It is a pleasure today to feature two excellent contributions to the Memoir Showcase from Jennifer Rae.

You can read Jennifer's stories via the links below:
1/.   The Hockey Tournament
2/.   The Annexe – Room Eight

A warm welcome back to Tina Wagner Mattern, our most prolific contributor in the 2022 Creative Writing Showcase. Today we will be featuring her fifth memoir contribution and she has also submitted three fiction stories (two already published and one in the pipeline).

​Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful writing with us Tina. I can honestly say that I have thoroughly appreciated every one of your stories.

You can read Tina's latest contribution My Ridiculous Love Story here.

Our latest contribution is the third from ​Valerie Fletcher Adolph in the 2022 Creative Writing Showcase, and her second in the Memoir section. It is another tale from the institution where she used to work.

You can read her moving story DIANE here. 

Valerie Fletcher Adolph is an author, teacher, reviewer who was born in England but who has spent most of her life in western Canada. Twenty years of her life were spent in a senior administrative capacity in institutions for people with mental illnesses or disabilities. During the Covid epidemic she published a trilogy of cosy mysteries set in post WW2 Yorkshire and her short stories have appeared in numerous anthologies.
​

For something different in our Fiction Showcase, I am delighted to feature a  story from Janet Stobie.

I will let Janet explain in her own words, "It’s not exactly a children’s story. It’s intended for all ages. The format is unusual for a short story. I thought this would add variety for the showcase."

I am sure you will enjoy reading A Letter… by clicking here.

Bio for Rev. Janet Stobie

A writer, inspirational speaker and ordained minister, Janet Stobie spent nineteen years in pastoral ministry enjoying children, teens and adults. She is welcomed as a guest speaker at fundraisers, men’s and women’s group meetings, book clubs and studies and of course, Sunday morning worship.

In her retirement, Janet has continued in ministry both through pulpit supply, and her writing. She has written nine books:
three children’s books,
three biblically-based short story collections enjoyed by families,
two adult novels,
a worship resource.

COMING SOON – A new children’s book – Rajah Finds His Wisdom.
​
Janet also writes a newspaper column titled “Today’s Faith” for a local newspaper. 

www.janetstobie.com

A warm welcome back to Mary Mae Lewis, a regular supporter of Fred's Blog, with her latest memoir contribution to the 2022 Creative Writing Showcase.

You can read Mary Mae's story In Search of Our Dream Bungalow here.

Mary Mae Lewis

Mary Mae is author of the novel Where There’s a Will, There’s a Woman and the memoir Don’t Stop the Fiesta and has had success with short stories; she came runner-up in North Staffordshire’s TOO WRITE  adult fiction competition in 2017 and was highly commended in THE POTTERIES PRIZE  for flash fiction in 2018. She contributed to Robert Fear’s Travel Stories and Highlights 2019 and his Memorable Stories Anthology 2020 and True Life Stories Anthology 2021.

She’s also been published in the Telegraph and is a published poet.

A retired teacher, Mary came late to becoming a writer and her work is based on true life experiences.

She has been married for over 50 years has 3 sons and 4 grandchildren.

She has travelled extensively, including living in Grand Cayman for four years and Malawi for five.

She now spends half the year in Spain, where she does most of her writing, and half in Newcastle-u-Lyme, Staffordshire UK.

 She blogs on her Face Book page Where There’s a Will, There’s a Woman.

Besides reading and writing Mary Mae enjoys buying and selling antiques, local history, gardening and swimming.

www.author-marymaelewis.co.uk
​

Our latest featured story in the Memoir section of the 2022 Creative Writing Showcase is a wonderful piece of writing from Jill Dobbe.

You can read Honduras, the Perilous Place I Call Home here.

Jill Dobbe

Jill is an international educator and published author who writes about her experiences living and working in schools and countries around the world. She presently lives in her 7th country, Honduras, with her husband, Dan, and her Yorkie-Poo, Mickey. While working as an elementary principal, Jill also writes, reads, takes photos of the beautiful people and countries of Latin America, and muddles her way through the Spanish language. Jill loves her life as an international educator, and most days, feels like she is living her dream.
 
www.facebook.com/jilldobbeauthor
www.instagram.com/jmdobbe
www.twitter.com/jilldobbe

The next contribution in the Memoir Showcase is an honest and revealing piece of writing from Lizbeth Meredith.

You can read Lizbeth's story On Rescuing Half Dead Birds here.

Lizbeth Meredith is an author, speaker, and coach based in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Her first memoir is now a movie on Lifetime Television. Connect with her at lameredith. com or on Persistence U with Lizbeth podcast.
​

For our next contribution in the 2022 Creative Writing Showcase, I am really pleased to welcome a newcomer to the blog, David McCabe.

Enjoy reading David's excellent Memoir Showcase contribution, Palomino, here.

David McCabe is a retired editor/writer, enjoying life in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Over the past couple of years I have had the privilege of featuring several extracts from  Captain Denis Dextraze's forthcoming memoir “Once upon a time in Cuba” on Fred's Blog..
​
It is an honour today to be able to feature the Epilogue to that book in our Memoir Showcase.

You can read A close shipwreck call here.

Author Bio

Canadian born Captain Denis Dextraze started traveling internationally at age 18 when he hitchhiked around Europe during a 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 close to 100 countries.

He is currently completing the last chapters of a book called “Once upon a time in Cuba” which is about a two years time capsule of Cuban history, starting in May of 1998, when he was living on his sailboat in Marina Hemingway, near Havana.  All events reported in his book really happened no matter how ludicrous, illogical or incredible they appear.

These were interesting times. The docks of the Marina were hosting 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. For more info on the coming book, please, contact Captain Denis at: [email protected].

For our latest showcase entry, it is great to be able to feature a second contribution in the Fiction Showcase from author and writer Lindy Viandier.

You can read Lindy's story Charlie’s Last Stand here.