Tag: author

Snow Chance – My Book Extract

Today I was thinking about colder weather and decided that I would share one the of the first short stories I published, which is now in my little Kindled Unlimited book, ‘Short Dates’.

AFF- There is an affiliate link within this article for which I would get a kickback if you chose to buy.

As the 8:40 bus disappeared into the distance, I knew that I was without any alternative. I had to run to University if I stood any chance of getting there in time for my lecture. Mark had shown me a short cut once and today was my chance to try it. The only thing making it difficult was the fact that the ground was covered with half -melted snow. The white sludge had moments of darkness which I suspected might be black ice. I hoped that an awkward slip didn’t finish me off, especially as I had already missed this lecture three times this semester and I really could not get into trouble. The thought of a painful injury was also unappealing.

 

As I swung round the corner, passing the newsagents, I noticed that the bad weather filled the newspaper adverts. ‘Worst winter in ten years!’ and ‘UK at a standstill due to icy blanket’ were the types of hype that this bad spell had been attracting. Right now, I began to wonder why Uni was even open today. After all, the local schools had opted for a snow day and lecturers seemed like the types to appreciate time off. Plus, there was more snow forecasted. I guess the fact that I had a submission deadline today was adding to my torment. Midday was the cut off for my essay about Soil formation. Oh what an exciting night I had had looking up synopses about how soil accrues when rocks deplete and weathering takes on natural materials. I was meant to give in the essay before my lecture as I had three hour-long sessions in a row and there was some distance between the lecture hall and the handing in room.

 

Anyway, I went for it, brushing against a guy who was stood right in the middle of the path, trying to take a snow selfie. I think I definitely photobombed his shot but he did not realise until I was already long gone. I heard him shout, ‘Oi!’ moments later, in a disgruntled yell. Facing forwards, I carried on, crossing the road and nipping through the park. My mind returned to thinking about that credit card bill. I needed to get a few more extra shifts in at Waitrose if I was ever going to bring my balance down. Maybe I could see if they had any shifts tonight. The trouble was, the more work I did for them, the less energy I had for Uni. But an Ibiza holiday was calling and so I knew my card would take a massive hit when I finally booked up. I sighed out loud as I slid slightly, crossing the slushy grass, trying to shave yet more seconds off my journey.

 

Only now did I realise that I was drastically out of breath. My chest was heaving and a painful stitch had grasped my body, causing me to stop for a moment, leaning forward to suck in the wintry air, seemingly anaesthetising my mouth each time I inhaled sharply. A random dog sniffed at my shoes as I leaned there, prompting myself to get a move on and take off again. My legs seemed weighted down suddenly, but perhaps this was due to the layer of heavy snow engulfing the grass and attempting to infiltrate my shoes, wetting my feet. It came to my attention that this park was pretty much untouched by human tracks this morning and there was hardly anyone around.

For another extract from the book ‘Short Dates’ click here.

Wet Toes – Short Story Extract

AD – This post contains an affiliate link. I get a kickback if you buy an item.

After sharing a bit from my care home story the other week, I thought I would also post a snippet from a dramatic story I wrote about a woman who avoided going to the seaside because of a tragic event. In this short story she faced up to her fears and took her son for a day out by the sea.

If you want to read more of this story and others, check out my collection of emotional stories – Short Dates.

The weather seemed great this morning! Jack scurried around in a whirlwind of excitement, knocking things over with his toy sword as he pretended he was a pirate. Kate scooped everything together and pinned a sun hat to his head before leading him out of the door and up the driveway. The boot crashed closed and after strapping him into the child seat she adjusted the mirror, secretly checking her make up. She was as ready as she ever could be. This day out was sure to test her. Whatever came her way, she was not prepared to let her emotions spoil his first trip to the seaside.

 

She checked her texts and her mum had wished them a good day out whilst reminding her to fetch some suntan lotion. She nipped back to collect some from the bathroom before finally setting out down her street and off into the sunny countryside that surrounded her. It was a beautiful day. Birds swept overhead, chirruping. Car bonnets shimmered brightly in the morning rays of sun which urged her to switch the air conditioning on. Jack was keen to listen to some of his favourite music. Unfortunately for Kate it meant trashy kids’ songs all the way to Hunstanton. The word Hunstanton resonated with Kate uncomfortably. Her hairs seemed to be standing on end at the very thought of the Norfolk town.

 

Jack asked her lots of questions about the sea.

‘Why is it there, mummy?’

‘How big is it?’

‘Is there a plug hole to let the water out if it gets too full?’

She had a lack of answers and so made some up to appease him, hoping she would not get found out as a fraud who knew nothing about the sea. Well, she did not like to think about it. There had been a time that she had visited the beach a lot. But even in those days, she had always been in awe of the ocean.

 

Stopping at a service station, the two of them bought some sweets to nibble on for the rest of the way there. Jack was in high spirits but Kate was nervous. A shiver went down her spine as she saw a few seaside postcards lurking by the pay desk. She gathered what she had bought and chucked them into the back seat. Her head was spinning. Perhaps they could find a kid’s play zone instead. No. She must carry on. Deep breaths. Those postcards had got to her. Jack soon distracted her.

 

‘Mum, how long until we get there?’

‘Not long. Maybe twenty minutes.’

‘Can we buy a bucket and spade?’

‘Yeah of course.’

Kate wished that all of her problems were as easy as that to solve. The things that she longed for most could not be bought in a paraphernalia shop. ‘Keep going,’ she thought.

 

As the town approached in the distance, Jack got excited as he could see the sea stretching out before him. She pointed out that the sea air was fresh and told him to take deep breaths. He opened his passenger window and the breeze sent that salty yet brilliant fragrance wafting into the car. She enjoyed that feeling as it was immersed in memories. Quickly her mind drifted to an evening on that beach when they had had a barbecue and were dancing around a fire, happy as two people ever could be. He had been telling sea related jokes and she was laughing endlessly at his puns about sea fish. What do you do with sea fish? ‘I see fish and eat it,’ he had quipped. For a moment her shoulders relaxed and she began to forget her worries. Then starkly, as they came close to the seaside car park – a sign tossed her right back to the present. £3 for an hour! It used to be practically free to park in that exact same car park. She was disgusted but drove in anyway. When Jack left the car he ran over to the fence and peered at the fairground in front of them.

 

‘Let’s start there mum!’ he yelled enthusiastically.

Kate smiled and nodded and paid for her parking ticket. Then she grabbed his hand and led him towards that fairground, very old fashioned in look and quite dated generally. The bumper cars seemed a distant relation of the modern souped-up versions you often found at theme parks. They looked as though they had suffered one too many bumps and that was just on the outside. She knew he would want her to go on with him. It was always his favourite ride.

 

She wondered whether she was taking her life into her hands but part of her was again distracted by her past. She flung back to an afternoon when she and her friends had been drinking and had decided to hang around that same fair and check out the guys. One of her friends had been seeing a hot guy from the fairground and had suggested that Kate might try her luck there and end her six months of single. Kate had gone reluctantly but once they had had a few bashes with those bumper cars and the dizziness had mixed with the alcohol to cause a dangerous tonic of being tipsy and having an inability to stop laughing at anything and everything, she cheered up no end. The girls had been on the shooting gallery and were desperate to hit the target and gain a cuddly toy. A gentle voice had offered to take her shot for her. He had moved in behind her and held her arm against the rifle as he took aim. He had steadied her and redirected the gun before letting rip and hitting that target right and centre. That had been the first time that she had met him.

Thank you for reading an extract from my book of short stories. If you enjoy reading about books and the environment, perhaps consider following my blog.

Why Roald Dahl Books Are Educational.

Roald Dahl made everywhere seem magical.

Today, as we head back to work and school for Autumn, I wanted to talk about Roald Dahl. He was my favourite author when I was a child in the 1980s and his work still resonates with me now. Roald Dahl’s books are culturally important and incredibly popular. His books are read widely in schools and his book collections are very popular amongst all ages, especially children.

He had such a busy life, in the airforce, working around the world and eventually writing for a living. Starting as a writer for adults, he then wrote a book for his daughters and began to produce brilliant kids’ books.

His stories were sometimes edgy, with strong characters who were usually quirky and unique. Often his books had powerful messages and really made the readers think about family values and what being a good person actually involved.

Here are five of my favourite Roald Dahl Books:

1) George’s Marvellous Medicine

This was peculiar because George mixed up some random household chemicals to make a powerful medicine for his grandma. It talked about the fact that families are not all perfect.

2) Matilda

Matilda’s teacher saw the very best in her even though her father didn’t. She overcame adversity in many different ways.

3) The Witches

This reminded me of my close relationship with my gran. The main character was turned into a mouse by some witches but his gran stood by him as he tried to get his own back.

4) Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

This delightful tale is about a boy who wants to please his family. It is a story where good overcomes bad.

5) The Twits

In the Twits he wrote about a couple who were ordinary people until their ugly thoughts made them appear ugly. The message in this was clear.

Final Thoughts

So if you have never read one of the many brilliant Roald Dahl books, it is never too late to start. His stories are fun, totally entertaining and full of meanings. Hollywood is currently making a new version of Matilda and Roald’s work is repeatedly being remade into theatre and TV productions.

His characters are often very thoughtful, sometimes cheeky and usually easy to relate to. The settings are always interesting and the plots full of action, comedy and brilliant storytelling.

I hope that you will check out Road’s wonderful work and might also consider following my blog. To check out another article about reading, have a look at Are you an interactive reader? and drop a comment if you have time.