Michael Stein Goes Solo

Artwork by Maya Calypso Durham

Just a quick note to say that one of my stories, All the Girls Love Michael Stein, is now available as an ebook. It's a story for kids. Or adults. Or for kids to read to adults. Or vice versa... Oh, I don't know! It's just it's own thing. It's a story I wrote for my daughter on her 13 birthday. She enjoyed it. I certainly enjoyed writing it. Maybe you would too?

Here's the description:

From the internationally acclaimed author of the Acacia 

Trilogy comes a story for cat-lovers of all ages...
Michael Stein is a cat. A clever one. He’ll be the first to tell you that.

His girl, Lucy, dotes on him. He kinda likes her, too.

He’s always had big plans for the future, grand ambitions. He was going to do wonderful things, have big adventures and really make a name for himself.

But that was before an accident changed everything. Now, Michael Stein finds himself in an unfortunate condition. He’s not the cat he was before, and the new realities facing him are shocking.

More importantly, Lucy’s in trouble. Michael Stein wants desperately to help her. But - considering his condition - how can he? It won’t be easy.

Fortunately, he’s a clever cat...

And then stuff happens. I can't say too much because I could easily give away some of the key, important-like aspects of the story. In the mood for something different? Something light, yet heartfelt? A bit of modern fantasy (that's actually all based on fact)?

If so, try out Michael Stein: available HERE.

Maya Calypso Durham...

...is nine years old today. Geez... Are you kidding me? This young lady is my daughter! (Said with nine years worth of awe at that fact.) She is as lovely in person as looks in this photo...

What I did to deserve the family I have escapes me. I don't know. Blessed by whomever does the blessing, I guess. I'm not sure how I got them, but I'm doing my best to be worthy of them now. Maybe I got them on credit, now I'm chipping away at the monthly statements - happily.

Maya was born in Scotland. We lived in the very small village of Forneth at the time, in Perthshire. (Go find that on a map - if you can!) I'm talking sheep and rabbits here, wonderful views, turnips and rape seed flowers (which bloom brilliant yellow). My in laws lived just down the road, around the bend, and my father in law, the poet and novelist and naturalist J Laughton Johnston, picked up the old quill and penned a few words to commemorate the occasion. The poem is included below.

Should you be inclined to read it do note that Laughton was writing from the Shetland Isles, where he was at the time of Maya's birth and where he and Patricia now live. Also note that my family is from the Caribbean, Trinidad in particular - hence the Calypso in Maya's name and the mention in this poem...

Maya (2.7.99)

The Flags are flying for Maya,

Yellow above the stiff green blades

around the mill at Bousta.

Overhead another raingoose rides the hypotenuse

and beyond the skerries and the tirricks

Brilliant white birds fold themselves into origami darts,

hurtle to the sea

and re-emerge as fish-stuffed gannets.


I look out over the Bay of St Magnus

And wonder what parallels, if any,

There might be between these North Sea islands

and those of the Caribbean?

What a hanself you have been given,

such a harvest of far-flung seed.


Maya,

who can look out at seabirds from so many shores

and call each one - home.


J Laughton Johnston
Bousta July 1999

(Next year, on Sage's birthday, I'll post the poem Grandpa wrote about Sage as well.)