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Thursday, November 23, 2017

THE VOICELESS DOGS OF NASSAU, BAHAMAS




This is my latest “Woman in Action” article that appears in “The Punch” on page 15 today about Chella Phillips Melnechuk, founder of “The Voiceless Dogs of Nassau, Bahamas”. Chella rescues stray dogs, many of whom are suffering from debilitating diseases, and finds them happy homes in the U.S.  The Punch features an outstanding local woman in their “Woman in Action” column every Thursday, with my articles usually appearing every other Thursday.


Wednesday, November 22, 2017

PIRATED E-BOOKS!





I was dismayed to discover that the e-book edition of my book "Sunbeams from the Heart - A Collection of Twelve Romantic Short Stories" was being pirated online! 

I reported it to Amazon and they said: “I can confirm that we have not authorized these sites to loan your book and have not provided your file to them. If you have found your work available on an unauthorized website such as the sites that you referenced, we suggest contacting that website to confirm your rights and request removal of your work. If you distribute your book through other sales channels, you might contact them to inquire as to whether they have authorized the inclusion of your book on other sites. Our lending program allows a purchaser to lend a title once and does not allow the recipient to re-loan that book.” 

Amazon gave me a link to more information about Kindle book lending. None of this was of any help to me. I haven’t distributed my book through any other sales channels and I am reluctant to contact the pirated sites direct.

Fortunately, I found the following most helpful article by Derek Haines on this topic. It seems that there's really nothing any of us can do; that people who access these pirate sites can have their computer infected by viruses anyway; and on the plus side these pirates even get the word out about our books and can indirectly bring us more sales! Some sensible book buyers wouldn't dream of downloading a book from a pirate's site, but they may take note of the title and go to a respected source to buy it!


I guess I could contact the pirates and ask them to cease and desist. Apparently this sometimes works for a while, but it’s not long before they start popping up again. And then there’s the risk of getting a virus on my computer from these rogue sites.

I suppose I should just take it all as a compliment, as “Jenny Martins” posted on one of these pirate sites: “Finally I get this e-book, thanks for all these Sunbeams heart collection romantic stories I can get now!” and “Markus Jensen” wrote: “I did not think that this would work, my best friend showed me this website, and it does! I get my most wanted eBook.”

As the saying goes: “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery”!




Monday, November 20, 2017

PASSING OF LEGENDARY BAHAMIAN MUSIC ICON RONNIE BUTLER

RONNIE BUTLER - PHOTO COURTESY
THE TRIBUNE AND NATIVE STEW

We were saddened yesterday to learn of the passing of legendary Bahamian entertainer and cultural music icon Ronnie Butler. Ronnie was born in 1937 and was made a Member of the British Empire (M.B.E.) in 2003.

We loved his singing, especially when we went dancing in the “Big Bamboo” on downtown Bay Street in the sixties. And when we moved to England for a year in the seventies I used to dance around the living room to Ronnie’s lively and charismatic records, feeling very homesick for The Bahamas!

More information at THE TRIBUNE 

Sunday, November 12, 2017

NEW LOOK FOR #1 BEST-SELLER CORNELIUS!



Tanya R. Taylor's #1 Best-seller CORNELIUS has a new look! Buy it at 

And Book 2 in "The Cornelius Saga", CORNELIUS’ REVENGE, is FREE right now, so you can get a taste of this brilliant series -


Saturday, November 11, 2017

HAPPY HAITIAN WORKERS!


A Haitian painter in Nassau, Bahamas
(Haitian workers are also not afraid to work at great heights!) 

Listening to Haitian workers chattering away as they worked, I commented to Erskine, “I wonder why they talk so much while they’re working.” He replied: “It’s because they’re so happy to be employed!”

That is very true. There is a large population of Haitians here in The Bahamas, many of whom arrived here on rickety boats, not knowing what their future would be if any.

Cap-Haïtien produces skilled workers, such as painters, carpenters and masons. The gardeners that are employed on many Bahamians’ properties hail from Port-de-Paix.



Thursday, November 9, 2017

WOMAN IN ACTION ROCHELLE BUTLER WINS WEIGHT BATTLE!


Here is my latest “Woman in Action” article that appears in “The Punch” on page 15 today about Rochelle Butler, who has lost a tremendous amount of weight and is an inspiration to all of those struggling with weight problems. 

The Punch features an outstanding local woman in their “Woman in Action” column every Thursday, with my articles usually appearing every other Thursday.

Tuesday, November 7, 2017

TERI M. BETHEL'S BAHAMIAN AUTHORS DIRECTORY


I’m honoured to have my author bio on Teri M. Bethel’s online directory of Bahamian authors. Teri is an author herself, as well as being an Interior Designer by profession, textile artist and handbag designer. Author Vera Chase kindly referred her to me. Teri is the author of empowering fiction, as well as non-fiction books for adults and children. Both in her daily living and in her books, she seeks to encourage and empower people to be the best they can be.

Here’s the link to Teri’s Directory: BAHAMIAN AUTHORS DIRECTORY


Monday, November 6, 2017

"LEAVE NOTHING BUT FOOTPRINTS" - AN EXCITING NEW ROMANCE BY PATSY COLLINS!


British author Patsy Collins has recently released her latest novel, an exciting romance entitled “Leave Nothing But Footprints”:

“Jessica Borlase always gets what she wants. From cocktails in the exact shade of her manicure, holiday on Capri with friends, to a spacious apartment, her father's money makes it possible. She enjoys the luxurious lifestyle and is grateful for his support, but frustrated to always be treated as Daddy's pampered little girl. She tries to break free, by leaving Borlase Enterprises and studying photography. Now what Jess wants is the utterly gorgeous Eliot Beatty; a world famous photographer who often uses his talents to benefit conservation projects.” 

Patsy lives on the south coast of England with her husband, photographer Gary Davies. Her short stories (500+ published to date) have appeared in a range of UK, Irish, South African, Canadian, Swedish and Australian publications. Some of her stories are available to download from Alfie Dog Fiction. Patsy's website is PatsyCollins.uk

“Leave Nothing But Footprints” is available on Amazon at LEAVE NOTHING BUT FOOTPRINTS



Sunday, November 5, 2017

ALL-TERRAIN VEHICLES AND MINI-MOKES!



Tourists are renting a lot of these ATVs (All-Terrain Vehicles) around Nassau. They remind me of the Mini-moke I drove across the Blue Mountains on our honeymoon in Jamaica!

We had flown into Montego Bay and took a “limousine” to the Hilton in Ocho Rios in the dark of night. The “limousine” was actually no more than a very packed, uncomfortable little bus! It was all part of the “Honeymoon Package” that had enticed us to book a room at the Hilton.

We had really wanted to stay at the Blue Mountain Inn near Kingston that we’d read about in a magazine, but in those days there was no internet, so I couldn’t email them, and phone calls were expensive. I’d sent them a snail mail letter of enquiry and never heard back from them.

The Hilton advertised their “Honeymoon Package” as “free champagne with first night’s dinner and double bed”! We discovered at dinner that “free champagne” meant one glass each and not the bottle we expected, and the room contained twin beds! After they shuffled us to another room, we decided to call the Blue Mountain Inn. There was “room at the Inn”, so a couple of days later we set off in rented Mini-moke, map in hand. I drove, as Erskine only had a scooter licence at the time. Of course, I’d really never driven anywhere before this, except once when my boss in England loaned me his car to attend a wedding and another time when I drove an old Ford around some Devon cliffs before I purchased it for my newspaper reporter job (I had to quickly resell it when I found out how much the insurance would cost!).

But with the courage of the young, I happily manoeuvred the Mini-moke around breathtaking bends in the road through the Blue Mountains, with cars that had run off the road hanging over the mountain sides.

The Blue Mountain Inn was everything we expected for a honeymoon – the trickling of a mountain stream outside our window, fresh fruit in our room every morning, and roses and candles on our table at dinner.

We explored the area in the Mini-moke, even venturing into the heart of busy Kingston.

So when I see couples in ATVs driving around Nassau, I wonder if they are having as much fun as we did with our Mini-moke on our honeymoon!