Somerset Communications
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Jan Hurst-Nicholson has been reliably informed that website biographies are usually written in the third person, giving them the air of being penned by an authoritative third party (allowing the author carte-blanche to embellish without the restraints of false modesty).
Hurst-Nicholson is the author of several published books, both children’s and adult, and of numerous articles, humorous articles and short stories (some of which have won awards – modest cough and pause for applause), plus an occasional dip into poetry. While volunteering in a charity bookshop, customers often asked for ‘something to read on the plane,’ so she put together a compilation of her published stories and articles, added some other fun stuff and titled the book ‘Something to Read on the Plane.’ Three of the short stories are chapters adapted from her novel But Can You Drink The Water? which was a semi-finalist in the 2010 ABNA contest (top 50 out of 5000 entries).
Personal awards: Voted ‘humorist of the year’ by the immediate family, and ‘chuckle-maker of the day’ by a customer perusing “Something to Read on the Plane’ in a check-out queue.
Hurst-Nicholson was born in the UK but now lives in South Africa with a spouse, two dogs that are forever on the wrong side of the door, three elderly cats, and the occasional visiting troop of boisterous vervet monkeys.
<p>Dr. Bethany McNeal is living her dream as a pediatric resident in one of the most sought-after medical centers in Seattle. Beautiful and intelligent, she’s missing only one thing—love, which she put on hold to focus on her career after ending a tumultuous relationship. Everything changes when she meets Dr. Brent Anderson, a charming and handsome fellow resident. Despite her reservations, Bethany falls for Brent—hard. When she learns Brent is married several months into their relationship, she immediately breaks it off. After graduating residency and going their separate ways, Bethany tries to move on with another man—real estate broker and personal trainer Charles Blakely. But just when things get serious with Charles, she realizes she’s still in love with Brent, and she finds herself caught between the two men, facing a series of difficult decisions and harrowing events that will change her life forever. Will she be able to recover from the vital temptations that turned her perfect life upside down?</p>
While working as a volunteer in a charity bookshop I would often help customers who came in looking for ‘something to read on the plane’. After conducting a comprehensive undercover survey in doctors’ and dentists’ waiting rooms, and watching incorrigible magazine readers who do their reading at magazine counters, I discovered that readers like the humor, letters and agony aunt pages. Those who actually buy the magazines prefer to sit down with a cup of coffee to enjoy the articles and short stories. This inspired me to give readers a bit of what they fancy, and I put together a collection of my articles and stories.
<font style="font-size:12px;" size="3"></font><span><font style="font-size:12px;" size="3"><span style="font-family:Arial, 'sans-serif';"><font size="3"></font></span></font></span> <p style="font-size:11px;"></p> <p style="line-height:normal;margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial, 'sans-serif';font-size:10pt;">‘<em>Should be compulsory reading to keep incorrigible chatters quiet’</em> – Frequent Flyer</span></p> <p></p> <p style="line-height:normal;margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial, 'sans-serif';font-size:10pt;">‘<em>Could also be used to ram down their throats’</em> – Flight Attendant.</span></p> <p></p> <p style="line-height:normal;margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-family:Arial, 'sans-serif';font-size:10pt;">‘The stories about me are hugely exaggerated’</span></em><span style="font-family:Arial, 'sans-serif';font-size:10pt;"> – Author’s Spouse.</span></p> <p></p> <p style="line-height:normal;margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-family:Arial, 'sans-serif';font-size:10pt;">‘Shredded drafts of this book line my litter tray. Royalties from this book will go towards proper deodorized litter and reduce complaints about the smell’</span></em><span style="font-family:Arial, 'sans-serif';font-size:10pt;"> – Family Cat</span></p> <p></p> <p style="line-height:normal;margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-family:Arial, 'sans-serif';font-size:10pt;">‘What a relief that will be’</span></em><span style="font-family:Arial, 'sans-serif';font-size:10pt;"> – Family Dog.</span></p> <p></p> <p style="line-height:normal;margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial, 'sans-serif';font-size:10pt;"></span></p> <br /><p style="line-height:normal;margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial, 'sans-serif';font-size:10pt;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb">“It would make a perfect traveling and holiday companion. The quirky short stories – some a little naughty – might well prove the book’s strong point.” <em>The Mercury.</em></span></p> <p></p> <p style="line-height:normal;margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial, 'sans-serif';font-size:10pt;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb">“Covering a diverse range of subjects, and written in a feel-good style, it’s little and can slip into a travel bag and be dipped into in-flight.” <em>Daily News</em> </span></p> <p></p> <p style="line-height:normal;margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial, 'sans-serif';font-size:10pt;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb">“It’s flying off the shelves.” <em>Write Now.</em></span></p> <p></p> <p style="line-height:normal;margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial, 'sans-serif';font-size:10pt;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb">“There are short stories to suit all tastes, from humour to crime.” <em>Berea News</em></span></p> <p></p> <p style="line-height:normal;margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial, 'sans-serif';font-size:10pt;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb">“<em>Something to Read on the Plane</em> is a collection of delightful short stories to take the tedium out of flying and provide reading pleasure anywhere else.” <em>The Independent on Saturday.</em> </span></p> <p></p> <p style="line-height:normal;margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"></p> <p style="line-height:normal;margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><span style="font-family:Arial, 'sans-serif';"></span></font></p> <p></p> <p style="line-height:normal;margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><span style="font-family:Arial, 'sans-serif';"></span></font> </p> <p style="line-height:normal;margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><br /><br /><br /></p> <br /><p style="line-height:normal;margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span><font style="font-size:12px;" size="3"></font></span> </p> <p><font style="font-size:12px;" size="3"><span></span></font> </p> <p></p> <p style="line-height:normal;margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font style="font-size:12px;" size="3"><span></span></font> </p> <p style="line-height:normal;margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"></p> <p style="line-height:normal;margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><br /> </p>