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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
Strolling along the banks of the Seine on a summer evening, I knew that this scene – the river almost too bright to look at, the lengthening shadows, the young couples sitting on the stone quay, their legs dangling over the water, the murmur of French conversation, the Eiffel Tower a silhouette on the Paris skyline – was one I wanted to capture in my writing.
Of course, these days it’s possible to research a location on-line, but I love travelling, and if I can, I like to visit the place I’m writing about to absorb the atmosphere – the scents and sounds that you can’t get from a video on the internet. I’ve been lucky enough to visit Paris, one of my favourite cities several times, but when I was writing the Paris chapters of my debut novel, French Kissing, I knew I had to visit it again. In the book, Anna, who is English, accompanies Alexandre, who is French, to Paris so that he can show her the city he adores, and I wanted to see the city through her eyes, and to make certain that their route through the city, could be followed by anyone exploring Paris for the first time – not that I need an excuse to visit Paris!
It was some years since I’d last visited the city, and as I walked the same route as my characters, I realised I’d forgotten the color of the bouquinistes on the Left Bank (dark green), how loud is the roar of the traffic as it circles the Place de la Concorde, and also how beautiful the Eiffel Tower looks when it glitters at night – all things that ended up in the book. And it was only when I was climbing up the steep winding streets of Montmartre, looking at all the typically Parisian apartments, with their French windows and iron balconies, that I knew this was where Alexandre lived.
It was a trip abroad that inspired the location of my current WIP. When I travelled from London to Athens and then on to Santorini, Crete and Kefalonia – my first visit to Greece – I knew I simply had to write a novel set in this beautiful country. I took lots of photos, wrote brief descriptions of white sugar-cube houses and silvery-leaved olive groves in my writer’s notebook, and also made quick pencil sketches – I find that drawing a scene means that I notice all sorts of details that hopefully will give my story a real sense of place when I’m back home in England, writing on my laptop.
Looking now at the sketches I did of the places I visited in Greece – beaches with black volcanic sand, glorious views from a hill top in Athens, fascinating ruins of ancient Greek temples – I can feel again the fierce heat of the Mediterranean sun, and the hear the chirping of cicadas, and this all helps me to recreate the scene in my writing.
Not everything I see on my travels makes it into my stories, but it’s all there in the back of mind, inspiring me as I write.
It was wonderful having you share your inspiration, Lynne! I can certainly understand how these locations were so inspiring. Here’s hoping for many more travels once things have settled. Wishing you all the best! – Camilla
To see Lynne’s interview previously posted, go here:
Lynne Shelby writes contemporary romance/women’s fiction. When not writing or reading, she can usually be found in the audience at a theatre or exploring a foreign city – Paris, New York, Rome, Copenhagen, Seattle, Reykjavik, Athens – writer’s notebook, camera and sketchbook in hand. She lives in London with her husband and has three adult children who live nearby.
Her novels are available from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.
The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey
This is my third time reading this book. I think I first read it in 2016 or 2017, found during a volunteer session at the library while pulling holds. It’s just such a calming, fascinating story that also taught me much about snails. Thomas and Lillian both love this book too. They read it the first time around. Simply a beautiful book and story.
Today we travel to Herford, UK, to chat with Vikki Patis about how two grumpy cats, a wild golden retriever puppy, the curly girl method, music playlists, Cornwall, and fibromyalgia come together as part of Vikki’s current and past life.
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I’m an author of psychological suspense, and I also work in the medical device industry. I live in Herford, UK, with my partner, two grumpy cats and a wild golden retriever puppy. I have coeliac disease and fibromyalgia, and I follow the curly girl method. I run The Bandwagon (thebandwagonvp.wordpress.com/) and the Psychological Suspense Authors’ Association.
In which genre do you write?
I write psychological suspense novels, but I’ve recently started my first gothic historical fiction. It’s quite exciting to try something new!
How many published books do you have?
Four so far (The Diary, The Girl Across the Street, Girl, Lost, and The Wake), with one self-published short story collection, Weltanschauung, and my BSc dissertation was published by Lambert Publishing too.
What is an interesting writing quirk you have, that we wouldn’t know by reading your biography?
Every book I write has its own music playlist. I only really listen to music when I’m writing, and often listen to a specific playlist when I’m driving or walking the dog to get me ‘in the zone’. The playlists are always random, I just pick songs which seem to fit.
What are you currently reading?
I’m listening to the audiobook of The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue, and I’m probably going to reread NOS4R2 by Joe Hill at some point during the spooky season!
If you could turn into one of your characters for a day, which one would it be and why, what would you do?
Probably Isla from The Girl Across the Street, just to live through that ending and discover what happens afterwards (no spoilers!). I’d make sure she had a happy ending though, she deserves it.
What’s your favorite place to visit in your country and why?
I absolutely love Cornwall. Who doesn’t? I lived in Plymouth as a student and spent a lot of time on both sides of the Tamar. It’s just a beautiful place to be. It’s where I feel most at peace.
If you could ask your pet three questions, what would they be?
1. Are you happy? 2. Are our favourite places to walk your favourite too? 3. Why are you always wet?
What are you currently working on?
I’m just about to start rewriting a book which had been out on submission for almost all of this year, and is being published next summer. I’m excited to dive back into it!
It was wonderful learning more about you and having you be a part of MTA! Wishing you all the best, Vikki! – Camilla
Book blurb:
The Wake
Blood isn’t always thicker than water…
In the wake of Richard Asquith’s death, his family come together to say goodbye.
The Daughter
Skye hasn’t seen her father in years. Can she ever forgive him for what he did?
The Daughter-in-Law
Lexi hopes her secrets have died with Richard. Can she keep the truth to herself forever?
The Mistress
Eleanor is heartbroken, but is her grief clouding her judgement?
The Celebrant
James has had enough of death. Can he give Richard the send-off he deserves?
Everyone has something to hide, but buried secrets always surface…
**Throwback to 2015** – From the time Thomas and Lillian were born (2005 and 2001) I read to them nightly before going to bed; leading to some time in 2017 when we all decided to discontinue doing so. Their tastes in what interested each of them had solidified by this point. We all continue to be heavy readers, reading daily.
A Pebble for Your Pocket – Mindful Stories for Children and Grown-ups by Thich Nhat Hanh
August 2015: Ask for help and you shall receive …
My son, Thomas (10 years old at the time) got angry the other night and it was spilling out of him in unkind ways. He asked me for help in getting past the moment and was not liking anything I suggested.
It was time for our nightly reading and “A Pebble for Your Pocket” is what we are currently reading. I opened to where we had stopped the night before and this is where we were to begin again, “When We Are Angry”.
Thomas stopped me after reading the title and halfway through the first sentence and said that I had chosen that on purpose. “No, Thomas, I did not. This is where we stopped last night. You asked for help and here it is.”
I felt his energy shift just from hearing this. He was glued to the entire section.
November 2020: This is a wonderful book for all ages. I’ve read it once or twice since this reading in 2015. It’s easy to read, with practical suggestions that work to help with a mindfulness practice.
Today we travel to San Francisco to chat with Kate Farrell about how using storytelling as a teaching tool, Scholastic, memoir anthologies, walking, meditating, the Mississippi Gulf Coast, motherhood, and telling stories from the heart come together as part of Kate’s current and past life.
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I was a storyteller at an early age. By age ten, I’d tacked signs on telephone poles in my neighborhood, announcing my fairytale play. As a first year teacher, I stumbled on storytelling as the best way to teach literature to inner city kids. By 1970, I’d honed the skill as a new librarian, and in the 1980s, funded and trained teachers in a CA state-wide storytelling project—and published educational materials on the art with big name publishers, like Scholastic and Highlights for Children.
In the ever-evolving world of storytelling, I understood by 2005, that personal narrative was the new folklore—so, I wrote and edited memoir anthologies. My work is a bridge in storytelling: from traditional folklore to authentic, personal tales. I live in downtown San Francisco.
In which genre do you write?
Personal narrative, and how-to tell stories of personal narratives.
How many published books do you have?
Eight
What does your ideal writing space look like?
Small, but with a view of the sky and changing weather
Where did the idea for your most recent book come from?
The idea for Story Power came from a how-to book I published exactly 40 years ago.
What do you do when not writing or marketing your books?
Reading, walking, meditating, Zooming with family and friends
What’s the strangest thing you’ve done or experienced to help create a scene or plot or to help you remember something if writing a memoir?
Visited a small town along the Mississippi Gulf Coast that no longer exists, swept away by hurricanes Camille and Katrina. I directed my friend who had offered to take me there from New Orleans to drive around in circles until we found the one, single building that had survived: the county bank, a stone, two-story, antique building, possibly with a steel vault in the basement. Once I discovered that one remaining relic, I knew I was not insane: there had been a town here. We’d lived right across the street from that bank in the French colonial town of Pass Christian.
I grew up in the Jackson, Mississippi area, with many holidays spent on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. My maternal grandmother lived in Gulfport when I was very young. Found memories … thanks for stirring them up! – Camilla
What is the most amusing, crazy or inspiring thing that has ever happened to you?
Motherhood! I gave birth to a strapping baby boy when I was 40 years old and found myself with a handful: an active baby, precocious both mentally and physically. I had to watch him every minute or he’d climb out the window. He barely slept; was curious; loved books and storytelling. His dark brown, almost black eyes were filled with joy and enthusiasm for life. Such a miracle, strong and brilliant! He’s now on a motorcycle tour of the Ecuadorian Andes and will soon return. At home in the world, he has given me joy in his feats, and the courage to accomplish success on my own.
You are about to speak publicly to a group and read from your latest book. What do you do to prepare yourself?
Since I am a storyteller, I don’t read from my book, Story Power, I tell stories by heart. Lately I like to practice with Zoom, record, and playback. In that way, I can watch for gestures, eye contact, pacing, and when to pause.
How do you prepare yourself to discuss your book?
My book, Story Power, has nine themes, suggested types of personal stories that are often popular. I choose one or two themes, and prepare to tell a summarized version of a story and discuss its value. For general discussion and talking points, I will often record these on my phone and listen to them before the event.
What are you currently working on?
I’m writing my own full-length memoir, calling it ONCE: MEMOIR OF A STORYTELLER.
At this stage in your life, what advice would your young self give to your more mature self?
To believe that my ability and enjoyment of solitude is my greatest strength and solace, from childhood to old age.
It was wonderful learning more about you, Kate! And, a pleasure to have you on MTA. I plan on adding your book to my ‘to be read’ list. Wishing you all the best! – Camilla
Book Blurb
Reconnect Through Stories. Stories are everywhere. The art of storytelling has been around as long as humans have. And in today’s noisy, techie, automated world, storytelling is not only prevalent—it’s vital. Whether you’re interested in enlivening conversation, building your business brand, sharing family wisdom, or performing on stage, Story Power will show you how to make use of a good story.
I also present workshops and talks on the art of storytelling for a variety of groups, from the general public to writers, educators to business leaders.
Today we travel to the Texas Hill Country to chat with Joanne Easley about how rescue terriers, swimming, walks to watch the wildlife, 1940’s New York City, Indiana Jones, and NANOWRIMO come together as part of Joanne’s current and past life.
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I’m a retired Registered Nurse who lives and writes on a small ranch in the Texas Hill Country. My three little rescue terriers enjoy our daily walks to watch the wildlife. I swim three times a week in an indoor pool and rarely miss.
In which genre do you write?
Literary Fiction about complicated women who eventually figure things out.
How many published books do you have?
Sweet Jane was released in March 2020 and Just One Look will be released in June 2021.
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer and what ignited your author’s flame?
I wanted to be a writer since childhood, but I didn’t start writing in earnest until my twenties. I took a writing workshop and it inspired me. However, I didn’t get serious about getting published until I retired.
What is an interesting writing quirk you have, that we wouldn’t know by reading your biography?
I write a fairly clean first draft. Could be I’m a little OCD.
What are you currently reading?
Right now, I’m beta reading a novel for a friend of mine.
Where did the idea for your most recent book come from?
Just One Look was inspired by growing up in a tight-knit southside Chicago neighborhood in the sixties and seventies. I assure my family and friends this is a work of fiction.
What do you do when not writing or marketing your books?
I walk my dogs daily and swim laps (a mile and a quarter) three times a week. The pool is 25 miles away from my rural location, but I rarely miss.
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 would love to sit down with Pat Conroy and ask him about character development.
If you could turn into one of your characters for a day, which one would it be and why, what would you do?
I’d like to walk a mile in Lauren Eaton’s shoes. She’s Sweet Jane’s AA sponsor who never does tell Jane her story, but I’m doing so in my current work-in-progress I’ll Be Seeing You. I’d time travel to 1940 New York City to see the sights and make sure I get the historical details right in my novel.
What’s the last movie you watched and why did you choose to watch it?
I binge-watched Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade because I was feeling nostalgic.
Describe the perfect solo date you’d take yourself on … where, time of day, weather, place, etc
I’d go to a lovely restaurant with outdoor service where I’d sit under a live oak in the shade. The weather would be sunny, 82 degrees, with a light northerly breeze. I’d drink hibiscus mint iced tea and order fish tacos.
What are you currently working on?
I’m in the final stages of editing Just One Look. I’m about halfway through the first draft of I’ll Be Seeing You- the Lauren Eaton story. This month, I’m doing NANOWRIMO for the third time. I’ll do a new project tentatively titled A Question Of Temperature, a story about four women of a certain age.
Tell us about your most recent book and where we can find it.
Sweet Jane is a dual narrative novel which starts in 1957 Odessa, Texas when Janie is six years old. The book alternates first person chapters of Jane’s past with third person chapters in 1984 Austin, Texas, and traces the events that made her the woman she is. Jane fled her miserable home in 1967, hitchhiking to California right on time for the Summer of Love. She creates a life that looks perfect from the outside, but when she returns to Odessa for her estranged mother’s funeral, the past and present collide. You’ll have to read the book to see what happens.
It was wonderful to have you on MTA, Joanne. That hibiscus mint iced tea sounds so good and refreshing! Wishing you all the best! – Camilla
Part of review from Diana Donovan of Midwest Book Review: Readers who delve into Sweet Jane will appreciate its candid appraisal of a woman who never gives up, confronting her own family history in an effort to find true love and purpose as she fights for dreams that sometimes seem impossible.
As Jane’s evolution is traced, audiences will appreciate the process of survival, abuse, enabling, and discovery that propel Jane and her readers into new revelations. Sweet Jane’s ability to take a family mystery and follow its roots and wings makes it an outstandingly warm read that is hard to put down and, like its protagonist, easy to love.
Where to find the book:
Available as a paperback at Amazon and Barnes & Noble and as an ebook on Amazon.
This is my first book to read by James Baldwin, and it won’t be my last. Such a powerful book about the consequences of racial injustice. I found Baldwin’s words meaningful on many different levels. Written in 1962, in the early days of the civil rights movement .. Here’s a quote from the book that really resonated with me:
“White people in this country will have quite enough to do in learning how to accept and love themselves and each other, and when they have achieved this — which will not be tomorrow and may very well be never — the Negro problem will no longer exist, for it will no longer be needed.” – James Baldwin
