This week Hugh of Hugh’s News and Views has asked us to share music which inspires us to write when the muse deserts us. Well my favourite piece of music to write to is from the film Gallipoli. It’s called Oxygen written and performed by Jean-Michel Jarre.

A fabulous soundtrack from an extraordinary film about Gallipoli . I have found my favourite part of the film and sound track.

Long story short.

Two Australian lads join upon WW1 both excellent runners. The video shows their story in short. The last section of the video is very poignant. No more spoilers watch the film.

This album never fails to help me.💜

Hugh always thanks Erika Kind for being the inspiration for this Challenge, I join with him 🙋 thanks Erika.

Ritual three Hunting the Tree Demon.

So peace came to pass

Twin brothers ruled the land at last.

A peace reigned and all was well

But Gilgamesh would send this soon to hell.

Enkidu begged his brother to be calm

Yet he cannot calm the giant ego bent on harm.

*********

So here I am again dancing the fates, I hold these two brothers lives in the palm of my hand. I am not alone the other fates are here too.

********

To city elders, Gods and Goddesses they appeal.

Enkidu states his fears and his brother laughs

There is no stopping a giant ego

He is deaf to all reason, will not do things by halves.

One with heavy heart into the far beyond they go.

**********

I am witness to this unfolding drama, foreboding is filling my every fibre. Gilgamesh blustering and bullying his brother traveling deeper into…

(pic by Heather Simoneau)

I had a wonderful time at my recent book reading of Gallows Hill: The Investigative Paranormal Society, Book 1 at Scheler Humanities Forum in Linderman Library at Lehigh University: Bethelehem, PA.

This was a relaxed affair, with students and colleagues in attendance. I spoke about both books in this series, including Maledicus: The Paranormal Society, Book 1.  After a brief introduction, I read several excerpts and then answered some questions.

I always enjoy this kind of event, and as you can see from the photograph, it was informal and relaxing. And the room in this remarkable library is wonderful, filled with beautiful, old bookshelves and some of the library’s collections of rare texts.

To all who attended, thank you!

And thank you to Heather Simoneau for arranging this event and creating this lovely poster!

Gallows Hill can be found here in ebook.

Gallows Hill in…

(Liz French 2016)

I had my first book reading of my horror novel Maledicus: The Investigative Paranormal Society Book I on Tuesday at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA, and it was a success! It was held in a lovely old reading room in Linderman Library, the humanities library at the university. Approximately 30 attended, and the whole event went extremely well.

(Heather Simoneau 2016)

I want to thank Heather Simoneau for arranging the event.  She is the Humanities Librarian at Lehigh University, and not only is she wonderful at helping students and faculty with research, but also she is excellent at her promotional abilities!

The reading went very well; I read excerpts from a few chapters, told some stories, and answered questions about the book and my writing. I was pleased to see a wide variety of people there, including undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, staff, and interested library patrons…

Last month the Friends of the Lehigh University Libraries hosted the Sixth Annual Harvest of Ideas at Lehigh University’s Linderman Library, in which faculty who published books over the previous year were showcased. I was deeply honored to have been one of the authors in attendance for my novel Maledicus: The Investigative Paranormal Society Book 1.

This was a lovely and genial event, and I am proud to have been a part of it. Congratulations to all the authors involved, and thank you to the Friends of the Lehigh University Libraries, to Linderman Library, and to Heather Simoneau, Humanities Librarian.

Again, to all involved, thank you!

Please follow the following links to find my novel:

ebook

Print book

Thank you!

The book trailer:

Maledicus:Investigative Paranormal Society Book I

My radio interview:

interview

I mentioned a little over a week ago that I was beginning a new series on libraries and bookstores of the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania, and I am finally making the first entry in that series. My beginning piece will feature the beautiful Linderman Library of Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA.

Linderman Library is the humanities library, and it is my favorite place on campus. I earned my M.A. and Ph.D. in English Literature at Lehigh University, and this extraordinary abode of books is a comforting and inspiring place to work. I have spent many hours doing research and writing in this safe haven for book people.

Linderman Library has many places to work, including a long reading room, which feels like something out of Hogwarts from the Harry Potter books, many nooks with desks, and one of the best features of the library–the rotunda. Several levels of books fill…

https://pixabay.com

As a resident of the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania, with Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton being the largest and most well known cities in the area, I feel that awe are blessed with an abundance of libraries and bookstores in this area.

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lehigh_Valley)

There has been much talk about readership slowing down, but I do not think that is true. I have heard statistics at the Writer’s Digest Conference this summer that approximately one million books are published every year. This number itself can vary widely depending on the source; for example, the website Worldometers says over 1,800,000 have been published this year.

(https://pixabay.com)

Additionally, the number of independent bookstores continues to rise. According to Statista, the numbers have increased from 1,651 in 2009 to 2,321 in 2017. These numbers indicate clearly a desire for books to be read.  Certainly publishing continues to  change, but readership exists.

(https://pixabay.com)

In…

I have begun a new series about the many and varied bookstores in the Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania. We, who love books, are blessed to have a wide variety of bookstores, ranging from the big names such as Barnes & Noble to many independent book stores.

For the first offering in this series, I will feature a lovely independent bookstore in Easton, Pa, one of the three main cities, including Bethlehem and Allentown, that along with many suburbs and smaller towns make up the metropolitan region of the Lehigh Valley. The growth in this area now has our population at just under 750,000 people with expectations of just under one million in the next 20 years.

Delaware River Books is on 52 South 2nd Street across from the beautiful old Post Office building. The store has several rooms that are simply crammed with wonderful books, mainly used, and it is a…