I always get excited when writers bring me their manuscripts. More so when it is the second book we have published. Here is a note regarding a new book we've published.
In this case, author Mike Ledingham is tackling the difficult topic of abuse in
the Catholic Church with Always a Grunt,
the newly published sequel to his popular first book, Once a Grunt.
Like his first book, Always a
Grunt is chocker with short stories laced with humour and sharp
observations of human foibles and vanities.
However, two of the stories also delve deeper into sensitive areas
of emotional turmoil as they recount the tragedy of an infant’s death, and the
sickening and unjust dilemmas a youngster faces after falling victim to
paedophile priest.
“The feedback after the first book came out was really encouraging,”
says Mr Ledingham. “So I feel braver about branching out into some different
areas with some of the new stories. It’s still in the same style, though.
People who enjoyed the first book won’t be disappointed.”
The stories are drawn from Mr Ledingham’s hugely varied life
experiences as a farm worker, soldier, small business operator, real estate
agent and armed security guard, to name a few. But he’s quick to point out that
while his stories are based loosely on people and events he’s witnessed, he’s
taken each episode further in “flights of fancy” and they aren’t literally
true.
“There are a couple that are closer to the truth than one would ever
really want them to be,” he says. “But I’ll leave it to the reader to figure
out which ones they are.”
Although the story entitled The
Boy regarding a priest’s abuse of a boy and the impact it has on the
family, could have been a book on its own, Mr Ledingham says it is a book for
another time.
Always a Grunt is published by BMS Books, whose Director, Mike
Smith is also the author of this blog. He says he believes Mr Ledingham is among a rare breed of natural-born storytellers.
“Given the raw emotions involved, The Boy was a difficult story for
Mike to write but his growing depth as a writer is reflected in the outcome of
this and the other stories in this new book.
“Mike’s stories will have you crying tears of laughter one minute
and weeping in sorrow the next.
His subjects range from the bawdy comical to
the tragically unjust, with plots and characters that are totally believable.
He describes situations as they are, and he never preaches.”
Always a Grunt is directly from BMS Books, and at selected
bookstores. If you can’t see it on the shelf at your local bookshop, ask about
it. ISBN: 978-0-473-29049-8.
Or contact
Mike Smith
BMS Books
5 High Street, Rotorua 3010
Tel: 07-349 4107; 027-209 6861
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