Of Words and Water: 2014

by Jay Howard (Editor/Contributor), K.A. Krisko (Contributor), Kerry Dwyer (Contributor)

224 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Writing is a mixture of OCD and schizophrenia. Each time I finish a novel or short story I wonder why I put myself through so much hard work and frustration. But you know what they say about forgetting the pain of birth once you have the joy of holding your baby… I know full well that the characters in my head will insist I carry on. I hear their conversations, they drive me back to the keyboard. I hope you enjoying reading what I’ve transcribed.

I blame my husband. It’s all his fault for pushing me to actually finish and publish that first novel. I suppose his patience was wearing thin after so many years ;-) I haven’t asked him if he remembers any of the many swear words I invented when I was trying to master all the other skills I needed in order to achieve a professional level of publication.

I am a very lucky woman. I am far from rich in worldly terms, but I am wealthy beyond measure in my family and friends. I have also been amazed at the generosity of other authors, who have taken time from their own busy lives to help me improve my craft. I suppose it’s rather appropriate that in publishing online I find I’ve made so many more friends online. What an amazing, vibrant world this interweb is.

I was born in Bedfordshire. My family moved to Wales when I was 11 and I am the only one of the clan to have left, first of all trying London for size. I have lived and worked in many places, as diverse as Gateshead, Berkshire, British Columbia and Alberta (I hold dual citizenship), settling in Somerset in 2002.

If you get the chance I can thoroughly recommend taking the 4 days needed to travel by train from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast of my other country. It's only by travelling by land that you can appreciate the vastness and diversity of Canada. Listen to the stories your fellow travellers will have to tell and you could well find yourself inspired to write too.

My debut novel, Never Too Late (Changes Book 1), was started when I was working in Jasper, Alberta. I have just published the sequel, New Beginnings (August 2012) and I have outlines for many more novels. I'm ready to spend time with new characters in new locations. I just have to decide which people to meet first... I didn't believe it when I heard other authors talking about their characters surprising them. I was firmly of the opinion that you create your characters and you will have control over their actions. Wrong! They are living, breathing people, with their own ideas about how their lives will pan out.

Writing and publishing have put me through a real rollercoaster of emotions. I'm still struggling to believe there are now thousands of people around the world who are reading my work. Darling husband of mine, what have you started?

Reviews

[Mark Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fine effort by an international group of writers. Further proof that cooperation among diverse peoples can produce a worthy outcome. Educational as well as entertaining. The reader will be subjected to various viewpoints and cultural experiences that prove that we are after all human and we all carry the same good and bad baggage associated with the human condition. Cudos to all of the authors both new and repeats.

[Alexes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anthologies by their nature are often hit and miss on quality. There were a few lesser pieces here, in my opinion, but they are more than offset by many, many great stories. This book is perfect to carry with you and read waiting for the train, or at the doctor's office--great short stories to keep you entertained and/or make you think when you have a bit of down time. Which is not to say you couldn't sit down with it one evening and read straight through. You could, and that would be another kind of pleasure. Recommended.