Tuesday 10 December 2013

Guest Post : Author and reader - the unbreakable bond by Evie Gaughan




Author and reader - the unbreakable bond


Evie Gaughan


I recently read a quote by American author John Cheever that said,
“I can’t write without a reader. It’s precisely like a kiss—you can’t do it alone.”
I thought that was such a lovely way to express the relationship between an author and a reader, as it describes perfectly how essential one is to the other.

Writing can be a very solitary existence, spending months or even years cooped up in your writing room, plotting storylines and creating characters to act them out. Sounds high-brow, but for the most part you’re wearing your worst baggy sweat pants, eating peanut butter from a jar and seeing housework as a ‘fun’ distraction from writer’s block! So when the time comes for your book to be published, it’s as though you are returning to the land of the living and asking the reader to participate in completing the journey. Because without a reader (or a listener), a story can never truly fulfil its’ potential, which is to be experienced, interpreted and enjoyed, by each reader in their own personal way.

If the story is good enough and people take it to their hearts, it becomes something bigger than the author. Once you hit the ‘publish’ button, your book belongs to the readers and it is their experience now. Really great books become immortalised and again, this is thanks to the readers and their dedication to finding a good story. Like any relationship, you never really know where the journey will take you; you just hope it will work out.

But of course every relationship starts with that first kiss, so pucker up people! The Cross Of Santiago is now yours to discover and enjoy. But remember that you are an important part of the experience, so if you do enjoy reading a book, tell people about it. The greatest compliment you can give a writer is to leave a review that will help other readers find the story, thereby continuing the journey and connecting the book with a wider audience. So thanks to all the readers who make writing such a rewarding experience.


The Cross of Santiago

Release date: September 16th 2013
PublisherSelf-Published


“One cross will bind two couples across four centuries.”

An ancient love story, locked in the heart of a sunken Armada ship, is destined to find its happy ending... even if it takes four hundred years.

Amanda Morrison does not believe in love or destiny, but when a long-lost aunt leaves her a mysterious golden cross in her will, her uneventful life in Galway City is turned upside down. The arrival of Xavier, a charismatic yachtsman in search of treasure and adventure, complicates life further, as their paths seem destined to cross. While Amanda tries to uncover the truth about her family’s past, a strange series of events ensues, involving drama on the high seas, hypnosis, scary sheep, Armada treasure and five-a-side football championships. Though, not all in that order. An intriguing tale of love, redemption and the power of a soul's promise.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18517138-the-cross-of-santiago


Excerpt

Chapter 31

“I am running, barefoot across the cobbles.”
“Where are you going?”
“To see Brother Thaddeus. I try to go there whenever I can, whenever father is away.”

Chris was sitting on a wicker chair that had in a former life graced his parents’ conservatory. He was sitting to the side of the treatment bed, where Amanda lay comfortably with her hands by her sides. He did not for one second take her trust for granted. However, he did feel slightly apprehensive about the fact that he had no idea what he was doing. He had read over and over the ground-breaking work of Dr. Brian Weiss in ‘Many Lives, Many Masters’, and how he had struggled to understand what was going on, despite being a trained psychiatrist. His own credentials left a lot to be desired.

Still, there was one thing Chris knew for sure; simply because there is no explanation for something, does not mean it cannot exist. They would just have to explore together and as long as Amanda was happy to continue, he would be there for her, just like he promised her brother Jay. Her soft voice broke his pensive silence.

“It’s summertime; the bog cotton is growing like little white stars on the hillside.”
 “Where are you now Amanda?” he asked.
 “Amanda? No, my name is Annora.”
Chris felt his skin prickled by a million goose bumps. He was terrified and exhilarated all at once. ‘What is going on here?’ he wondered to himself. Even her voice had changed, she was still whispering, but like a young girl. She seemed to be more innocent and naïve.

“We’re in the garden behind the monastery. The cloisters protect the herbs and keep the air still. I bring Brother Thaddeus fish from the market and he’s teaching me to read. We speak only in English or Latin, he won’t talk to me as gaeilge; he says I can learn enough of that at home.”

“And how did you meet Brother Thaddeus”, Chris asked in a conversational tone. “I told you, I bring them the fish. The Brothers won’t come to the market.” Chris’s voice grew softer and almost inaudible, while for Amanda, the sights and sounds of the medieval city grew brighter and louder. Until........
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00F7RQ0SC/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00F7RQ0SC&linkCode=as2&tag=musinofimmor-20


About the Author

Evie Gaughan is an Irish author based in Galway City, where she finds much of her inspiration. Influenced by writers such as Maeve Binchy and Diana Gabaldon, Evie has crafted her own unique writing style that is warm, engaging and full of humour. She has published several short stories, poems and feature articles and works as a freelance writer.
When not writing, Evie likes to paint and has many works exhibiting in local galleries and on-line. A self-confessed crafter, her Galway home is full of hand-made designs. Evie is currently working on her second novel.



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