Rae of Light

 Happy New Year May 2021 usher in only good things in your life. May your dearest wishes become reality. May you have health, happiness and contentment.

 Wishing you all a very merry Christmas. Massive thanks for supporting me through the twists and turns of self-publishing. I look forward to sharing more of my writing with you in the New Year. May you and your loved ones stay safe and well.

Take One I was recently considering the fact that I like watching a good film almost as much as I love reading. In the midst of perusing an action film I was reminded that someone compiled a list of 100 books they advised everyone to read before one shuffles off this mortal coil. So I decided to compile a list of films I believe everyone should see at least once in their lifetime. A good film, much like a good book, should generate debate. There is of course the fact that many a good film was inspired by a truly excellent book but we will not be going into that here. Some of these films have made it onto my DVD shelf. I’m old school and haven’t bought into digital ownership as yet. There is however still time. I will be posting 8 film titles each month. Your job is to watch them then feel free to weigh in and comment. Some may be fairly harrowing and I will warn you in advance, others a tad violent and others provide giggles galore. Others are purely on this list for their nostalgic va...

  Over the years my lodgers and guests have been instrumental in passing on certain ideas and tastes to help mould me into the ultimate human I am to become. Well known additions to the improvement of me and my lifestyle include: my daily cup of REAL coffee (Thanks Elisa) vodka in warm milk with a spoonful of honey for those sleepless nights brought on by a head cold (thumbs up Cesare) and of course the delights of Poopourri adverts on uTube when you need a bit of cheering up (priceless Kaatje) For a more detailed account, take a look at my 2016 post on the matter. Now I’m pleased to introduce yet another Lodger Legacy and bring you the wonderful experience of Fika . This is the Swedish tradition of taking time out in your day to shoot the breeze with friends, colleagues and family. It can simply be enjoyed with a cup of coffee and some pastry or with any beverage you prefer. There is no set time for this event to take place but it is hoped it will be a daily occurrence ...

“Say what?” I hear you cry. Jolabokaflod aka Christmas Book Flood For those of you up on these things, Jolabokaflod is an Icelandic term for a gift giving tradition relating to Christmas Eve. To be more specific it is the giving of books so people can indulge in a bit of cosy armchair travel. This wonderful tradition dates back to WWII when imports were limited. I think a certain pesky Austrian was responsible for that. At any rate, the tradition of book giving has stuck and it’s reported that over 90% of Icelanders read at least 1 book a year. Go Icelanders!   As a self-confessed bookworm I’m naturally highly in favour of this particular tradition and also of the opinion that you don’t necessarily need to have the Aurora Borealis or the midnight sun on your doorstep in order to participate. So in the spirit of things multi-cultural I’m fully supporting Jolabokaflod until my dying day. I urge you to join me in this support and do likewise.   Jolabokaflod News In the...

  The Witch Adoption Project (sequel to The Lonely Dragon ) is now available to buy. The eagle-eyed among you will notice that a particular cover came out tops. It does however include some suggested modifications. As I’m now using Draft 2 Digital as my main publishing platform, it means the book is available on all e-book channels as well as in paperback, wherever you may be in the world. It will also shortly be available on the  Reader Subscription Services   I mentioned in my 3 October post. Since you’re on my mailing list you get a special ½ price deal on the e-book from 25 November - 4 December . Click on the image below to take you to your preferred e-book store. Available from Apple, Amazon, Barnes & Noble etc More Good News I’ve welcomed yet another world traveller into my home; this time from Sweden. I had to self-isolate with him as he’d travelled via Denmark. The police turned up at my door to check we were both abiding by the Lockdown restrictions and...

  As you know, my ART have been hard at work sending their notes on The Witch Adoption Project and the new poetry book is out there to buy. But I thought you deserved a tidbit or two. So here for you is a sneaky peak at a poem from Life Extinct and Chapter 36 of the sequel to The Lonely Dragon . For a look see just click on the relevant picture below. Enjoy! PPP Good News The old cat flap is open once more and Neighbourly Nala continues to visit regularly. Like every teenager out there, she prefers highly calorific treats over those concerned for her dental health. I continue to get new bookings for my spare room through Airbnb and so far have met a lovely sculpture specialist from France and a young man from Hong Kong who is under Nala’s thrall. I’m getting to grips with the whole Going Wide side of things and have joined a fantastically supportive group on Facebook called Wide For The Win . This means my e-books are now available for all e-readers and also reader subscr...