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I was once asked, 'What would you have chosen to do, if you had been able to do just what you liked?'. I answered, without needing to think ' I would have liked to be a writer'.So, I suppose I always wanted to write - but I just never did. I had other things to do which took all my time and effort. Now, quite truthfully, writing seems to take no effort, but it does need plenty of time. No wonder I couldn't do it before, but, neither would I have been able to write what I do write without those many years of being a mother and a doctor and all my work and experience. The time is now right.
Briefly, I had a difficult childhood, being allergic to dust mites before the vacuum cleaner or electricity were available in our village. So, I wheezed, coughed, sneezed and puffed my way slowly through my childhood.
However, being of fairly strong mettle, as becomes a Yorkshire lass, I decided to become a doctor. I qualified from Edinburgh Medical School in 1962. Subsequently, I married and was busy as a mother for several years - which, I have to say were the most rewarding and most important of any of my life. I loved looking after my children, knowing them and teaching them their first lessons in life and living. However, those years passed and they had to go to school for several hours per day and so I followed my career, fitting work in to suit the children's school hours (not the other way round),
I eventually worked for 35 years as a psychiatrist. I would probably be working still, but ill health once again found me, and I had to retire when I was 68 years after a catastrophic near death experience when a lung burst and I eventually stopped breathing! Miraculously, and with more than medical help, I survived with my brain intact. I hope that experience will never need to be repeated until my final exit is due.
But, there are silver linings, and now,14 books later ( and counting), I have never stopped writing since I first started seven years ago, following my 'return to life' and during a long, slow but gradual recovery. In my few hours sojourn in another plane, while unconscious, I was told to 'go back and write what you know'. So, willingly, I do so. I have to say that I would like people to read what I write, and, as I was instructed to do so, I think, one day, they will. I have the ability to write, but no training or knowledge of marketting, so, maybe a different intervention will assist that process.
My poetry books are the distilled experience of my life and work - and, as I cannot continue physically in my chosen field of psychotherapy any longer, I continue in this different medium. Oddly enough, I do not miss work at all. Like all work it had its down side - the worries and concerns regarding patients, the tiredness of long hours, and the clock watching of appointments etc. Now,it doesn't matter what day it is and the days are free to be filled how I wish.
I have written poems for all ages, Poems for 3-7 years, Growing up and Coping with illness and grief for 7-12 years, Choice for Teenagers, and my books for older readers are Daily Life, From Darkness to Light (the ultimate intention of my psychotherapeutic work), A Spiritual Journey (personal experience of near fatal illness and 'beyond'), Kaleidoscope BOOK 1 and BOOK 2, Facing each day, Poems in times of grief. 'Twilight Years' is a favourite of mine - a book for 'old folks' like me, written with a wry smile!My last, and possibly my final poetry book, is called 'Glimpses' - vignettes of experience and daily life. As with Twilight years, these are relevant to old age, but these experiences apply to any adult age.
My book Beyond Mercy is the first of a series of past life stories This is set in the 15 th century with links to the present and the future. It is a story of devastation of a family but also of love, devotion and ultimately , hope. I believe the story will be proven to be true. The information for this book came directly from my inner 'link' and I have done no research.
This book has a 'book within a book' i.e a past life story and a modern 'link' story. Recently, 2014, I have published the past life story as a stand-alone book - as 'Richard Shaw's Legacy'- 388 pages as contrasted to the 558 pages of Beyond Mercy.
Beyond Mercy is the first of, I hope and expect, many such books. I shall complete them as/when I have the complete picture (as happened in Beyond Mercy). At present I have many snippets of information with, at present, gaps in the knowledge. The information 'appears' in unrelated fragments - I piece them together to make a coherent 'whole' like doing a jigsaw of thousands of pieces. Now I know why I always love doing a few thousand piece jigsaws over many months. Everything has a purpose! Another past life novel is almost complete - since 2004, but,I do not know where to end it. The reason is that there may be a sequel, and the ending of the first book depends on whether I write the sequel or not, and that depends if I know the whole truth! It will be completed, one day.
I hope all who read my poems and book find something of worth for themselves in the words and meanings and that they enjoy the reading as much as I enjoyed the writing.
All my books can be purchased in UK from my websites www.plppublishings.com and www.mybooksaudreycoatesworth.com using Paypal or in and from USA via www.amazon.com ( printed and distributed by Createspace).
My most challenging task was to prepare my books as ebooks. Having read about the formats etc etc the mystery was solved and. All are now available from Amazon.co.uk and www.amazon.com - ebooks - search Audrey Coatesworth and via the Amazon Kindle store -search 'Audrey Coatesworth'.
I feel I had no alternative but to embrace technology, as the world is moving on apace in so many ways, though moving backwards in others. I have created websites - MY BOOKS is one of these, and I use these to advertise and sell ( or link to sell in USA) my books.
I have also, with great pleasure, created several other websites- most can be found by google search of 'Audrey Coatesworth'.
One is a website especially for children at Primary School Poems. This is an ongoing, cumulative project, now with very many webpages. The site was originally intended to introduce children to my poems and books - but it has gradually developed into much more with stories, poems, audios, videos, topics of interest, unusual pets etc.- all to entertain, interest and, in many ways, to educate.
I have young grandchildren and teenage grandchildren, who contribute and give me ideas for content - e.g my most recent pages of 'how to spell', intended to help children, who struggle with spelling, to learn in an effective and fun way. During my years of work as a psychotherapist, I studied 'how people think ' via Neurolinguistic programming (NLP) so that I could increase my understanding of how best to help my patients. I have used this knowledge in this latest project. There are many webpages - ( 'spelling' on primary school poems site) with videos and they shown children how to use both their visual memory and their auditory memory for this task, making spelling available to all via these pages.
The 'spelling' pages are in 'topics' and geared to around 8 years of age. Children can miss out on such a necessary skill as spelling, for different reasons, a skill which limits their communication via the written word as well as affecting their enjoyment of writing and their confidence.
On my website,children can spend time reading, listening, singing along to songs or simply watching the videos of little tortoises or doing the 'poem puzzles'.
The new challenges of technology certainly keep my brain active in a way little else could, and, searching for knowledge and the thrill when something actually works just continually fires the enthusiasm.The total mayhem and confusion that resulted between the beginning and enlightenment regarding making ebooks - well, that is normal in the process of learning!
PS I have put a link to Facebook on my websites( except the children's website), and ask that anyone who visits the site/s and is also on Facebook will click on the link and in that way spread the word about my books and websites. Every stone thrown in a pond makes ripples. If any of you do that, then, though I shall not know, I 'thank you' !
Medicine, has been my profession,
In Psychiatry, I specialised.
I am a wife and mother,
My grandchildren are idolised.
But
I do not consider myself a poet,
Though many verses you will find.
Written over several years,
From deep within my mind.
Why?
No knowledge, about the metre.
Ottava rima, terzains or Sapphics.
And, truthfully, I had never heard
Of iambs, or hudibrastics.
I read one day, there were anapaests.
Though I never explored the rest.
To find out about Spenserians,
Would not my time use best.
Quatrains, or sixains, mean nothing.
And rime royals have passed me by.
My verses have a purpose,
To make people laugh or cry.
No need of analysis by scholars,
I doubt mine will reach their gaze.
I have written these messages,
To help people walk life’s maze.
Nothing difficult, nothing fancy,
But about times we all may face.
They have been written, from my heart.
Maybe in yours, they will find a place.
That is the foreword from my poetry book, Daily Life and puts me and my writing in a proverbial nutshell. I have a purpose for writing, besides keeping me occupied and interested.
In January 2014, I started the site 'Elderly Surfers' - a site for those over 65 years. There is much experience, knowledge and wisdom in this age group ( mine) which, I believe, is needed to be known at the present time.
Obviously, at first, it has mostly my own contributions, poems - both written and spoken, articles and a page for books. I would like anyone over 65 years, from any country - though written in English, to contribute something - writings, poems, paintings, interests, articles, etc - instructions for this are on the website.
I have compiled a short book 'Recollections of a Yorkshire village 1914-30 from the writings of my father, Hubert M Earnshaw and this can be read free on the site - or bought as a small paperback from Amazon or eBook for KIndle.
Kind regards Audrey Coatesworth.
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