“I'm thoroughly enjoying your book ... your presentation of the English language and story telling is magical.”
Dr Katrina W., Leopold, Australia
“I read your book, couldn't put it down really! I'd read until my eyes said NO MORE! I just admire greatly your way of weaving the past and the present so skilfully, crossing them over like a beautiful tapestry.”
Cath W., Queenscliff, Australia
"This is a fun and entertaining manuscript. The characters are fabulous, as is the storyline. I am impressed with your imagination, writing skills, and storytelling ability. The readers will truly love this material."
The Writers Literary & Publishing Service, USA
MY BOOK: NARRATIVE NON-FICTION or MEMOIR
TITLE: 'VOW OF SILENCE'
SUB-TITLED: 'A true mystery adventure romance ... of princes & paupers & the meaning of life.'
LOCATIONS: New York, Regency England, Australia, New Zealand & Northern Italy.
TIME: the present, 200 years ago.
TO ORDER: softcover edition by mail or instant download e-book click here.
When I boarded the plane in Melbourne, Australia, bound for New York with a mere $150 in my pocket, I had no idea what lay in store for me when I arrived at the other end of my flight. I would be greeted, warmly as it turned out, by a beautiful school teacher from New Jersey who I'd never met. We'd been corresponding for the past two years from opposite sides of the planet, never expecting to actually meet. I had fallen in love, at least as much as one can by snail mail and the occasional telephone call.
What happened next was beyond all my wildest dreams. For six months I lived as if I was the leading man in a romantic Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan movie. And this was only the beginning of my adventure, which took me from New Jersey to Regency England following the clues of a mystery then, a few years later, to Northern Italy being escourted to the romantic cities of Rome, Venice, Florence, Milan and the Italian Riviera by an Italian nurse with the voice of Sophia Loren. My life was never the same again.
Just weeks before I left home a strange mystery had fallen in my lap. When a 72 year-old Aussie grandmother decided to research her family tree she got rather more than she bargained for. She uncovers three secret messages passed down through the family, with clues to a mystery that make no sense. They lead her to two social extremes: servants and bed makers at Oxford University back in the 18th century and, surprisingly, to the Prince of Wales' first three lovers.
Then I too become caught up in the drama which unfolds even as I write the story of my own adventures of the past 10 years, of bankruptcy and my struggle to survive living in a friend's old caravan parked by the roadside in the Aussie bush.
My story moves between the present and the past for the first half of the book and eventually merge into one. There are other historical personages who, although relatively unknown, played significant roles on the world stage some 200 years ago, unsung heroes who have stories which need to be told. Fascinating stories emerge of early links with the Australian aborigines and the New Zealand maori.
Throughout the book I share with the reader my experiences and my ongoing adventure even as events occur. Now and again life lessons and spiritual truths surface, always within the context of the narrative. To order click here.
NUMBER OF CHAPTERS: 28 plus 2 appendices.
Preface ~ Dr Desailly's Secret ~ The Actress and the Prince ~ The Ghost of Granny Fitz ~ The Courtesan and the Catholic Widow ~ Florence's Family Secret ~ The Prince's Secret Marriage ~ The Mystery of the 'Mary Ann' ~ The Lieutenant Without a Past ~ The End of the Road ~ The 'Lady Nelson' Affair ~ The Three Bears' Cottage ~ Chief Ti-Pahi and the Maori Episode ~ An Angel Appears ~ Bligh Rocks the Boat ~ Italy in the Aussie Bush ~ Insurrection ~ A Pocketful of Miracles ~ Mutiny (Again) ~ An Unexpected Turn of Events ~ Back in Olde England ~ What Am I Doing in New York? ~ Out on a Limb ~ How Did I Get to England ~ Endings and Beginnings ~ The Sailor King ~ What Am I Doing in the North of Italy? ~ The Tasmanian Mystery ~ Mystery Solved? ~ Appendix A: The Purpose of Life ~ Appendix B: Tim's Secret
Go to this link to order your copy mailed as a softcover edition (204 pages) or download instantly as an e-book.
Illustrations courtesy Jeff a.k.a. "Wizard of Draws" Bucchino at Cartoon Clip Art
