The Undertaker:Hallowed Halls (Book) - 11/11/2019 7:39:21 AM
I'm only commenting. I have little time to read all the books that I comment on here. I love historical fiction and from reading from the excerpt, I find that you have done your research well and that you have a flair for writing that's enjoyable to read. Although I doubt that they called people who supposedly killed a lot of people "serial killers" and 19th? Century Scotland.
It's also interesting that you introduce Seven Deadly Sinners in 1957 by stating that they "didn't have cell phones." I suppose young readers would think that they did since most youngsters these days don't study enough history to know that.
Ron
Murder In The Bush (Book) - 10/15/2017 11:16:39 AM
Responding to Ronald Hull's comment. The excerpt I have provided is a Prologue - that is, something which has relevance to the story but is separate from the main story. There is another figure that looms large in the book and this is about him. I provided this excerpt as it is a teaser to get prospective buyers interested. I think if you read the book you will enjoy how the character in the excerpt is weaved into William's story.
Murder In The Bush (Book) - 10/15/2017 3:24:27 AM
I love historic fiction. And fiction based on true events is some of the best. History shouldn't be romanticized or elevated from what it really was. In many cases, very difficult and brutal when compared to today.
Your prologue reads like a first chapter. The 16-year-old boy, William McDonald, did what so many in those days did stowed away on any ship he could. I only wonder why you stated where he was going so quickly in the prologue. I think you could have waited a little longer for that mystery to unfold while well out to sea.
You certainly got my interest with your fine writing.
Ron
Don't forget elderly at Christmas (Article) - 12/8/2016 8:07:14 AM
My mother, 91, calls me every Monday at 4 PM. She has difficulty getting to the phone and is so hearing-impaired that she can hear it ring. So she calls me as her preference.
All of my friends from several jobs that I had are now mostly retired and some are elderly. I haven't heard from some of them for a very long time because we are very far from each other. I have decided to take the time in the coming weeks to call my elderly family members and all of these friends and just learn how they are doing. Recently I talked to two former colleagues and learned that one is battling pancreatic cancer and the other is the recipient of a new liver after losing his first liver a couple of years ago. Without calling them, I wouldn't have known.
Everyone seems so grateful to hear my voice after many years.
Ron
Don't forget elderly at Christmas (Article) - 12/8/2016 2:19:56 AM
Important tips for those who have yet to step up to the plate as role of caregiver. I have, so know there is much more involved than being in tune. It's also trying to anticipate their needs and staying a step ahead. The caregiver eventually develops a sixth sense.
No boundaries to learning (Article) - 4/10/2016 12:47:58 PM
thanks for your comments Ron. The books doesn't dwell on the spirit world - it is one small part of many parts. The main theme is about a determined young woman, denied the right to higher education, who finds her own way to solve problems. There is no mind twisting - that would suggest that adults who read the book are of feeble mind, and I can assure you that my readers are not. If you close your mind to possibilities, then you can't continue to learn. Maybe there isn't a life after life, but for people who have lost a loved one, it is very comforting for them to think that they will see them again. Your comment that the spirit world 'may have thrived during that period but was later debunked' - I was writing about 'that period' so it is entirely relevant to the story, just as much as the opium dens of Edinburgh and death by hanging which are also mentioned. I don't expect that you will give the book a fair shake and actually read it as you have said it is not your thing. However, if you would like to read three books based on family history in Scotland from the 1600s to 2012 you might enjoy my earlier three novels. 'Faeries, Farms and Folk' does mention witch hunting and witch burning, and I can tell you that it definitely took place in Scotland in the late 1600s and 1700s. Thanks for taking the time to open this discussion. Best wishes, Carmel Audsley
No boundaries to learning (Article) - 4/10/2016 8:45:55 AM
You're right. Readers can learn a lot by reading historical fiction that has well researched background material to make it more realistic. Unfortunately, the spirit world, while it may have thrived during that period but was later debunked by the likes of Houdini and others, is a turnoff for me. However, many like this kind of mind twisting in a novel, so you may have a substantial readership.
Ron
