Tony Flood tells how members are inspired by world best-selling patron
Eastbourne writing group Anderida has produced a host of published authors, many of whose books have received excellent reviews.
The most successful has been patron Tamara McKinley, whose Cliffehaven series, written under the name Ellie Dean, has sold countless thousands of copies worldwide.
Lovers of wartime sagas can look forward to Ellie’s latest With Promises to Keep, due out on March 25th. It’s the 21st in this enthralling series, set in a boarding house on the South coast of England.
Other Anderida members, past and present, can only dream of emulating Tamara McKinley’s sales, but John Newton, who celebrated his 90th birthday on December 15th, has achieved a big readership for The Assassination Diaries, written in the name of Maddie, a beautiful mistress of disguise and a deadly assassin.
Former Kenyan policeman, John also produced a trilogy of A Living History of The Kenya Police. More recently he has published John Newton’s Short Stories.
The Psychy Poet, Laurie Wilkinson’s book sales have raised more than £10,000 for the charity Help For Heroes. His latest – and 14th book – Poetic Wisdom, lives up to its title by evoking thoughts and emotions on romance, humour, reflection and tragedy.
My wife Heather Flood has also come up with a collection of meaningful poems – and stories – in Laughs And Tears Galore – Short Stories and Poems with Twists. I have jointly written this book with Heather and we have both provided a variety of short stories, including those where rascals get their comeuppance.
Another much-published poet is Philippa Drake who has 15 books to her name so far containing snappy thoughts and observations in her unique style.
Robert Crouch is making his mark with his well-written Kent Fisher mystery series. Titles such as No Accident, No More Lies, No Love Lost and No Mercy give clues about the different themes highlighted in a fresh, contemporary style which remains faithful to the classic whodunit.
There are other ‘golden nuggets’ from Michael Fleming, John Silverton, Alex Hudson, Francis Wait, Jacqueline S, Harvey and Patrick Chapman.
Michael Fleming (The Fish On My Ear and other stories) and Alex Hudson (Secrets Will Surface) treat us to intriguing short stories, while John Silverton’s A Pearl Amongst Oysters is a romantic and suspenseful love affair.
Francis Wait delves into different genres, including the aptly named Android Affair and The Survivalists, which tells how one family escapes the devastation caused by the volcanic eruption of the Yellowstone Caldera in America. He has also written a children’s book, The Magical Pendant of Perdania, under the pen name Frances Jaycee.
Jacqueline S Harvey provides excellent characterisation in her captivating historical tale A Resolute Child and her Never Know and Other Stories and The Witchy Woman and Other Stories.
Patrick Chapman also reveals knowledge and flair in A Buxton Trilogy: Buxton Stories Through the Ages and Past and Present Tense, a gripping tale of two families split by tragedy and loss.
I like to think that my three crime thrillers Triple Tease, Stitch Up and Fall Guy, together with my magical adventure Secret Potion and celebrity book My Life With The Stars – Sizzling Secrets Spilled! are other gems soon to be discovered by the masses.
Heather Flood’s fantasy story, Purple Mist, an out-of-this-world adventure, has proved popular with teenagers and many adults, while her Mousey Mousey and the Witches…series and Giant Sticker Monster and Other Children’s Stories appeal to younger readers. Another book bringing joy to youngsters is Paul Simmons’s The Frog Grobbler.
Some Anderida members formed part of The Collective of seven authors, each contributing a character to the unique family saga Driven by Desire. The seven were John Newton, who dreamed up the idea, Francis Wait, Tony Flood, Tim Purcell, Deane Smith, Richard Rewell and Karen Glennon, with John Silverton providing two chapters and Michael Haffner partly involved in the project.
Likewise, Jacqueline S Harvey and others who attend Anderida meetings, Viki Allerston, Lena Bowling, Denis MackRiever and Wendy Ogden, were among the authors from writing group Scribe Tribe who contributed a wide range of stories to Words into Wishes.
Readers of both Driven by Desire and Words into Wishes benefit from a variety of ideas presented by an impressive combination of writers.
Lena Bowling has also written, under the pen name L.R. Benfield, Soon Forgotten, which is a different genre from her short stories and is based on a true-life tragedy that she felt compelled to reveal.
Many writers have work in progress and we can look forward to books by the creative Michael Haffner and Connor Kasey, who has already written Woman Scorned. Other writers to look out for are prize winners in the recent Anderida Short Story and Poetry competition, sponsored by Vice Chairman Nigel Gearing.
Mary Moloney won The Gearing Trophy and £100 first prize with her short story The Bend In The Stairs. Jackie Harvey’s From The Prison earned her second place and £50, while Francis Wait received the third prize of a Robert Crouch book for his Helene’s Mistake.
The poetry section’s first prize of £75 was won by Hex Austen with Aftermath, and Heather Flood came runner-up with The Butterfly and the Buffalo, earning her a bottle of champagne donated by Tamara McKinley, who judged the competition together with Nigel Gearing. Another book by Robert Crouch went to Michael Fleming in third place with Eat Your Hearts Out.
Opinions can differ, of course, and in the Anderida competition judged by members in July, John Silverton won both the short story and poetry prizes, with myself runner-up in the short story section, ahead of Wendy Ogden, while Alan Turner and myself came second and third in the poetry section.
I would ask readers seeking exciting new authors to look at the reviews and endorsements enjoyed by Anderida members. Two of my crime thrillers, Triple Tease and Fall Guy, have been endorsed by best-selling writer Peter James, while Alex Hudson’s Beyond Redemption Book One, part of a historical trilogy, and Secrets Will Surface short stories have been supported by actor Brian Capron who has read them on radio. Robert Crouch is among those who have also received high praise.
Most of these books are available on Amazon. You can check them out by using the Amazon.co.uk link and entering the author’s name in the search box, such as ‘Alex Hudson’ or ‘Tony Flood’. One exception is John Silverton, for whom it is necessary to go to Google and enter Amazon uk>books>A Pearl Amongst Oysters
Friends of Anderida who have a lot to offer as authors include actor Jim Whelan with his Imposter: An Autobiography; L Victor Moore with children’s book Oily Gasbag Goes A Dancing and Roy Payton with What If….? which is aimed at inspiring young people to lead a fulfilling life.
A selection of some of the books written by Anderida Writers authors are as follows. Where the titles and pictures are clickable links you can even read a sample on Amazon before deciding to purchase :
The Fish On My Ear and other stories by Michael J Fleming
This collection of short stories looks with humour and compassion at death – past and imminent.
Stories include characters large and small, astute and foolish, pitched into situations few of us would choose.
There are similarities to Benchmarks, winner of the Chelmsford Short Story Prize, where death is a frequent visitor but solace is found in celebration. Comparisons can also be drawn to Window Gazing (runner-up in the Charleston Short Story Festival) in which the protagonist meets all his old friends on what promises to be his final journey.
A Pearl Amongst Oysters by John Silverton
A romantic and suspenseful love story beginning in England in 1976, based on a true relationship between a married Englishman, Chris Patterson, and a beautiful Chinese waitress (Fong). They fall in love but she is unaware he is married with two young children.
Chris eventually has to reveal his marriage and that, although he no longer loves his wife, he cannot bear to leave his children. Heartbroken Fong returns to Hong Kong.
Chris’s wife discovers the affair, leading to a chain of events adversely affecting all their lives, including loss of contact with Fong. Years later Chris travels to Hong Kong to search for her and rekindle their love. But she doesn’t want to be found and is hiding a secret from him.
Secrets Will Surface by Alex Hudson
This collection of short stories contains twists and turns, with mystery, humour and intrigue, to entertain and surprise – from a slice of shocking chocolate or cherry cake to a clever bit of detective work.
Mystery is provided by a shock death occurring in the home of war veteran Jacob after he cleans his gun. A young girl’s body lays on the floor – his floor, in his room, but he hadn’t fired the gun. He knew he hadn’t, why would he?
Secrets Will Surface includes a first chapter sample of Alex Hudson’s dramatic Georgian trilogy, Beyond Redemption, a tale of seduction, rejection and tragic circumstances.
No Time For Doubt by Robert Crouch
This is the 10th book in the popular Downland Murder Mystery series, which is set in the South Downs of East Sussex.
Forced to confront a past he’s tried to forget, Kent Fisher discovers crimes that could destroy what’s left of his family – crimes that were hidden almost 30 years ago.
When more murders silence those who know the truth, only one person remains to reveal what happened all those years ago. Can Kent find her before the killer makes one final strike? Or will she die, taking the truth with her?
Android Affair by Francis Wait
Inspector Anne Miller is called out late at night to a road traffic accident. A man has been knocked over by a car and appears to be dead, but is the body that of a man or a robot?
The mystery deepens when the body disappears from the coroner’s, never to be seen again. In its place is some strange message from the ‘powers that be’ to leave well alone.
Some years later the case comes up again and an ex-colleague of Anne’s is killed. Anne has retired but she won’t let the matter rest.
Poetic Wisdom by Laurie Wilkinson
Laurie Wilkinson’s 14th book Poetic Wisdom dives deep into the wisdom of poetry, giving his keen observations of the world, across four sections of living experience – romance, humour, reflection and tragedy.
The book, produced by Bad Goose Publishing, brings insights into a broad range of topics from affairs of the heart to the humour of drunken bingo callers!
The Psychy Poet (Laurie’s alias due to his expansive career working in psychiatry) is becoming more widely appreciated. He features on BBC, Magic FM and local radio stations, as well as in the Daily Mirror, Daily Mail and other publications including ETC magazine, Sussex Newspapers and the Hailsham News for whom Laurie writes monthly articles with poems.
Fall Guy is one of three stand-alone crime thrillers featuring compassionate copper DCI Harvey Livermore, of whom best-selling author Peter James says “Tony Flood’s shrewd copper Livermore continues to unravel baffling murder cases.”
George Thornhill returns home early for his fashion model wife Isabella’s 32nd birthday and finds her lying on the lounge floor, wearing only the kimono he had given her, dying from a stab wound. His attempts to save her cause him to be covered in her blood and leave his fingerprints on the murder weapon. This results in him being convicted of murder.
That is the dramatic start to an ingenious thriller in which George’s devastated sister Myra persuades DCI Livermore to reopen the case after discovering that a neighbour saw someone leave the crime scene by the back door.
Livermore checks out Myra’s suspicions about Isabella’s fraudulent and womanising brother-in-law and a stalker who had plagued the former model. Other suspects also emerge – male admirers and jealous women. It makes for a riveting story, with tension, appropriate sex and sharp, witty dialogue.
The new edition of Purple Mist, with five extra chapters, is a great read for both older children and adults.
Annique discovers she has special powers which enable her to turn the tables on three school bullies. The astonishing truth behind these powers is finally revealed on her 13th birthday. She learns she must face a far worse bully – a tyrant on another planet!
She and her friend Antony – and her dog Waggles – prepare for the biggest ordeal of their lives.
Purple Mist has been endorsed by actor Brian Capron and best-selling author Ellie Dean. Brian, who starred in Coronation Street, says: “This book is DELIGHTFUL! Don’t you love it when bullies get their comeuppance? That’s just the start to Purple Mist, a wonderful adventure story full of thrills and spills that is literally out of this world!”
Driven by Desire by The Collective
A group of seven authors each contribute one character to a unique family saga involving conflict, passion and kidnap in Italy during the 1920s.
In the aftermath of World War One. which witnesses the rapid rise of fascism and the emergence of Mussolini, five brothers and sisters inherit their father’s business. They aim to create a range of automobiles that will become the envy of an expanding global industry.
Each sibling’s desires and ambitions forge both harmony and conflict. The rifts that begin to appear are compounded by a crooked politician, illicit affairs, and the arrival of an enigmatic Italian/American billionaire, bringing with him secrets of their father’s unknown past.
Pursuing their respective goals draws contrasting attention, from silver screen stardom for the eldest daughter to a Mafia kidnapping of the second son, that holds the entire family to ransom when it is already on the brink of financial collapse.
A Resolute Child by Jacqueline S Harvey
He thinks he is untouchable… she has other ideas. His desire is power…hers is justice.
May and Ernie, two orphans, make their way through the slum of Victorian London seeking a safe place to sleep. Only ten-year-old May lives to see the morning and what she witnesses that freezing night will shape her life forever.
Wherever her path leads from the slum – to Doctor Barnardo’s Village and then to Canada – May resolves to see justice for Ernie. She could not help him then, as a child, but power and privilege will not be enough to protect Ernie’s killer. Someday, she swears, he will pay. May has no doubts…but how?
Jacqueline S Harvey’s stories in Never know… and The Witchy Woman range from comedic to dark. We may read different books depending on our moods. They can move swiftly from one to another and the brevity of these stories reflect rapid changes.
The Frog Gobbler by Paul Simmons
After many years of telling his children stories about a magic bunk bed, Paul Simmons eventually managed to write one. His fantasy adventure is aimed at the three to nine-year age group.
Once the children in The Frog Gobbler go under the covers of their bunk bed it turns into a time-travelling vehicle, complete with a cockpit, and takes them on exciting adventures.
They travel to a pirate ship and help rescue the crew of lost boys from the clutches of a fearful captain who has an insatiable appetite for eating frogs.
Illustrated by John Kimble, the story includes simple poems and songs and a variety of exotic scenes to fuel young imaginations.
A Buxton Trilogy by Patrick Chapman
A Buxton Trilogy tells of events in three distinct periods of Buxton’s history; the visits of Mary, Queen of Scots between 1573 and 1584; the great holiday resort that was the newly built Crescent in the 1790s and the place of tranquility and treatment in the early 1920s.
Imprisoned in Sheffield Castle after Queen Mary’s disastrous campaign in lowland Scotland, she consistently asked Queen Elizabeth if she could visit the natural spring baths at Buxton for her physical health and was granted five visits between 1573 and 1584.
The second account tells of the itinerant actor John Kane in 1799 and his unfortunate death in Buxton caused by him mistakenly eating hemlock with his dinner.
The third story tells of three people who visited Buxton in 1923. Albert Gibson, traumatised by his experience in the trenches, puts up in a boarding house and shoots himself. Trudie Polesdon, a passing visitor who was the last person to see Albert alive, and Persey Bradstone Smith, Albert’s former commanding officer, come together in friendship, which, unfortunately, is tainted by their experience of war.
Mystic Meanderings by Philippa Drake
Mystic Meanderings is a collection of poems which celebrate Philippa Drake’s love of sci-fi/fantasy and her fascination for “the brave new digital world in which we live”
Other books in which Philippa expresses her original thoughts include Lyrical Musings, with poems from mystical and spooky to remembrance themes, Guilded Towers and in Poetic Paradise.
The paperback of Mystic Meanderings is available on Amazon.co.uk for £8.
Soon Forgotten by L.R. Benfield
Soon Forgotten is based on a true story, written under the name of L.R. Benfield by Lena Bowling. It is the story of Sammy Clayton, who after years of mental abuse from his wife Melissa, and a marriage based on continual gaslighting, attempted to take his life. Or did he?
Sammy is taken to hospital in a terrible state, but is subject to his wife’s lies and abuses. His devoted sisters, Jill and Elaine, are at their wits end with her bizarre and uncaring behaviour.
After spending years in a care home, Sammy eventually chokes to death in the shower. A most bizarre and unusual cremation ceremony follows, involving the still vindictive wife.
Books by former Anderida members include Liz Wright’s Belle Tout – The Little Lighthouse that Moved; From Fancy Pants to Getting There; and Who’s A Chatty Boy Then? How to choose a suitable budgerigar and teach it to talk; Jill Rutherford’s Secret Samurai, Tangled Lives; and Cherry Blossoms, Sushi and Takarazuka – Seven Years In Japan; Brigitte Sumner’s Teenage Relationships – The Breakthrough Guide to Untangling Your Heart Strings; Harry Pope’s How Not to Run a Hotel; How not to Run the Same Hotel, and The Brick Monster; Whisper of the Lotus by Gabrielle Yetter; The Voyages of Captain Ned by D.H. Wells; Dorit Oliver-Wolff’s From Yellow Star to Pop Star and Behind The Smile: From Yellow Star to Pop Star; Santiago at Seventy by Maggie de Vos; Peter Sampson’s One From The Road; and Josephine McCauley’s Romano British History.
* Anyone wishing to join Anderida Writers, who welcome both would-be authors and those writing for fun, can obtain details by emailing tflood04@yahoo.co.uk
Thank you for a great article. Impressive!
Your praise is much appreciated, Tamara. A big ‘thank you’ is due to joint Unknown Kent and Sussex editor Maria Bligh for inserting links to each of the books I’ve featured in the article about Anderida authors. So any potential reader can simply click on the book title that Maria has posted in red and they will be taken to it on Amazon where a free preview is available.
Your praise for the article is much appreciated, Tamara. A big ‘thank you’ is due to Maria Bligh, the joint editor of Unknown Kent and Sussex, for inserting links to most of the books I mentioned. This means anyone clicking on a title written in red will be taken to the book on Amazon where a free preview is available.