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Halloween and Hungry Ghosts

10/31/2020

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Today is Halloween... in our western society this is All Hallows Eve... which like so many of our Christian traditions, probably had its roots in our own pagan past. The feast of Samhain marked the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter and was seen as a time when the spirits and fairies could slip the boundary between the otherworld and ours. Our pagan ancestors offered propitiation to the the spirits to ensure they survived the hard winter ahead. When the pagan slid into the Christian, All Hallows and All Souls days became the religious observance days for honouring the dead saints and the souls of those who had departed. 

When I lived in Singapore, it was hard not to get drawn into the traditions and customs of the many different cultural groups that make up the population of that wonderful little country. I recall shopping for Christmas decorations in the company of Muslim women on the hunt for Ramadan decorations, and the shopping malls still vie for the most amazing Christmas decorations which go up just after the Deepavali decorations come down.

It therefore came as no surprise to find in the Buddhist and Taoist tradition, there is a similar feast... that of the Hungry Ghosts. Traditionally the seventh month of the lunar new year (around August) was the month when the souls of the departed - the Hungry Ghosts - like the fae folk of western tradition, slipped the bounds of the afterlife and and roamed earth once more seeking propitiation and entertainment. All around Singapore, braziers appeared on the footpaths and the smell of burning incense paper drifted in the warm air and Chinese opera stages appeared in parks and outside temples. Rows of seats were always left empty to ensure the hungry ghosts had the best seats. It is considered ill luck to plan an important event during this month (marriage, children, house moves, business ventures, big trips). In fact there is a long list of dos and don’ts - see this article for examples!

The second of the Harriet Gordon Mysteries, REVENGE IN RUBIES, is set in August 1910 - Hungry Ghost month and the theme of the ghosts of the past coming back to haunt the characters seemed to fit well with the story as both Harriet and Curran are forced to face the ghosts and demons of their own pasts... 

Here in Australia, Halloween has never been celebrated with the same fervour as it is in the northern hemisphere, but wherever you may be I hope you enjoy your Halloween!



And if you like a good ghost story you might also like to take a look at two ALISON STUART titles...
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Release day for REVENGE IN RUBIES

9/16/2020

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HARRIET GORDON IS BACK....

​Today is release day for REVENGE IN RUBIES.

This book is a little bit special for me because it actually had its genesis twenty years ago as a writing exercise for a writing group during my time in Singapore. I am guessing our exercise for the month may have been 'mystery'. I recall us gathered on a friend's verandah... she lived in one of the old black and white houses that had once been a part of an army barracks (appropriately). A fan whirred above us and there was still enough ulu around her house for the night insects and the monkeys to make themselves a presence as I picked up my papers and began to read... "The colonel’s lady was dead..." 

They say good writing is never wasted and those few thousand words I wrote for the ANZA Writers Group became the basis for REVENGE IN RUBIES... 

The other truism of writing is 'write what you know' and in setting REVENGE IN RUBIES in the world of the military I really was writing what I knew. I served for nearly twenty years as an officer in the Australian Army Reserve so I have endured many a long mess dinner, played 'mess games' and I would like to think I bring that intrinsic knowledge of soldiers and their lives to this book. I also drew on my father's experiences as an officer in the British Army. 

So for my friends and readers in the USA... REVENGE IN RUBIES will be on the shelf of your favourite book store and all places that sell good books. It is also available in audio and ebook.
And for my friends in Australia... alas it is not on general distribution here, but some bookstores, such as JEFFREY'S BOOKS in Malvern will be stocking it and most of the big stores like Dymocks and Booktopia have the print book available to purchase online. You can also purchase an autographed print book directly from my book store. Click HERE. 

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Read an excerpt from REVENGE IN RUBIES

8/27/2020

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IF you would like to read an excerpt from REVENGE IN RUBIES... AND go in the draw to win one of two Advance Review Copies. Click HERE or the the link below!

REVENGE IN RUBIES will be released on 15th September! 

DOWNLOAD AN EXCERPT FROM REVENGE IN RUBIES
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The Countdown is on!

8/17/2020

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It's less than a month until the release of the second Harriet Gordon Mystery - REVENGE IN RUBIES!

If you join my email list between now and the end of August, you will go in the draw to win one of two Advance Review Copies of REVENGE IN RUBIES! Click HERE for more information and to PREORDER.
SIGN UP TO WIN
IN THE MEANTIME ENJOY THIS JIGSAW... 
​
preview300pieceRevenge in Rubies by Alison Stuart
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A CHANCE TO WIN A $160 AMAZON GIFT CARD

2/11/2020

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ENTER GIVEAWAY
I have just finished the first pass edits for REVENGE IN RUBIES (Book 2 of the Harriet Gordon Mysteries) and seen a concept layout for the cover which is GORGEOUS! This is when it all starts to feel real.

As the wheels of the publishing industry grind into gear I thought I'd let you know about an opportunity to go in the draw to win a $160 Amazon Gift Card just by following my A.M. STUART profile on Book Bub... that easy! The Rafflecopter closes on Feb 20. 

CLICK THE BUTTON ABOVE TO ENTER!

(Revenge in Rubies will be released on 15 September:  Click HERE for Preorder Links!)

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    A.M. Stuart

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    All new subscribers will receive the exclusive chance to download a free copy of THE UMBRELLA... A HARRIET GORDON PREQUEL 

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