STOP PRESS! What is it with this female? Not being content enough after having a hectic and exciting time solving, The Assassin's Village murder and mystery in Cyprus, she decided to take a holiday in lush tropical Malaysia with her husband, Steve. (He's her long-suffering, patient soul-mate and lover.) The pair checked into their country plantation hotel, luxurious and peaceful, the perfect place to relax and unwind you might think. All is going well until she is asked to take a look at some private memoirs in the possession of the hotel owner, the mysterious Miss Chalcot… ...At first Diana hesitates. After all she is on holiday and both she and Steve deserve a rest…but not for long. Miss Chalcot whets Diana’s appetite for mystery when she hints at past events; skirmishes with insurgent terrorists, illicit love and were certain deaths, murder or misadventure? Diana meets, Children of The Plantation; a spooky child, a family saga set in 1950's and 1960's Malaysia leading to the present, mystery, unrequited love, unexplained deaths, and illicit sex - what more can our heroine ask for? Children Of The Plantation Prologue Opening the kitchen door, she spotted a vixen standing near the refuse bin. Hermione clapped her hands, and it shot through the hedge at the bottom of the garden. Hermione's heart was thudding in her breast as she considered what next to do. Casting a look around, she gave thanks that the clouds scudding overhead made it a dark night. This had to be done in complete privacy. Giving herself a mental shake, she crossed the damp grass to the shed and picked up a spade. A clod of earth still clung to the sharp blade from where she had been digging in her vegetable patch earlier that afternoon. It seemed such a long time ago now. She paused, still not completely certain she was doing the right thing. Making up her mind, she walked over to the newly turned earth. The air smelt fresh after the rain shower, and a light breeze blew the mixed garden scents her way while she dug. The hole was to be small but deep, especially as she had just driven the fox off. Satisfied, she stood back and peered down into the soft loamy material, a sorry place for such a pathetic bundle. 0011Sick at heart, but knowing they had no choice, Hermione laid down her spade and walked back into the kitchen. She picked up the tightly wrapped package and carried it outside; it weighed no more than a couple of pounds as she gently laid it down into the hole. Covering it with fresh earth, she scattered pebbles around and knelt on the grass. Had there been any other choice? Whatever were they going to tell him when the time came? About the Book: Children of The Plantation will be first published as an eBook and later as a paperback by Topsails Charter. As a special lead-in price (eBook) and a Thank You to my friends and followers it will be offered to you first for $0.99c for the first month. All I ask is (when you've bought your copy) if you have the time to please write me a fair review. Thanks! About the Author: Faith Mortimer was born in England. Her father was in the Royal Air Force and from the tender age of five, Faith learned the meaning of travel and living in different parts of our beautiful world. Faith now spends her time between England and Cyprus where she lives with her husband. She’s filled her life with different careers, Registered nurse, entrepreneur and writer. She loves the outdoors, acting and writing. She has written two other bestselling novels and a short story collection. Visit Faith Mortimer’s website for more information.
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I am happy to present this extremely interesting artifact from the archives of the National Unbelievable Foundation of Filmmaking (NUFF) that was recently uncovered stuck behind a towel dispenser when workmen were redoing the rest rooms at the South Park McDonalds — one of the original McDonalds from the 1950s. An expert at NUFF said that, originally hand-printed on composition notebook paper and written in the form of a TV script, this piece is a classic example of a 1950s Catholic school punishment assignment. There you have it! Enjoy! INT. ST. CATHERINE’S SCHOOL - SISTER CARMELLA’S CLASSROOM – LATE AFTERNOON Several students from Sister Jeanne Lorette’s sixth grade class are in the front of a classroom of eighth graders, preparing for their weekly TV show. A semicircle of five wooden chairs has been positioned opposite one other chair. Two students are setting up the "camera" which is a large cardboard box on a stand with a funnel sticking out one end. One student has a makeshift clapboard and is pacing about, practicing saying "action." Another, obviously the director with a clipboard, is telling the others what to do while trying to arrange the chairs perfectly. The announcer is practicing her lines. The eighth graders are politely waiting for the show to begin, having given up their last period Latin class to allow the sixth graders to put on their show. Sister Carmella and Sister Jeanne Lorette are standing quietly in the back of the room. SISTER JEANNE LORETTE Let’s begin. CLAPPER Action! ANNOUNCER Welcome to the Kids of St. Catherine’s Show, the only weekly TV show produced, directed, and hosted by the sixth grade of St. Catherine’s School. A snicker from the back of the classroom draws a clearing of the throat by Sister Carmella, followed by silence. ANNOUNCER Our host today is the sixth grade, straight-A student Frankie Marx. Ladies and gentlemen, Frankie Marx! Frankie Marx enters, dressed in sports jacket, tie, and black penny loafers with a shiny new dime in each. The two nuns begin to clap and the eighth graders join in halfhearted applause. FRANKIE Thank you, thank you, and welcome to the show. We appreciate your taking the time out of your otherwise boring and pointless day to listen to someone obviously your intellectual superior. There is an awkward, dead silence, and then a single cough from the back. Sister Jeanne Lorette is shaking her head. Frankie clears his throat and adjusts his tie. FRANKIE As I was saying, today’s guests are the Ryans, not by my choice, but they are here nonetheless. They live on Caswell Drive and all five of them are students here. How exciting is that? Without further ado, please welcome Mary, Kate, Sam, Harry, and Tom Ryan. The director holds up an applause sign and the students begin to clap. The classroom door opens and the Ryans enter, led by Tom. The director points them to their seats. Frankie sits down across from them. FRANKIE Please introduce yourselves to the studio audience. Each stands up in turn and says their full name. Tom is the last to speak. He faces the eighth graders. TOM I’m Tom Ryan. I was the one they blamed when someone closed all the windows and let a few thousand caterpillars loose in your room last week. They made me clean them up, including all the guts you guys squished on the floor, but I didn’t do it and they could never prove it. Thanks a lot. VOICE FROM THE BACK Nice going, Ryan! SISTER CARMELLA Thank you for volunteering to clean all the desks after class today, Mr. Kelly. Laughter rolls across the room. Tom sits down. Frankie gestures outlandishly to the Ryans and speaks. FRANKIE Tell us, what brings you on the show today? TOM They made us, Frankie. Remember? It’s part of my punishment. HARRY Can I wave to Mom and Dad, Tommy? KATE It’s just a pretend TV you little goof. HARRY Then why are we here, Katie?" SAM (whispering) The book, Harry, the book. FRANKIE Yes, the book. Specifically, this book, the one you call the "Book of Tom." The director hands Frankie a composition notebook: TOM Hey, give me that. That’s mine. He grabs it from Frankie. FRANKIE Yes, it’s part of your punishment from Sister Jeanne Lorette, isn’t it? TOM You better not have read any of it, Frankie. You see what it says there, right? I’ll pound you. I mean it. FRANKIE Yes, I read your idle threats. Why would I bother to read your ridiculous homework? SAM You take that back, Frankie. Tom’s journal isn’t punishment and it isn’t ridiculous. It’s a story about us. FRANKIE Oh yes, the infamous Caswell Gang, with your silly hats, and your secret handshakes, and… SISTER JEANNE LORETTE Frankie… Tom… back to the script, please. FRANKIE AND TOM IN UNISON Yes, Sister. FRANKIE So, tell us about the story, Tom. What’s so special about it? TOM That’s for me to know and for you to find out. MARY Tell him about the Pink Lady, Tom. TOM Ixnay on the ady-Lay, Mary. HARRY But I like your story, Tommy. TOM Fine. You tell it. Frankie turns to the studio audience and stands up. FRANKIE Ladies and Gentlemen. I now present Harry Ryan telling us the story of A King in a Court of Fools. Harry stands up. Applause. Fade to the story of A King in a Court of Fools. I hope you have enjoyed this little bit of humor about the newly published work, A King in a Court of Fools, by Larry Enright. About the book: A King in a Court of Fools, originally published as a serial novel, is Larry Enright’s second published work. It is humorous, nostalgic fiction about kids growing up in the 1950s and has been already enjoyed by ages ten through ninety-one. It is available in both eBook and paperback from Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com. Click for details to purchase or sample A King in a Court of Fools. About the author: Larry Enright was born to Irish Catholic first-generation immigrants and raised in Pittsburgh. After college, he moved to the Philadelphia area where for the past 40 years he has filled his life with many careers including musician, teacher, programmer, researcher, and writer. He has written three other novels, including the best-selling Four Years from Home. Visit Larry Enright's site. |
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