About the author I was born in Kent, England, and have travelled extensively both with my father, who had a long career in the British Army, and subsequently, during my 34 year career in the Royal Air Force. I “retired” as a Wing Commander in 1993 and after a two year spell with BAe in Saudi Arabia, between long visits to the USA, quite by accident Sue and I fell into house-sitting one summer. My interests include golf, the guitar and singing, and my (beloved, Sue says) computers! Sue and I live adjacent to the Stray in the beautiful spa town of Harrogate on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales. About the book My sister, “Raine” died of cancer in 2005 at the age of only 56 years. It was Raine who, quite by chance, introduced Sue and me to looking after pets in their owners’ absence and it was also Raine who inspired me to complete the book and to get it published.
 >
Audio and Video links on this page require Realplayer
|
By doing so I hope to put something back into helping find a cure for this disease, in Raine’s name, and therefore intend to donate a large part of any income from my book to Cancer Research. I’ve stated on my web site and on the back cover of the book that I will give 75% of net profits to Cancer Research. Synopsis The early chapters tell how Sue and I enjoyedthecompany of our own animals and of the exotic places we lived.I share with the reader many of our humorous, and some sad, experiences over the years.For example, I was chastised in a phone call from France becauseI wouldn't go out in the deadof night to teach our newly acquired bald,inexperienced ex-battery hens to roost.Our pets get into trouble and like all long-term pet owners we suffer a few sad losses along the way. Our newly married life in North Devon, England, was blissful but was cut short by an unexpected, but most welcome, move to St Louis, Missouri, in the USA and the next portion of the book features our animal encounters in that “great” country. Returning after three years in America we then spent a year or so in England before another unplanned overseas trip. Our extended stay in Saudi Arabia and our contact there with animals features next, prior to the real subject matter - our house sitting experiences. | "There was nothing quite like the peace and tranquility of a beautiful summer’s afternoon in a delightful English country garden." | |
We travelled from Northumberland to East Sussex in the course of our “work” and we learned much about some of the villages and their history on the way.There was nothing quite like the peace and tranquility of a beautiful summer’s afternoon in a delightful English country garden.Conversely, lambing during a powerful thunderstorm on a bitterly cold winter’s night in February was quite the opposite, particularly when Sue was only supposed to be taking care of the dogs and cats and I was miles away in another house which was struck by lightning. Five weeks with Olly, the rottweiler, was interesting and challenging, but also very enjoyable. The North York Moors, rugged, beautiful and peaceful in summer.But in winter? And then there was Ben, the elderly cancer stricken Labrador that we had twice to take to the faith healer… And did I mention the cat up Sue’s nose? No? The creative process So, how does one write a successful book?Maybe I’ll be better qualified and more confident in answering that question once I know that my book has sold a few thousand copies!But here goes. 1) Pick a subject that you know about or is within your means to research thoroughly. 2) Try to pick a subject with a potential for mass appeal.Not too many people will be interested in the finer points of Rocket Science but, hopefully, my subject with its pets and other animals interest and a natural human desire (I think) to read about other peoples’ life styles might just hit the mark. 3) Try to include a little humour. 4) Get your facts right.There are always those out there who just love to pencil in corrections – even in Library Books.That goes for grammar as well, although some leeway is permissible - particularly when reporting speech.We all say things that would never look correct on paper. 5) Enjoy writing the book.If you don’t enjoy writing it, you can be sure your readers won’t enjoy their part of the deal! 6) If you have deadlines to meet set yourself a strict timetable to carry out your work, at whichever time of day you feel most productive.If your time is your own, write when you feel like it! 7) Believe that you can do it.I was stuck at about 30,000 words for a long while and knew that I needed more than double that to make a worthwhile book. 8) Don’t give up!Take a rest for a month, or a year if necessary.Something will come along to spur you on to complete the task. 9) Marketing, marketing, marketing.You may have written the best book to hit the presses for years but if no-one knows about it? The experts might tell me otherwise but that’s the way I see it. | 
