The latest story in our 2020 Authors Showcase is a real treat. It comes from Susan Mellsopp, who has been a regular contributor to this blog, and is her first this year. As she explains, "I am afraid I have not been particularly enthusiastic about writing this year, I think our strict lockdown put the brakes on a lot of things." I believe that puts into words how many of us feel.

I found her new story truly inspirational and am so pleased she decided to share it with us. You can read Susan's contribution My Silvery Friend by clicking here.

Susan Mellsopp is retired and lives with her now retired golden retriever guide dog Jay in Hamilton New Zealand.  Much of her life has been spent as a dairy farmer and also working as a librarian, archivist and accessible transport researcher. She runs a writers group and is constantly being challenged to write in genres other than travel and memoir. She has published two school histories and writes for a national magazine which is published monthly. Susan is a voracious reader, loves to travel, listen to classical music, cook, and enjoys learning to use modern technology.   
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Susan with Jay on the occasion of his retirement in December last year

Today, it is an honour to feature this fourth inspirational true story from Ronald Mackay in this year's Authors Showcase.

Read and enjoy Ronald's latest contribution Prick of Conscience by clicking here.

Ronald's Bio July 2020

Gardens, large and small, have ever exerted their drawing power on Ronald Mackay. The magic began as a child when he lived with his mother, elder sister and younger brother in his grandmother’s home in Coupar Angus, Scotland in the early 1940s.

Since then he has worked in walled gardens belonging to grand Scottish houses, shared gardens in municipal allotments, flower gardens and in vegetable gardens in England, Mexico, Canada, Australia, Chile, and Argentina.

This year (2020) he and his wife Viviana are helping to plant out and manage a respectable vegetable garden at the beautiful Elmhirst’s Resort <https://elmhirst.ca/> on the north shore of Rice Lake, Ontario, Canada.

Ronald in Elmhirst's vegetable garden June 2020
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Our latest submission in the 2020 Authors Showcase is the third this year from Tina Wagner Mattern. 

Tina's latest story is a very personal, touching and inspirational extract from her upcoming memoir. You can read My Mother’s Last Gift by clicking here.

Welcome to the second half of this year's Authors Showcase.

Today's featured contribution is the third from Captain Denis Dextraze, and is another condensed excerpt from the book he is currently writing called Once Upon a Time in Cuba.  

After catching up with his bio below, read and enjoy Captain Dextraze's latest inspirational true story entitled The American smugglers in Cuba by clicking here.

Author Bio
 
Canadian born Captain Denis Dextraze started traveling internationally at age 18 when he hitchhiked around Europe during the summer break.  After graduating from two U.S. universities, he specialized in international high-tech marketing which took him around the world.  He retired early to enjoy sailing his 45 ft. ketch.  Between his career and his port-o-calls on Aventura, he visited more than 80 countries.
 
“Once upon a time in Cuba” is being written so that an interesting two years capsule of Cuban history, starting in May of 1998, will not be lost forever. All events reported in this book really happened no matter how ludicrous, illogical or incredible they appear.
 
These years were times of changes and uncertainty for the Cuban authorities. They wanted our money but did not want us because we were “contaminating” the communist indoctrination of their controlled population. We were living interesting times, sharing the docks in Marina Hemingway with an array of adventurers not representing any normal and organized society in the world.  They ranged from millionaires, drug smugglers, Hells Angels members, pedophiles, smugglers, tough Vietnam vets, world class sailors, escaped refugees.  We were pioneers living interesting times and loving it!
 
During those days as it is still today, the Cuban society was segregated into two categories.  On the 0.3% upper side, the communist ruling party composed exclusively of militaries whether in uniforms or not were living in incredible luxury ironically just like their ousted predecessors of the Batista regime.  On the down side were the other 11 millions slaving Cubans living in desperate conditions.  We, as visiting foreigners, were odd-balls in this two class system.  Since we did not belong to either class, we were tolerated and generally allowed privileges that were reserved to the Cuban military elite and forbidden to the population.     dextraze@yahoo.com
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