had to atone for his sins, he’d rather do it out here where there was nothing but the eerie silence and the hot wind surfing over the dunes. Where there was nothing other than his rescued wildlife meandering over what felt like the plains of the Serengeti. Where there was nothing but the blazing desert, the sand beneath his toes, and the endless Arabian sea cutting them off from the world.
Duty required sacrifice.
Tension knotted his gut as his mind drifted to the woman who angered him most. Melanie Jones. It had been her fault his older brother Zayed had abdicated, and Tariq had been catapulted into the role of ruler.
Tariq vowed long ago that while he loved his older brother dearly, his disloyalty had cost too high a price. He had vowed, no matter how painful, he would never speak or think of him again.
Tariq ran his fingers down the dark brown back feathers of the hawk. “He who wants to advance should always look ahead,” he said, turning to his younger brother.
“There are worse things than an eternity spent in this beautiful kingdom of islands, miles away from anything, draped in wind and quiet, sandstorms and hot desert breezes. Anchored between the majestic desert and surrounded by the shimmering Arabian sea. You will understand the preciousness of this gift soon enough, Anwar.”
The Kingdom of Avana had been the crown in the jewel of Tariq’s ancestors since time began. Only this time, under his rule, instead of bloody and catastrophic wars provoked by his father’s oppressive regime, the Kingdom of Avana would enjoy a reign of prosperous peace.
And he’d dedicate himself to his cause—and none other. Because when he looked around Tariq didn’t see the life-sentence his younger brother Anwar imagined, or the chokehold his older brother Zayed had felt.
He saw his home.
Yet, while he wasn’t given to despair he could see his future as well as anyone if he continued alone. Today’s reclusive hermit is tomorrow’s bitter, old relic, Tariq told himself as the falcon left his arm and flew toward the object of his ardent desire.
He watched as the giant bird of prey courted a female falcon with acrobatic displays of daring aerial feats, Tariq was acutely aware that a kingdom wasn’t a kingdom with only a king to rule. To avoid Avana falling into the clutches of his father’s tyrannical offspring he needed an heir.
The possibility was as outrageous as it was urgent. To bear an heir he needed a wife. The whole idea was impossible. Once betrayed, a thousand times wiser, he reminded himself.
His dark brows curved into a frown as he saw his bodyguard gallop on horseback away from the towering walls of the palace toward him.
His body tensed with the stillness of a wild animal whose every sense was alert, suspicious and wary as he approached.
“Your Excellency! Come quickly. There’s been an accident.”
Chapter Three
“Please, please, please choose me,” Melanie Jones prayed inwardly. She swallowed hard, an ache building in her chest, as she checked her watch, then checked again as she paced the floor outside the Council administrative offices in central London. She heaved a deep breath as her thoughts raced.
Six minutes until her fate would be decided. She checked her watch again. Five minutes, 59 seconds until the officials from The Council, and the other key teams assessing her architectural design for the new community library, would decide her fate.
Had she done a good enough job to convince them to sign off her concept for the project? The newly elected bureaucrats in the state government had challenged her design and costings, and the whole concept was in danger of coming to a crashing end.
Had she conceded too much when she yielded to their demands to rein in her vision?
Just for once she wished she could shrug off the stigma that dogged her when time after time, despite her award-winning designs, none of her buildings were ever constructed.
Just once she wished the vision she saw, the beauty she visualized, the joy she knew would be felt by those who eventually inhabited her buildings, was shared by those with access to the vault of money needed to bring her designs into reality.
If she could just get the dammed bureaucrats to say ‘yes’. Until then she’d be nothing but a paper architect. Her life’s work nothing but drawings and dreams.
Dreams.
Melanie rubbed her temple, erasing the one dream she had promised herself to forsake. She was not going to think of him.
Her ebony-black brows knitted in a fierce line as she forced her mind to the task at hand. She glanced down at the scatter of sketches splayed across the boardroom desk, feeling a mix of awe and pride—and aloneness.
Despite the fact that her design was breath stompingly beautiful, and searingly exquisite, her concept was also daringly innovative. The sweeping feminine curves confronted many people’s sense of what architecture was and what it wasn’t.
While she did everything in her power to minimize her own feminineness, in her designs aggressive masculine lines, straight edges and harsh corners were resolutely banished.
Dispelled were the sharp, angular lines and boxy shapes that so many in her field admired for their cost efficiencies. Eradicated were the shapes and forms that looked more like watchtowers in the worst of the concentration camps. Welcomed were the soaring sweeps and sensuous curves that inspired and nurtured and united people regardless of race, gender, or belief.
Melanie slid her palms over the stiff folds of her shapeless noir-black upside-down jacket. The touch of tarpaulin did an adequate job of disguising her generous breasts, but even this wouldn’t detract from what many considered to be her biggest failing.
She was a woman. A woman competing in a man’s world.
People, she knew only too painfully, didn’t like breaking with tradition. And they didn’t like change. And they most definitely didn’t like a woman telling them what to do.
Everyone had told her that convincing these officials, as with all other decision-makers she had to influence, would take more than skill and strength of purpose. She was the outsider, just as her buildings were. On the edge, confronting other people’s notions of compliance, and predictability, and subservience.
She’d stayed late at her office working through the night as she always did. She was quietly confident, but it was an audacious design. Why couldn’t she do what her mother had always told her to do? Why couldn’t she settle for less?
The community library was the biggest project she and her small team of fledgling architects had ever handled—and the most important. Books changed lives. Books made people better citizens. Books liberated people from their constrained lives.
Liberation. Freedom. Escape. She owed it to people. Her architecture was designed for everyday men and women—not the elite.
She had worked on the concept tirelessly, sacrificing the rest of her life. Architecture was her big love. Her only love. Work kept her guilt, and her anger, and her shame at bay, she told herself, ignoring the emptiness and longing that slopped in her belly, calling her a liar.
xxx
Did you enjoy this excerpt?
[image error]
To grab your copy from Amazon, click here>>http://getbook.at/ClaimedByTheSheikh
To grab your copy from iBooks, Barnes & Noble and other great bookstores, click here>>
https://books2read.com/u/brVjdZ
To grab your copy from Kobo, click here>>https://www.kobo.com/ebook/claimed-by-the-sheikh-8
AUDIOBOOK
KOBO
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/audiobook/claimed-by-the-sheikh-9
AUDIBLE COMING SOON
DID YOU ENJOY THIS POST?
You may also like:
How trauma can fuel your life purpose
How extraordinary love can change our lives
To enjoy more posts and books like this please follow this blog and BookBub . Subscribe to my newsletter and enjoy a free copy of Twist of Fate
p.s.
[image error]
Click here>> to enjoy the first chapter from my upcoming new release, Love All of Me.
June 1, 2020
New release…Love All of Me
[image error]
Dear friends,
I hope you enjoy the first chapter from my upcoming new release, Love All of Me.
This story was inspired by the tragic events of December 2019 when the volcano on White Island, in New Zealand erupted. At the time of writing, the eruption took the lives of 16 people and injured 30, most critically with life-threatening burns.
I read about a young man (aged only nineteen) who not only was severely burned but awoke from his induced coma to learn that his entire family had died.
I wondered, what would it be like to be a survivor? What if you felt you had no right to live, let alone love again? What if you were wracked with survivor’s guilt? What if your scars weren’t just on the outside but buried deep within?
What and who would it take to heal such traumatic scars?
The story was also inspired by my father, G.W. Gaisford who discovered a miraculous way to help heal deep burns using an emulsion created in part from bees honey. I’m proud to say that my father cured so many people who would otherwise have been left with disfiguring scars.
I wondered, what if my heroine wanted to follow in her father’s footsteps and as a result founded a honey empire.
Where I live the manuka flower attracts many bees and a great many successful companies have been founded here. It astounds me how clever, and vital to life, bees are.
I wrote my first draft in the notes section of my iPhone as news of the fatal volcanic eruption on White Island unfolded.
Below is the blurb and the first chapter.
An unexpected lover…
After surviving a horrific accident Daisy Miller is plagued by guilt. Hiding both her mental and physical scars, she shuns love and escapes into work—finding meaning and purpose in running her global manuka honey empire.
Beautiful and smart, when Gianni Romano demands she sell the business to him, her passions are inflamed. How dare he think he can buy the only thing that gives her a reason to live?
Gianni Romano has ventured to New Zealand by the one thing he’d love to escape: family The Romano fortune and name has followed him wherever he goes. But that only made the headstrong Italian more determined to strike out on his own. Now he’s on the cusp of achieving world acclaim.
Only one woman stands in his way—Daisy Miller and her refusal to submit to his demands. The spark they have is more than a Sicilian sunset, but when emotions run deep and lives are on the line will mixing business with pleasure be the bedrock for a lifelong love? Or will it all explode like an angry volcano?
Love Me As I Am is a clean romance, brimming with the promise of a happily ever after. Set in The Bay of Islands, New Zealand—one of the most beautiful, unspoiled, sensuous places in the world.
CHAPTER ONE
“I never thought it would happen to me.”
Daisy Miller looked down at the frenzied crayon scrawls the art therapist Issy Riley had asked her to draw. Issy’s instructions were simple, to create what she felt.
There it was on the page all those memories Daisy thought she had talked through until she was bruised and blue; all those toxic thoughts that she thought she had healed; all those terrifying traumas she thought she had pushed so far to the back of mind they had exploded through.
Daisy rubbed her hand below her abdomen feeling the puckered ridge of the scars and skin grafts she covered up and hid from the rest of the world. Physical scars she hid from view, not unlike the way she tried to hide her mental scars.
It had been a year since that fatal day that detonated her happiness. For nearly 12-months she had troughed on a brave face of self-reliance and independence and nonchalance.
But now it was a week before Christmas and everything erupted to the surface until she was so terrified of the consequences she reached out for help.
Daisy studied the black sooty image, forged with thick crayoned blazes of black and frenzied scribbles of grey and grimaced. She lifted her hand to the thick fringe of flame-coloured hair, and pressed it down against her forehead, feeling as she did so the indentations and scars caused by flying volcanic rock.
“I don’t know if this is a good idea.” Daisy’s voice was thick with conviction and intensity. Her mood had changed since entering the therapist’s room, and she was at once furtively angry and coolly clear in her certainty that mining her emotions was a big mistake.
“Use a new page if you like,” Issy said, her tone was compassionate and kind and Daisy instantly trusted her. She’d worked with a great number of therapists since the accident and not one of them seemed to truly care. And she liked that Issy was unconventional. She sensed she was a nonconformist, an outsider, just like Daisy.
“Feel free to edit, “ Issy handed Daisy a pair of scissors. “Cut out anything that you don’t like—anything that you want,” Issy said changing her words, as though being careful not to lead her too much or direct where Daisy’s subconscious wanted to go.
Daisy looked at the pad of paper balanced on a board on her knees and tore off a sheet of paper. She grabbed the glue stick Issy handed her and pasted it over her memories, then slapped the fresh page down.
Blank. That’s what she felt.
Blank, she affirmed silently as her gaze sunk into the white void. Just like there was a big blank in her life where her family used to be.
“How do you feel?”
“Better,” Daisy lied. She clenched her fist and forced it to the page and rubbed it back and forth in vigorous sweeps over the paper. She knew she should confide in the therapist but the truth was she didn’t want to lift the lid off the emotions she strove so hard to suppress.
She didn’t want to tell Issy ‘I feel nothing, and that’s how I want it,’ because she feared just like White Island erupted that awful day, that once her feelings erupted it would be fatal.
Every semblance of her life that she had scraped together hung by a tiny worn thread. Every tiny little morsel of the reason why she kept on living was reduced to dry crumbs. Every tear she stuffed down threatened to hurl itself onto the page. And she was terrified and terrorized and traumatized that once she lifted the lid on the guilt that consumed every waking moment would explode. Because all she wanted to die.
Daisy glanced at the clock on the therapist’s wall. Three minutes to three. Three her lucky number. Or, rather it had been. Three minutes more until her session would be over.
Thank God.
She was stupid to think that this would change anything, but she wanted to try. Didn’t she owe it to Zac? Didn’t she owe it to her dad? She was sick of living like this. Unable to feel. Dead from the heart down, permanently scarred and terrified of the dark thoughts that permeated her mind like the sulfurous gas and toxic fumes that killed so many that hateful day.
She clenched her eyes as the video footage of the burns many victims suffered replayed in her mind. No. Her parents had died from the fumes, she silently affirmed, not wanting to think the worse.
“It’s okay to cry,” Issy said, handing her a tissue. “You can’t always be stoic. Tears are healing.”
Daisy shook her head. She didn’t want to find out. “I’m fine,” she said. I am a rock.
“Why did you come here?”
Daisy shrugged. “I thought coming back to New Zealand would be therapeutic. You know sort of like face the fear and—”
She bit her lip. That was the problem. She had faced the fear. It had been her idea. Her whole family, at Daisy’s insistence, had faced the fear and look where it got them.
Dead.
Issy looked at her sympathetically.
Daisy turned away. She didn’t want sympathy. She didn’t want kindness. And she most definitely didn’t want people worrying about her. She had a hard enough job worrying about herself without getting stuck in her old paradigm of worrying for everyone else.
The truth was if she’d done a better job worrying for everyone else she wouldn’t have nagged her family to go on the volcanic excursion.
She blamed herself and no amount of therapy was ever going to change the facts.
Christmas last year her mom dad and brother—her whole family—died. She had killed them. And on that day she swore she would never love anyone again.
“I’m sorry, but I have another client. Are you okay if we leave things there for today?”
Daisy nodded. “Sure.”
“Same time next week?”
“Yes, Same time next week is perfect,” she lied. She wouldn’t be coming back. Ever. Without her family what was the point in living?
Soooooo…..who will be the man that will heal Daisy’s wounds and inspire her to love life again?
Find out Love All of Me.
Available for pre-order now
To grab your copy from Amazon, click here:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08946RHFW
To grab your copy from iBooks, Barnes & Noble and other great bookstores, click here: https://books2read.com/u/4N9KnY
To grab your copy from Kobo, click here: https://www.kobo.com/nz/en/ebook/love-all-of-me
[image error]
P.S. I hope you enjoy meeting Issy Riley again, The art therapist you met in The Italian Billionaire’s Christmas Bride.
If you’d like to learn more about these characters, gain inside tips into the writing process, or be the first to know when a new book is released, subscribe to my newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/cigEsH. Please email me and I’ll be in touch personally—I promise…
DID YOU ENJOY THIS POST?
You may also like:
New Zealand Romance and The Italian Billionaire’s Christmas Bride—The Inspiration Behind the Story
To enjoy more posts and books like this please follow this blog and BookBub . Subscribe to my newsletter and enjoy a free copy of Twist of Fate
May 24, 2020
BEE Inspired…
It’s a change of season and I’ve been painting, creating and reading.
“Kind words are like honey—sweet to the soul and healthy for the body” ~ Kenn Butler
This painting is called “Love Language”⠀
Mixed media, molten New Zealand beeswax, encaustic, oil crayon, passion
Pro-panel artboard 400mm x12mm
Handcrafted by me in New Zealand
New work created during global ‘rest time’. In honour of the new movement sparked by Dr. Joe Dispenza, called GOLOV-20 So much loving energy! So much healing:) so much joy.
As you may know, many of my books have art-related themes. But bees also have a special place in my heart.
I absolutely loved the honey bees flying all over the studio today when I was doing my beeswax painting. My father was a beekeeper, so this is even more special to me. It is to my father that I owe my love of research and a deep commitment to, and interest in, alternative forms of healing—now commonly known as (and increasingly accepted by those against ‘non-conventional’ medicine and forms of treatment) as holistic health.
My father dedicated his later years to helping others and was an early pioneer in the field of apitherapy. As Wikipedia so excellently sums up, “Apitherapy is a branch of alternative medicine that uses honey bee products, including honey, pollen, propolis, royal jelly, and bee venom. Proponents of apitherapy make claims for its health benefits which remain unsupported by evidence-based medicine. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apitherapy.)”
The last line (“health benefits which remain unsupported by evidence-based medicine”) is especially pertinent to my father. He was a tireless campaigner who fought to have alternative approaches to healing accepted by the medical establishment. Many of the treatments that were then regarded as unconventional, ‘woo-woo’ cures —including acupuncture, are now widely accepted, and in many cases have been validated using evidence-based techniques. In large part, it is not that the cures did not work, it is the humankind lacked the technology to evidence or measure the results.
I am proud to continue my father’s tireless campaign today in my holistic, health and wellness-based approach to my work as a holistic therapist, energy healer, Reiki Master, artist, self-empowerment and romance author who is not afraid to challenge the status quo. I believe, as Picasso does, that “art washes from the soul the dust of everyday life” and is healing for the soul.
Bees and their curative powers feature prominently in my new WIP, Love All of Me.
An unexpected lover…
After surviving a horrific accident Daisy Miller is plagued by guilt. Hiding both her mental and physical scars, she shuns love and escapes into work—finding meaning and purpose in running her global manuka honey empire.
Beautiful and smart, when Gianni Romano demands she sell the business to him, her passions are inflamed. How dare he think he can buy the only thing that gives her a reason to live?
Gianni Romano has ventured to New Zealand by the one thing he’d love to escape: family The Romano fortune and name has followed him wherever he goes. But that only made the headstrong Italian more determined to strike out on his own. Now he’s on the cusp of achieving world acclaim.
Only one woman stands in his way—Daisy Miller and her refusal to submit to his demands. The spark they have is more than a Sicilian sunset, but when emotions run deep and lives are on the line, will mixing business with pleasure be the bedrock for a lifelong love? Or will it all explode like an angry volcano?
Love Me As I Am is a short story, clean romance, brimming with the promise of a happily ever after. Set in The Bay of Islands, New Zealand—one of the most beautiful, unspoiled, sensuous places in the world.
AVAILABLE SOON!
In the meantime, stress less and laugh more with these free romantic comedy stories>>https://storyoriginapp.com/to/XGF2FGu
p.s.
Did you know you can my most popular and successful books on audio?
Check out the following written and narrated by me.
I love reading and narrating my own stories. I hope my New Zealand accent is understandable!
Flight of Passion
US
https://www.audible.com/pd/Flight-of-Passion-Audiobook/B0874YCXVL
UK
https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Flight-of-Passion-Audiobook/B0874X8TGX
AU
https://www.audible.com.au/pd/Flight-of-Passion-Audiobook/B0874Y3V2T
KOBO
https://www.kobo.com/nz/en/audiobook/flight-of-passion-4
The Italian Billionaire’s Scandalous Marriage
US
UK
AU
KOBO
https://www.kobo.com/en/audiobook/italian-billionaire-s-scandalous-marriage-the
Love Me Forever
USA
https://www.audible.com/pd/Love-Me-Forever-Audiobook/B081QRGJV8
UK
https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Love-Me-Forever-Audiobook/B081QQVRV4
Australia
https://www.audible.com.au/pd/Love-Me-Forever-Audiobook/B081QQW4N8
Twist of Fate
USA
https://www.audible.com/pd/Twist-of-Fate-Audiobook/B07YL93YYV
UK
https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Twist-of-Fate-Audiobook/B07YLBN32S
Australia
https://www.audible.com.au/pd/Twist-of-Fate-Audiobook/B07YL9ZTLJ
The Lightkeepers Lover
USA
https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Lightkeepers-Lover-Audiobook/B07Z9PX3NY
UK
https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/The-Lightkeepers-Lover-Audiobook/B07Z9Q1Q89
Australia
https://www.audible.com.au/pd/The-Lightkeepers-Lover-Audiobook/B07Z9QRWBV
Forever and Always
USA
https://www.audible.com/pd/Forever-and-Always-Audiobook/B0868GTBNC
UK
https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Forever-and-Always-Audiobook/B0868H5XKV
Australia
https://www.audible.com.au/pd/Forever-and-Always-Audiobook/B0868GM443
Audio versions of these books and the following are also available from all online bookstores and also libraries (Audible is experiencing long delays in publishing):
Sex With Strangers
Kobo
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/audiobook/sex-with-strangers-14
Claimed by the Sheikh
Kobo
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/audiobook/claimed-by-the-sheikh-9
Coming soon:
Love Me As I Am
The Italian Billionaire’s Christmas Bride
Finding A Husband
In less than 15 minutes you could be listening your way to love!
Check out more of my bee-inspired artwork here>>https://www.cassandragaisford.com/gallery/
DID YOU ENJOY THIS POST?
You may also like:
Flight of Passion and a change of season
How extraordinary love can change our lives
Danielle Steele and the joy of working on many projects at the same time
To enjoy more posts and books like this please follow this blog and BookBub . Subscribe to my newsletter and enjoy a free copy of Twist of Fate
May 7, 2020
Look who moved in next door…
[image error]
Hi everyone,
How are you doing? Are you still in confinement or coming out of it now? Are you enjoying some peace and quiet or do you have cabin fever? I find that there are ups and downs and some days are better than others, but mostly I am very grateful to be safe and well, and that my family are okay too. The rumours and the fear-mongers make it much harder to stay upbeat but I find there are plenty of positive things to distract myself with.
We are entering week 6 of our lockdown in New Zealand and things are easing up a little. People can move around into ‘new bubbles’ to shelter. Look who moved in next door.
I love alpacas, don’t you! You may remember the important role they played in healing my wounded hero in The Italian Billionaire’s Scandalous Marriage.
Have you heard of GOLOV-20? It’s a new movement designed to help counteract the damage caused by all the fear created in the wake of COVID-19.
Love as we all know, is such a magical cure. That’s why we love romance, right!
I loved, loved, loved writing The Italian Billionaire’s Scandalous Marriage. I hope it shows in my book!
Below is the blurb and a wee excerpt featuring ‘relatives’ of my new neighbours. I hope you enjoy it. We all need uplifting stories of healing during these challenging times.
Do you dream of travelling to New Zealand? Now you can—all from the safety of your own home. The Italian Billionaire’s Scandalous Marriage is set amongst the spectacular scenery of the South Island in New Zealand.
Would you protect a murderer to save your family?
Three women. Three lives. And the lies that bind them. Why is everyone afraid of the truth?
When a lonely young American woman inherits a painting she discovers her whole life was a lie. Desperate for the truth, she goes in search of her true identity. The painting is her only clue. But everyone is determined to keep its secret past repressed, including Vitaliano Rossi, the Italian gold tycoon, unnaturally suspicious of her motives, who wants the painting vanquished. How can she discover who she really is and convince him that his love means more to her than gold?
Chapter 29
Alex took a shower and changed into her lace dress in deference to the fact that this would be their first dinner in their real home. Her suitcase of clothes made little impact in the cupboards in the dressing-room, and she made a mental note to ask her mother to send out the rest of her clothes. Then, she went into Vitali’s room entering through their common bathroom and dressing room.
Her heart hammered against her ribs as she stepped into his sacred space. It was wrong to go against his command, but there would be no sense of togetherness at all if Vitali insisted on keeping separate bedrooms. That had to be settled before anything else and here was a domain in which she may be able to bring some womanly control. Control which she must demonstrate right now.
It was only a few minutes before she heard him striding along the deck. Her pulse instantly quickened. She had made a fair fist of regulating what happened between them so far. She couldn’t afford to let him make all the rules at this critical point. Acting on sheer instinct, she sprawled across the bed in a pose of relaxed nonchalance.
The moment Vitali walked in, his body stiffened at the sight of her. ‘This is my room, Alexi,’ he said curtly. ‘You’ve got your own room and I told you there were some things that are off limits. This is one of them. So, if you’re thinking of changing anything, forget it. You’re wasting your time.’
‘I was just trying out the beds to see which was more comfortable for us to sleep in,’ she said. ‘Or were you thinking of sleeping alone? ‘
She felt the touch of his lips as his dangerously beautiful mouth curved. ‘The bed you can share, whenever you like. Like you, I intend to make what I can of this marriage. Just don’t interfere with anything else,’ he gritted. ‘Is that understood?’
‘Understood. But, there are a couple of things you should understand, Vitali,’ she began purposefully.
‘Don’t push me too far, Alexandra. I’ve given you free rein to do what you want with the rest of the house. With the exception of the North Wing, which houses my private study.’
‘You won’t have to worry about me snooping around in your absence. When you’re not here I don’t intend to be here either. Where ever you go, I’ll be with you.’
‘That mia cara, is your prerogative on any international trips I have to take. But you’re not coming on muster with me. For one thing, I don’t take passengers in the helicopter during the round-up. It’s too dangerous. I need total concentration. There’s always a chance that the engine may stall on some of the close manoeuvres.’
His eyes flashed with derisive determination. ‘And secondly, you’d only be a liability on the ground. Apart from the distraction to the men who need to keep their minds on the job, I doubt you could sit in a saddle day after day without causing everyone concern over your well-being.’
He didn’t wait for a reply. He headed straight to the bathroom and shut another door between them. Alex repressed the impulse to chase after him and argue. She didn’t have a rebuttal for him. She didn’t know they used helicopters for mustering, although she could see now how useful it would be when there was such a vast territory to cover.
A thrill coursed through her. Perhaps she could learn to fly. That would make him sit up and notice her. Surely that would gain his respect. Something to think about, she mused, as she sat on the bed and waited for Vitali to reappear.
As for the riding, she liked horses, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to be stuck to one and she doubted her butt would handle being on a horse for 8-10 hours, day after day. Still, if that was what it took to win Vitali over and show that she could handle country life, she would sacrifice her thighs for the ride. By the time the next muster came around, she would be ready. She reasoned that by then all the men on the station would be more familiar with her. She would be less of a novelty and therefore less of a distraction.
At least she had some possibilities to work on, but instinct told her she needed something meatier. The thing her husband valued most was making money, she mused. What if she could match him in the business stakes, show that she was capable to contributing income to the Gold Ridge coffers and of making a considerable profit.
Then she would win on two accounts. If that didn’t earn his trust and respect nothing would. She needed to familiarize herself with the way the station ran before she would be able to come up with any brilliant ideas about just how she would do that.
‘It didn’t take you long to regret your decision,’ Vitali said, sensing the thoughts that weighed on her mind.
Alex had been so absorbed that the mocking question startled her. He had already washed and was emerging from the dressing-room, buttoning the cuffs of a sky-blue shirt. His eyes moved across her face, intensely watchful, as he waited for her confirmation.
‘On the contrary.’ She smiled and rolled off the bed, deciding to close the physical gap between them if nothing else. ‘I have no regrets at all. I was just thinking about our new life together and all the wonderful challenges to be solved.’
Alex sauntered towards him and slid her hands up the walls of his brawny, powerful chest, her eyes teasing at the guarded reserve in his. ‘Why should I regret anything when I have you, my groom.’ She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his lips with a fervor she hoped would short-circuit his brain.
His mouth momentarily softened, as though he was surrendering to the passion storming through then both, then clamped shut as though regretting his momentary lapse of control.
‘What do you expect from me, Vitali,’ she said softly, masking her hurt with a smile.
His hands grasped her hips, halting any further attempt to draw closer. ‘I have no expectations of you, Alexandra. Expectations only lead to disappointment. I discovered that a long time ago,’ he said bitterly.
‘What are you afraid of Vitali?’
Chapter 30
Something savagely vulnerable flickered in his eyes. ‘I’m not afraid of anything.’
‘It’s me. It’s me you’re afraid of, isn’t it? I would never do anything to hurt you.’
‘Afraid of a woman? Are you mad? Certainly not,’ he bit out scathingly.
‘Then why are you holding me at a distance?’
He dropped his grasp. ‘You cost me dearly,’ he said, and the tone he used reminded her once again of the layers of steel wedged between them.
‘But I will minimize the damages, as far as is in my power. And don’t think I can’t live without you, Alex,’ he growled, his voice heavily accented as he retreated from her.
‘You don’t have to live without me, Vitali. I’m your wife,’ she reminded him.
He bit back a harsh laugh. ‘Now let’s see you put on another Oscar-worthy performance and play your loving role through dinner, mia cara.’
And that’s just what she did. Much to the McKee’s delight. Vitali had invited them to share a meal with them in the elegant dining room with panoramic views across the lake. But she didn’t have to act. It felt so lovely, so honest, so truthful to share with the couple how much she really loved her husband. And there were moments when she was sure than even Vitali was uncertain whether she was acting or not.
He did not argue when Alex suggested they retire early. This was their honeymoon after all. The McKee’s immediately said their farewells and disappeared into the ebony dark night.
Every step toward their bedroom was charged with electricity. There was no way they were going to separate beds. The door to Vitali’s room was the closest. He swept Alex inside and held her in an embrace that throbbed with uncontrollable desire.
‘Medusa!’ The words hissed from his lips as they claimed hers, but they lost any venom in the passion that surged between them.
Alex didn’t care what names he called her. She cared for nothing but the sweet-honeyed taste of his kiss.
‘Say you want me. Say you need me!’ his voice strained in the extremity of his own need.
‘I want you,’ she gasped. ‘I need you,’ she urged. ‘Now!’ she demanded, unable to contain her desire. She was beyond talking, beyond thinking, beyond games. She barely heard his hoarse cry of triumph as he laid her on the bed, and took her in another peak of tantalizing sensation.
‘Say you’ve never had a man like me before in your life.’
‘Never.’ she cried, acknowledging the truth.
He took her again and again, from peak to higher peak still, and then when she thought they could go no further they both climaxed in unison to the summit.
How much time had passed since they fell into a blissful embrace, their bodies quietly entwined, she didn’t know. Nor did she know what had driven Vitali to command her to say the things she had to him.
Ego? Pride? Doubt? How would he respond if she demanded that he do the same, that he swear that he’d never had a woman who pleasured and excited and aroused him like she did. She couldn’t bear to think of any woman making him feel more than she did. Perhaps he felt the same. Maybe that was why he forced her confession. If so, she wasn’t just a convenience any more. She was more special than that.
But the attraction was still largely physical. She had to reach further…make Vitali see that she was capable of matching him in every way.
And as she glanced out at the moon lancing off the mountain peaks the idea came to her! She had to investigate it and see if it was possible. And she needed money. A lot more money. Certainly more than she had in cash reserves. The acquisition of the European travel chain had eaten into that.
Alpacas! Of course, they’d be perfect, she thought as memories came gusting back of a night she’d spent on a summit in the Andes. She had been leading a group of people interested in eco tourism, and after a day digging channels for irrigation for the villages, the beautiful mountain creatures had milled around them.
She remembered the achingly beautiful sound of the children calling out the names of their pet alpacas. The beautiful creatures with their big brown eyes, and soft, fleecy coats of fur, came running like big teddy bears.
Alex pulled the crumpled sheets over her and snuggled contentedly in Vitali’s arms. She didn’t need to do any analysis. She already knew enough from her time amongst the villagers to act. A little more research would confirm what her intuition told her so strongly. If she fell on her face, if it couldn’t be done, so what? Not trying was the real failure. What was the worst that could happen? While there were no guarantees, something deep in her gut told her she was onto a winner.
She turned toward Vitali and watched him for a long moment as he lay sleeping beside her. His long, dark lashes rested peacefully on his smooth cheeks, his cupid lips were curved in a gentle smile as though he was still relishing the intimacy they’d shared. Her heart did cartwheels in her chest.
Tall, dark, and entirely too handsome, what drove her husband was to control the uncontrollable, to achieve the unachievable, to conquer the unconquerable—that’s what he respected. The greater the hurdle, the more she had to prove, the more Vitali would admire and respect her. Well, that was the theory, and tomorrow Alex would put her hunch to the litmus test.
Chapter 31
The blast from the alarm clock shocked Alex from her sleep. She woke to find Vitali fully clothed, tucking the sheets around her. The room was still dark, while outside the slither of the moon was still visible.
‘Go back to sleep, Alexandra.’
‘Vitali? Are you leaving?’ She murmured drowsily.
‘I’m sorry I didn’t mean to wake you. I forgot to turn the blasted thing off.’ He said striding to the bathroom. ‘You wouldn’t have been disturbed if you’d done what I asked and slept in your own room,’ he tossed over his shoulder.
‘You should have insisted.’ she said.
He grunted.
‘Besides, I wanted to be woken up. I have something I need.’
His silhouette in the bathroom door stiffened. ‘Tell me when I return,’ he said autocratically.
She propped herself up on her pillow and tapped the sensor light beside the bed until it dimmed to a soft, gentle light. ‘I’d prefer it if we could discuss it now, Vitali. You did say I had only to ask and you would do all you could to ensure my comfort,’ she said, ensuring her voice sounded firm yet demure.
‘Note to self, you’re not only incredibly strong-willed but you have a memory like an elephant,’ he said, splashing aftershave on his face.
She bit her lips. Dear God, please let me succeed.
Alex decided to come straight out with it. No matter what she said, how creatively she framed it, she needed him to invest in her venture and she doubted he would regard her idea favorably. Far better to set about it under the cloak of secrecy and aim to wow him. He already thought she was a gold-digger, but she would return his investment a hundred times over.
‘I need some money,’ she blurted.
He flashed her a contemptuous look. ‘That didn’t take you long,’ he spat bitterly. ‘At least my perceptions weren’t unfounded.’
His cruel words speared her heart. She took a deep breath and reminded herself that beneath his hardened exterior was a wounded hero. Her wounded hero. And she would do everything in her power to show him she was his heroine, worthy of his trust.
‘I’d like my own bank account,’ she continued. ‘With some money in it’
‘How much money, Alexandra?’
In truth, she had no idea how much her venture would cost. Better to shoot high, she decided. She could always repay any extra, but the last thing she wanted to do was go cap in hand begging for more. It was already demeaning to have to ask him for it in the first place. All her life she had stood independently. But if she was going to make this idea happen then she needed to think big.
‘Three hundred and sixty-three thousand.’ The figure came to her intuitively—her lucky numbers.
He blanched then flashed her an acid look. ‘I’m surprised you are settling for so little. Dollars, I assume?’
‘U.S.,’ she bit. Let him think what he will, but he deserved to suffer for thinking badly of her and her motives. Part of her hated herself for being so childish and feeding his belief. But then they had got off to a bad start and Vitali didn’t look like he was going to change his mind no matter how altruistic her motives.
‘That’s some serious coin. Going somewhere nice?’ he said, mockingly.
‘I’m not leaving with your money, Vitali.’
‘Well, what then?’
‘You said I could do some decorating—add my woman’s touch.’
‘What are you going to do? Repaper the house in 24 karat gold?’
‘Actually I was thinking of exterior improvements rather than interior. I’d also like to learn to fly.’
Vitali thrust his foot into his boot, then looked up at her sharply. ‘What are you up to, Alexandra?’
‘Nothing,’ she said. ‘You can fly a helicopter and I think it would be fun to learn too. How else am I going to fill in my time?’
‘You won’t need money for that. I’ll teach you myself’, he said gruffly.
Alex felt a thrill of triumph. He was offering to spend time with her. Finally she was making progress.
‘That would be fabulous. Thank you,’ she said leaping from the bed and planting a kiss on his lips.
‘Is that it?’ he said fixing her with a wary look as he stood up.
‘That’s it. I hate to appear pushy, but do you think you could put the money in my account straight away. I’d really like to make a start on my project without delay—especially if you’re determined to go away.’
‘You pushy?’ he said, throwing his camel jacket on. ‘What project?’ he added, suspiciously.
‘Nothing to worry about. I promise. In fact, I think you will be pleasantly surprised,’ she said smiling extra brightly at him in the hope of melting the deep ravines of worry creasing his brow.
He sighed an exasperated breath. ‘Whatever makes you happy,’ he said with an ironic twist. ‘Just make sure it doesn’t make me wild. I’ll speak to Bob. He’ll make the necessary arrangements immediately,’ he tossed at her as he headed for the door.
‘Vitali—’
‘What now!’ he said testily.
She raced to him, throwing her arms around his neck before he could stop her. ‘You forgot to kiss me goodbye.’
‘For God’s sake, Alexandra. I’m through with the charade. Stop playing games.’ There was a ragged edge to his vehemence. His hands curved around her soft, warm nakedness as she clung to him. He drew her body even more intimately against his.
‘One kiss,’ she purred, thrusting her fingers persuasively through his thick, coal-black hair. ‘It won’t hurt. I promise. And I was a good wife last night, wasn’t I?’ she purred.
His chest heaved and his mouth possessed hers in angry compliance. His hands splayed over her body, grabbing her with crazed urgency. When he finally wrenched his head up, a raging conflict glittered in his eyes.
‘I am going,’ he pronounced with glacial resolve. He pushed her away from him. ‘You’ve had your proper goodbye, now let me get on with my work, wife. I’ll see you when I return in a week or so—if you’re still here.’
He slammed the door shut after him. His boots boomed along the deck, as though the wolves were snapping at his heels. Alex grinned and leapt back into his side of the bed, drawing the covers up to her face, and inhaling the sultry memory of the passion they’d shared. She writhed in sensuous delight. He was her man. Soon she would convince him that she was his woman.
He wanted her to stay. Hadn’t he said it? Well, not exactly. But he wouldn’t have offered to teach her to fly his beloved helicopter otherwise. And though they’d had a testy exchange he hadn’t balked at giving her the money.
“Whatever makes you happy.” Those were his words. “Just don’t make me wild.” She would show him that she was committed to his happiness. She would prove that together they could achieve their mutual joy.
Did you enjoy this excerpt of The Italian Billionaire’s Scandalous Marriage?
[image error]
PRINT AND EBOOK
To grab your copy from Amazon, click here>> getBook.at/ScandalousMarriage
To grab your copy from iBooks, Barnes & Noble and other great bookstores, click here>>https://books2read.com/u/mVNdn5
To grab your copy from Kobo>>https://www.kobo.com/ebook/the-italian-billionaire-s-scandalous-marriage-1
AUDIOBOOK
AUDIBLE
US
UK
AU
KOBO
https://www.kobo.com/en/audiobook/italian-billionaire-s-scandalous-marriage-the
Praise for Book Two in the Gemstone Billionaire’s series—The Italian Billionaire’s Scandalous Marriage
“I loved the premise that she needs the hero to unlock the secrets to explain her past—it’s great conflict.”
“I really enjoyed this story, your writing, the characters and the kiss. Thanks!”
“What a blinking good read—more please. I was hooked from page one.”
“I want to know the secret in the painting.”
If this is the first time you have read a Gemstone Billionaire story, you can easily read each book as a standalone.
Take good, good care of yourself, stay safe, as we make our way through these unusual and unexpected times. We will get through this, and in the meantime, I’m thinking of you and send you much love, and I hope it’s a peaceful and beautiful week (so many of you are heading toward Spring. Have a great week!
Much Love, Mollie
P.S
Do you enjoy reading literary fiction—especially art-related historical novels set in 15th Century Italy? Would you enjoy being a BETA reader?
Please email me Mollie@molliemathews.com.
As you may know, I am an award-winning artist and I love to include art themes in my books. And for my historical novel, I am enjoying learning from Leonardo. Below is one of my sketches (of Leonardo’s)
[image error]
April 20, 2020
Audiobook New Release: Flight of Passion
Dear Readers,Hello from my bubble in New Zealand!
It’s gorgeous Autumn here in the Southern Hemisphere. While we’re still in lockdown it’s a lovely time of year. I adore these transformational changes of seasons. The old makes way for the new and is always accompanied by a sweeping breath of fresh air. Let’s hope it sweeps the virus away!So it’s no surprise that with all this invigorating energy narrating the audiobook of one of my favourite stories has been a lot of fun! I flew into Flight of Passion with joy and love—and incredible productivity. And it’s paid off!
After much delay, the audiobook is now available from Audible and other retailers.
Flight of Passion is a rapturous tale of beauty, obsession and the transformational power of unconditional love. Here’s a little bit more about my new release:
Devastatingly handsome Oliver Hart is used to getting what he wants. Single, thirty-five and a committed bachelor, he plays by his own rules. On a personal quest to catch a rare, elusive and very valuable butterfly, he’s unwittingly distracted by a former flame, Ruby Diaz—a woman who callously abandoned him eight years earlier.
Deciding he wants to reclaim the beauty as his own, in his mind, it’s as good as done.
But Ruby is not his for the taking. Promised to the son of a wealthy landowner, she refuses to succumb to his charms. On a quest to save her family’s land, Ruby knows she must put duty first, and silence the passionate stirrings of her heart. But Oliver doesn’t make things easy for her. He’s not taking no for an answer.
Risking everything to help the woman he loves to gain her freedom, Oliver entangles himself in an emotional net that alters his life forever. Sacrificing his own selfish pursuit to help Ruby, he realizes that you may be able to own something, but you can never own someone—especially the women you love.
Have you ever wanted to be with someone who sent your heart soaring but threatens your sense of security? Someone who lifts you clear out of the water, but you’re not sure will be around to catch you when you fall head over heels in love? Or do you know what it’s like to sacrifice your own needs to put others first? Then you’ll love this heart-warming romance.
This is a standalone clean & wholesome romance novel. It’s also Book One in my True Love series. It contains a guaranteed HEA and a tale of romance that will capture your heart.
Curl up with this beautiful romance and escape COVID-19.
Written and narrated by me:)
AUDIOBOOK
AUDIBLE
US
https://www.audible.com/pd/Flight-of-Passion-Audiobook/B0874YCXVL
UK
https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Flight-of-Passion-Audiobook/B0874X8TGX
AU
https://www.audible.com.au/pd/Flight-of-Passion-Audiobook/B0874Y3V2T
KOBO
https://www.kobo.com/nz/en/audiobook/flight-of-passion-4
I’ve been blessed by the incredible feedback. Thank you!
Here are some more of the 5-star reviews:
“Fast-paced, heart-wrenching, completely unexpected twists, excellent storyline, and a hell of a good read.”
“This book is a carefully crafted, truly original story. Mollie’s wonderfully descriptive narrative paints a picture in which it is easy to lose oneself. A touching and heart-warming book, well worth a read.”
“I fell in love with Ruby and Oliver, they are so good for each other, but both are so filled with garbage that their families filled them with, that they can’t see what’s in front of them. And when they finally realize that diamonds don’t have a hold to what they had, they are about to lose it. The butterflies remind me of how ethereal life is and it is up to us to not waste it, but live the fullest and best we can.”
“If you like a romance of the Romeo and Juliet ‘starcrossed’ lovers kind, get this book. Mollie spins a lovely tale set in exotic climes and lifts us out of our own reality while we travel a twisting journey with Oliver and Ruby.”
Look how beautiful the cover for the print edition is.
When I first saw it, it took my breath away.
You can purchase your own beautiful paperback from Amazon. Navigate to here – getBook.at/FlightofPassion
It’s also available from all great online bookstores.
Flight of passion is a beautiful heartwarming, clean romance—no swearing, no sex…just love, with all the hurdles you have to overcome.
J.K. Rowling is right when she says, “In the end, love wins, we know it does.” You’ll learn how Ruby and Oliver, my second chance lovers, win their HEA in the end.
BEAUTIFUL BUTTERFLY QUOTES
“Everyone is like a butterfly, they start out ugly and awkward and then morph into beautiful graceful butterflies that everyone loves.” ~ Drew Barrymore
“Metamorphosis surely isn’t a pleasant experience for the caterpillar, yet it results in the transcendent beauty of the butterfly.” ~ Anon
Do you have any favourite butterfly quotes? Do let me know—I’m collecting them.
Happy reading
Much love
P.S. Please feel free to forward this to any friends who might enjoy my books.
This was an earlier version of the cover—I thought you may like a sneak peek 
April 15, 2020
What do an x-rated life coach and a jilted wife have in common?
[image error]
Sex with Strangers Now in Audio For Your Listening Pleasure:)
Yay! I just finished the narration, creation, and publication of Sex With Strangers. Available now on Kobo
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/audiobook/sex-with-strangers-14
and other retailers and libraries soon!
“It was cute and fun to read. I really enjoyed the story because I liked it was charming and cute, a little humorous. I thought this story was a great kept my interest, had to finish the story I would recommend it to friends and family.”
Carol G.
Lovely feedback to receive
“A playful and true view of a recently divorced woman
Every woman who has gone through a divorce after more than one-decade long marriage identifies with this story. The insecurities about going out single again, the difficulties in relating to previous friends as most of them are couples (nobody likes to be the third wheel), the feeling that you are viewed as a competitor (by a previous friend) and the list goes on. Not everyone has a supporting net as Ruby – the main character – does and even though her life coach has quite a few shortcomings about relating to people and finding love she does help Ruby to get on with her life. There are quite a few steamy parts but most of the book is written with a lot of humor and the characters are easy to get fond of. It’s a true picture of modern newly divorced women and it was fun read!”
~ Claudete Takahashi
Have you read this fast, fun and frisky read yet?
eBook, paperback and hardback links below:)
To purchase on Amazon, click here>>getbook.at/SexWithStrangers
To purchase on iBooks, Barnes & Noble and other great bookstores, click here>>https://books2read.com/u/4EkM6z
To purchase on Kobo, click here>>https://www.kobo.com/ebook/sex-with-strangers-13
44-year-old Ruby Evans doesn’t want to be a ‘leftover girl.’ But finding a ‘forever’ man is proving impossible.
In love, the most dangerous enemy is saucy secrets
Suddenly single after 20 years of marriage, her husband is the only man she has ever slept with. But the one bit of security she always thought she’d hold onto for the rest of her life is brutally ripped from her.
Humiliatingly and cruelly ex-ed when her husband trades her for a younger model, Chanel Zest, a long-time friend and motivational life coach, comes to her rescue. Together they embark on a quest to reclaim and rebuild Ruby’s shattered life and begin the grueling process of dating again.
Once in a pink moon, Ruby has to play dirty…
If you enjoy romantic comedy, you’ll love Sex With Strangers .
Full of quirky humor and the promise of a happily ever after.
Sex with Strangers is a clean romantic comedy with a few spicy bits.
“I absolutely enjoyed this story. I loved the storyline, I loved the characters, I loved the humor. I couldn’t put it down. The descriptions were perfect. I loved everything about this book especially the humor. It was funny, sad at times, and I loved it.”
~ Patricia Quinn
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS ENJOYED THIS BOOK AND LEFT A REVIEW—I TREASURE YOU. IF YOU HAVEN’T REVIEWED YET…..pretty please, do!
xxxx
Review Links:
To leave your review on Amazon, click here>>getbook.at/SexWithStrangers
To leave your review on iBooks, Barnes & Noble and other great bookstores, click here>>https://books2read.com/u/4EkM6z
To leave your review on Kobo, click here>>https://www.kobo.com/ebook/sex-with-strangers-13
To leave your review on Goodreads, click here>>https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50311061-sex-with-strangers
To follow me and leave your review on Bookbub, click here>>
https://www.bookbub.com/books/sex-with-strangers-by-mollie-mathews
I hope where ever you are that you feel safe, well, and doing what you love. We’ll all be back to normal again soon!
xxx
April 9, 2020
Wishing you a blessed and happy Easter
“No one wants to read your sh*t,” my brother once said to me. For some reason, his words, and other unkind things said to me during my life, have been infecting me recently like the COVID-19 virus infecting our communities.
Then out of the blue today came a lovely card from one of my readers in Sth Africa, Margaret.
And it made me smile, and nod, and agree—yes, we shall all come out of this dreadful time so much stronger. And we shall all transcend our childhood traumas by doing things that make our heart sing. And even if nobody wants to read our books, or buy our paintings, hire us, or say a kind word to us, we can continue to do what we can do to make the world a happier, healthier and kinder place.
Yesterday I broke down and cried and cried and cried about all the suffering in the world right now. But today I am smiling. Who knows how I will feel tomorrow. As my partner, Lorenzo says, “We all have to keep remembering no two days are the same. Who knows what tomorrow may bring.
So thank you, Margaret. And thank you, dear readers, for the reviews, you leave about my books. I read every one of them. Honestly. I do:)
What I’m working on now…
Narrating audiobooks is an arduous process. It takes a long, long time. But I am persevering. I’m a third through the final edits of Sex With Strangers. Yay! It’s great fun.
I’ve also written and released two new children’s-adults books (as C.G. Ford) So many people feel anxious, fearful, and stressed right now, but there is something we can do. We can feed our soul. Which is what I did when I wrote my two new releases:
Lulu is a Black Sheep – which shares my own experience of being a black sheep in my family.
To sample on Amazon, click here>>getbook.at/BlackSheep
To sample on iBooks, Barnes & Noble and other great bookstores, click here>>https://books2read.com/u/mVw1Vp
To sample on Kobo, click here>>https://www.kobo.com/ebook/lulu-is-a-black-sheep-1
Jojo Lost Her Confidence – which shares my daughter’s experience of losing her confidence and how she found it again.
I wrote this book for my daughter who messaged me in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic.
“I’ve lost my confidence a little bit,” Hannah Joy shared.
When we are stressed, anxious or overwhelmed our confidence can be one of the first things to be lost.
I made the story up on the spot to comfort her and allowed the story to speak through me as I left a message for her on WhatsApp.
Hannah Joy is nearly thirty, But confidence places no boundaries on age. I hope this story is a reminder to all of us that, no matter how old we are, what is truly ours can never be lost. Sometimes we just need help bringing back the light.
If you’ve lost your confidence, consider remembering all the things you love about yourself, or that others love about you. Write these down, and look at your list regularly.
Empower this awareness further, by recording affirmations and positive feedback in a digital app on your phone. Listen to these feel-good thoughts daily.
If you are reading Jojo Lost Her Confidence to your child, or they are listening to the audio version, encourage them to do the same.
Available in paperback, ebook, and audio (written and narrated by me!)
Amazon>>getbook.at/Jojo
iBooks and other great online bookstores here>> https://books2read.com/u/m2VJKR
Kobo>>https://www.kobo.com/ebook/jojo-lost-her-confidence
Both books are designed to support people who are going through life challenges including loss of income, the detonation of their careers, and rejection and abandonment by their family. As always the message is one of self-empowerment, resilience, and divine guidance.
I’m not sure what romance writing project I’ll tackle next. If you have any ideas please do let me know. I love hearing from you.
Patience is the power that rewards…
I’m happy to report that Forever and Always has gone live on Audible. It’s hard to believe that one of the wealthiest companies in the world were too short-staffed to release this audiobook and other books earlier. But patience wins.
As with all my stories, Forever and Always, was sparked by a true event, or rather several true events.
I started to write this short story following a toxic work experience. It’s a love story—so of course, it had to have a happy ending.
[image error]
Walks in our neighbourhood
I’ve always loved going for a walk in my local neighbourhood. But it’s even more beautiful and poignant now as we walk with other members of our community keeping our social distances, waving out and inquiring how we all are – breaking free of confinement for a little while, a little walk, a little
[image error]
Margaret—of course! Thank you for the lovely card and for thinking of me.
I hope wherever you are in the world you have someone to share your joy, your heart, your angst, and your healing.
Margaret is right, we shall all get out of this terrible time so much stronger.
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS ENJOYED MY BOOKS AND LEFT A REVIEW—I TREASURE YOU
Wishing you a blessed and happy Easter
Much love to you
xxxxx
March 25, 2020
Comfort books
I’m happy to report that Forever and Always has gone live on Audible. It’s hard to believe that one of the wealthiest companies in the world were too short-staffed to release this audiobook and other books earlier. But patience wins.
I am still patiently waiting for Claimed by The Sheik and also The Italian Billionaire’s Christmas Bride to be released on Audible. It’s been over five months now. Hard to believe. Still, right now, there are greater urgencies in the world.
If you or someone you love has had their careers upended in the wake of the Coronavirus, my short love story, Forever and Always, will hold special magic. As I share my in my Author’s Note:
I can relate to Danielle Steele who says to always be on guard against envy. “Envy is a very ugly thing and very dangerous. You have to protect yourself from it every day.”
As with all my stories, Forever and Always, was sparked by a true event, or rather several true events.
I started to write this short story following a toxic work experience. It’s a love story—so of course, it had to have a happy ending.
As the opening quote of this book suggests, sometimes the worst of times can turn out to be blessings in disguise.
The direct link is:
Audio, print and ebooks also available from
KOBO
https://www.kobo.com/ebook/forever-and-always-27
BARNES&NOBLE and other great bookstores
https://books2read.com/u/mKEQv9
Publisher’s Summary
Will Lily and Leonardo end up giving their hearts to the wrong person?
Still reeling following her malicious sacking, family therapist Lily Rose is feeling rejected and low in spirits. Even worse, she’s broke. The last thing she needs is more money woes. Which is exactly what happens when she collides with billionaire water magnate Leonardo Ermenegildo Bressolini’s mint-condition Lamborghini.
Having found a place to retreat from the madness, greed, and malevolence of his ex-wife, the last thing Leonardo wants is complications. But he is a man in need of a housekeeper. And Lily Rose owes him. Big time.
What they both don’t know is just what a massive impact the crash will have on their lives. Sparks heat into a collision of powerful forces that can’t be dampened.
Spontaneous love on the beach sends deep passions and emotional connection – more heartfelt than either has ever known – steaming to the surface.
When Leonardo’s past comes careering into his future, will both Lily and Lorenzo end up giving their hearts to the wrong person?
Forever and Always is a short, clean romance, full of quirky humor and the promise of a happily ever after. Set in The Bay of Islands, New Zealand – one of the most beautiful, unspoiled, and sensuous places in the world. Forever and Always is part of Mollie Mathew’s best-selling series Passion Down Under Sassy Short Stories. It can easily be listened to as a stand-alone story, but you’ll love listening to the other books, too.
Bonus content: Enjoy the first three chapters from Mollie’s most popular books: Married by Christmas – animosity and undeniable attraction that make the tension soar, Flight of Passion – a rapturous tale of love and obsession, and Claimed by the Sheikh – discover the secret the world was never meant to know.
Curl up with romance and savor these delicious, clean, sweet, and tender love stories.
What I’m working on now…
This is the first day of a one-month lock-down in New Zealand. We’ve been asked to stay home, not leave (unless we run out of food or need the pharmacy, and to socially isolate. I count myself lucky we live where we do, but my thoughts and prayers go out to others not so fortunate.
I’m still reeling from the shock of not even being able to travel to see my daughter. It’s early days to stay what I’m working on now (for myself) but for others, especially in my other life as a therapist, I try to help, heal, and provide hope.
You may enjoy or find comfort in my blog, How to be the rock that resists adversity—mind, body and soul food during COVID-19.
You’ll also get a peek at some of my healing art. As you know, many of the heroines in my love stories are art therapists in various guises.
How to be the rock that resists adversity—mind, body and soul food during COVID-19
How to be the rock that resists adversity—mind, body and soul food during COVID…
March 18, 2020
Five beautiful romances which will stay with you forever
[image error]
Dear Readers
Since we are all going to spend more time indoors, why not make the best of it?
It’s the perfect time to read or listen to books of heart. So many of us need a positive distraction and something to make us feel good again. Which why I’ve bundled my most popular full-length books and included a whooping price drop…(I know many people are under incredible financial strain)
which means – 5 FULL_LENGTH BOOKS FOR THE PRICE OF ONE
And
Five beautiful romances which will stay with you forever
Five Happily Ever Afters Boxed Set contains the first five full-length books of my romantic novels set in the captivatingly beautiful landscapes of New Zealand, Fiji, Italy, New York and an exotic desert kingdom.
If you adore beautifully written stories and true heart-warming (sometimes frisky) romances which sparkle with humour you’ll love travelling along the road to love with these changing and evolving men and women as they escape the wounds of their past, open their heart’s, and find true love.
The five romance books included in this bundle are:
The Italian Billionaire’s Christmas Bride
Sometimes two wrongs make a very passionate right…
Last Christmas, art therapist Issy Riley was jilted by her fiancé. This Christmas she’s running away. A week with a client on his private Fijian island promises to save her from cheating men and the London festive season. But when the client turns out to be a gorgeous and magnetic Italian billionaire, he threatens her resolve to never again trust her heart to the wrong man.
The Italian Billionaire’s Scandalous Marriage
Why is everyone afraid of the truth?
When a lonely young American woman inherits a painting she discovers her whole life was a lie. Desperate for the truth, she goes in search of her true identity. The painting is her only clue. But everyone is determined to keep its secret past repressed, including Vitaliano Rossi, the Italian gold tycoon, unnaturally suspicious of her motives, who wants the painting vanquished. How can she discover who she really is and convince him that his love means more to her than gold?
Flight of Passion
Past love and passionate obsessions…
Billionaire property investor Oliver Hart is used to getting what he wants. Single, thirty-five and a committed bachelor, he plays by his own rules. On a personal quest to discover a rare, elusive and very valuable butterfly, he’s unwittingly distracted by a former flame, Ruby Diaz—a woman who callously abandoned him eight years earlier. Deciding he wants to reclaim the beauty as his own, in his mind, it’s as good as done. But Ruby is not his for the taking.
Claimed by the Sheikh
The secret she kept from the Sheikh…
A grief-stricken Sheikh Tariq na Hassir, the formidable ruler of the Kingdom of Avana, arrives in Paris to claim his brother’s child after a car crash killed his parents–unaware that the child isn’t their biological son. Salim is Tariq’s son, with his former lover, a renowned architect. Tariq will do whatever it takes to protect his legacy, including claiming Melanie as his bride and his son as heir. But Melanie has other plans for her future.
AND MY NEW RELEASE…
Sex With Strangers
Once in a pink moon, Ruby has to play dirty…
44-year-old Ruby Evans doesn’t want to be a ‘leftover girl.’ But finding a ‘forever’ man is proving impossible. Humiliatingly and cruelly ex-ed when her husband trades her for a younger model, Chanel Zest, a long-time friend and motivational life coach, comes to her rescue.
Escape into romance with this beautiful box set. Five Happily Ever Afters Box Set is a fun read with healthy doses of escapism.
To grab your copy from Amazon, click here>>getbook.at/FiveHappilyEverAfters
Here’s to more love, less fear, this year.
Why do you love audiobooks?
Some people say audiobooks aren’t for them, however, I love being able to listen to books when I’m traveling or block out noise when irritants surround me. I also love being able to listen to people who share their stories and write and narrate their own books.
Recently I listened to Elton John‘s first and only autobiography Me in audiobook. In part, it’s narrated by him and another person. No doubt a good balance for a busy superstar.
I also have audiobooks by Danielle Steel and Nora Roberts—sadly, not narrated by them, but still good books.
I know from experience it takes a lot of time to write and edit and produce an audiobook. I narrate my own books and am steadily working through my catalogue.
Currently, I’m listening to Michelle Obama’s book Becoming Michelle. I love that it’s in her own voice —it’s really lovely to hear her. It’s very soothing and inspiring for the soul.
I also respect that there are very many people who cannot read.
They might be dyslexic or have never been taught or learned to read. Audiobooks makes a world of wonder., knowledge, and empowerment accessible to others. People like my picture-framer, Peter who told me recently that for the first time he was accessing Victor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning.
Peter is dyslexic. He is getting so much joy from listening to Frankl’s wise words of hope, happiness, and healing.
I first read this book in paperback when it was gifted to me by a fellow student on my psychology course over a decade ago. in the book Christopher wrote
May your search for meaning always be filled with hope, love, and beauty.
And
Thank you for reminding me, that life truly is beautiful [even in Palmerston north!]
Dear readers, it is my wish for you that your life is also filled with hope, love, and beauty. What a wonderful way to be.
Did you know you can enjoy and be inspired by my most popular and successful books on audio? In less than 15 minutes you could be listening to your way to a new life!
Check out the following written and narrated by me.
Love Me Forever
USA
https://www.audible.com/pd/Love-Me-Forever-Audiobook/B081QRGJV8
UK
https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Love-Me-Forever-Audiobook/B081QQVRV4
Australia
https://www.audible.com.au/pd/Love-Me-Forever-Audiobook/B081QQW4N8
Twist of Fate
USA
https://www.audible.com/pd/Twist-of-Fate-Audiobook/B07YL93YYV
UK
https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Twist-of-Fate-Audiobook/B07YLBN32S
Australia
https://www.audible.com.au/pd/Twist-of-Fate-Audiobook/B07YL9ZTLJ
The Lightkeepers Lover
USA
https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Lightkeepers-Lover-Audiobook/B07Z9PX3NY
UK
https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/The-Lightkeepers-Lover-Audiobook/B07Z9Q1Q89
Australia
https://www.audible.com.au/pd/The-Lightkeepers-Lover-Audiobook/B07Z9QRWBV
Audio versions of these books and the following are also available from all online bookstores and also libraries (I’m still waiting on Audible to publish the below—apparently they are still catching up on their backlog from the holidays):
Sex With Strangers
Claimed by the Sheikh
Love Me As I Am
Married By Christmas
The Italian Billionaire’s Christmas Bride
The Italian Billionaire’s Scandalous Marriage
Flight of Passion
In less than 15 minutes you could be listening to something uplifting! Whatever you do, keep yourself safe and your immune system nourished.
P.S. if you’ve read and enjoyed my audiobooks would you be kind enough to leave a review. Thank you:)
March 15, 2020
Why do you love audiobooks?
Dear Readers
Life is rough right now for so many people. The “global pandemic” has people arm-wrestling over toilet paper at WalMart, events are getting cancelled, the stock market took a hit, and here in New Zealand our government has asked many people to voluntarily self-isolate. Who knows what’s going to happen next.
Since we are all going to spend more time indoors, why not make the best of it?
It’s the perfect time to read or listen to books of heart.
Why do you love audiobooks?
Some people say audiobooks aren’t for them, however, I love being able to listen to books when I’m traveling or block out noise when irritants surround me. I also love being able to listen to people who share their stories and write and narrate their own books.
Recently I listened to Elton John‘s first and only autobiography Me in audiobook. In part, it’s narrated by him and another person. No doubt a good balance for a busy superstar.
I also have audiobooks by Danielle Steel and Nora Roberts—sadly, not narrated by them, but still good books.
I know from experience it takes a lot of time to write and edit and produce an audiobook. I narrate my own books and am steadily working through my catalogue.
Currently, I’m listening to Michelle Obama’s book Becoming Michelle. I love that it’s in her own voice —it’s really lovely to hear her. It’s very soothing and inspiring for the soul.
I also respect that there are very many people who cannot read.
They might be dyslexic or have never been taught or learned to read. Audiobooks makes a world of wonder., knowledge, and empowerment accessible to others. People like my picture-framer, Peter who told me recently that for the first time he was accessing Victor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning.
Peter is dyslexic. He is getting so much joy from listening to Frankl’s wise words of hope, happiness, and healing.
I first read this book in paperback when it was gifted to me by a fellow student on my psychology course over a decade ago. in the book Christopher wrote
May your search for meaning always be filled with hope, love, and beauty.
And
Thank you for reminding me, that life truly is beautiful [even in Palmerston north!]
Dear readers, it is my wish for you that your life is also filled with hope, love, and beauty. What a wonderful way to be.
Did you know you can enjoy and be inspired by my most popular and successful books on audio? In less than 15 minutes you could be listening to your way to a new life!
Check out the following written and narrated by me:
Love Me Forever
USA
https://www.audible.com/pd/Love-Me-Forever-Audiobook/B081QRGJV8
UK
https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Love-Me-Forever-Audiobook/B081QQVRV4
Australia
https://www.audible.com.au/pd/Love-Me-Forever-Audiobook/B081QQW4N8
Twist of Fate
USA
https://www.audible.com/pd/Twist-of-Fate-Audiobook/B07YL93YYV
UK
https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Twist-of-Fate-Audiobook/B07YLBN32S
Australia
https://www.audible.com.au/pd/Twist-of-Fate-Audiobook/B07YL9ZTLJ
The Lightkeeper’s Lover
USA
https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Lightkeepers-Lover-Audiobook/B07Z9PX3NY
UK
https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/The-Lightkeepers-Lover-Audiobook/B07Z9Q1Q89
Australia
https://www.audible.com.au/pd/The-Lightkeepers-Lover-Audiobook/B07Z9QRWBV
Audio versions of these books and the following are also available from all online bookstores and also libraries (I’m still waiting on Audible to publish the below—apparently they are still catching up on their backlog from the holidays):
Sex With Strangers
Claimed by the Sheikh
Love Me As I Am
Married By Christmas
The Italian Billionaire’s Christmas Bride
The Italian Billionaire’s Scandalous Marriage
Flight of Passion
In less than 15 minutes you could be listening to something uplifting! Whatever you do protect yourself from the Coronavirus—keep yourself safe and your immune system nourished.
P.S. if you’ve read and enjoyed my audiobooks would you be kind enough to leave a review. Thank you:)
