Wonderful Walter

I apologise for the failure of the previous video to open; and thank you to those people who wrote to tell me of it.

This one works!

Free For One Day Only!

Free Today!

For one day only Wonderful Walter is available free on Kindle!

 

Please help yourself to a copy and enjoy the story and the pictures!

 

"Look Inside..."

The first book in our Walter series - Wonderful Walter - is now available in Kindle format.

In this first story, Walter’s attempts to help his mother lead to disaster when he inadvertently bumps into the terrifying Mr Grimshaw and is forced to help the old man to solve a problem...

 

Naturally, as the author, I am very happy with the book, but, regardless of my own involvement, I cannot praise Andre Hilliard's wonderful illustrations highly enough! Do, please, take a peek at the 'Look Inside' link at Amazon, and I am sure you will agree!  

"Wonderful Walter"

I am delighted that very soon, as I continue to work on a biography of Princess Alice, we will be bringing out a series of children’s books – ‘Wonderful Walter’.

 

Beautifully and brilliantly illustrated by photographer and artist, Andre Hilliard, who created the concept of the books (and who, incidentally, has a fascinating new blog: Andre Hilliard Blog) the stories are designed for 7-11-year-olds and follow the exploits of Walter, a boy who always wants to solve problems (his own and other people’s!) but his solutions usually lead to all kinds of catastrophes.

 

Set in London in 1946, the stories include historical details of life in the immediate post-war era (many of which are relevant to the Year 6 National Curriculum) and are peopled by interesting characters such as grumpy old Mr Grimshaw, of whom Walter is terrified, particularly when his pensive friend, Greville, tells him that ‘Old Grimshaw’s’ dark house is filled with dancing skeletons; and Uncle Hugh, Walter’s mother’s kindly but taciturn uncle, who understands everything and usually clears up Walter’s catastrophes.

 

The first book in the series will be available soon in Kindle format and in hard copy shortly afterwards...

Step 3 – Socialise Your Dog

“It is important that your dog gets used to people and other dogs while he is still a puppy. Socialise him as much as possible by introducing him to new people and situations.”

Ah ha, here is the easy part! Bertie loves people. If a burglar broke through the door, Bertie would welcome him with a wagging tail and lots of kisses. So! Off we go to meet new people...

Hmm...Bertie loves people a little too much. He thinks everyone is as excited to see him as he is to see them. Someone shows the least bit of interest in him and he leaps for joy, bounding, clambering up their legs, licking any available piece of flesh...which is all very well if the person happens to like dogs and it hasn’t been raining. Unfortunately, even the most devoted animal-lovers are not quite so overjoyed to have little black footprints all over their clothes.

Perhaps we will have more luck with dogs because they are not so fussy about footprints and Bertie is as happy to meet them as he is to meet people...In fact, more so! The slightest whiff of a dog in the vicinity and his tail wags so wildly it is almost like rudder, directing him towards them, and he is literally breathless with excitement. Of course, I am wary...supposing the other dog happens to be a big vicious brute or doesn’t take kindly to the attentions of a puppy? I call to the owners who tell me theirs is an ‘old boy’ or an ‘old girl’ who has seen it all and is as gentle as can be. Bertie hurries over to get acquainted and, not yet having developed the concept of ‘invading people’s space’ he drives in, expecting the old boy/girl to want to wrestle with him and appears a little disappointed when the senior dog just stares at him somewhat disdainfully as though to say, “Oh, the puppies today...we were never like that when we were young...”

Happily, we next meet a puppy who is eager to play...but the puppy happens to be half Bertie’s size and when Bertie begins to wrestle, the tiny little Chihuahuas and Yorkies are not at all impressed and revert to yapping wildly and baring their teeth. On we go...

Ah...a spaniel puppy! The right size, tail wagging, eager to play...and they both happily engage in a jolly wrestling match. Unfortunately, both are still on leads and although it is May, the Maypole dance is not well choreographed because rather than winding both leads into a neat pattern, I and the other dog-person end up having to untie our knotted leads while the puppies roll around in the grass. This is an impossible task unless one of us lets go of the lead at which point either puppy might tear off into the sunset...We eventually untangle ourselves and walk off in opposite directions while both puppies are still panting and tugging us back, trying to renew their game.
 

One particular spaniel with whom Bertie played had a particularly loud bark. Bertie, surprisingly, hardly ever barks and the sound of loud noise frightened him a little. He came home, climbed into bed, buried his head under the pillow and practised barking...Maybe next time he will be able to
respond with more than a rather timid little squeak...

The Contradictory Portrayal to Two Like-Minded Kings

It is interesting the way in which propaganda can be used to destroy or to extol a character, and more interesting, perhaps, that in spite of years of being bombarded with slanted stories, so many people go on believing everything they are told by the press. Here is a very small example which struck me as almost amusing. Having seen the very interesting film, ‘The King’s Speech’ and having read more about the background and character of King George VI, it is clear that King George was a courageous man who had to face his own demons – largely those created during his childhood by his terrible bully of a father – to take up the role of King. George (or Albert, to be more precise) never wanted or expected to be saddled with the weight of kingship and his shyness and stammer made the prospect of having to take on such a responsibility all the more daunting. So great was his fear and reluctance to accept the throne that he reportedly sobbed to his mother, Queen Mary, when he realised what the future held for him on the abdication of his feckless brother. The fact that, in spite of his shyness, reserve and fear, he accepted the responsibility, is – quite rightly, in my opinion – generally portrayed as an example of his self-sacrifice, and the story of his weeping to his mother is used to show the extent of his courage in that he overcame his fears and did what he knew must be done.

The amusing part of this story is the fact that Nicholas II was equally reluctant to become Tsar and, in the emotionally-charged atmosphere surrounding the death of his father, he saw the daunting task ahead of him and wept to his cousin that he felt totally unsuited for such a role. His tears at that time are often cited as an example of his weakness, and his admission that he felt unsuited for the role is used to suggest that he was totally inept. Yet Nicholas, like George (Albert) overcame his own demons to do what he believed to be right...and even today he is villified for it.

Two men sharing the same dread of a daunting task but both accepting responsibility and overcoming their fears...one is hailed as courageous, the other as a weakling. Interesting, isn’t it? But then, as the saying goes, ‘history is written by the victors’.

Step Two - Playing with your Puppy

Step 2 – "Spend time playing with your puppy to create a bond of trust."

The book recommends the simple game of ‘Fetch’, which sounds ever so easy. You throw a stick or a ball or some other toy and puppy loves collecting it and bringing it back to you.

Perfectly simple!

I throw the ball, rubber pig, small stick or chewy toy and Bertie looks at it and looks at me as though to say, “You threw it...you get it!” He obviously hasn’t grasped the purpose of the game so I follow the book’s instructions and attempt to teach him. I throw the toy and run after it and bring it back to the original place. Still he looks at me. I do this several times until I feel a little bit stupid running about throwing things to no purpose. I place the item in front of Bertie, put a treat on it and then throw it. He takes the treat and again I retrieve the object until I am too exhausted to play anymore.

Bertie then decides to play a proper game of his own choosing. This involves finding stones and chewing them. I try to prise the stones from his mouth and offer something less harmful and more tasty to replace it. He happily drops the stone, takes the treat and then returns to the stone, sometimes even parading it in front of me as though to say, “Look, I like this game.” Again I attempt to prise it from him but this time he runs away so quickly that I am concerned he will swallow it.

Ah ha! He needs something to get his teeth into that is not as dangerous as a stone. I give him a puppy dental chew. He wanders around the garden and finds an appropriate place to bury it...usually in a plant pot after digging up the plant...and returns to the stones. Eventually, much later in the day, he remembers he buried his chew and wants to go out to find it...He digs it up all covered in soil (as indeed is his mouth)and brings it to me to wash. I wash it and hand it back to him...and off he goes to bury it again in another plant pot (throwing out the plant in the process). He is developing more ingenious hiding places for the chews...they have been found now inside pillow cases, inside shoes and even in my dressing gown pocket (how on earth did he get it into there??) Oh, and speaking of shoes, a really great game is to take a shoe, run off with it and drop it into the pond...

Play ‘Fetch’?? Not a chance when there are chews to bury and shoes to steal...

Step One - Being the Pack Leader

In the books it sounds so incredibly simple: you must teach your puppy that you are the pack leader or he will believe he is the Alpha dog, which is stressful for him and will make life difficult for you.

Step one – something as simple as going for a walk.

“Always leave the house first – the pack leader is always in front.”

So, following the instructions, I stand erect, have a confident air, step into the sunshine, wind or rain and walk briskly and...yank. At the end of the lead is a dead weight. Bertie sits on the threshold looking up at the sky with a bemused expression, which says, “I think I’ll just stay here. You go, if you like.”

Much commanding, cajoling with treats and eventually lifting outside, later...

“Make sure your dog walks either beside you or slightly behind you. You are the pack leader.”

Fair enough...

Off Bertie goes ahead of me. He is far quicker and more agile than I am and for a while there is good deal of rather undignified jostling for front position...

“If your dog runs ahead, call him to you or tell him to sit.”

There is something particularly humiliating about calling, “Sit!” in a public place, while being dragged along by a small Bichon who is great at sitting in the kitchen when I have treats in my hand and we are alone (“Yes,” he says, “I can adopt the cutest and most well-behaved pose – anything for a puppy treat!”) but outdoors, treats are insignificant compared to the countless smells to be explored.

Next thing, he weaves a sort of web with the lead as I try to pull it in and I find my legs so bound that if I try to move I will fall over. Bertie sits down and...if you have ever seen a Bichon, you will know that they can and do laugh!

We make some progress eventually and things fall into place until Bertie decides he doesn’t want to walk anymore and I end up carrying him halfway home. I arrive back exhausted. He licks my face as though we had a wonderful time...and now he wants to play...and the games he chooses...well that’s another story. And now it’s time for a walk. Okay, stand erect, shoulders back...I am the pack leader...

Happy Birthday, Princess Alice!

Happy Birthday, Princess Alice!

As I am currently working on a new biography of Princess Alice, which hopefully will be out within three to five months, I have been thinking a great deal of Alice’s connection to Osborne House and what an idyll that place was for her. It is very touching that the gardens and Swiss Cottage remain as they did in Alice’s day and I think nowhere quite captures the spirit of Alice’s childhood like that part of the Osborne estate.

Bertie

A few days ago I got a new little Bichon Frise puppy who is such a delightful and lovely little fellow that I wanted to put his picture on the blog. He is called Bertie after Prince Albert (although Prince Albert never went by the name Bertie, Albert was not quite right for this little chap!)

He is so quick and so clever that I am amazed by him!! 

A Patent on Vegetables and Fruits?

This morning, I received an invitation to sign a petition, which I urge you to consider:

Petition

 

It seems that time and time again, without the knowledge of the vast majority of the population, laws are passed to profit certain companies at the expense of the health and freedom of the rest of the world. More and more people are waking up to these shameful practices but so many of us feel powerless when governments and government agencies are involved.

It seems to me that so much of what is wrong and has ever been wrong in the world, is the result of shady deals carried out in secrecy. This was true – as I found startling evident while researching my Shattered Crowns trilogy – of the way in which the nations of the world were dragged into the horrors of WW1; it has been true of numerous other disasters for humanity. Once these behind-the-scenes deals are brought into the light and we are no longer brainwashed by the doctored news force-fed by many newspapers and television stations, the secrecy is dispelled and so, too, is the darkness in which these people carry out their evil plans.

This sounds very extreme and, some years ago, I would have been reluctant to believe it and would have dismissed it as nonsense, but we need only look around the world and ask ourselves a few questions such as, “Why is cancer suddenly far more prevalent than it ever was in the past? What is in our food, which was never there before? Why are there suddenly dozens and dozens of adverts in every TV break stressing cancer and other ailments – do they want us to have these things imprinted in our psyche???”

Why do we go on believing the scare stories that politicians tell us...such as there is a world food shortage and so we must succumb to allowing companies to profit from doctoring what is natural and from withdrawing from sale certain herbs, which have been used beneficially for centuries, so people do not have access to the means of tending their own health?

I heard an interesting statement once which made me question why I had never thought of it before! How many people take daily medication – which profits drug companies enormously? Is it impossible to heal certain physical problems, and necessary only to control them? Or, is it more profitable to provide drugs, the side-effects of which mean it is necessary to take other drugs, and make a fortune out of keeping a nation chronically sick?

An excellent video: Forks over Knives, shows the way in which many people whom doctors have diagnosed as terminally ill or incurable, have restored their health by changing their diet...and yet now companies have the arrogance to assume they can go even further into doctoring the food we eat...and ridiculous politicians back them!!! 

Please consider signing the petition, if not for your own sake, for the sake of your children and future generations!

Some other interesting articles:

Wake up World!

Undermining democracy and public health

 

The Alphabetical Quiz Book

If you enjoy quizzes, you might enjoy my new little 'Alphabetical Quiz Book' which is made up of twenty-six quizzes - one for each letter of the alphabet from Art to Zoology - each with twenty-six questions, the answers to which are also alphabetical (yes, even including twenty-six answers which begin with 'X').

I created the book during a brief break from working on my next 'proper' book which I hope will be available within six months.

"The Alphabetical Quiz Book" is available in both paperback and Kindle format worldwide. (In the Kindle format the answers can be found by following a link at the end of each quiz, and, in paperback, the answers are at the back of the book).

The Murphy-Arcadelt Chronicles

I was fascinated to read of the novels of Peter M. Cooke, author of the Murphy-Arcadelt Chronicles - a series of seven novels spanning the years 1900 to 1963 and following the fortunes of two families whose lives are intertwined - as I am unaware of any other novel or series which features the Salvation Army at the beginning of the 20th century. To my delight, Mr Cooke has kindly written this guest post, describing the inspiration for and background to his work:

 

Maggie's Tale

 

"I've been a member of The Salvation Army all my life -- my parents came into it in their early childhood. Their own mothers were members, though they lapsed soon after marriage.

I've always had affection for 'the Army'; I've made a study of its history; I've contributed to its periodicals. Came the time when I felt a career change was called for, then I worked for it full-time, discovering talents I never knew I had. I worked first in its Editorial Department, and then in the Literary Department, helping to produce its books and periodicals -- assessing manuscripts; 'marking-up' copy for the printers and 'making-up pages' (in the days of 'hot metal' -- now long gone, of course); proof reading and so forth.

One colleague, Norman, and I often had 'coffee-time conferences' when we talked about the books we'd like to write and books we thought 'the Army' ought to publish (not always the same thing, of course). As a result of one of these I was given the task of writing the biography of one of its outstanding composers, Eric Ball. On another occasion Norman said he'd like, when he retired, to write a novel about 'the Army', though when I reminded him of this he'd forgotten all about it. But I'd already had the idea of writing 'an everyday story of "Army folk"' for The Salvation Army itself which had been turned down.

Some months later I travelled north from London to my home town of Nottingham to attend the funeral of my father's youngest sister -- Nellie -- the last survivor of the seven siblings who made up my father's family. There came into my mind again the idea of a novel about 'the Army', and, like a flash, the idea of making it an historical novel, with several of my parents' siblings sketched into it. Thus, the two maids-of-all-work in my book Maggie's Tale are my two grandmothers, who as girls were house maids, and seeing a Salvation Army procession go by the window went to find out more; Bridie, in the second one, is based on my father's eldest sister, Lottie, whose intentions to be a full-time officer were never fulfilled; Harvey, in several of the books, is basically my father's brother Harry, who was told by his fiancee that he 'could have either "the Army" or me, but not both' -- and who made a wrong decision. And later regretted it.... And so on.

In the first of the seven, Maggie's Tale, we find the two girls, maids of all work, Maggie Murphy and Lucy Wibberley, linking up with the organisation when it starts work in their town in 1900; losing their positions because the salvationists are not considered respectable; applying to become officers; what happens to Lucy when she's accepted, and to Maggie, when she isn't.... In the second, Cosmo's Tale, we meet Cosmo Beresford Arcadelt, who gives up a life of Downton Abbey-like privilege when he joins its ranks, and learn of his marriage to Lucy; also of the growing-up of Maggie's two daughters, Bridie and 'Little Lucy'. In the third, Harvey's Tale, we find his elder brother, Wennie (short for Wenceslas) dealing with a broken romance, and Harvey himself making a disastrous marriage.... And so on.

Time and space are insufficient to tell of the remaining four, which take the story of the Murphy and Arcadelt families forward to 1963. Sometimes actual events in Salvation Army history are woven into them. Each one is of a uniform length and format - about 76,000 words in nine chapters.

                                                                                            -- Peter M. Cooke

READERS' OPINIONS IN BRIEF --

... awesome knowledge of the period.... Very impressive. -- J.L.

The ending was masterful and came as a complete surprise. -- F.L.

I look forward to the next. -- A.K.

You described the various characters in such detail that they really came alive to me. -- M.P.

...writes with the eye of the poet for detail, but produces the fast-moving story of the novelist.... -- P.D.P.

...succeeds in bringing early SA history to life in his well-researched, fictional account. ...an interesting way to introduce today’s Christian soldiers -- whether Salvationist or not -- to the fascinating world of early SA courage and determination in the land of the Army’s birth and beyond. -- EM (USA)

...a fabulous idea to write an Army-based fiction. ...really enjoyed following the story against the historical and social background. -- DB

A splendid read. ...awesome research -- KL

Happy Easter!

Wishing you a Very Happy Easter!

 

 

The Fields Laid Waste

A new edition of ‘The Fields Laid Waste’ is now available. I am delighted that this reprint/second edition is $8 reduced from the price of the original book.