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A Time of Goodbyes – Historical Background

The novel, ‘A Time of Goodbyes’ takes the story of Owain Thomas onwards from his young adult days in ‘The Turn of the Wheel’. The tale is of Owain and his family, amid the changing times of the late 19th Century. People in their lives come and go, as age and circumstances dictate. The story […]

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My interview with COAST – and how a novelist/ football commentator, got the gig…

    This Tuesday (16th November), Radio Aber will be broadcasting my interview with COAST band members Paul Eastham and Finlay Wells. It will be available via www.radioaber.cymru and afterwards, via a podcast. Those who have become accustomed to my novels will wonder how this all came to pass and so I thought I would […]

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A Time of Goodbyes

A Time for Goodbyes – the sequel to ‘The Turn of the Wheel’

It’s time to announce another novel! I am very pleased to announce the sequel to ‘The Turn of the Wheel’, entitled ‘A Time of Goodbyes’. The story of Owain Thomas and his family continues forward. It begins with a full house; Owain and Ceri, baby Dafydd, Mam, Owain’s sister, Myfanwy and Ceri’s twin brother, Gwilym. […]

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Eleanor Evans – the wicked witch of the D’Oyly carte ?

After the blog post about my Great-Aunt, Laura Evans-Williams, I was asked if I could do some more posts about that family – and so, I am continuing with another of my Nain’s sisters. She had two sisters and four brothers. Laura was the eldest girl. The middle sister of the brood was Eleanor. She […]

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Finnish Boys

‘Finnish Boys’ review

I recently received this review from an Estonian writer, about ‘Finnish Boys’. It does get into the book’s plot and it is refreshing to see someone else’s view of the story. Siiri ‘gets it’ in my view and has a great way of putting it too! But enough from me, make your own mind up! […]

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Blog The Turn of the Wheel

Influences and Inspirations

Did you know there are only seven stories in the world? Some would claim there are even less, but it has been acknowledged there are seven basic paths that a plot will follow in a story. These are put simply: man against man. man against nature. man against himself. man against God. man against society. […]

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Blog

Laura Evans-Williams – reflections of my great-aunt

Much has been written in modern times of ‘Hedd Wyn’, the poet/farmer from Trawsfynydd, who was posthumously awarded the chair at the 1917 National Eisteddfod in Birkenhead. Ellis Humphrey Evans was a poet of renown and answered the call to arms to save his brother being conscripted. His taken bardic name, Hedd Wyn, means ‘blessed […]

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Finnish Boys

Finnish Boys – The importance of Kautla

Kautla (pronounced Cow-tla to us Brits) is a marshy forested area in the middle of Estonia, some 60kms south east of Tallinn. Heavily wooded and in an area of many lakes, it has a serene feel to those who manage to drive the many miles down the track from nearby Ardu. What is at Kautla […]

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By the Banks of the Rheidol

By the Banks of the Rheidol: Modern day images

Following on from my post of images from key scenes of the novel Turn of the Wheel, I have produced a similar piee for By the Banks of the Rheidol. These are the actual places that inspired parts of the plot. Firstly, this is Aberystwyth, as seen from the South. Tanybwlch beach is in the […]

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Finnish Boys

Finnish Boys: Who to fight for? Who to fight?

People of my generation in Europe cannot appreciate the full emotions of all-out war. The constant pressure of conflict. The stresses of attacks without warning and not knowing the status of loved ones, who may have been posted away to places unknown. The pressures of an economy totally focussed on war and rationing of food […]