MUNGAI AND THE GOA CONSTRICTOR (recommended reading age: 9 to 90) Probably one of the best books you and your family will read this year! Likened to both Orwell’s Animal Farm and Kipling’s Jungle Book (though a very different tale) it is hoped Mungai and the Goa Constrictor will …… Read more at: The Bridge of Deaths on … Continue reading 
This week’s choice for Children’s Book of the Week is the delightful read, Lionel’s Grand Adventure (Lionel and the Golden Rule) by Paul R Hewlett. With its well-constructed text and its light touch, it has all the right ingredients for the intended reader; originality, humour, a touch of magic, a likeable hero, and above all a sound … Continue reading 
A huge thanks to Amelia Curzon for having me again at her blog. Initially she had asked me here to talk a little bit about two charity anthologies I recently contributed to. But there was something else I needed to say… A wise man named Edmund Burke said once that all that was needed for … Continue reading 
I am thrilled to introduce this week’s Book of the Week, Thomas and the Lily Pond by Jane Whiteoak. With enchanting animal characters, charming illustrations and a fast pace this enjoyable little book shows children how friendship ultimately will triumph over bullying tactics. Please come over and read more about this great little book at Mungai and … Continue reading 
I am very happy to introduce my guest for the week, Dianne Gardner, who asks if teenagers can turn their awareness of their parent’s inadequacies into respect for them, as Ian, the main protagonist in her book does, and grasp what a large part the power of love plays. Welcome Dianne and thank you for … Continue reading 
It’s that time of year again! Not many shopping days left and lots of things to think of! So let me help you out here and suggest this great little gift for almost anyone in your family and all your friends. Fabulous reviews tell you that this is a ‘must read’ this year. And at … Continue reading 
COMPETITION WINNER I am so pleased to report, the winner of the Snake Cat Bed, made by Tara, is Shadow. Tara will be contacting you about your mailing details. Congratulations Shadow!
Short, sweet, and uplifting. Those are the first words which spring to mind about Who Will Hug the Sun by Ey Wade. This informative, and somewhat touching little book which will surely engage any child and I am delighted to able to feature it this week. Please come over and read more about this great little … Continue reading 
My choice for this week’s Children’s Book of the Week is the fun read, The Adventures of the Frog Prince by J.R. Barker. This is a quick and witty read which I would deem suitable for 8/9 year olds and upwards. Please come over and read more about this fun book at Mungai and the Goa … Continue reading 
My guest this week is the young fantasy author, Sarah Buchynski, who shares her passion for writing; along with some great insights into how she feels is the best way to engage her readers. Wonderful stuff! Welcome, Sarah, and thank you for being here.
Today, I am supposed to write about something I am passionate about in life. However, what really is passion? I would like to think of it as something in one’s life that brings them great joy. So, what brings me great joy in life? There are many things, but I am going to focus on writing. More specifically, creating a piece of work that others will be entertained when exposed to it. While I am writing, I am thinking of many things at once. How can I write down the ideas that are swimming in my head to convey them to the reader without boring them to death? What would sound better: It was morning and it came fast. The sky was filled with many colours; or: It was now dawn and it had come swiftly. With it came swirls of pink and red clouds. The colours painted a beautiful canvas in the sky. Just for the sake of illustrating a point, the first quote is relatively dull. It does get the information across, but is it entertaining? Will the reader be entranced by the scenario, and does it allow them to “enter” the story? I personally think it would not. The second example has a bit more detail – this detail can help a reader see the story inside their minds as they are reading. For fiction works, I think that it is important to paint a picture inside the reader’s mind. Since I am passionate about entertaining people through my literature, this concept is a priority for me to incorporate into my work.
Everything I do in my writing relates back to how to entertain the reader. After I get my canvas of words painted on a tangible medium, I then ask myself another question – how can I make my story larger than life, but still believable? This may seem like an oxymoron, at first. However, there is a thin line as to where the two are no longer compatible. For instance, in fantasy, a lot of its elements do not exist in reality. So when writing, you have a lot of freedom. Yet, I cannot give a character such weird ability that will leave the reader thinking, “Okay, as if that could really happen…” Sometimes you cannot make a human character have ultra superhuman abilities, since we live in a reality where people can never be like that. So, since we are used to that reality, we naturally feel this way. However, for something that does not exist in our reality, I can make it larger than life because we do not have the ability to anticipate all the possibilities.
A thesaurus, adjectives, treading the line between fantasy and reality, and research are my best friends and tools to making my passion come to life. The research is like “eye candy” for a reader. I find that many readers appreciate and enjoy it when writers incorporate a storyline around mystical concepts like ancient times (people, artifacts, places, etc.) or mythology. However, I sometimes find that simply alluding to these concepts, rather than dwelling on them full-blown in the story, can add that extra “tease” to spark one’s interest in the story and characters.
I hope that whoever read this blog was entertained, while I shared my passion with all of you!
Bio
Sarah Buchynski is a young author that showed a passion for writing even as a child. In her grade school years, she placed second in an essay writing contest for the Royal Canadian Legion and has two poems published in a student anthology with Creative Communications and several works in school-based anthologies. Now she has expanded her writing ambitions with her first fantasy series, Before True Light, which is available as a Kindle eBook on Amazon.
As a writer, one of Sarah’s main techniques is to paint a vivid picture into the reader’s mind through carefully constructed imagery. In addition to the embedded metaphors which older audiences can enjoy along with the story.
Sarah’s other technique is research. Almost every name of places and characters have been carefully researched so that it is relevant to the storyline. Sarah believes that everything in a story should have a purpose to an extend, so that makes research even more important even for works of fiction.
This week I would like to share the work of Author Bette A. Stevens. Bette has both written and illustrated her ‘amazing’ book, Amazing Matilda – A Monarch’s Tale, and here you will be able to get a taste of what to expect – a wonderful story with beautiful illustrations.
Please come over and read more about this great little book at Mungai and the Goa Constrictor
A would like to extend a very warm welcome to my guest, Tara Fox Hall. Tara’s love of cats comes over very strongly here as she tells how she came to make cat beds for animal shelters. Tara has been a frequent guest on my blog over the past year, and always manages to surprise with her caring and generosity.
There are those that say that happiness can’t be bought. Godiva chocolate aside, I believe that is likely right. But it can be brought forth with the gift of creation. Some people have talents for fundraising, or for organizing people to achieve a common goal. Others are innovators and problem solvers, able to find answers to complex issues that plague our society. Still others are caregivers, donating their time and love in a physical sense. And some—like me—are crafters, using our fondness and skill for creation to bring a little more happiness into the world.
Enjoying the moment!
It started simply: I was taking time off to help my mom—and subsequently poorer than I’d ever been since getting out of college—and it was coming up on Christmas. So I took my grandmother’s sewing machine I’d inherited and taught myself to sew, beginning with tablecloths and placemats and pillows that were easy. After the holidays, I noticed that my couch style dog beds I’d bought years ago were all close to needing replacing, but I didn’t have the money to replace them (think 75-100$ each). So instead, I decided to make new covers. With a lot of trial and error, I made new covers for a fraction of the cost. Better yet, I made a pattern so I could continually make new ones.
With my dogs taken care of, I turned my attention my cats. I’d never really had cat beds per se; the cats that called my home their home just slept wherever they chose. Intrigued, I tried a few different styles and got some real-time cat feedback, finally settling on the most popular design; an oval bed with a detachable center cushion. After seeing how much my cats liked them, I began making them for family and friends. Then it occurred to me that animal shelters might appreciate some donated beds, also.
I have been making cat and dog beds of various designs for shelters now for five years. At first, I made them for SPEAK, Inc, a local shelter that I had been doing volunteer work for since 1992. But I enjoyed making them so much that I
One very cosy cat on her new bed
contacted other rescues and also offered my beds to them. To date, I have made beds, cage pads and crate pads for the Binghamton Humane Society, Cedarhill Animal Sanctuary, SPEAK, Inc., Animal Care Council, Lifelong Tails, Springfarm CARES, ECMCR (East Coast Maine Coon Rescue) and now OMCR (Only Maine Coon Rescue). Total, I would guess I have made over 300 large beds and 200 cage/crate pads to date.
The beds aren’t hard to make, but they are time-consuming. I have been questioned several times as to why I don’t make them for profit, as they are so popular with cats. The reason is that the material and stuffing costs so much that I’d have to charge a high price, and even then, the margin would be a small one, considering the time they take to make. So instead, I opt to continue donating them. The shelters win, as they get high quality beds that stand
up to many washings. I win, as donating these beds instead of selling them allows me to write off the cost of the materials
while letting me enjoy my sewing hobby. And the cats win, as they have a little more joy in their worlds, especially the
Testing for softness!
ones that are very old, or have serious health ailments that are not adoptable. It’s my small way of buying happiness and giving it to others in need.
If you have a talent for something, consider trying to use it to benefit a charity of your choosing. Everyone can always use a little more happiness in his or her world.
I am happy to donate a snake pattern cat bed in honour of Shadow Man, Book 2 of the Lash series, to one lucky commenter.
If you would rather not trust to luck, I am donating a bunch of cat beds to Only Maine Coons Rescue They will be selling them at:
The Meadowlands Expo Center
355 Plaza Drive, Secaucus, NJ 07094
Nov 16th-18th Fri. 4 pm – 8 pm Sat. 10 am – 7 pm Sun. 10 am – 5 pm. AS well as putting a few online in their Facebook auction which opens 11-7-12
Shadow Man – The Blurb The renegade vampire Eli begins amassing a flock of true believers, threatening America’s vampire hierarchy. Weresnake Lash partners with old enemy Danial and new allies Burl and Spiderboy to track down and annihilate them. Betrayed and left for dead, Lash re-emerges the victor, edging ever upward in the Assassin’s Ranking, and catching the eye of the sultry nightclub singer Cassandra Nile. Drawn into drugs by Cassie, Lash begins to doubt himself, yearning to leave his life of violence, even as enemies close in from every side.
Buy on Amazon Kindle Buy in Paperback
Read an excerpt
Weeks passed as we pursued Eli all over the Southwest. We had some close scrapes, but we managed to come out with us still alive, even as we killed more and more vampires.
Then, on May 30th, we got the break we’d been waiting for. We’d been chasing Eli through Nevada for the past two days, trimming his last batch of vampires from him, until now the force was little more than seventy. Some vampires had even broken with him, but according to Devlin’s wishes, we killed them too, even when they surrendered to us on their knees, begging for their lives.
I wish I could say I felt something for them, but I didn’t. I thought of my sister at home, her children missing their father, and I killed them with a song of vengeance in my heart. I killed some of them for Jeanna, too; she’d never wanted any of this, and not gotten even one night in warm water beneath clear sky and stars before meeting her doom.
We finally cornered Eli and his remaining forces in a small town just before daybreak. They had abandoned their trucks outside the town near a wide river. Burl burnt the one bridge leading out of town and disabled their trucks, while I went house to house using my sense of smell to find out where they’d holed up for the day. At just about six p.m., I found them.
Eli and his remaining force were holed up in a burnt-out school. The place was falling down; the bricks over one window had cracked apart to spill like toppled cards onto the weedy lawn below, all of the windows were broken, and a small section of the roof was missing. The fucking place looked condemned, like it might fall down at any moment. It was filled with shadows, and in those shadows, seventy-some vampires were waiting for us, knowing this shitpile would be their grave if they didn’t succeed in killing us. Burl and I looked at each other; neither one of us was eager to go in. We were both sure to get wounded badly, if not killed.
But daylight was waning. And so we went in.
The halls were filled with dust and the charred remains of desks. Burl went first, picking his way through the debris holding a globe that glowed. He’d used it before; it was some kind of magical object he’d picked up over in Asia. I grumbled at him, saying it ruined my night vision, but Burl countered that it ruined the vampires’ night vision too, and that was better than nothing.
We checked the basement first, and killed about ten vampires, mostly in one-on-two skirmishes. But the majority were not there. It wasn’t until we reached the second floor that we were attacked in earnest.
Burl was just rounding the corner when a vampire dropped onto his back silently. And then they were everywhere, snarling, their fangs gleaming. I felt at least three pairs of sharp fangs sink into me, and then I was shooting, blowing them away from me, and before I could breathe twice, I was out of bullets.
Contact Tara at: [email protected]
For info on my recently published series books, click on the titles.
Lash: Shadow Man Broken Promise
Another great find! This week’s featured work is the delightful, Ode to Icky by Maranda Russell, which will undoubtedly appeal to young children and parents alike. With its lovable and lazy protagonist and its very resourceful heroine, I think many a young reader may be set to thinking about how to bulk out their pocket money – so keep a vigilant eye on the pets!
Please come over and read more about this great little book at Mungai and the Goa Constrictor
A big welcome to this week’s guest, Michael Charton. Michael is a writer, a blogger and a huge cat lover.
I’ve had cats all my life. Cats were part of my family, because I grew up in an apartment building in Brooklyn, New York and dogs had to be walked (probably by me).
After my ragdoll cat Ashley died in June, 2006. I was ready to get another cat for my birthday in December, 2006. We went to the Southern Arizona Humane Society. I looked at all the cats to see who I would bond with. An orange and white kitten kept trying to burst out of the cage. Something kept drawing me back to him. My wife Elaine laughed and said, he’s the one you want.
He had just come to the shelter a few days earlier. We think he lived in a student apartment and they had to give him up. The shelter named him Romulus and thought he was three years old (our vet said six months). Romulus did not fit. What to name the little tyke?
At the time, I belonged to a Sister City group between Tucson and Almaty, Kazakhstan. One of the young men from Kazahstan came here to study. His name is Yerbolat, called Yerbie by his University of Arizona classmates. A cat had a name and Yerbolat, (who was amused) a furry nephew.
As a youngster he was always curious. We thought he lived with students, when we discovered he likes pizza as long as it
isn’t spicy. He enjoyed greeting and meeting people.
He wasn’t always careful. His fur brushed too close to a candle his first Christmas and we had to quickly put the fire out. Luckily, he was ok. Another time, he was stung on the foot by a wasp. Two hours later, he was fine, but very annoyed that he couldn’t jump, nor run as fast. Lizards are a big thing in Arizona. He just wants to play.
Friends on Palin’s Travels (Former Monty Python member Michael Palin’s website http://www.palinstravels.co.uk) wanted me to create a Facebook Page for Yerbie. One of the members calls Yerbie the Wonder Cat and that’s what I named the Facebook page.
Two years ago, we downsized from a house to an apartment. The move was traumatic for Yerbie, like we had never heard a cat cry before. We think he was afraid he was being abandoned again. He gets nervous when we leave the house.
My wife is now disabled. Yerbie sits on her lap and tries to take care of her. We now have a younger cat, a female named Pandora.
Yerbie is becoming funny in a different way in his old age. He’s very fussy about what he eats and his mealtimes. As I type this, he is sound asleep. He must think it’s tough taking care of his humans. That’s my buddy Yerbie.
A Brief Biography
Among my interests are baseball, history and railroads. I enjoy the writer’s journey, enjoy new experiences and people. I am from New York City originally as you can see now wearing a cowboy hat in another locale in the American Southwest.
Old Man Gapu’s Bark Painting by Kyle Maplesden
Knowledgeably told with charming illustrations, Kyle Maplesden’s short, educational and entertaining tale will delight any small child.
Please come over and read more about this great little book at Mungai and the Goa Constrictor
It’s hard to miss the current global campaign for the fight against cancer, which makes this blog, by my wonderful guest Tara Fox Hall, all the more important. Tara tells us how we can help in a way that is simple, and for most of us, easily doable. Welcome Tara, and thank you for being my guest once again.
In my recently published book, Broken Promise, heroine Sarelle cuts off her hair the morning after her breakup with her lover, the vampire Danial. She mentions earlier in the book that she had planned on doing this, but puts it off, as Danial 
loves her long hair. But once he severs their relationship, she decides to go through with her decision, in no small part as a symbol of her being on her own again. She then puts the braid in an envelope to send to Locks of Love.
This scene was included in the book deliberately to increase awareness of Locks of Love, and other charities that take donated hair and make wigs that are given to those who have lost their own tresses to medical issues. I personally have donated my hair three times now, and intend to keep doing so, as this is a cause I believe in. It’s not difficult to do, if you have a supply of hair ties, barrettes, or headbands to keep lengthening tresses out of the way while they reach the required length. Probably the most difficult 
part of the donation process is the one that takes the least amount of time: adjusting to the loss of 10”-12” of hair. I confess I still reach for mine at the small of my back, then panic slightly when there’s nothing to touch!
Here are several sites to visit, if you are interested in hair donation. Even if your hair is highlighted or colored, as mine is, there are still places that will take it; it just may be sold for cash to help finance the wigmaking, instead of being used for actual wigs. Bear in mind that almost all places below want at least 10” ponytails, 12” and longer being preferred!
Locks of Love (no processed hair)
Pantene Beautiful Lengths click on link, then see Donation Form for rules.
Angel Hair Foundation (will take ANY hair in good condition)
Wigs 4 Kids (this place will take grey hair)
Don’t feel comfortable losing so muck lock length all at once? Bald yourself, but have a pet? Like to craft, or have livestock? You can still help by saving hair of any length, pet hair, old nylon stockings with or without runs, waste wool, feathers, and natural fiber donors. and sending them in (if your salon does not) to help with oil spills. Details are here
Blurb: Shocked at Danial’s betrayal, Sarelle returns to her old home to consider her options. Yet even as Sar plans a reconciliation with Danial, Terian arrives, confessing his desire. When Theo witnesses Terian and Sar kiss, he angrily confronts Sar, leading to startling consequences. Will Sar’s heart choose Danial, Terian,…or Theo?
Excerpt from Broken Promise:
Danial smiled sadly, and kissed me. He nodded once. “I said I’d let you go, and I will,” he said, taking a deep breath. “I release you from your oath, Sarelle McGarran.”
I felt the tears start to come. Just like that, he’d dissolved us. He paused, and looked at me one last time. Tears were on his face, too.
“Good-bye, Sar,” he said softly. “Take care of yourself.”
He grabbed the clean clothes from my hands and left, the door closing behind him. I heard him grabbing his jacket, and the front door shutting behind him as he left. The sound had all the finality of a gunshot. My legs buckled, and I sank to the floor. My dogs whined, licking my tears as I began to cry.
I don’t know how long I stayed there, sobbing on the floor. It was long enough to feel like I couldn’t get up.
Finally, some time later, I climbed to my feet. I felt better, but all the crying had left me feeling empty, closed off. I felt only fear now, fear I’d made a mistake in letting him go, fear that I’d never feel again what I felt with him.
As I went into my room, I caught sight of myself in the mirror. I looked awful; damp, red and swollen-faced. But I saw the choker still around my neck, the fox eyes winking at me, and felt a rush of hope.
There was still time. I could go to him now, tonight, and tell him I’d changed my mind, that nothing else mattered but being with him for as long as I could.
But I would be lying then. Because I still had reservations and they weren’t insignificant. Besides, I had only told Danial the truth. And he hadn’t heard it, as he was too afraid of my rejection of him.
I looked at myself in the mirror again, and made a decision. Then I went and got a pair of sharp scissors. I put my hair into a long braid, and tied both ends of it. Then I sawed through the braid. I put it aside to send to Locks of Love, as I’d planned to all those months ago. I undid my bobtail; it was too short to be a ponytail now. It hung to just below my shoulders, curling softly. I cut a few shorter pieces in front for shape, and pushed it back. It had a lot more bounce and curl now. The best thing was it would be much easier to take care of.
For info on my recently published book The Chalet, click here: All other works are listed on Amazon as well!
Being a children’s writer myself, and with so many wonderful children’s authors out there, I thought I would like to start highlighting some of the exceptional works of others.
My first featured author is the very gifted Christine Corretti with her delightful book, A Father’s Wish - the Tale of King Big Bear the Fat. A beautifully written and illustrated book for ages 9 years and upwards.
If your book has at least 3 x 5 star ratings and you would like to be featured on this site http://mungaiandthegoaconstrictor.me/ with one of your children’s books, please contact me at [email protected]
I am thrilled to welcome my guest, Sci-Fi writer Gary Starta,with this fascinating post about the source field. Welcome, Gary, and a huge thank you for being my guest.
If I were to tell you we can unify our minds for positive change, would you accept or dismiss this statement? Conditioned minds might discard this as deception or fiction, concluding it to be a state of consciousness we could never realistically achieve. It may sound like the next campaign slogan or a veiled promise from an alien leader in a science fiction move.
David Wilcox, author of The Source Field Investigations, proposes this is sound science theory. I am quite passionate about the contents of this fascinating book that explores ‘consciousness science’ and an array of topics including DNA transformation, multidimensional time and travel via wormhole. It is the most comprehensive tour of ancient physics and spirituality you might find. I like to think of it as a metaphysical bible or encyclopedia of the paranormal.
When I classify the theories of this book as metaphysics or the paranormal I feel I am cheapening the very idea of the source field. I feel as though these terms convey doubt about the reality of this zone of energy. Yet I am very excited about its likely existence. I write science fiction and many ideas and concepts I introduce in my novels are sometimes based on theory or what some might label fringe science. But in reference to the source field, I feel it is much stronger than a concept or theory. It is the science fiction story that comes true.
So what is the source field? It may be the answer to everything. Wilcox proposes all space, time, energy, matter, biological life and consciousness in the universe is a product of the source field. It runs throughout the universe and emits light via photons. Since its non-electromagnetic it’s been hard to detect.
We can channel the light of the source field via our pineal glands, a small gland situated in the middle of our brains. Unfortunately, because of poor diets and environmental pollution our pineal glands are not running at optimum efficiency. If they were, we would be absorbing all the glorious light the source field has to offer. It would literally change us via our genetic coding in positive ways. Light is absorbed in our DNA and the right light frequencies can be used for healing. Ultraviolet light can carry coding that affects the structure of DNA. If we were at an optimum receiving level, Wilcox believes the source field would appear in our DNA as virtual photons and be stored for usable energy.
Even more amazing, since every living organism stores and releases photons inside its DNA, you could remove the DNA and the photons would keep spiraling in that same area for up to a month. Experiments referenced in the book seem to prove that a pulse of light or wave may contain all the genetic information needed to build an organism. Consequently, our DNA coding is not fixed. It can be altered for benefit. We are not the sum product of our genetic coding. An outside source is a substantial contributing factor to our makeup.
Wilcox cites human evolution is now moving a hundred times faster than at any other moment in recorded history. An outside light source may be responsible. He believes overall happiness levels are on the rise and this is a product of evolution. The Journal of Happiness Studies reported that happiness protects our bodies from becoming sick.
It would seem the ancients already knew all this. Pyramids were built in specific shapes to funnel the energy of the source field. From Machu Picchu in Peru to the Four Corners area of the Hopi in the American Southwest, the evidence of these stone monuments theorizes building placement was intentional to maximize the powerful healing effects of the source field. Another benefit to this alignment is free energy.
The source field could be a means to share a collective mind with others. Dr. Cleve Backster posited the mind is an energetic field. He deduced all living things may share the same mind with us. Plants, animals, bacteria and even eggs are part of this collective. If a plant were to believe harm might come to it there would be a reaction. Backster maintained his plants screamed when a man who mowed lawns for a living came into his lab. If we could synchronize in positive ways, might we all better off? We could make each other feel better. Dr. William Braud discovered a nervous person could be calmed remotely by a person who shared comforting thoughts with them from a distance.
Health benefits are just one positive outcome. Wilcox cites the phenomenon of simultaneous discovery. Scientists may seem to stumble upon a breakthrough idea in multiples. It may come from mind sharing. Wilcox references Dr. Rupert Sheldrake’s experiments which maintain we all access a common databank of information when we try to solve a puzzle, for example. It is believed we can solve problems more quickly when a segment of the population has already thought about the very same problem.
Wilcox references Dr. Paul Pearsall’s work with organ transplants. “Thoughts are apparently being stored within individual organs before they appear in the recipient’s mind.”
All these examples seem to suggest that our thoughts and intelligence is not contained within our brains. It is possible, through the source field, that we may act as antennae and receive information from outside our bodies.
A shared mind makes sense to me personally. I’ve always wondered why ancient civilizations separated by oceans all thought to construct pyramids. If you don’t buy into ancient alien theories, maybe the idea of transmitted thought could solve this conundrum.
It’s very interesting to at least consider the theory. Have you ever experienced sharing the same unspoken thought with a friend? Or have you ever wondered how your dog or cat seems to know when you’re about to arrive home?
I suggest picking up a copy of the Source Field Investigations and make up your own mind – if single-minded thought is at all possible.
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Some of my books
This week I am delighted to welcome back again authors Jenny Twist and Tara Fox Hall telling us a little more about their highly successful writing careers. Welcome back to both of you, and thank you, once more, for being my guests.
Tara Fox Hall and Jenny Twist launched their anthology of speculative fiction, Bedtime Shadows, on the 24th September. The book has already received high praise from other authors and is said to rival the short stories of M. R. James, Philip K Dick and even Stephen King.
The two writers became friends when they both contributed to the highly acclaimed anthology, Spellbound 2011, issued by Melange Books in October last year.
“I was so proud to be in that anthology,” says Jenny, whose own anthology, Take One At Bedtime, was chosen as Editor’s Pick when it came out in April of the same year. “I thought every single one of the stories in it was interesting and well-written and the authors were all such fun to work with.”
“I was excited to make the jump from short horror stories to longer works,” added Tara, whose flash fiction and short 
stories have appeared on-line at Deadman’s Tome, Flashes in the Dark, Ghastly Door, The Halloween Alliance, Black Petals, SNM Horror Magazine, Dark Eclipse, Cemetery Moon, The Copperfield Review, and Microhorror. “I’d just published my first paranormal romance e-novella, and was anxious to be in a print book. Spellbound 2011 introduced me to some wonderful authors, some of whom have become very good friends.”
The two writers could not have come from more different backgrounds. Jenny was born in England and worked at many different jobs including bacon-packer and escapologist’s assistant before returning to full-time education at the age of 28 and doing 2 history degrees at Manchester and Oxford. Eleven years ago she retired to Spain. “I feel like I’m finally getting on with my real life,” she says. “I always wanted to write and now I’m finally doing it!”
Tara was born in the United States, earned her bachelor’s degree in Mathematics with a double minor in science at the State University of New York at Binghamton, and is currently an OSHA-certified safety and health inspector at a metal fabrication shop. In addition to speculative fiction, Tara Fox Hall’s writing credits include non-fiction action-adventure, and contemporary and historical paranormal romance. She is the author of the paranormal action-adventure Lash series and the vampire romantic suspense Promise Me series. “I love that my stories resonate with people,” she says. “That they can lose themselves in my stories means I’ve done my job.”
“We chose Bedtime Shadows as the title,” Jenny says, “to reflect my anthology, Take One At Bedtime and Tara’s Just Shadows. We are very proud to have an introduction by the illustrious horror writer, T. Fox Dunham (no relation to Tara) and we have been very lucky to have some excellent authors give us advance reviews.”
The book is a mixture of horror, speculative fiction and romance – stories of ghosts and vampires, future dystopias, travel through different dimensions, a holiday romance that changes everything, and a new twist on an ancient myth.
Here is what other authors have to say about it.
“I recommend this collection without any reservations” – Herbert Grosshans.
“Together these two authors will strap you to your chair and lock your attention to the magic they weave.” - Su Halfwerk
“They know how to write stories that entertain and involve their readers. Someday I think we may identify them with authors like Shirley Jackson, Stephen King and HP Lovecraft.” – John Mecom
“This literary progeny of authors Jenny Twist and Tara Fox Hall was a joy to read for a couple of reasons. There’s a nice variety of stories ranging from dramatic to speculative to downright gruesome.” – Mysti Parker
“Daily-living captured and stylistically rendered with a ‘twist’ of macabre lurking behind each provocative tale…BEDTIME SHADOWS delivers a punch — watch out for the unexpected.”
~ Douglas Wickard
BOOK BLURB
The Man With No Face– Jenny Twist
All her life Deborah has been haunted by the memory of a couple locked in a deadly embrace. She thinks the woman may be the mother that abandoned her but she cannot see the man’s face. Who is he?
All That Remains – Tara Fox Hall
This thrilling sequel to The Origin of Fear (Spellbound 2011) takes us back to Latham’s Landing. Will Tina and Sandra survive their encounter with the ghosts that inhabit the haunted isle?
The Children of Hope – Jenny Twist
It is 1963 and Ginny is unmarried and pregnant. Her parents consign her to one of the infamous Mother and Baby Homes which are little more than prisons and workhouses. Will she be able to escape before they come to take her baby away?
The Bull-Dancer– Jenny Twist
The twelve chosen bull-dancers are sailing out of the harbour under a black sail, bound for Crete and the deadly Minotaur, while a mother looks on in anger.
Take the Chance– Tara Fox Hall
A young girl growing up in post-apocalyptic America is determined that she and her sister will survive – whatever it takes!
A Victorian Dolls’ House– Jenny Twist
When Violet sees the dolls’ house in the antique shop she has to have it. But the Delacorte House is no ordinary dolls’ house – and it is definitely not a toy!
Heart’s Bells– Tara Fox Hall
Theo and Casey are in love, but so many things stand in their way. They suffer separation and heartbreak but still remain true – until something happens to Theo that changes everything.
Doppelganger– Jenny Twist
When Christine wakes up in a sumptuous white room with silken hangings, she assumes she is in heaven. But she soon finds out she is not in heaven. And before too long she begins to wonder if she is even still Christine.
Voices– Jenny Twist
Olivia and Aidan are telepathic twins. Olivia is used to hearing Aidan in her head, but she is terrified when she hears a new and sinister voice.
Return to Me – Tara Fox Hall
Determined to find the source of the nightly creaking she alone can hear, Sam Reading discovers Harrison Benning, a ghost who becomes corporeal for one night of the year; the summer solstice. Their warm friendship soon becomes powerful love that lasts through decades, tragedies, and even beyond death.
Catch Me If You Can– Jenny Twist
Willy prowls the streets at night, listening to all the sounds of the old town. But does he have a more sinister purpose?
Shades of Grey– Tara Fox Hall
Throughout history there has always been a Seer making sure that the world follows its proper course, keeping the world in balance. Yet when the old Seer prepares to hand over the burden to his apprentice Tim, he realizes too late that Tim has his own ideas of how things should go.
Other books by Tara and Jenny
To find out more about the authors, go to:
Jenny Twist
Tara Fox Hall
For info on my recently published work, Lash, click here:
For info on my recently published work, Just Shadows, click here:
Mungai and the Goa Constrictor has a brand new website. Having realised I can actually have all my sites in one place, I have now put all three on WordPress. I absolutely love WordPress and really enjoyed putting this one together, so please go over and take a look. You can find out most of what there … Continue reading 
I am delighted, yet again, to welcome back another of my past guest Bloggers. This time it is the wonderful author, Jenny Twist, who has returned for a visit with her thought-provoking post about her new book; a novel with a sort of physical Benjamin Button syndrome twist to the plot. Thank you, Jenny, for being my guest … Continue reading 
Today I am thrilled to welcome my guest, Jenny Twist. Hailing from the UK, Jenny seems to have discovered a language barrier when communicating with her American friends, and I don’t think she is alone here! “England and America are two countries separated by a common language” – George Bernard Shaw Until last year, when … Continue reading 
I have hosted many outstanding and gifted writers on my Blogs, but never before have I had the privilege of introducing a ghost writer. So I am especially pleased this week to do just that and greet ghost writer Karen Cole. Welcome Karen and thank you warmly for accepting my invitation and being my guest. First of all, it’s a … Continue reading 
Told through the eyes of animals, MUNGAI AND THE GOA CONSTRICTOR promotes tolerance, peace and harmony, and illustrates how easily seemingly incompatible creatures, drawn together from vastly different environments, can unite in a common cause – to overcome fear and oppression. And guess what! Well, that would be spoiling it, wouldn’t it? … Continue reading 
Good to see you! Yes, I still kick myself for not acting when I knew I should. I wrestled a lot with this post, worried the tale would be too upsetting, or too graphic. I’m relieved that you found it worthwhile! 
Good job!
Thanks Mike