COMING SOON - "LOVE AT SUNSET" THE WHOLE STORY!

Coming soon! Set in The Bahamas and Scotland, my upcoming romantic suspense novel “Love at Sunset” shows the determination of an elderly couple in love to enjoy their sunset years to the fullest, despite opposition from their children. The plot follows the people in Violet and Gordon’s lives, including those out to harm them. It portrays unexpected romance, family discord, reconciliation - and second chances! And it reveals the gap between rich and poor and the humanitarian works of those who care.

This novel grew out of my short story “Love at Sunset”, first published in “The Lady” magazine, London, England. Here, by popular demand, is the full story of Violet and Gordon and their undying love for each other, despite all odds.

EASTER MEMORIES!

As Easter approached in 1966, Erskine and I were enjoying the newness of young love and our recent engagement. He booked flights on Bahamas Airways for Long Island in the Southern Bahamas, so we could visit his parents in Mangrove Bush and I could see where he had been born and brought up.

As the Bahamas Airways DC3 landed at the tiny Deadman’s Cay airport, children flocked onto the tarmac in excitement. I soon found out that the neighbour’s children couldn’t take their eyes off us! They would appear with broad smiles at the kitchen windows while we were eating. I suppose they saw few visitors on what was a very remote Out Island of The Bahamas at that time.

One beautiful sunny day, Erskine took me out on a skiff, poling the boat along the coastline. We wore swimsuits, ready to slip off the side of the skiff into the shallow, transparent water. Suddenly a curtain of sparkling warm rain passed over us. Then in a flash it was gone, the hot sun beaming down and instantly drying us.

 

Boating at Salt Pond, Long Island, the home of the
Annual Long Island Sailing Regatta

To celebrate our recent engagement, Erskine’s best man to be and his wife who had flown down to Long Island with us, invited us for a meal by lamplight in the best man’s family kitchen. There was no electricity or running water on the island at the time. I can still see the pretty gingham tablecloth and enticing meal laid out lovingly by our good friends.

On Easter Sunday we visited the little church Erskine had been brought up in, which is now much larger. His father was a lay reader in the church.

St. John's Anglican Church, Buckleys, Long Island

 The highlight of our Easter trip was when Erskine’s father took us out in the skiff to look for bonefish. I had never liked fishing, but who could turn down the opportunity to throw a line into the clear blue water, with the sun warming our bodies? And guess who caught the bonefish that day? Me! I actually landed three bonefish in a short space of time, while Erskine and his father caught nothing!

If  you’re looking for a “time-saving” read over Easter and don’t have a copy of my book “Sunbeams from the Heart – A Collection of Twelve Romantic Short Stories” yet, click on one of the links below! As one Amazon reviewer commented, “I found the book to be so delightful because short stories you can read and not have to wait until you have time to finish the book, you can go back and start a new one.”

“Sunbeams from the Heart” is available as an e-book and in paperback in countries around the world where Amazon features an online store.

Happy Easter!

"SUNBEAMS" ON AMAZON.COM

"SUNBEAMS" ON AMAZON.CO.UK

“BE WITH YOU” PRODUCED BY THE ELEMENT SCORES AGAIN!

“Be with You”, a collaboration between The Element (aka Gavin Knowles), vocalist/singer songwriter Juliet Lyons and Film/TV producer Richard Emmet, was first on the tracklist for Episode 10 of EDM One Futures, a radio station out of Houston, Texas (“the newest dance lives here!”). 

The Element (aka Gavin Knowles)

ANOTHER SECRET IS OUT ABOUT UPCOMING NOVEL "LOVE AT SUNSET"

I can now reveal that in my upcoming romantic suspense novel “LOVE AT SUNSET” several scenes take place on Long Island, Bahamas, as well as in Nassau!

"SUNBEAMS FROM THE HEART" HAS MADE OLD SCHOOL NEWS!

I am honoured that my book “Sunbeams from the Heart – A Collection of Twelve Romantic Short Stories” is mentioned in the 2016 Spring Issue of the Edgehill Alumni Association Newsletter.

Edgehill College, Bideford, Devon, England, is my old school. Jane Blackmore, the Newsletter Editor and one of my former classmates, has given “Sunbeams from the Heart” a great write up! The Newsletter apparently goes out to around 450 former Edgehillians.

THE SECRET IS OUT!

I can now reveal that my short story that was published today in the “Spring Collector’s Edition 18-31 March 2016” of “The Lady” magazine, London, England, is “THE PERFECT MATCH”, first published in my book "SUNBEAMS FROM THE HEART - A COLLECTION OF TWELVE ROMANTIC SHORT STORIES"!

“The Lady” kindly gave attribution to my story having been published in “Sunbeams From The Heart”, which is available as an e-book and in paperback (regular and large print) from Amazon online stores around the world.

For those of you living in The Bahamas, check with your local bookstore. Janice Cartwright at “Buy the Book”, Saunders Beach, Nassau, tells me that she can bring “Sunbeams” in within 10 days once you order by any Saturday.

"LOVE AT SUNSET" - NEW ROMANTIC SUSPENSE NOVEL OUT THIS SPRING!

My romantic suspense novel, “Love at Sunset”, will be released this spring! Set in The Bahamas and Scotland, “Love at Sunset” shows the determination of an elderly couple in love to enjoy their sunset years to the fullest, despite opposition from their children.

The plot follows the people in Violet and Gordon’s lives, including those out to harm them. It portrays family discord, reconciliation and unexpected romance. And it reveals the gap between rich and poor and the humanitarian works of those who care.

The novel grew out of my short story “Love at Sunset”, first published in “The Lady” magazine, London, England. Now you can read the full story of Violet and Gordon and their undying love for each other, despite all odds.

TRAVEL OPENS UP THE CREATIVE JUICES!

They say “travel broadens the mind”! Well, travel also opens up the creative juices. Erskine and I have just returned from a trip to Florida, my notebook full of ideas for future short stories.

Perhaps it’s the change of scenery that stimulates the mind or could it be the different people we encounter? I do know that I did a lot of people watching while we were away!

We usually slow down a bit when we take a trip to Florida from The Bahamas, and we “smell the roses” – or in our case “the coffee”, as we spend a lot of time in Starbucks!

We have a favourite little oceanfront resort where we usually stay. We sit out on our balcony, inhale the ocean breeze, and listen to the strange birds that call out to each other from one part of the building to the other. They are large and black. I must find out their name. I don’t think they are really welcomed by the staff, because they leave little “deposits” on the balcony rails, but we like them!

We don’t cook anything while we are in Florida, even though our unit has a full kitchen. We eat out or bring food in to heat up. We find the fridge, stove and microwave handy though. Also the dishwasher! We don’t have one of those at home.

They say “a change is as good as a rest” and I can say “a change gives way to more productive writing”!

Read some of my short stories in "SUNBEAMS FROM THE HEART: A COLLECTION OF TWELVE ROMANTIC SHORT STORIES", which is available as an e-book and in paperback (regular and large print) from Amazon online stores around the world.

ANOTHER SHORT STORY SUCCESS!

“The Lady” magazine, London, England, will be publishing another of my short stories in their double issue that comes out on Friday, March 18^th! This will be the ninth short story of mine that they will have published.

EDM PRODUCER FROM THE BAHAMAS MAKES WAVES!

The Element (aka Gavin Knowles), an electronic dance music producer from The Bahamas, is making huge waves on the music scene! Much of the music he writes has been accepted by international Film/TV Libraries and his single “Be with You” was forwarded on to the A&R Director at Sony.

“I have signed publishing deals with two international Film/TV libraries. Also one library has eleven of my tracks and another has three,” says Gavin. “Be with You was a collaboration with the amazing vocalist/singer songwriter Juliet Lyons and the very talented and experienced Film/TV producer Richard Emmet.”

“Be with You” (featuring Juliet Lyons) is available on iTunes HERE       

Another recent success of The Element is Gavin’s remix of the Lost Kings’ song “You” featuring Katelyn Tarver, which reached #4 on the Spinnin’ Records Contest Charts.

“All production is done inside my computer, not like the old days when music producers had to have a big studio,” says Gavin. “Nowadays everything can be done on a computer and the virtual instruments are of a very high quality.”

Gavin is a member of PRS Music (U.K. PRO affiliated with ASCAP). He also belongs to TAXI which is an online A&R community. He says some of his influences are Calvin Harris, Swedish House Mafia and David Guetta.

He was born in The Bahamas and raised between the islands and Devon, England. He has travelled freely and weaves his background and life experiences into his music.

Gavin is excited about his future as an EDM producer and says, “It's been two years since I started this journey as a music producer and it's been a blast. I look forward to taking my music to the next level this year!”

GENDER EQUALITY IN THE BAHAMAS

The Gender Equality Bills that were just passed in the Bahamas House of Assembly (they still have to be voted on in the Senate though) brings to mind my own experience in the British work place when I left school at sixteen. I desperately wanted to work in a local newspaper as a reporter. I was willing to work from the bottom up, covering boring (to me) assignments like flower shows, until I could graduate to more challenging stories. However, the leading newspaper in my town only took on young men as trainee reporters at that time.

I trained as a secretary instead, but never gave up my dream of becoming a writer. Fortunately, after working for a year as a secretary, a great opportunity arose. Two journalists came to town and opened a news agency. They advertised for a Girl Friday/trainee reporter, I applied and got the job. And the journalists were men! Also, I got to go to journalism day release classes at the local college where I was the only female, along with the young male reporters from the local newspaper that wouldn’t take me on!

BAHAMIAN AUTHOR TANYA R TAYLOR HAS ANOTHER #1 BESTSELLER!

Bahamian author Tanya R. Taylor has another #1 bestseller! Her book “INFESTATION: A Small Town Nightmare – The Complete Series” is currently the #1 bestseller in the Religious and Liturgical category at Amazon.co.uk! Her book “Cornelius” hit Amazon’s #1 in the Teen & Young-adult Multi-generational Family Fiction category last November.