Patricia M Osborne

Please join me in congratulating memoir author, Beth Haslam, on the publication of her brand new book Fat Dogs and WELSH ESTATES. Beth has come along to Patricia’s Pen to tell you all about this sequel. Without further ado, it’s over to Beth.

Fat Dogs and Welsh Estates – Series Prequel

Beth Haslam

Thanks so much for inviting me here to introduce my new book, Tricia. I’m honoured.

When my publisher suggested I write about my upbringing in Wales, I hesitated. Why would anyone have the slightest interest in reading about my childhood? My publisher thought otherwise, so I reflected. Finally, the solution came to me.

Instead of focusing solely on myself, which, ironically for a memoir writer, makes my toes curl, I decided to tackle the project differently. I would produce a light-hearted account centring on the rich tapestry of my homeland.

My research journey began with the sunny shores in North Wales and my many sailing misadventures on the infamous Menai Strait. Sadly, I wasn’t a great sailor. I recalled visits to roughhewn slate quarries with my Pa and the majesty of Snowdonia – which brought back memories of myths we were told from the Mabinogion. King Arthur, dragons, wizards and druids, tales from the ancient tome enthralled (and terrified) children of all ages. And then I reflected on our history.

For such a little country, we have lots of castles. Harlech, Beaumaris, Caernarfon and Conwy all featured in my youth. Trips to these extraordinary places, including coming to a sticky end in Beaumaris castle’s moat, are imprinted on my mind. I had to tell that tale. Inevitably, with my childhood being the central theme, I did have to talk more about myself. Typically, I found my comfort zone with animals.  

Tales about growing up on a farm estate flowed from my pen. For as long as I can remember, my life has revolved around animals, big ones, little ones, bitey ones and cuties. My book is filled with anecdotes about our furry and feathery family members. I also recount the trials and tribulations concerning life at a crumbly boarding school, which, I admit, often sound like chapters from St. Trinians. Detention was my second name.

Throughout, my descriptive content revolves around the countryside, culture, and what being Welsh really means, including the quirks and misnomers of our lilting language. For years I thought that wibli wobli meant jellyfish and I was convinced that popty ping meant microwave oven. Imagine how disappointed I was to learn that the correct terms were slefrod môr and meicrodon. Still, it’s a strangely intoxicating dialect.

Before I knew it, my book was written. I’ve shared stories about my unusual upbringing in remarkable homes surrounded by animals and several ghosts. And I’ve described the extraordinary characteristics of the magical north where I was born. The early reviews of my book have been incredibly heartening. If through my writing, I leave readers inspired to visit my homeland, I’ll be thrilled to bits.

In closing, I have included this YouTube video. It gives glimpses of Snowdonia, together with the inspiring words of David Blakemore. And as a poet, Tricia, I think and hope you’ll find it stirring too.

YouTube Video

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About Beth Haslam

Beth Haslam grew up on a farm estate in Wales. Passionate about animals, her free time was spent on horseback or messing around with the family pets, waifs and strays.

Following a successful business career, Beth and her husband, Jack, decided to buy a second home in France. A decision they had no idea would change their lives forever.

Beth is now occupied as never before. Raising and saving animals, writing, and embracing everything that rural France has to offer.

She’s loving it!

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I’m delighted to have poet, Regine Ebner all the way from Arizona, kick of the Tuesday Guest Feature on Patricia’s Pen for 2023. Regine is a favourite poet of mine and one of great inspiration with her wonderful imagery. She has come along to blog about her writing life so without further ado, let’s go over to Regine.

My Writing Life

Regine Ebner

Ever since my third grade teacher asked me to write the Thanksgiving class play, I was expected to be a writer. I went on to study creative writing in college and won awards. I co-authored a stage play, Minor Details, which was produced to be a sell-out to laughing crowds in Tucson. Later I wrote a screenplay and, although never produced, it won a couple of awards.

However, something was missing. I had long gaps between articles and journal chapters and, most of all, I had little personal satisfaction.That is, until I fell down the rabbit hole of the online Poetry Community in January of 2021 and wrote my first poem. Yes, first poem. I am not sure exactly why, but through all the college-short stories, plays, psychology articles for journals and etcetera, I had never written a single poem.

I think I thought poetry would be too serious for me as I love comedy, but now I’m not really sure what kept me away. I started my own school–still going, still teaching– which definitely took some time.

But now, I have fallen in love with the flights of poetry. I have always wanted to paint and, as I don’t possess that gift, these are my paintings.

Having the audience reception of the international poetry community and the generous encouragement of Matthew M. C. Smith and others is no small part of this writing renaissance.

It is not so much the attention but the fact that there is no vacuum, that our work will, in fact, be read, nearly every week on Top Tweet Tuesday.

I love the process of channeling beauty, of finding beauty and hope in nature and of building monuments out of words.

It has taken me a lifetime to find this perfect expression and I like to think that my early mentors and believers somehow now know that I am writing, I am publishing and I am loving the world of poetry. I thank them.

And I thank Patricia for offering me this stage on which to tell my never-before-told story. Thank you.

~~~

Check out Regine Ebner’s debut poetry pamphlet, Oxidized Pennies, published by Alien Buddha Press, and order HERE

About Regine Ebner

Regine is a teacher and writer in Tucson, Arizona. Her work has been published in numerous anthologies and her chapbook, Oxidized Pennies, was recently released by Alien Buddha Press. She is always inspired by the light and landscape of the Sonoran Desert.

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Patricia’s Pen returns next week Tuesday 17th January 2023 with more guest features you won’t want to miss.

Poet Regine Ebner – January 17th 2023

Poet Damien Posterino – January 24th 2023

Novelist Judith Barrow – January 31st 2023

Novelist Mick Arnold – 7th February 2023

Poet Helen Laycock – 14th February 2023

Poet Alan Parry – 27th February 2023

And plenty more to come. Why not subscribe to Patricia’s Pen to make sure you never miss out on a Guest Feature?

As Patricia’s Pen is taking a short break from the Tuesday Guest Feature I thought I’d fill you in with what I’ve been doing over the year, my publishing successes, and updates on works in progress. 2022 has been fruitful. Both in publishing and getting words down on paper.

Poetry Publication Successes

Lady of the Woods – Noctivagant Press

Cygnet in Foreign Waters – Reach Magazine – Indigo Dreams Publishing

Wishing Stone – Reach Magazine – Indigo Dreams Publishing

Sindy Sisters – Ink Drinkers Magazine

Squall – The Storms Journal

Abandoned – Flights – Flight of the dragonfly

Atys – Flights – Flight of the dragonfly

A Different Kind of Love – Impspired

Dance with me – Impspired

White Lily – A Duet of Ghosts – Black Bough Poetry

Josie’s Snowman – Reach Magazine – Indigo Dreams Publishing

Winter Comforts – Christmas-Winter Vol III – Black Bough Poetry

Survival of a Lost Flamingo – Poetry Sequence consisting of four poems – Dreich 10

Hawaiian Nights – Third prize winner with Writing Magazine – Swanwick Writers’ Summer School Poetry Competition

Poetry Accepted but not yet published

Poems to be published in various anthologies with The Hedgehog Poetry Press

Perdita

Lola

Only a Girl

Breakaout

Revenge of the Rowan

Subterranean World

Stage Play

French Knickers – My first stage play published – a short monologue – Spellbinder Magazine

Short stories

Short Stories – shortlisted/longlisted

Seascape Children’s Home – Writers’ Forum (Shortlisted)

Forbidden Sixpence – Wensum Literary Magazine (Longlisted)

Novel News

Completed novels – Not yet published

The Oath – Late Victorian/Early Edwardian family saga – hopefully some publishing news in the first quarter of 2023 – Watch this space.

Bound by a 100-year-old oath, seventeen-year-old, Françoise Dubois is forced to leave France and marry an English baronet. Will she find true love and happiness?

The Oath has sequel potential.

Fractured – Set in the early nineteen seventies – family saga (Book 1 of 3) Watch this space

A year ago, all eighteen-year-old Rachel Webster had to worry about was keeping her mum and dad off her back. Nothing she did was right. Skirt too short. Friend a bad influence. Job not good enough. Then things spiralled.

Novel – Work in Progress

Fractured (2) – Title to be determined

Opening in 1977, re-join Rachel Webster and Peggy Davies in this gripping saga.

Poetry Collections in Progress

Embracing my Roots

Two cultures, Jewish and Irish, come together in poetry as I embrace my roots.

Patricia’s Pen Tuesday Guest Feature will return on 16th January 2023. Regine Ebner all the way from Arizona kicks the year off with poetry.

More guests lined up for 2023 include:

Novelist Judith Barrow

Poet Helen Laycock

Poet Alan Parry

Novelist Anita Chapman

Novelist Mick Arnold

Poet Merril Smith

Poet Nigel Kent

Poet Sue Finch

And lots more. Why not subscribe to the blog to ensure you never miss a guest feature?

Signed copies of all my books, poetry and novels, are available via my website shop HERE. Unfortunately signed novels are only available for posting in the UK.

If you prefer Kindle or outside of the UK then check out my Amazon Author Page HERE

All books may also be ordered via any good bookstore or ask your library to order them in if they don’t already stock it.

If you have read any of my books and enjoyed them, a brief review over on Amazon or Goodreads are really appreciated.

Solstice Blessings to you all. And I know I do it every year, but here it is again, my poem, Sacred Tree to celebrate Winter Solstice. We can look forward to the days getting lighter.

Sacred Tree – Winter Solstice

In a subtle seduction,
Oak welcomes
Mistletoe’s seed.

Evening reddens
the sky as drums beat
to a crescendo.

Entering the grove of oaks,
wreath-crowned druids process
in gold, white, red,
clutching staffs.

One trails, bent,
a stringy silver beard falls
to his knees. He rings a bell.

Seers surround
the sun-god tree,
ivory candles ignite
one by one,
flames flit
in the breeze,
shadows flutter.

Drums mute.
Crickets chirp.
A snowy owl screeches
from a distant trunk.
Heads rise.
Deep breaths echo.

Priest, in white, ascends
the oak, unsheathes
the golden sickle strapped
to his back,
lops the stem
bearing milk berries.

Brothers clothed in gold catch
the twig in a cloak.

Drums pulsate,
beasts bellow,
eyes focus
on two white bulls
led by the horns.

A red-robed butcher
grips his blade, slits
one bull’s throat
and then the other.
Crimson gore spurts
into the vessels,
metallic stench rises.

Drums cease.

Mistletoe glazed
with bulls’ blood
is blessed, offered
before the altar.

Sun-god’s gift of semen
is embraced
by the earth goddess.

Sacred Tree was published in Ink Drinkers Poetry Magazine – Folklore (2021) and later in my poetry collection Spirit Mother: Experience the Myth published by The Hedgehog Poetry Press.

You can read more poems on folklore from Ink Drinkers Poetry HERE

And you can purchase a signed copy (limited edition) of Spirit Mother HERE

If you go to It’s About Time HERE you can find out more about the ancient ritual and see pictures.

Back in November I invited you to recap or visit guest features up to end of July 2022. Now Patricia’s Pen is back with more flashbacks, this time to the end of the year. Please re-visit the blogs or read for the first time.

Guest Features – Flashback 3

Kicking Flashback 3 off for August 2022 was Lucy Heuschen with the launch of We Wear The Crown. Through poetry Lucy shares her breast cancer journey with the reader. This collection is a must read.

Read Lucy Heuschen’s blog here

Next up for August was Damien B Donnelly blogging about his Parisian experience in his brand new collection Enough! Don’t miss a second chance to have a read.

Read Damien B Donnelly’s blog here

September 2022 opened with Kate Rose and her new release Brushstrokes. Kate takes her inspiration from her surroundings. Nature, both the natural world and human nature, has a fascination for her, and most of her poems are based around how one reflects on another.

Read Kate Rose’s blog here

Next in September came Raine Geoghegan blogging about her brand-new collection Talking Sticks. Raine writes about her Romany heritage.

Read Raine Geoghegan’s blog here

Kicking off October 2022 on Patricia’s Pen was Matthew M C Smith chatting about his new release The Keeper of Aeons. Prompts and themes given by publishing houses get Matthew focused on writing when life is hectic.

Read Matthew M C Smith’s blog here

Next up in October was Paul Brookes with his new release Paul Brookes As FolktaleTeller. Fascinated by folklore, Paul sets himself writing challenges.

Read Paul Brooke’s blog here

The final guest feature for October 2022 on Patricia’s Pen was duo Kerry Derbishire and Kelly Davis with their poetry collaboration Glory Days. Two Cumbrian women with different poetic voices and style come together to write about their mothers.

Read Kerry Derbishire’s and Kelly Davis’s blog here

In November 2022 Patricia’s Pen featured crime noir fiction author Joy Wood on the launch of her novel Secrets and Lives. Joy Wood strives with each novel to create a narrative that invites the reader into a captivating, engaging and menacing world. 

Read Joy Wood’s blog here

Next up in November 2022 with a brand new poetry release Nights on the Line was M S Evans. M S Evans derives inspiration not only from walking but can be triggered by a phrase, observation of colour, relationships, or an emotion.

Read M S Evan’s blog here

Rosemary Gemmell kicked off December 2022 on Patricia’s Pen when she blogged about her children’s books. Rosemary won her first competition with a story for Under 7s, called Jeremy Jones in the Jungle.

Read Rosemary Gemmell’s blog here

My final guest feature for 2022 came from Lynette Creswell on the launch of Hoglets’ Birthday Surprise. As a writer Lynette wants to continue engaging with her readers and leave a lasting impression.

Read Lynette Creswell’s blog here

~~~

Guest features to come in 2023

Regine Ebner (Poet)

Judith Barrow (Novelist)

Mick Arnold (Novelist)

Helen Laycock (Poet)

Alan Parry (Poet)

Joanna Lambert (Novelist)

Anita Chapman (Novelist)

Meryl Smith (Poet)

Nigel Kent (Poet)

Sue Finch (Poet)

And lots more – Why not subscribe to the site to ensure you never miss a guest feature?

It gives me great delight today to welcome back, children’s author, Lynette Creswell, to Patricia’s Pen. This time Lynette has come along to tell my readers all about her brand-new hoglet book Hoglets’ Birthday Surprise. Without further ado, it’s over to Lynette.

Hoglets’ Birthday Surprise

Lynette Creswell

It’s almost Christmas and a busy time of year for everyone. For some it’s getting those presents wrapped and Christmas cards written but for me it’s an extra special time. Last December I published my first ever children’s book, Hoglets’ Christmas Magic and introduced two cute hoglets, Prickles and Primrose. The hoglets were a magical success and I earned myself a new following of young hogleteers.

As a writer I wanted to continue engaging with my readers and leave a lasting impression. The positive feedback I received for Hoglets’ Christmas Magic far exceeded anything I had imagined.

Teachers, grandparents and parents raved about the story, leaving me compelled to write more.

I received wonderful comments such as…. 

I have a little boy in class who reads your book throughout the year. He says it makes him feel better when he’s sad.

My granddaughter sits wide-eyed with wonder when I read your story to her, (she’s 4 years old). It’s her favourite bedtime story and chooses it every time she visits.

With those comments in mind, I set out to create a brand-new story focusing around kindness and acceptance.

Once again, my talented illustrator brought my story to life, and in October this year I published the second in the hoglet series – Hoglets’ Birthday Surprise.

Hoglets’ Birthday Surprise is a spellbinding adventure for children 6+. This time Prickles and Primrose are out in the woods when they stumble across… a witch.

Blurb

It’s the Summer holidays.

Hoglets, Prickles and Primrose are busy exploring when they stumble across… a witch!

Terrified she’ll eat them for breakfast, the hoglets prepare to escape but soon realise the witch isn’t scary at all. 

Willow the witch is lonely and in need of a friend.

Can the hoglets help her? 

If you love Winnie the Pooh you’ll love the hoglets, Prickles and Primrose, from Briar Wood.

About Lynette Creswell

Lynette Creswell is a multi-genre author who has written four fantasy books, two romance novels and two delightful children’s stories. Lynette’s passion for short story writing has accredited her several writing awards including SWWJ’s (Society for Women Writers and Journalists), Hammond House Publishing and Shooter Magazine. 

Lynette enjoys meeting readers as well as public speaking at WI’s, local schools, author events and book signings where she sells signed copies of her paperbacks.

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Facebook – (A great contact for personalised messages and signed copies)

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Where to Buy

Amazon

Also available from Waterstones

If you missed Lynette’s Blog on Hoglets’ Christmas Magic – Read it HERE

It’s a great pleasure to introduce Rosemary Gemmell to Patricia’s Pen. Rosemary not only writes brilliant novels for adults, but is also a fantastic story writer for children. Today Rosemary has come to blog about her children’s books. Without further ado, it’s over to Rosemary.

Writing Children’s Fiction

Rosemary Gemmell

Thank you very much, Patricia, for inviting me to guest on your interesting blog.

It’s a bit of a departure, and pleasure, for me to chat about my children’s writing for a change; on social media I tend to focus more on writing for adults. However, I’ve written three books and several shorter stories for various young ages.

Thinking about this reminded me that the first children’s story I wrote and submitted to a Scottish competition was before I began writing articles and stories for magazines! I was amazed and delighted to win that first competition with a story for Under 7s, called Jeremy Jones in the Jungle. It was eventually published online by US company Knowonder.

Several more children’s stories followed, four published in anthologies and two published online by SmartyPants. Soon, I turned to longer fiction for young people with Summer of the Eagles, The Jigsaw Puzzle and The Pharaoh’s Gold. The first two were originally published by MuseItUp Publishing in Canada.

As with my other writing, Scotland greatly inspires settings and ideas. With the younger fiction, there is also an element of writing for the child within. This happened with my first book, Summer of the Eagles, for ages around ten to twelve, although that’s only a guide since children read at different speeds and abilities.

Although I love a touch of fantasy or magic in stories, I wanted to base my three children’s books in reality, and gave each of the protagonists a realistic background, including family problems or changes to their young lives. Then I added that touch of fantasy to provide added enjoyment for the reader (and myself!).

I love Scottish islands and visited Millport on the Isle of Cumbrae many times as a child. The painted rocks around the island fired my imagination and I had to set Summer of the Eagles there. This book is also popular with adult readers and is still one of my own favourite stories that I’ve written for any age. I lost my father when I was twelve and wanted to explore what it would be like for a thirteen-year-old girl to suddenly lose both her parents. But Stevie finds healing in unexpected ways.

The second published book is for middle grade readers, around eight to ten years. The Jigsaw Puzzle’s main character, Daniel, is asthmatic (as was my own son) and his parents are having problems. So I take Daniel to his cousin’s cottage in the Scottish countryside between Christmas and New Year, where the touch of fantasy begins with an old jigsaw!

I’ve always loved anything to do with Ancient Egypt and finally got around to writing a time-slip story for middle grade readers, called The Pharaoh’s Gold. While attending a summer workshop about Egypt at their local museum, friends Matthew and Nikki are unexpectedly transported to Ancient Egypt where they become involved in a plot to rob the Pharoah’s tomb.

Hopefully, I’ll continue writing stories for younger children, as a change from other types of writing, for as long as the imagination provides the ideas!

About Rosemary Gemmell

Rosemary Gemmell is a published Scottish novelist of contemporary and historical fiction and children’s middle grade books, and a freelance writer whose short stories, articles and poems have been published in UK magazines, the US, and online. She is a member of the Society of Authors, Romantic Novelists’ Association and Scottish Association of Writers. Scotland greatly inspires some of her writing. 

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The paperback of all three books can be ordered from book shops or libraries.

What a wonderful surprise I had this morning when a friend alerted me to a fabulous review for my monologue, French Knickers, over on Spellbinder Mag. The link’s below if you fancy a read.

Autumn 2022 – Drama

My guest today comes all the way from Montana. It is with delight that I introduce M S Evans to Patricia’s Pen to blog about inspiration. Without further ado, it’s over to M S Evans.

Inspiration in Writing

M S Evans

Most of my inspiration seems to come when I’m out walking. Something about movement makes connections in my mind. My inspiration could be a phrase, an observation of color, relationships, an emotion. I carry those impressions with me until I can write them down. Once I do, I usually leave them for a while.

Writing and editing a poem can take me weeks, sometimes months. Once I think I have a complete poem, I let it sit again. I find the process of having refined it also refines me, and sometimes it’s necessary to allow myself time to catch up, so I can view the poem with new eyes.

Nights on the Line

In my collection Nights on the Line, I touch on many aspects of my life, from growing up in the Pacific Northwest, to travelling, activism, lineage, and motherhood.

My pieces on lineage and motherhood explore the long-term effect of immigration on my family: what was lost when we left our communities? Could it ever be replaced? And what am I able to pass down as a mother?

There’s an algebra I’m aware of: missing patterns, lost rhythms of connectivity and tradition. I suppose poetry is my way of trying to give shape and sound to these. Among the pieces in the book that touch on this theme are: Llennyrch, and Polish Mother Bones.

Travelling and activism were a part of my life in my teens and early twenties. There was a thriving activist scene then in the Northwest, centered on grassroot social justice and environmental campaigns. That community was the inheritor of an American traveler tradition of train hopping, itinerant work, and radical history. Besides technical knowledge – where and how to hop a train – there was an intrinsic code of ethics. You had to prove your worth before someone would chance taking you on the road with them. An untrustworthy person could get you hurt or killed. Integrity and a degree of toughness were prerequisites.  

In one poem, Crew Change, I talk about the care one takes in keeping vulnerable friends safe. In another, Straight-Track Jack, I recall a friend’s uncanny connection with trains, and highlight the humor which made hard times easier. 

About M S Evans

M.S. Evans is a Pushcart nominated poet, and visual artist. Originally from Seattle, she currently lives in Butte, Montana. Her work has appeared in Ice Floe Press, Green Ink Poetry, Feral and Anti-Heroin Chic, among others. Her collection, Nights on the Line was released October 31^st, 2022, by Black Bough Poetry.

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