#TenThingsYouMayNotKnowAboutMe

#GuestDayTuesday – #GuestPosts – #ShareYourNews

/ Marcia Meara / 14 Comments

Happy Freya’s Day, Everybody! Hope you are all eagerly awaiting a wonderful weekend ahead. I’ll be planting a couple more roses and doing a wee bit of gardening each morning, before the day gets too hot.

Just wanted to put out a call for guest posters. If you have a new book to share, or an old one to remind folks about, we can do that. If you have something writing-related you’d like to discuss, (Do’s and Don’ts, or a book you’ve read recently and would like to chat about) we can do that, too. Actually, I’m open to lots of topics for guest posters, so please contact me if you have something you’d like more folks to know about. Here are just a few of the headers for the types of posts I’ve shared on TWS in the past, though we aren’t limited to just these topics.

I’m open to various topics, and would love to have you visit. Just email me or respond below, and we’ll make it happen. The Write Stuff wants YOU!!

Hoping to Hear From You Soon!

 

 

#TenThingsYouMayNotKnowAbout – Author #LiesbetCollaert

/ Marcia Meara / 53 Comments

Author Liesbet Collaert is back with us today to share her #TenThings list, and it’s a great one, folks. I know you’re going to enjoy it, so let’s get going. Liesbet, you’re on! 😀

NOTE to ALL: I am heading to a medical appointment and won’t be able to respond to comments until this afternoon, and Liesbet’s internet situation isn’t always stable. We will both do everything in our power to catch up with all your wonderful comments as we can. In the meantime, just know we appreciate each and every one of them!

 Ten Things You May Not Know About Me 

Thank you, Marcia, for giving me the stage on your amazing website today! I’ll quickly introduce myself, before sharing some secrets. 😊

My name is Liesbet Collaert, originally from Belgium, but a non-stop world traveler (aka digital nomad) for twenty years. Apart from being a writer, translator, editor, proofreader, and photographer, I recently became an author with my debut travel memoir Plunge – One Woman’s Pursuit of a Life Less Ordinary, which has garnered a lot of praise and positive reviews. It captures – and captivates – a decade of my escapades, mostly at sea, drawing you into the good, the bad, and the ugly of a so-called dream life. Currently, my husband Mark, rescue dog Maya, and I are exploring the South American continent for a few years in Thirsty Bella, a truck camper disguised as a cow.

Thirsty Bella

 #1: Being old school

I have been able to avoid the Smartphone bandwagon for a long time. I was happy and fulfilled communicating with good old emails and infrequent calls via Skype and Messenger. A digital camera offered high-quality photographs for my blog posts and it was easy to stay off social media, because sharing photos there meant transferring them first from my camera onto my laptop, resizing them there, and emailing them to myself on my tablet to access and post on Facebook. Phew!

In the summer of last year (2022), my husband found a really good deal on a Pixel 6a Google phone. That’s when I was converted. He calls it a dumbphone, because it doesn’t have a SIM card (by choice) and only works at its full capacity on WiFi. But that’s fine by me. This phone now functions as my camera and you can’t believe how easy it is to share photos on Facebook with that thing! When I have WiFi. 😊I did close my Instagram account, though, as the ads and hashtags drove me crazy and my posts are often delayed, so rarely ever instant.

Liesbet & Mark – Santuario de Las Lajas,  Colombia

#2: Trying “everything” once

I think my main reason for traveling is curiosity. It has to be, because I am someone who pretty much likes to try everything at least once: bungee jumping, skydiving, airplane steering, rafting, paragliding, or peculiar food items, new-to-me drinks, or exotic flavors. Living on the road internationally brings a new experience around every corner. Literally!

Liesbet Paragliding over Jerico, Colombia

#3: Shame or pride?

Following the previous fact – and this nobody knows! When I was in my early twenties, I participated in the Miss Belgian and Miss Flanders contests. I am turning red out of shame right now, but I needed to try this before the age window closed. I never got anywhere (of course), but I have no regrets.

Also, in the heydays of the TV program “Big Brother,” which also aired in Belgium and was very popular, there was a local version called “The Bus,” a production collaboration between Belgium and The Netherlands. The TV team gathered a group of six Flemish and six Dutch participants in a built-out tour bus. I auditioned successfully for the trial run before the main series aired and lived together 24/7 with strangers in a bus for one week. Oh, the stories I could share about that experience. But the main thing I remember is that we were not allowed pen and paper and I had to pause my diary; a sad side effect.

A Tropical Treat in Ecuador

#4: I edit my diary

Which brings us to the next fact: I have been keeping a daily diary since age 14. Yep, that’s 33 years of commitment, sometimes adding up to an hour each day. Because, you know, not only is my life quite exciting, but I also proofread and edit my entries. Right! I now justify that as my diary being my writing practice.

Liesbet & Maya in Northern Ecuador

#5: I never took writing or English literature classes

I feel every fact builds on the previous one. Dutch is my first language. In Belgium, we have three national languages: Dutch, French, and German. I learned English in high school, from songs (kind of, I never really listened to lyrics and if you’d ask me about the meaning of certain songs, you’d be surprised about the – totally absurd – explanation I have!), movies (they are subtitled in Dutch in Belgium, so you hear the original language), and traveling. Having a serious American boyfriend at some point and then marrying a different American also helped. But I learned to write and speak well solely from practicing.

Thirsty Bella in Good Company (or Vice-Versa)

#6: Language adequacy revised

All you need to speak several languages is guts. Honestly, I truly believe that many people have a fear of trying to speak a new language because they don’t want to make mistakes. Trying is the first step – and locals appreciate that. By knowing a selection of words and using hand signals, a lot can get achieved. Therefore, it is my belief that language adequacy is better than (waiting for) language proficiency. And while I have a bit of that, I’m happy to “just” get by in French, German, and Spanish. That being said, I’m perfectly bilingual (as a translator, editor, and proofreader) in English and Dutch. But everybody knows that already!

Anchored in the Galapagos

#7: No bucket list

The word “bucket list” is overused. I’m not a fan of trends or checking things off lists when it has to do with anything organic, like living your live or going with the flow. Sure, who doesn’t like efficient grocery and to-do lists? Yet, a list of places to travel before you die, only to check them off? No, thank you. (Unless you’re really dying…) For the same reason, I don’t keep track of the countries I visited. What’s the purpose, and how do you define “visited?”

Travel is about immersion, experience, the good and the bad, curiosity, expanding your horizons, and – sometimes – digging deep. How do you do this on a one-week vacation? All that being said, I do have aspirations of witnessing the South Pole with all my senses, going on an African safari, and taking the Trans-Siberian railroad (ever since I was 16). Whenever – if ever – I’ll be able to afford any of those. Oh, and since I’d like to try everything once, this means exploring every country in the world.

Beautiful Maya

#8: Never bored

This is a guarantee: I will never, ever get bored. As long as I can see and type, anyway. I feel life is too short. Every. Single. Day. There is so much I want to experience, see, read, write, share, photograph, achieve. So many memories to turn into stories, blogs, and books. So many adventures to be had. And, I have to make money as well. I wish I could be retired at 47! But at the dismal rate I’m earning, I doubt I’ll ever retire. Even less chances to get bored!

#9: The worst thing about our nomadic lifestyle

The unhappy (stray) dogs we meet and not being able to save any. We have our own 60-pound rescue dog in a small camper and don’t have the means to foster or adopt them out. And, honestly, it is a losing battle in some of the (indigenous) communities we travel.

#10: What do I miss the most?

Other than a comfy couch? A community. We sometimes meet likeminded travelers but always split ways. We have friends and family in our home countries (Belgium and the US), but visits there are short and infrequent, and there is little common ground. While we are happy, just the three of us, it would be nice to indulge in happy hours and extended social times on a regular basis. Luckily, I have an extensive and healthy online community and thrive on communications in blog comments!

BLURB:

Tropical waters turn tumultuous in this travel memoir as a free-spirited woman jumps headfirst into a sailing adventure with a new man and his two dogs.

Join Liesbet as she faces a decision that sends her into a whirlwind of love, loss, and living in the moment. When she swaps life as she knows it for an uncertain future on a sailboat, she succumbs to seasickness and a growing desire to be alone.

Guided by impulsiveness and the joys of an alternative lifestyle, she must navigate personal storms, trouble with US immigration, adverse weather conditions, and doubts about her newfound love.

Does Liesbet find happiness? Will the dogs outlast the man? Or is this just another reality check on a dream to live at sea?

###

Have you ever wondered how life could be if you had made different choices? If you didn’t marry early, commit to a large loan for the house, focus on your career, start a family? 

Maybe you’re just curious about how a person thinking outside the box manages? A person without boundaries, striving to be flexible, happy, and free.

What you are about to read is how one such person follows her dreams, no, her intuition, and how she survives her naivety, life altering twists, and a relationship in close quarters. 

Plunge is a story of what happens when you go with the flow, when you have a bright idea – or thought you had one – and ride the waves of the unknown. 

Liesbet & Darwin in Barbuda

Reviews in the Written Press

“Plunge is not your typical sailing story. The author and her husband sail to incredible places but the real journey is a personal one. Collaert doesn’t flinch away from honesty, even when it’s not pretty, and many cruisers will relate to the couple’s trying situations.” ‒ Cruising World

“As much as this book is the story of life onboard the catamaran Irie, it is the story of Liesbet’s relationship with Mark. A no holds barred, achingly intimate recollection from the purely practical to the deeply emotional. It is this unflinching honesty that sets Plunge apart from other books written about the cruising lifestyle. Liesbet has an easy to read, confident, and fluent writing style. Each chapter’s subject matter reveals itself like a captivating short story.” – Caribbean Compass

“Plunge is an apt title for this cruising narrative as the author doesn’t simply dribble hints at what the cruising life can really be like–no, she tosses you right into the deep end of the pool. It’s an account of the inner and outer turmoil a nomadic existence can bring. It’s refreshingly honest, real, and never dull.” – Good Old Boat

“There is much in this bracingly honest memoir to recommend it, not the least of which is Collaert’s engaging writing. Her considerable skill in conveying the quotidian, as well as the emotional peaks and valleys, shapes this book into more than just a sailing diary. It’s a life memoir of a born wanderer always seeking out her next passage.” – Ocean Navigator

“I absolutely loved Plunge! A wonderful and all-too-real look at the ups and downs of the cruising life; the adventures, the stresses, and the reality of living with someone else 24/7 in a space about the size of most bedrooms. Many of us dream about a life less ordinary, but Liesbet shows the reality of making it happen: the good, the bad, and everything in between. Highly recommended, whether you’re thinking about a plunge of your own or just wonder what it is like for those who do it.” – The Boat Galley

Author Liesbet Collaert

Liesbet Collaert’s articles and photos have been published internationally. Born in Belgium, she has been a nomad since 2003 with no plans to settle anytime soon. Her love of travel, diversity, and animals is reflected in her lifestyle choices of sailing, RVing, and house and pet sitting. Liesbet calls herself a world citizen and currently lives “on the road” in South America with her husband and rescue dog. Follow her adventures at
Roaming About

BUY LINKS

Amazon Author Page
For general info on my blog, including free chapters, reviews, and purchase links HERE 
Buy on Amazon universal link HERE 
For eBook versions worldwide, go HERE
For paperback distributors worldwide, go HERE

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

Facebook Liesbet Collaert
Facebook Roaming About
Twitter
Goodreads
Email: lbcollaert@gmail.com

Blog URLs
Roaming About
It’s Irie

 

#TenThingsYouMayNotKnowAbout – Author #RosieMitchell

/ Marcia Meara / 55 Comments

Hi, Everyone! It’s #TenThings Day once again, and today our guest is Rosie Mitchell. Let’s all make Rosie welcome, and hope she has an easier time responding to comments than last time. I think we have the problems ironed out, fingers crossed, so let’s get going. Take it away, Rosie!

Thanks, Marcia!
***

TEN THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT ME

  1. I AM A KIWI AT HEART, BUT HAVE NOW LIVED OVERSEAS LONGER THAN I HAVE LIVED IN NZ. PERHAPS IT IS TIME TO GO HOME!
  1. MY HUSBAND VICTOR AND I ARE PERMANENT TRAVELLERS, OR AS WE LIKE TO TELL EVERYONE, WE ARE GLOBALLY MOBILE CITIZENS, HAVING A VERY LONG, EXTENDED SENIOR CITIZENS GAP YEAR! WE ARE CURRENTLY IN CANADA AND NORTH AMERICA UNTIL MARCH 2024.
  1. MY PASSION IS TRAVEL. THE LONGEST I HAVE LIVED IN ONE PLACE, IS TWELVE YEARS IN CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA FROM 2000-2012. DUTY CALLS WHEN YOU HAVE TO PUT DOWN ROOTS AND LET YOUR TWO BOYS GO THROUGH THEIR HIGH SCHOOL YEARS.
  1. I HAVE LIVED OVERSEAS IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS, PENANG AND MALTA. ISLAND LIVING SEEMS TO BE IN THE BLOOD. WELL, A LOT OF COUNTRIES ARE ISLANDS; NZ, AUSTRALIA, UK, ARE ALL SURROUNDED BY WATER.
  1. MY FAVOURITE COUNTRY IS SWITZERLAND. I LOVE THE PEOPLE, THE COUNTRYSIDE, THE TRAIN NETWORK AND THE FOOD. JUST WISH I COULD AFFORD TO LIVE THERE ALL THE TIME.
  1. I HAVE BEEN AN INTERNATIONAL HOUSE SITTER SINCE 2011, AND HAVE ENJOYED SOME FABULOUS HOUSE SITS IN THE UK, FRANCE, SWITZERLAND, THE NETHERLANDS, MALTA, CANADA, NZ, AUSTRALIA AND THE USA. THIRTY-SEVEN AND COUNTING.
  1. NEEDLESS TO SAY, THE BOOKS I HAVE WRITTEN AND PUBLISHED (SO FAR), OPEN THE DOOR AND AVANING AROUND IN ARABELLA, ARE ABOUT OUR TRAVELS AND HOUSE-SITTING ESCAPADES.
  1. I DO OCCASIONALLY, THAT IS WHEN I AM ACTUALLY IN ONE PLACE FOR A REASONABLE LENGHTH OF TIME, ENJOY COOKING, SEWING, READING, WALKING AND OF COURSE FINDING TIME TO WRITE.
  1. I WAS A DEFENCE WIFE FOR SEVENTEEN YEARS OF OUR FORTY YEAR MARRIAGE. EIGHT MOVES IN ALL. IT WAS A GREAT TIME IN OUR LIVES, AND WE ARE THANKFUL THAT OUR TWO BOYS APPRECIATE TRAVELLING AS MUCH AS WE DO.
  1. MY FAVOURITE SAYING IS ‘FILL YOUR LIFE WITH ADVENTURES, NOT THINGS. HAVE STORIES TO TELL, NOT STUFF TO SHOW’.

You Can Buy Open the Door HERE

BLURB:

‘A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step’ — Loa Tzu.

Open the Door. Just take a deep breath and one giant leap forward. Venture out into the unknown… As Eleanor Roosevelt once said, ‘The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.’
So, take a chance to dream and explore a new way of life. It’s not going to be easy at first, but the rewards and the self-confidence you gain in knowing that you have achieved something you have wanted for a long time will make it all worthwhile.
So why not seize the day? Fear is the thief of our dreams.

You Can Buy Avaning Around in Arabella HERE

BLURB:

When the world was gripped by the Covid19 pandemic in 2020, Rosie Mitchell and her husband sold their property in the Riverina, New South Wales. Trapped by lockdowns and border closures and with no chance of escaping overseas, they bought a small caravan, planning to spend time travelling around the wonderful country of Australia.
This book follows Rosie’s first book, Open the Door, which describes their international house-sitting adventures.

Author Rosie Mitchell

Hello fellow readers. I have now published two books, the first called Open The Door, which is about my early house sitting adventures and other overseas travels through Europe, Malta and the USA. My second book, Avaning Around in Arabella, was written about our caravan travels and house sitting experiences in Australia, which took place during the Covid19 pandemic. I enjoy writing for pleasure. I love to read and when I am at home I enjoy sewing and cooking. Travelling is what I do the most. In June 2022, my husband and I finally escaped overseas on our extended senior citizens gap year. My third book is now under way. I look forward to sharing the dream with you.

You Can Reach Rosie on Social Media HERE:

FACE BOOK Rosie Mitchell: www.facebook.com/rosie56mitchell

#TenThingsYouMayNotKnowAbout – Author #JillPiscitello

/ Marcia Meara / 69 Comments

Hi, folks! It’s #TenThings day here once again, here on TWS, and today’s guest is author Jill Piscitello. Jill’s list is definitely a “to-the-point” compilation, which I expect will engender a lot of questions. With that possibility in mind, let’s get going. Jill, the floor is yours! Have fun! 😀

Thanks, Marcia!

  1. I love sushi, but not all sushi.
  2. I enjoy stacking items in online bags and buying nothing.
  3. I enjoy stalking clothing until the item reaches my desired price.
  4. I have an exceedingly difficult time finding pictures to hang in my home and have many bare walls.
  5. I love HGTV.
  6. Fall is my favorite season. I begin getting excited for sweaters and jeans by the end of July.
  7. In my house, the Christmas season begins November 1st. Possibly earlier if you ask my daughter.
  8. Motion sickness is no joke.
  9. I’m addicted to Blistex and reapply multiple times per day.
  10. I believe animals understand more human language than we give them credit for.

                     When murder provides a welcome distraction…

BLURB:

On the heels of a public, broken engagement, Maeve Cleary returns to her childhood home in Hampton Beach, NH. When a dead body turns up behind her mother’s music school, three old friends land on the suspect list. Licking her wounds soon takes a back seat to outrunning the paparazzi who spin into a frenzy, casting her in a cloud of suspicion. Maeve juggles her high school sweetheart, a cousin with a touch of clairvoyance, a no-nonsense detective, and an apologetic, two-timing ex-fiancé. Will the negative publicity impact business at the Music Box— the very place she’d hoped to make a fresh start?

EXCERPT:

With his mouth set in a grim line, he waited.

If anyone else had enough nerve to presume she owed them an explanation, she would respond with a solid mind your own business. Instead, the seventeen-year-old still inside her refused to tell him to get lost. “He was hiding money in his office.” This was one of those times when learning how to wait a few beats before blurting out inflammatory information would come in handy. Each second of passing silence decreased her ability to breathe in the confined space. She turned the ignition and switched on the air conditioner.

“How do you know?” His volume just above a whisper, each dragged-out word hung in the air.

“I found it.”

“When were you in his office?” He swiped at a bead of sweat trickling down the side of his face, then positioned a vent toward him.

“Last night.” When would she learn to bite her tongue? Finn’s switch from rapid-fire scolding to slow, deliberate questioning left her unable to swallow over the sandpaper lump in her throat.

“Where was Vic?”

She stared at the back of the building, wishing she’d kept her mouth shut. “He’d left for the night.” If she averted her gaze, she could pretend his eyeballs weren’t bugging out of his head, and his jaw didn’t need a crane to haul it off his chest.

“You were at the town hall after hours? Did anyone see you?”

“A custodian opened his door for me.” She snuck a glance. Sure enough, features contorted in shock and horror replaced his boy-next-door good looks.

Author Jill Piscitello

Jill Piscitello is a teacher, author, and an avid fan of multiple literary genres. Although she divides her reading hours among several books at a time, a lighthearted story offering an escape from the real world can always be found on her nightstand.

A native of New England, Jill lives with her family and three well-loved cats. When not planning lessons or reading and writing, she can be found spending time with her family, trying out new restaurants, traveling, and going on light hikes.

You can reach Jill on Social Media here:
Website ~ Twitter  ~ Facebook ~  Instagram  ~ Amazon ~ GoodReads ~ BookBub

You can buy Jill’s books here:
Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ ITunes ~ Google Books ~ Walmart ~ BooksAMillion ~
Indie Bound  ~ Kobo

#TenThingsYouMayNotKnowAbout – Author #SallyJaneSmith

/ Marcia Meara / 76 Comments

It’s time for another #TenThings post, folks, and today our special guest is author Sally Jane Smith. I know  you’ll enjoy learning more about Sally and some of her adventures, so without further ado, let’s get going! Sally, you’re on! 😀

#TenThingsYouMayNotKnowAbout #SallyJaneSmith

Thanks Marcia – after reading so many great #TenThingsYouMayNotKnowAbout posts, I’m thrilled to have this opportunity to participate 😊  Here goes…

TEN THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT ME

  1. I’ve lived for a year or more in five countries on five continents: South Africa, Chile, the Republic of Ireland, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia.
  1. I’ve also been lucky enough to visit thirty-three countries, many of them multiple times. People have been telling me for decades that I should write about my travels, but it wasn’t until my first visit to Greece that I found the book inside me. When non-Greeks ask what was so special about Greece, I explain that it was the country that made me fall in love with my own life again. When Greeks ask, I say, “It was Greece that gave me my kefi”
  1. I’ve been bitten by a lion. (And I know I’m not the only author featured on this blog who can say that – what are the chances?) It was just a young cub, but, to be fair, so was I. We were at a small tourist park when the rangers invited me over for a photo opportunity. The lion cub was in a playful mood, I think, but its play-fighting was a bit on the rough side, and it took four grown men to pull the cub off me.
  1. After a traumatic solo travel accident in 2006, a series of events led me to move to Australia to help manage a wildlife sanctuary for two years. Insights from working in animal conservation make me wonder, now, about that long-ago lion cub and how that 1970s park was run. These days, I am sceptical of animal experiences marketed to tourists. If I’m not 100% sure they are reputable care initiatives that cause no direct or indirect harm to the animals in their charge, I don’t participate.Not my usual author photo: here I am with “Dexter the demented cockatoo” who is living his best life at Walkabout Park after a lovely woman rescued him from an unhappy existence in a small cage. This photo was taken around 2010, when I was still his best buddy. Now,  although he is happy to see me when I visit, he lives in a large aviary where he has learned how to be a bird again. Which, although it’s a little sad, we consider success!
    PS: I’m also sporting a dashing scar that runs more than halfway around my neck – a memento of the Sri Lankan bus accident.

 

  1. After dogs, my favourite animals are Australian flying foxes. These large bats aren’t at all scary (although I respect that some people have phobias – I have a couple of my own). Instead, they are like puppies with wings! When I was hanging up their fruit buckets, the mischievous bats at Walkabout Park would surreptitiously pinch my scrunchie from my hair or make away with my glasses. All for the fun of dangling them just out of my reach, making me jump – and maybe getting a tickle at the end of the game.
  1. I am clumsy and uncoordinated, forever walking into doorframes or tripping over nothing at all. When people ask why I don’t drive, I say, “Have you seen me walk?”
  1. It might not be a surprise, then, that I was the only girl at my high school who was let off participating in the compulsory sports program without a doctor’s certificate. Yes, I was that bad at sport. Instead, I became the scorer for the school cricket team. The other girls might have pitied my gawkiness but, hey, I got to go on national tour with the hottest boys in the school. Last laugh was mine 😉
  1. I love to dance, and don’t feel the slightest bit clumsy when I’m moving to music. The problem is, I also like to be in bed with a book by 7.00 pm. I’m usually up around 4:00 am, getting in a few hours of writing before heading out to the paying job. On weekends, I might sleep in till 5.30. If only there were all-day dance parties! As it is, I hardly ever get a chance to let my hair down on a dance floor.
  1. I have three university degrees, and I’m not directly using any of them (although my long-ago studies continue to enrich my experience of the world). After multiple intercontinental moves, I found that a knowledge of anthropology wasn’t hugely transferable to the jobs on offer. Instead, I discovered a surprisingly enjoyable talent for administration. I confess, I do have a fondness for a cleverly constructed spreadsheet. After six years working in a rewarding but stressful PA role, I moved to a lower-paid, part-time job in an art gallery so I could have more mental energy to write. Being surrounded by creativity in my workplace is a bonus.
  1. Unpacking for Greece was crafted as a Bill-Bryson-style travelogue, but most reviewers focus on the inner journeys of the story, both in recovering my wanderlust after the Sri Lankan bus accident, and in making peace with memories of my mother. I found an unexpected travel companion in her 1978 travel journal, and since that first trip I have returned to Greece again and again with her scuffed red diary in my pocket. At first, I tried to follow her footsteps. Now I take it with me to places she never got a chance to visit while she was alive.

My mum’s diary in Naxos in April 2023, my most recent trip to Greece.


Blurb

 Join Sally as she embarks on a solo journey across the magnificent Greek mainland and islands.

When Sally sets out for Europe with her mother’s 1978 travel diary in her pocket, she is searching for the wanderlust she lost in a devastating overseas road accident.

As she ventures into the heart of the Mediterranean – wandering volatile landscapes, exploring historical sites, pairing books with places and savouring the tastes of Greece – she finds it is possible for a clumsy, out-of-shape woman on a budget to experience a life-changing journey.

In a story told with warmth, humour and a fascination with Greece’s natural and cultural heritage, Sally connects with her past, overcomes her fears and falls in love with life again, one olive at a time.

Author Sally Jane Smith

 Sally Jane Smith has lived on five continents and visited thirty-three countries, but she gives credit to Greece for turning her into a writer.  She has worked in museums, universities, a language institute, a residence for people with disabilities, an art gallery, a primary school and a wildlife park. She also co-hosts two book clubs and assists the organisers of a biennial book-themed convention. She is currently based in Australia.

Sally completed a Varuna residency in 2018 and has published travel articles in Gulf News and TripFiction, and craft pieces in Women’s Ink! and Brevity Blog. Sally’s story of her great-great-grandmother’s extraordinary life appears in the anthology Itchy Feet: Tales of Travel and Adventure. Her exploration of travel and grief is included in the Newcastle Short Story Award Anthology 2022.

Excerpts from the Packing for Greece series have been awarded First Place Non-Fiction in the Port Writers Open Literary Competition and shortlisted in the National Writing Competition organised by the Society of Women Writers NSW. 

In a story told with warmth, humour and a fascination with Greece’s natural and cultural heritage, Sally connects with her past, overcomes her fears and falls in love with life again, one olive at a time.

The best way to get a taste of Sally’s writing, view gorgeous travel pics and play destination-based games is to sign up to her newsletter HERE

You can find all Sally’s social media links collected HERE

Visit Sally’s webpage HERE

 

#TenThingsYouMayNotKnowAbout – #Author #SueColetta

/ Marcia Meara / 72 Comments

Today, I’m very happy to announce that our guest author is mystery writer Sue Coletta. Sue is well-known to many, many of us in the writing and blogging community, but I’ll bet there are some things in her post today that will make your jaw drop! 😁  With that in mind, let’s get right to it. Take it away, Sue!

Thanks for having me today, Marcia!
~~~

10 Things You May Not Know About Me
by Sue Coletta

  1. I grew up in a house filled with secret passageways and escape routes.

My maternal grandfather was Native American, and he built the house my mother grew up in. After my grandparents passed, my brother and I grew up there. In the back of each walk-in closet was a secret door that led to passageways behind the walls. These passageways led to a side attic with a trapdoor in the floor. Stairs beneath led straight out the back door. At the time, my brother and I had no idea why our house held these secrets. We just thought they made cool forts. It wasn’t till years later that I began to suspect why. Without getting too deep, my grandfather and his parents (my great-grandparents) witnessed the damage done to Indigenous communities across New England, with several tribes decimated by disease, murder, sold into slavery, or imprisoned to steal their land. So, it makes sense that he’d create hideouts and escape routes for his family and friends. Maybe the house doubled as some kind of underground railroad.

  1. Most of my family died on December 3rd (different years).

When I was a teenager, I lost my mom on December 3rd. Before she died, she told me how difficult it was to lose her dad so close to Christmas. So, after she passed, I flipped through the family Bible. Sure enough, not only did my mom and grandfather die on the same day but so did the vast majority of my maternal line. Freaky, right? Now that I work from home, I rarely, if ever, leave the house on December 3rd. LOL

  1. On my 16th birthday, a diagnosis rocked my world.

Most young girls look forward to their sixteenth birthday. One week before mine, my first “lady doctor” diagnosed me with cervical cancer. My mother was so devastated, she wavered on how to tell me for a full week, when I answered the phone on my birthday and one of the nurses broke the news that I had cervical cancer, and the prognosis wasn’t good. Happy Sweet Sixteen! Mom was in the middle of setting up a treatment plan when the doctor breezed through my file one last time. Sure enough, some other poor girl’s paperwork was mixed in with mine. But I’m glad it happened. The wisdom, courage, and inner strength of my mom during our mother-daughter talks have lasted a lifetime. She taught me not to let anything stand in my way, even if some incompetent doctor slaps you with a death sentence.

  1. I start every day by watching the sunrise.

This also stems from Mom. It’s important to take the time to appreciate all the wondrous gifts that surround us. Sitting in silence in the predawn, hints of color splashed across the horizon before the sun peeks out—to really be in the moment, grateful for another sunrise—starts the day on a positive note. What’s more beautiful—spiritual—than nature?

  1. Humans wear me out, not animals.

If you haven’t guessed yet, I’m at my happiest around animals and nature. The two-legged, the four-legged, the furred, the feathered, and the scaled are all welcome in my yard. Everybody gets a name and a quick chat to say hi. Seriously, I’ve even named dragonflies, outside spiders, bees, butterflies…the list goes on and on. My sweet husband memorizes every name. When he thinks I’m not watching, he’ll chat with each one. Adorable! On the flipside, if new humans move to our area, they may never meet me. Unless they’re readers who catch me at a book signing. 😉

  1. Though I love animals, I’ve had a lifelong fear of white horses.

When I was in kindergarten, a lady brought her white horse to school grounds. And, of course, I noticed him immediately and rushed over to say hi. The woman asked if I’d like to pet him. After Mom asked the usual — Is he friendly? Will he bite? Does he like kids? — I tippy toed to pet his nose, and he chomped down on my upper arm. For six weeks afterward, I cowered behind an upholstered chair every time the doctor house-called to deliver another rabies shot. Turns out, I was the seventh person he bit. Once word reached the state, they stepped in and killed the horse. To help me overcome my fear, Mom bought horse riding lessons. Took a while for me to feel comfortable around horses. Even then, I refused to go anywhere near the white ones. Still don’t.

  1. During my life, I’ve befriended all types.

From bank robbers to cops, I never judged anyone by their mistakes, skin color, religion, or achievements. Still don’t. We are the sum of our parts.

  1. When I was 24, my ex hired a hitman to kill me.

I married way too young. My 1st husband and I dated in high school. After I lost my mom (my dad died years before), I longed for a family to call my own. And so, when my ex asked me to marry him, it seemed like a good idea at the time. Big mistake. On some level, I knew it, too. I bawled during the entire limo ride to the church and still couldn’t pull it together before walking down the aisle. I was so hysterical, the minister ushered me into his office—alone—where he told me I didn’t need to go through with the wedding. But I’d sent out invitations, guests were already in their seats, I booked a hall for the reception, I loved my gown, and we had honeymoon plans.

When you’re young and alone and shattered by grief, those reasons were enough to get married. The marriage ended five years later. In truth, I barely escaped with my life (story for another time). Fast forward six months, and I’m sitting in a local biker bar with my new boyfriend (notorious biker club member) when this guy slides into our booth. Turns out, my ex-husband hired him to kill me. It’s pure luck that I was with my then-boyfriend. Because he and this guy were friends, the hitman came clean. Otherwise, I might not be here. Years later, when my ex got sober and reached out to make amends, I asked why he wanted me dead. He said, “All I kept thinking was, if I can’t have you, no one will.” Did I forgive him? Yes. For me, not for him.

  1. I speak fluent French…in my sleep.

When I was about twelve or thirteen, I fell asleep on the couch while Mom read on the loveseat. The next thing she knows, I’m carrying on a full conversation in French. Which she knew because she’d taken several courses in French. I, on the other hand, never took one. This continued for years. Freaky, right?

  1. My intuition freaks out my family & friends.

Let me preface this by saying, I don’t consider myself a psychic or possess any psychic abilities. I just have a healthy dose of accurate intuition. Or guardian angels. Maybe both. The first time I became aware of it was in the second grade. A girl named Marla sat in front of me in homeroom. We weren’t what I’d call friends. One night, I woke in the middle of the night, crying that Marla’s father was dead. Mom, of course, told me it was only a bad dream. When I went to school the next day, the homeroom teacher told us Marla wouldn’t be there for a while. Her father died the night before. The newly deceased continued to come to me in dreams, and I delivered quite a few messages to loved ones over the years. The “death dreams” ended after I lost Mom. That’s when my intuition kicked into overdrive.

For example, about five years ago, I was in the shower when a flash rocketed through my mind—FedEx driver strolling down the walkway with a package, my eldest Rottweiler growling, barking, the cable on his run snapping in half—and I leaped out the shower, threw on my robe, and bolted outside to bring my dog in. Within five minutes, the FedEx truck pulled into the driveway. About an hour later, I clipped my dog to his run. I had my hand on the doorknob when the cable snapped.

Another more recent example: Three weeks ago, I couldn’t get an online friend off my mind. Nothing I could pinpoint, but I felt something was wrong. It wasn’t till I was writing to her that I felt an overpowering sensation that one of her fur babies died. So, I reached out. “Are you okay? I have a feeling something awful happened to your eldest cat, and I’m hoping I’m wrong.” Within seconds, she wrote back. “Oh. My. God, Sue! How’d you know?” Her husband found their cat dead when he woke for work that morning. *shrugs*

Latest in Sue’s Mayhem Series
Now Available on Amazon HERE

Author Sue Coletta

Sue Coletta is an award-winning crime writer and an active member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. Feedspot and Expertido.org named her Murder Blog as one of the “Best 100 Crime Blogs on the Net” (Murder Blog sits at #5). Sue also blogs at the Kill Zone, a multi-award-winning writing blog. 

Sue lives in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire and writes two psychological thriller series (Tirgearr Publishing) and true crime (Rowman & Littlefield Group). And recently, she appeared on an Emmy award-winning true crime show. Learn more about Sue and her books at: https://suecoletta.com

 

Buy Link for All of Sue’s Books

You can reach Sue on Social Media here:
Website
Facebook
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AmazonAuthorPage
Goodreads

Hope you enjoyed Sue’s amazing #TenThings List as much as I did!
Thank you for being our guest today, Sue! Looking forward
to having you visit more often.

 

 

 

 

#TenThingsYouMayNotKnowAbout – #TonyJamesSlater

/ Marcia Meara / 139 Comments

Today, our guest blogger is Tony James Slater, and trust me, Tony’s entertaining and often hilarious #TenThings list is something you do NOT want to miss out on! With that thought in mind, let’s get this show on the road! Tony, take it away!

Thanks for having me today, Marcia!
~~~

10 Things You May Not Know About Me
by Tony James Slater

  1. I can’t tell my left from my right. Seriously! I used to make an ‘L’ shape with my left hand – until I discovered that works with both hands, depending on whether the back or the palm is facing me… I have a tattoo artist friend who has threatened to put ‘L’ and ‘R’ on my hands, and I’d be tempted… except I’m not sure I trust her to do it the right way around!
  2. I met my fiancĂŠ in America. We met again in England, started dating in Australia and lived together for 2 years in New Zealand. She is Dutch.
  3. I was in UK show ‘Coronation Street’, as an ‘extra’ in the background – every other week for ten years! I must have drunk a couple of hundred pints in the Rover’s Return pub. Sadly there was no alcohol in any of them.
  4. I was bitten by a crocodile, during my stint of volunteering in an exotic wildlife refuge in Ecuador. It was only a small crocodile but the wound bled like crazy, and made me altogether more nervous when I had to catch the little fella again later that day…
  5. I delivered yachts for a little while – well, I delivered a yacht. It sank. I still maintain that this was not my fault.
  6. I renovated a house for ‘Property Ladder’, a popular TV show presented by Sarah Beeny. The finished program bore almost no resemblance to our experience, with the clips and interviews being cut apart and reassembled to tell a story the producers liked. That story could have been titled, ‘A Bunch of Complete Muppets Screw Up a Renovation…’
  7. I still play with Lego! A couple of years ago I decided I wanted a really cool mascot for my desk. I dug out my childhood Lego and started building a big grey robot. I don’t get to work on it much, but the project has grown a bit out of control… I’ve only just finished the legs, which are three feet tall 😮
  8. I also write science fiction, under the pen name ‘Tyler Aston’. I chose this because it sounded tougher, and possibly American… and because it’s an anagram of Tony Slater! I used an online generator to come up with it. The second choice option wasn’t quite as appealing: ‘Stanley Rots’.
  9. I sold my body to medical science. Repeatedly! In fact, that’s how I paid for our wedding! Testing experimental medicines is big business amongst the work-shy backpacker population, of which I’ve been a member most of my life. My biggest payout was £4000, for over a month in hospital. And I’ve never experienced any strange side effects… or have I?
  10.  I’m an adrenaline junkie! If I can’t slide down it strapped to a piece of wood, I want to climb it and jump off the top. At various points I’ve been obsessed with snowboarding, parkour, gymnastics, diving, climbing and kung-fu! Sadly, I am also one of the clumsiest individuals on the planet. Iget hurt a lot.


    Author Tony James Slater

    Tony James Slater is an unusual combination of science-fiction author and travel-memoir writer.

    He is a very, very strange man. He believes himself to be indestructible, despite considerable evidence to the contrary. He is often to be found making strange faces whilst pretending to be attacked by inanimate objects. But perhaps his biggest problem is this: he has a mouth so big he is at risk of swallowing his own head.

    It is for this reason (amongst others) that he chooses to spend his life far from mainstream civilization, tackling ridiculous challenges and subjecting himself to constant danger. He gets hurt quite a lot.

    For more information, or to complain about his shameless self promotion, please visit: www.TonyJamesSlater.com

    But BE WARNED! Some of the writing is in red.

    Tony LOVES it when you make contact – it makes him feel a little less lonely in this big ole’ world.

    You can follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/TonyJamesSlater

    You can harass him on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TonyJamesSlater

    And he blogs about how ridiculous his life is at: http://www.AdventureWithoutEnd.com

    Please come and hang out, send a message or throw something sticky. But preferably not a stick…

    You can also reach Tony on his Amazon Author Page HERE
    And you can check out these two books here:



#GuestDayTuesday – #TenThings – And Other Guest Openings

/ Marcia Meara / 45 Comments

Good Morning, Everyone! Just wanted to remind you all that I am ready to schedule 2023 guest posts on The Write Stuff. If you would like to take part in any of my regular features, now’s the time to have me hold a date for you.

#GuestDayTuesdays:  For this one, I’m looking forward to sharing your news, whatever it might be. New book, cover reveal, old book with a review worth bragging about, or even something about you, as a writer … where your ideas come from, how you go about the process, things you’ve learned over time (including what NOT to do). I’m very flexible with the #GuestDayTuesday posts and will be happy to feature you and/or your work in various ways.

#TenThingsYouMayNotKnowAboutMe: This is a fun way to let others learn more about you as a person, as a writer, as a blogger, or from any other angle. If you’ve haven’t already been a guest for this one, take a look at some of the previous posts, and I think you might be interested in taking part. If you HAVE taken part in the past, that’s all right, too. We could do a “TenMOREThingsYouMayNotKnowAboutMe” post. Or “FiveMore.”

Again, I’m very flexible with any of these posts and can even squeeze in some random guest posts on other days, if it’s more helpful for what you want to do. 

For Info on what I’d need from you, you’ll find all my Blog Rules and Instructions HERE:  https://marciamearawrites.com/welcome/

And most of all, remember that I’ll work with you in any way I can. The object is to 1)promote you or your work and 2) to have fun. (Or both!)  I’ll be waiting to hear from you and get your special post scheduled, so drop me an email at marciameara16@gmail.com

Thanks!

 

#HappyNewYear – #TenThings – #GuestDayTuesday

/ Marcia Meara / 37 Comments

Happy New Year, Everyone!
Here’s Hoping 2023 Is a Great One for Each of Us!

To get The Write Stuff off to a great start this year, I’m putting out an official call for guest posters:

If you haven’t yet taken part in #TenThingsYouMayNotKnowAboutMe, I hope you soon will. It’s been one of the most popular series I’ve had on the blog, and we’d love to learn more about our friends and fellow writers. Email me to save you a date. (It runs every other Wednesday.)

Also, #GuestDayTuesday runs every other … yes! … TUESDAY. For those who have upcoming promos, new releases, cover reveals, or anything else they’d like to share, writing related or not, please email me, and I’ll get you set up for a visit. 

I also have some ideas for a few new ways guests can avail themselves of some extra exposure here, but will get back to you on those later. For now, we’ll focus on the two above, and I’m hoping I’ll get lots of folks who’d like to visit. Can’t wait to get things up and running around here again!

Hoping to hear from some of you soon!

#TenThingsYouMayNotKnowAbout – Author #KassandraLamb

/ Marcia Meara / 39 Comments

Woohoo! Time for another fun #TenThings list! This time, our guest is Cozy Mystery author Kassandra Lamb, and I know you’re going to get a kick out of some of the things Kass is sharing today. With that in mind, let’s get going! Kass, the floor is all yours!

10 Things You May Not Know About Kassandra Lamb

Wow, it feels really good to be back here guest posting! I’ve been away too long, busy pumping out books. But I couldn’t resist Marcia’s call to participate in her 10 Things You May Not Know series.

So here are my 10 things:

  1. I just turned 70!! Yeah, I’m still getting used to that idea.

A friend of mine once quipped, on the occasion of her fiftieth birthday, “How did my 25-year-old mind get caught in a 50-year-old body?” Well, I think my mind has probably matured to about age 40, but now it’s trapped in a 70-year-old body. Yikes! How did that happen?

  1. I have very few wrinkles. Oily skin finally pays off.

However, I’m discovering there is a downside to looking younger than you are, at my age. People expect me to be able to do things my body can’t handle anymore. So…

  1. I let my hair grow out during the pandemic lockdown and…

I discovered some lovely silver tresses had been hiding under the hair dye. I decided to let them stay, adding just a few auburn highlights to ease the transition.

  1. I have had 4 significant careers in my life.

One, admin assistant in Human Resources (only we called it Personnel and admin assistants were not synonymous with secretaries back then—less typing and more organizing). Two, psychotherapist and three, college professor in psychology. And now number four, mystery writer.

I’ve loved all of them. I think writing will probably be the last one, but you never know.

  1. As you may have noticed, sales were not involved in any of those. I’m a lousy sales person.

I learned this, at age 16, when I was an “Avon lady” for five months. And ended up still owing money for my samples case when I finally gave up.

  1. I have visited 7 countries and 21 states (not counting those I have only driven through) in the U.S., including Alaska and Hawaii. But I’ve only ever lived in 2 states, Maryland and Florida.

I don’t intend to live anywhere else. I do love to travel though, and hope to add more countries and states to my “visited” list.

  1. In Maryland, we owned a small horse farm for 12 years.

Normally, when we’ve moved to a new home, I’ve been more than ready to go (see below). But I loved that farm so much. Only palm trees and a warmer climate in Florida could lure me away from it. It’s the only time I’ve ever cried on moving day.

  1. Because I actually like moving! I know, totally weird, right?

To me, it’s a big adventure. I love the packing and the actual move day. And the unpacking is fun too, deciding just where each item should go in a new place.

I even vicariously enjoy other people’s moves and volunteer regularly to help friends pack and/or move. I really get on their nerves though, on moving day, when I’m all happy and smiley and they’re all stressed out and grumpy. 😀 vs. 😦

  1. I love DIY projects.

Although I can’t do really big ones anymore. I don’t have the physical stamina. About 8 years ago, I painted the entire exterior of my house (with some help from my brother). It took the better part of 3 months, painting one section at a time, doing the trim work, etc. in my spare time.

Lately, my biggest project was building a little patio for my fire pit. I plan to read out there this winter (or what passes for winter in northern Florida), with the fire keeping my toes toasty. Because… 

  1. I love being outside. I get high on fresh air!

My screened porch is my favorite “room” in the house. And one of the glorious things about living in northern Florida is that we have long beautiful springs and autumns. I have every window in the house open most days, from March to May and again from October to December.

Hope you found my 10 things interesting! And thanks, Marcia, for having me over to your cyberhome for a visit.

It was a pleasure to have you, Kass, and I hope you’ll visit more often. But now, let’s take a look at some of your books, including your latest!

You can buy To Bark or Not To Bark HERE
(GENRE: Cozy Mystery, Book 12 of the Series)

BLURB:

Service dog trainer Marcia Banks tackles a locked room mystery in a haunted house, while training the recipient of her latest dog.

The border collie, Dolly has been trained to clear rooms for an agoraphobic Marine who was ambushed in a bombed-out building. But the phantom attackers in his psyche become the least of his troubles when Marcia finds his ex-wife’s corpse in his master bedroom, with the door bolted from the inside.

Was it suicide or murder? Marcia can’t see her client as a killer, but the local sheriff can.

Then the Marine reports hearing his ex calling for him to join her on the other side of the grave. Is his house really haunted, or is he hallucinating?

Bottom line: Marcia has lost a client to suicide before. She’s not going to lose another!

Author Kassandra Lamb

In her youth, Kassandra Lamb had two great passions—psychology and writing. Advised that writers need day jobs—and being partial to eating—she studied psychology. Her career as a psychotherapist and college professor taught her much about the dark side of human nature, but also much about resilience, perseverance, and the healing power of laughter. Now retired, she spends most of her time in an alternate universe populated by her fictional characters. The portal to this universe (aka her computer) is located in North Central Florida where her husband and dog catch occasional glimpses of her.

NOTE:

 Kassandra’s first series, set in her native Maryland, stars psychotherapist and amateur sleuth, Kate Huntington. In her newer cozy mystery series set in Florida, Marcia (pronounced Mar-see-a, not Marsha) Banks trains service dogs for combat veterans and solves mysteries in her spare time, with the assistance of her Black Labrador sidekick, Buddy.

Book 1 of the Kate Huntington Mystery Series

Book 1 of the Marcia Banks and Buddy Series

Kassandra is now contemplating another series, a police procedural, with a spinoff character from the Kate Huntington mysteries, police lieutenant Judith Anderson.

You Can Buy To Bark or Not To Bark Here:

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You Can Reach Kassandra Lamb on Social Media Here:

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