About Me

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Perth, Western Australia, Australia
I am based in Perth, Western Australia. You might enjoy my books - The Dagger of Dresnia, the first book of the Talismans Trilogy, is available at all good online book shops as is Book two, The Cloak of Challiver. Book three, The Seer of Syland, is in preparation. I trained in piano and singing at the NSW Conservatorium of Music. I also trained in dance (Scully-Borovansky, WAAPA) and drama (NIDA). Since 1987 I have been writing reviews of performances in all genres for a variety of publications, including Music Maker, ArtsWest, Dance Australia, The Australian and others. Now semi-retired, I still write occasionally for the ArtsHub website.

My books

The first two books of my trilogy, The Talismans, (The Dagger of Dresnia, and book two, The Cloak of Challiver) are available in e-book format from Smashwords, Amazon and other online sellers. Book three of the trilogy, The Seer of Syland, is in preparation.I also have a short story, 'La Belle Dame', in print - see Mythic Resonance below - as well as well as a few poems in various places. The best way to contact me is via Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/satimaflavell

Buy The Talismans

The first two books of The Talismans trilogy were published by Satalyte Publications, which, sadly, has gone out of business. However, The Dagger of Dresnia and The Cloak of Challiver are available as ebooks on the usual book-selling websites, and book three, The Seer of Syland, is in preparation. The easiest way to contact me is via Facebook.

The Dagger of Dresnia

The Dagger of Dresnia

The Cloak of Challiver, Book two of The Talismans

The Cloak of Challiver, Book two of The Talismans
Available as an e-book on Amazon and other online booksellers.

Mythic Resonance

Mythic Resonance

Mythic Resonance is an excellent anthology that includes my short story 'La Belle Dame', together with great stories from Alan Baxter, Donna Maree Hanson, Sue Burstynski, Nike Sulway and nine more fantastic authors! Just $US3.99 from Amazon. Got a Kindle? Check out Mythic Resonance.

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Places I've lived: Manchester, UK

Places I've lived: Manchester, UK

Places I've lived: Gippsland, Australia

Places I've lived: Gippsland, Australia

Places I've lived: Geelong, Australia

Places I've lived: Geelong,  Australia

Places I've lived: Tamworth, NSW

Places I've lived: Tamworth, NSW

Places I've Lived - Sydney

Places I've Lived - Sydney
Sydney Conservatorium - my old school

Places I've lived: Auckland, NZ

Places I've lived: Auckland, NZ

Places I've Lived: Mount Gambier

Places I've Lived: Mount Gambier
Blue Lake

Places I've lived: Adelaide, SA

Places I've lived: Adelaide, SA

Places I've Lived: Perth by Day

Places I've Lived: Perth by Day
From Kings Park

Places I've lived: High View, WV

Places I've lived: High View, WV

Places I've lived: Lynton, Devon, UK

Places I've lived: Lynton, Devon, UK

Places I've lived: Braemar, Scotland

Places I've lived: Braemar, Scotland

Places I've lived: Barre, MA, USA

Places I've lived: Barre, MA, USA

Places I've Lived: Perth by Night

Places I've Lived: Perth by Night
From Kings Park

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Friday 9 March 2007

Points North

Another long journey today: this time from Exeter in Devon to Selby in Yorkshire. Transport is very expensive in the UK: for example. a return trip between Topsham and Exeter, which would be about the same distance as, say, Applecross to Perth or Hillcrest to Adelaide or Ashfield to Sydney, cost me nearly £4 (about $AUS10.00). Trains are terribly dear - anyone who can afford the fares could probably afford a private helicopter! But coaches are at least doable, if hardly cheap when compared to prices for similar trips in Oz. Today's fare (one way) was just over £26 (about $AUS70) for about 400 miles. It was a reasonably fast trip, too, taken in easy stages with several short breaks. The slowest part was getting from York to Selby by car, a distance of about 20 miles, which took over an hour in the peak hour traffic!

The long bus ride reminded me what a beautiful country this is. Spring has arrived early, even up here in the colder north. Yellow flowers - daffodils, celandines and gorse especially - abound. When gorse is in flower, they say, love is in season, for gorse can be found in flower somewhere almost all the time! Right now it is excelling itself in its profusion, so love must be in the air, big time:-)

There are crocuses, too, in purple and white as well as yellow, and the early prunus are in full swing. Trees are not showing much green yet, but they have a pensive air as if waiting for something - just a slight rise in temperature and they will wake up and start dancing.

The trip north took me through Birmingham. Although it is a bigger city than I would ever want to live in, I liked what I saw of it from the coach and the wait at the super-modern bus station. For one thing, it is multi-cultural, which reminded me of Perth and other Aussie cities. Chinese and Indian restaurants jostle with businesses with names like "Smith and Patel, Barristers" and "Jean-Paul, Coiffeur". (I made those up, but you get the drift!). It is a city of contrasts, with ancient buildings fronting the same streets as an incredible department store that looks like a giant hour glass crossed with a pearly king's costume. No kidding!

Then it was a cross-country leg to Nottingham under a chiaroscuro sky with sculpted 3D clouds interlaced with jet trails. I have never seen so many jet trails at once before. There must have been a dozen or more. The skies above Old Blighty are mighty busy.

This sceptered isle is indeed a beautiful place, replete with history and lovely scenery. It has, however, a major problem. There are far too many people here.

England, I've been told, is as densely populated as China. It's probably time they took a leaf out of that country's book and instituted a one-child policy. To one who has grown up in Australia the over-population is very apparent, but I guess it has kind of snuck up on the locals so they don't even realise its existence.

Sally and John have made me very welcome. Tomorrow Sally and I, who share in interest in family history, will visit a few cemetaries, weather permitting. OK, OK, quirky, quirky. Only a family historian would understand:-)

2 comments:

Helen V. said...

This is a lovely time of year to be in England. You're right. It is a truly beautiful country. I remember going to Oxford and finding a single daffodil in bloom and for the first time I appreciated the wonder of flowers emerging after a sterile winter. I also remember going to Stratford upon Avon and nearly freezing in the churchyard under a slate coloured sky and white swans sailing on the lead grey river. Keep on enjoying yourself.

Satima Flavell said...

Good to hear from you, Helen. I look forward to reading your thoughts on Clarion when you feel you've assimilated the experience. It must've been quite something!

I see from the KSP newsletter that the SF group has a reading spot. I hope you will read from something you wrote at Clarion - and I wish I could be there!

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