A Season to Remember - Christmas Anthology blog tour - #6

A micro-story exclusively for you:

This blog tour brings very special people together. People who would never normally meet. Continuing on our theme of delving deep into the psyche of our characters from the forthcoming Christmas anthology - A Season to Remember - today we will visit with two delightful young couples - Laura and Michael (from Three Ships); and Molly and Connor (from All That Glitters). They meet up at a Christmas party.

The old lady, Kitty Pryor, fell asleep ungracefully on the tapestry couch, sliding sideways until she was leaning heavily on Laura’s shoulder.

“Here, let me help you there.” The girl’s voice sounded close.

Laura turned to see the girl, already reaching forward and lifting Mrs. Pryor up and setting her back against the couch. With a huge effort, the girl managed to get the old lady to stay put, and she propped a cushion under the woman’s head.

“I’m Molly. Merry Christmas.”

Laura looked into the dancing eyes of Molly. “Thanks you. Merry Christmas to you as well. I’m Laura.”

“Come on, she’ll be okay for now.” Molly extended her hand. “Join us over here?”

Laura clasped her hand and stood, glad to have someone else to talk to, now that Kitty Pryor had drunk herself into a sherry stupor. She glanced up at the clock on the mantle, mindful that she must not leave too late or she would be marooned on the mainland all night.

Molly must have noticed. “In a rush?”

“Well, not really. But I need to leave before the tide turns. I live on St. Joseph’s Rock, you see.”

Molly’s eyes widened. “Really? Where the lighthouse is? I met another man who said he’d been there recently. His name is, um…Michael something.”

Laura felt her heart stop. “Not…not Michael Renten?”

“Yes, I think that’s right. Oh look, here he is now.”

Laura turned to see Michael coming towards them holding two glasses of sherry. She offered Michael a beaming smile, which he returned.

“Ah Miss Molly, I see you are acquainted with my fiancee,” he said, handing one of the glasses to Laura and offering the other to Molly who refused the drink with a polite shake of her head.

Michael Renten was tall, equally as tall as the man who now joined them - Connor Rathmore - who wrapped his arm around Molly's waist.

“Usually about now we put on the stereo and begin the 80s karoke,” Connor quipped.

Laura frowned. “I don't know that word, is it Japanese?”

It was Connor's turn to frown. “Yeah, I think it is. It means to have a sing along.”

“That could be fun,” said Laura enthusiastically. “But I'm not sure I know any songs from the 1780s.”

Molly burst out laughing. “Well if you don't, I don't think we would either. I think Connor was thinking of more 1980s.”

“Yep, big hair and shoulder pads,” he then leaned in to say in a stage whisper. “Just like Molly's step-mother.”

Kitty Pryor, leaning back comatose on the setee, muttered and shifted in her sleep but didn't waken.

“I found something that looks like a music box in the other room,” said Michael, offering his arm which Laura accepted. “Mr Rathmore might be familiar with its workings. It appears to be called a 'Wurlitzer'.”

Thank you to Elizabeth Ellen Carter - author of Three Ships, and Eva Scott, author of All That Glitters, for contributing to this very special and exclusive micro-story of the meeting of two young couples.

On November 28th, you'll be able to download your free gift copy of A Season to Remember, and enjoy four stories full of romance, adventure, love, and Christmas. Stay tuned for the download link..

Elizabeth Ellen Carter   |   Eva Scott   |   Susanne Bellamy   |   Noelle Clark

A Season to Remember - A Christmas Anthology blog tour - #5

A micro-story exclusively for you

This blog tour brings very special people together. People who would never normally meet. Continuing on our theme of delving deep into the psyche of our characters from the forthcoming Christmas anthology - A Season to Remember - today we will visit two women from very different worlds, very different times. There's Kitty from Dugong Point; and there's Andra from the spaceship Bluefire. What could these women ever have in common?


Captain Andra Veluthian stared at the screen. She reached forward and hit the button, zooming right in on the woman who sat in a chair high on the cliffs overlooking a beach.

The woman seemed to be staring back at her. It was un-nerving. Surely she couldn’t see the Bluefire with her naked eye! Still the woman stared.

Andra zoomed in as far as she could. A droplet of water, which she knew the Terrans called tears, fell out of the woman’s eyes and trickled down over her cheeks. Andra shook her head. Since she’d been with Nick, she seemed to have developed a capacity for emotional responses that was quite alien to her. Watching the woman’s sad countenance, she felt a growing melancholy within her own body.

“This can’t be happening.” She switched off the screen, and the woman disappeared. Annoyed with herself for showing such softness, she stomped off to the bridge, hoping that there was something more exciting to see than a Terran displaying that very human trait.

The bridge was deserted. A soft blue luminosity from the instrument panels caused an eerie glow. She looked out the main window and saw the magnificent sight of planet Earth, suspended gracefully in space. Her heart turned over. Damn! She couldn’t stop thinking about the sad old woman.



She reached out and hit a button. The monitor jumped to life. With the turn of a few knobs, she  zoomed back in. The woman still sat there, her face shiny from tears. Andra compressed her lips,
 reached across, and pressed the sonar-linguistic button.

“Hello. What’s wrong?” Even to her own ears, she sounded comforting—a trait not natural to Gravlarians.

The woman jumped, then squinted, looking intently at the Bluefire which must look like a very bright star to someone down on Earth.

“Oh, I’m just being a sad sack. It’s Christmas night and I’ve had a marvellous day with my family.” The old woman sighed. “But, I do miss my Billy.”

Andra swallowed hard to rid her throat of the lump that had formed. “Tell me about Billy?”

The old woman started to speak, but her words faded in Andra’s head, instead replaced by her own monologue. Since she and Nick had fallen in love, her whole perspective on Earthlings had changed. Once derided by Gravlarians for their strange, emotion-ruled lives, she now marvelled at how the Earthlings managed to infuse emotions into everything they did.

Even this little ritual they called Christmas brought out the very best in whole communities. They shared meals together, shared religious festivities, and the quaint little habit of sharing gifts was, well, delightful. Suddenly she felt so enriched by the Earthling’s emotional ways, that she wondered how her own race – the Gravlarians – had ever survived without the warmth of touch and love in their lives.

She blinked, noticing that the old lady was smiling. “I feel so very much better for having told you all about my Billy. Thank you.” Her smile broadened. “And Merry Christmas.”

Andra wiped a tear from her eye. “Merry Christmas to you too.”

Thank you to Susanne Bellamy, author of A Touch of Christmas,  for contributing to this very special and exclusive micro-story of the meeting of two of our characters, Kitty and Andra.

On November 28th, you'll be able to download your free gift copy of A Season to Remember, and enjoy four stories full of romance, adventure, love, and Christmas. Stay tuned for the download link.

Elizabeth Ellen Carter   |   Eva Scott   |   Susanne Bellamy   |   Noelle Clark

A Season to Remember - Christmas Anthology blog tour - #4

A micro-story exclusively for you:

This blog tour brings very special people together. People who would never normally meet. Continuing on our theme of delving deep into the psyche of our characters from the forthcoming Christmas anthology - A Season to Remember - today we will visit the cold, windswept south coast of England in the early 1800s where Peter from 'Three Ships' meets Nick from 'A Touch of Christmas'.


Peter Winter wished he was anywhere but here. What a horrid way to spend Christmas Day, he thought. He hated leaving the lighthouse at any time, but should a ship founder on this special day because he was hob-knobbing it with these out-of-towners, well…  He shook his head.

The visitors certainly looked strange. They wore odd clothes, and their pallor made them look ill. Except the big male.

“Mr. Winter? I’m Nick Madigan. So glad you could come.”

Peter looked up to see a friendly, tanned face before him, smiling warmly. This man looked human. He took the proffered hand and squeezed it.

“Yes, well. Thank you for inviting me. Although I can’t stay long, you know. My daughter is on her own at the lighthouse and I mustn’t miss the tide.” He felt in his waist coat pocket for his fob watch. “Once the tide turns, we’re cut off over there on St Joseph’s Rock, you know.”

“I know, Mr. Winter. We won’t keep you long. We just wanted to thank you for all you’ve done for the ships in these parts. And to wish you a Happy Christmas, of course.” Nick took hold of the older man’s elbow. “Come now, let’s have a rum. I’ll make sure you get home safely.” Nick led him over near the bar.

The rum trickled down his gullet, warming him from the inside out. Laura, his daughter, wouldn’t let him drink too much. But Nick Madigan kept refilling his glass without even asking.

“These ships of yours,” he squinted at Nick, looking for any sign that he was being made fun of. “You say they are ships of the sky? That they can fly?”

Nick’s smile was charming. “Yes, sir. They’re called space ships. But they, too, rely on similar life-saving beams as your lighthouse. Without such reliable navigation beacons, many of the spaceships would founder.”

Peter felt as though he must have drunk too much rum and was dreaming. “Really? Ships that fly?” He cleared his throat. “Well, son. You better tell me about yourself and how you came to be…flying in the oceans in the sky.”

Nick topped up his glass again. “You have deduced I—we are not from your time but I am an Earthman from—some time in the future. Mankind has made huge advances in science, including machines that allow us to fly to the stars. It seems we managed to slip through time on this trip and landed here. Your lighthouse beacon drew us to safety through that terrible storm.”

Nick raised his glass to Peter and offered a toast. “Thank you for your dedication in keeping even space mariners safe.”

They drank and Nick refilled their glasses for a fourth, or was it fifth time?

“So, do you have much of a problem with smugglers on this stretch of coast?”

Peter gave a sly grin. “I don’t have a problem with them. But they do have a problem with me.”

A conspiratorial smile spread across Nick’s face also, in anticipation of a tale to come. He wasn’t disappointed.

Another glass of rum each was consumed by the men over the course of the tale.

“Not that I can take all the credit, mind. I had the help of my very brave daughter and a Royal Navy Lieutenant, oh beg your pardon, he's a Commander now.”

“I can see that you’re very proud of your daughter,” Nick observed.

“Aye, that I am.”

Perhaps it was the amount of rum he’d consumed but there was something in Nick’s face which told him he could be trusted with a confidence.

“I have to confess being a bit concerned for Laura,” he said, leaning in a little. “She’s a fine girl but it hasn’t been easy since her mother died. I’m glad  she’ll be marrying a good man.

“Are you married, Nick?”

The spaceman seemed to stand taller and Peter recognised the look of pride in his face. He wore it too whenever he was asked about his wife.

“I am—and to the captain of the very ship that brought us here.”

“A woman captain! She is someone I definitely want to meet. Is she from Earth’s future too?”

“Yes. Earth will suffer dark times but with the help of Andra’s race, our planet will survive and prosper. Never underestimate a woman’s capabilities. Your daughter is a strong, intelligent woman like my wife.”

“Aye, that she is.”

Nick pushed his glass away and looked at the device he wore on his wrist. “Thank goodness they are on our side. I should return to our ship. If you like, I’ll bring Andra over to your lighthouse to meet Laura later this evening.”

“Tide’s up then. You won’t be able to make the crossing.”

“Ah, high tide won’t be a problem for us so long as you’ve a small, clear area for a vehicle about the size of that coach.”

Peter looked through the window and grinned. “Never tell me ye have a smaller flying ship inside that big one? Well, I never...”

Nick held out his hand and shook Peter’s. “Shall we say around eight o’clock?”

Thank you to Elizabeth Ellen Carter - author of Three Ships, and Susanne Bellamy, author of A Touch of Christmas, for contributing to this very special and exclusive micro-story of the meeting of two mariners.

On November 28th, you'll be able to download your free gift copy of A Season to Remember, and enjoy four stories full of romance, adventure, love, and Christmas. Stay tuned for the download link..

A Season to Remember

four Australian authors  -  four unique stories about Christmas

Elizabeth Ellen Carter   |   Eva Scott   |   Susanne Bellamy   |   Noelle Clark

A Season to Remember - A Christmas Anthology blog tour - #3

A micro-story exclusively for you:

This blog tour brings very special people together. People who would never normally meet. Continuing on our theme of delving deep into the psyche of our characters from the forthcoming Christmas anthology - A Season to Remember - today we will visit the sunny, vibrant, Gold Coast. This is Australia's premier beach city, a mecca for anyone wishing to escape the cold and spend a warm and sunny winter in Queensland. Today, Kitty from 'Sands of Time' happens to meet up with Molly and Connor from 'All That Glitters.' Kitty is at that age where she just can't help herself from flirting mildly with a kind, good-looking man such as Connor Rathmore.

Kitty sat on a bench seat overlooking the canal at Surfers Paradise. This Christmas was the second one

without Billy. The year had flown and, true to her promise, she was sharing the day with Bonnie, Jeff, and the children. Joe had been there earlier, but his new girlfriend whisked him away soon after lunch to spend the rest of the day with her parents.

The children were skylarking in the pool with Jeff, and Bonnie was stacking the dishwasher in the kitchen. She’d offered to help, but was politely but firmly told to go and relax. Huh, relax. That’s all she seemed to do these days.

She heard the side gate creak and turned to see a tall, good-looking man in long shorts and a Polo shirt stride in, accompanied by a pretty girl who had the most beautiful smile.

They approached her.

“Hi. I’m Connor Rathmore. This is Molly.” Even though she couldn’t see his eyes behind the sun glasses, his smile was warm and friendly. “You must be Bonnie’s Mum?”

The man bent forward and kissed her cheek. Molly said a quick hello and headed inside to find Bonnie.

“Merry Christmas, Mrs. Pryor.” His voice was warm, gentle, comforting.

“Oh, please. Call me Kitty.” She felt quite girlish all of a sudden. This charming man’s smile did funny things to her. She moved over on the bench seat and patted the spot next to her. “Won’t you join me? I’d love to know you better.”

Thank you to Eva Scott, author of "All That Glitters', for contributing to this very special and exclusive micro-story of the meeting of two strangers. Connor seems to know intuitively that Kitty is in need of some male company this Christmas.

On November 28th, you'll be able to download your free gift copy of A Season to Remember, and enjoy four stories full of romance, adventure, love, and Christmas. Stay tuned for the download link.

Elizabeth Ellen Carter   |   Eva Scott   |   Susanne Bellamy   |   Noelle Clark

A Season to Remember - Christmas Anthology blog tour #2

A micro-story exclusively for you: 

This blog tour brings very special people together. People who would never normally meet. Continuing on our theme of delving deep into the psyche of our characters from the forthcoming Christmas anthology - A Season to Remember - today we will visit Andra from 'A Touch of Christmas', and Molly from 'All That Glitters'. They meet in Andra's space ship.

Captain Andra Veluthian finished docking the Starship Bluefire. A Terran woman was waiting to meet her.

Andra liked the quaint Terran celebrations, and had learned how important they were to Earthlings.

She strode into the hospitality pod. A pretty girl with a simple, straight bob stood as she entered. In her hand was a box wrapped in red and silver paper, and tied with a shiny green ribbon.

“I’m sorry to have kept you waiting. I’m Andra Veluthian.” She extended her hand and steeled herself for the touch as the young woman leaned forward to grab it. Another Terran ritual that took some getting used to with anyone other than Nick.

The woman’s skin felt soft and warm. Quite pleasant really.

“So very happy to meet you, Captain. I’m Molly Morgan.” The girl smiled warmly. “Here, a small Christmas gift for you.” She presented her with the parcel so gaily wrapped. “It’s not much. Some home-made rum balls. I always say it’s not a proper Christmas without rum balls.”

For some inexplicable reason, a lump formed in Andra’s throat and something stung at the back of her eyes. “Thank you.” She swallowed deeply. “Thanks so very much.”

She wasn’t sure whether or not she should open it now. Molly Morgan stared expectantly at her.

“Before I open it, let’s have a…Christmas toast.” Her time with Nick had taught her much about Terran ways. She moved over to a cupboard, opened it, and took out a bottle of gold-flecked, colourless liquid and two small glasses. She poured a drink from the bottle and filled the other glass with soda for herself. “Let’s have a drink and get to know one another, shall we?”

Molly’s face broke out into another sunny smile. “Sounds great.” She flopped onto a chair that was a lot more comfortable than it looked. “Tell me, how long have you worked on the Bluefire?”

“Well, in Terran time, it would be nine years since I took up my first commission. I became Captain just before we left for our recent mission to Earth. I love coming back here each year and seeing the progress made in reclaiming your planet. Its health has been in jeopardy for a long time. Are you interested in space travel?”

Molly sipped her drink and smiled. “That’s delicious. Um, space travel. I’ve never thought about it. I’m keen on taking a really long sea cruise with a rather special man I met. Long, lazy days by the pool, cocktails at sunset, and nights... You get my drift.”

“You drift on a cruise? This term I have not heard Nick use. Is it not dangerous to not set a course but simply to drift?”

Her guest laughed. “Oh no. It means you follow my meaning. Any captain will set and follow a course at sea. Or in space for that matter.”

“Ah, thank you. English has much idiom. It will take me a long time to get the hang of it, as Nick would say.”

“I’d say you’re doing very well, Andra. So how long are you on Earth for this visit?”

“Nick and I are on holiday for one week. Christmas is a special time for us too. How will you celebrate?”

“We’re borrowing a friend’s yacht and sailing up the Queensland coast for a few days. Would you like to join us?”

Andra grinned and thanked Molly for the invitation. Sailing a sea vessel would tick another of her childhood dreams and having Nick and her new friends with her would be—would be icing on the cake. The Christmas cake!

Thank you to Eva Scott, author of All That Glitters, and Susanne Bellamy, author of A Touch of Christmas, for contributing to this very special and exclusive micro-story of the meeting of two women who have fallen in love with two remarkable men.

On November 28th, you'll be able to download your free gift copy of A Season to Remember, and enjoy four stories full of romance, adventure, love, and Christmas. Stay tuned for the download link.

Elizabeth Ellen Carter   |   Eva Scott   |   Susanne Bellamy   |   Noelle Clark

A Season to Remember - A Christmas Anthology blog tour - #1

A micro-story exclusively for you:

This blog tour brings very special people together. People who would never normally meet. This is the first stop on our theme of delving deep into the psyche of our characters from the forthcoming Christmas anthology - A Season to Remember - and today, through the magic author wand, we time travel and meet up with Laura from 'Three Ships', and Kitty from 'Sands of Time'. They meet quite by chance at a Christmas party held by a friend.


It was Christmas Day, and eighteen year old Laura Winter had just walked into the parlour and been introduced to the recently widowed Kitty Pryor. They shook hands, and a moment later a silent waiter approached holding a silver tray with two cut crystal glasses filled with bright mahogany-coloured sherry. They took a glass and raised it to each other in a toast.

“Merry Christmas, Laura.” Kitty smiled warmly at the pretty young girl.

“Merry Christmas to you too, Mrs. Pryor.”

Their eyes met as they took a sip of sherry and in an instant, Laura felt her shoulders relax. She didn’t know a soul at the party. Thank goodness she had someone to talk to.

“Let’s sit here on the sofa. My legs are aching from standing so long.” Kitty hobbled over and sat heavily on the tapestry suite. Laura joined the older woman and, for Dutch courage, took another sip of the sweet wine.

“Ah, that’s better,” said Kitty as she settled back on the seat. She turned to the young girl with an inquisitive gaze. “I haven’t seen you around these parts before. Tell me about yourself.”

Laura sank back against the padded back of the sofa, and exhaled. Normally she hated going to social occasions. She much preferred the solitary life in the lighthouse. But something about this older woman made her feel as though she had known her for ever.

“Well, I live on St Joseph's Rock. It's a tidal island off the Devon Coast near the town of Ashton-On-Sea. My father is a lighthouse keeper,” she said.

“I'm here with my fiance, Michael Renten, he's a Commander in the Royal Navy.”

Mrs Pryor smiled. It was a lovely smile but one that didn't miss a thing.

“I've found out where you live, who your father is and who you are engaged to, but you still haven't told me about yourself.”

“Oh!” Laura stopped and paused. No one had ever asked her that question before. She gave it another moment's thought then continued.

“I'm training to be a teacher, well for the moment, although I'll give that up when I marry—it won't go to waste though.” Laura blushed. “I plan to teach my children, if we're so blessed.”

“Ah, the young women of today have it good,” said Mrs Pryor. “Young women back in my day had to give up work when they married too. Today women can go back to work six weeks after having children.”

Laura's eyes widened. “Who looks after their children?”


“Teachers like yourself. Most women can't afford to stay home with their babies.”


After a shake of her head, Laura took another sip of her drink. “I think the future is very confusing.”

Thank you to Elizabeth Ellen Carter - author of Three Ships, for contributing to this very special and exclusive micro-story of the meeting of two women - one old, and one young.

On November 28th, you'll be able to download your free gift copy of A Season to Remember, and enjoy four stories full of romance, adventure, love, and Christmas. Stay tuned for the download link.

Elizabeth Ellen Carter   |   Eva Scott   |   Susanne Bellamy   |   Noelle Clark

Australia Day Book'd Out Blog Hop & Giveaway - The Call of the Bush

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The Call of the Bush

Join in the Book'd Out 2014 Australia Day Book Giveaway and Blog Hop - Visit the other blogs. Lots of fun and giveaways - click HERE

In the mid 1960’s, when I was in primary school, I was given a fourth-hand book called The Call of the Gums. It had a beautiful sketch on the cover.  Graceful gums, their branches casting a dappled shadow over the ground, seemed to sway in the breeze as I gazed at it. I loved that picture – and I loved that book. So much so, that I still have a copy. Inside the cover are the names of my cousins and older sisters who also owned the book before me, each one crossed out and the new owner’s name proudly written in a childish scrawl.

From this anthology of Australian verse, I learned to recite, by heart, poems that I still remember. The Call of the Gums introduced me to Australian poets such as Kenneth Slessor, Henry Lawson, Judith Wright, and local Aboriginal poet, Kath Walker – who changed her name to Oodgeroo Noonuccal in 1988. The anthology also gave me a sense of what it meant to be Australian. Kenneth Slessor’s Beach Burial never failed to make my eyes sting with tears; I learned about war, about droughts, about dogs dying, and I learned a deep love for the Australian bush which has lasted a lifetime.

More than 50 years since The Call of the Gums was first published, I can say that, thanks to the words and imagery contained within its covers, I have enjoyed a life-long love affair with the bush. Nothing makes my heart sing as much as being in the heartland of Australia – the bush. It’s where my senses soar; it’s where a spirituality enters my sometimes hardened respect for religion; and it’s where I’m filled with peace and wonder at its beauty.

Some of you may know that I have written a number of songs over the years. Most have themes inspired by being in the Outback – the country – the bush. But there’s one song I’d like to share with you this Australia Day. It’s called The Bush Church, and it fairly well sums up my feelings.

THE BUSH CHURCH                                              (© Noelle Clark/ND 2002)

A hundred foot tall gum tree makes a most imposing spire
The fallen logs around me make good pews
The carpet of a million leaves soften where I tread
And a hollowed out old tree stump tells His news.

I look about me at the congregation gathered round
Their peaceful faces show no signs of care
For the faces that surround me are the creatures of the bush
All the animals whom God has made are there.

No bricks and mortar, glass and walls, could ever be this good
The glory of God’s work is at hand
The lofty ceiling echoes as no real church ever could
And my bush church makes me feel as no place can.

A choir starts to sing a song of praise to God on high
No chorus ever sounded quite so sweet
The bird song of the Aussie bush, God’s creatures one and all
And now this bush cathedral is complete.

No bricks and mortar, glass and walls, could ever be this good
The glory of God’s work is at hand
The lofty ceiling echoes as no real church ever could
And my bush church makes me feel as no place can.

There is no better place to sing God’s praise than way out there
Where the fragrance of the bush acts like wings upon my prayer

No bricks and mortar, glass and walls, could ever be this good
The glory of God’s work is at hand
The lofty ceiling echoes as no real church ever could
And my bush church makes me feel as no place can.

Here’s my ‘bush’ version of The Bush Church



It's GIVEAWAY TIME!

That's right. Just leave a comment below to be in the random draw to win an ebook copy of my latest release, Rosamanti.

An Aussie girl finds love in the most unexpected place

Entries are now closed. Thank you to all who entered.

The winner is Faith Hope Cherrytea. 

 

Thanks to Book'd Out for hosting the great 2014 Australia Day Blog Hop & Giveaway.