Story Behind The Book
Billy Hall was as humble as the very beginnings from those he was born into. Coal had been king and ruled the landscape surrounding the small town of Castlefields for countless generations. From an early age, it was obvious to Molly, that her son did not fit into the mould expected for the traditions of children following their forefathers, deep down into the depths to win out the coals for a grateful nation. Although Billy had been surrounded by children of his own age, parading, and playing out their games of fantasy along the cobbled streets, he more often chose his own company away from the others. The friends of imagination that crept silently from the darkened shadows, provided him the friendship, and consolation, that he sought more and more, as early childhood progressed. Adolescence beckoned, and the shadows withdrew, leaving Billy to seek out his own amusement and friendship that the town offered. Innocently, the key would be turned again, releasing those that had been lost, to once again emerge and make their presence felt. With the door within his mind once again opened, Billy would be left to face his own ultimate destiny.
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Reviews
<div class="widget-content"><a href="http://spiritsbreakfree2.blogspot.com">http://spiritsbreakfree2.blogspot.com</a><br /><br />Hi Andy and Vesna, I have found your book to be of excellent narration, dialogue, and plot. Simply and beautifuly written. An eerie tale of life in a miner's village. I look forward to shelving and purchasing this in a bookstore. However, I must admit there is nothing so disconcerting as reading only part of a great book with no ending! <br />Best of luck, <br />Bobbee <br />Kali's Daughters <br /><a href="http://www.authonomy.com/books/21012/kali-s-daughters"><font color="#930718">http://www.authonomy.com/books/21012/kali-s-daughters</font></a> <br /></div> <div class="clear"></div><span class="widget-item-control"><span class="item-control blog-admin"><a class="quickedit" title="Edit" href="http://www.blogger.com/rearrange?blogID=3742341448763143140&widgetType=Text&widgetId=Text30&action=editWidget"><img height="18" alt="" src="http://img1.blogblog.com/img/icon18_wrench_allbkg.png" width="18" /><font color="#930718"></font></a></span></span> <div class="clear"><font color="#930718"></font></div> <div class="widget Text"> <h2 class="title">Rome</h2> <div class="widget-content">Dear Andy & Vesna, <br />This is riveting! Very sad in the first because of what happened to the doctor and happy in part because of the introduction of a birth; wonderful piece of work replete with emotions and a storyline that gets interwoven succintly and so melodramatically. <br />I would recommend this infectious read to anyone who loves a good read and who could learn from a good write. <br />Thank you for giving me a chance to read this before it gets published. <br />Rome <br />Directives for Murder <br /><a href="http://www.authonomy.com/ViewBook.aspx?bookid=23705"><font color="#930718">http://www.authonomy.com/ViewBook.aspx?bookid=23705</font></a> <br /></div> <div class="clear"></div><span class="widget-item-control"><span class="item-control blog-admin"><a class="quickedit" title="Edit" href="http://www.blogger.com/rearrange?blogID=3742341448763143140&widgetType=Text&widgetId=Text28&action=editWidget"><img height="18" alt="" src="http://img1.blogblog.com/img/icon18_wrench_allbkg.png" width="18" /><font color="#930718"></font></a></span></span> <div class="clear"><font color="#930718"></font></div></div> <div class="widget Text"> <h2 class="title">Andrew Skaife</h2> <div class="widget-content">I'm sorry that I had to stop at five, not because I would have too much to say (which I would, I can never shut up) but because I was sorry I could not read more for my own selfish reasons. <br />First, I love the beginning, from the morphine induced dream to the doctor's poignant illness (somehow we seem to believe doctors are impervious) to the twist in the death whilst life is brought about. Fantastic. <br />From the wonderful writing I was feeling so much sympathy for the doctor by the tenth line! "The voices that seemed to creep like an invisible mist from the shadows of the night, had been just the beginning." Is pure poetry with not one syllable that need not be there. <br />Absolute craftsmanship. <br />Roger's almost immediate drift into that model of distant father is both realistic, saddening and deflating. <br />The narrative is improved by it but the thought that it is so obviously true in so many is the deflating part. <br />You are an author and I wonder only why this is not in print already. <br />BACKED with absolute pleasure. <br />Andrew Skaife <br />God, The Son, And The Holy Dwarf <br /><a href="http://www.authonomy.com/ViewBook.aspx?bookid=22479"><font color="#930718">http://www.authonomy.com/ViewBook.aspx?bookid=22479</font></a> <br /><br /></div> <div class="clear"></div><span class="widget-item-control"><span class="item-control blog-admin"><a class="quickedit" title="Edit" href="http://www.blogger.com/rearrange?blogID=3742341448763143140&widgetType=Text&widgetId=Text26&action=editWidget"><img height="18" alt="" src="http://img1.blogblog.com/img/icon18_wrench_allbkg.png" width="18" /><font color="#930718"></font></a></span></span> <div class="clear"><font color="#930718"></font></div></div> <div class="widget Text"> <h2 class="title">Christophe Deseaux</h2> <div class="widget-content">There is nothing I enjoy more than complex, imperfect, characters. A doctor, addicted to morphine, who is dying. What a fantastic platform from which to weave your tale. The input from coauthors habitating different sides of the Atlantic is a potent amalgam of perspectives that adds depth to the characters, places and events. Well done. Christophe <br />Karma's Quarry <br />Christophe Deseaux <br /><a href="http://www.authonomy.com/ViewBook.aspx?bookid=22768"><font color="#930718">http://www.authonomy.com/ViewBook.aspx?bookid=22768</font></a> <br /></div> <div class="clear"></div><span class="widget-item-control"><span class="item-control blog-admin"><a class="quickedit" title="Edit" href="http://www.blogger.com/rearrange?blogID=3742341448763143140&widgetType=Text&widgetId=Text1&action=editWidget"><img height="18" alt="" src="http://img1.blogblog.com/img/icon18_wrench_allbkg.png" width="18" /><font color="#930718"></font></a></span></span> <div class="clear"><font color="#930718"></font></div></div> <div class="widget Text"> <h2 class="title">Greg Levin</h2> <div class="widget-content">Tough for the reader to catch their breath while rolling through Chapter 1 -- a deliciously haunting and harrowing tale. The fact that the book cracked the top 100 is a testament to your skill as a storyteller. <br />Greg Levin <br />Notes On An Orange Burial <br /><a href="http://www.authonomy.com/ViewBook.aspx?bookid=21656"><font color="#930718">http://www.authonomy.com/ViewBook.aspx?bookid=21656</font></a> <br /><br /></div> <div class="clear"></div><span class="widget-item-control"><span class="item-control blog-admin"><a class="quickedit" title="Edit" href="http://www.blogger.com/rearrange?blogID=3742341448763143140&widgetType=Text&widgetId=Text2&action=editWidget"><img height="18" alt="" src="http://img1.blogblog.com/img/icon18_wrench_allbkg.png" width="18" /><font color="#930718"></font></a></span></span> <div class="clear"><font color="#930718"></font></div></div> <div class="widget Text"> <h2 class="title">Helen Miller</h2> <div class="widget-content">Your pitch is great, your writing is sophisticated, your story line is Intriguing. You've made me want to buy this book in the store, and recommend it to my friends.As a writer, you have achieved your goal.Well done..... I'm in for the long haul....Helen <br />Helen Miller <br />The Last Dream <br /><a href="http://www.authonomy.com/ViewBook.aspx?bookid=21735"><font color="#930718">http://www.authonomy.com/ViewBook.aspx?bookid=21735</font></a> <br /></div> <div class="clear"></div><span class="widget-item-control"><span class="item-control blog-admin"><a class="quickedit" title="Edit" href="http://www.blogger.com/rearrange?blogID=3742341448763143140&widgetType=Text&widgetId=Text3&action=editWidget"><img height="18" alt="" src="http://img1.blogblog.com/img/icon18_wrench_allbkg.png" width="18" /><font color="#930718"></font></a></span></span> <div class="clear"><font color="#930718"></font></div></div> <div class="widget Text"> <h2 class="title">Anna Rossi</h2> <div class="widget-content">Beautifully written, emotional and frightening. Did you write different chapters, I wonder? If so, your voices blendsmoothly into one fantastic whole. I've read four chapters but will be coming back for more. Hope you upload the rest as it is utterly compelling.Congratulations <br />Anna Rossi <br />Black Damask <br /><a href="http://www.authonomy.com/ViewBook.aspx?bookid=12670"><font color="#930718">http://www.authonomy.com/ViewBook.aspx?bookid=12670</font></a> <br /><br /></div> <div class="clear"></div><span class="widget-item-control"><span class="item-control blog-admin"><a class="quickedit" title="Edit" href="http://www.blogger.com/rearrange?blogID=3742341448763143140&widgetType=Text&widgetId=Text4&action=editWidget"><img height="18" alt="" src="http://img1.blogblog.com/img/icon18_wrench_allbkg.png" width="18" /><font color="#930718"></font></a></span></span> <div class="clear"><font color="#930718"></font></div></div> <div class="widget Text"> <h2 class="title">Milan Bakrania</h2> <div class="widget-content">First off all, wicked pitch! Reels the reader in without giving too much away. Read some of your work. Very well written and legible. Vivid descriptions and stylised imagery brings the words to life. Well crafted. You are on your way to stardom with this one. Well done to both of you - Milan <br />Milan Bakrania <br />Flicker <br /><a href="http://www.authonomy.com/ViewBook.aspx?bookid=14800"><font color="#930718">http://www.authonomy.com/ViewBook.aspx?bookid=14800</font></a> <br /><br /></div> <div class="clear"></div><span class="widget-item-control"><span class="item-control blog-admin"><a class="quickedit" title="Edit" href="http://www.blogger.com/rearrange?blogID=3742341448763143140&widgetType=Text&widgetId=Text5&action=editWidget"><img height="18" alt="" src="http://img1.blogblog.com/img/icon18_wrench_allbkg.png" width="18" /><font color="#930718"></font></a></span></span> <div class="clear"><font color="#930718"></font></div></div> <div class="widget Text"> <h2 class="title">Alison Butler</h2> <div class="widget-content">This is EXCELLENT, and first class."I love you mam!" Breaks your heart and makes you smile...oh how wonderful this is! <br />The prose beautiful, gritty, realistic dialogue...heart warming.I've read two books with similar subject matter, one by Emile Zola and the other by Ken Follet and this is just as good as the both of them. <br />Cannot praise more, please get published! Alison <br />Alison Butler <br />The Hanging of Margaret Dickson <br /><a href="http://www.authonomy.com/ViewBook.aspx?bookid=16300"><font color="#930718">http://www.authonomy.com/ViewBook.aspx?bookid=16300</font></a> <br /></div> <div class="clear"></div><span class="widget-item-control"><span class="item-control blog-admin"><a class="quickedit" title="Edit" href="http://www.blogger.com/rearrange?blogID=3742341448763143140&widgetType=Text&widgetId=Text6&action=editWidget"><img height="18" alt="" src="http://img1.blogblog.com/img/icon18_wrench_allbkg.png" width="18" /><font color="#930718"></font></a></span></span> <div class="clear"><font color="#930718"></font></div></div> <div class="widget Text"> <h2 class="title">Gerald Johnston</h2> <div class="widget-content">Wordsmith. I don't think I'm qualified to say anything more than beautiful, thought provoking, and well done. Your prose is very familiar feeling, like I didn't need to climatize to your style. The reader is eased in nicely. You have a flair for very imaginative descriptions that really move the story along. As you know, I've already backed, but I'd do it all over again. Twice - Gerry <br />Gerald D Johnston <br />Dropcloth Angels <br /><a href="http://www.authonomy.com/ViewBook.aspx?bookid=15380"><font color="#930718">http://www.authonomy.com/ViewBook.aspx?bookid=15380</font></a> <br /></div> <div class="clear"></div><span class="widget-item-control"><span class="item-control blog-admin"><a class="quickedit" title="Edit" href="http://www.blogger.com/rearrange?blogID=3742341448763143140&widgetType=Text&widgetId=Text7&action=editWidget"><img height="18" alt="" src="http://img1.blogblog.com/img/icon18_wrench_allbkg.png" width="18" /><font color="#930718"></font></a></span></span> <div class="clear"><font color="#930718"></font></div></div> <div class="widget Text"> <h2 class="title">Kenneth Wayne</h2> <div class="widget-content">I loved playing army when I was a kid as well. I grew up on a farm, we had few neighbors kids with whom to play, so my brothers and I spent most of your free time playing army in the woods. This moves from that, though, to Molly and Milan. Molly contrasts Milan to her real father, Dennis the Menace and how he takes over a widow's business. His calculating coldness is so similar to a person I'm unlucky to have to work with. The dude's name isn't Dennis, but he's from the same mold. I want to return to this when I get a little more time, It's an intriguing story so far about the "heartlessness that would tear the family apart for eternity." - Ken <br />Kenneth Wayne <br />Clip <br /><a href="http://www.authonomy.com/ViewBook.aspx?bookid=11062"><font color="#930718">http://www.authonomy.com/ViewBook.aspx?bookid=11062</font></a> <br /></div> <div class="clear"></div><span class="widget-item-control"><span class="item-control blog-admin"><a class="quickedit" title="Edit" href="http://www.blogger.com/rearrange?blogID=3742341448763143140&widgetType=Text&widgetId=Text8&action=editWidget"><img height="18" alt="" src="http://img1.blogblog.com/img/icon18_wrench_allbkg.png" width="18" /><font color="#930718"></font></a></span></span> <div class="clear"><font color="#930718"></font></div></div> <div class="widget Text"> <h2 class="title">Rakhi Jha</h2> <div class="widget-content">The plot and the characters are very good. But what impressed me most is your writing style and your beautiful narration. It is pleasure to read. I loved the relationship between Billy and his mom Molly. Billy is a intriguing character with a balance of great vulnerability and equally great strength. Happy to Back this - Rakhi <br />Rakhi Jha <br />An Urbane Knight <br /><a href="http://www.authonomy.com/ViewBook.aspx?bookid=16239"><font color="#930718">http://www.authonomy.com/ViewBook.aspx?bookid=16239</font></a> <br /></div> <div class="clear"></div><span class="widget-item-control"><span class="item-control blog-admin"><a class="quickedit" title="Edit" href="http://www.blogger.com/rearrange?blogID=3742341448763143140&widgetType=Text&widgetId=Text9&action=editWidget"><img height="18" alt="" src="http://img1.blogblog.com/img/icon18_wrench_allbkg.png" width="18" /><font color="#930718"></font></a></span></span> <div class="clear"><font color="#930718"></font></div></div> <div class="widget Text"> <h2 class="title">Cherry Gregory</h2> <div class="widget-content">This is a beautiful piece of writing and I loved it very much. Your dialogue is natural and feels right, while your description is magical. It's simple and down to earth at times yet also mysterous. I'm not quite sure how you've managed it, but you've worked together to produce a wonderful story that is powerful and original.Good luck with seeking a publisher -Cherry Gregory <br />The Girl From Ithaco - Book One in the Sister Trilogy <br /><a href="http://www.authonomy.com/ViewBook.aspx?bookid=18921"><font color="#930718">http://www.authonomy.com/ViewBook.aspx?bookid=18921</font></a> <br /></div> <div class="clear"></div><span class="widget-item-control"><span class="item-control blog-admin"><a class="quickedit" title="Edit" href="http://www.blogger.com/rearrange?blogID=3742341448763143140&widgetType=Text&widgetId=Text11&action=editWidget"><img height="18" alt="" src="http://img1.blogblog.com/img/icon18_wrench_allbkg.png" width="18" /><font color="#930718"></font></a></span></span> <div class="clear"><font color="#930718"></font></div></div> <div class="widget Text"> <h2 class="title">Raymond Nickford</h2> <div class="widget-content">''The mining community in which Billy integrates, meticulously brought to life by selective detail, is the more effective because you have already built a coherent picture of Billy's mother, Molly, and her father, Dennis; a rogue who abandoned his family for a girl. It was this characterisation, with its insights and observations, via the viewpoints of your characters and their very natural dialogue, that most engaged me and made me want to read on; to find how Billy will indeed 'seek out his own enjoyment and company' - Ray <br />Raymond Nickford <br />A Child From The Wishing Well <br /><a href="http://www.authonomy.com/ViewBook.aspx?bookid=3786"><font color="#930718">http://www.authonomy.com/ViewBook.aspx?bookid=3786</font></a> <br /></div> <div class="clear"></div><span class="widget-item-control"><span class="item-control blog-admin"><a class="quickedit" title="Edit" href="http://www.blogger.com/rearrange?blogID=3742341448763143140&widgetType=Text&widgetId=Text13&action=editWidget"><img height="18" alt="" src="http://img1.blogblog.com/img/icon18_wrench_allbkg.png" width="18" /><font color="#930718"></font></a></span></span> <div class="clear"><font color="#930718"></font></div></div> <div class="widget Text"> <h2 class="title">Suzannah Burke</h2> <div class="widget-content">have read all the uploaded work...and would have kept on reading without thought of the time. This is so beautifully written it eased itself around me like a welcome hug and i settled down in front of the screen to read it. The entire work is melded with that sense of the unknown sitting just beyond my peripheral-- waiting...every chapter encouraged me further inside...as Billy's playtimes clearly became visions of what was to come...The characterizations are marvelously done...Molly is a delight warm and still holding on to some of the vitality of her youth...Roger hasn't managed to completely suppress her...Milan and his marvelous stories and bond with Billy, the whole background woven with descriptions that bring everything alive...well almost everything...This is simply stunningI have backed it with the greatest please and will wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who wants a magical mystical and sometimes terryfying reading experience. <br />Bravo - Suzannah Burke <br /><a href="http://www.authonomy.com/Profile.aspx?userid=27bf0bb7-75bc-4e9d-ba66-55851a0a22c0"><font color="#930718">http://www.authonomy.com/Profile.aspx?userid=27bf0bb7-75bc-4e9d-ba66-55851a0a22c0</font></a> <br /></div> <div class="clear"></div><span class="widget-item-control"><span class="item-control blog-admin"><a class="quickedit" title="Edit" href="http://www.blogger.com/rearrange?blogID=3742341448763143140&widgetType=Text&widgetId=Text14&action=editWidget"><img height="18" alt="" src="http://img1.blogblog.com/img/icon18_wrench_allbkg.png" width="18" /><font color="#930718"></font></a></span></span> <div class="clear"><font color="#930718"></font></div></div> <div class="widget Text"> <h2 class="title">Lynn Clayton</h2> <div class="widget-content">Strange that this is an unfamiliar setting for most people today but you evoke it well, with echoes of D.H.Lawrence, especially in the rages of Roger. Milan's tales are a bright and mysterious break in the bleakness. Ch 3, with the whisperings, is marvellously spooky. I think putting them in a homely setting is inspired. Backed - lynn <br />Lynn Clayton <br />Deadly Nevergreen <br /><a href="http://www.authonomy.com/ViewBook.aspx?bookid=7283"><font color="#930718">http://www.authonomy.com/ViewBook.aspx?bookid=7283</font></a> <br /></div> <div class="clear"></div><span class="widget-item-control"><span class="item-control blog-admin"><a class="quickedit" title="Edit" href="http://www.blogger.com/rearrange?blogID=3742341448763143140&widgetType=Text&widgetId=Text16&action=editWidget"><img height="18" alt="" src="http://img1.blogblog.com/img/icon18_wrench_allbkg.png" width="18" /><font color="#930718"></font></a></span></span> <div class="clear"><font color="#930718"></font></div></div> <div class="widget Text"> <h2 class="title">Gerry McCullough</h2> <div class="widget-content">This is a very unusual and interesting pitch, and you draw us in to read more about young Billy and the mining community he comes from. You begin by giving us Billy's background, going first to his mother Molly and then back further to Molly's parents, especially her father Dennis. Dennis is a swindler and, eventually, an unfaithful husband who walked out on his wife and child for a young girl. You tell this story with a great deal of detail which brings the place and the people to life, and helps us to understand the world in which Billy grows up. You write in a straightforward, readable style, and your characters are well drawn and believable. <br />Gerry McCullough <br />Belfast Girls <br /><a href="http://www.authonomy.com/ViewBook.aspx?bookid=12808"><font color="#930718">http://www.authonomy.com/ViewBook.aspx?bookid=12808</font></a> <br /><br /><br /><br /></div> <div class="clear"></div><span class="widget-item-control"><span class="item-control blog-admin"><a class="quickedit" title="Edit" href="http://www.blogger.com/rearrange?blogID=3742341448763143140&widgetType=Text&widgetId=Text18&action=editWidget"><img height="18" alt="" src="http://img1.blogblog.com/img/icon18_wrench_allbkg.png" width="18" /><font color="#930718"></font></a></span></span> <div class="clear"><font color="#930718"></font></div></div> <div class="widget Text"> <h2 class="title">Alan Chaput</h2> <div class="widget-content">Molly is warm, caring and sympathetic. Your descriptions are cinematic. For example, your description of Milan's garden. Your vivid narrative is tight, well-paced and packed with interesting content. You enrich your storytelling with marvelous metaphors such as comparing Milan to a 'mute Magician with no songs to recite.' Your storyline is addictive. This is a stunning, sinister tale, masterfully told. <br />Alan Chaput <br />Savannagh Passion <br /><a href="http://www.authonomy.com/ViewBook.aspx?bookid=3641"><font color="#930718">http://www.authonomy.com/ViewBook.aspx?bookid=3641</font></a> <br /><br /></div> <div class="clear"></div><span class="widget-item-control"><span class="item-control blog-admin"><a class="quickedit" title="Edit" href="http://www.blogger.com/rearrange?blogID=3742341448763143140&widgetType=Text&widgetId=Text19&action=editWidget"><img height="18" alt="" src="http://img1.blogblog.com/img/icon18_wrench_allbkg.png" width="18" /><font color="#930718"></font></a></span></span> <div class="clear"><font color="#930718"></font></div></div> <div class="widget Text"> <h2 class="title">Marshal Warren</h2> <div class="widget-content">Well written, well said. My own grandfather was killed in a coal mining accident, and the ghost of that loss still lingers in the entire family with its cosmic effect, as it does in this excellent portrayal. A fascinating concept and read.Backed - Marsh <br />Marshal Warren <br />Sunrise,Sunset <br /><a href="http://www.authonomy.com/ViewBook.aspx?bookid=23234"><font color="#930718">http://www.authonomy.com/ViewBook.aspx?bookid=23234</font></a> <br /><br /></div> <div class="clear"></div><span class="widget-item-control"><span class="item-control blog-admin"><a class="quickedit" title="Edit" href="http://www.blogger.com/rearrange?blogID=3742341448763143140&widgetType=Text&widgetId=Text22&action=editWidget"><img height="18" alt="" src="http://img1.blogblog.com/img/icon18_wrench_allbkg.png" width="18" /><font color="#930718"></font></a></span></span> <div class="clear"><font color="#930718"></font></div></div> <div class="widget Text"> <h2 class="title">Brandon Steppan</h2> <div class="widget-content">Hooked since the very beginning. You do a great job of keeping the reader interested. Your structure allows for fast paced reading. You have a tone in your narrative that gives the reader comfort amidst chaos. Definitely something I would buy. Great job, backed with plenty of confidence. <br />Brandon Steppan <br />Sandcastles Dont Melt Above The Clouds <br /><a href="http://www.authonomy.com/ViewBook.aspx?bookid=21356"><font color="#930718">http://www.authonomy.com/ViewBook.aspx?bookid=21356</font></a> <br /><br /></div></div>