The Greatest Fantasy Tale Ever Written #OurAuthorGang

The Children’s Book That Grew Into The Greatest Fantasy Tale Ever Written

Post by Rick Haynes

http://www.rickhaynesauthor.com/

Picture credit: http://quotesideas.com/top-quotes-from-lord-of-the-rings-with-images-wallpapers/

Why would a genius create such a large book of over 95,000 words for youngsters? Did J.R.R.Tolkien really write The Hobbit just for his children, or was he experimenting, stretching his imagination in his literary world? By all accounts it was probably a bit of both, but I doubt that Tolkien realised what he had created with the Hobbit, that it would become the precursor for a truly epic fantasy tale that is now the stuff of legends. Or, did he plan it that way?

I was given a copy of The Lord Of The Rings for my birthday, and I wanted to dive right in, but everyone told me to wait, and read The Hobbit first. Being pig headed at the time, I took no notice, which, as it turned out, wasn’t the smartest decision I’ve ever made. Lifting the book for long periods made my arms ache, which wasn’t surprising with about 1200 pages to hold, and over 455,000 words to read? And yes, I did have a hard backed copy. Yet that wasn’t a big problem as the words jumped out from every page and I began to enjoy myself. Though, If I’d read The Hobbit first, I’d have known more about the precious ring and the dwarves, and I wouldn’t have scratched my head so often wondering what happened previously. I found the long descriptive passages a bit tedious for my tastes, but I ploughed on, and my mind wandered into the tale. Yet, like a fish on a very long line I was slowly being reeled in from the depths and into the light. I began to understand the style, the richness of the words, and the array of wonderful characters that seemed to jump out from every page. I could no longer resist, for I was well and truly hooked reading the leather bound masterpiece.
A genius needs flair, a vivid imagination, talent and knowledge. Tolkien had all four, but he also carried out much research which enabled him to choose some unforgettable characters.

Here are a few of the many Norse and Old English names in the book.
Gandalf – Old Norse – meaning an Elf with a staff.
Frodo – A Norse King called Frodi.
Mordor – Old English – usually meaning murder.
Sauron – Old Norse – meaning abominable.
Sauraman – Old English – meaning a cunning man.

And it’s these names and others that captivated me, urging me to turn the pages. There was many a time when a planned quick read in bed, turned out to be a marathon session into the wee hours of the morning. The depth of the story could only come from a man with an imagination far beyond most other writers of his time, and probably even now.

I met others, as bleary eyed as me, all full of praise for the great man. Some said that the book was too long, others that it was too short, but all were of one accord. The book was the best they had ever read, and I didn’t disagree.

To me, J.R.R.Tolkien is the master of epic fantasy and The Lord Of The Rings his masterpiece. As he looks down from his writing study in the sky, I’m sure he is delighted that so many people love his work, but I am also certain that he never believed his magnificent book would become so successful.
But as often happens, not every cloud has that silver lining, especially when the film makers arrive. And just like me, they looked at the big book first.

The Lord Of The Rings was a massive hit at the box office, and that’s mainly down to the efforts of the director, Peter Jackson. He wanted those around him to be fans of the book, and to help him make a film that was as close as possible to the original story. It was, and still is, a great film. The casting was brilliant; the storyline mirrored the book, and the special effects were superb. I think Peter Jackson did a pretty good job.

The Hobbit was a different matter. Making three films from a short book, only made sense to those wishing to make money, and they did, for greed overcame common sense. The first film was a bore, the second improved, the third better still. I tried to love the films, I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt, but the harder I tried, the more my disappointment grew. The trilogy was simply way too long.

If you want to really enjoy the work of the master, ignore the films, and open the books instead. Let your imaginative juices flow through your heart and soul as you read the words. Naturally I don’t want you to make my mistake, so do read The Hobbit first. Think of it as your hors d'oeuvre. Then you’ll be ready to devour the main course, although a few sessions at the gym to build up your arm muscles may help with your long reading sessions. And once you’ve finished The Lord Of The Rings, leave it for a few months, and read it again. I guarantee that you’ll spot so much that you missed first time around.

Tolkien has left a magnificent legacy for all of us to enjoy.
So what are you waiting for?
Go! Read! Enjoy!
I thank you J.R.R.Tolkien, for being my unlikely mentor.
http://www.rickhaynesauthor.com/

Drobble, Drabble and Drickel #OurAuthorGang

Drobble, Drabble and Drickel

by Rick Haynes

http://www.rickhaynesauthor.com/

Photo provided by the author

Hi everyone. I’ve been thinking about something a little different, something to tax the brain in the art of word - pruning. I don’t know if my idea has been done before, but here goes.

I wrote a story of 200 words, then challenged myself to condense into Drabble format, and again to reduce it to Drickel size (note the rick in Drickel – I can hear the groans from here – LOL). So I have a Drobble of exactly 200 words, A Drabble of exactly 100 words and, you guessed it, A Drickel of exactly 25 words. Please note that Drobbles and Drickels are figments of my imagination after one or two glasses of Southern comfort, although I guess they could be real now.

It was a much harder exercise than I thought but well worth the effort. Have a go and see how you get on; go on I dare you.

The title is Conclusion Jump

CONCLUSION JUMP - 200 WORDS DROBBLE

The last rays of the sun were slowly dipping away leaving a rose coloured tint to the sky in their wake. The birds had vanished, the trees silent. Occupants had left their homes unlocked, the doors wide open in their haste to depart. Even the gentle breeze had died away as the village on the hill lay empty, bereft of all life.

The remaining villagers had departed two days ago as fear overcame resolve, for the plague had spread from village to village, and bodies lay strewn over the cobbled streets. Even the priest refused to bury them, much to the angst of his followers.

Several farms had taken in relatives and friends, but wandering families had found little food elsewhere. The piecing screams of children could be heard all around, yet nothing could be done to assuage their hunger or cure their malady.

“I can’t read any more of this utter drivel. What has this to do with modern day farming? Who wrote this?” The man in black directed his anger at the author silently waiting in the far corner.
“I did,” the author said softly.

“It’s rubbish,” the actor retorted.

“Not surprising really. You’re reading the wrong script.”

CONCLUSION JUMP - 100 WOODS DRABBLE 

The last rays of the sun were slowly dipping away leaving behind a rose coloured tint in the sky. The birds had vanished, the trees silent. Even the gentle breeze had disappeared as the village lay empty, bereft of all life.

The plague had spread far, and many bodies lay strewn on the cobbled streets.

 “What has this to do with modern day farming? Who wrote this utter drivel?” The reader directed his anger at the author in the far corner.

“I did,” the author said softly.

“It’s rubbish,” the actor retorted.

“Not surprising really. You’re reading the wrong script.”

CONCLUSION JUMP - 25 WORDS DRICKEL

The village was empty, bereft of life.

The plague had spread, bodies lay everywhere.

“What rubbish,” the actor said.

“Unsurprising. You’re reading the wrong script.”

2 pictures to follow. Thanks for everything and have a good party tonight.

http://www.rickhaynesauthor.com/
https://www.amazon.com/Rick-Haynes/e/B00CK8IXFO/
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rick-Haynes/e/B00CK8IXFO/

Andy McNab Night #OurAuthorGang

ANDY McNAB NIGHT

By Rick Haynes

The Portsmouth Hub in England arranged a fantastic evening on the 27th of October 2016, with a talk by Andy McNab, not his real name, who served as a trooper with the SAS. He proudly told us that he was the 38th bestselling author in the UK, ever, and gave the audience a brief history of his life.
I met him beforehand and it was obvious that his attitude was down-to-earth and positive. He also signed my copy of his book, Crossfire.

Andy McNab has written an amazing 46 books - 24 fiction, 6 nonfiction and 16 for young adults. I asked him whether he has a set plan when he writes. No, he says, before saying that he starts in January, aims to knock out 80k-90k words by Easter, and then it's over to his publisher for publication in June. As he explains - I write a prologue, a three-act book, and end with a short epilogue, and bugger off before anyone gets bored.

What do you get when a baby boy is dropped off in a Harrods shopping bag on the steps of Guys Hospital in London, is adopted, allowed to do whatever he wants, turns to burglary, sent to borstal, and ends up in the army?

Perfect infantry material.

He recalled the day his life changed when an officer in the Royal Green Jackets spoke to all the new recruits.

“Those in the school next door, think you lot are ignorant. They’re right. They also think you’re stupid, they’re wrong. You’re only ignorant because no one has taught you. That changes today.”
As Andy told us, he loved page 3 of the Sun newspaper, for he didn’t need to read to see the pictures of the semi-naked models. As words meant nothing, he invented his own. He recalled the time that he sat up in bed after reading his first Janet and John book and shouted. “I can read.” He grinned as her remembered the officer telling him that’s exactly what would happen some months previously.
I loved the description of the 3 pieces of toilet paper per recruit order. He was told to use, one up – one down – and one to shine your bum.

Over the next few years, he served several tours in Ireland, winning the Military Medal (he later won the Distinguished Service Medal as well) before wanting a new challenge.

And here Andy destroyed the myth about the special application to join the SAS. “You fill in a simple form and send it off. In due course, you get a simple reply. Turn up at this time at this place and you will then be judged on whether you can pass selection.” He failed the first time but nailed the second attempt, and became a member of the Air Assault Group, B Squadron, where he served for nine years.

He worked in drug operations, counter-terrorism and undercover work in many parts of the globe, as well as becoming an army instructor.

Yet Andy McNab really came into the public eye after his exploits in the 1st Iraqi war.
Bravo Two Zero was the call sign for an SAS patrol deployed into the deserts of Iraq, in January 1991. They were there to set up an observation post to check the MSR - main supply route - from Bagdad to the North West, as well as cutting a communications line. Destroying mobile rocket -launchers was also in their brief, but finding them would be next to impossible as their designated area was about 160 miles.

In the eight-man team of Bravo 2 Zero, three died, one escaped and the others, including Andy, were finally released, yet all suffered many injuries. He glosses over the details of his incarceration, and who would blame him due to the horrendous torture the team had to endure.

Andy jumped at the chance to turn his experiences into a book.

Bravo Two Zero was his first book, and as he put it, “They asked me to write my account, and I said, why not?” This is a feature of Andy McNab’s thoughts. “If they ask me to write another book, I’d be stupid to say no, so I respond with, why not?”

Needing to pay off his mortgage, Andy decided to take a good pay off and to once more fight drug gangs in Colombia, but the book offer changed his mind, it was less dangerous.

Since then he has traveled extensively, either giving technical advice on movie sets like HEAT, assistance to film crews in hostile environments or being part of a team that walked to the south pole not that long ago. His next plans include climbing a mountain in the Arctic Circle apparently.
He is continuing to write books and told us that he had just signed up for another three-year deal. Clearly, he is one man that cannot sit still for too long.

Near the end of his talk, he spoke about psychopaths in general before taking us on a trip inside his head. He used the following as an example of how his own mind works.

“If I have a secretary and she tells me that her cat has died, I don’t care. It means nothing to me. However my mind tells me to do something, like buy her some chocolates, because I know she’s upset, but as for the cat, I don’t care.”

Andy describes this as cold empathy. His brain has been scanned apparently, and this confirms the emotion or lack of it. I thought about this and came to a conclusion. If you are working in an environment where death is a possibility every day, then surely you begin to distance yourself from nice thoughts, for you concentrate solely on personal survival. You become immune to all the blood and gore and do the job in hand.

That’s my view, yours may be different.
But I know one thing, with people like Andy McNab around, I’ll feel safer in any future crisis.

Rick Haynes
Blog: http://www.rickhaynesauthor.com/
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Rick-Haynes/e/B00CK8IXFO/
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rick-Haynes/e/B00CK8IXFO/

This Is Me #OurAuthorGang

Rick Haynes

http://www.rickhaynesauthor.com/

I was born in South London, England, not long after the end of the Second World War. My family was poor, but I never knew because my childhood was fun. I was always outside, playing in the street. I was happy.

I passed the 11+ exams and was lucky enough to be offered a place at a local grammar school, but any desire to read was lost in a world of sport and watching those strange and beautiful creatures - girls. 

My sister gave me a copy of The Devil Rides Out by Dennis Wheatley, a story of the occult and black magic. Risqué it was for a thirteen-year-old, but a revelation. Yet even though I had to study English Literature, general reading still didn’t grab me at all. 

I left school and little changed until, in my 30’s, I read the book that would engulf me. It took a long time to read The Lord of the Rings, longer to understand it and even today - having read it 7 or 8 times - I find bits that I have missed. I began to devour books, gobbling them up one after another. Anne McCaffery with her dragons, Isaac Asimov with his robots, Brian Herbert with his giant sand worms, I was hooked, but once again as the years passed my interest in reading faded.

In my 50’s an author appeared who would subsequently change my reading life forever. I read a book about a hero, Druss, a giant with a code of honour, and my love of David Gemmell’s work exploded. 

Like a kid I fell under the spell of pure imagination, yet whilst I still had no desire to write, I’d fallen in love with reading once more. I collected all his books and have read them many times since.

But time waits for no one and my body started the downward spiral into decay. I was diagnosed with cervical spondylitis in the neck in 2006 and was forced to give up my job that I loved, due to the pain, but I wasn’t finished at the hospital, not by a long way. I went so many times that they nearly gave me my own parking space. As if? But as a substitute, they did give me a lollipop for being a good boy.

In all, I had 7 knee ops, 2 shoulder ops, several injections in my neck and was diagnosed asthmatic.  

Why is it they give you a nice shiny metal knee and forget the oil can? My knee squeaks louder than a horde of mice at times. 

After so many months of housebound imprisonment, I was sitting in the lounge, feeling sorry for myself and going stir crazy as the walls closed in. I shouted, asking my wife where I should go, to release me from my incarceration.

‘Try the kitchen,’ she said. 

‘Come on love, what should I do?’ I asked seriously.

‘Try the washing up,’ she said. That didn’t go down too well either.

But then my beloved suggested that I write my feelings down. It was that wonderful light bulb moment. I was up the stairs just faster than a snail, and I started typing. Only I couldn’t type - and I still can’t even now - but I’m a tenacious sod and I refused to give in.

I eventually wrote a diary of getting old. I had no idea what to do next but a new local writing group had started and I joined. Full of pride, I showed them my diary. Euphoria lasted just 5 minutes as I saw their faces. They were trying to be kind but sympathy was written all over their faces.  My writing was crap; I was crap. I did the only thing that I could. I listened, learned and spread my wings through the written word. My teacher was very inspirational and her style of teaching suited my fledging career perfectly.

I started writing Drabbles, those little 100 word gems, and won an international Drabble competition. 

SPECTRAL MORNING by Rick Haynes

As the dew gently caressed the leaves in the wood, a soft light slowly grew in luminance. The coalescing sparkles began to take the shape of a young girl. A pure white gown swished and swirled around her as she moved towards the graveyard, her slender feet leaving no tracks in the soft soil. 

The fresh grave had been hastily refilled but all her attention was focused on the sobbing cries of a terrified infant.

Holding out her hands to the cold earth, she spoke soothingly.

“Come forth you beautiful child, for I will take you to your true home.”

From that I got my first break. Four authors had decided to write an adult story for Halloween, Drabble style, but one pulled out and I was invited. It’s a naughty, sexy, adult tale, as you can guess from the name of my character HumpZeLot. I was way out of my comfort zone but it was great fun to write, and all the proceeds went to a charity.

My confidence grew. Along came a novella for all the family, short stories and eventually two novels.

Yet being an author is not all a bed of roses as you can’t please everyone. For those that want me to change, I say this - throw money at me, lots of it, and I’ll think about it.

Thanks to Tolkien and Gemmell, my passion is heroic fantasy, but writing my first novel, Evil Never Dies scarred me to death. Maybe the title had something to do with it. I remember talking to myself. ‘How do I start? Where do I start?’ I had the shakes, the trembling and the panic as it suddenly hit me that I was writing a novel. In the end, the answer was simple. I found the right cover and drew a map of my imaginary world, and then I was up and running like a three legged donkey. The imagination flowed, I became a recluse, and divorce papers were issued. 

Eventually, Evil Never Dies was professionally edited and published. We took a holiday as my wonderful wife needed a break more than I did. How she puts up with me is beyond all logic and I love her dearly for all her wonderful support. 

I am pleased to say that so far it has received 15 reviews all 4 or 5 star. And it made my day when 2 top reviewers likened by book to those of the great David Gemmell.

After a good break, to recharge my batteries, I started the follow-up but had no idea where it was going. Heroes Never Fade is the 2nd in the Maxilla trilogy but is a standalone book. It follows on about one year after the first book. It’s once more a tale of good and evil, yet shows that all men and women are flawed, for I show that war brings out the best and the worst in even the gentlest of folk. Once more a reviewer has compared my work to that of David Gemmell, but this time it was an Amazon top 500 reviewer after reading Heroes Never Fade. My head is currently in the clouds but with much humility.

Heroes Never Fade has.

Short chapters – I want you to keep turning the pages.

Strong male and female characters – I want you to emphasize with them.

Many twists – It’s a good job I have an editor who loves my genre.

As one well-respected reviewer posted, “To say it is a well- researched book shows how believably the characters, both human and fantasy, have been created. A definite 5* for fans of the genre, and highly recommended for other lesser mortals.”

That is a tiny insight into the world of my creation as all is never as it seems.

When I finished the book and it had been edited, my mind refused to function. It was if all my imagination had been used up as my head was as empty as a new dustbin. Once devoid of all superfluous thought my brain initially failed to respond to a long list of chores that I had promised to do over the previous 12 months. What a pity. I thought I’d got away with it. 

I’ll continue to write until my time is up, for the power of my imagination is beyond measure and I love to see my words on paper. Like tiny seeds, they gradually grow and blossom into one magnificent tree.

I always say this to my wife. This time next year love, we’ll be millionaires, so I’ll leave you with this thought.

If you don’t have dreams, how can they ever come true?

Thanks very much for reading. Please let me know what you think.

Love and laughter. 

Rick.

Heroic fantasy

https://www.amazon.com/EVIL-NEVER-DIES-MAXILLA-TALES-ebook/dp/B011GP1LQO/

Heroic fantasy

https://www.amazon.com/Heroes-Never-Fade-Maxilla-Book-ebook/dp/B06XYS1RBX/

Humorous fiction

https://www.amazon.com/CHOCOLATE-CHUNKS-CRAZY-CRETE-Haynes-ebook/dp/B01M7WRPSF/

Pick a Book #OurAuthorGang

We need your honest opinion

Usually, books either get praise or negative opinion from readers in the form of reviews.

This time we ask the readers to give us constructive criticism about how our books are presented on selling sites. 

The authors agonize over the book title until they find the perfect one but it's not necessarily sound perfect to the readers.

The authors think about what the book cover should look like and exchange fifty or so emails with the book cover artist until they find the best color, composition, and the type of fonts to use. It might look perfect to the author and artist but it might not grab the reader's attention.

In my experience, writing the best blurb, that is short, enticing, and catchy, besides finding readers to read my books, is one of the hardest part of publishing. I often joke about it that I'd rather write a novella than a blurb for a novel, but it's true. What sounds good to me is not necessarily sound intriguing enough to readers.

Today we're asking readers to help us with your constructive criticism to improve the presentation of our books.

Pick a Book

Pick the cover that grabs you at first glance.

Click on the link below the book, read the blurb and preview on the selling site.

Come back and tell us in comment what you liked or didn't like about the book presentation.

Your opinion about the book titles, covers, and book descriptions will

help the authors to improve the presentation of their books.

Thank you in the name of every author in Our Author Gang!

ROMANCE BOOKS

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01581XM50

http://www.amazon.com/Princess-Light-N/dp/1502438453 

FANTASY BOOKS

https://books2read.com/u/bP1xDd

https://books2read.com/u/me0jGZ

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004NNUYLK

https://www.amazon.com/Mad-Shadows-II-Dowser-Serpent-ebook/dp/B01MT620ZU

https://www.amazon.com/Three-Against-Stars-Joe-Bonadonna/dp/0615734979

https://www.amazon.com/Waters-Darkness-Dave-Smith/dp/1615729127

https://www.amazon.com/Du-Lac-Chronicles-Book-ebook/dp/B01CDK2MK0

https://www.amazon.com/Pitchfork-Rebellion-Lac-Chronicles-Novella-ebook/dp/B01ENJONZQ

https://www.amazon.com/Du-Lac-Devil-Book-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B01N0FW1RU

https://www.amazon.com/Heroes-Never-Fade-Maxilla-Book-ebook/dp/B06XYS1RBX/

https://www.amazon.com/EVIL-NEVER-DIES-MAXILLA-TALES-ebook/dp/B011GP1LQO/

books2read.com/u/mYRXJW

YOUNG ADULT AND CHILDREN'S BOOKS

books2read.com/u/bzp98G

https://www.amazon.com/Thirsty-Water-Short-N-Light-ebook/dp/B00O98EL3Q

https://books2read.com/u/bxg0Qq

https://books2read.com/u/mdKQdW

https://books2read.com/u/bo602Z

https://books2read.com/u/mlKolP

https://books2read.com/u/4jKZP2

https://books2read.com/u/bo608Z 

https://www.createspace.com/6923984

NON-FICTION, HUMOR, POETRY

https://www.amazon.com/Fulfill-Your-Dreams-Cristina-Grau/dp/1518856683

https://www.amazon.com/CHOCOLATE-CHUNKS-CRAZY-CRETE-Haynes-ebook/dp/B01M7WRPSF/

https://www.amazon.com/Poetry-Love-Engagement-N-Light-ebook/dp/B01M13IKRH

 SPANISH BOOKS

https://www.amazon.com/Realiza-suenos-Spanish-Cristina-Grau-ebook/dp/B01N74LJZB/

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KQUCEPC

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XWBHMK8

https://books2read.com/u/3neQ2K

Thank you for your time!

Your opinion about the book titles, covers, and book descriptions

help the authors to improve the presentation of their books.

Goofy Post Day at #OurAuthorGang

By Erika

My idea of dressing up had always been comfi, faded jeans and t-shirt since I was a very young child. My mother's idea, on the other hand, was fluffy dresses, adorned with lots of lace, and huge bows in my hair. Gosh, I hated those bows! I remember the day when this picture was taken in the photographer's studio.

I felt miserable, and it shows in the picture. No matter what my mom promised or even threatened to take away, I refused to smile.

Mom didn't give up to have a perfect picture taken of me dressed in her favorite outfit, so when we got home, she made me pose under the acacia tree that was filled with flowers. Unnoticed by her because she was busy setting the camera, I inched my way closer and closer to the tree branches.

To my great satisfaction, the hated bow got caught and tangled in the branch and when I yanked my head, the sharp thorns ripped the silk bow to shreds.

One glance at mom's angry eyebrows told me I was in big trouble, so I started running toward the front porch to reach the safety of my dad's embrace that always saved me from my mother's wrath. But in my haste, I stepped into the dog's water bowl, skidded, and fell into the muddy flower bed that dad just finished watering. My fluffy dress was ruined but the pitiful look on my face must have softened mom's anger because she quietly put the camera away and never again forced me to wear the enormous bows and fluffy dresses.

By Rick

Here I sit, all alone on our faded cream sofa. 

My feet are hanging over one of the dark wooden arms, as my hand grasps the tumbler ever tighter. 

The half-empty bottle on the coffee table speaks volumes, as my eyes shed droplets like the whiskey tears running down the outside of the glass.

Was it only last week that she packed her bags and left, clearing out the bank account on her way to meet her new lover?

Someone I knew so very, very well; my mate and my best friend. 

I really, really . . . miss him.

 

"I wonder what's closer. The moon, or China."

"The moon."

"How do you know?"

"Duh! I can see the moon!"

Picture credit: the author's own photos, and created by the author using purchased Adobe or Fotolia photos

COMMENTS

Erika M Szabo

1 year ago  -  Our Author Gang (Discussion)

 

https://asmallgangofauthors.blogspot.com/2017/06/goofy-post-day-at-ourauthorgang.html

 

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Reply

Joe Bonadonna via Google+

1 year ago  -  Shared publicly

 

And now, for something completely different, it's Goofy Post Day today on our A Small Gang of Authors shared-blog!
https://asmallgangofauthors.blogspot.com/2017/06/goofy-post-day-at-ourauthorgang.html

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Mackenzie Flohr

1 year ago

 

Great story, Erika! My Mom used to dress me into pretty dresses when I was younger, too, and I absolutely hated it as well. I don't own a single dress now.

Erika M Szabo

1 year ago

 

LOL, I have one evening gown that I wear once or twice a year when I really must. My favorite outfit remained jeans and t-shirt, but I wear slacks and simple blouses when I need to "dress up" :)

Firetulip

1 year ago

 

My mom too made me clothes she took patterns out of a sewing magazines called Burda. To her defense, back in the day you couldn't find jeans and such in stores. Many people would buy them at the smugglers. It was a big business to smuggle jeans in from Italy. After the borders were opened and trade resumed, you could find anything and everything in stores. Love watching funny cats videos. All in all it's great to break away from the everyday posts and be goofy for a day.

Erika M Szabo

1 year ago

 

I agree. When we do serious work such as writing, we need a break once in a while to have some fun :)

stellacoulson

1 year ago

 

Love this, made me smile. My Mum tried to force me into jeans rather than dresses (which I loved). I hated having school pictures taken and would usually be found staring at the floor or sulking in a group pic.

Erika M Szabo

1 year ago

 

Maybe we were switched at birth Stella. You would've make my mom's dream come through having a daughter who loved dresses :)

Mary Anne Yarde

1 year ago

 

ROFL! Great post!

Erika M Szabo

1 year ago

 

Laugh is the best medicine ;)

Joe Bonadonna

1 year ago

 

These are too funny! Funny dresses? In a way, I can related. My Mom dressed me some outfits, stylish at the time for little boys, that now look like something some weird rich kid in those old, Our Gang/Little Rascals comedies of the 1930s would have worn. Stories, jokes, funny pictures and comments, and a hilarious video? This is great!

Erika M Szabo

1 year ago

 

Thanks Joe! I thought it would be nice to take a day off from serious posting about books and writing and have a fun day. Today is like a dress-down day for the blog. That bow and dress traumatized me as a kid, probably that's why my favorite outfit remained faded jeans and t-shirts :)

Erika M Szabo

1 year ago

 

Your mom was big on pretty dresses too? It is amazing how easily a child could be influenced to love or hate things.

Cristina Grau

1 year ago

 

I never made my daughter wear an organza dress or something that she did not like

Erika M Szabo

1 year ago

 

Me neither! I remembered too vividly what it felt like when I was forced to wear clothes I didn't like.

Cristina Grau

1 year ago

 

Very funny. Your article reminded me of my organza dresses.