Melvin The Hairy Frog Gets a Haircut

The third of many adventures is available to read on Amazon Books.... YouTube link

First Post of 2019

Well I have to start off by saying 'happy new year' and wishing you all the best for 2019.
I hope this year is kind to us all. Last year was, how can I put it, shit!

Yes indeed, apart from the birth of our 4th grandchild, I had little else to celebrate last year.

2018 saw me admitted into hospital in a coma, caused by encephalitis and I was happy to come out from ITU alive.
All I remember was going to bed on the 1st March and waking up a couple of weeks later. I also had pneumonia, hypertension and other sinusitis / asthma...

I had no memory of what happened... I cannot remember fitting, stopping breathing (arresting) or how I sustained the fractures on my spine...
Now, I have been retired from work,  early retirement.
Up to now, retirement is not much different to being off sick!!
I am in loads of pain, my mobility is restricted and I don't get to see too many people outside of the family.
I pass the time cleaning, cooking, painting and undertaking my physiotherapy to strengthen me up.
It's difficult because I lost so much muscle strength and although I have recovered lots of it, I still need to strengthen up!
Added to this, I have put on some weight too.
I now take pain killers, inhalers,

So what will my blog do that is different?
I will still be unashamedly promoting my books and art but... I want to keep track of my progress but also give you a synopsis of what has happened to date. The serious points and the funny ones, if there are any.
After all, humour can cure lots... 😜

I also want to educate and support anyone with sharing experiences.
This will include retirement, hobbies, encephalitis, relationships with one's self and others and life in general...

I also feel that it will be very powerful to write about being a patient after decades of being on the other side... Believe me, it is very different and very hard!

If you are interested, sign up for instalments, interactions and updates...
I hope to keep you posted

Ram

Honest and fun

Creating a novel is an awsome understanding.
Especially when the author has had no training in the craft.
However, the drivers of said undertaking make the writing worthwhile and less laborious.

My day job, like many other people's, is stressful, serious and difficult. I need to vent my feelings and frustrations creatively.
In my case, writing was a way of relaxing, sharing experiences and ideas, enjoying the ride . To me, spinning a tall tale that was fun to write, sharing a story and flexing my artistic muscle were the drivers.

Promotion of them is something I chose to do with respect of getting them read.
Selling them is secondary, the profit margins are low and the time it takes would be counter productive to my primary aims of enjoying life.

So why the blog?
Connection to the world.
It's a way of saying 'I'm real, I'm here and I believe I have something to say'

Life is too big and hard to worry about success as an author when really, I'm just doing it for fun.

With this in mind, if you want to read something honest, different and entertaining and mine, then please have a look.
If not, may you choose someone else's work, either way, enjoy, share, learn and spend some time with your thoughts.

0.99 opportunity

0.99 for an entertaining read... Available on kindle now.
HILARITY IN THE HILLS
Check out the comedy and fun

Family fun in a short novel

Hilarity in the Hills

This is a fun book involving a family vacation and the lampooning that ensures a happy and different read.

If interested, wait a couple of days as it is on a kindle Countdown Deal from February 25th.

Yes, an opportunity to interact with your own copy for a measly £0.99 / $0.99.

Not a bad deal by a long chalk.

So why so cheap?
To be honest, I need the reviews and this is the best way to generate them.

So give an author a helping hand and treat yourself to this... Hilarity in the Hills.

 

Halloween in a few days

Halloween
Halloween is nearly here again. The time of year where we celebrate ghosts, spectres, witches and the dead.  All Hallows Eve, pagan rituals that remain with us and are capitalised on, creating an industry out of it.
Hoping to generate some ghostly imagination?
Well why not read Phantasms in the Infirmary Vol I and Vol II plus The Ultimate Phantasms in the Infirmary...
All occupied by ghostly hospital horror aplenty,  a virtual compendium of phantoms and spooks.

Try the link at the top of the page and click on the link.

Oh. . . . I nearly forgot , Vol I is in Spanish too! ! 

Happy Halloween

Discount code - 25% off

Please see and apply the following discount code for 25% off "Hilarity in the Hills" paperback version from Createspace.
How to do it?

It's as easy as 1,2,3

1) Click on the following link:
Discount

2) Add the discount code at the checkout
AJ8LF345

3) Save yourself some money

The offer is limited to the first 100 people only....

Don't miss out on a summer read


UPDATE:
There is a scheduled Kindle countdown Deal on the e-version of this book on Amazon UK and .com sites from September 1st - only £ / $ 0.99....
Not to prejudice on non paper readers!!!

Tweet tweet

Take a look at @Author_man_ram's Tweet: https://twitter.com/Author_man_ram/status/760931863443759104?s=09

Chapter 13 from Hilarity in the Hills

This is a snippet from the book. A sample of what you can read and enjoy.
Wholesome fun

Hilarity in the Hills
Chapter 13

The Cycle Ride As part of their itinerary for their original holiday in the Alps, the families had envisaged some mountain biking. They were obviously not in the French Alps but were still in need of a good cycling adventure. Jerome and Pierce had been to the nearest town and located a cycle hire shop. Frances and Ann would “chill-out” with Phillip at the lodge, catch up on some reading and maybe go for a short walk. Phillip was too young to go out cycling and as he could not cycle yet, he would not enjoy the experience. The plan was for the three eldest boys, Sophie and the dads to have a cycle around the many routes the surrounding area offered. The bonus was that the bikes looked in good shape and the price was very reasonable. ‘They are only six Euros for the day per bike and we need six of them so it should be a good day’ Jerome remarked. ‘Yes, with enough for a nice spot of lunch and maybe a swift beer?’ added Pierce. ‘Very civilized, let’s go for it…’ The cycling team jumped in the seven- seated vehicle and headed for the nearby town, in readiness for the next adventure. Parked and excited, the six made their way to the little cycle hire shop just off the main boulevard. Pierce now addressed the gent behind the counter as they admired the blue mountain bikes they hoped to mount after a few minutes. ‘Je voudrais seize vélos s'il vous plaît’ ‘Je suis désolé, je dois seulement quatorze’ the man responded. Pierce took a moment to consolidate what he said and looked at his phrase book to construct his next attempt at communicating in French ‘ Je ne veux seize vélos’ he replied, frustrated at the reply he had been given. ‘This fellow says he only has fourteen bikes, I don’t really care about that, I just want six…’ he said to Jerome. Bruce tugging at his arm in an attempt to interrupt his dad but was firmly told ‘let me concentrate, this man is not making sense’. Pierce again addressed the attendant ‘je voudrais seize vélos s'il vous plaît’ The same answer was forthcoming ‘Je suis désolé, je dois seulement quatorze’ the man responded. Bruces percerverence paid off as he finally got his frustrated father’s attention ‘Dad, you are asking for sixteen bycicles – not six’ ‘Oh, well, in that case…’ Pierce replied embarrasingly This now made perfect sense and he re-phrased his statement ‘Pardon, je dois seulement six vélos’. ‘Okay’ the man replied, now fully aware of what the cause of the misunderstanding was as he issued them with padlock keys and the corresponding numbers for the cycles. After paying their deposit plus the cost of the hire and getting a few route maps, they decided on a fifteen mile ride around the town and surrounding area. This would take them a few hours; they would take in the French landscape and use a few calories up. They planned a route that would take them through the local park and eventually end up back in the shop in a few hours. They were now about to embark on their next voyage of discovery. The bicycles were all metallic blue in colour, good tread on the tyres and the breaks all worked. They were well kept and clean, obviously a reputable hire shop, no rubbish dispensed on them. They unlocked the chains and sited them under their seats, tidily out of the way, placed the cycling helmets neatly on their heads and climbed on their bikes, a new adventure was about to start. They followed the route on the map through the town which brought them to a quiet, picturesque country road surrounded by beautiful trees, on-going sprawls of purple lavender fields and green pastures dotted with cows and sheep. The panorama was serene and inspiring, coupled with the heat of the warm summer sun and the tweeting of the myriad of birds on the trees, it was heavenly. Fifteen minutes in: The cyclists regrouped at the top of a hill and were reading themselves for the next stage of the route which would see them glide down a steep hill and up another. Pierce and his boys descended at speed, the cooling breeze they created as their free-wheeling velocity increased was welcoming. Once at the bottom, they had gathered speed to accelerate up the sharp incline, their free-wheeling enabling them to pound at the pedals to get them up the demanding slope. Pierce was at the back and heard Sophie shouting ‘Uncle Pierce look at me’. He turned as the smiling young lady was proudly accelerating down the hill with her father behind her in the trailing bike. At that moment, he saw the front wheel wobble, making the handle for Sophie’s bike shudder. Her expression changed from excitement to worry and before he could shout any advice she was on the tarmacked road. A stunned Sophie lay on the floor as the two adult cyclists dismounted urgently in aid of the dismounted and traumatised cyclist.  Thanks fully she had not sustained a head injury but the injured left knee that had taken the brunt of the fall was now bleeding profusely. The graze was approximately 5cm in area and there was a deep cut to the outer aspect of the knee. Sophie cried, tears of pain and embarrassment as Jerome and Pierce attended to her. They had a few tissues in pockets and a bottle of water which they used to uncover the mega-graze that was now present. Between them, they managed to stem the bleeding at the side of the country road and cleaned the gash / graze to a point where it looked red, angry and sore, but no fresh blood was gushing from the area. ‘I’m going to have to take her into town and find a pharmacy to get some plasters ‘Jerome stated in-between consoling his distraught daughter and brushing the small “gravillons” off her palms. ‘We’ll come with you’ replied Pierce as his boys arrived by their side. ‘No, you carry on, it’s not too long a walk back, we will meet you in town in a few hours, back in the cycle hire shop, shall we say six o’clock?’ ‘That gives us three hours of riding around; if you are sure you won’t need any help?’ ‘We will be just fine, we will take it easy and sit somewhere and have lunch eh?’ Sophie nodded in agreement as she sobbed out of despair and pain combined, she had so looked forward to the bike ride, alas it was a short one. Jerome headed back to town, pushing both bikes as Sophie held on to her dad and limped away into the distance in search of sticky plasters and solace. Pierce and his boys now headed back up the hill, with renewed effort and focus, determined to complete the route on the map. They cycled and chatted as they went, enjoying the scenery and making a pit stop for a quick lunch of French bread, cheese and salami from a little vending stop near the park. They were now cycling beside the river, muddy but off-roading was something they had looked forward to. The bikes were scattered with a deep brown mud that had flicked all over their backs as there were no mud-guards on these cycles, in order to make them lighter. The fun they had was evident as the boys were riding into more obstacles, jumping off logs and generally putting the bikes through their paces. It was some time after their lunch that the Gastro-colic reflex hit Pierce and Bruce! ‘I need to use the toilet urgently, I need a poo’ said Bruce. ‘Me too, there must be some here in the park’ added Pierce. ‘you could always go behind a bush’ Simon said, to which both potential users declined and opted to find a convenience and utilise it. Dean had been the map reader and he looked at the route map the cycle shop owner had provided and identified where the lavatories were. ‘There are toilets about a mile down the embankment’ he remarked. ‘How long will it take to get there?’ Bruce enquired worryingly ‘Hurry up, I’m about to “touch-Cloth” soon’ he added. ‘It should take us about ten minutes or less, if we race there’ his dad reassured. At this point they headed pretty fast towards the sanctuary of the toilets, in the hope they would get there before they had an accident of a different type to Sophie’s… They were soon at the side of a small building that stood in the middle of the parkland, the toilets were open so Pierce and Bruce threw their bikes on the floor and run in. There were three cubicles and some urinals in the men’s toilets. They were not the most sanitary of toilets but they would provide a suitable place to go! Bruce headed straight into one and sat on the toilet just in time as Pierce could hear the plopping of the faeces hitting the water in the bowl and the relief on his voice. Pierce, being the responsible adult and although desperate to use the toilet himself, checked both vacant booths for toilet paper. One was disgusting as the previous incumbent must have had diarrhoea and left a trail of it on the floor and on the seat. No toilet roll in that one, he checked the next booth. Again, no toilet rolls there either! ‘Have you got any toilet paper in your booth Bruce?’ he inquired in the hope of an affirmation that there was a means to wipe after their evacuation. ‘Erm, no dad, there isn’t any but Dean has some spare tissues in his pocket’ Bruce assured his desperate dad who was now getting colicky cramps that needed to be relieved. He darted outside and was about to address his sons who were minding the four cycles only to find Dean cleaning the mud off the hire bike with a wad of tissues that he had hoped would have been used for their more urgent needs. ‘Bruce, are they the only tissues you have?’ he asked in a stern voice. ‘Yes, why?’ the youngster replied. ‘Why are you cleaning the bike it’s not a priority is it?’ the needy dad retorted disappointingly, now in cramp-like pain from the call of nature ‘Why, because we need them to wipe our sodding butt, that is why, have you got any other tissues?’ ‘No, sorry’ was the answer Pierce did not want to hear… ‘Right, give me the blasted map’ he asserted as he pulled the map of his young sons hand and run back into the disgusting and poorly provisioned toilets. ‘Bruce, you will have to scrunch the paper and use it, you can have the green route map, I will have the red route map and make sure you use both sides, there are no more maps… ‘ Catastrophes averted, they were now able to enjoy the rest of their cycling adventures. Six o’clock was when the family regrouped as arranged. Sophie was smiling, still limping and sporting a big plaster on her knee. They stopped off for a drink, coke and Fanta for the children and a well-earned glass of beer for the men… ‘It’s time to return to the nest’ Jerome stated and they made their way back to the house of wood.

Summer holiday reading...

With the summer holidays firmly around the corner, here's a chapter from Hilarity in the Hills.

Situational comedy that can occur and does occur to anyone.

The Budget Airline Experience

Tuesday July 11th, 11:00 hrs (GMT): Travelling to the regional airport was a doddle; parking was far from this as the confusion in the amount of car parks made the chances of error higher. ‘Long stay car park, which one is the long stay car park? The sign posting is shit’ a bemused and baffled Jerome stated. ‘Please do not swear in front of the kids’ Ann corrected her husband about his choice of words. ‘But it is, please look at it, is it this long stay one or the other one, why can’t they just number the blasted things and then we could find the number and just Park?’ Jerome retorted in rhetorical frustration before adding ‘No it’s too easy; let the bastards work for their space…’ ‘Please mind your language’ Ann reiterated. ‘Sorry dear, sorry kids but it does do my head in why they don’t use any logic in the design of these places’ the engineer supplemented to his car parking theory. Eventually finding a good spot in the right car park, the family headed into the terminal in order to join the queues and endless checks before they bordered their flight and their holiday was underway. However, nothing ruins a holiday more than travelling with a budget airline. They had locked the car and taken the entire luggage they needed with them, it was the point of no return. After acknowledging what was the right area of the expansive terminal building to head to and identifying they needed to be at the other end of it, the family picked up the huge suitcases and bags and darted towards desk A7. As they approached area A, they noticed the long and winding queues, like a scene from World War II with concentration camp inmates waiting to be shepherded into uncertainty. People were gloomy and to a point, hopeless instead of being happy and joyful at the prospects of foreign travel and rest. Ann noticed that there was an especially long queue and hoped they weren’t going to join the snaking mass of people. ‘Oh no, said Sophia, it is our queue…’ They joined the end and walked slowly forward, a claustrophobic and cumbersome process as the queue allowed little space between parties. If anyone clocked the speed of this long line, it may have registered at fifty centimetres per hour!! ‘Ridiculous’ was all Ann could think of, quickly getting impatient and frustrated herself however never succumbing to swearing as her husband did. They eventually got to the check-in desk. And moved forward to book in. the attendant eventually looked up at the family and addressed them ‘Where are you flying too?’ as she put her hand forward to obtain documents she had not asked for…  Unfriendly and discourteous attendants, with their over made up faces, disguising their evil behind a mask of powder and paint, including a painted smile that was steeped in a false sense of security. This lady, one presumes she was a lady by her makeup but… was not a “people’s person”. Ann muttered to Jerome ‘She obviously doesn’t earn enough to care for the passengers she is supposedly there to serve. However, did she have to be so unhelpful or was this in her job description’? Jerome handed over the paperwork and the four passports. The devil in uniform handed the passports back and asked them to open them up on the photo page… obviously a disability she suffered from or an allergy to flicking through papers? They complied but at this point Ann was close to snapping and swearing but it would have got her nowhere and the attendant would have been justified in her poor attitude and lack of service. Next obstacle was the weighing of the suitcases. Jerome placed the suitcases on the massive scales at the side of the check-in desk. The woman looked at them and said next, then again but as she weighed suitcase number three of four, she said, ‘you will have to pay more for this one, you are two kilogram’s over weight’. ‘What do you mean?’ Ann snapped at the woman, proceeding to point out that they had weighed them at home and if anything they were under, between the four cases… ‘The terms and conditions clearly state that the weight of the cases should not exceed 15 kilograms per case and not a cumulative weight, if the fourth case is less than 15 kilograms you will have to transfer two kilogram’s onto the other case and then we will allow them into the plane’ If anyone needed to be corrected about her language it would have been Ann but thankfully she swore in silence. She smiled externally and complied. Jerome took the cases off and put them to the side, fumbled through his pockets to find the keys and opened the two cases up. Anne had to open the suitcases by the side of the queue as people leered at them as if superior to the family who now felt like poorly prepared and disorganised non travellers… furthermore she was showing the suitcases contents to all who cared to have a look. After five minutes, she had transferred some of the children’s clothes from one case to another and they attempted to get the “witches” attention but to no avail. Jerome, who had tried to be patient and not get too pissed off now addressed the woman: ‘Excuse me madam, I know you have seen us try to speak to you, you have chosen to ignore my wife and now you either book these cases in or I will find your superior or your CEO in Ireland and have you sacked and ensure you never work with the public ever again’… He was shaking but as the woman was about to say something the queue and others surrounding them started to cheer and clap. The horrible woman blushed in embarrassment, weighed and accepted the suitcases through, no mention of whether they complied to the 15kg rule or not. Ann kissed her brave and assertive spouse and they then made their way through the passport checks. They were joining another even longer line up but it didn’t matter. They had fought the system and won. From then on it was going to be a nice holiday. Or so they hoped…! They had managed the x-ray and metal detector tests, 100 ml challenge, stripped off their jackets, belts and shoes and were now air side. This was the point of no return, success. Now all they needed was a calming hot drink and wait to board. Boarding was another race, as the airline did not have any seats allocated to the passengers, it was a free for all however Jerome managed to get all the hand luggage in as Ann jostled the children into a free area of seating, managing to get three seats together, Jerome was four rows back but he had a seat on the aisle and could “visit” his family during the flight. Their flight was uncomfortable but uneventful and on arrival on French soil, their cases were returned intact so all was well. At the car hire desk, the clerk was helpful and they even upgraded their car to a Renault Laguna estate with the highest spec in the range. Now they had to set the Satellite Navigation system to take them to their destination from Clermont Ferrand airport which would only take them about ninety minutes. Clermont-Ferrand, was the city nearest to their destination but still a fair drive away so this would be the reference point to civilisation. This was part of Vichy France during the Second World War and the Vichy government had sided with the Nazis, endorsing their far right policies. ‘I hope this has all been extinguished from the population?’ Ann added in conversation. ‘I’d hate it if there is anything like this still persisting as we are foreigners and god knows how we might get treated?’ Jerome retorted. Only time would tell… With all the bags and passengers securely in the vehicle, they drove off on their short drive. They estimated their arrival at 3pm. The Farley’s would be on their way and soon, the combined families’ holiday would start in earnest.

If you want to explore the rest of the novel, it's on Amazon to buy now. Kindle or Paperback format.

Infants fun and educational book

Extending my portfolio of books, I have written and illustrated a book for infants.
It is called I Don't Like It
It is a pre-school / early years easy read for the parents to read with the child.
It is about learning to eat new foods and trying new flavours / textures, aimed at the difficult eaters.
It will be fun without the drag of a difficult dining experience that some families suffer.
The inspiration for this was my nephew, who for many years, was only eating chicken nuggets and chips!
No Fruit, no veg, no other meats, just chicken nuggets and chips!
A few tweaks are needed and then, it will be available for all to read, hopefully as an interactive book on kindle, but also as a colour paperback.
As I said, the illustrations will be mine too...
Exciting...
Here is the working cover:

Holiday hell or hilarious consequences?

When a trip to the alps goes wrong and a family end up elsewhere in France, the options are laugh or cry.
Join the misadventures that occur to the families as they try to enjoy the vacation, despite being in a different venue than planned. 

It's based on true experiences, however scripted they seem, they actually happened.
Hilarity in the Hills... A story of fun, creativity and chaos. 

Hilarity in the Hills is a light read and suitable for all ages, although a few swear words are scattered in the text, however quite appropriately dealt with.

I hope you do not all have a similar story to tell, but there are elements in everyday life that just have to be shared, this one is definitely one of those. 

Book link

A wee glimpse into the book

Here's a snippet from Hilarity in the Hills

They came across a small field that had a lovely black horse and a goat in it. Pierce, a true “townie” had not had much exposure to country life and wanted to greet his new neighbours. He approached the animals and noted that although they acknowledged his presence, they were not approaching him with the same curiosity. He thought ‘these animals are really well trained; they are keeping to the perimeter of the field’. The rest of the family looked on as he detoured from the path to salute them. As he approached them with one hand extended in a gesture of openness and friendship, he could hear a faint intermittent clicking noise but thought nothing of it. The horse now was glaring at him and even the goat had stopped chewing on the grass that was still in its mouth and seemed to concentrate on this foreigner coming towards them. Pierce now felt his hand start to jerk and jump, off its own accord, as if in keeping to the clicks. ‘Hey chaps, look at this?’ he cried out, fascinated by this involuntary limb movement he was experiencing. ‘What the hell is this all about?’ He smiled as he observed this phenomenon unable to make out what was happening. ‘Move back you foolish man’ yelled his wife, ‘you are encroaching into an electric fence dumb ass!’ They all laughed hysterically as Ann now jumped on the band wagon saying ‘even the animals had more sense than you… they watched in bemused amazement at the human …’ she could not even finish her sentence as they all giggled and sniggered at this.

More within the covers....
Get a copy of in paperback format and get the kindle edition for 0.99 on Amazon

Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #42,600 Paid in Kindle Store and already #1209 in Kindle Store > Books > Humour

My first flirtation with writing comedy

My next book is already in the wire-frame stage.
It's my first attempt at writing comedy in a novel.
It's based on a family holiday we had in France.
Most is based on truth....
It's going to be a mix between national lampoons holiday and a trip advisor nightmare.
I am still at odds at a good definitive title but St the moment it's working title is Frolicking French Fun or Hilarity on the Hills...
Advice on this greatly appreciated.
I'm enjoying penning the memories and relieving the reflections.

Glad we can laugh about this now. 
Not long now folks although next one up is the Spanish version of Phantasms in the Infirmary out later this month... In time for navidades...  Christmas

Pimped-up Halloween cover

Just for fun....
Halloween Version of The Ultimate Phantasms in the Infirmary.

Link

Writing Horror fiction

As a wacky experiment, it would be really cool if we could all write a short story to feature in Phantasms in the infirmary Vol II?
The theme is Hospital Horror.
I'd like to start this off and then add in as and when, but if the result works, could we include it in as a short story written on a Blog?
Has this ever been done before?
It certainly is Blue sky thinking / innovation so here goes...

'Another day, another dollar' was the greeting from Tom at reception as Julie walked briskly in for yet another shift on the Orthopaedic ward.
She smiled as she rushed past, eager to get into the ward in time for the handover from the evening shift.  
The prospect of her fourth night shift with a grueling twelve hours ahead of her was making her feel quite resistant but she had a job to do.
The preceding three nights had been so busy and these had been punctuated by very little sleep as her youngest daughter, Natalie, had not been well and was off school. Her nursing role had blended in with Motherhood somehow. She felt like she had been on call for 24 hours, with every effort zapping more of her precious energy out of her.

Although she had been on this ward before, the last three shifts had certainly made a big impact on her confidence, she had mastered new procedures and as the nurse in charge, was enjoying the responsibility. Everything had run smoothly and to plan.
Well almost everything...

I would now like to open the floor to you to add a paragraph or two to this multi-layered / multi-authored story..

Shall we set a deadline for a month and see what happens?
Its a bit of fun and the chance to have part of your invaluable contribution published with the rest of the book of short stories.

Creative art

Julie and I attended a sculpture class today.
It was brilliant fun,  creative and we learnt a lot...  Especially the fact that most of us need to keep the day jobs...

Here are some of the pics...

If you want to have a bash...  Click

Snippets from Phobic Wars

Phobic Wars IS available on Kindle countdown deal now....  Deal

My second book : written with many objectives in mind....
To educate,  explore and entertain...
The initial section is fact based,  intending to inform the reader on the subject.

Anxiety at some level has been experienced by virtually all individuals for a variety of reasons and caused by a myriad of triggers with a multitude of outcomes. Some with a good result, most with not so good a conclusion. For the majority, mild phobic symptoms do not have a major impact in their functionality, displaying tolerable and reasonable responses which at most can be seen as irritating and somewhat laughable.   For other people, the exposure to the same trigger can cause an irrational fear of the exact same trigger but very unlike the acceptable and normal response. This can be classified as a phobia. This negative phobic response causes the sufferer to feel fear, but eventual embarrassment and shame at the obvious 'over reaction' to their phobic source. This is further aggravated by the emotional states of the sufferer which may include some or all of the following: anger, shame, guilt or sadness; blended with the paralysing fear that can be experienced when confronted with the causative perpetrator.

Phobias are far from being uncommon and many a famous person has developed and suffered from phobias. Aviophobia is the fear of flying. Some of the famous sufferers have included Singer Aretha Franklin, Hollywood stars like Whoopi Goldberg, and even the ultra famous world heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali (incidentally, no mention of Buddy Holly in the research, shame as this could have been a positive in his career…). Hydrophobic sufferers (a fear of water) included Actor Natalie Wood. The disturbing fact about this was that Natalie Wood drowned in a boating accident in 1981. Other famous phobics include Tennis star Andre Agassi who has a fear of spiders (Arachnophobic), Adolf Hitler was claustrophobic and another infamous member of this phobia party includes Napoleon Bonaparte, who was the emperor of France who suffered from ailurophobia, a fear of cats. Le meow to that mon petit monsieur.   One phobia that needs a special mention is the fear of the number 666, the number of the- beast. This is known as Hexakosioihexakontahexaphobia … wow, how many points can be obtained on a scrabble board with this one?

The rest of it is a journey into myth,  fiction,  humour and 'green / environmental issues.... Here's a wee snippet

Like a scene out of the Tom and Jerry cartoon strips, the scream was ear-piercingly loud.
‘Shoo it away’, ‘Kill it quickly’ was the urgent plea, as the words echoed in the wake of the chaos caused by a grown-up clambering nervously on a kitchen chair.

Unlike the cartoons, this was not the female cook, screaming and shouting, scared of the teeny-weeny mouse, approaching the hem of her skirt. This was a six foot tall strapping man, fourteen stone, strong, able bodied and otherwise imposing yet he was screaming and panicking.   What was the fuss all about?   Not a mouse but an even smaller life form, in this instance its rough dimensions were 3cm x 0.5cm with a myriad of legs, gingery brown and shiny in colour with long whiskers … a cockroach.

Want to read more....?  Click

Cockroaches, bugs and fate

Phobic Wars
I dislike cockroaches so much that I wrote a book about them.

If I had been asked to do what Eddie Murphy did in the following clip,  I'd have got someone else to do it for me!

Tower Heist

Phobic Wars is a twist of fates with further twists in the bugs future.
It's original and it is Different!!
Read it for yourself...  The link below takes you to my amazon author page.

Phobic Wars

Enjoy. Sleep tight and don't let the buggers bite!!!

Magical Kos and bustling Bodrum

Just back from Kos.
A fabulous family holiday and what a lovely island.
Greece is going through hard economic times at the moment however the people I met are resilient, inspiring and proud.
The hotel was brilliant and generally a wonderful place,  especially the food.
We tried most of the traditional Greek food and some Mediterranean food..  Yummy.
The culture was also there, home of hypocrates the father of medicine.  The ruins and architecture,  flowers, smells etc.  A colourful and nice place to visit,  the very best of the Mediterranean.
The weather held to a point and the pool beckoned and in order to complete the experience,  dive in. At 1.4m the do not dive sign was displayed..  Drat,  plan b.. Made friends with the lifeguard who feigned pushing me in so I could dive in and not suffer the cold walk into the water,  the quick plunge via dive has always been the choice method.
Thanks Daniel...  Even us old fellows have some dignity and the perfectly executed dive was enjoyable and completed the experience.
Zia and kephalos were beautiful and the trip to Bodrum in Turkey was great.
Unfortunately the weather prevented us exploring the history of the place but the food and shopping made up for it.
This was crowned by a meal arranged for us with champagne and a cake by our boys and daughters in law as a 30th wedding anniversary celebration.
Thanks dudes...

Unfortunately,  I was so busy having a great time,  my writing took another pause...  I'll get back on track soon.

In the meantime,  ef̱charistó̱. Thank you, in Greek