Meet the Author: The Last Day of June by Edward Yeoman

Today we travel to a small stone house just outside Caunes Minervois, in the South of France, to chat with Edward Yeoman about how a science background, a portfolio career, naturism, being a storyteller, a love of music, a bee, olive trees, running a holiday gite, Portugal, and the Indian Ocean come together as part of Edward’s current and past life.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I did the school and university thing, a science background, before having decided what I wanted to do. As a result, I had a bit of a portfolio career; as the current term for jumping from one line of work to another is described. Then I retired, invented Ted Bun and started writing stories about a naturist policeman, a series of light, amusing romances.

Other stories followed, most involving naturism, but some not. There was a story I wanted to write that was more serious.

That story was “The Last Day of June”.

It is very different, no naked people, no big laughs. So different I decided to bring myself out of retirement and publish in my given name.

Currently, you can find me living, with my wife, in a small stone house just outside Caunes Minervois, in the South of France.

In which genre do you write?

This is fun!

I can’t settle on what genre the Last Day of June fits into … I’d go for Romance if pushed or Historical Fiction or Political Fiction or Family Fiction. The one thing I’m sure of, it is definitely Fiction.

Romance or Romantic Comedy or Cosy Crime would encompass most of the rest of my output; (as Ted Bun) The Uncovered Policeman is a love story in ten parts and another one in two parts. Even my Dystopian Fiction piece has an undoubtedly romantic thread running through it.

How many published books do you have?

This is my first in my real name … however Ted Bun has 25 books out, plus several Short Stories on Kindle.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer and what ignited your author’s flame?

I am not really an author. I am a storyteller. I write my stories down to share my amusement with other people.

It started with a play on BBC Radio 4, I was in the car and had an appointment to keep. Be late or hear the end of the play? I was professional and missed the ending. Stuck in traffic on the way home I made up my version of the ending.

Years later I had the time to compose whole narratives.

What is an interesting writing quirk you have, that we wouldn’t know by reading your biography?

My love of music, that results in songs being referenced (note referenced never quoted!) through my books. A tool I use for giving a feel of time and place or to put ideas into my characters heads.

What would you choose as your mascot, spirit animal, or avatar and why?

A Bee.

The female lead in my first story is named Beatrice, Bea. Ashe developed into the character that I built a world around. A character that influences the lives of others, even people she never meets.

The Bee, of course, is an industrious creature and I try to match its work rate!

What does your ideal writing space look like?

It is a warm sunny corner of the garden, near the swimming pool. The nightingales are giving it large in the olive trees that protect the area from public gaze. There is a comfortable sunlounger and a small table with room for a cool drink, a notebook and a pencil.

I create stories in my head, sometimes even redrafting them three or four times before I commit them to the keyboard, sometimes days later. I am after all a storyteller, not an author!

What are you currently reading?

On the recommendation of my wife, The Chateau of Illusions by Guy Hibbert, a story set in France during roughly the same period as The Last Day of June. I am only halfway through and it is keeping me engaged.

If it is the same story … I published first!

Where did the idea for your most recent book come from?

One autumn evening in 1974, I sat on the Dining Hall floor in Elliott College at the University of Kent, Canterbury to watch a concert performance by Al Stewart.

During the show, he performed most of the songs from his just-released album “Past, Present and Future.” Out of all the incredibly good material he performed that night two songs stuck out for the wonderful images they created in my mind’s eye. “Soho, Needless to Say” was one, the other was the inspiration for this book “The Last Day of June 1934”.

 

What do you do when not writing or marketing your books?

My wife and I run a holiday gite in the summer. I’m kept busy looking after the pool and the gardens plus cooking for our guests a couple of times a week.

During the winter we cuddle up in front of the log burner.

What is the most enjoyable thing you’ve found through writing?

Companionship, I joined a writer’s group, here in the Occitanie. We find a great deal of pleasure in sharing and critiquing each other’s work. Even in the dark days of ‘Le Confinement’ we have carried on through the medium of Zoom!

What is the most crazy thing that has ever happened to you?

For three years I ran a holiday centre in Portugal, the place was only held together by the paint that my team of helpers applied every spring. Despite that, there was a special spirit about the place.

I took that spirit and transferred into a setting that matched it. The fictional L’Abeille Nue resort that becomes the location of many of Ted Bun’s books.

What’s the last movie you watched and why did you choose to watch it?

Would you believe it was Shirley Valentine. As I was writing Problems and Passions I found that there were echoes of my memory of the film and the story I was writing. I finished the final draft, then watched the film. I decided that there was enough clear, blue water between the two stories for Pauline Collins and Melody Fabricant (my heroine) to swim safely.

Describe the perfect solo date you’d take yourself on … where, time of day, weather, place, etc.

Somewhere in the Indian Ocean. The sun is setting on what has been a hot, clear, da. I am sitting on the deck of boat, a cold drink in hand watching the flying fish playing in the wake.

Something I have always wanted to do since reading a very old book of my father’s. It was about two children on the old Queen Mary, a toy sailor and falling into a book they were looking at. I think it must have been published during the Second World War from one picture.

What are you currently working on?

I am writing my first YA Fantasy story in between a new story for crime busters (Mick) Cooke and (Samantha) Loch and a cookery book (don’t ask!)

Tell us about your most recent book.

The Last Day of June was inspired by the 1974 song by Al Stewart, The Last Day of June 1934.

Each of the three verses is a beautifully described vignette of the day from the point of view of three young men: a French farm labourer, a well-to-do English socialite and a young German. The three verses inspire the first three chapters of story. From there we follow the main characters through the years.

From the Night of the Long Knives, when forces loyal to Hitler removed all effective opposition to his rule in a single bloody night – 30th June 1934. Through the brutality of World War 2 into the years of peace that followed. They fall in love, have children and grow older. Their lives intertwining, bringing them closer … again!

It was great having you on MTA, and learning more about your books and background. Wishing you all the best, Edward! – Camilla

The blurb

On the notorious Night of the Long Knives forces loyal to Adolph Hitler moved to eliminate opposition and challengers to Hitler’s position as leader of the Nazi party. Eighty-five political figures were executed without trial. The threatening power of the irregular SA, the thuggish Brown Shirts, was curtailed. Any potential opposition had lost all senior leadership overnight. In a single swift action, Hitler had consolidated power in his hands. The date?

Last Day of June 1934

Three narratives, each starting from an image inspired by a verse of the Al Stewart song ‘The Last Day of June 1934’ twist and cross over the years that follow.

The decades roll past; dangerous times. times for loving, sad times, times of joy, lives lived.

A journey through the sixty years that saw Europe torn apart through warfare and rebuilt; from the viewpoints of three very different families!

“I started to read it and couldn’t put it down!” Robert Whiston-Crisp

“Definitely a book to curl up with as the nights draw in.” Richard Savin author of the Girl In The Bakers Van

“War is hell, yet stories about the war can be fascinating” An American reader

“WOW” Bryce Mclean, USA

Where to find the book:

http://mybook.to/LDJune

or

The Shop Counter

Who is Edward Yeoman

Edward Yeoman is the given name of Ted Bun. The writer of the highly successful Uncovered Policeman books and many more 5 star reviewed stories.

Connect with Edward:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UncoveredPoliceman

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mr_Ted_Bun

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrbuns49/

Amazon: author.to/TedBun

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Meet the Author: The Library of Lost and Found by Phaedra Patrick

Today we welcome International Best Selling author, Phaedra Patrick, to Meeting the Authors. We travel to Saddleworth, in the North West of England and learn how stained glass, library shelves, aristocrats, Howard Hughes, and a local cricket pitch come together to form Phaedra’s curiously quirky writer’s life. Grab your library card and magnifying glass. Let’s go sleuthing …

Tell us a bit about yourself.

Hi. I’m an International bestselling writer who lives in Saddleworth, in the North West of England. It’s a pretty, very green area with lots of hills, but is only 12 miles away from the bright lights of Manchester. I firstly qualified as a stained glass artist before gaining my professional marketing qualifications and working in communications.

I enjoyed my first real writing success when I entered and won several short story competitions and my work is now published in twenty-two languages worldwide. I am the winner of the ‘Prix des Lectrices Milady 2017’ in France, and two of my books have been optioned as films in the USA.

In which genre do you write?

I like to call my work ‘curiously charming fiction.’ It’s commercial and feel-good, about everyday people and their life journeys. If you like heart-warming, quirky stories, you’ll probably like my books.

How many published books do you have?

The Library of Lost and Found is my third published book and I’m currently writing number four. My publisher in both the UK and US is HarperCollins.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer and what ignited your author’s flame?

I was around eight years old and I remember visiting my local library and thinking that, one day, I’d like to have a book on the shelves too. However, I didn’t think people like me became writers. I come from a town that’s one of the most deprived in the country, and I convinced myself that all authors were aristocrats. Because of these beliefs, I didn’t tell anyone about my ambition, and it wasn’t until I was in my twenties that I finally decided to give it a go. I wrote seven or eight novels, until one got picked up for publication, The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper.

What is an interesting writing quirk you have, that we wouldn’t know by reading your biography?

I’ll let you into a secret here, but when I’m stuck for words I walk around and around a local cricket pitch talking into my phone. It may make me look a little crazy, but it works. I also sit in a small shelter at a local bowling green when no-one is around. The fresh air helps to clear my mind and sets my ideas flowing again.

What are you currently reading?

I’ve just started to read The Diary of a Bookseller by Shaun Bythell. I’ve always been interested in the business side of books, as well as writing them.

What do you do when not writing or marketing your books?

I’ve always been creative and originally studied art at college. I got so fed up of shopping for clothes in stores and finding them to be too big or small, that I’ve started to make my own dresses. I find cutting out the fabric to be therapeutic. I also paint, walk my dog and make sure I catch up with friends for lunch and chats.

If you could have a fantasy tea or coffee date with an author or famous person from the past or present, who would it be and what would you ask them?

I’ve always had a fascination with Howard Hughes. It’s a shame he’s probably best remembered for his mental health issues and shutting himself away from society for many years. In his time, he was an aviator, film director, inventor, pilot, and business magnate. I’m sure his illness could have been better diagnosed and helped today. I’d ask him about his life story and how his health issues affected him.

What is the most surprising thing you’ve learned about yourself through writing?

I was surprised to discover how tenacious I am. I’m kind of a quiet, gentle person, but when it comes to writing, I can be totally determined. I think it’s the main difference between people who write, and people who are published authors. It’s that continuous pushing forward through all the rejections.

What is the most amusing, crazy or inspiring thing that has ever happened to you?

One day at work, in my old job in marketing and communications, my friend and I heard that Will Smith was going to be attending a lunchtime premiere at a cinema in the city. Our boss wasn’t around that day, so we took a long lunch break and waited for him. Will’s limo pulled up and he headed straight over to us to shake our hands. It was years ago now, but I’m still excited by it.

You are about to speak publicly to a group and read from your latest book. What song do you listen to before speaking? Or, what do you do to prepare yourself?

I usually have a chat to the hosts of the event, grab a glass of water or wine, nibble a biscuit and I’m good to go. I’m very low maintenance.

What do you miss about being a kid?

A world without social media. I find it to be both a blessing and a curse. When I’m trying to write, I hate how my hand is so tempted to reach for my phone, and I miss the simplicity of the days when you had to knock on people’s doors, or speak to them on the phone. On the plus side, writing can be very solitary, so social media provides a connection with the outside world. Being able to liaise with bloggers, readers and fellow writers across the globe is amazing.

If you were trapped in a cartoon world from your childhood, which one would you choose and why?

I always had a soft spot for Scooby Doo! Daphne was so glamorous and we both have red hair, so she was a bit of a role model for me. I think a day spent solving mysteries with Scooby, Shaggy, Freddie and Thelma would be great fun.

What’s the last movie you watched and why did you choose to watch it?

I have a thirteen year old son, so it was Avengers Endgame. We worked out that we’ve actually seen all twenty-two of the Marvel movies. My favourite in the series is Iron Man. The script and story are brilliant, and Robert Downey Jnr eats up the screen.

If you could ask your pet three questions, what would they be?

I would ask my little terrier – Why on earth do you bark so much? What are you actually saying? Why do you wag your tail and bare your teeth at other dogs, at the same time? It’s very confusing.

Describe the perfect solo date you’d take yourself on … where, time of day, weather, place, etc.

Somewhere hot. I’m like a lizard that needs to soak up sunshine. I am only truly happy if I can wear sandals, so I would choose Croatia or Spain. I like the weather in the early evening, when it’s still hot but the sun is setting a little. An ice cold glass of white wine and a fine cheese board would be perfect.

Tell us about your most recent book and where we can find it.

The Library of Lost and Found tells the story of volunteer Librarian Martha Storm whose discovery of a mysterious book of fairy stories sparks the journey of a lifetime. It’s available as a paperback, ebook and audio in the UK, and can be found in Waterstones, other bookstores, Amazon, Kobo, Google Books and Apple Books.

Thank you Phaedra for stopping by Meeting the Authors. Quirky curiously charming fiction is right up my alley. Once I discovered you and your books about a month ago, I requested all three of your books from our local library.

I’ve just finished The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper and I thoroughly enjoyed Arthur’s journey. Just brilliant! Looking forward to reading The Library of Lost and Found! I’m so excited and thrilled that our paths crossed and I got the opportunity to interview you here. It was wonderful to uncover a few of the clues that lead to your curiously charming writer’s life! – Camilla

The Library of Lost and Found

A librarian’s discovery of a mysterious book sparks the journey of a lifetime. Librarian Martha Storm has always found it easier to connect with books than people―though not for lack of trying. She keeps careful lists of how to help others in her notebook. And yet, sometimes it feels like she’s invisible.

All of that changes when a book of fairy tales arrives on her doorstep. Inside, Martha finds a dedication written to her by her best friend―her grandmother Zelda―who died under mysterious circumstances years earlier. When Martha discovers a clue within the book that her grandmother may still be alive, she becomes determined to discover the truth. As she delves deeper into Zelda’s past, she unwittingly reveals a family secret that will change her life forever.

Filled with Phaedra Patrick’s signature charm and vivid characters, The Library of Lost and Found is a heart-warming reminder that even the quietest life has the potential to be extraordinary.

Learn more about Phaedra and her books: 

US Amazon: https://amzn.to/2FgjZpE

UK Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Fg50Mz

AU Amazon: https://amzn.to/2WQ0vOG

Website: www.phaedra-patrick.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/phaedrapatrick

Facebook: www.facebook.com/phaedrapatrick

Instagram: www.instagram.com/phaedrapatrick

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