 Whilst visiting Eilat, in Israel, we border hopped into the amazing country of Jordan, to visit the ancient city of Petra. It was a very early start and the coach trip up the King's Highway took a few hours. It was a trip that would prove to be worth it though. Jordan is a great country, an expanse of dusty red/brown desert that rises and falls stretching on for endless miles, hiding some incredible history. Mountains line the roadside, only punctuated by the occasional sight of a Bedouin tent and its occupants. Arriving in Wadi Musa, the small town where Petra’s located, we joined our guide and followed him. We walked through the gates into Petra National Park and the excitement began. Nothing can truly prepare you for what you see. Neither can you truly describe to others how incredible Petra is? At first, it doesn’t seem like much as you walk a dusty, open pathway, with little on either side, save for rocky inclines. After ten minutes or so, however, you happen upon the Triclinium tomb and some Djinn blocks – ancient structures built by the Nabataeans 2000 years previously – the first sign of what’s to come. They’re impressive, but you wonder if it was worth the visit? The trip doesn’t end there though. The path continues steadily on, and suddenly it plunges down through a huge crack in the rocks, between two large edifices of pink stone, once sliced open by an earthquake. Along the path, you begin to catch remnants of ancient reliefs, carvings, cobbled flooring, and an ancient water irrigation system, as you marvel at the incredible gorge that nature created.  Suddenly, without warning, the path ends and that’s when your visit to Petra really begins. At the end of this gorge stands the impressive El Khasneh (The Treasury). An ancient temple built by the Nabataeans, and now a famous historical site. Turning to your right you suddenly discover El Khasneh’s just the first of many ancient sights to explore, as your vision fills with the remnants of ancient tombs, temples, and rock-cut houses. Experiencing Petra was something I’ll never forget. It became a huge inspiration for my first novel Nabataea (due to be republished soon as Under a Scorching Sun) and my short story I left my heart in Petra. Petra is a huge ancient city, albeit in a semi-ruinous state. It belonged to the caravan people, called the Nabataeans, who had worked the old spice road, 2000 years previously. Many of its buildings were carved directly into the rock face meaning they haven’t been destroyed by earthquakes, and are still visible. Some are a little sand and windblown though. Sadly, not all the city survived though and the central part is fairly ruinous, but what’s left still gives you a great idea of the size of the buildings. It’s an incredible place to explore, and just when you think you’ve finished seeing everything, you find another sight to marvel at. There are the Royal Tombs, Colonnaded Streets, a Roman Amphitheatre, The Monastery…the list is endless! There’s so much to see. The rich colourful rock, giving Petra its nickname of the Rose Red City, is so vibrant in places and marbled in texture. Sometimes even mixed through with hues of white and grey. It’s a fascinating insight into the people who built Petra and lived there. No vehicles are allowed into the ancient city, and so most visitors make the trip down on foot, but there are horses, camels, and horse drawn carriages for those who need transport. I absolutely love Petra, it’s in my top three of my favourite places visited and I hope to be able to go again one day. Today the site is well looked after and protected and sits on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list. It’s a place that many don’t know exists. A hidden historical gem in the Jordanian desert, but one that’s definitely worth visiting. I left my heart in Petra is a short story originally written for the Sunlounger Competition. Chrissie Parker is an English author of 8 published works, including novels, shorts stories and poetry. To learn more, explore her website and learn more about her love of writing, the inspiration for her books and the country's she's visited on her travels! https://www.chrissieparker.com 
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 I’ve always been fascinated by the unexplained. Why do people choose to read their horoscope each day and live their lives according to what they learn from it? Why are some people convinced they’ve seen ghosts or claim to have them living in their houses? Why is there a continued tradition of psychic ability and practice amongst certain groups of people? These are all interesting questions. I never really used to believe in that side of life, the ‘unexplained’ that some people insist is there and is real. ‘The unexplained’ is generally something most people cannot see and so don’t believe in it. They dismiss it as hokum or madness. I’ve quite an open mind, and even though there are some things I still don’t believe in, there are some things I’ve encountered in the past, such as dealings with a ghost at the theatre I used to work at and other phenomena. These all made me wonder if some of it could be true. When I started working on my book Integrate I wanted to write something which had some dark elements or elements of the unexplained. I thought about how to do this, and the idea came to me via someone I worked with in the theatre (the one with the ghost). I used to get my Tarot cards read by one of my colleagues. They weren’t always right but occasionally the odd thing did ring scarily true. It intrigued me, so one day I bought a deck of my own and began to study them. With the knowledge I gained, I decided using tarot in my story would be a great idea, both visually and descriptively. So, I decided my female protagonist Corinne would read tarot. I felt it wasn’t enough though, so I gave the character Corinne a sister, an identical twin called Helena. I liked the idea of Corinne and Helena being close and having ‘that twin thing’ that people talk about. A close connection that no-one else seems to have unless they were born as twins. I wanted to make it more than that though. So, I also gave Corinne the gift of premonition. Premonitions are usually thought of as future visions or foresight. They can be fleetingly subtle or sometimes strong, overwhelming, and confusing. I’ve never had visions myself, but I have researched them and will admit to having encountered the strange phenomena of déjà vu. It’s a strange experience, one minute you’re sitting having coffee with a friend, and the next you suddenly get the feeling you’ve been there before and know exactly what’s going to happen next. It’s like you’ve seen or experienced the entire scene before. I get déjà vu often, and it can be more than a little unnerving. Whilst writing Integrate, I decided to expand on the idea of visions (premonition) by turning it on its head and throwing in the idea of déjà vu. Rather than seeing the future, the visions became a tool for Corinne to subconsciously reach into the past to see and learn what happened to her sister Helena. These elements push Corinne to the limit; at one point she even thinks that receiving the visions means she’s going to be able to save her sister, but that would never happen. Fate always had a plan, and whatever happened, there was no way it could be changed. I like the idea that there are elements of the unexplained out there, that some people believe they can see ghosts, or that they can predict the future from how the cards fall or from how tea leaves settle. Just because you think you can see the future however, it shouldn’t automatically mean you get to do something about it. Sometimes it should just be about how you deal with it, the actions you choose to take from that moment on. How you learn from what happens next. After all, if we were all meant to see the future and be able to change it, we would have been born with superpowers. Wouldn’t we? Integrate is book one of the Moon Series. Chrissie Parker is an English author of 8 published works, including novels, shorts stories and poetry. To learn more, explore her website and learn more about her love of writing, the inspiration for her books and the country's she's visited on her travels! https://www.chrissieparker.com  Among the Olive Groves is an historical set on the Greek island of Zakynthos. The characters and story are completely made up, but if you look hard enough in the World War Two sections you will discover a lot of facts that have been carefully woven into the story to give it as much authenticity as possible. Elena Petrakis, the lead character never actually existed. She is simply a fictitious person thought up for the sake of a story, but if you read any history books relating to Greece during World War Two, there are numerous accounts of women who joined the resistance and fought for their country, just as she did. There are so many stories of the incredible bravery and sacrifice these women made. Somehow it made them more harrowing to read than accounts of male Resistance fighters. I, therefore, felt it was important Elena became the Resistance fighter in Among the Olive Groves instead of Angelos. Elena, as a young woman and mother, had so much more to fight for, and in the end, so much more to lose. Many other parts of Among the Olive Groves are also based on fact, including the rescue of the island’s Jewish population. Out of respect, I changed the names of the characters, but the depiction of what took place is as accurate as I could make it from the information of the time. The brave story of the Mayor and Bishop (Loukas Karrer and Bishop Chrysostomos as they were known in real life) was something that I felt needed to be told. Many people have no idea that it happened. To potentially sacrifice themselves to the Germans to save the lives of 275 islanders is beyond heroic, and that bravery should never be forgotten. Researching the book was incredibly difficult. None of the Museums in Greece have any information about Zakynthos during the Second World War. Sadly, most of Zakynthos’ historical information that was housed in the island’s local library etc. was destroyed, when a massive earthquake struck Zakynthos in 1953. The earthquake reduced the town, and many other areas on the island, to rubble. In the end, my Zakynthos World War Two research came from one book of information, a gathering of personal accounts from those who had lived through the war, along with a few small articles on the internet. Despite the struggles I had researching, I did find the right information, and what I discovered was incredibly interesting. I tried to weave as much of it as I reasonably could, into the story. A few Zakynthians kindly read the book before it was published and confirmed that not only was the information correct but that it portrayed the island very much as it used to be. Many people ask why I chose to write Among the Olive Groves and the answer is simple. To me, it’s more than just a book. It’s a way of showing readers what a beautiful place Zakynthos is, and why it should be visited. It’s also a way of explaining the island’s islands history, and heroic deeds to readers so that it stays alive in the minds of readers, and those who visit the island. War-torn Zakynthos was part of something much bigger. Its residents had no choice but to fall to the Italians and Germans, but the Greek population still fought for themselves and for what they believed in. There were so many brave people like the character Elena Petrakis that lived through World War Two and fought so bravely for what they truly believed in. A great number of them were women, something that many people just don’t realise. Even now I think we could all learn a lot from those incredibly brave women, and my character Elena Petrakis Among the Olive Groves is book one of The Zakynthian Family series. Chrissie Parker is an English author of 8 published works, including novels, shorts stories and poetry. To learn more, explore her website and learn more about her love of writing, the inspiration for her books and the country's she's visited on her travels! https://www.chrissieparker.com  I love the world and all it contains. A large planetary mass of land and sea, which holds wondrous beauty, incredible cultures, and thousands of years of history. From the lush green forests of the Amazon to the sweeping sands of the Sahara Desert. The world is a haven of mystery waiting to be explored. I’ve always been fascinated with history, travel, and archaeology. Why our ancestors did what they did. The inventions they created. The battles they fought. The clues to ancient life they left behind. I’ve been lucky to travel to some amazing places. I've seen the Pyramids of Giza, walked through the ancient city of Petra in Jordan, and toured the caldera of Crater Lake in Oregon, USA. Each held a unique fascination and made me eager to learn more about this great world of ours. My interest in history began when I was young. I don't remember the exact moment, but I do know that history was something I’ve always loved and wanted to learn more about. I used to go on day trips with my family to visit ruinous castles, old archaeological sites such as Stonehenge and Avebury, and old country houses. In the UK we’re incredibly lucky. The country has a unique and lengthy history, and it was exciting learning about it; King Arthur, the Romans, the Tudors, to name but a few. For me, though it was the pull of foreign lands. At school, we did a project on Egypt, and I was hooked. I loved everything about it, the pyramids, the temples, the strange gods and goddesses, and it made me want to learn more. I wanted to be an archaeologist, but unfortunately, life took me in a different direction, but that love of all things historical has remained with me and continued to grow. So much so, that coupled with my interest in travel, I’ve found the perfect combination for writing material. Among the Olive Groves is a good example of that. The dream getaway destination of Zakynthos in Greece merges with the history of World War two to make a unique story. It was also the location for the short story An Ionian Dream Wedding. Wind Across the Nile allowed me to create an exciting story in a country I love, melding the plots with history and sites that I truly love. I left my heart in Petra allowed me to revel in the beauty of the inspiring country of Jordan and its world-famous site of Petra. Crater Lake in Oregon was the inspiration for the location setting of both books Integrate and Temperance from the Moon Series. It’s a truly stunning place! My combined love of history and travel means that I’ve many ideas for books. I'm looking forward to one day being able to write about all the places I’ve visited and love. For me, it truly is a passion, and I hope that passion will shine through in my work and make people want to share my love of these incredible places; so much so that they will want to visit them too. I’m often asked in interviews; did you always know that you wanted to be a writer, or have you always written? The answer is, yes. I did always want to write and I’ve been writing in some capacity for a long time. When I was at school, I wrote lots of short stories and poems. My school report cards repeatedly talked about how creative I was and how I never lacked imagination (although most of my teachers thought I should actually pay more attention to my academic subjects and put the stories away!). Despite that, I can’t remember a lot of what I wrote at the time. Recently I reorganised my office. I was unpacking some old boxes from a house move a few years ago, and came across something I haven’t seen for about twenty years. The French Mystery by Christina Curtis.  I’d completely forgotten that around the age of Eleven/Twelve years old, I sat down and wrote my first “book” called the The French Mystery. Finding it was funny for several reasons. I had handwritten it; 70 pages of A4. I’d also given it a title. Created a cover from cardboard, neatly drawn with felt tip pen, and even drawn pictures to go inside. I read some of the story and it instantly came flooding back. The story is about myself and a handful of my school friends. It describes us going camping on an old Roman hill fort in the village we grew up in. Whilst camping we discover a group of French thieves are illegally digging on the historical site and hunting for artefacts. Imagine an archaeological version of the Famous Five if you will. Having re-read The French Mystery over thirty years later, I’m surprised at the well thought out storyline. I realise now that after spending decades searching for my niche/genre, it had been there all along and I’d just forgotten about it. Historical suspense was my love, and the very first book I wrote as a child.   I eventually found my way back to my niche – historical suspense – and I’m still writing, and have now published eight works, a mix of books and short stories. It’s been so interesting finding The French Mystery buried at the bottom of a box and seeing where it all started; the place where my writing journey began. At such a young age too! I’m also glad that it survived over three decades of being carted around in boxes and being moved across the country. I’m so glad it was never thrown out. It would have been a shame if I had lost it. Not only has finding The French Mystery reaffirmed that I’m doing what I was meant to do, but it was also fun reading all about my old village, the old Roman Hill fort and my old school friends. Dreams can stay with us a long time, sometimes decades, never give up! You never know what may happen in the future! • Have you ever discovered something years later, that reaffirmed that you were on the right path in life? Chrissie Parker is an English author of 8 published works, including novels, shorts stories and poetry. To learn more, explore her website and learn more about her love of writing, the inspiration for her books and the country's she's visited on her travels! https://www.chrissieparker.com  When Among the Olive Groves was first published in 2014, I was so happy with everything to do with the book, including the cover, which was great. It’s been seen all over the world and is so recognisable. Among the Olive Groves is now becoming book one of the Zakynthian Family series. A decision was made to refresh and rebrand the book with a new cover. It wasn’t an easy decision, but it is one that I’m glad has been made. The new coverThe new Among the Olive Groves cover is very different from the old one. It has a bright, fresh, new look with colours that scream Zakynthos (Zante). It was decided that a unique look, with a connection to Zakynthos, was needed, so a talented artist who lives on Zakynthos, called Aimee Curry, was commissioned to paint the book image. To say I was happy with her final painting was an understatement! The image she came up with was incredible, and it’s just perfect for the book. Aimee will now also be painting the book images for the next two books too. Lawston Designs worked wonders on the final book cover, making Aimee's image really wonderful. I’m happy to reveal the new cover for Among the Olive Groves! I hope it will be loved by readers just as much as the old was, maybe even a bit more. I’m even more proud of this version of Among the Olive Groves than I was of the first one. It’s a perfect start to what will eventually be the Zakynthian Family Series. Buy Among the Olive GrovesThe new version of Among the Olive Groves is available to buy in both paperback and eBook, across multiple platforms.
You can also order from bookshops or libraries. The ISBN is:
  This Spring a children’s book was published by author Rachel Lawston, called Finns Garden Friends. The book combines a great children story with some fantastic themes set around nature and animals and the joy they can bring in life. It's a hugely inspiring book that not only tells a story but shows children that nature is everywhere you look. Book Description Nature loving Finn's life has been turned upside down by a move to the city. But Grandpa has a surprise for him! By taking Finn to his allotment, he learns that nature is right there in the city, as he begins to take care of a hedgehog and befriends a fox. Rich in detailed wildlife illustration, hedgehog and fox facts have their own dedicated pages.  I loved it! This is a truly wonderful book for children. The story, which is beautifully told, really resonates with current themes such as protecting and looking after wildlife, as well as exploring and learning more about the outdoors. It’s centred around Finn and the time he spends with his grandad on an allotment where Finn discovers many things about nature and wildlife, including hedgehogs and foxes!  Not only is this a lovely story but the illustrations by Lia Visirin are beautiful. Rachel and Lia's talented work complement each other perfectly! The book is so bright, colourful and intricate, making it completely appealing for younger children. I loved this book. The story is so engaging, as well as incredibly important. It shows that even if you don’t live in the countryside, there’s still so much nature around us just waiting to be discovered. Finns Garden Friends is definitely a children's book I’d book recommend, be it for home, primary school or a library. Children everywhere will love the story and learn so much from it. For some it may even become their favourite read! Learn more about the author and Finns world at https://rachellawston.com/  The Zakynthian Family SeriesSince Among the Olive Groves was published I have been asked by many readers, "What happened to the character Athena from Among the Olive Groves? I want to know more about her life." The last readers saw of Athena was her leaving the island in a boat. Many readers wanted to know more about her life and why she gave Kate up for adoption. After a lot of thought I agreed to write a follow up, to explain more about her life, which is now being written and called A Night of Thunder. I planned the whole book out and hoped to write approximately 80,000 words. The almost finished first draft is now at 75,000 words. Unfortunately, I've not only been unwell, which has slowed progress, but the story has turned out to be much larger than I ever intended! So, because of this, there will now be a third and final book in what will now be known as The Zakynthian Family Series. Book 1 of the Zakynthian Family Series ~ Among the Olive Groves Book 2 of the Zakynthian Family Series ~ A Night of Thunder Book 3 of the Zakynthian Family Series ~ Hope Under Blue Skies We hope that Book 2, A Night of Thunder will be out sometime between October 2021 and Spring 2022, and Book 3, Hope Under Blue Skies sometime between Spring and Autumn 2022. To follow the progress of the books, you can follow me on my Facebook page or join the Among the Olive Groves group dedicated to the book. Thanks for your continued support, it means so much.  A Night of ThunderA Night of Thunder Book Description After escaping the clutches of the Germans on the Greek island of Zakynthos during World War Two, Richard Edwards finds himself adrift at sea looking after the daughter of a resistance fighter who saved his life. Unexpectedly landing in enemy territory Richard has to deal with threats at every turn as he tries to flee the enemy, protect a child that isn’t his own, and return home to England. In the dusty bombed ruins of the city of Bristol, in England, Alice Morgan tries her best to carry on with her life as World War Two continues to ravage the country. Not knowing if her fiancé is alive or dead, Alice does what she can to get through each day and survive living a life that she did not choose, nor want and that she isn’t proud of. The loss of Elena Petrakis, the mother of his missing daughter Athena, haunts Angelos Sarkis daily. His will to survive diminishes as the months pass. Only the love for his remaining daughter Sophia keeps him alive, when all else has been lost. From the chaos of war torn Bristol and Zakynthos, to the horrors of the Greek mainland plunged into Civil War, A Night of Thunder is a haunting story of finding faith, having trust and living with the fragility of humanity. Genre: Historical Fiction/triple timeline Locations: Bristol UK, Mainland Greece, Zakynthos Follow-up to Among the Olive Groves, book 2 in a 3 book series Hope Under Blue Skies Hope Under Blue Skies Book Description
The book description hasn't been confirmed for this book yet, but I can tell you that it follows Athena's life and the story takes readers through lots of great destination in Europe, including Athens, Crete and Zakynthos. We will also meet some old characters from Among the Old Groves as well as some new ones! Genre: Historical Fiction/dual timeline Locations: Bristol UK, Europe, Zakynthos Follow-up to Among the Olive Groves/A Night of Thunder, book 3 in a 3 book series  The last year has been a difficult one for many, due to worldwide events. The reason I've been so quiet is that I've been unwell with long Covid, I won’t go into all the details, as I don’t want to bring up things that are now in the past. I'm now thankfully slowly starting to turn a corner, but I'm not 100% yet. We all need support in life, especially when serious illness hits. That support can come from many places. Family and friends are incredibly important, so are doctors and hospitals. There are also people out there who run small businesses specialising in helping others and I've been lucky to have help from such a business whilst unwell. Zante Zest is a family owned and run business, based in Greece, specialising in health, well-being, nutrition and physical wellness. Their exercise and health professionals are experienced in real life, fun to work with and dedicated in their fields, and believe that taking care of yourself and your health doesn’t mean you have to live like a monk, you can still have fun in life too. I owe a big debt of gratitude to Zante Zest. They've been hugely instrumental in getting me back on my feet when I was so unwell. Julie kindly spent time talking with me to understand everything I was going through. I didn’t need a quick fix, I needed something that would help me get well, in a way that I could continue looking after my health for the future. I needed a heath overhaul! In August 2020 Julie listened patiently, talked though my situation with me and suggested a few things, one of which was juicing. I've tried it before, and even though I enjoyed it, I always found it a bit of a faff, trying to organise and prepare everything, and eventually I’d stop and go back to old habits. Now, in April 2021, I juice every day. I've done this every day for eight months and I’m really feeling the benefit of it. My system gets a good mix of eight fruit and veg, with a little greek strained yogurt, every day. The mix of fruit and veg I use all help specific things and it’s become my favourite lunch ever! I buy all the contents fresh, and cut them up, put them into sealable plastic containers and freeze straightaway. This means I just have to take it out of the freezer on the day I need it. This also helps with my energy levels which can still be low sometimes. Zante Zest also helped me understand more about the body, how it works and things to avoid that do more harm to us physically and mentally. I cut out sugar, which has helped so much. I also changed certain foods I was eating, mainly processed foods (not that I ate a lot of them, but they were making me feel very sluggish). I also realised that I wasn’t drinking enough liquids. Did you know that tea, coffee, alcohol, fizzy drinks etc., DON’T count as the 2,000L of water a day that we’re supposed to drink? Julie explained in great detail how the body works and how it survives on water intake and how beneficial it is to the body and certain organs. Looking back I realised that as well as being horrendously dehydrated at the start of my illness, due to the symptoms, I was still drinking at least four large MUGS of tea a day and only about 500ml of water! I cut out tea (I don’t drink coffee or alcohol so they weren’t an issue). I bought myself a 500ml water bottle and a Brita water filter and started drinking water and monitoring how much I was drinking each day on my Fitbit. It’s amazing how much this change has helped me too. I found that Zante Zest's meditation really helped me with my low moods and the problems I was having with insomnia, gradually the mood settled and the insomnia lessened until it disappeared altogether. Exercise however, was a big issue as I was floor bound for a few months other than being able to get up for the bathroom, food and bed. I felt as though every ounce of energy had been sucked from me. I desperately wanted to join Zante Zest's online Qidong classes but was unable to. I have now got some physical and cognitive rehab which is helping to rebuild my stamina, so hopefully I may be able to finally join in the future! Life can be really cruel sometimes, we can be thrown situations or periods of time, where we get low, become seriously ill or have life changing things happen to us. Learning how to deal with them and finding support really is the key. I will never be able to thank Julie and Zante Zest enough for all the support they have given me this last year. You have helped me get my life back, and that deserves the biggest thank you possible. As many of you know I've already published eight books, and I'm working on a few more. As promised here's a breakdown of all published books, and those I will be publishing in the future.  The Zakynthian Family Series Among the Olive Groves, published in 2014, is the first book of this series, set in wartime Zakynthos, Greece. I'm currently writing book two, A Night of Thunder and book three An Island called Home, of the series, both of which should be published in 2021/2022.  The Ionian Dreams series This is a spin off series to Among the Olive Groves. It's NOT a sequel, it picks up the lives of some of the characters, and introduces readers to new characters, creating spin off stories set on Zakynthos. A Ionian Dream Wedding, a short story, published in 2019, is the first book in this series, set in modern day Zakynthos, Greece. I'm currently planning the other books but don't have a publication date yet.  Historical Fiction stand alone (non-series) books Wind across the Nile is set in Egypt and was published in 2018 Nabataea is set in Petra, Jordan and was published in 2008, my first book to be published! It's now out of print and no longer available to buy. Under a Scorching Sun is the new title name for Nabataea which is currently undergoing a re-write/edit. It's hoped that Under a Scorching Sun will be published in 2021/2022.  The Moon Series - Thrillers Integrate and Temperance are books one and two of The Moon Series, a series of thriller novellas. These books were published in 2013 and 2015. Book three of the series, Retribution, is currently being written and will hopefully be released in 2021/2022.  Short stories and poetry I left my heart in Petra, Jordan is a short story written for the Sunlounger competition, that was published in 2019. The Secrets is a collection of poetry and short stories that was published in 2016.  Zakynthos Flower of the East
And finally, I'm currently in the process of co-writing a comprehensive history book about Zakynthos, with the talented author Louise Inzk, called Zakynthos Flower of the East. The book is in the last stages of being written before going for editing. It's due for publication in June 2021. I'll keep you updated as soon as there's more news, but this should help explain what's been published so far and what's to come. |
AuthorWelcome to my blog, My occasional ramblings will take you on a journey through many subjects, from my books, to history, as well as what it's like to be a writer and my love of travelling! Enjoy the updates! Archives
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