For Laurel from Carole

 I'm posting the following from Laurel's fellow West Australian  author and good friend, Carole Sutton.


Laurel and I were good buddies for many many years. We met up back in the early days of YouWriteOn, when they first came out. We would critique each other's work and we got on fine.  She had one of my 'Gus, Sore Feet - No Collar' books, and in exchange I had her books of shorts and poems called 'The Ink Drinkers'.

 I also read the first two books of Walara, it would be good if the final book can get published. I also read her 'Crossroads at Isca' book. I have never been particularly poetic but I enjoyed her work. It encouraged me to try one myself. I thought about putting it here. Perhaps Laurel can have a little laugh out of that.

Song of the Night

Carole Sutton

 

Dark nights

Stars above with the satellites

The moon’s loom

Turns the gloom

Into beautiful silvery lights

 

Lonely tree

Shimmering leaves and standing free

In the sand

Of arid land

With no one there to see

 

Flying feathers

Grasping claws in all weathers

With hooked beak

And eyes that seek

The Tawny Owl his supper gathers

 

***

 Such a shame. It is so sad. It's too early for Laurel to go, don't you think? Or, is there never a good time?

Carole.

Goodbye Laurel Lamperd

Our dear friend and talented Western Australian author, Laurel Lamperd lost her life to lung cancer on 9th June. Few people knew of her struggle as she bravely continued with her writing right to the end.

Our deepest sympathy goes to Max, her husband, and to her children Gaye, Lindsay and Dawn and to her nine grandchildren and eleven great grandchildren.

Laurel was a gifted writer, a warm, caring hostess and a wonderfully generous friend who grabbed every opportunity to support and promote her fellow authors. She was openly proud of all of us. Her lovely nature shone through in the warmth of her published books.

Laurel published eight books:

two of short stories and poems:
The Rainbow Children
The Japanese Grandmother

And six novels:
Murder Among the Roses –contemporary mystery
Substitute Bride -- Regency
Crossroads at Isca – Roman Britain
Battle of Boodicuttup Creek – Australian Children’s Book
Wind from Danyari Book 1  –   Historical saga
Journey from Walara Book 2 – during WWII

Laurel was working on Book 3 Return to Walara in her historical series about a Western Australian dynasty, and was still adding poems and short stories to her blog and to her Author’s Den page right up until the last.

Commenting on my blog Laurel once wrote,

“[Writing] does become a type of drug, which does away with any sense of boredom, of wondering how to fill your days. Through writing you meet wonderful friends with whom you always have something to discuss. Writing makes life exciting as you pen what you hope is the next bestseller…”

In July 2012 Laurel sent me this photo of the plaques featuring her poem “Cry to my Country” and one of her friend, Helen’s, poems at Barrens Beach in WA. Laurel said, “They have spent a lot of money on the complex. They say it's part of the Royalty for Regions scheme which the WA National Party insisted on when they went into government with the WA Liberals.”

What a magnificent legacy to a much loved Australian poet and novelist.

We are proud of you Laurel.

I’ll always cherish your friendship and your novels.

You are a lasting blessing. Sweet dreams, dear friend.

A Noble Place

A Noble Place.
Blurb: Australia 1850. Phillippa Noble, strong minded, spirited, and adventurous, urges and encourages her parents and twin to emigrate to the distant land of Australia to begin again. In a new country they can put their tainted past behind them and Pippa can forget the unrequited love she felt for a distant cousin.
Pippa blossoms in the new country and is determined that their horse stud will be the finest in the land. 
However, circumstances ensure that not all is golden. For every success, she has to bear up under the challenges of bushfire, death, the return of an old love, and danger on the goldfields. Her strength is tested as she tries to find the right path to happiness, but it is the near loss of her dearest friend that makes her realise true contentment rests within her grasp and she must not let it go.

Available in ebook from Amazon USA and Amazon UK