T.R. Robinson's Blog, page 15
August 20, 2019
5 Do’s & 5 Don’t’s for Computer Security
[image error]Unfortunately, it is no longer uncommon to hear of cyber criminals and hackers whose aims are malicious and cruel and the illegal profiting from unsuspecting individuals. There are variety of ways they are able to accomplish these goals. One of the most common is to gain access to, and to control, a user’s computing device (desktop; laptop; tablet; or smartphone).
There are some precautions a user may take to: try and protect their device from attack; and to minimise their loss should they suffer such an attack. This infographic highlights a few.
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The information is taken from a series of previous articles which considered a variety of computer viruses, of which there are regrettably many, and which cyber criminals and hackers utilise for their perfidious purposes. These may be accessed through Computer Viruses – Summary.
August 16, 2019
Memoir Short List
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This is for anyone who enjoys a true story.
The following are some of the memoirs which have been reviewed in this website. This is not a complete list. The order in which these are shown implies no preference, it simply reflects the chronology of the memoir reviews, commencing with the earliest review date. A complete list of memoirs reviewed in this website may be accessed here.
Note: The extracts displayed alongside each cover image have been taken from retail site descriptions.
Click on the relevant cover image to read review.
‘This is not a “tango book,” but a story of survival that cuts across death, cancer, Alzheimer’s, loss of home and homeland and cherished heirlooms and possessions, loss of shared histories, of hope for one’s children, of hope for the future, of love. But it’s also about finding love and unexpected joy. And about listening to the music and dancing.’
‘A scathing indictment of how the Vatican handled the aftermath of the La Messa Dei Giovani in April 1966, this emotive book chronicles the story from a formerly silent perspective; the founder of the Italian Beat band Angel and the Brains.
It recounts the band formation and its music ambitions and relates the true story of what happened in the 12 months after “La Messa” was conceived to fulfil the desires of Vatican II to make the Catholic Church appealing to young people.’
‘Multiple personalities take over Sarah’s mind…only so they can protect her.
Abducted by her father when she was only three years old, Sarah found herself in a world of criminal neglect and unfathomable oppression as her father, stepmother and many others perpetrated more and more horrible acts of verbal, mental and sexual abuse on the innocent girl.’
‘A mysterious unexpected phone call hurls Yaron Reshef into an intensive two-year journey, during which he has to solve a mystery that took shape in the 1930s and gradually unfolded in the present. A mysterious lot, a forgotten bank account, a people long gone ”” along with their memory which were obliterated during the Holocaust. All of these rise to the surface, bearing with them memories and emotions previously hidden away in the shoebox.’
[image error]‘It had been years since I had seen any of the children with whom I had grown up. When I left the children’s home, I promised myself that I would have nothing to do with them, I was sure that my only chance of living a good life would be to put the past behind me, even though that meant saying goodbye to some of the people I loved the most – as well as the ones I hated…it turned out that six of us had died, several by slow suicide in the form of heroin abuse, and at least two by faster means. When two police officers arrived out of the blue at Paul Connolly’s door, he learned the shocking news that, out of the eight children with whom he shared a dormitory in care, only two were still alive.’
‘Walking Over Eggshells is an autobiography that tells the story of a mentally abused child, who married a “Walter Mitty” clone. They moved from England to Kenya, from Libya to Botswana and on again to South Africa. It took all her courage to survive in situations that were at times dangerous, sometimes humorous, but always nerve wracking.’
‘A nurse aide position in the local maternity annexe at the age of sixteen gave Julie a love for being with women during labour and birth and caring for mothers and their babies.
Life could not have been happier until the tragic death of her own baby in the first hour of life led to depression, loneliness and despair.’
‘Part memoir, part travelogue and part tragic comedy, readers will marvel at all the couple has to endure only to end up leaving the school and India abruptly, without even so much as a Namaste. Despite a catastrophe or two, their go-with-the-flow attitudes and kindred senses of humor help them to endure the overwhelming bustle of India, while recognizing and appreciating its distinctive allure.’
[image error]The first in T. R. Robinson’s abridged memoir series:
‘At the age of five this young girl suffered a loss which was to have a massive impact upon the rest of her life. Her innocence, loving nature and incredible naivety combined with her natural beauty where taken advantage of by family and strangers. After escaping from attempted sexual abuse she falls into the hands of an occupying force who torture and violate her and leave her for dead. Rescued by a local family she is ultimately, after many hardships, restored to her relatives through whom she meets a foreign national. Domestic violence leading to attempted suicide, near insanity and the contemplation of murder follow.’
Reminder: The above are just a selection of memoire reviewed. Access the complete list here.
August 13, 2019
Are Summer Holidays a Time to Promote Books?
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Undoubtedly responses to this question will be varied.
Summer holidays are a period when people like to take a break from their normal run-of-the-mill daily lives, or at least that is the theory. The principal aim is to relax and have fun: with family, where they have one; with friends; or sometimes alone (‘Getting away from it all.’). Some also like it to be an opportunity to visit new worlds and to learn about different cultures. Whatever a person’s motivation, reading often forms part of their experience. Again, this may simply be for entertainment (nothing to unduly tax the mind); or it may be their opportunity to catch up with some serious reading for which their normal lives do not provide adequate time.
A majority, in preparing for their break, will have pre-selected a series of books based upon their preferences and assessed reading time availability while away. However, there are also those who are less than organised, who leave everything to the last minute or perhaps not even then. Whether someone falls into the first category or the second it remains likely both will seek additional reading material while away. The first because they may well find they complete the books taken quicker than anticipated and the second, obviously, because they have no reading material in the first place. These present opportunities for authors to promote their books in a timely and accessible manner.
Of course, there is also the issue of authors being on holiday themselves and wishing to have their own break from the ‘norm’. After all, for the majority of independent authors promotion and marketing are seen as tedious, undesired but necessary activities from which they gain little pleasure. It is therefore natural for them to want a break. Nevertheless, should they really miss-out on the opportunities summer holidays afford them?
The important issue for these promotions is, as already mentioned, Timeliness and Accessibility. This is an area where social media certainly comes-into-its-own. Despite their assumed intention for having a break from normal daily activity, it seems many modern day people find it difficult to abandon their mobile devices for any length of time, if at all. What this says about today’s society is another matter not up for discussion here. Whatever the opinion about this habit, it has to be acknowledged it provides real opportunities for authors to get their books in front of readers eyes at a time when they may well be looking for entertainment, diversion or information.
Bearing in mind, these are principally relaxed occasions, or at least should be, the method used for promotions is important. Advice at all times, taking into account users increasing habit for scanning rather than reading, is to utilise eye-catching visual content as much as possible. This applies across the board, whether the content is for or from a website, blog, or social media account. Authors should therefore be looking at creating engaging images for their books; preferably not just the book cover with a buy link. It is also wise to have more than one visual for each book (users are likely to quickly disregard something where the same image is constantly presented).
But, what about authors also enjoying a break from their business? (Independent authoring, liked or not, is a business. Maybe a small one but nevertheless a business that does not just stop because someone wants a break.) Naturally, they will not wish to be tied to their mobile device or computer while away. The answer? Scheduling. Some social media facilities have inbuilt scheduling software and for those that do not, unless these have blocked third-party access as has come about with some recent changes, there are scheduling services that may be utilised, many for free. Of course, this takes a little bit of fore-planning but authors should be accustomed to preparing material in advance, especially for marketing projects.
Conclusion
All holidays, summer ones in particular, are great opportunities for authors to promote their books. Naturally, some of this should have been done prior to a holiday season commencing thereby enabling readers to pre-select books for their break. Nevertheless, people do sometimes run out of reading material or were not organised enough to have taken some with them. This is where holiday promoting comes into its own. Eye catching visual promotions that incorporate easily accessible purchase and download links are the best.
It is worth remembering there are multiple varied devices in use and therefore may help if promotions are geared accordingly.
E.g. for the same book have a promotion that links to:
iBooks (AppleBooks) for iPhones and iPads.
Amazon for those with Kindle e-readers or Kindle apps on their device.
E-pub editions suitable for Android devices.
Etc.
Of course, there are also paperback editions for which authors may consider providing appropriate links though, unless the reader is using their home as a base for their summer recess, they are unlikely to order a print edition while away.
August 9, 2019
On Turtle Beach by Lynne Fisher
[image error]This tale delves into the realities of some sibling relationships. It shows how varied outlooks and attitudes and the keeping of a secret, out of loyalty to another member of the family, can have a far-reaching negative impact. The story revolves round two sisters who decide to go on holiday together, without their own families, after their father’s passing. This is not a normal pursuit for them but they feel it is time they had some alone time, just the two of them. However, trying to overcome years of strained relationship does not prove easy. Lucy’s outgoing nature and wanting to talk about everything grates upon Rhea’s more controlled character. The tension between them is often palpable and is sometimes readily obvious to those surrounding them.
The characters in this tale are well rounded and the reader is easily able to relate; whether to love or hate them is their choice. The reader is also treated to images of the sun drenched location (Dalyan in Turkey). The sub-plots also reflect the reality of life: No one’s life runs in a continuous, chronological line. There are inevitably diversions and side events and experiences that combine to make up a person’s whole life. Again, these are well drawn and, by virtue of how the individual reacts to them, provide further insight into the protagonist’s personalities. The human psyche often surprises especially when someone appears to act out of character and thereby portray traits contrary to the image they put forward, even to immediate relatives.
The author’s descriptive abilities cannot be denied however, in a few places there could be less. In some instances a simple sentence or two would have been sufficient rather than a lengthy paragraph or more. In fairness, it must be pointed out there are occasions when the more lengthy insights into a protagonist’s emotions are relevant and necessary to convey the inner battles and struggles each encounters from time to time. Nevertheless, the inclusion of so many in depth descriptions have made the book longer than it need be at four-hundred-and-eighty-two pages.
Rating this book has proven troublesome. The tale is an in-depth look at relationships and from that point succeeds nevertheless, all aspects need to be taken into account. The over descriptive elements, and consequent length, do detract and from that point of view it is considered the rating should be diminished by point five of a star. However, the majority of book sites and retailers do not provide for half ratings, and it would do an injustice to the book, and the author, to give the lower scale rating consequently a rating of four stars (4*) is given.
The book is available in paperback and digital (e-book) formats.
August 6, 2019
How to Stay Safe on Social Media
[image error]Regrettably, in modern society there appear to be numerous people whose only aim is to abuse and take advantage of the innocent, unsuspecting, online user. This is across the whole spectrum of online activity no matter where and when. How to remain safe in such circumstances is an issue for many. This article will specifically look at social media though many of the points raised will apply equally to all online activity. There are several areas where a user may mitigate this problem of which the following are some.
Privacy/Security Settings
The majority of online accounts enable users to choose their security and privacy settings. These include who may see/view what is shared. These options are located under the ‘settings’ tabs in each system. Users should take time to review these and set them to coincide with their overall aim and purpose, bearing in mind that anything set to ‘Public’ will be visible to the whole world. The settings normally include two or three options e.g. in Facebook the choices are: Public; Friends; Limited Friends; Only the User.
The following are common sense but it helps to be reminded from time to time.
Personal Details
Name: Users must decide the name they wish to be known by e.g. many authors utilise a nom de plume (pen name) for a variety of different reasons. If the purpose of the account is to promote that author identity then they should be selecting that name and not their real one. Care should be taken here because some sites insist users only enter their actual name.
Address/Location: Unless crucial to the aim and purpose (e.g. if the account is designed for a niche geographically sensitive group) it is recommended users avoid entering a full postal address/location, which depending upon the privacy/security settings previously set, could be generally visible.
This should also be avoided in posts. For example, some while ago a post was seen where a single lady actually mentioned the road name and city within which she lives. In fairness it was because they were seeking help in locating a lost pet nevertheless, it was dangerous.
Note: Just a word about newsletters, which some authors and businesses utilise: By Law these must display a postal address that is capable of receiving physical mail. There are alternatives but come at a cost. Previous article Newsletters contains further information.
Date of Birth: Most systems allow for users to choose whether these are visible in entirety, not at all, or limited e.g. hiding the year. This may not appear to be of any real concern but it can have knock-on impact as outlined under ‘Identity Theft’ below.
Occupation: May seem odd to mention this here but some occupations, by default, identify where the person is located. It is up to the user to decide how much to reveal.
Contact Information: E-mail address(s); Telephone number(s); etc. (Excluding those which have to be provided as part of the account setup process). Again these do not always have to be public but if they are anyone may view and use them. For those who wish to ensure they are contactable through e-mail, and who have a website/blog, it is suggested they enter the site ‘contact’ link instead of the actual e-mail address. They may then vet the sender and decide whether to respond via the e-mail address to any inquiry etc. Alternatively they may request people contact them using the private message facilities some sites provide.
Realtime Sharing: In the spirit of friendship and the inbuilt emotion of wanting to be liked, many people share, in realtime, what they are doing or about to do. For example, some will tell when they are, or will be, on holiday; at a family event (wedding; christening; birthday); attending a charitable walk; etc. Consequently, everyone who can see the post (a public setting means everyone) will know. It is best if this sort of information is shared after the event.
Photographs: Social Media is intended to be just that: ‘social’. Of course, family and friends like to share what they are doing with each other and will often post photographs however, they should be circumspect about what is included in the photograph. Photographs that include the following should be avoided:
Property front; number; street name.
Location signage or names.
Realtime holiday snaps.
Bank/Credit Cards e.g. laying on a table, chair, etc. (online images are capable of being enlarged).
Dates of Birth e.g. in birthday celebration banners, on cakes, etc.
Cars with registration numbers.
Family Names, especially if these are used in whole or part for passwords.
This list is obviously not exhaustive nevertheless, it provides ideas of what to avoid.
Friend Requests/Following: It is a sad reflection on modern society to have to mention this but it is a reality everyone has to live with. People may no longer be taken on face-value. Newsreel and press reports frequently identify the fact there are many lascivious men (to put it as kindly as possible) and ladies of an immoral nature in the world today.
Users should investigate, as much as they can, anyone asking to be accepted as a social media ‘friend’ or requesting a user to follow them. It should be noted this even applies to those who do not use an actual photograph of themselves with their profile. For example, it is known some women who have a logo or innocent photo of a flower or something similar as their profile image receive some very odd requests. It is disappointing but users must always be on guard.
Identity Theft and hacking: Though the press appears to mention this less frequently over recent times, identity theft remains a reality and is a serious issue for those who suffer. Here are some elements identity thieves and hackers use to gain access to a person’s accounts:
Address;
Full Name;
Date of Birth;
Bank/Credit Card Numbers;
Bank Names;
Password Hints (e.g. dates of birth; family names; favourite holiday destinations; etc.);
Etc.
Caveat: The writer is not a legal or finance expert. The above is simply taken from what has been read or heard about those who have suffered.
Conclusion
As already said, all of the above boils down to common sense. Nonetheless, there are regular instances of social media users ignoring the fundamentals of basic security. It is hoped what is shared above will help readers stay safe. It is always a disappointment to see people abused and suffering due to a moment of carelessness.
Please use the comments facility to add anything else you consider will assist your fellow users to remain safe when on social media or using online services.
August 2, 2019
Top Selling Book Covers
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Like it or not, book covers DO matter. In truth it really should be more the blurb and other descriptions that catch potential readers attentions however, it is a fact many are initially persuaded by the cover image. This is even to the extent that if the cover does not appeal to them straight away they will not bother to consider the book further; will not read the blurb; or bother to look up any description or review. It is therefore worth an author’s time and energy to see what the covers of other books in their genre look like.
To assist with this, Jess Peter (unknown to the writer) has put together an interactive collection of eleven years of best selling book covers (five thousand!). Use the following link to access the collection.
11 Years of Top-Selling Book Covers, Arranged by Visual Similarity
Note: This is interactive by fact of placing the cursor in any segment of the image and then scrolling to enlarge that section.
It is remarkable how similar many of the covers are within genres. The theory is, a specific style will immediately let potential readers know if the book falls within a genre they enjoy or have an interest in.
Of course, it is not necessary for an author to follow any trend: they may wish to be unique with their covers. Nevertheless, it makes sense to note what is catching reader attentions.
Disclaimer: Neither T. R. Robinson Publications nor T. R. Robinson have any affiliation with Jess Peter or pudding.cool, which published the article. Nor do either receive any remuneration for publishing the information or for referring to the individual or organisation.
July 30, 2019
Are Facebook Pages Worth the Effort?
[image error]Before going on to discuss this topic it will help readers to understand what a Facebook Page is:
Anyone who has interacted in any manner with Facebook will have encountered Facebook Profiles, which are the ‘personal’ pages for individuals. These are commonly, simply referred to as a ‘Facebook Profile’ and may be set to be private; public; or limited, authorised, access.
Facebook Pages on the other hand are designed for use by businesses, brands, public figures, other public organisations (charities included), etc. These pages are always public. The intention is for them to be used to connect with customers, clients, fans and the such.
Every one, no matter who or what they are, or their intention, has to signup for a profile before they may use any other Facebook feature. Subsequently they may establish any number of pages or, it they wish and it suits their purpose, convert their profile into a page.
Initially pages proved ‘their weight in gold’ for businesses etc. because, just like profiles, they provided organic reach to those who liked or followed the page. However, there have been many changes since, partially or perhaps principally, motivated by the company going public with shareholders who, naturally, wish to see a return on their investment.
Some of these changes have been previously highlighted in this website:
2017 – Facebook Engagement Algorithm – Changes
2018 – Facebook News Feed Changes
It is in fact hard to keep up with all the changes Facebook now frequently introduces. It is not as if it is limited to one a year.
Impact of Algorithm Changes
Increasingly Facebook appears to be focusing on income. Naturally, many do not like this and may even object to it (apparently a substantial number have deleted their Facebook accounts and apps) however, it is only fair to acknowledge they have now become a business and therefore need to see some sort of profitably. Users should be grateful, despite the change in status, Facebook still provides free access and remain, despite the decreased user base, the largest social media network worldwide.
Facebook keeps their algorithms (these determine who will see new posts) under constant review. The changes mentioned above combined with more recent alterations have had the following impact.
Posts by businesses, brands, publishers, etc. have been effectively downgraded while those created by individual users are given greater priority. Subsequently businesses reported a substantial decline in engagement. Now, instead of page posts being organically added to user’s newsfeeds, followers of the page have to go directly to the business’s, brand’s, organisation’s, author’s page to view posts. Clearly, unless a follower is really keen, they are unlikely to do this on a regular basis or in fact, at all.
Advertising
In the early days, when Facebook made no distinction between individuals, businesses, brands, organisations, public figures, etc. these appreciated the benefit as for them it effectively meant free advertising. Once the change of status came into effect it did not take long for the management to realise there was a lot of money to be made. The algorithm changes fed into this.
Without the investment of considerable time and effort, those pages not employing paid adversing soon became forlorn no matter the quality and content of posts. The cost of constant paid advertising is beyond the reach of many, especially the individual entrepreneur, author or small business holder. Just promoting one post currently (July 2019) costs $15 per time. Does not seem too excessive at first but when multiplied by daily/weekly posting quickly mounts up. Of course, the more major advertising packages attract a greater investment.
It should be noted, for anyone who has the means, those who do advertise on Facebook tend to experience good results. This is primarily due to the fact more and more people now shop online. Nevertheless, the cost still exists and needs to be recoverable from generated income.
Author Experience
As always with this website, how matters and issues impact on authors are a primary concern. A few authors were asked to share their current experience with Facebook Pages. The following is a resume:
Note: These are NOT quotes. They are simply a roundup of several authors responses.
Proved critical to success but required considerable time investment.
Most book sales resulted from Facebook engagement but do fall into a niche market. Consequently, a member of all related Facebook groups and constantly offers help and advice relative to the niche. Does take time and have to constantly check and respond to comments etc.
Find it difficult to find time for, and to navigate, all the pages. Prefer to chat with people in groups and find more success through profile than by means of product pages.
Conclusion
The changes to Facebook’s algorithms and emphasis on advertising income now make Facebook Pages unattractive and ineffective for most individual business owners, entrepreneurs and independent authors (who, whether they acknowledge it or not, do run a small business).
Unless a reasonable income is guaranteed from sales, royalties, etc. from which the costs of advertising may be deducted, Facebook Pages are no longer considered viable for the individual unless they really have a keen, dedicated, customer, fan, or reader base. There is also the issue of time to keep page(s) and profile viable as indicated by the authors questioned.
One minor advantage to having a page, which has not been mentioned up to now, is the ability for blog posts to be automatically posted to a Facebook Page. This used to be possible for profiles but the system now prohibits third-party access to profiles. In view of the other points discussed above users may consider this is not really an advantage because, if the page is to prove an effective resource, they will still have to monitor and engage with it on a regular basis.
Overall, the conclusions reached here accord with those inferred in the previous article Facebook – Profile or Page? within which the drawbacks and benefits of profiles and pages were discussed.
July 26, 2019
Writing/Review Opportunity – BookLife Fiction Contest – 31 August 2019
[image error]The large number of independent (indie) author books being published each day are making it more and more difficult for authors, especially unknown indie authors, to gain public exposure. Consequently, it is worth their while to consider other opportunities for getting their works published and/or reviewed.
One primary aim for this website and blog is to assist authors in their authoring career by providing free tips and suggestions about the processes, etc. In that spirit the decision has been made to share news of occasional writing/review opportunities when encountered and considered suitable.
Caveat: The following information is provided ‘As Is’. No endorsement or guarantee of validity is implied.
BookLife is holding its Annual Fiction Writing Contest
Categories
Mystery/Thriller; Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror; Romance/Erotica; General Fiction; YA/Middle Grade
Word Count
YA/Middle Grade Fiction: 30,000 to 100,000 words.
All other categories: 40,000 to 100,000 words.
Eligibility
Unpublished or Self-Published works are eligible provided the author has born the costs.
Book may only be submitted into ONE (1) category.
Fee
$99 per submission. (Non-refundable.)
Deadline
Saturday 31 August 2019 (Have been accepting entires since 1 April 2019.)
Prize
$5,000;
Author profile in Publishers Weekly;
$1,000 of BobBaby’s Facebook & Instagram for Authors services;
Critic’s Report.
The Odds
The BookLife contests receive thousands of entries (number not specified) the odds of success are therefore equally limited. However, if you do not try you will never win.
Entry
All entrants must have a BookLife Account (Easy to apply for. No special requirements.)
Click anywhere in this line to access Step by Step Guide.
Click anywhere in this line for the Entry Form.
Non-Fiction
BookLife has also given advance notice of their upcoming Annual Non-Fiction Contest that will be open for entry from 1 October 2019.
A reminder will be provided nearer the date.
Disclaimer: Neither T. R. Robinson Publications nor T. R. Robinson have any affiliation to the company or organisation referred to above. Nor do either receive any remuneration for publishing the information or for referring to the company or organisation. These notifications are simply designed to offer assistance to authors.
July 23, 2019
7 Proofread Steps
[image error]The majority of independent authors cannot afford to pay for professional services consequently, they are obliged to undertake all aspects of book publication themselves. There is no denying for many this presents a challenge. Nevertheless, to have any hope of success, authors must accept the challenges.
Proofreading their own work is one such challenge. Anyone who undertakes any sort of writing will acknowledge it is not easy to pick up all the anomalies, typos and errors in their own writing.
To achieve the best outcome possible authors should, must, undertake several proofread run-throughs. The following infographic is designed to try and help with the process.
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The infographic is based upon the previous article Proofreading Your Own Work.
July 19, 2019
Author Spotlight – Lucinda E Clarke
[image error]Caveat: The following has been gleaned from information in the public domain without the prior knowledge of the author. Consequently, the writer bears no responsibility with regard to accuracy. All information has been interpreted or reproduced ‘as found’.
Lucinda E Clarke is a prolific, versatile, talented author who has published several books in a range of genre. Her versatility and talents are however not limited to book writing as may be seen from the following information.
Lucinda was born in Dublin, grew up in the Cotswolds and completed her education in Liverpool. Subsequently she lived in: Scotland; Kenya; Libya; Botswana and South Africa. Her present domain is in Spain. From an early age Lucinda ‘wanted to write, but was ordered to “get a proper job” …… ‘So she dutifully trained as a teacher, and has taught in seven different countries – from primary school infants to lecturing adults in Technical College.’
Regrettably, Lucinda’s mother suffered a personality disorder which led her to mentally abuse her daughter. This gave her little protection when she met, and married, ‘a wildly, exciting, charismatic charmer who was also a bit of a psychopath.’ At one stage he was ‘dragged off to prison’ a situation not helped when ‘the police deny all knowledge of him’. He later abandoned her, leaving her with two young children and living on a sinking boat. Lucinda eventually had the courage to part from him and ‘made history handling my own divorce – tricky when the psychopath mentioned’ ….. ‘has gone AWOL.’
To support her children and herself, Lucinda undertook varied occupations ‘I have also; sewn giant teddy bears, cleaned toilets, climbed rubbish dumps, bred small animals for pet shops and Cairn Terrier puppies’ …… ‘made dresses, taught English, presented on radio, and television’ …… ‘hosted ambassadors and met royalty, heads of state and deep rural folk.’ Some of her more notable occupations have been writing ‘freelance full time, for major corporations, UNESCO, UNICEF and the SABC’ (South African Broadcasting Corporation) ‘for both radio and television. Moving into television production in 1986,’ (running her own video production company) ‘she has received over 20 awards, specializing in the fields of education, documentaries, municipal and government.’ In more recent times, she has also won several reader awards for her books.
Lucinda draws upon all her experiences and interests when writing informative, entertaining, instructive memoirs and novels and engages her wonderful sense of humour in these and when authoring in other genre. Though she now lives in Spain it is readily apparent her life and experiences in Africa have left her with a deep love for the continent which comes out in her books (the Amie series are set there) and in many of the items she shares online.
For those not privileged to have encountered this author before her books are highly recommended.
Further information about Lucinda herself as well as her many books may be found at the following:
Disclaimer: Other than being a reader of her books and ‘friends’ through social media, Neither T. R. Robinson Publications nor T. R. Robinson have any commercial or financial affiliation with Lucinda E Clarke or any subsidiaries she may have any connection with. Nor do either receive any remuneration for mentioning or sharing information relative to the author.
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Lucinda E Clarke has previously participated in an author interview which may be enjoyed here.
The following books by Lucinda have been reviewed in this website blog. Click on the appropriate cover image to read review.
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