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Pure Escapism
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From mathematical numbers
to creative words, Derek Farmer, shares his writing journey, from being a teacher
to the author of a fast paced, high octane thriller that has the reader on the
edge to the very last page, The Dark side of Innocence. Please sit back
and meet my wonderful guest.
I started
writing as a young maths teacher in the late seventies. I approached Longman, an
educational publisher with ideas for a set of text
books with refreshing and inspirational content that would stimulate secondary
kids and was awarded a contract to produce three books. It was then that panic
set in. I had a young family with three children under the age of four, so I
could see my spare time would be monopolised for a long time ahead.
Despite this mammoth undertaking, the greatest
achievement for my wife Jan and I, is that our two
sons have reached the age of forty and are still going
strong.
As always, thank you for stopping by. I hope the sun is shining on your face and in your heart. Until next time, take care of yourself and each other.
Pauline
Story of the day is about my Tormentors - Pauline’s short story with a long-term aim, is featured in e-magazine, FOLK Features.
Folk Features - is a positive news website for Norfolk and Suffolk. Every day, from Monday to Friday, you will find a POSITIVE STORY about the good folk of Norfolk and Suffolk. To read Pauline’s story, click the link. https://folkfeatures.co.uk/a-short-story-with-a-long-term-aim/
Created using AI prompts and Photoshop |
A huge thank you to all of you who have agreed to receive notification when published. Also special thank you for popping along and catching up with what's going on in my world.
Are you like me, wondering if it will ever stop raining? I don't know about you, but these months of rain have about finished my off! I don't need new shoes, I now have web feet and waterproof feathers!
Yet despite the weather, nature is full of spring. Everywhere there are blooms nodding their heads in the breeze, though I think they are shacking off the rain drops. *laughs* I love this burst of life. Along the river where we live, the willow trees are splendid with their new bright yellow leaves. They are the first to say hello to spring and the last to shed their leaves as winter pushes in.
Whilst we enjoy the riot of spring, it is also wonderful to have the lighter evenings now the clocks have gone forward. It's a such a positive time of year.
It's been a busy month with my latest writing project. Tormentors.
With regard to my newsletter, if you do agree to allow me to send a link to your email address to let you know it is out, I want to reassure you that you can unsubscribe at any time, just email me and say remove me. Also I will NEVER use your email other than if I need to email you. I will never share with anyone else.
As to the content, it is designed to be fun with me sharing: my photos, snippets of information, offers or free books from award winning authors, a design or two I have created using my Photoshop and anything else that I think might interest you. It is not about my opinion on any matter. I want my newsletter to make you smile and leave you with a warm feeling.
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Celebrating Success – My Podcasts
I have several podcasts lined up, but due to time, I have not recorded any this month, but I will be back!
If you have missed any of the many podcasts, you can catch up at https://paulinebarclay.podbean...
You can also listen to ALL my podcast on SPOTIFY!
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Book 3 in my cosy mystery series is happening! I am still editing in between other distractions... sorry! Hopefully next time I can report much better progress. *fingers crossed*
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Love,
lies and gambling!
Bertie Costain has worked hard all
his life in the building trade and now owns his own London-based company. In 1967,
approaching fifty and still unmarried he enjoys a playboy lifestyle, but when
he meets Kitty, an attractive, wealthy widow ten years his senior, he swiftly
proposes.
Swept off her feet, Kitty adores
him. The happy couple seem to have it all, but Bertie has a secret. Kitty has
no idea their home is mortgaged to the hilt, or that the many expensive gifts
he brings her come out of his winnings at roulette. Proud of his apparent success and ignorant of
his gambling addiction, she happily loans him large sums of money, ostensibly
for his business.
Convinced with each spin of the
wheel that his run of bad luck will change, Bertie gambles for increasingly
high stakes, falling deeper and deeper into debt until, facing financial ruin
and with nowhere to turn, he resorts to fraud. As their lives begin to unravel,
Kitty learns the horrifying truth.
Available in Kindle and paperback
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I have, once again, signed up to do the 10km Norwich run in September.
This year I hope to be able to raise funds for Red Balloon, Drayton Road, Norwich. Details to follow.
In light of this, I am back on on the streets, if it would only stop raining, it would be so much more fun!
Pic taken as I headed to the finishing line July 2023
That's it for this newsletter. It's another bumper one and I hope you enjoyed it.
Once again, thank you for taking the time to read it.
Please share with your friends and I hope you will take a look at Tormentors... thank you!
If you would like me to email you with the a link to the next newsletter, please email me using the contact form in the right hand column.
Until next time, I hope the sun is shining on your face
and in your heart.
Take care. Look after yourself and each other.
Hugs
Pauline
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2024
This short book packs the emotional punch of a novel.
Dillan's predicament is conveyed with agonising intensity. His predicament as a
victim of bullying is harrowing, and what is so masterfully done is the fear
and powerlessness he feels. The whole situation is so convincing. You're
grabbed from the very first sentence and once begun you won't be able to put it
down. I couldn't. Very highly recommended, especially as the royalties go to a
charity which works to help those who are being or have been bullied.
A fantastic review for Tormentors. I am overwhelmed with the reviews so far. Thank you to everyone who has bought a copy of Tormentors. It means a great deal to me.
Hugs
Pauline
Poignant Story - a review from a reader in Canada
Pauline Barclay has done an excellent
job of portraying the situation in a realistic but sympathetic way.
I sat down with it yesterday afternoon
and didn't get back up until I had it finished.
Well done, Pauline!
Tormentors is fiction - a short story of
12,000 words.
It is written in the hope it will help create, as wide as possible, an awareness of bullying,
helping to understand the signs and the consequences and to stop it before it damages lives.
Now in Paperback!
This means the charity Red Balloon, Norwich will receive at
least £1 per copy sold.
I will also be selling signed copies local to where I live with any profit going to the charity.
Bullying can be life changing or worse; life ending.
Tormentors is fiction - a short story of 12,000 words, but some of what happened to
Dillan happened to Sam, a real victim. You can read Sam’s posts by scrolling
down through the pages or clicking the links at the bottom of this post.
Dillan Mortimer, a happy intelligent thirteen-year-old,
suddenly finds his life is about
to change when a new boy,
Connor Brooks, joins their class.
Connor instantly befriends
Dillan’s classmate,
Bradley Jenkins.
Bullying will What follows will change Dillan’s life forever.
Paperback
– Amazon UK is £4.99
All royalties from the sale of Tormentors
All royalties from the sale of Tormentors
will go to RedBalloon, Norwich, England.
Links to Sam' posts
Bullying! What does it mean to you?