Lily Lawson's Blog: Lily's log, page 22
July 21, 2022
Book Reviews - Georgia Springate -Beyond
This is not my usual genre. I am not a young adult by any means. However the description spoke to me and I am very glad it did.Georgia Springate has captured the emotions of 14 year old Alex as he struggles to come to terms with his sister's cancer. Being of similar age to Alex when my nana died of cancer I could identify with him. Some of the family reactions were similar to my own families.All of the characters are so well described I could imagine them as if they were in front of me. I wish I could have read it in one go but I got to savour it in small doses.
An excellent debut from an excellent writer - there will be more to come and I will be at the front of the queue to read them. Take note of this name - you won't regret it.
July 8, 2022
The scary but satisfying process of writing book two in a series - Fi Phillips
On 2nd August this year, Magic Bound - the second novel in my fantasy series - will be published by Burning Chair. I still get all tingly and excited when I say or write that sentence. It’s taken almost three years to get to this stage, but the finish line is getting close.
Writing the second book in a series was a surprisingly different process to writing the initial novel; a more complicated but richer process that I hope I’ve risen to.
The challenges, and the opportunities, in continuing Steve Haven’s journey into magic were many and varied. Here are just a few:
Pulling Steve back into the adventure
At the end of Haven Wakes, the first novel in the series, twelve year old Steve returns to his ‘normal’ world. As Magic Bound begins, Steve turns 13 and appears to have been abandoned by his new magical friends. What could possibly tempt him to return?
This was the first challenge; finding a reason for Steve to leave the safety of boarding school. Steve knows how dangerous some of the magicals are, especially the criminal ring-leader Braeden Kendra and his thugs. What would convince Steve to jump, feet first, back into that world again?
With his parents absent, Hartley Keg and Blessing have become the nearest he has to a family, so it made sense that saving them would provide all the motivation Steve needed to return to Darkacre and the wider world of magic.
Revealing more of both the magical and the workaday worlds
Haven Wakes provided a snapshot of a futuristic, highly technical world and the concealed magical world that existed just out of sight. There was only so much I could reveal within the city limits of Caercester. The challenge was to show both Steve and the reader more of the workaday world and the magical culture.
As a result, Magic Bound takes the reader deeper into how the magical world works, for instance, how it is governed and policed, and far beyond the reach of the city to discover what other areas of the workaday (non-magical) world look like.
Creating a new quest
Just as Haven Wakes is a self-contained story, so too is Magic Bound. The challenge was to create a new, separate adventure that would continue to develop the story arc of the fantasy series towards its ending.
In the end, Magic Bound rose to that challenge as Steve discovered more about his family’s involvement in the magical world, armed himself better to deal with his enemies, and took control of his future. There are plenty of breadcrumbs laid for the next book in the series. Of course, at this point, I’m the only one who knows what those breadcrumbs are.
*
Magic Bound was a joy, and a brain-ache, and a challenge to write. I wanted to satisfy my readers with a new adventure that was as good as, if not better than, Haven Wakes. I think I’ve succeeded, but that decision will be down to my readers.
The magic returns
When Hartley Keg and Blessing go missing, Steve Haven, the young heir to the Haven Robotics Corporation, once again finds himself plunged back into the chaos of Darkacre.
Teaming up with the darkling, he finds himself on the run from the Council and their enforcers, the Hidden, as he seeks to keep safe those he holds most dear.
Things are complicated further when a new player emerges: the Parity, who are far too keen in the Haven Corporation, and the magical device which nearly led to its destruction.
What follows is a race not only against time but through a series of worlds, each more fantastical and dangerous than the last, as Steve and his friends try to keep one step ahead of their pursuers.
Magic Bound is the second adventure in the Haven Chronicles, following on from Haven Wakes, a unique blend of fantasy and sci-fi which has been described by readers as “shades of Artemis Fowl, hints of Harry Potter… and Skulduggery Pleasant”
Biography
For many years Fi Phillips worked in an office environment until the arrival of her two children robbed her of her short term memory and sent her hurtling down a new, bumpy, creative path. She finds that getting the words down on paper is the best way to keep the creative muse out of her shower.
Fi lives in the wilds of North Wales with her family, earning a living as a copywriter, playwright and fantasy novelist.
Writing about magical possibilities is her passion.
Haven Wakes on Amazon - https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07WJ4YFNX/
Haven Wakes on Burning Chair website - https://burning-chair.myshopify.com/collections/fiction-books/products/haven-wakes-by-fi-phillips
Magic Bound on Amazon - https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0B31Z7THB/
Magic Bound on Burning Chair website - https://burning-chair.myshopify.com/collections/fiction-books/products/magic-bound-by-fi-phillips-paperback-ebook-preorder
Amazon author page - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fi-Phillips/e/B07YNVCYDC/
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19503733.Fi_Phillips
You can also find Fi on:
July 4, 2022
Things I Did Not Do On The Weekend - Dreena Collins
I read Things I Did Not Do On The Weekend several times on a Sunday. I rarely read poems that are not my own more than once. This book came along when I was wishing for poetry and delivered beautifully. Dreena Collins fabulous collection describes experiences of living in contemporary society in the same relatable accessible manner that can be found in her short stories. If I Told You That I Loved You Would You Empty the Bin? made me smile from its listing on the contents page alone. I’m very glad this book comes under Things I Did Do On The Weekend perhaps next weekend it will be on your list – unless you can’t wait till then.
Biography
Dreena Collins was born in Jersey, Channel Islands. She has a background in teaching, with a degree and a Masters’ degree in English Literature, as well as postgraduate teaching and Special Educational Needs qualifications. She now works as the Service Manager for a mental health charity. She lives with two males and a dog.
Previous publications include poetry featured in Mslexia magazine and Interchange periodical. She has been shortlisted and longlisted in several writing competitions, including the internationally celebrated ‘Bridport Prize’.
Things that Dreena loves include comfortable shoes, island holidays, spicy food, irreverence, and her family.
She dislikes intolerance (and Jaffa Cakes).
,www.facebook.com/dreenawriting
July 1, 2022
Book Reviews Cheryl Burman - Dragon Gift
A collection of past and future award winning short stories from one of my favourite authors (it's a short list). Cheryl Burman is indeed a master storyteller, painting images that transport you into the worlds that exist in her fertile imagination.
This is a varied collection with a mix of serious stories which tug at your emotions and light hearted ones. Some have familiar characters but all are presented in the authors unique fashion. If you are a writer you can learn a lot from Cheryl Burman.
If you are a reader, just sit back and relax and let her do what she does best - tell you a story - in this case 10. Consider yourself thoroughly spoilt.
The eBook is free when you subscribe to Cheryl’s newsletter.
Bio
Cheryl Burman hails from Australia – an Adelaide girl originally before going off to university. She moved to the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, UK via Switzerland and Surrey, in 2008. She’s glad she did. The Forest has inspired writers, including Tolkien, for generations. It’s still doing so.
Cheryl likes to switch focus from time to time so brands herself a multi-genre author, that is, she writes what she feels like. She began with fantasy for the middle graders (books the mums, dads, grannies etc also enjoy) moved to historical fiction with her novel Keepers, and her historical fantasy novel, River Witch will be released in September (Click on the image for more). You can find all her books here.
The greatest pleasure she receives from her writing is when people tell her: ‘I loved your book.’ It gets even better if they leave a review saying so!
Follow her on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
Cheryl is also on Goodreads, BookBub, AllAuthor and is a member of the Independent Authors Network (IAN)
Check out her Amazon author page – so friend/follow her/ask a question/leave a review!
June 24, 2022
Carolyn Ruffles Interview
Tell me about your books
I’m very proud to say I’ve written and published three novels.
The Girl in the Scrapbook, my first book, is an emotional, romantic novel of life, love and family. The lives of Emily, Jennifer and Norah become entangled with the discovery of photographs of a girl in an old scrapbook. The search to uncover the girl’s identity reveals tragic family secrets long hidden and a mystery spanning over ninety years.
The inspiration behind it was half of an old photo showing my grandmother, Nora, taken when she was a child in the 1920s, standing beside her father. The missing half, I was told, would have revealed her much-hated stepmother. This intrigued me and the germ of the story was born. I’m a family-orientated person and the heart of the novel reflects this.
My second novel, Who To Trust, is a romantic thriller with many twists and surprises. A baby is stolen; a young child is abducted; a woman is stalked. Three events, many years apart, somehow linked by Anna Blake. As events escalate and danger looms, Anna begins to doubt her trust in the people closest to her. Everyone is hiding something. Who is telling the truth? When my son read The Girl in the Scrapbook, he joked my next novel would be improved with a car chase. I tried! In the opening chapter Anna, realises she is being followed by someone driving a dented, blue Peugeot. The scene is tense, as her fears and suspicions grow, but doesn’t quite deliver on the car chase front!
The Vanishing Encore, my third book, is another fast-paced, romantic thriller. In 2003, a young woman vanishes. Years later, Todd Matheson notices the similarity between the missing woman and Lily Nichol, his daughter’s teacher. Could they be the same person? When, without warning, Lily disappears, Todd is determined to discover the truth. But sometimes secrets should stay hidden. Discovery could spell danger.
I’m proud of all my books and have been delighted by the generosity and support of readers who have enjoyed them.
When and how did you start writing?
I’ve always written! I loved writing as a child and, if I wasn’t reading, I was making up stories. I was first published at the age of nine when a poem I’d written was submitted by my teacher and chosen for an anthology of poetry by children. As an adult, in my spare time, throughout the following years, I attempted writing several novels, only to give up once they were underway, dissatisfied with the quality of my writing.
It was only when I retired from teaching, in 2016, that I decided my first project would be to write a book – a whole book this time. I was determined to reach the end, no matter what. And I did.
Having finished it, though, I wasn’t sure what to do with it. I sent it to a few agents hoping for publication and received polite, but encouraging, rejections. Eventually, I plucked up the courage to print off a few copies for friends and family and was blown away by their enthusiasm. This gave me the spur I needed to consider self-publishing and The Girl in the Scrapbook was launched November 2018.
What was your favourite research activity you have done for a book?
I’ve had an enjoyable time researching the history of witchcraft in the seventeenth century for my current book. The persecution of so many innocents and the barbaric trials which took place has made for gruesome but fascinating reading.
Do you belong to any writing groups and if so, how do they help you with your writing?
I don’t.
What writing advice have you been given that really helped you?
To get words down on the page without fussing how good they are. This helps with the flow of the writing and, more importantly, encourages me to stick at it when the going gets tough. I use the editing process as the time to hone and refine word choices.
What do you consider your greatest writing accomplishment? And which was your biggest challenge?
My greatest writing accomplishment was definitely completing The Girl in the Scrapbook. Achieving that gave me the confidence to continue writing which I love.
My greatest challenge … marketing and promoting my work. I’m thrilled to have built up a following of readers who love my work but feel my novels deserve more from me on this score. I don’t enjoy that aspect of being an author though so do have a tendency to avoid it.
What’s the best thing someone has said about your writing?
I’ve been so fortunate my readers have been kind enough to post wonderful reviews of my novels but the comment which touched me the most was from a fellow author and it was about my free novelette, Memories Forgotten (available on my website by signing up for my readers’ list). She said the narrative, ‘held me suspended in a place of beauty.’ What wonderful words for someone to say about my writing!
Has a book really touched you? Made you rethink your views on life? If so, what was it?
Lots. I can’t name just one.
What would you do if you didn’t write?
I don’t know. I’d have to do something which fulfilled my creative side. That’s one of the reasons I loved teaching – planning fun, engaging lessons which appealed to the different learning styles of the children in whichever class I was teaching.
What are your current projects? What should we be looking out for?
I’ve just finished the first draft of my latest book, set a fictional village in Suffolk in the UK, and am now busy with the first edit. This novel starts with a witch-drowning in 1645, the repercussions of which colour the views, superstitions and lives of the villagers in the present day. There’s mystery, murder, romance and a colourful cast of characters. The current title is The Wickthorpe Witch but I feel that suggests the wrong genre so I’m still working on it. Whilst it’s a stand-alone novel, I’ve already planned a sequel.
What is your ultimate dream as a writer?
To be the best I can be and to make my books as readable and enjoyable as they can be.
Author Profile
Carolyn Ruffles is the author of contemporary and historical fiction laced with mystery, romance and suspense. She has written and published three novels: The Girl in the Scrapbook, Who To Trust and The Vanishing Encore.
Carolyn loves reading books which tell a compelling story: books with drama and emotional depth; books with characters she loves and whose tales keep her reading late into the night; books with satisfying endings. These are what she strives to write. She is fascinated by human interest stories – ordinary people embroiled in extraordinary dramas and learning about themselves in the process.
Carolyn lives in Norfolk, UK, with her husband, Mark. When she’s not reading or writing, she enjoys walking her two rescue dogs, spending time with family and friends, playing badminton and looking after her two beautiful grandsons.
http://carolynrufflesauthor.com
Social Media Links
https://www.twitter.com/@CarolynRuffles
https://www.facebook.com/carolynrufflesauthor/
https://www.instagram.com/carolynruffles/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18581532.Carolyn_Ruffles
Amazon author link https://www.amazon.com/author/carolynruffles
Book links (also available via my website)
mybook.to/whototrust paperback/print version
mybook.to/whototrustebook eBook
https://books2read.com/cruffleswhototrust
mybook.to/girlinscrapbookebook eBook
mybook.to/thegirlinthescrapbook paperback/print
http://mybook.to/vanishingencoreebook
http://mybook.to/thevanishingencore
June 17, 2022
Joanne Paulson Interview
When and how did you start writing?
I’ve been a writer all my life and make my living with words and their specific arrangements for various purposes: articles, columns, books . . . and I’ve written advertising and corporate stuff too.
Early early EARLY on, I dabbled a bit in poetry, short stories and other bits of things. But I only started writing novels when my life took a sharp left turn about eight years ago. I never aspired to it, at least not seriously.
Terrible events in one’s life make one look at things a bit differently. Even so, it was my unconscious or perhaps subconscious self that forced me to try it. After some months of hiding under the bed and battling insomnia, my brain awakened me one night with a plot, a sexy police officer and a beautiful reporter not very much like myself.
Miraculously, I remembered it in the morning. So I wrote the damned thing down. I have said that Adam’s Witness, my first book, may have saved my life and definitely saved my sanity. I still believe that latter bit.
I’m rather fond of it, to be honest.
Tell me about your books.
The Adam and Grace series — now four novels and a novella — follows the love story and crime-solving exploits of my two main characters: Adam Davis, detective sergeant (later inspector) with the local police service, and Grace Rampling, a journalist with the daily newspaper I worked for (and loved, and still write a bit for as a freelance columnist).
The idealist journalist in me informs the plots. Generally, each one deals with a different social issue, although I do my best to surround those issues with action, love and actual plots.
Adam’s Witness, for example, examines the violence and mental instability that often underlies homophobia.
In addition, I recently published a historical fiction/western novel, Blood and Dust, which perhaps unsurprisingly was also inspired by midnight miseries, so to speak. My husband’s terrible nightmare was translated into the first chapter. Once that was written, I couldn’t stop, and the thing turned into a novel.
I have also just tried my hand at a book for wee ones. Magic Mack and The Mischief-Makers is a bit of an ode to my neighbour’s adorable grandson. He full-on inspired the little story.
What journalistic skills have you found helpful in your writing?
All of them. Basic skills like spelling, grammar and punctuation; an appreciation of deadlines and an instinct for when to ship your work; research; what kinds of things might cause copyright problems.
Authoring comes with its own unique and special skills, however. I certainly had to learn how to structure a novel, not to mention how to format it and post it on Amazon, among many other things.
When you start writing a series do you plan it out and know how many books there will be, or do you take it one book at a time?
When I wrote Adam’s Witness, I thought it would be a one-off. There: I’ve done my little sanity-saving vanity project. Once it was published, though, a friend said to me, “So have you started book two yet?”
Well, damn, I thought. You mean I’m supposed to keep going?
So I did. True story.
So I suppose the answer is, I have no idea about anything ever.
What do you consider your greatest writing accomplishment? And which was your biggest challenge?
I think just being able to crawl out of myself and get the first book actually written was one of the greatest accomplishments of my life. It was a monstrously huge incredible thing for me.
Even so, it somehow didn’t feel like a challenge. It wasn’t easy, and it may not be the greatest book in history (ha), but it felt like it poured out of me.
Deciding to actually try to collect some readers, and the subsequent self-education about marketing . . . now that has been a challenge.
I have to say I was proud of myself for sticking my western novel out there for publishers to see and potentially reject. That was hard. But it was accepted by Black Rose Writing, and I must say, what a day that was. I still feel the shivers of that thrill.
What’s the best thing someone has said about your writing?
I have had some nice reviews and some bad reviews, some lovely feedback and some very negative feedback. Not everyone appreciates my political point of view, as they see it.
A review that panned Adam’s Witness for being supportive of the queer community meant a lot to me. I know that might sound strange, but it validated that I had made my point if homophobic readers wanted to give me single star reviews.
Becoming accepted by the queer community of indie writers post-publication of that book is among the things I am the very proudest of. I am honoured to be called ally and friend.
What would you do if you didn’t write?
Nothing.
Has a book really touched you? Made you rethink your views on life? If so, what was it?
So many books have touched me greatly. Your own poetry has made me weep and see my own pain and experience illuminated in new ways.
Coming About by Mario Dell’Olio has an incredible final chapter, in which he explores his faith in light of two near-death experiences. Again, I wept and felt powerfully moved and validated by that work.
I am not sure if a book has made me rethink my views on life, but many have significantly expanded my understanding of those views, and my empathy, I hope, for others.
What are your current projects? What should we be looking out for?
I am struggling mightily with what I think will be the final novel in the Adam and Grace series. The character around whom the plot turns is a Black male teacher who has been professionally attacked by his community for racist reasons. It’s been so hard to write. I am desperate to represent this man (based on two real men — a friend and one of my father’s clients; Dad was a lawyer) realistically, fairly, and to capture his voice authentically while not appropriating it. You could say I’m a little blocked. I hope to make progress on The Maddox Verdict this summer. Indeed, I’m hoping to take a month off to figure it out.
There will be a sequel to Blood and Dust after that. I am also hoping to publish a strange collection of small works: poetry, short fiction, short stories, that sort of thing.
What is your ultimate dream as a writer?
There has always only been one dream, whether as journalist or author: to change the world for the better. Where we love each other regardless of our differences; where we eschew violence under all circumstances; where we are all free and whole and healthy to the extent humans can be.
Of course, I would have to be read MUCH more widely if that were ever to happen. So that would be nice, too.
BIO
Joanne (J.C.) Paulson, a long-time journalist in Saskatoon, Canada, has been published in newspapers including The Star Phoenix, The Western Producer, the Saskatoon Express and a variety of magazines. Her unquiet brain requested a shift from fact to fiction four years ago, when she started writing mysteries based in Saskatchewan. Five have been independently published: Adam’s Witness, Broken Through, Fire Lake, Griffin’s Cure, and Two Hundred Bones, a novella. She has recently completed a historical fiction/western novel entitled Blood and Dust, published by Black Rose Writing, and a wee children’s book, Magic Mack and The Mischief-Makers.
You can find her on Twitter
Subscribe to her newsletter
Or find out more about her books here
June 10, 2022
Rainbow's Red Poetry Book
This is my poetic introduction to my book,
which is named for my Instagram handle Poetic Rainbow.
You will find me in moments of anger
I weave through hate and love.
My rebel strength will emerge
defiant in the aftermath.
I welcome you to read my words,
may they speak their message
I am Red
Copyright © 2022 Lily Lawson
June 3, 2022
Kate Allan Interview
Tell me about your books
I’ve released two so far and they are part of a four-book YA series that centres on a place called Blackbirch. It’s a small town that has a history seeped in witchcraft and the story kicks off when 17-year-old Josh Taylor returns there after the death of his parents in a car crash that may not have been an accident.
After his mother’s death, Josh discovers she had many secrets, some of which involve memories he is now missing and must recover, and the origins of a magical power that surfaces in his veins to give him special abilities.
This power is also shared with a mysterious girl who can visit Josh in his dreams. Together they must figure out how to keep the magick safe from others who want to steal it for themselves.
The series is set in the real world, so there are also friendships, romance, high school, and life responsibilities to deal with, as well as plenty of action and spells.
When and how did you start writing?
I was always a big reader from the time I was a kid, and that just naturally morphed into writing stories. I don’t remember when I started, but I know in high school I would write stories and share them with friends. They were usually terrible first drafts that I’d never show to anyone if I wrote them now, but they were good practice. In 2015 I decided to take my writing seriously, began querying, joined the writing community, and launched my blog to help fellow writers with advice.
What have been your greatest obstacles to overcome when writing?
Definitely the learning curve that comes with taking a book from the first draft to the last.
There’s so much rewriting involved, and sometimes you might not know something isn’t working until you’re numerous drafts in and others, like beta readers, have had a look.
I’ve had to really dig deep at times when feedback means scrapping an idea, plotline, or even a whole MS and returning to the drawing board. It can be disheartening to know you haven’t gotten the story to the place you wanted it to be, but picking yourself back up, regrouping your ideas, and going all in on another draft usually does get the story there in the end, even if it feels like it’ll be a huge task to undertake.
What do you consider your greatest writing accomplishment?
Self-publishing my debut when a contract with a small press fell through. I was only weeks away from the release when things shifted and my choices were to hit the query trenches again or just dive into getting the book out there myself. I don’t regret the decision to go it alone, but I had to suddenly go into self-publishing when I hadn’t planned for that, so there was lots of learning on the fly. The book has since garnered great reviews and even made it to the shelves of bookstores and libraries, which were accomplishments I never thought I’d achieve on my own.
You share a lot of writing advice on your blog. Did you study writing or are you learning as you go and posting the knowledge you have gained?
I have done a few different writing courses of the years, but I’m a learn-by-doing writer, and the writing advice on my blog posts are usually what I’ve been researching and learning about to improve in my own work. If I’ve found it useful or helpful, I’ll share it with others in my posts.
Each book that I’ve released so far ends with a cliff-hanger, so I hope they’re eager to read the next story and aren’t too annoyed with me. For the final book in my series, and any future stand-alone books, I would hope I’ve done the story justice and wrapped it up in a way that makes readers feel satisfied with what they’ve just read.
What would you do if you didn’t write?
No idea! I’ve always wanted to be a writer, so I’ve never put much thought into anything else.
What are your current projects? What should we be looking out for?
I’m in the final editing stages of book 3 in my series, which will be released very soon, and I’m writing the last book now, which will hopefully follow not long after. Once that’s done, it’ll be time to think of some new characters and ideas, which will be strange as I’ve been working on my Blackbirch series since 2001!
What is your ultimate dream as a writer? I think every writer wants to reach as many readers as possible, and that would certainly be a dream for me. On a personal level, I’d like to work out how to write a good quality book in as little drafts as possible, but if I’m still happy typing away years from now and working on stories that I love, that’ll be the ultimate dream.
Links:
Blog: https://kmallan.com/
Universal book links for eBooks/Paperbacks
https://books2read.com/blackbirch1
https://books2read.com/blackbirch2Social Media:
https://www.facebook.com/k.m.allan.author
https://www.instagram.com/k.m.allan_writer
https://twitter.com/KMAllan_writer
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/92235925-k-m-allan
Bio:
K.M. Allan is an identical twin, but not the evil one. She started her career penning beauty articles for a hairstyling website and now powers herself with chocolate and green tea while she writes novels and blogs about writing.
When she’s not creating YA stories full of hidden secrets, nightmares, and powerful magic, she likes to read, binge-watch too much TV, spend time with family, and take more photos than she will ever humanly need.
Visit her website, www.kmallan.com, to discover the mysteries of the universe. Or at the very least, some good writing tips.
May 27, 2022
Book Reviews - Karen Honnor - Finding my Way
There was a lot for me to relate to in this book. I took my time to read it because it made me think. The brave honesty of the author touched me and made me reflect a little. There is a danger in life that we live on automatic pilot, sometimes we need to stop, look around and see where we go from here. Karen Honnor has taken big steps which from my perspective are paying off. This book will connect with a lot of people who will sit and nod just like me. Bravo Karen.
Find it here
Biography
Karen Honnor has always had a passion to write. Mostly, fitting poetry and script writing in around her day job in the past, now she has closed her classroom door and she has the freedom to focus on her writing, in whatever form it takes. Writing is a powerful way to make connections with others and to start a conversation.
She finds inspiration from my everyday and write with honesty and a touch of humour about the subjects that effect us all, building her self-confidence as she goes. Her books and blog continue to strike a chord with readers and she is learning and growing as she writes my way through midlife.
You can check out Karen's blog here
and follow her on Twitter here.
Check out her latest interviews here..
May 23, 2022
My Canine friend - Sammy Mayo 2009 - 2022
After hearing the sad news of Sammy's passing this morning I wanted to share the interview I did with him for my newsletter back in October. I have also added my book review as Sammy was an author. The interview is below as originally published including original photographs. RIP Sammy
For anyone left who doesn't know Sammy is my canine friend who lives in the Forest of Dean. I am thrilled he agreed to talk to me for this newsletter. It's his first interview. I couldn't resist adding photos,
Tell me about your book When I was a pup, my human (some call her Cheryl, others call her Mum. I like Mum) would come with me for walks in our Forest. Trouble is, she hadn’t lived here long herself, and despite me trying to get back to the car she’d constantly wander off in the wrong direction. Sometimes we’d be out there so long I’d give up hope of ever getting my dinner. But, for a human, she’s reasonably bright (although after all these years she can still forget her training in the wag of a tail, and there I am waiting for the due treat and she’s back at the table sipping a glass of wine… sigh, the patience one has to have.) Anyway, eventually she learned her way around and one day the other human (the one we keep mostly for decoration as he doesn’t walk or feed me. I have, however, managed to train him to give me the occasional treat when she’s forgotten or not looking, so he does have a use. And in return for these small kindnesses I keep him company in his man cave when she’s vacuuming. Fair’s fair.) So – the other human, the decorative one, he suggests we write down all the walks I take her on and make them into a book. Good idea, as then other dogs wouldn’t have long waits for their dinners because their human doesn’t know one forest track from the other. It was fun making the book. Mum carried a little yellow gizmo which she gave back to the decorative one after each walk, and then she’d take the piece of paper he printed out and we’d do the walk again while she scribbled in a note pad. We did those walks lots of times. Other dogs I’ve met whose humans have the book tell me it was a good thing as they don’t have to point out the right way, just let the humans look at the book and then they know where to go. I told you she was pretty bright for a human. What’s your favourite walk? The best walks are the ones where I meet my dog friends, like tall, blonde Lola whom I’ve known since we were pups, or Daisy, who’s even taller and has long grey and white hair. I like to make sure the humans we meet know they’re welcome in our Forest too, so I go up to them all to tell them. Mum calls me the Forest of Dean Welcome Dog. As for favourite places, I love narrow shady tracks, even when it’s muddy (which it is a lot in the Forest). Sometimes we see baby wild boar. I used to try to play with them but they weren’t very good at playing. Better to chase squirrels, or pretend to chase deer, but not too far from the track. Can’t leave Mum by herself for too long. Do you know any other dog authors? There are others? It seems you are a local celebrity. What’s that like? It’s true. Everyone in the Forest knows Sammy and his book. Sometimes we come across people using it on their walks and they point at me, pat me, and smile. A few times, they’ve had their photo taken with me. I like being made a fuss of, so it’s all good. What are your favourite things? Food, my bed, food, going for walks, food, lovely Emma who does things to my back and legs every now and then and gives me treats as payment for the privilege. Food. Will you write any more books? Hmm. Probably not. Truth is, my walks have gotten much shorter over the last year or so. I think my human is growing lazy, but I don’t complain because, just between us, we go about as far as my stiff legs can take me. She also walks more slowly, and I’m secretly grateful for that too as it means I can do the same. I wouldn’t like to embarrass her. Besides, she’s too busy writing her own books these days. They’ll never be as good as mine, but it’s good to see her keeping her brain busy. It also means I can spend lots of time sleeping by her desk, one eye open to make sure she doesn’t go on any walks without me.
Bio Sammy Mayo is a pedigree border collie who has lived in the Forest of Dean all his life. He arrived there in early 2009 at just six weeks old and has rarely been away from home since. He loves walking in the trees, pretending to chase deer, and peering up trees persuading squirrels to come back down as it’s cheating to run up a tree where he can’t follow.His book, Sammy’s Walks: Dog Walks in the Forest of Dean, has been a constant seller since 2013 and has gone through five editions.
My Review
Unusual choice for me - no dog and a bit far from the Forest but I couldn't resist. Cheryl Burman knows her stuff.
I have an interest in the Forest of Dean from afar. I read this like I would with any nonfiction book. I can see the authors have thoroughly researched these walks (adding comments about different times of year/weather conditions). I am awarding it 5 stars knowing that if I was to take these walks everything would check out (as much as you can expect given that books of this nature are only 100% accurate at time of writing as things change constantly in a living forest). It is unreasonable to expect updated versions every time something changes in this beautiful, historical, vast landscape. I am sure walkers (with or without dogs) would appreciate the effort that has gone into this slim volume and dogs will appreciate that their Mums and Dads don't get lost. One day I hope to check some of them out or myself. P.S. buy the latest version. Go here for more photos and information about Sammy’s Walks https://cherylburman.com/sammyswalks/
