ALL TOGETHER NOW with GORAK

The wheels of Amazon have done all there turning, and all the appropriate connections are now connected on a single sales page for Gorak the Gobbler . When you have a publisher behind you, it happens more smoothly.  When you are an independent, like myself, it doesn't always.  But now it's all there!

Not only that, but the first reader review is in and it is five stars!

"I have heard Ms. Cullen read all three tales presented in this tome in virtual worlds -- a rare privilege. Now to own the book with my own two hands! Awesome!

"Being old school (and ancient in my years) I adore having an actual book to thumb through, put bookmarks in and look at fondly when it rests in my book case. However, is is also available in Kindle, so have at!

"That said, Ms. Cullen's talents as a storyteller allow one to gambol in joie de vivre. I am a decidedly G-rated old crone, the Gorak tales touch on fun, fantasy, exploration, personal growth, emotional awareness and acknowledgement, and joy in the glory of living. I wish I had them in my youth. I'm definitely glad I have them in my elder age.

"I recommend this book to all. And if you get a chance to hear the author share the tale verbally, hop to it!"   ~ "Rd Plasschaert", Amazon Reader Review (five stars)

GORAK is on his way, this week!

That's right.  The small, oddly wise, extremely red little guy will have his very own volume of tales, released this week on Kindle, with the paperback available shortly after.

Here's a glimpse from one of the stories in this new volume:  Gorak Returns.

The big plastic storage bin of sewing and craft scraps that her Mom kept in the hall closet had been dragged into Ellie's room, and its contents were strewn all over her bed: scraps of fabrics in rainbow colors, papers with different printed designs, ruffled lace trim in varying sizes, ribbons galore, cellophane packages of beads and sequins twinkling in the light. Standing in the middle of the chaos, feet planted apart, arms spread wide and grinning was a creature Ellie had never seen the like of before.  Around its red head was tied a scrap of fluffy pink marabou.

"Me Gorak!  Ellie McCormick wanna dance?" it said.

MORE Preview and the Final Book Trailer - for now!

The final Book Trailer has been released, and the finishing touches are going into the final story.  What a wild, insightful journey 2015 has turned out to be.  Look for the release of A TRIO OF IRISH TALES II very soon! When teamed with the first set of tales, they'll make a terrific gift for the Celtic-hearted (or just the story lover) on your holiday list.

And now: more from Liam Killough . . .

***

The Fairy Tree (Selection #3)

By Judith Cullen

© 2015

 He soon found himself at a fork on the road he had taken out of town.  One road was bristling with signs and newer pavement.  The other seemed to disappear into the undergrowth as it ascended up a hill.  He tried to peek up it in case it was someone’s drive, for it did not seem to be marked as “private.”  Suddenly the words of a poem came unbidden into his head.

They’d been studying poetry at school, mostly Irish poets.  There’d been a lot of time spent on W.B. Yeats and George William Russell and other late 19^th, early 20^th century poets.  Liam didn’t always understand the politics laced through the poems, but he was working on understanding the struggles behind the words.  The teacher had spent one day focusing on contemporary poets of the period from around the world, and had read several poems by an American, Robert Frost.  The words just popped up from nowhere in his mind and he spoke them out loud, startling himself, “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I - I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”

PREVIEW: the Last Selection from "Patrick's Path"

W.B. Yeats by George Charles Beresford
from Wikimedia Commons
(Public Domain)

Patrick’s Path (Part 5)

By Judith Cullen

© 2015

“…I am haunted by numberless islands, and many a Danaan shore,

Where Time would surely forget us, and Sorrow come near us no more;

Soon far from the rose and the lily, and fret of the flames would we be,

Were we only white birds, my beloved, buoyed out on the foam of the sea!”

Pat paused and looked at Declan as he sat beneath the tree with his eyes closed.  There had not been a single “Crap!” uttered through the entire poem.  He waited silently for his teacher to respond.

“Well, you know the words sure enough, I’ll give you that.  The recitation was not without merit, and you’d not have embarrassed yourself at a poetry gathering. Look at the poem again, as if it were a story.  Look for the images in the words and try to bring them to life using only the sound of your voice.”

Pat reached for the slip of paper in his pocket.

“No, don’t look at the words!  The words are in your head, boy.  Find them there.  They are ideas, not printed type.  Take a moment.”

BEAUTY ON THE INTERSTATE is on Sale!

FIVE STARS FOR "BEAUTY ON THE INTERSTATE"!

 "If you have ever had a long drive, be it vacation or vocation, you will be able to relate to these stories. ...She (the author) somehow seems to find details and situations that we can all relate to... An excellent read that makes you think, nod understandingly, crave the open road, but most of all - smile."    ~ Amazon Reader Review

“Beauty on the Interstate” is a collection of short stories and essays inspired by life in motion on the highways and byways, where tales form and reform at a rapid pace, and reflection is possible, but only at 60 mph. 

On Sale NOW for Kindle and Paperback through Amazon!

THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS!

The Blackberry & Other Tales That Creep 

. . . has begun the Pre-Launch Sequence.  

Let the Countdown Begin!

We are just hours away from Lift Off!

1  Question: To the left you see what we think of when we think of a single blackberry.  Is it a whole fruit?

Answer: Yes, and no.  What you see here is not a single fruit, but many.  Blackberries, like Raspberries and all the various varietals thereof, are aggregate fruits. They are made up of very small, circular fruity units called "drupelets."

As in other kinds of bush berries, blackberries too are packed with numerous plant nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants, and dietary fibers that are essential for optimum health. The berries are very low in calories. 100 g provide just 43 calories. Nonetheless, they are rich in soluble and insoluble fiber and Xylitol, a low-calorie sugar substitute in the fruit fiber which absorbs slower than glucose inside the gut. It, thus, help in steadying blood sugar levels.

So they are really good for you, . . . as long as they are not eating your pets.