Celebrate Book Lovers Day: Discovering the Health Benefits of Reading

 

Every year on 09 August, bookworms around the world unite to celebrate their love for literature on Book Lovers Day. Whether you're immersed in the pages of a gripping novel, exploring a factual tome, or escaping into the realms of fantasy, reading offers more than just entertainment—it also contributes significantly to your overall health and wellbeing.

The Mental Gymnastics of Reading

Reading is often likened to a workout for the brain. When you engage with a book, you're not just passively absorbing information; you're actively processing, analysing, and interpreting text. This mental exercise strengthens neural pathways, improving cognitive function and potentially staving off cognitive decline as you age.

Stress Reduction and Relaxation

In our fast-paced world, finding moments of peace and relaxation is crucial for mental health. Reading has been shown to lower cortisol levels, the hormone responsible for stress, by transporting readers into different worlds and allowing them to temporarily escape from everyday worries. The immersive nature of reading can induce a state of relaxation similar to meditation, making it an excellent bedtime ritual for better sleep.

Empathy and Emotional Intelligence

Fiction, in particular, allows readers to step into the shoes of characters from diverse backgrounds and experiences. This journey fosters empathy and emotional intelligence, helping readers understand and relate to others in their real lives. By encountering different perspectives, readers can broaden their worldview and become more open-minded individuals.

Expanding Knowledge and Vocabulary

Whether you're delving into non-fiction or absorbing the rich language of literature, reading expands your knowledge base and enhances your vocabulary. The more you read, the more words and ideas you're exposed to, which can improve communication skills and even boost confidence in social settings.

Building a Reading Habit

To reap the full benefits of reading, consider incorporating it into your daily routine. Set aside dedicated time each day—whether it's during your morning commute, lunch break, or before bed—to indulge in a good book. Joining a book club or discussing books with friends can also enrich the experience by providing new insights and recommendations.

 

The Mancunian Tales

 In the United Kingdom, Book Lovers Day is observed in various ways. People share book recommendations with friends and family, indulge in reading their favourite books or discover new genres, and attend literary events or visit local bookstores and libraries. It presents an opportunity for individuals to appreciate the written word and engage in discussions about the importance of books in society. Book Lovers Day is observed annually on August 9th, bringing book fanatics together in a mutual celebration of literature.

The Beyond Series

Fun things to do in the UK for Book Lovers Day

Visit your local bookstore and find a book series that interests you. The store may be offering a special deal to celebrate the day.

Get a library card! Visit your local library and sign up for one. You'll be able to browse the library's collection and even check out new books. Visit the Rylands Library in Manchester, it's incredible, like Hogwarts with tonnes of books!

Check out the Bodleian Libraries. These historic libraries are part of the University of Oxford and are some of the oldest in Europe. You can take a guided tour to celebrate the day.

Visit The Charles Dickens Museum in London. You can explore the author's former home, see the first editions and manuscripts of his novels, and learn about his life.

This year, I plan to visit Stratford Upon Avon to visit Shakespeare's Museum and Anne Hathaway's Cottage. What will you be doing to celebrate Book Lovers Day?

Conclusion

As we celebrate Book Lovers Day, let's not only cherish the stories that transport us but also recognise the profound impact reading has on our health and wellbeing. Whether you're seeking relaxation, mental stimulation, or personal growth, books offer a gateway to a world of possibilities. So, pick up a book, immerse yourself in its pages, and let the benefits of reading enhance your life.

Happy Book Lovers Day to all the avid readers and book enthusiasts out there!

Sci-Fi and Fantasy Conventions

As a fantasy supernatural writer, I attend various sci-fi and fantasy conventions at times to promote myself and my Supernatural Beyond Series of Novels . They are all very different experiences, but these conventions do share one thing in common, their fans are serious fans and they love to dress up as their favourite characters from books, graphic novels, film and TV series. Here's my favourite Sci-fi and Fantasy Conventions that I've attended in recent years.

Authors Alison Kershaw and Sam Stone meeting for the first time

BFS - British Fantasy Society - was my first introduction to Sci-Fi and Fantasy Conventions. It was held in Northampton and I was a little overwhelmed by it all at first. However, I had been in contact with Horror author Sam Stone, who was there to launch her new book and Raven Dane another lovely fantasy vampire author. I listened to other established authors on panels about script writing, which I found very interesting and gave me the idea to look into script writing courses to adapt Didikai Witch The first Novel in my my Beyond Series of Supernatural Books.

I listened to other authors reading extracts from their own latest pieces of work, which I always greatly admire. For me public speaking is hard enough, but reading your own words to an anticipating crowd is petrifying, so I had great admiration for those reading. I also listened to James Barclay's interview, which was very interesting as he described how he struggled as a writer in his early years and gave me motivation to carry on with my writing endeavours .





 I was also honoured to be invited to lunch with some of the guest authors at the event, which was the first time I'd ever been in the company with fellow published authors before, which was thrilling.

NEW CON - A Sci-fi and Fantasy Convention in Nottingham, which offered similar entertainment and
workshops as the British Fantasy Society, but at this stage I knew more writers and the same people do tend to show up at these events. So I was there on Friday night in the hotel with Sam Stone,



David Howe of Telos Publishing and Terry Martin of Murky Depths Graphic Novels when I went to the bar and began talking to a lovey gentleman who bought me a drink and started chatting about writing for the BBC, this was Paul Cornell, who had written episodes for Doctor Who and so I attended his workshop on the Saturday to learn more about how to get your foot in the door as a BBC script writer, I'm still trying, but the writer's room only open up for submissions one a year, so I persist.



This panel is of author Storm Constantine and Terry Martin. I always recommend attending these conventions and panels as an aspiring writer because you can pick up amazing snippets of valuable advice from a pro and these panels are a chance to ask them pretty much whatever you like. Saturday evening was a live band and meal and I even had the absolute honour of player pool with the late, great Ian M. Banks.




EM - Com Birmingham. The two previous Sci-Fi and Fantasy Conventions were smaller, with a family feel and were focused around books, graphic novels and their authors. This Em - Com was huge in comparison, with many stalls to weave in and out of selling books, witchcraft products, Harry Potter memorabilia, Sci-fi toys from favourite TV and films, I wondered how I could possibly stand out from the rest. As you can see I went with a Scottish theme to match the Scotland theme that runs through the Beyond Books I write, and it seemed to work selling quite a lot of my signed books.

The other differences were that this event was very firmly centre around stars of the film and TV world, all lined up in a long row down one side of the huge hall, stars like the cast from the Red Dwarf, Game of Thrones and Star Trek and Doctor Who were there and it seemed most people attended purely to get a signed photo of the stars. No-one seemed to care about the writers who made the series or film the success it was in the first place. Very different and the amount of cos-play was astonishing. Above is an ewok, but there were storm troopers, Darth Vaders, Trekky fans galore, dressed up in some amazingly realistic costumes.

Del and Darth Vadar

Em-Con was an amazing experience, I even got to meet Danny John Jules who played Cat in Red Dwarf whilst we both waited for taxi's at the back of the convention at the end of the day and I didn't even have to pay for the pleasure, but I have to say, it was just too big for my liking.








The most amazing experience of my writing career and of Sci-Fi and Fantasy Conventions was the Sci-Fi Weekender in Wales. More cosplay, but there was a much more of a balance between writers, artists, actors panels, with cosplay competitions and different areas, such as the shopping area, scifi cinema, comedians and shows out of this world. Definitely an eclectic mix to entertain just about every fantasy.




And of course, there were still those members of the public who spend a fortune, and great creative time and effort on their costumes. They walk around all day long having their photos taken with other cos-players, which I find fascinating.

My greatest experience of this weekend was to be asked to be on two panels of experts discussing Dystopian Futures and What We class as Horror.
The panel had to sit on a stage in huge auditorium usually used as the caravan parks entertainment hall. Looking out at hundreds of faces staring back at me was a truly petrifying feeling, but thankfully as I managed to answer the first question with dying of fear and the next, I gained my confidence and it actually helped to get more people to my stall of books, giving me lots of positive feedback and hopefully some new fans.

Visit Alison's Website

Buy Alison's Books Here

New Novel The Hidden is now On Sale

I'm very happy to announce my new novel The Hidden is now on sale.

New Novel The Hidden is now on sale - click here to read

Kristen Saunders is afraid of her abusive husband who attempts to control all aspects of her life, but she can’t help defying him when it comes to issues of the heart. Her marital home is in another county far from her home town of Salford and family, so whenever she becomes homesick she takes a secret trip to see them.

On one such trip she bumps into an old school friend who warns her of two brothers she recommends avoiding at all costs. Michael and Joe McCauley have been asking of Kristen’s whereabouts for several months and although she is intrigued about how they know her and why they would want to know her, she is also extremely cautious and afraid of some of the revelations made to her about this notorious pair. 

When she meets the two charismatic brothers and their friends, she is soon drawn into a world of crime, drugs and eventually murder, whilst having to contend with a controlling and vindictive husband, an overprotective father and an obsessive stalker who is an old family friend and enemy of the McCauley brothers.

The events that unfold and the hidden skeletons that fall out of the family closet, allow Kristen to find strength, control and empowerment again, but at a cost as she is eventually revered within the Manchester underworld and her metamorphism will be the destruction of everything she once held dear.

And now The Confessional - Book 2 in The Mancunian Tales

Early Short Story - Writing Inspiration - First Day

First Day

She had arrived at her destination, at long last. Looking around ate her surroundings, she drew in a deep breath. The sea air smelt clean and fresh with a cocktail of fish, salt and ozone, which filled her nostrils and her whole sense of well-being, had improved tenfold in less than an hour.

Sitting down on the highest sand dune she could find and looked out to the horizon. The sea lapped lazily at the shore and she decided to make a mental note of everything. Burrowing her long lean fingers in the golden sand as she leant back, felt like warm silk caressing her hands.

Throwing her head back as far as she could and closed her eyes, listening to the immense body of water in front of her singing its own rhythmic tune. The heats of the sun beat down on her face, yet intermittently a cool breeze swept delicately over her body and caused the long and lean dune grass gracefully, creating a gentle rustling. This al added to the whole ambience of her perfect and safe place.

A child giggling in the distance broke into her private thoughts as she opened her eyes to look down on the beach below her. A father was clutching a little girl, no older than four or five. They were playing horses and he neighed loudly as he trotted around the wet sand. All the while his daughter squealed with delight as he held her tightly on his back. Smiling to herself she too remembered many a happy and fun holiday here as a child, at this beautiful, picturesque and more importantly secluded Welsh town. She and her brother had spent the hot summer days playing hide and seek in the dunes, burying each other in the sand or swimming in the ice cold sea. Children didn’t worry about trivial things. Everything was new, exciting and an adventure.

Oh yes, she was on an adventure herself right now, but it was far from fun or exciting. This was to be the first day of the rest of her life and what a first day it had been.

Reliving the events in her mind. The day had begun at 5.30am, although she had already been lying in wide awake for two hours listening to the snoring stranger lying next to her. Fearful of him awakening and reading her thoughts, knowing precisely what she was to do that day. Another fear struck her as she watched the dawn breaking through a crack in the curtains of their bedroom window. ‘What if he awakes to discover he is too sick to go to work and decides to stay at home all day?’ She had felt sick herself at this thought. She had closed her eyes and tried to go back to sleep, but it was no use. The thought was now planted deep in her psyche and would not leave her until he had left the house to go to work.

Time had dragged by, but finally he awoke and left the house as usual without kissing her goodbye. Despite this, a pang of guilt shuddered through her as she realised he would never she her again. It was the last time she would ever feel guilty about him though. She heard the familiar sounds of his sports car pull away from the drive and speed up the road and into the distance. Leaping out of bed, she put on her dressing gown and retrieved several boxes she had hidden under the bed a few weeks earlier. She ran down the stairs and began packing ornaments. The job was rough and ready and she had already decided that some of the pieces would have to be sacrificed, because time was so limited. The removal men were due to arrive in less than three hours and there still was so much to do.

The packing was finished with half an hour to spare so she decided to take a shower and try to unwind. There had been no time to think about the situation earlier but with nothing left to do except wait, she had begun to shake violently as she worried at the prospect of him returning home for his breakfast at nine o’clock, as he sometimes did. A cols sweat ran down the back of her neck at this last thought. She would be in so much trouble f he did come home now.

She had lit her tenth cigarette, nervously as the removal men parked a lorry big enough to carry two houses full of furniture. She cursed under her breath, as the vehicle was so conspicuous on this tiny street where the perpetual net curtains always twitched. She felt slightly embarrassed at first as the two strangers entered her home. It would also be the last two people who would see her now as she was, the scorned woman about to abandon a life as the permanent doormat and recluse. She instructed them to remove the items she wanted. She hadn’t the heart to clear out the entire house; it had been hard enough just to continue the pretence for the last two weeks.

She decided to make herself scarce and made her excuses that there was no milk left for a cup of tea. Walking to the corner shop, furthest away from their home and her In-laws was the best option. Careering into her retired father in-law or one of their friends was too much to risk. Besides she no longer had the strength or inclination left to continue to lie. At that moment in time she could quite easily admit to anyone who asked that she had resigned from her job and was leaving her husband.

As she arrived back at the house with supplies, the net curtains in this neighbourhood watch street were already beginning to move. She had to control a hysterical laugh, twisting and turning in her stomach as one of the local residents tried to hide behind his curtains, but in his over zealous reaction, he walked head first into is welsh dresser and almost knocked himself out.

Luckily by the time she had arrived back at the house, the majority of her belongings had been packed into the storage pallet. The three of them stood awkwardly in the half empty living room sipping hot tea whilst trying to make polite conversation. Looking around her, the house looked quite empty, despite the fact that she was removing only the bare essentials and she began to wonder what the two removal men made of it all. Did they feel sorry for him? She had told herself however, that she had left the place habitable and after all his favourite sofa and television had been left behind, because as he had constantly reminded her…’As long as I have my sofa and tv nothing else really matters’. He probably wouldn’t even notice she had gone until his dinner failed to appear magically in front of him whilst watching Thunderbirds, she had thought cynically.

The house had been emptied in less than an hour, but there wasn't time to relax yet. He could still burst in the front door and she really couldn’t cope with anymore confrontations. She felt worn and weary, with a six hour coach journey still ahead of her. Taking one last look around the house that had never felt like home, it had been more like a stop gap, somewhere to sleep and eat for the last five years. How someone or something could feel so right then go so horribly wrong in such a short space of time. She had spent half of her adult life with this man. Inhaling deeply, she had decided not to waste another moment watching life pass her by. Placing a carefully written letter on the coffee table, she slung her rucksack on her back and walked out of the house and up the street without even a backward glance.

The taxi she had ordered was waiting further up the road to take her to the bus station. It was on the outskirts of the town so the risk of bumping into anyone, especially her husband was very slight. However, sat on a bench at the station waiting for her bus, her nerves were on a knife edge. She was becoming paranoid with every tick of the station clock, thinking that everyone knew her and was watching her. She was a city girl born and bred and she was used to her face being lost in a crowd. She could be herself or someone else in the city and no-one would notice. Here though in a countryside market town, everyone knew you and your business even if you were oblivious to them. Every word, action and suggestion was duly noted then gossiped about over morning coffee. She couldn’t handle it, just the way she couldn’t handle the way the old local families treated her like an outsider. Tourists were fine visiting the area, they put bread on the table and at least they would only be a nuisance for a week or two before going back home, but those imported from the cities to live in ‘their’ town permanently…’well the nerve of those city slickers’  

She broke off from her thoughts; her cynicism was not helping the situation. She needed to move forwards and not think about the past. ‘You are right where you want to be, my girl’.

As she stood up she felt the pins and needles in her feet, so she walked over the sand dunes until the landscape changed to the black rocks of the coastline. She began to walk up the coastal path that wound its way up to the top of the dark volcanic mass. Walking through the thorny bracken and bright green luscious ferns, she found it incredibly calm and peaceful on her troubled soul.

Stopping at the highest point, she looked out to sea as something below her caught her eye. Some steps had been forged out of the stone face and she could not resist an exploration as to where they would take her. Winding down the steep slope she lost count of the number of steps when she saw the views that beheld her. It was a secluded beach with rocks all the shades of grey and black enclosing this tiny alcove of paradise. The turquoise sea lapped over the indigenous rocks, but barely brushed onto the clean golden sands.

Sitting down by one of the many clear rocks pools, brimming with colourful tiny marine life, she drifted off once more into deep thought. As she swirled the water with a long elegant finger. Her thoughts took her to the two kindly nuns she had met on the National Express coach. Relief had washed over her once she had finally boarded the vehicle and the worst chapter of her escape plan was over. The nuns were elderly and quite frail, but very warm and friendly. They had sat opposite her for the entire journey. With everything on her mind she had completely forgotten to pack supplies, not even a bottle of water. The two nuns had brought some jellied fruits with them and she must have looked thirstily at them enjoying the juicy sweets as the youngest lady offered her one and then again every half hourly intervals. Perhaps they had felt sorry for her because she was travelling alone or maybe they could see she had the weight of the world on her shoulders. She was grateful for their kindness and wished them both well on their continuing journey as she left the coach.

Checking her watch, her heart skipped a beat. Her husband would know the truth by now. He would have read her letter and seen the state of the house. Worrying suddenly, she thought about how he might have reacted to the news. Did he crumple to the floor crying into her letter with regrets or had he flown into a rage and vented his anger on the furniture that was left.

Shaking the thoughts from her head with a shiver, she was shocked to notice that dusk was creeping in on a blanket of indigos, violets and pinks across the coastal sky. It was time to head back to the warmth and safety of the caravan that she would call home for a while. Her streetwise city girl instincts had not left her completely as she knew it would be foolish to remain here in this unlit and uninhabited place.

As she walked back along the coastal path she took her mobile phone from her coat pocket and felt brave enough to switch it on. Ten messages had been left. She felt sick again and turned it off. Perhaps, she would call her parents just to let them know she was alright, but deep down she still couldn’t face the music just yet. The accusations and ridicule she knew would be the ultimate fall out. They would just have to wait. With each day that passed, she knew she could strengthen her resolve and one day be ready to go back to her hometown the same way she had left it five years earlier, happy, independent and free. But for now she just wanted to soak in the last moments of her first day.

Cyprus - Great Inspiration for SAS in The Confessional!

I have now been to Cyprus six times and we always stay in Paphos, so I pretty much know it like the back of my hand. It’s home from home for me and I will never become bored of the place. Beautiful golden sandy beaches overlooked by rows of amazing hotels, all with their own gardens, pools, jacuzzi’s and bars.

We first stayed at The St George, Close to coral Beach and I thought this was amazingly stunning all marble and chandeliers. The evening entertainment was fabulous and I still hold fond memories of the first two holidays spent there. The Athena beach was just as lovely having evening entertainment and Greek dancing around the swimming pool by night. The Pathaneon, was my first ever attempt at an all inclusive holiday, which was marvellous although we rarely left the hotel because of it and I guess a lot of local businesses have suffered for it. And last summer we stayed at the Cypriot Maris a uber modern five star hotel, which was just brilliant. They were all like staying in paradise to me and I get a warm fuzzy feeling when I reminisce of these holidays and which is why I have to write about them in My New Crime Novels.

We've pretty much done all the touristy sightseeing for southern Cyprus, Kurium the Ancient Greek Amphitheatre and ancient city, the quaint little colonial town high in the Troodos mountains and Makarios’ birth place, plus his final resting place. I don’t understand why people find this guy a hero though. At the end of the day he was a man of the cloth who dabbled in politics and backed out of a deal that was made with the Turkish Cypriots back in the 1950’s. His Political decision made the Turkish government use it as an excuse to invade Northern Cyprus, which resulted in the deaths of many Greek Cypriots, yet they think he’s their saviour! I just struggle to understand it.

Whilst I am on the subject of the last divided city of Nicosia and the country the Turkish occupy, have opened it’s borders recently and on my last visit we went into the Northern part of Cyprus visiting Famagusta, which has been abandoned by the Turks as they say the Greek Cypriots can have it back one day. What’s the point in that? The place is crumbling ruins! We also wondered around Famagusta old town, which grieved me because most of the people there are from mainland Turkey and and occupy other peoples homes and businesses.

I also discovered the church across the road had been converted to a temple. Something I found sacrilegious and I wasn't impressed as the Greek Cypriots have left all the temples in the south as they were left during in the civil war in case there is one day peace and the Turkish Cypriots decide to return home one day. Though the trip there and past no man’s land was wholly depressing and we travelled back tad subdued from the experience I felt it was necessary to see both sides and hear the stories of the civil war from survivors to make one’s own mind up.

At the end of the day whenever someone tells me the North is nicer than the South of Cyprus at least I can categorically say it is not. The North may have been a trendy stomping ground for the rich and famous, but those days are long gone as the locals have left everything to crumble and disintegrate. Give me Paphos any day.

The Dyonisis Museum in Paphos has an amazing collection of Greek Mosaics, the castle t the port and the Valley of the Kings out towards Kato Paphos offers great ancient historical culture.




The pretty traditional village of Omodus offers a look into life in peaceful Cypriot villages of days gone by. Men sat out chatting in the coffee shops while the women gossip while they make beautiful pieces of lace. We went to a nunnery, which was fascinating. How they live in those huge black smocks in searing heat I do not know.

We’ve taken trips to Adonis and Aphrodites fountains and swam in a fresh water waterfall, and seen the mountains on a beach buggy trip, swam in the sea on turtle beach and held baby turtles that have been rescued from certain death. And the fun we’ve had in the evenings in traditional Greek Taverna’s over the years have been priceless, Zenia and Petros’s Place, Angelo’s, Zsa Zsa and Flintstone bar are some of my personal favourites and think all are still open to this day.

I’ve loved Cyprus so much I’ve written a novel set out there. A crime/military piece (as we have a British Military base out there) with a smidge of erotic romance for good measure. Still procrastinating about publishing that one. But in the meantime if you want to try my My Beyond Series all details are just a click away!
Alison Website: http://www.alisonkershaw.live

Supernatural writing inspiration for The Beyond Series /Greece

Greece/Falaraki Rhodes/Kos/Porus

Ah, where do I start? Well, I went to Greece and Athens first of all at the age of 20. I’d always wanted to do a spot of backpacking and island hopping as I thought myself as a bit of an adventurer back then. So we hit Athens, at night in searing heat. It stank to high heaven of rubbish left out all day in the humidity and I was so tired I just wanted to hit the hay. We found a hostel and asked what we could get for 2000 Dracma.(Currency before the Euro.)





 Not much it seemed. Two cot like camp beds and a fan in a room! It was vile, but it was late and I was tired and hungry, so my female friend and I went out, got smashed so I didn't have to think of the roaches!
The next morning we got out of there so fast, I didn’t even use amenities in fear of catching something nasty and we caught a hydrofoil to Poros Island. We went to the local tourist centre and asked again what we could get for 2000 Dracma a night (I’d read in travel journals this was a fair price for a decent room), and to our delight we were taken to a very clean and fully furnished apartment, with balcony!

There wasn’t a pool, but the soft white sandy beach was just a stone’s throw away. Porus town was quaint and quiet. Ever watched the film Mama Mia? Well, Poros was a bit like that. All white washed buildings and blue doors, windows, chairs…. Everything white and blue! It was like paradise to us. And so that was the end of my Greek island hopping adventure! Not much I know, but we did hop over to at least one island with a back pack on my back. After six glorious days we returned to Athens for a Forum for a charity group we were both members of.

Leo’s were the youth section of Lions Clubs International, a massive charity and welfare organisation today with over 13 million members worldwide. Back in the 90’s the members of Leo’s around Europe would take turns in hosting the annual European convention and in 1991 it was Greece’s turn. The hotel was positively Five Star compared to the flee pit we stayed in on the first night in Athens.

We were treated to a show of countries, a ceremony were each country in Europe showed off their prowess and achievements. The Italians had a stall full of amazing pasta dishes and chianti, the Turkish Leo’s brought a kind of dumpling sauce dish (which was heaven) and a vodka type spirit, the Germans brought sausage, schnitzel and beer, Spanish brought tapas and wines and the British Leo’s…. Well we came up with Gin and Tonic and Blackpool rock! I felt a bit bad that we don’t really have an official national dish – some say it’s roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, others argue it’s Indian Curries. But surprisingly the bitterness of the G&T and the sweetness of the rock was an amazing success.

We were treated to entertainment in the form of Greek dancing, whilst the English Male Leo’s attempted to chat up the very fashion conscious and rich Italian ladies in Leo’s, without much success. The Italians Leo’s fascinated me, they arrived at the hotel with enough luggage for a month’s trip rather than six days! The most extravagant of the ladies would change outfits at least 3 to 4 times a day and never the same piece of apparel was worn twice. No clever mixing and matching with their wardrobes! 

We had a trip out to historical landmarks of Athens – like an ancient Greek ampetheatre and ruined temple. We had volleyball competition on the beach and water polo in the pool. I joined in with most activities and forums held there, not just because our Lions club back home were sponsoring my friend and myself, but we wanted to fully immerse ourselves in the experience. I’ve never been to a forum like that since and now I’m a grown up Lion, I would like to attend one of these events again someday.

One evening the British contingency decided to host an after dinner party in one of the hotel bedrooms. Our signature party piece was always Toga fancy dress and it was exhilarating to see so many other Leo’s from all over Europe join in the fun. The men took several bedroom doors off the hinges to give the corridor more feeling of space. The bath was filled with cold water to create a make shift drinks cooler and the Brits ran the bar. The Turkish and Italian Leo's got out their little gas burners and cooked some of the pasta and dumpling dishes they had left over from the show of countries and the Finish Leo’s introduced us all to their famous Black Vodka. Wowee! It was strong stuff and amazingly we all made it down to the breakfast room the next morning still wearing our makeshift togas from the hotels bedsheets! Can’t think why on earth the hotel wasn’t happy! I mean we did put the doors back on the right way round! Lol.

The Gala Dinner to end the Forum in style was amazing. First we were all taken to a Greek mansion by the coach load and walked over a hill to see the most beautiful gardens all lit up with candles by night. We ate on the terraces as a live band played and we danced the night away in our ball gowns and penguin suits. Brilliant memories writing this and I think I need to add this scene to a novel someday.

 Falaraki on Rhodes Island was a complete contrast a year later. This was my second girly sunshine holiday. At first we were shipped out to Lindos. The hotel was horrendous, our room was basically a carved out cave, beds were mattresses on carved out stone and ants were crawling everywhere.

I think I had to check we weren’t staying in The Fred Flinstone Hotel. So I packed my two friends up and shipped us all out to Falaraki. As I felt I was the expert in getting on the spot accommodation after my Island hoping expedition the year before. I got us a three bed apartment for just 3000 Dracma a night and a refund from the Tour operator who sent us blindly to Flinstones Hotel. The rest of the holiday was a blur of late nights, pool bar nightclubs, street parties and the first ever bungy jumping crane in a pool by the beach that I had ever seen.

We stayed up late and had beach parties and there wasn’t much sunbathing done, but I went at a time when club land sunny destinations like Falaraki and Ibiza were just starting out. The older generations said it wouldn’t last and acid house parties and all night raves in the sun would be a thing of the past, but twenty two years later the next generation has come along and they still dance to the beats I danced to when I was still a fresh faced youth.  I needed a week to recover, but at least I can say I did it once!

Kos was another 'mergh' type of holiday with the friend from New Year in Portugal. Again she copped off with a man at the beginning of the holiday, but out did herself this time and had a Shirley Valentine moment with Nicholas, the owner of the apartment! However, there were highlights. Kos Town was a lovely oldie worldie port with pretty communual gardens and shops to walk around. The Greek night at the apartments and around the pool were smashing – quite literally. Nicholas’ brother Demitri picked me out to dance the fire dance and we smash lots of plates after. Great stuff.

We also a had wonderful evening up in the mountains and in an outdoor nightclub, where lots of Greek food and wine was consumed before danced off in the open air to Zorba The Greek. Oh and I saw my first enormous green cricket with a horny tail. Granted I screamed, but I was fascinated with it too. No desire to return though. Altogether Greece has given me some great holiday experiences and plenty of situations to write about in my books.

Visit Alison's Website www.alisonkershaw.com

New Orleans - Part Two - 2008 The Beyond Series Supernatural Inspiration

2008 Trip – I loved New Orleans so much, I decided to return the following year. This time at Halloween as I’d always wanted to celebrate Halloween in the US because I know they do it in style and make a huge festival out of it. And where better to celebrate than in the home town of the Queen of the Macabre, Anne Rice. I made sure that we all had tickets to her famous Vampire Lestat Ball, which was held in The Garden District and to town with my costume.

I have to say though the locals really know how to create realistic Vampire costumes. We even found a shop that fitted vampire veneers and contacts. I decided to go pre-vampire bite.

Other watering holes that deserve a mention was the Carousel Bar. Named so because if you didn’t sit in one place your stool would be on the other side of the bar as the whole bar rotated slowly around the room, whilst drinking Martini cocktails and listening to a live pianist.

Another was the Pirates Bar by the Jackson Square church, where the psychics all sit out during the day under parasols and give you tarot readings. I wasn’t impressed by reading, so I won’t dwell on it. All the tour guides met at the Pirates Bar and we were very much made to feel welcome. I think they liked the English accent!

We went to a Jazz evening, which was very cultural and enjoyable. I even bought the bands CD, which was signed by the members and I’m very proud to say I own. I now play the CD whenever I want to return to NO in my head.

The two best places though was Prague, a very Gothic and atmospheric bar with a gorgeous courtyard out back filled with beautiful scented flowers. Inside the décor was dark, mysterious, with red velvet drapes Chaise lounges and chandeliers. Love it! And finally The Dungeon. Wow what a club. Dark, dingy and grungy. Naturally this place like so many other great places in New Orleans had to appear in My Fourth Book in the Beyond Series - Lycan Lamia for the final reveal scene. 

We took our new travellers to a different Plantation this time and we entered the sanctity of a real voodoo temple and voodoo shop. Again I described all of these places in great detail in my last book, but in a nutshell the different alters to different deities had a plethora of offerings that made the temple and shop look like a cluttered brik-a-brac shop.

Fascinating places though.  Here's a typical alter to Papa Legba. Most people seem afraid of Voodoo, but it actually is like everything else that's mysterious and mystical, some people (especially the film industry) take pagan rituals to a dark place!

I also had the opportunity to look around two of the houses used in the film Interview with a Vampire and a museum based in merchants old Spanish style house around Jackson Square.

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New Orleans - Part One - 2007 The Beyond Series Supernatural Inspiration

I am writing two parts to New Orleans because I loved it so much I went for the second year running. So 2007 trip I stayed at The Sheraton. Very salubriously posh and on a short walk away from the French Quarter, which is where we wanted to be. There was a gym and hotel pool on the roof and I spent a couple days there just chilling and sunbathing, which was gorgeous.

I had been put on the 45^th floor or something ridiculously high like that, I couldn’t look out of the window without suffering vertigo or panicking about low flying aeroplanes! But the rooms were just amazing and sumptuous. Sinking into the double beds (two of them) with more pillows than any sane person required, soft white cotton sheets in billowing fluffy duvets and a fluffy fleece throw to boot. Ahh luxury.

The only problem was we had to change rooms because the door lock kept jamming and we had to travel back to the reception in a super-fast express lift that actually missed the first twenty floors out because I guess the designers of the hotel didn’t think twenty floors warranted extra speed down to the ground floor!

So I got a new room, even higher up! I complained about my vertigo, but the hotel was virtually full, so as compensation I was given a key to the VIP lounge. Now THAT’S what I’m talking about. Free breakfast, free dinner canopies and champagne in a sumptuous lounge overlooking the city and the Mississippi. Brilliant. Yes, I could cope with the height!

As I went to explore the French Quarter for the first time, I was overwhelmed by the humidity and we had to stop at a coffee shop on Decataur. This was before we found the Café du Monde. I wrote about this in Lycan Lamia because I loved it so much and I would sit outside and have beignet (square donuts dipped in icing sugar) and freshly squeezed orange juice while buskers would serenade the customers eating outside by the river.

I went on a tour around the French Quarter on a horse and carriage and stopped off at the oldest tavern in the US and had a Tornado Volcano cocktail as we continued the tour through Jackson Square. I also went on a Ghost Tour and Voodoo Tour around the Quarter.








Some of the stories I remember were quite gruesome, men believing in voodoo to the point where they die of unknown illnesses, a rich merchants wife who used her slaves to torture and drink their blood… (Nicholas Cage apparently now owns the building) and murderous intent at a tavern, then saved by a ghostly spirit.




The best one I went to was a restaurant and at the back was a ghost table laid out for two poltergeists. They believed that by laying food wine and candle at the table every night they prevented paranormal activity in the restaurant. The table was very creepy and a feeling of foreboding and being watched by some malevolent spirit.

I loved it so much we went for a meal there one night to get a closer look at the table and see if could see any ghosts. I was so inspired I wrote several chapters to the Daryavaush Paranormal Investigation team meeting there and performing a voodoo ritual in another landmark St Andrews Hotel, which is known as the most haunted hotel in Louisana. I never stayed there, but I would like to if I ever return.

I also went on a few tours. The first was a tour of the Garden District, which I travelled to on a traditional American tram car or trolley bus. It was so lovely to finally be pointed out all the major landmarks in Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles and Mayfair Witches trilogy. I saw the Lafayette cemetery, Anne Rice’s actual home, her second home she used just to house her doll collection and which is now Nicholas Cage’s other New Orleans home and the house used to film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.




The homes were huge and elegant. I loved it here and I decided if I ever became very rich I would buy a place in the Garden District. After the tour I found the most incredible cheese cake shop and café. The portions were so huge one didn’t need to eat for the rest of the day!

 The cruise on a traditional Mississippi steam boat, The Natchez was amazing. I ate a delicious traditional cajun meal, drank bourbon and danced to a live band for a very traditional New Orleans evening.

A trip to New Orleans cannot be complete without visiting some Plantation Houses.




This was where the very rich lived, huge sprawling mansions with cotton plantations at the back of the house, the land leading all the way down to the river. Every house had its own slaves, housed in slavery huts out the back yard. I visited the Oak plantation which was used in Gone with the Wind and Interview with a Vampire films, which is how I always imagine plantation houses to look, all white washed panelling, tall pillars and Grecian style porches.

But also saw on the tour the Laura Plantation, which was a large wooden bungalow on stilts in case of Mississippi flooded. There were two staircases, one for men and the other for women, because their dresses were so wide, it prevented men seeing the women’s ankles when they walked up the staircase and therefore keeping their decency and reputation intact. Oddly women owned the plantations and the Laura was passed down to the eldest daughter. The bedroom was the office and all meetings of business were held in an opulent bedroom with the female head of the household.

I booked on a Ghost, Vampire and Voodoo walking tour around the French Quarter at night which was very atmospheric - this is Pirate Alley and I think you'll agree looks quite spooky and I think was used as a scene in Interview With A Vampire, but more about that in my next New Orleans Blog.
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