Welcome

I’m writing this blog to share some of my writing. You’ll find stories, poems, reviews and updates on my books. I hope you enjoy reading these as much as I’ve enjoyed writing them. Do leave comments and I’ll try and reply.

Grief

Grief

You didn’t choose me as your partner,

but I will stalk you until the end.

I will hold your hand and feel your pain

and hide your broken dreams, keeping them safe

for another day.

I give you permission to feel sadness,

regrets, longing and even anger,

but also, to feel wonder, comfort and friendship.

You’re allowed to sob and sit in silence

or laugh. Yes laugh!

I will help you, as time passes

to remember the happy life, you had before

and remind you of the love you used to share.

It hasn’t disappeared. Without love –

I wouldn’t be here.

Happy Christmas

I wish all my followers a very Happy Christmas. Sometimes Christmas is a hard time. Perhaps you cannot be with the ones you love. Here are two poems. One reflecting a happy family Christmas and the other where the guests are less welcome. I hope whatever Christmas you have you will find moments of joy.

Christmas

The day dawns with a whisper,
as children find their stockings.
They wait impatiently
and visitors come knocking.

The turkey’s in the oven
and sprouts are in the pan.
The roasties are browning
and there’s a strawberry flan.

Children in pyjamas
take presents from the tree,
while dad dishes out drinks
to everyone he sees.

All the food is eaten,
and the dog’s been for a walk.
Granddad is snoring loudly
but grandma wants to talk.

Now the day is over
and the children are in bed.
Thank goodness all are resting
and every mouth is fed.

Christmas Bah Humbug

So here we go again.
They say it’s once a year,
but it starts in October
and rarely brings good cheer.

I buy lots of presents,
that are not really needed,
and receive a lot of gifts,
all such pointless deeds.

When you visit family,
they force feed you fancy food,
which makes you feel bloated
and that’s not very good.

Then your friends drop in for tea,
and there’s not enough chairs.
Everyone is squashed
and the kids play on the stairs.

Your visitors are sweltering
and their dog’s just done a poo,
so amidst of serving tea,
you apply carpet shampoo.

I wish they’d all go home;
just say good-bye and disappear,
but they seem set on staying
to see out the year.

I’d hoped to read a book,
watch Strictly or Dr Who,
buy I’ve become a waitress
and I’ve got so much to do.

When they finally go home,
I crawl up to bed.
I’ll clear up tomorrow.
My feet feel like led.

.

Free Children’s e-Books 8-12 December 2023

Books make the best presents for children. These two are free as ebooks until the 12 December. Why not download them and check them out? Both books are filled with a touch of magic and can be read to your children or they can read for themselves.

Desdemona the dragon without any friends: I’ve just looked up the price for the paperback. Please don’t buy it. It says it’s £108.95/$40.30. I’ve tried to change it on Amazon but the paperback book has disappeared off my author details.

mybook.to/Desdemona

Pablo the storytelling bear has stories about the struggles of polar bears and stories about one who is kept in a zoo. The stories are told by a magical toy bear, who can talk. The best bit is it’s only £5.37/$6.68 if you want to buy the paperback for a stocking filler.

mybook.to/PabloSTBear

I hope to be putting up a couple of Christmas poems soon. Until then I wish you Happy Reading.

Missing

Missing is a book of varied short stories. From 2-6 December, the book is free on kindle unlimited. If you want to buy a paperback version it is £5.24/$6.53 and the link is below. Each story allows you to step into another world. If you enjoy them there are lots of other short story books for you to explore. These books make great stocking fillers.

http://mybook.to/Missingshortstories

Children’s Chapter Books – Ideal for bedtimes

Each of these three books have short self-contained chapters, that include a touch of magic along the way, to enchant your children. Depending on the child, they are suitable for 4-10 year olds. All of the books contain feel-good stories to leave your child happy and ready for a good night’s sleep. Each one is free on Kindle Unlimited, but if you prefer a paperback, the links are below.

The Green Book

mybook.to/GreenBook

Tiny Tyrannosaurus

mybook.to/Tiny

Desdemona the dragon without any friends

mybook.to/DesdemonaPablo the storytelling bear

Pablo the Storytelling Bear

mybook.to/PabloSTBear

If you have a younger child you might like to try this picture book.

Desdemona the dragon without any friends

mybook.to/Desdemona

Happy Reading!

Lady in the Woods

Here’s an Amazon review of Lady in the Woods, with many thanks to the reviewer.

Another superb collection of short stories from this author. Relationships and karma, are two of the key ingredients running through these entertaining tales. The reader is carefully drawn into each scenario and in some instances, there is a sense that the ending is obvious, but beware of that elusive literary, aquatic creature—the red herring.
No spoilers from me, but I can tell you that each story is good, and different in its own way.
Apart from her children’s stories, I’ve read and enjoyed all of Penny Luker’s work, and I would recommend that you give it a try.

Lady in the Woods is free on Kindle Unlimited. $7.78/£6.25 for the paperback.

All my books are free on Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited all the time. There are lots of short stories to delve into.

Missing

Pebble on the Beach

The Mermaid

The Child of Time

Family Ties

Barry and Sally were walking along the pier, watching the tide going out. They were killing time before meeting up with family. Under the pier a lot of rubbish had collected. It didn’t look too bad when covered with water, but now he could see all the gunge. Barry peered through the slatted floor and was saddened by the amount of rubbish, when he realized there were two human arms sticking up, out of the debris, one with the puppet, Punch on and one with the puppet, Judy.

Barry saw the gruesome sight and passed out, smashing down on the wet pier floor. When he awoke Sally was leaning over him, calling his name. He tried to sit up.

‘Just stay lying down for a moment,’ she said.

He thought, what a wimp I look now.

‘Your brother told me all about your childhood. I do understand.’

‘No, you don’t. There’s a body down there,’ he said.

Sally peered through the wooden floor. She took out her phone and called the police. Meanwhile two waiters from the cafe came out and helped Barry inside. Soon he and Sally were brought a welcome pot of tea.

Outside the wind blew, the sea was rocky and the crowds were gathering, but the pier security personnel stood guard on the pebbles below, preventing people contaminating the scene. The police arrived and the crowds were dispersed, but Barry and his girlfriend stayed in the cafe drinking their tea.

‘What did my brother tell you about our childhood?’ he asked eventually.

‘He told me that your parents were often absent at work, and left you in the hands of your older sister, Estelle, who didn’t want to look after you, so she would scare you both rigid with her Punch and Judy puppets. Punch literally beat you both and Judy made cruel and unkind comments. He told me how he pretended to be asleep and you took most of the beatings and how you both used to sob your hearts out silently when she left the room.’

Barry shook his head. He’d really hoped that Sally would see him as a strong man and now she would always know how feeble he was.

The door opened and a gust of cold air announced the arrival of the police. Inspector Denby sat down across the table from them.

‘Well sir, I understand you were the first person to see the body. Is that right, Mr Stanford?’

‘I just saw the arms and the puppet heads,’ said Barry.

‘Tell me why were you looking through the flooring?’

‘I don’t know. I just always do. I live round the corner. I suppose it’s a remnant of when I came here as a child.’

‘And then you passed out. It must have been an awful shock for you, to have made you pass out. I don’t suppose you knew the victim.’

‘I told you. I only saw the arms and the puppets and everything was covered in gunge and rubbish.’

‘Well now Mr Stanford I have a picture of the woman to whom those arms belonged. She is deceased and not too clean. Are you up to taking a look?’

Barry took a deep breath and nodded. Inspector Denby held out his phone. Barry could feel the blood draining from his face. He grabbed the table to stop himself passing out again.

‘Do you recognise the victim, Mr Stanford?’

‘Yes Sir. I do. It’s my sister, Estelle. I haven’t seen her in ten years.’

Sally was looking shocked, but she reached out and touched his hand.

‘Mr Stanford, I think we should continue our chat down at the police station. We don’t know how she died or how many hours ago it was, yet, but I think we should take both your statements. Shall we go?’

‘He’s recovering from fainting,’ said Sally. ‘I think he should be going to hospital.’

‘Oh, I’ll get our doctor to take a look at him. Don’t you worry, Miss.’

The journey to the police station didn’t take long. Barry went straight in to see the doctor, while a Detective Constable took Sally’s statement. Sally told her, what time they’d arrived at the pier and that they’d been going to meet other family members but, Estelle, Barry’s sister hadn’t been invited. She mentioned how Barry had been looking through the floor of the pier and passed out. When he’d told her there was a body, she’d immediately called the police.

Meanwhile the doctor had examined Barry’s vital signs and said he could be interviewed, but he had banged his head as he fell and that they must keep an eye on him, in case of concussion. Barry’s brother, Mike and sister-in-law arrived and were also questioned. Eventually they were allowed to go home for the night.

The next day the scene of crime report came back, which showed that Estelle had climbed up on the ironwork below the pier, possibly with the puppets on her hands. There was no evidence of her being hurt by anyone. It seemed likely that the spray and the wind had caused her to lose her footing. The police couldn’t imagine why she’d been climbing, after all she wasn’t a teenager.

Sally said, ‘She probably was going to frighten the boys for a bit of fun.’

‘Well she certainly did that,’ said Inspector Denby. ‘I’m sorry for your loss. We’ll be in touch about the release of the body.’

Much later that night Barry was walking along the beach with Mike. They paused as they passed under the pier, which had been completely cleared of debris.

‘It’s over now,’ said Mike.

‘But what was she doing here and why was she climbing up the pier’s structure? I don’t understand.’

‘She was out to blight our day. Probably found out we were meeting up, through Mum, and was annoyed we’d not invited her. She was out to give you a shock. She knew more than anybody how scared you are of Punch and Judy.’

‘But why did she fall?’

‘Because the iron work was slippery and she was wearing puppets on her hands. I want you to know, I didn’t do anything. I just shouted at her to get down. She turned to see who was yelling and fell. I couldn’t help her. She fell into the muddy water onto a pile of rubbish and she disappeared except for her arms, which stuck up at right angles. Probably trying to keep the puppets dry.’

‘But surely she could’ve been saved?’ said Barry.

‘I really don’t think so. It was a massive fall, and anyway she taught us how to keep silent, whatever pain she put us through. We can get on with our lives now. She won’t hurt us again.’

Barry looked at his brother with understanding. He wouldn’t tell the police what his brother had said. Now he’d met Sally, it was time to move away, and start a new family with a happier narrative.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this story from ‘Lady in the Woods’. Why not download the rest of the book and dip into lots of other stories.

Nature’s Gold

Here’s the first poem in the book. I hope you enjoy it.

Don’t Buy Me Apples

Eat lots of fruit is what we’re told today,

to keep ourselves in health and at our best.

Such variety of colour, texture, taste;

it’s a joy to comply to this request.

So buy me tangerines with soft supple skins

and bring me fresh raspberries from the canes.

Dig down into the earth for tiny new potatoes

and pick blackberries from bushes in the lanes.

But don’t buy me apples; I have no need of these,

though eating shiny Coxes brings delight.

One of my greatest pleasures is to climb the orchard trees

and to pluck them from the bough and then just bite.

Here’s a review posted on Amazon.(Thank you Philsbookshop)

Philsbookshop

5.0 out of 5 stars A delightful collection

Verified Purchase

This is a delightful collection of poetry from someone who is able to write with her emotions as well as with her mind. Without a doubt, Penny shows that she has an excellent handle on the technicalities of poetry in many forms, but I enjoyed this selection mostly because they took me to places I may not otherwise have gone. Some of the poems are deeply emotional (Undeniable Love), others are light and easy going (Sneaky), a few bring a chuckle or two (Don’t Buy Me Apples). All of the poems are engaging, and it is clear they have been written from the heart with a profound sense of perception.

Nature’s Gold is free on Kindle Unlimited and £5.38/$6.70 for a paperback

mybook.to/NatureGold

Other poetry books that you may enjoy.

Autumn Gold

mybook.to/AutumnGold

The Shadows of Love

mybook.to/shadowsoflove

A Patchwork of Poems

mybook.to/Patchworkofpoems

All my poetry is free on Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited.

Short Story: The Long Driveway

The Long Driveway

Harry Blaze made his way up the long driveway, noticing the borders needed attention and roses needed pruning. He’d learned his gardening skills in prison, but had decided that if he was going to turn his life around, he needed to go straight. Just before he left prison, he’d been offered an interview for a gardening post at this beautiful, if intimidating, grand house. He rang the doorbell.

An old-style manservant with greyish skin, and wrinkles that would have done a prune proud, answered the door.

‘You’re expected, Sir. Please come in. I’m Barnaby. Have been with Lady Joyce for forty years.’

The old man smiled at Harry, a warm smile that changed his face completely. It eased Harry’s nerves a little.

Harry was shown into a large sitting room with high ceilings and faded, worn furniture. Seated near an ornate coffee table was a grey-haired lady, wearing tiny round spectacles.

‘Mr Blaze, M’Lady,’ said Barnaby.

‘Would you bring us some coffee and biscuits, Barnaby? Thank you.’

Harry shuffled awkwardly. He’d never been in a house so grand and stately.

‘Oh, do sit down my boy. Now, I understand you’ve been away and during your time have trained as a gardener. Your reference says that you have a natural talent. I used to be the same you know.’

Harry’s eyes scanned the room, nervously. He so wanted this job; to make a new start and not return to prison, but his eyes rested on the photographs set out in rows and there was a picture of his mother. What an earth was that about?

Lady Joyce was speaking, ‘I can see you’re admiring the photo frames. Yes, they’re silver and you need to know I know exactly how many there are. Seventeen, and if any go missing, you’ll be out of here quicker than you know.’

Harry looked at her with resignation and then back to the picture, he was sure was his mother.

‘I can only count sixteen and anyway, you contacted me to offer me a job. I thought you were giving me a real chance.’ He stood up. ‘I was obviously wrong. You just want someone as a whipping boy.’

‘Oh do sit down, Harry. I know you want the job.’

He was about to sit down, when Barnaby tottered in with the coffee. Harry took the heavy tray and placed it on the table. Barnaby shuffled out of the room but Harry knew the footsteps stopped outside the door.

‘Let me tell you about the job,’ said Lady Joyce. ‘You’ll be completely in charge of the garden. It will be up to you to bring it back to its former glory. It needs a lot of work, but you’ll be paid well and there’s a flat over the garage you can have for free.’

‘That all sounds good.’

‘And you can come and eat with me in the evenings and keep me company.’

‘That seems a bit odd, if you don’t mind my saying so. Do you eat with Barnaby too?’

‘Of course not, he’s my employee.’

Harry grimaced, ‘So will I be.’

‘Oh dear,’ said Lady Joyce, ‘I was hoping to have a bit of time to get to know you before we came to this point. I suppose I’d better explain.’ She paused.

‘How do I put this nicely? I can’t. I had a daughter – your mother. The thing is I have no heir to pass this place on to, except you. I’m sorry to say your mother had no morals. She hooked up with a most unsuitable man. A member of the lower class, no less.’ she whispered. ‘Well I couldn’t have the family name brought into disrepute, so I asked her to leave. Harsh I know but they were different times back then. That’s why you ended up in an orphanage. I couldn’t bring her child back here. What would people have said?’

Harry thought about his childhood. Lots of noise and people around, but no-one of his own.

‘She was never designed to be a good mother, you know and your father skedaddled,’ said Lady Joyce.

‘Did you know she came to see me in prison before she died? She knew she hadn’t got long and it had taken her months to find me. She cried and apologised for letting me down, but told me I could still make a good life for myself and that’s what I’ll do. She told me all about how she fell in love with my father. They were childhood sweethearts,’ said Harry.

‘Well, it’s all in the past now. I’m trying to make amends. I’m offering you a chance to get back on your feet and become part of the family.’

Harry felt both sadness and anger that this woman had ruined his mother’s life and damaged his. All his life he’d wanted a family, but no-one came to adopt him. The local gang had become his family and soon he was in trouble with the law.

‘I don’t think so, Lady Joyce. I only met my mother for an hour, but I could tell she was warm hearted and kind. I don’t think I want to be part of your family,’ said Harry, knowing that his chance of getting another such perfect job offer was now next to zero.

With that he took his phone out, walked over to the pictures and snapped any photographs that had his mother in.

‘There’s still sixteen frames,’ he said as he strode over and opened the door.

Barnaby stood back to let him out.

As Barnaby followed him to the front door he said, ‘Your father is my son. ‘He’s a good man. Lives in the village.’

Harry turned and looked at the old man.

‘Why did he desert my mother in her hour of need?’ Harry asked.

‘He was serving in the army, abroad. He didn’t know about you until recently. Come and meet him. I’m sure you’ll like him.’

Harry smiled. He might have some family after all. He gave Barnaby his arm and they walked slowly, away from the imposing house, along the extensive drive towards the village, together.

This story came from the book, Lady in the Woods. If you’ve enjoyed it, why not download the book. It’s free on Kindle Unlimited.

Short Story: Hidden

Hidden

Gerald trampled through the sand dunes carrying his digging equipment and packed lunch. It was a warm day with a gentle breeze and he was looking forward to excavating the isolated plot he’d thought as being ‘of interest’ from his bi-plane.

He’d not been able to identify the shrubs growing over the small piece of land, and now that he could touch them and smell their slightly acrid aroma, he was none the wiser. He’d take a bit home with him later, to see what he could make of it. Callously, he ripped it all out of the ground. It came away easily, as the roots were shallow. It was strange it just grew in this one place, as if it had been imported from another land.

He started to dig. He marked out a rectangle with string and pegs and thrust the shovel into the dry, sandy earth. Although the top few inches were easy to move, being little more than dust, the next level was solid and hard, but he was a strong man, even if he was past his prime. As the day grew warmer, he dug on, shovel after shovel full of earth. Slowly, he was disappearing into the hole because the earth was piling up around the edge, but he didn’t mind. It was pleasant listening to the distant sound of the waves lapping on the shore. They were calming, almost a melody.

Suddenly, he came across a white bone. He knew now that he’d not found an ancient site of waste disposal, where he might find treasures, but a burial site. That was fine. Sometimes people were buried with treasures or artefacts of value. He might still be lucky. He also knew that now he must dig with extreme care, so as not to damage the skeleton. He climbed out of the excavation to get his other tools and decided it was time to drink the warm tea in his flask. It was easy to forget the physical strain when doing such manual work. The tea tasted delicious and he was tempted to rest in the sun, listening to the sea, but there was a lot of work still to be done, so he pressed on.

With care, he meticulously removed earth, while trying to leave the bones lying in the same position. He would stop in a minute to take a photograph, because it was important to record the progress of a find.

Once again, he climbed out, this time to retrieve his camera. The brightness of the sun shocked him, but then he’d been working in the shade, totally concentrating on not damaging the skeleton. He looked down to take a photograph and couldn’t believe his eyes. The skeleton he’d unearthed was like none he’d ever seen. In fact, it was incredible. Adrenaline surged through his body. He couldn’t remember ever feeling so excited. Carefully, he climbed back down and removed more of the red earth. The lower half of the skeleton was particularly delicate.

At regular intervals he poked his head up and checked no-one was watching. This find would make him rich. His friends, if you could call them that, would stop laughing at his ‘little hobby’. He’d be world famous. Gerald Farthing, archaeologist extraordinaire; finder of the unique skeleton. He could see himself being invited to universities to explain why he’d decided to dig there. He must remember to collect a sample of that shrub he’d pulled up. In his mind he was almost writing the speech he would make. He would start with his solo flight over the area…

He was so engrossed with his musings that he failed to register the gentle rhythm of the waves had evolved into delicate Gaelic music, which was seeping into his head. The music was exquisite, hauntingly hypnotic, even spiritual. It lulled him from consciousness to a state of euphoria.

Gently, he started to caress the smooth, pure white bones. They felt like silk to his roughened hands. They were so beautiful, like a work of art. The music intoxicated him, until his eyes closed and he lay down, curling his body around the skeleton.

Gradually, the hole he’d spent the day digging, started to fill itself in, piling deeper and deeper over him. The mud tumbled, like water going down a drain, with a force too great to fight against. The unknown shrub was pulled back on top of the grave and the plot looked as if no-one had been there.

With his last ounce of strength, Gerald held his camera up, in the hope that someone would see it. He cursed himself for not recognizing what extreme danger he was in. He should have realized, when he’d discovered the pure white bones of a mermaid.

This story comes from the book, The Child of Time . If you’ve enjoyed it, why not download the book, which is free on Kindle Unlimited.

The Child of Time is free

The Child of Time is a book that explores the unexplained happenings in the world. Let your imagination go and read this ebook of paranormal stories for free on 16 – 18 June.

The Child of Time is always free on Kindle Unlimited. Lots of short stories for you to enjoy.

Other books of short stories are:

Lady in the Woods

Pebble on the Beach

Missing

The Mermaid

Let me know of other paranormal books that you’ve enjoyed.