About
About Victoria Twead:
Victoria Twead nagged her long-suffering partner, Joe, into moving from England to Spain in 2004. They settled into a tiny mountain village in Andalucía, became reluctant chicken farmers and ended up owning probably the most dangerous cockerel in Spain.
Woven into the chapters are a number of Spanish recipes given to Vicky by the village ladies.
Victoria’s hilarious record of their culture shock and life with the villagers is told in her two books, Chickens, Mules and Two Old Fools and Two Old Fools - Olé! These charming, beautifully written books will have you laughing one minute, holding back tears the next, and finally reaching for your saucepan.
Awarded the HarperCollins Authonomy 'Gold Star'.
HarperCollins wrote: ‘laugh-out-loud funny...especially the Spanish women heckling over eggs from “The English”...hilarious...engaging... the interspersion of recipes is charming’.
Karen Wheeler, author of 'Tout Sweet: Hanging Up My Heels For A New Life In France' wrote: “Andalucía as it’s never been done before - a very quirky, funny and enjoyable tale - loved the subtle humour, Olé!”
Justin Aldridge, Eye on Spain, wrote: "I absolutely loved it! Funny, honest and impossible to put down."
The Seekers: The Children of Darkness (Dystopian Sci-Fi - Book 1)
Description
<p>New from the author of the multiple award-winning fantasy saga, <em>The Daughter of the Sea and the Sky</em>, winner of the <strong>Pinnacle Book Achievement Award, Fall 2014 - Best Book in the Category of FANTASY</strong>....</p><h1><strong><em>The Children of Darkness</em> by David Litwack</strong></h1><p>Evolved Publishing presents the first book in the new dystopian series <em>The Seekers</em>. [DRM-Free]</p><h2><strong>[Dystopian, Science Fiction, Post-Apocalyptic, Religion]</strong></h2><p><em>“But what are we without dreams?”</em></p><p>A thousand years ago the Darkness came—a terrible time of violence, fear, and social collapse when technology ran rampant. But the vicars of the Temple of Light brought peace, ushering in an era of blessed simplicity. For ten centuries they have kept the madness at bay with “temple magic,” and by eliminating forever the rush of progress that nearly caused the destruction of everything.</p><p>Childhood friends, Orah and Nathaniel, have always lived in the tiny village of Little Pond, longing for more from life but unwilling to challenge the rigid status quo. When their friend Thomas returns from the Temple after his “teaching”—the secret coming-of-age ritual that binds young men and women eternally to the Light—they barely recognize the broken and brooding young man the boy has become. Then when Orah is summoned as well, Nathaniel follows in a foolhardy attempt to save her.</p><p>In the prisons of Temple City, they discover a terrible secret that launches the three on a journey to find the forbidden keep, placing their lives in jeopardy, for a truth from the past awaits that threatens the foundation of the Temple. If they reveal that truth, they might once again release the potential of their people.</p><p>Yet they would also incur the Temple’s wrath as it is written: “If there comes among you a prophet saying, ‘Let us return to the darkness,’ you shall stone him, because he has sought to thrust you away from the Light.”</p><p><strong>Be sure to read the second book in this series, <em>The Stuff of Stars</em>, due to release November 30, 2015. And don't miss David's award-winning speculative saga, <em>The Daughter of the Sea and the Sky</em></strong></p>
Story Behind The Book
I absolutely loved writing Chickens from beginning to end, but by the time I reached the last chapter, I was exhausted. "I don't think I'll write another," I said to Joe.
Although Chickens was such fun to write, I'm the kind of writer who agonises over every comma, and I endured sleepless nights worrying about the structure and content. Would the things we found funny amuse other people? Would the readers like the characters? Would anybody want to read about two old fools anyway? "Wait and see," said Joe.
Well, we did wait and see, and were completely astonished at how well Chickens was received. I never dreamed it would become an Amazon bestseller, nor did I foresee how many friends I would make as a result.
A couple of years ago, I scoffed at Twitter and Facebook, considering them a complete waste of time and 'not real'. I was wrong. Thanks to the Internet (and Twitter and Facebook in particular) I have chatted with literally hundreds of delightful people. Complete strangers who had read Chickens emailed me, some with amusing anecdotes of their own. Many others provided help, encouragement and endless laughs. You all spurred me on to write this sequel to Chickens, and I thank you for that. Although Joe and I live in a tiny village in the Spanish mountains, we feel we are always surrounded by friends from all over the world.
Ole! was just as much fun to write as Chickens, although equally exhausting. Joe and I have a routine: I write a segment, whereupon Joe checks it and makes minor changes or suggestions. I then edit (if I agree with his advice) and carry on writing the next part. At the end, we put the whole manuscript aside for a week or more to 'prove', then print it off. Joe then reads the whole book aloud to me. If he stumbles, we rewrite that part to improve the flow.
Amongst all the praise and fan letters I received, there were, of course, criticisms which I have tried to address in Ole! Some said Chickens was too short, so Olé! is longer. Some said the photographs were too small, so I have increased their size.
But the main criticism came from a handful of American readers who were most affronted by our chickens' names. I am sincerely sorry for that - I never meant to offend. Our American friend, Colton, has since explained to us that the ‘F’ word is far stronger and more offensive in
the States than it is in the UK. Rest assured, the two unfortunately- named chickens are not mentioned in Olé! although they did live to a ripe old age, oblivious to the storm of protest they caused. (RIP B & F)
One more thing. For those unfamiliar with the little stick men I’ve used for scene breaks, they are Indalos, or Rainbow Men, the emblem for this part of Andalucía.
So here it is, my second book. It was a joy to write and, I hope, will be enjoyed by those who are kind enough to read it.
Vicky
October 2011
Reviews
<p class="p1">“Andalucía as it’s never been done before - a very quirky, funny and enjoyable tale - loved the subtle humour, Olé!”</p>
<p class="p1"><em>Karen Wheeler, author of 'Tout Sweet: Hanging Up My Heels For A New Life In France.'</em></p>
<p class="p2"></p>
<p class="p1">"I absolutely loved it! Funny, honest and impossible to put down." <em>Justin Aldridge, Eye on Spain</em></p>
