BOOKS BY AUDREY AUSTIN: The theme of this blog is creative writing. Any writing on this blog by authors other than myself is by permission of the author. I've written many poems, short stories, novellas, novels, and more. I've recently entered the ;exciting world of books for children. I hope you will want to get to know me and, of course, I hope you will want to buy a book or two.
Monday, December 31, 2012
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Small Town Authors -- this week's featured author is Steven P.Marini
This week's featured author on Small Town Authors is Steven P. Marini. Check it out at http://
If you would like to have your poem, short story or novel excerpt featured on Small Town Authors, just email me. Of course this offer is open only to those authors who live in a small town.
Otherwise if you would like to have your poem, short story or novel excerpt featured on http://rhymesandtimesremembered.blogspot.com just get in touch.
If you would like to have your poem, short story or novel excerpt featured on Small Town Authors, just email me. Of course this offer is open only to those authors who live in a small town.
Otherwise if you would like to have your poem, short story or novel excerpt featured on http://rhymesandtimesremembered.blogspot.com just get in touch.
Saturday, December 29, 2012
The Hole in the Wall -- a short story by Audrey Austin
The Hole in the Wall
BY AUDREY AUSTIN
Previously published on CommuterLit.com
Copyright is held by the author.
LUCILLE PACKED all her clothes into green plastic garbage bags and fastened their tops with the white twist ties that came in the box with the bags. There were three bags in all not counting her two winter coats which, one at a time, she took off their wire hangers. It was not an easy task but she folded, pushed and prodded the knee-length blue polyester quilted coat into the cardboard box. On top of it she placed the easier to fold nylon ski jacket. She then sealed the sloping to the left top of the bulging box with the thin, beige, paper tape she had picked up at the Dollarama.
She remembered her daughter, Sara, asking, “If you are bound and determined to move north, why not just rent a little place, live in it for a year and see if you will even like living there?”
“I’ll like it,” Lucille had responded.
“But how can you consider buying a house on your tight budget, Mom?”
“I’ll get my government cheque now that I’m 65. The budget won’t be as tight as it was. And I don’t have to be in a hurry to pay my sister back for the down payment. I can spread it out and pay it along with the loan money.”
“But I’m worried about you living alone in a town where you know nobody.”
“I’ll meet people.”
“But you can’t afford a house!”
“I’ll get the supplement. I’ll manage.”
Lucille tried to lift the box of coats in order to carry it out to the truck parked in her daughter’s big city driveway. It was heavier than she expected it to be. With each step she took she slid the box along the bedroom floor with her feet which she noticed were still warmly wrapped in her slippers. She had forgotten she was wearing them and now it was too late to pack them.
Oh, Lordy, she thought, I hope I’ve left a pair of shoes out for me to wear. If they are already packed in the truck I will have to make the long drive and arrive at my new home in these scruffy bedroom slippers.
Her son-in-law, Martin Cooper, was going to drive the truck from Toronto to the small northern town. And he had generously offered to pay the gas expense too. His friend, Howard Langley, had offered to help with the move. Lucille was grateful to the two men and, although he had never said a word about it, she had a hunch Martin was grateful she was making this move. Not too many young men want an aging mother-in-law taking up space in their house these days.
At 65 years of age Lucille didn’t feel old. Moving to a retirement town was the sensible thing to do. She had been living with Lucille and Martin for too long. When she had been of some use to them by looking after the grandchildren so they could both work she felt she was paying her way. But now the children were half-way through high school. They didn’t need a baby-sitter anymore. Or maybe they do, Lucille thought, but they sure don’t want one. When not in school 17-year-old Gordie spent all his time in the basement with his friends playing rock music while 15-year-old Gillian spent hours in front of the bathroom mirror fretting over a new pimple.
Lucille loved her grandchildren. She knew her love was returned and she would miss the kids but it was time for her to move along. Since her divorce seven years ago she had burned some bridges and now it was time to mend some fences. Is 65 too old to start a new life for myself, she wondered.
Her ex-husband died within two years after their separation and divorce. Of course with his love of women and good Canadian rye whiskey he left no money behind him when he went to meet his Maker. He wouldn’t have wanted to waste a penny on life insurance when the same money would buy a case of beer, she thought as she stood in her daughter’s doorway and watched the men load the truck with her few belongings.
She didn’t own much anymore. She had either sold or given away most of what she had when she lost her secretarial job with the construction company and accepted the invitation to move in with her daughter six years ago. One result of this change of address was a downward slide from low income to no income. As a secretary in the small construction company in Metro Toronto Lucille didn’t earn a lot but it was enough to pay for her small studio apartment. When she lost this job the employment insurance just wasn’t enough to meet her big city expenses. And she was only eligible to collect the insurance for a short period of time.
As hard as she worked on her job search no employer was eager to hire a 59-year-old no matter how skilled she was. Just like her ex-husband, these bosses wanted younger women who would do more to dress up the office with their good looks.
It was really out of the goodness of her heart that her daughter, Sara, insisted that the children needed their grandmother for after-school care. Martin made a living as a postal worker. Sara waitressed in order to bring a little extra money into the home. Lucille had no housing or food expenses but with no income she had no life outside the house. She couldn’t afford a movie or a new dress. She was financially poor and as the years went by she was beginning to feel an emotional and a spiritual poverty as well.
During her years as a secretary in the Toronto construction industry Lucille had learned a lot about demographics.Throughout the recession housing starts were very slow. People couldn’t afford to buy new homes and were challenged in the effort to provide basic necessities like food, clothing, heat and other utilities. Lucille had read that 10.8 percent of all Canadians, which at that time meant 3.4 million people, were eking out a living below the poverty line. It was only because Lucille had made the decision to move in with her daughter that she wasn’t joining the thousands of others who were making frequent visits to food banks.
There was no pleasure in poverty. Now that the grandchildren were grown Lucille was aware that she had out-aged her usefulness. She had to do something.
Lucille had a sister, Karen, who had made different choices and who had made her career life one that achieved financial success. She was not a wealthy woman but she had enough money invested and saved that she was able to give Lucille the $2,000.00 she needed for a down payment on the old, small, northern town house. Lucille did not qualify for a traditional house mortgage. Instead Karen gave her sister the additional $48,000.00 in an interest-free loan to be repaid at the rate of $400.00 dollars per month.
Moving day had arrived.
Martin came into the house. “The truck is loaded,” he said. “Anything more to go on the truck, Mom?”
Lucille had been smart enough to leave a pair of shoes out of the packing boxes. “Just these old slippers,” she said. “But maybe I can just carry them in a bag.”
“Give them to me. I’ll find a spot for them in the back of the truck,” he offered.
“Then I guess that’s it. Guess I’m ready to go.”
That’s when Sara started to cry. Of course once she started Lucille could no longer contain her emotion. “I’ll miss you, Sara. I know it’s a long drive but I hope you and the kids can find a way to get up for some visits.”
“You know we will, Mom.”
It was a long drive. For more than five long hours Lucille sat scrunched on the truck’s front seat between Martin who drove and Howard who, not blessed with the slightest musical talent, constantly sang along with the radio which blared because Martin was a little hard of hearing.
When they pulled into the driveway of the little bungalow Lucille’s sigh of relief could have been heard by Sara in Toronto. “Thank you, boys,” was all she said.
It was just past noon. While the men set to work unloading the truck Lucille was the cop who stood on the verandah and directed traffic. “That goes to the bedroom. You can leave that box in the living-room.”
The men managed to get Lucille’s double bed up. They hooked up the little TV set and they managed to get furniture into the room where it belonged. Sara had made a big bag of sandwiches and this is what they had for their dinner.
That night the men slept in Lucille’s bed while she slept on the living-room couch.
There had been no time to unpack any boxes. When the men left early the next morning, Lucille stood amidst the chaos. Undaunted, she set to work.
Within three weeks Lucille had all the boxes unpacked. She had found a place for everything and being an organized woman Lucille knew how to keep everything in its place. Government cheques arrived. She was grateful for her old age pension with supplement and in addition to this she had a small monthly Canada Pension payment; a result of her many years working as a secretary.
Lucille’s income as a senior citizen at that time was just under $1,000.00 a month. She made an agreement with her sister, Karen, to repay $100.00 a month on the $2,000.00 down payment plus $400.00 a month on the mortgage. This payment amounted to a little more than half her total monthly income.
Still Lucille was determined. Once she was settled in her house she began looking around for a part-time job but jobs of any kind were not in abundance in the small northern town and employers were not eager to hire a woman in her senior years despite her valid work experience.
The first couple of months she made her repayments okay. But the bills were arriving faster than she could have hoped. There was a charge for installation of the telephone that she hadn’t counted on. The utility bills were higher than she had expected and though it was early fall the weather had turned very cool and the furnace started to kick in. Lucille had no idea heating bills could be so persistent.
During the years she had lived with her daughter, Lucille had no need to pay for her food. She was shocked to see how high food prices had risen and tried to put as little as possible into her grocery cart when she shopped. I shouldn’t eat so much anyway, she thought. It will do me good to lose a few pounds.
With no friends in town and being so far from her family it wasn’t long before Lucille began to withdraw into herself. She became afraid to venture out alone. She felt marginalized and isolated. Depression and anxiety increased when another month rolled around and she realized she did not have enough money to pay her mortgage.
Lucille knew that her sister would probably understand and give her a little more time to make the payment but Lucille also knew that if she began to fall behind she may never catch up.
Never a religious woman, Lucille, at her wits’ end, turned to prayer. She got into the habit of spending time in her backyard where she would do a little weeding and watering of the existing flowers that had been planted by the home’s previous owner. Once her gardening tasks were complete she would sit on a small wooden bench under the Lilac tree to rest. There was a large boulder on the ground beside the bench.
The mortgage payment was due in a few days. Lucille, in desperation, placed her hand on the rock and she prayed. Dear God, you know my needs. Please help me.
She felt a warm, powerful energy emanating from the rock. This energy travelled throughout her body and although she did not hear a voice, somehow she knew the words, “Hole in the Wall.”
“You think this house is a hole in the wall, Lord?” she asked.
Hole in the wall was the only response.
Throughout that day Lucille fretted and worried. I’ve been a fool to think I could pay for a house on my own. Still she believed that if she could get through this month which held so many extra expenses because of the move that she would be all right. Maybe I should call my sister and tell her I will be late with the payment this month. But she didn’t want to call her sister. She didn’t want to fall behind.
That night she lay sleepless in her bed. She thought of her own mother who was a woman of strong faith. As a child when her mother was struggling to keep the family fed she would often say, “The Lord will provide.”
These thoughts of her mother led Lucille to remember her answer to prayer that afternoon. Some answer! Hole in the wall! Thanks for nothing, God!
Hours passed. The morning sun was beginning to peek through the bedroom window and still Lucille had not slept. All she had been able to think about was what a fool she had been to think she would be able to pay for this hole in the wall all by herself. Hole in the head is more like it!
She got up from bed with her decision made. She would have a cup of coffee and then wait for a decent morning hour to call her sister and tell her she could not make a full payment on the mortgage this month. She could manage to pay her $200.00 but that would be $300.00 short of the required amount.
It was a beautiful bright fall morning. Lucille decided to carry her cup of coffee from the kitchen out into the backyard. Once again she sat on the bench beneath the tree. Once again she reached out, in a last ditch effort, for help. Coffee cup in one hand, with the other she placed it on the large boulder and prayed.
God answers every prayer.
The answer was Hole in the Wall.
Again she recalled her mother’s strong faith. I ask for financial help and God’s answer is hole in the wall. At once it dawned on her. Maybe the house is not a hole in the wall but maybe this house has a hole in a wall.
She began her search at the back of the house. She found nothing in the bedroom, the bathroom or the living room. It was a small house and this left only the tiny basement.
Down the stairs she went. It was an unfinished basement with poured concrete gray walls. To Lucille’s dismay these walls had no holes in them. There was a small room partitioned off in the back of the basement. The former owner had used this room for growing plants in preparation before transferring them into the backyard garden once spring arrived. The walls in this room had no holes in them either. In fact they were covered with sheets of shiny tinfoil.
Lucille’s eyes viewed an ugly room; one that did nothing to lift her spirits. Frustration found its way up through her body. To release the tension she made a fist and swung her right hand into the tinfoil. I’ll make a damn hole in the wall! she cried.
Her solid punch tore the tinfoil making a hole. Lucille began tearing the tinfoil from the wall. As it landed in small heaps around her feet, for reasons she could not explain, she felt better; lighter; more like her old self.
Then it happened. A white envelope that had been hidden in the wall behind the tinfoil fluttered to the basement floor. Probably an old love letter the old guy had hidden from his wife, she thought.
She picked up the small, sealed envelope. Sinking to the floor she sat, prepared to read. When she opened the envelope she could not stop her tears.
In her hands she held three $100.00 bills.
Just enough; it was just enough. Why the money had been hidden, Lucille had no idea.
She sat on the floor and thanked God for the hole in the wall. She thought once again of her mother who had always believed that the Lord would provide. As she made her way back upstairs, for the first time in what seemed a very long time, Lucille smiled.
Previously published on CommuterLit.com
Copyright is held by the author.
LUCILLE PACKED all her clothes into green plastic garbage bags and fastened their tops with the white twist ties that came in the box with the bags. There were three bags in all not counting her two winter coats which, one at a time, she took off their wire hangers. It was not an easy task but she folded, pushed and prodded the knee-length blue polyester quilted coat into the cardboard box. On top of it she placed the easier to fold nylon ski jacket. She then sealed the sloping to the left top of the bulging box with the thin, beige, paper tape she had picked up at the Dollarama.
She remembered her daughter, Sara, asking, “If you are bound and determined to move north, why not just rent a little place, live in it for a year and see if you will even like living there?”
“I’ll like it,” Lucille had responded.
“But how can you consider buying a house on your tight budget, Mom?”
“I’ll get my government cheque now that I’m 65. The budget won’t be as tight as it was. And I don’t have to be in a hurry to pay my sister back for the down payment. I can spread it out and pay it along with the loan money.”
“But I’m worried about you living alone in a town where you know nobody.”
“I’ll meet people.”
“But you can’t afford a house!”
“I’ll get the supplement. I’ll manage.”
Lucille tried to lift the box of coats in order to carry it out to the truck parked in her daughter’s big city driveway. It was heavier than she expected it to be. With each step she took she slid the box along the bedroom floor with her feet which she noticed were still warmly wrapped in her slippers. She had forgotten she was wearing them and now it was too late to pack them.
Oh, Lordy, she thought, I hope I’ve left a pair of shoes out for me to wear. If they are already packed in the truck I will have to make the long drive and arrive at my new home in these scruffy bedroom slippers.
Her son-in-law, Martin Cooper, was going to drive the truck from Toronto to the small northern town. And he had generously offered to pay the gas expense too. His friend, Howard Langley, had offered to help with the move. Lucille was grateful to the two men and, although he had never said a word about it, she had a hunch Martin was grateful she was making this move. Not too many young men want an aging mother-in-law taking up space in their house these days.
At 65 years of age Lucille didn’t feel old. Moving to a retirement town was the sensible thing to do. She had been living with Lucille and Martin for too long. When she had been of some use to them by looking after the grandchildren so they could both work she felt she was paying her way. But now the children were half-way through high school. They didn’t need a baby-sitter anymore. Or maybe they do, Lucille thought, but they sure don’t want one. When not in school 17-year-old Gordie spent all his time in the basement with his friends playing rock music while 15-year-old Gillian spent hours in front of the bathroom mirror fretting over a new pimple.
Lucille loved her grandchildren. She knew her love was returned and she would miss the kids but it was time for her to move along. Since her divorce seven years ago she had burned some bridges and now it was time to mend some fences. Is 65 too old to start a new life for myself, she wondered.
Her ex-husband died within two years after their separation and divorce. Of course with his love of women and good Canadian rye whiskey he left no money behind him when he went to meet his Maker. He wouldn’t have wanted to waste a penny on life insurance when the same money would buy a case of beer, she thought as she stood in her daughter’s doorway and watched the men load the truck with her few belongings.
She didn’t own much anymore. She had either sold or given away most of what she had when she lost her secretarial job with the construction company and accepted the invitation to move in with her daughter six years ago. One result of this change of address was a downward slide from low income to no income. As a secretary in the small construction company in Metro Toronto Lucille didn’t earn a lot but it was enough to pay for her small studio apartment. When she lost this job the employment insurance just wasn’t enough to meet her big city expenses. And she was only eligible to collect the insurance for a short period of time.
As hard as she worked on her job search no employer was eager to hire a 59-year-old no matter how skilled she was. Just like her ex-husband, these bosses wanted younger women who would do more to dress up the office with their good looks.
It was really out of the goodness of her heart that her daughter, Sara, insisted that the children needed their grandmother for after-school care. Martin made a living as a postal worker. Sara waitressed in order to bring a little extra money into the home. Lucille had no housing or food expenses but with no income she had no life outside the house. She couldn’t afford a movie or a new dress. She was financially poor and as the years went by she was beginning to feel an emotional and a spiritual poverty as well.
During her years as a secretary in the Toronto construction industry Lucille had learned a lot about demographics.Throughout the recession housing starts were very slow. People couldn’t afford to buy new homes and were challenged in the effort to provide basic necessities like food, clothing, heat and other utilities. Lucille had read that 10.8 percent of all Canadians, which at that time meant 3.4 million people, were eking out a living below the poverty line. It was only because Lucille had made the decision to move in with her daughter that she wasn’t joining the thousands of others who were making frequent visits to food banks.
There was no pleasure in poverty. Now that the grandchildren were grown Lucille was aware that she had out-aged her usefulness. She had to do something.
Lucille had a sister, Karen, who had made different choices and who had made her career life one that achieved financial success. She was not a wealthy woman but she had enough money invested and saved that she was able to give Lucille the $2,000.00 she needed for a down payment on the old, small, northern town house. Lucille did not qualify for a traditional house mortgage. Instead Karen gave her sister the additional $48,000.00 in an interest-free loan to be repaid at the rate of $400.00 dollars per month.
Moving day had arrived.
Martin came into the house. “The truck is loaded,” he said. “Anything more to go on the truck, Mom?”
Lucille had been smart enough to leave a pair of shoes out of the packing boxes. “Just these old slippers,” she said. “But maybe I can just carry them in a bag.”
“Give them to me. I’ll find a spot for them in the back of the truck,” he offered.
“Then I guess that’s it. Guess I’m ready to go.”
That’s when Sara started to cry. Of course once she started Lucille could no longer contain her emotion. “I’ll miss you, Sara. I know it’s a long drive but I hope you and the kids can find a way to get up for some visits.”
“You know we will, Mom.”
It was a long drive. For more than five long hours Lucille sat scrunched on the truck’s front seat between Martin who drove and Howard who, not blessed with the slightest musical talent, constantly sang along with the radio which blared because Martin was a little hard of hearing.
When they pulled into the driveway of the little bungalow Lucille’s sigh of relief could have been heard by Sara in Toronto. “Thank you, boys,” was all she said.
It was just past noon. While the men set to work unloading the truck Lucille was the cop who stood on the verandah and directed traffic. “That goes to the bedroom. You can leave that box in the living-room.”
The men managed to get Lucille’s double bed up. They hooked up the little TV set and they managed to get furniture into the room where it belonged. Sara had made a big bag of sandwiches and this is what they had for their dinner.
That night the men slept in Lucille’s bed while she slept on the living-room couch.
There had been no time to unpack any boxes. When the men left early the next morning, Lucille stood amidst the chaos. Undaunted, she set to work.
Within three weeks Lucille had all the boxes unpacked. She had found a place for everything and being an organized woman Lucille knew how to keep everything in its place. Government cheques arrived. She was grateful for her old age pension with supplement and in addition to this she had a small monthly Canada Pension payment; a result of her many years working as a secretary.
Lucille’s income as a senior citizen at that time was just under $1,000.00 a month. She made an agreement with her sister, Karen, to repay $100.00 a month on the $2,000.00 down payment plus $400.00 a month on the mortgage. This payment amounted to a little more than half her total monthly income.
Still Lucille was determined. Once she was settled in her house she began looking around for a part-time job but jobs of any kind were not in abundance in the small northern town and employers were not eager to hire a woman in her senior years despite her valid work experience.
The first couple of months she made her repayments okay. But the bills were arriving faster than she could have hoped. There was a charge for installation of the telephone that she hadn’t counted on. The utility bills were higher than she had expected and though it was early fall the weather had turned very cool and the furnace started to kick in. Lucille had no idea heating bills could be so persistent.
During the years she had lived with her daughter, Lucille had no need to pay for her food. She was shocked to see how high food prices had risen and tried to put as little as possible into her grocery cart when she shopped. I shouldn’t eat so much anyway, she thought. It will do me good to lose a few pounds.
With no friends in town and being so far from her family it wasn’t long before Lucille began to withdraw into herself. She became afraid to venture out alone. She felt marginalized and isolated. Depression and anxiety increased when another month rolled around and she realized she did not have enough money to pay her mortgage.
Lucille knew that her sister would probably understand and give her a little more time to make the payment but Lucille also knew that if she began to fall behind she may never catch up.
Never a religious woman, Lucille, at her wits’ end, turned to prayer. She got into the habit of spending time in her backyard where she would do a little weeding and watering of the existing flowers that had been planted by the home’s previous owner. Once her gardening tasks were complete she would sit on a small wooden bench under the Lilac tree to rest. There was a large boulder on the ground beside the bench.
The mortgage payment was due in a few days. Lucille, in desperation, placed her hand on the rock and she prayed. Dear God, you know my needs. Please help me.
She felt a warm, powerful energy emanating from the rock. This energy travelled throughout her body and although she did not hear a voice, somehow she knew the words, “Hole in the Wall.”
“You think this house is a hole in the wall, Lord?” she asked.
Hole in the wall was the only response.
Throughout that day Lucille fretted and worried. I’ve been a fool to think I could pay for a house on my own. Still she believed that if she could get through this month which held so many extra expenses because of the move that she would be all right. Maybe I should call my sister and tell her I will be late with the payment this month. But she didn’t want to call her sister. She didn’t want to fall behind.
That night she lay sleepless in her bed. She thought of her own mother who was a woman of strong faith. As a child when her mother was struggling to keep the family fed she would often say, “The Lord will provide.”
These thoughts of her mother led Lucille to remember her answer to prayer that afternoon. Some answer! Hole in the wall! Thanks for nothing, God!
Hours passed. The morning sun was beginning to peek through the bedroom window and still Lucille had not slept. All she had been able to think about was what a fool she had been to think she would be able to pay for this hole in the wall all by herself. Hole in the head is more like it!
She got up from bed with her decision made. She would have a cup of coffee and then wait for a decent morning hour to call her sister and tell her she could not make a full payment on the mortgage this month. She could manage to pay her $200.00 but that would be $300.00 short of the required amount.
It was a beautiful bright fall morning. Lucille decided to carry her cup of coffee from the kitchen out into the backyard. Once again she sat on the bench beneath the tree. Once again she reached out, in a last ditch effort, for help. Coffee cup in one hand, with the other she placed it on the large boulder and prayed.
God answers every prayer.
The answer was Hole in the Wall.
Again she recalled her mother’s strong faith. I ask for financial help and God’s answer is hole in the wall. At once it dawned on her. Maybe the house is not a hole in the wall but maybe this house has a hole in a wall.
She began her search at the back of the house. She found nothing in the bedroom, the bathroom or the living room. It was a small house and this left only the tiny basement.
Down the stairs she went. It was an unfinished basement with poured concrete gray walls. To Lucille’s dismay these walls had no holes in them. There was a small room partitioned off in the back of the basement. The former owner had used this room for growing plants in preparation before transferring them into the backyard garden once spring arrived. The walls in this room had no holes in them either. In fact they were covered with sheets of shiny tinfoil.
Lucille’s eyes viewed an ugly room; one that did nothing to lift her spirits. Frustration found its way up through her body. To release the tension she made a fist and swung her right hand into the tinfoil. I’ll make a damn hole in the wall! she cried.
Her solid punch tore the tinfoil making a hole. Lucille began tearing the tinfoil from the wall. As it landed in small heaps around her feet, for reasons she could not explain, she felt better; lighter; more like her old self.
Then it happened. A white envelope that had been hidden in the wall behind the tinfoil fluttered to the basement floor. Probably an old love letter the old guy had hidden from his wife, she thought.
She picked up the small, sealed envelope. Sinking to the floor she sat, prepared to read. When she opened the envelope she could not stop her tears.
In her hands she held three $100.00 bills.
Just enough; it was just enough. Why the money had been hidden, Lucille had no idea.
She sat on the floor and thanked God for the hole in the wall. She thought once again of her mother who had always believed that the Lord would provide. As she made her way back upstairs, for the first time in what seemed a very long time, Lucille smiled.
Friday, December 28, 2012
My New Author Page on Amazon.com
https://www.amazon.com/author/audreyaustin is the link to my new author page
on Amazon.com
I hope you will take the time to visit; check out my books. At the present time I have
four books available as Kindle books on Amazon.com
My most recent novel Ellen and The Hummingtree will also soon be a Kindle book on Amazon.com
And my current work in progress, Moose Road, will celebrate its Elliot Lake launch in the fall of 2013. Then watch for its arrival also as an E-book on Amazon.com
on Amazon.com
I hope you will take the time to visit; check out my books. At the present time I have
four books available as Kindle books on Amazon.com
My most recent novel Ellen and The Hummingtree will also soon be a Kindle book on Amazon.com
And my current work in progress, Moose Road, will celebrate its Elliot Lake launch in the fall of 2013. Then watch for its arrival also as an E-book on Amazon.com
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
A Review by Alex McIlvray of Ellen and The Hummingtree ..
Ellen and the Hummingtree
Ellen and the HummingtreeAudrey Austin
Wynterblue Publishing
Ellen and the Hummingtree is the story of Ellen and a rock through which she speaks to God. The rock moves with her as she lives her life. Ellen doesn’t have an easy life, but the rock encourages her and gives her courage. Through Ellen we meet her family and close friends, and especially the voice of God that whispers to her through the chunk of yellow quartz.
Ellen is very human with her share of flaws. The story is as much about her learning to accept those flaws in herself and others as anything else. She grows substantially by the close of the book. There are times when I wanted to give her a good talking to, and other times when she shows grace and humility.
Audrey has created a memorable character in Ellen. She is very well portrayed and has a wonderful complexity. The story moves back and forth in time as Ellen explores her life. The important movement isn’t chronological but her development of love and faith through the rock in her garden.
I enjoyed reading the book and would recommend it for those who like strong women characters.
Thank you to Alex McIlvray for this great review.
Monday, December 24, 2012
Friday, December 21, 2012
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Links to my Amazon Book Pages and also links to my two new blogs titled "Small Town Authors" and "Rhymes and Times Remembered ...
I will be the first to say that this is a kind of messy blog post........however I've had great difficulty transferring the links which will take you to the correct page on Amazon.com so that you may view and hopefully purchase a copy. Therefore in spite of the fact that this post is not what I can call "neat" it is, indeed, accurate and the links below should take you to the correct page on Amazon.com :-)
I have very recently created two new blogs.
The first is called Small Town Authors.
It is a blog designed to showcase the short stories and novel excerpts of writers who live in small towns.
The second is called Rhymes and Times Remembered.
It s a blog designed to showcase the poetry of any artist who wishes to share his work.
It is also a place where writers can share information about upcoming book launches or works in progress
Authors helping authors is what these blogs are all about. It is my way of paying it forward.
Thanks to all who participate in these new blogs.
Below are the links to my books available on Amazon.com :
I have very recently created two new blogs.
The first is called Small Town Authors.
It is a blog designed to showcase the short stories and novel excerpts of writers who live in small towns.
The second is called Rhymes and Times Remembered.
It s a blog designed to showcase the poetry of any artist who wishes to share his work.
It is also a place where writers can share information about upcoming book launches or works in progress
Authors helping authors is what these blogs are all about. It is my way of paying it forward.
Thanks to all who participate in these new blogs.
Below are the links to my books available on Amazon.com :
http://www.amazon.com/Silent-Star-plus-dozen-ebook/dp/B009DW0PX8/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1355162324&sr=1-1&keywords=The+Silent+Star+plus+a+Dozen+by+Audrey+Austin
I have only THREE paperback copies left of The Silent Star. This is an anthology of competition winning short stories. The book is also available as an E-book on Amazon.com
Books make great Christmas gifts!
I have only THREE paperback copies left of The Silent Star. This is an anthology of competition winning short stories. The book is also available as an E-book on Amazon.com
Books make great Christmas gifts!
The Silent Star ~ plus a dozen
www.amazon.com
The Silent Star ~ plus a dozen by Audrey Austin_______________Linked In, Facebook, Twitter: Audrey AustinAudrey's blog: http://writecreatively.blogspot.comAudrey's website:
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http://www.amazon.com/Keeping-Simple-Imagine-Being-ebook/dp/B009DVJ6E8/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1355162043&sr=1-1&keywords=Keeping+it+Simple+by+Audrey+Austin
All paperback copies of Keeping it Simple quickly sold out. Many people asked when they could get a copy. I'm happy to tell you that this guide: the marriage among Meditation, Psychospiritual Therapy, and the 7 Major Chakras is available as an E-book on Amazon.com
Books make great Christmas gifts!
All paperback copies of Keeping it Simple quickly sold out. Many people asked when they could get a copy. I'm happy to tell you that this guide: the marriage among Meditation, Psychospiritual Therapy, and the 7 Major Chakras is available as an E-book on Amazon.com
Books make great Christmas gifts!
Keeping it Simple: Imagine Being Whole
www.amazon.com
Keeping it Simple:Imagine Being Whole Emotional Healing through Meditation, the Chakras and Psychospiritual Therapy byAudrey Austin Psychotherapy Practitioner/Author/Teacher~ ~ ~Audrey's Facebook page:Twitter
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http://www.amazon.com/Reawakening-ebook/dp/B008LM1DXC/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1355161835&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=Reawakening+by+Audrey+Austin
My second novel, Reawakening, is available as an E-book on Amazon.com
I also still have a few paperback copies available.
Books make great Christmas gifts!
My second novel, Reawakening, is available as an E-book on Amazon.com
I also still have a few paperback copies available.
Books make great Christmas gifts!
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http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004YDQXZK
My first novel, Sara, a Canadian Saga, is available as an E-book on Amazon.com
I also still have some paperback copies available. Sara is in her fourth print run. :-)
Books make great Christmas gifts!
My first novel, Sara, a Canadian Saga, is available as an E-book on Amazon.com
I also still have some paperback copies available. Sara is in her fourth print run. :-)
Books make great Christmas gifts!
Sara, a Canadian saga
www.amazon.com
Sara, a Canadian Saga by Audrey Austin Cover design: Susan Krupp; Yuneekpix.com The time is 1916. Sara is a 10 year old girl in rural Prince Edward Island. Roy is a 10 year old boy in mining town, Nova Scotia. Through their eyes we see .....
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Thursday, December 6, 2012
What an astonishing thing a book is ...
BOOKS i HAVE AVAILABLE FOR CHRISTMAS GIFT GIVING ARE:
Reawakening is in its 3rd print run -- I have approx. 20 copies available for sale.
Sara, a Canadian Saga is in its 4th print run and I have a dozen copies available.
I have only three copies left of The Silent Star plus a Dozen
Monday, November 26, 2012
NaNoWriMo is nearly over and Christmas is on its way .....
There are still a few days left until NaNoWriMo is over for another year. I feel good that I submitted my story early. My 50,000 word goal was surpassed and my word count at the time of submission was 60,171.
This makes me an "official winner". There are lots of winners in NaNoWriMo. The fact that a writer meets the 50,000 word count goal makes that person a winner.
This makes me an "official winner". There are lots of winners in NaNoWriMo. The fact that a writer meets the 50,000 word count goal makes that person a winner.
This challenge has given me a great kick-start on a new novel. I plan to continue working on Moose Road and it is now my major writing focus for 2013
I was very happy with the original book cover design for Moose Road
which was a beautiful picture
taken in early spring.
But the more I continue to write the more I realize that the focus
needs to remain on the time of the tragic accident
which was December 20th just a few days before Christmas.
For this reason I spoke to artist/illustrator, Susan, who was kind enough
to make it snow on the cover of Moose Road
Below is the new book cover.
Thank you, Susan.
cover design by Susan Ruby K. of Yuneekpix.com
As we move into the Christmas season I find that
I am hesitant
to jump into the excitement and the fun of it all this year.
We have already held a very successful
Christmas Bazaar and Luncheon at church.
Our town's Christmas Concert is only a week away. I've written a poem
which I will present on this occasion.
Our church is being decorated today and that's the cue that tells me
that it is time to think about decorating our Christmas tree
and making our home ready for the celebration.
This Christmas I have much for which I am
truly grateful.
My recent novel Ellen and The Hummingtree has sold out.
I have only three copies left of The Silent Star plus a Dozen
which is my short story anthology.
Some copies of my first novel, Sara, a Canadian Saga
were sold this week
but I do still have about a dozen copies available.
My second novel, Reawakening
is already into its third print run and at this time
I do have about twenty copies of this book still available.
Check out my newest blog, Rhymes and Times Remembered
There I have written a synopsis of all my books.
And while you are there, think about how you would enjoy
having some of your work featured on this site.
I also have an Author's Page on Facebook
which is growing in popularity.
And recently, because it matters to me
and because I want to give something back,
I have created a new blog
where each week I will feature
the writing; be it a short story, poem or novel excerpt
of a small town writer. I'm calling this new blog
Check it out .. enjoy the stories and visit the
blogs and author pages of the featured writers.
I want to remind you that in this fast paced world
of technology sometimes what we really need is to just sit back,
get comfortable and read what I call a "real" book;
one that is made of paper and one that can be held in the hands.
Paperback copies of Ellen and The Hummingtree are sold out
but
Ellen and The Hummingtree
will be published sometime in the new year
as an E-book on Amazon.com
giving me five books in the E-book market.
These E-books are published on-line by Wynterblue Publishing Canada.
All my book cover designs are by Susan Ruby K. of Yuneekpix.com
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Small Town Authors -- featured writer this week is Janis Cox ..
Janis Cox, author of Tadeo Turtle, from Haliburton, is the featured writer this week on my new blog, Small Town Authors.
Visit Small Town Authors at http://smalltownauthors.blogspot.com
and read the stories of
Janis Cox of Haliburton, Ontario;
R.D. Pittman of Aledo, Texas;
and yours truly, Audrey Austin, of Elliot Lake, Ontario.
Featured writer next week will be
Tracy Kauffman,
author of Lion Heart
If you would like to have your short story, poem, or novel excerpt
featured on "Small Town Authors"
get in touch with me by email.
I'm a "Winner" on NaNoWriMo ...
Today I submitted my first draft of Moose Road to NaNoWriMo.
My word count is 60,171
My count has been validated and I have been declared a
WINNER.
I'm feeling good. I've submitted a few days earlier than was necessary
but now I can place my focus on
editing and re-writing my first draft.
This has been my first experience with NaNoWriMo
and it has been a good one.
I will plan to enter again next year.
I hope before this time next year I will have doubled this word count
and I will have Moose Road - a Canadian Tragedy ready for its Elliot Lake launch.
It's Snowing on Moose Road ...
Moose Road is a novel about a tragic accident between a school bus and a snow plow.
The accident happens just a few days before Christmas.
For this reason Susan Ruby K. has kindly made some changes to the cover design of Moose Road so that now it's snowing.
We have gone from this:
The accident happens just a few days before Christmas.
For this reason Susan Ruby K. has kindly made some changes to the cover design of Moose Road so that now it's snowing.
We have gone from this:
To this:
Thank you, Susan Ruby K.
Check out her amazing website at Yuneekpix.com
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Ellen and The Hummingtree ... sold out
I'm overjoyed to tell you the latest news about my latest creative effort, Ellen and The Hummingtree.
Ellen has sold out.
I want to say thank you to everyone for the great feedback, the good reviews, your encouragement and support. It means everything to me.
Thanks to NaNoWriMo I've made a good start on my next novel which is titled Moose Road.
This story is about a tragic accident between a school bus and a snow plow. It happens just a few days before Christmas on Moose Road. The story explores how this tragedy impacts on the seven families whose farms line the country road. Each character has his story to tell but perhaps it is Moose Road itself that comes closest to speaking the truth.
Thanks once again to Susan Ruby K. of Yuneekpix.com for the cover design.
Ellen has sold out.
I want to say thank you to everyone for the great feedback, the good reviews, your encouragement and support. It means everything to me.
Thanks to NaNoWriMo I've made a good start on my next novel which is titled Moose Road.
This story is about a tragic accident between a school bus and a snow plow. It happens just a few days before Christmas on Moose Road. The story explores how this tragedy impacts on the seven families whose farms line the country road. Each character has his story to tell but perhaps it is Moose Road itself that comes closest to speaking the truth.
Thanks once again to Susan Ruby K. of Yuneekpix.com for the cover design.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
NaNoWriMo
58,610 is now my word count for Moose Road. I have completed the first draft and feeling good. Now begins the editing, re-writing and re-writing. :-)
Small Town Authors ...
Visit my new blog at SMALL TOWN AUTHORS.
Featured is an excerpt from Elena, The Black Widow, Beginnings written by R.D. Pittman.
My letter from Rick:
Featured is an excerpt from Elena, The Black Widow, Beginnings written by R.D. Pittman.
My letter from Rick:
Audrey,
I have recently completed books one and two of my newest thriller Elena,
The Black Widow. It is a work of fiction around 90,000 words and centers around
a character that was developed in my NEW EARTH trilogy. I will be actively seeking an agent for
publisher representation of the Elena story.
I write under the pen name R.D. Pittman, I go by Rick since my first name
really is Rickard, not Richard...thanks Mom and Dad, my website address http://www.rdpittman.com
I wish you every sales success, Rick :-)
SMALL TOWN AUTHORS is the new gathering place for published and unpublished small town authors.
You can support these writers by joining the site and helping to make SMALL TOWN AUTHORS a new gathering place for readers to meet the authors and celebrate their work.
TRANCEscapes - new work by susan ruby k. ....
Susan Ruby K. is the artist who
has created the book cover designs
for all my books.
And for my last book, Ellen and The Hummingtree
she also created the illustrations throughout.
Friday, November 30th and Saturday, December 1st
Susan will be exhibiting her
NEW WORK
in The Gallery at The Centre,
Lester B. Pearson Civic Centre,
Elliot Lake.
Susan will be there each day to meet and greet.
I plan to attend and I hope you do too.
You can also check out her website
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Only one copy left ..... and today's NaNo word count ..
55,036 is my word count on NaNoWriMo at the end of this day. I have only two more chapters to write and then my first draft of Moose Road will be complete.
I've set a personal goal to have that first draft ready to submit by the end of November.
Then the very real work of rewriting, editing, and rewriting again will begin.
I'm having fun with it and I hope to have a manuscript fully prepared before the fall of 2013.
I've set a personal goal to have that first draft ready to submit by the end of November.
Then the very real work of rewriting, editing, and rewriting again will begin.
I'm having fun with it and I hope to have a manuscript fully prepared before the fall of 2013.
I'm happy to tell you that I have only one paperback copy left of
Ellen and The Hummingtree
If you would like to put your name on this last copy please email me.
Saturday, November 17, 2012
"Ki" ...
Our beautiful "Ki"
has made himself right at home
in his new bed.
"Ki" is the newest member of my family. He is a gentle, lovable
and well-behaved, beautiful black German Shepherd.
He is not so keen on wearing his new sweater
but I believe he will be glad of it
on those chilly northern Ontario mornings.
Our "Ki" is a handsome fellow.
My boy "Ki"
NaNoWriMo update ...
I wrote 2506 words today bringing my Moose Road word count up to 53,196. I have two chapters to complete before I will be ready to begin my first re-write. I'm feeling good; stopping for today. I hope all participants are feeling good today too. :-)
Cover design by Susan Ruby K
Books make excellent Christmas gifts ....
Sara, a Canadian Saga is my first novel. It is a moving story about Sara, and her family who live on Canada's Prince Edward Island until the Great Depression which took place in a decade which has been termed the dirty thirties. Unemployment and very difficult economic times on P.E.I. made it necessary for her and her young children to follow her husband to Toronto, Ontario in search of work. The story begins when Sara is a ten year old girl who later in her teen years meets Roy and marries him. Life is not always kind to Sara but she is strong and it is her strength that holds her struggling family together throughout many difficult challenging experiences.
I have a few paperback copies of Sara, a Canadian Saga available. This book makes a good Christmas gift for everyone from children aged 13 and over to adults both male and female.
REAWAKENING is my second novel. This book is a love story with a difference. It is a science fiction story. Linda and Jim meet on earth at Jim's birthday party. They fall in love and have a good marriage. Then Jim dies of natural causes, an old man. Several years after his death Linda dies and it is then that the two meet again in a place called Notsew. This book allows the reader to look at life as it is lived by most in the western world. Better than this it allows the reader to laugh at life as it is lived and as it is recounted by Linda to Jim throughout their experimental life on Notsew.
This book is into its third print run and I currently have about 20 paperback copies of Reawakening available for Christmas gift giving. This book is suitable for adult readers both male and female.
The Silent Star plus a Dozen is an anthology of short stories that touch upon many social issues that we are challenged with today. These stories were short listed and in some cases took first place in WynLit24 writing competitions. I've had excellent feedback on this book and it will also make a great Christmas gift for your reading friends.
I have only three copies of this book left which is now in its second print run. This books is also suitable only for adult readers.
Ellen and The Hummingtree is my third and most recent novel. Its recent
Elliot Lake book launch was successful and now I have just one copy left. This book is suitable for gift-giving to adult readers. Ellen and the Hummingtree is illustrated throughout by Susan Ruby K. of Yuneekpix.com
I have a few paperback copies of Sara, a Canadian Saga available. This book makes a good Christmas gift for everyone from children aged 13 and over to adults both male and female.
REAWAKENING is my second novel. This book is a love story with a difference. It is a science fiction story. Linda and Jim meet on earth at Jim's birthday party. They fall in love and have a good marriage. Then Jim dies of natural causes, an old man. Several years after his death Linda dies and it is then that the two meet again in a place called Notsew. This book allows the reader to look at life as it is lived by most in the western world. Better than this it allows the reader to laugh at life as it is lived and as it is recounted by Linda to Jim throughout their experimental life on Notsew.
This book is into its third print run and I currently have about 20 paperback copies of Reawakening available for Christmas gift giving. This book is suitable for adult readers both male and female.
The Silent Star plus a Dozen is an anthology of short stories that touch upon many social issues that we are challenged with today. These stories were short listed and in some cases took first place in WynLit24 writing competitions. I've had excellent feedback on this book and it will also make a great Christmas gift for your reading friends.
I have only three copies of this book left which is now in its second print run. This books is also suitable only for adult readers.
Ellen and The Hummingtree is my third and most recent novel. Its recent
Elliot Lake book launch was successful and now I have just one copy left. This book is suitable for gift-giving to adult readers. Ellen and the Hummingtree is illustrated throughout by Susan Ruby K. of Yuneekpix.com
To purchase one of the above books please get in touch.
or message me on Facebook
My author's page is at http://www.facebook.com/audreyaustinca
BOOKS ARE PERFECT FOR CHRISTMAS
GIFT-GIVING
TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY.
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