There are over 150 authors in the Cafe and Bookstore and I wanted to keep it to key pieces of information such as buying links, recent review, website and covers. However, I know that readers also like to know more about the background of authors.
In this series during June and July I will share the bios of all the authors in the cafe in a random selection. I hope that this will introduce you to the authors in more depth and encourage you to check out their books and follow them on their blog and Twitter.
Meet Jane Sturgeon
Jane Sturgeon has been a systems analyst, trainer, technical author, painter, psychic medium, furniture restorer, de-clutterer, therapist and creative. She has lived in Africa and The States, looked after many farms, loved through two marriages, is Mum to an extraordinary young woman and loves making things. She lives next to the Mersey River where it meets the Irish Sea and shares her life with loved ones and an impressive collection of yarn.
Self-awareness is the first book in her Writing on Water series. Her creative services can be found at janesturgeon.com and more information can be found on her blog
A recent review for Writing on Water
Stuart Crowe READ AND READ AGAIN Re
A short book maybe, but certainly a thought provoking book. Certainly a book if I had read a week or so ago, I certainly would have had second thoughts about questions I asked. If I had of read it year and years ago, there would have been certainly more thoughts given to the question of where and what do I do now. A very interesting read and a little bit of an insight into someone else’s life and thought processes. A book that needs reading again.
Jane Sturgeon, Buy: Amazon UK – And : Amazon US – Follow Jane: Goodreads – blog:Jane Sturgeon WordPress – Twitter: @JaneSturgeon3
Meet Leon Stevens
Leon Stevens is a writer, composer, guitarist, songwriter, and an artist, with a Bachelor of Music and Education.
I started to write poetry and song lyrics to make sense of the world around me. Along with my poetry, I also published a book of my classical guitar compositions. I then began to blog, for much the same reasons, but has since turned into an avenue for my odd sense of humor. I enjoy making people laugh, chuckle, or at least smile a bit (it’s always hard to make someone actually laugh when they are alone). I created the cartoon “The Miniscules” ( Instagram @lines_by_leon), which is is a low res (very) avenue for my weird ideas.
During this current crisis I have been writing and composing more. “The Lockdown Hoedown (Quarantine Reel)” came about after hearing how some musicians were using the isolation as inspiration to create new works and cover songs of their favorites. Despite the name, it’s a cheery tune.
I am currently writing a series of short sci-fi stories and some post-apocalyptic tales/poems called The Knot at the End of the Rope. My short stories are influenced by the early sci-fi writers when imagination trumped technological knowledge.
One of the recent reviews for the collection by Lola of et la vie on 15th July 2020
I loved this poetry collection. It is only short and quite light-hearted, even if it deals with some deeper subjects. To be honest, I found it a breath of fresh air and it was a joy to read.
I liked the cadence of the poems a lot. The author is a musician and songwriter as well and I think some of that is reflected in the poems, which sometimes feel like pieces of lyrics in the best possible way. It was easy for me to connect to them and to visualize what the poet was talking about. A lot of them made me smile, mostly in recognition!
There are some illustrations scattered throughout that add a nice touch. At the end of a book the addition of a graphic novel element and some fragments of short stories should feel out of place, but somehow do not.
I thoroughly enjoyed this collection and I will be buying myself a physical copy. I will keep an eye out for anything else Leon Stevens publishes in the future.
Highly recommended! Lola (Link to full review on her website)
Leon Stevens, Buy: Amazon US – And: Amazon UK – follow Leon: Goodreads – Website: Lines by Leon – Twitter: @linesbyleon
Meet Bette A. Stevens
Inspired by nature and human nature, author Bette A. Stevens is a retired elementary and middle school teacher, a wife, mother of two and grandmother of eight. Stevens lives in central Maine with her husband on their 37-acre farmstead where she enjoys reading, writing, gardening, walking and reveling in the beauty of nature. She advocates for children and families, for childhood literacy and for the conservation of monarch butterflies (milkweed is the only plant that monarch caterpillars will eat). The author is currently (2019) working on two poetry collections. MY MAINE: Haiku through the Seasons (Poetry & Photography Collection (2019).
Books by Bette A. Stevens
One of the recent reviews for Dog Bone Soup on Goodreads
“Dog Bone Soup: A Boomer’s Journey” is an engaging, heartwarming, coming of age story taking place in the 1950’s and 1960’s. I vividly remember this time period where we also had one of the first televisions on our block.
The protagonist in this story is Shawn Daniels, the eldest of four children. He grows up in a poor, dysfunctional family with an alcoholic father. Many of us can relate to how alcohol addiction affects people close to us or even within our families.
Shawn’s character is inspirational in how he thrives and succeeds despite many challenges and obstacles in his life.
Bette Stevens expertly weaves “Dog Bone Soup” throughout the story. Shawn’s Mother, Henrietta, displays strength of character, persistence and deeply rooted work ethic keeping food on the table and making a home for her children. The food is often soup made from the leftover bones from the butcher. Henrietta does whatever it takes to raise her children, modelling values and expecting the best from them.
Bette Stevens also shows us how love and nurturing can come from many different people throughout a child’s life.
“Dog Bone Soup” is uplifting and enjoyable. I found myself often smiling, reading about the children’s fun games and antics.
Bette Stevens does an excellent job capturing the time period. The characters are timeless and relatable.
“Dog Bone Soup” is a beautifully written and entertaining story. I found this book captivating from the beginning to the end. I highly recommend “Dog Bone Soup” for teens and adults of all ages!
Bette A. Stevens, Buy: Amazon US – and : Amazon UK – Follow Bette: Goodreads – Blog:4 Writers and Readers – Twitter: @BetteAStevens
Thanks for dropping in today and I hope you will explore these authors and their books further.. thanks Sally.
Smorgasbord Blog Magazine 