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

Inner Peace Blog

Inner Peace Blog
Awarded by Joanna Fay. Click on the image to visit her lovely website!

Versatile Blogger Award

Versatile Blogger Award
Awarded by Kim Falconer. Click on the pic to check out her Quantum Astrology blog!

Fabulous Blog Award

Fabulous Blog Award
Awarded by Kathryn Warner. Click on the pic to check out her Edward II blog!

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Wednesday 20 December 2006

Where did the last week go?

Omigod, it's almost Christmas! Actually, insofar as such ideosyncracy is possible in our society, I'm opting out. I've sent no cards (although I will write greeting letters to the few friends I won't see and who don't have e-mail) and there's absolutely no money for gifts in my present impecunious state.

I will, however, eat as many mince pies as are on offer. I wait all year for mince pies. As soon as they are in the shops I buy packet after packet, a different one each week; trying out brands, comparing them to my memory of earlier mince pie delights, and especially remembering my mother baking them from scratch. Now those were mince pies! They contained real lard and sundry other strangenesses, and omigod, they were good! No mince pies since have borne comparison, but that doesn't mean I won't keep looking...and buying...and tasting. Mmmmmm...

Merry Christmas, everyone!

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Lard, eh? Them wuz the days ... I can remember my mother saving the dripping. I have a vivid picture of it sitting in the fridge waiting to be re-used for cooking other stuff. Nobody worried about the state of their arteries in the 1950s.

Satima Flavell said...

Heh heh - as a product of WWII I well remember dripping. You know, the goey dark stuff with all the meat juices burnt in. When it was past being reused we'd have it spread on bread.

And clogged arteries not withstanding, it was yummy.

Helen V. said...

Mince pies. How could you resist them? Why should you? Although they're on my 'forbidden because they make me sick' list, I always manage a few and suffer the consequences much to my family's bemusement.

Anonymous said...

My very British mum makes the best mince pies. She doesn't use lard any more, but does spike the fruit mince with lots of alcohol. Can't resist them.

Satima Flavell said...

There was suet in the fruit as well as lard in the pastry. I think my mum used to put a dash of brandy in, too. And we talk about junk food today!

You are with mince pies as I am with chocolate, Helen. An excess gives me the worst migraines possible, yet confronted by a superfluity of the stuff I feel obliged to gobble the lot, with disastrous consequences. Somehow, I just forget in between!

Carol, ask your mum for the recipe. Such treasures should not be allowed to die with their owners.

Anonymous said...

Yep, my mum gives me her recipes. Yorkshire pudding, dumplings, steak and kidney pie (except I leave the kidney out), shepherd's pie, christmas pudding, rhubarb and apple pie...

Have a wonderful Christmas and New Year.

Sara said...

I heard a piece on mince pies the other day on ABC radio. Apparently the first ones had minced meat (not fruit mince) filling and were rectangular to represent the manger, with a tiny pastry baby Jesus on the top.

Satima Flavell said...

That reminds me of a time my mother offered one of her amazing mince pies to a very Occer neighbour - this was in the days before mince pies became commercially available here in Oz - and he poured tomato sauce on it. You can imagine the expression on his face when he discovered that it did not contain meat, but fruit!

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