Laura Lyndhurst

I was born and grew up in North London, England, but was unable to attend university when young due to family financial circumstances. Instead, I worked at various occupations, including dental nurse, laboratory assistant and shop assistant. I married just before I was 20, and travelled to some interesting places around the world, including Egypt and Cyprus, following my husband’s career. I spent much time reading, a passion, but in order to keep further occupied I took office jobs when these were available to me; I hated the work, but the money was useful.

When we were back in the UK I took evening classes at various times and gained ‘A’ levels in Psychology, Sociology and English, eventually settling in Kent with my husband and becoming a mature student and gaining Bachelor's and Master's degrees in English and Literature before training and working as a teacher.

In 2016 we moved to the peace and quiet of rural Lincolnshire, and my sporadic writing activies became more permanent. I self-published 'Fairytales Don't Come True', my debut novel, in May 2020. In this work, aimed at the Literary Fiction market, I wanted to highlight the growing issue of students (mainly female) funding their studies through arranged sexual relationships with rich, older, men and how they can get in over their heads. Here Mags, who lived such a life, recounts her life story to Dora, a nurse with a very different lifestyle but her own issues.

Since then, I have written and published two books of poetry, 'October Poems' and 'Thanksgiving Poems & Prose Pieces'. I have also just published, in January 2021, a a sequel to 'Fairytales' entitled 'Degenerate, Regenerate'. I have a psychological suspense story, 'You Know What You Did' ready for publication, and a third book in progress to make a trilogy with 'Fairytales' and 'Degenerate'.

I usually go for a long walk each day (weather permitting; I’m a fair-weather walker) in the beautiful countryside around us, and exercise for a couple of hours each morning, including use of a hula-hoop and stepping machine. I love food and drink and have spent half my life battling a weight problem. I managed to lose 5 stone of unfortunately-gained weight two years ago and am determined to NEVER regain it! So every other day is a diet day (for hubby too), but when not being careful we enjoy a good meal with wine; going out to eat is something which I enjoy.

For other leisure activities I have taught myself to play the recorder; badly, but it keeps the brain cells ticking over. I also listen to music of many types; Tracy Chapman is playing while I write this, and will later be replaced by Leonard Cohen or Katie Melua or any one of dozens of other artists, or by some classical music or opera, another passion. And of course there’s reading, something which I have loved since I was a child. I’m just about to subscribe to the Kindle Unlimited programme, because although I love physical books, my bookcases are groaning under the weight and I don’t have room for any more.

Please find Laura’s books, on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=Laura%20Lyndhurst...

Please follow Laura on;

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/.../show/20336562.Laura_Lyndhurst

Please read her blog on Goodreads, as above,

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/Laura-Lyndhurst-355512115558230/?view_public_for=355512115558230
https://www.facebook.com/laura.lyndhurst.

Donna Fieldhouse‎

Australian writer – 

Donna Fieldhouse – 

I was never a writer as a kid at school but, always lived in an imaginary world. I'd make up elaborate tales in my head pretending to be someone else and would tell myself bedtime stories to fall asleep. From that I think my imagination developed.My first book Chains to Freedom (now on Wattpad) was one of my ‘young woman’ night time head stories.

The trouble was I never got past the first chapter as I always nodded off. One day, (I was a young mum with three little kids who felt inadequate up against other mums who all had wonderful careers), I woke up with a start thinking, *I'm going to write a book!*

From there I wrote down that first chapter of my bedtime story and Chains to Freedom was the result. I had no idea what I was doing. I wrote in one big long line with very little punctuation and bad grammar. I sent the first three chapters to a competition where they gave every entry a critique. They told me I had to learn how to set out a story but, also gave me enough praise to inspire me.

I joined a writer's group, went and did a course, and after twenty years of writing, which includes ten completed novels, I am still learning. I have had short stories published in multiple anthologies by Stringy Bark Publishing. Aus. and as yet haven't gone down the Amazon road.

My favourite genre is Dark Contemporary though I have written multiple genres where my characters strive to overcome their abhorrent circumstances and, in doing so, a lot of my scenes are mature, poignant and graphic.
I want readers to see my character's lives through each of their struggles. They and their backgrounds unfold at a steady pace.

Once I was asked why I write such stories. I want readers to see that not everyone lives an idyllic life. We are not all wrapped up in pretty pink bows. Every person in this world has struggles of one kind or another. There are those who live with physical and mental problems, abuse and drug addiction, either first hand or in their circle of friends or family. This is where my heart lays so these are the stories I want to tell because many of us live them. We do not all drive around in expensive cars, we struggle day to day to meet payments or rise our heads above water.

My settings are all Australian based. The towns are real and I use raw descriptions and language from the world that surrounds me. Within the stories, I promise you will find resolution and love.

My stories and I can be found on:

Wattpad – https://www.wattpad.com/user/donnaf1828

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/fieldhousedonna/

Facebook

H.A. Byrd

Harriet Arden Byrd grew up roaming the woods, playing Mowgli, or imagining herself as some sort of fantasy creature. 

Born in San Francisco, she was raised in various places much farther north along the West Coast. By the time she was well into adulthood she’d lived all across Canada and the US, with long stays in Northern Europe and southern Mexico.

From a young age Harriet adored fantasy novels, and she knew Tolkien’s hobbits and elves well, Lewis’s Pevensies, and Arthurian tales in many forms. Certainly these stories helped to shape her adventurous character, but there is one thing which bothered her more and more as the years went by.

When Harriet was ready to write her own book, she did not include military glory. She situated her protagonist in a world where war has never been a concept at all. It is important to document our history, of course, and, so far, we are a warlike species. But if we continually focus on fighting and killing as the entertainment factor in our sci-fi and fantasy stories, how will we ever learn peace?

Aru's Realm is a fantasy novel in a literary style. A fun look at perspectives on the nature of reality, it also speaks to class discrimination and other abuses of power. This is a beautifully visual story. Each chapter enfolds the reader in the emotions and sensations of a different color. Read more description of Aru's Realm using the link below:

Harriet's fantasy novel Aru's Realm is available on Amazon

Read her blog here at habyrd.com

Please follow H.A. Byrd on Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram 

H.A. Byrd is the pen name of Catherine Wesley

Teresa Lynn

Teresa Lynn is a writer and editor with a background in journalism. She has written for a range of publications on a variety of topics, including book publishing, current events, historical topics, food, nature, and pop culture. She has authored three books, Little Lodges on the Prairie, Thanksgiving Joy, and Understanding Copyright, under her own name, as well as ghostwriting works for others.

In 2014, Teresa helped establish Tranquility Press, a hybrid publishing company near Austin, Texas. Today, she provides all types of writing, editorial, and publishing services. She is also administrator and board member of Story Circle Network, Vice President of ACFW Cen-Tex, and Distribution Editor for Story Circle Book Reviewers. Teresa speaks to groups nationwide on writing and publishing, Freemasonry, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and the Texas Rangers law enforcement agency.

In her free time, Teresa enjoys reading, traveling, and seeking out little-known history of interesting people and places. She lives in Georgetown, Texas with her husband, near their two grown daughters.

For information on writing or editorial services, please see Teresa’s website at www.henscratches.com.                                                                                                    

For consideration of publication, please see www.TranquilityPress.com. 
                                                        

Teresa’s blog can be found at https://henscratches.wordpress.com/.   

Lily Iona MacKenzie

I don’t have hayseed clinging to my trousers, but growing up on a Canadian farm gave me a unique foundation as a writer. I sprouted under cumulous clouds that bloomed everywhere in Alberta’s big sky. They were my first creative writing instructors, scudding across the heavenly blue, constantly changing shape: one minute an elephant, bruised and brooding. The next morphing into a rabbit or a castle. These billowing masses gave me a unique view of life on earth.
As a girl, I prowled the land, talking to chickens and pigs and lambs, creating scenarios for them. I also tried to make perfume from the wild Alberta roses and captured caterpillars, watching with wonder when they transformed themselves into butterflies. Everything around me seemed infused by nature spirits waiting to be released.
I soon realized that all objects are in motion, waiting for stories to illuminate them. The clouds’ shifting form also schooled me in the various possibilities open to me as a writer. So did Jack Frost’s enchanted creations that enlivened the windows in wintertime, forcing me to view my surroundings as if through a bewitching prism. These early experiences helped me to envision multi-dimensional characters. No wonder magical realism pulses at the heart of my narratives, and my work celebrates the imagination.

Poetry Collection: All This: https://www.amazon.com/All-This-Lily-Iona-…/…/1935656112/ref
Three novels:
Fling! https://www.amazon.com/Fling-Lily-Iona-Mac…/…/1942428200/ref; 
Curva Peligrosa https://www.amazon.com/Curva-Peligrosa-Lily-Iona-MacK…/…/ref; 
Freefall: A Divine Comedy https://www.amazon.com/Freefall-Divine-Lily-Iona-MacK…/…/ref
I blog weekly at https://lilyionamackenzie.com.

Connie Kinsey

Connie Kinsey is a former military brat who has put down deep roots in a converted barn on a dirt road in West Virginia. She lives with two dogs and a cat, and is pursuing happiness, one cup of coffee at a time.
Her memoir of her 4th grade year during the Vietnam War won the West Virginia Writer’s Annual Contest in 2015. It is published at Longridge Review https://longridgereview.com/connie-kinsey/. Her short story, Second Hand Smoke, also won the West Virginia Writer’s Annual Contest and is in the process of being published as a podcast by Golden Walkman.
Connie studied anthropology, philosophy, and creative writing at Marshall University. She tells folks she has a degree in trivia. She achieved her degree after a misspent youth and considers her tenure as a middle-aged student some of the best years of her life. She has one child, a son, who is a chef. She likes to say she taught him everything he knows. It’s not true, but she likes to say it. She works fulltime with a children’s charitable nonprofit.
She blogs now and again at http://wvfurandroot.com and is wild about comments.