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Paul Andruss Podcast TTT Season 3 Wales

Season 3 Episode 7: Paul Andruss Reading Jack Hughes and Thomas the Rhymer

Welcome to Tea, Toast and Trivia.

Thank you for listening in.

Bookstores, libraries, and coffee shops are great places for book readings. There is something extraordinary about hearing the voice of an author reading their stories. Their voice and intonation are nuanced by the many hours of effort putting pen to paper.  They created the characters,  structured the plot, and lived every twist and turn that creates bumps in the storyline. 

Living in the reality of Covid-19, book readings at public libraries and bookstores have been curtailed.  We are learning to embrace technology in new ways.  Welcome to a new podcast series, “Authors Reading their Books”, which will recreate the reading spaces in a virtual venue.  I invite you to put the kettle on and join the conversation on Tea Toast & Trivia. I am your host Rebecca Budd, and I am looking forward to sharing this moment with you.

I am thrilled to introduce Paul Andruss, who has graciously agreed to be our guest author reading from his novel, “Jack Hughes and Thomas the Rhymer, which is available on Amazon.   I am looking forward to meeting up with Jack Hughes and Thomas the Rhymer on their adventures.

Thank you for joining Paul and me on Tea Toast & Trivia, Authors reading their Books. I invite you to meet up with Paul on Goodreads and his website Paul Andruss on WordPress. It is a place where stories dwell.

Until next time, stay safe, be well.

By Rebecca Budd

Blogger, Visual Storyteller, Podcaster, Traveler and Life-long Learner

50 replies on “Season 3 Episode 7: Paul Andruss Reading Jack Hughes and Thomas the Rhymer”

Dear Paul,
thanks for reading parts of your stories we enjoyed. And thanks, dear Rebecca, to organise this new series ‘authors reading their texts’.
As you know, we live together with two lovely Bookfayries – yes, they love their eccentric spelling – Siri 🙂 and 🙂 Selma. They loved your definition of fairies as ‘ordinary people with extraordinary powers’. That’s exactly how they are feeling. But they are not against the modern world. They like using their FairyBook notebooks and their phones. They see it as a reinforcement of their powers. They can’t understand the story C.G. Jung writes about an old shaman who retired. He argued all that we could do modern technologies can do much better. We don’t think so. Fairies use modern technologies in a clever fairy way.
So far Siri’s 🙂 and 🙂 Selma’s comment.
Thanks for your reading that made us want to hear more.
All the best
Klausbernd 🙂 and the rest of
The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

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Hi Klausbernd, firstly thank you for the great comment and secondly please reassure Siri and Selma that my fairies are a literary construct – unlike them. As such are used to show how modern society is divorced from the natural world and leaving many marginalised peoples behind.
As Siri and Selma know (and I will not be so impudent as to presume their opinions on the matter) in many traditional tales fairies often steal children leaving a changeling- which is much what happened to Jack’s brother.
Horatio Grin (a character I think you would get on well with, Klausbernd -you have quite a lot in common. He is a magus of some repute) explains … “the Elfin are a dying race who steal children to continue their bloodline.
“Amazonian Indians, also on the brink of extinction, steal children from Brazilian towns for much the same reason. Have you ever thought the Elfin may deserve your compassion every bit as much as those poor Amazon tribes?”
Send my warmest regards to the Fab Four of Cley and of course the redoubtable Bookfayries Siri and Selma. God knows we all could do with some of their magic in our lives.
Paul

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Dear Paul,
thank you very much for your kind answer. Yes, Siri 🙂 and 🙂 Selma told us about stealing babies and young children. They were hiding in an old tattered edition of Grimm’s fairy tales. We wanted to dump it and on the way to the bin, they begged us to be saved and allowed to live on our bookshelves otherwise the Bookfayries would die out at long last. A world without Bookfayries would be a disaster and so we rescued them.
As you write, my role is playing the magus and Hanne-Dina’s role is playing the white witch teaching them magical manipulations of pictures and creating illusions. They are in a way our apprentices. We are teaching them the use of modern technology to reinforce their fairy magic.
By the way, they love your texts very much and say “thank you!” – Siri and Selma are well behaved (sometimes), as you see.
All the best
Klausbernd 🙂

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Siri and Selma continue to inspire me in my search for the extraordinary, Klausbernd. I have witnessed their ability to use modern technologies in a clever fairy way. They remind me, as does W.B. Yeats that “The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.” Thank you for listening in and for adding depth and breath to this conversation. Sending hugs and love to my dear friends, The Fab Four of Cley!

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Thank you very much, dear Rebecca, for your comment and the quote of W.B. Yeats. You always find great quotes!
We really liked to listen to Paul’s texts and to hear his voice.
With warm greetings from the cold sea
🤗 🤗 🤗 🤗
The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

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Thank you for listening in, Tim! I agree – Paul has a fabulous reading voice, which would be great for bringing out his books in audio form. As a audio/recording expert, Tim, you would understand that this would be a huge undertaking. YIKES! I’m delighted that we were able to hear his voice reading snippets of his book, Jack Hughes and Thomas the Rhymer. P.S. I love his accent, too!

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Your podcast was a wonderful half hour spent with a cup of chamomile tea and a real fairy story! I’m so thrilled that Paul has restored to us traditional Celtic fairy story telling. As has happened with many original cautionary tales, fairies have morphed into an almost romanticized angel-like nature with just a hint of mischief. That was not the case in the past! I thought Paul’s comments about genre’s blending together was also spot on. The prospect of developing bravery in strange new worlds appeals to me now more than ever. I was thrilled and intrigued by the story and just now heading over the Amazon to buy the paperback version. I can’t wait to dig into this mature fairy tale before bedtime! Thank you Rebecca and Paul. Hugs + hugs

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I am so very glad that you listened in to this podcast. Paul has a marvelous voice for reading and I hope that he will consider “reading” in audio form for his books. I recognize it is a huge undertaking and I was thrilled that Paul graciously sent us these audio snippets. Shehanne Moore and Paul are working together to publish Paul’s writings – hoping to bring them together in a podcast. Together, we have the best outcomes! Sending many hugs back your way, Mary Jo!

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Mary Jo, thank you, deeply. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your kindness. I totally agree with you. It seems all preternatural creatures are lumped together in writing. Unfortunately they lose their identity, meaning and dare I say power? I have still not forgiven Twilight for what it did to vampires and werewolves in popular literature. As you say fairies are lumped together as sort of angelic beings- however you would not really want to meet an angel. Only cherubim and malakhim have human form. The Archangel Azrael, the angel of death, is said to have four faces, a thousand wings and a body consisting entirely of eyes and tongues.
Finally I was listening to something on you-tube the other day and it said that it is adults that tend to read young adult literature.
Again deeply appreciated. Enjoy the book. Paul

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Mary Jo, Wow Thank you. I sincerely hope you enjoy it. I would love to hear what you think- even if you don’t care for it. If you do wish to let me I’m sure Rebecca would be kind enough to let you have my email. All my best, Paul

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This is such a great idea, Rebecca! Listening to authors read is a wonderful. I enjoyed your chat with Paul, and his reading. His voice is so marvellous, I had to remind myself to listen to the words, and not just his voice.
Thank you Paul!

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I agree – Paul’s voice has a resonance that is easy to understand and enjoy. I find that voices allow the nuance and flow of words engage listeners. Thank you for your support and encouragement of TTT – so very much appreciated. And for your commitment to building a virtual community through storytelling and art. We are on a grand journey together!

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Resa, thanks you your kind words my head has got so big it is lolling about my neck like a child’s balloon on a stick. And there those who would say it is just a filled with hot air! I am so thrilled you enjoyed it. Thanks again- Paul

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Rebecca, I emailed you a sketch of R. Budd, Art Director. I hope you like the sketch, and how she is evolving as a character. I forgot to mention that I sprained my ankle, big time. Also, there’s the matter of a wound. I caught a toe on a large painting in an uber heavy frame, and went flying. I’m calling it an art attack. LOL.
Anyway, it’s quite uncomfortable at my laptop, either at my desk, or in bed. At least I’ve started drawing, again! {{{hugs}}}

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Oh Resa, I am so very very sorry to hear that you sprained your ankle and that you experienced an “art attack.” Please take care of yourself. I am sending positive thoughts your way for a speedy recovery. I am thrilled that you have started to draw again! I LOVED LOVED LOVED the sketch of R. Budd, Art Director. You are brilliant, Resa. Pure glamour and magic. Sending hugs and love along with my gratitude for all you do for our community!

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Thank you, dear Rebecca!
What a crazy happening. I see now, that when it comes to art, I am all the way in.
I can’t say good art, or bad. There is no good art or bad art. There is only art. The good and bad is our perception of it.
Okay, 4 more drawings, and the next adventure goes up!

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Paul, I greatly enjoyed hearing you read from your intriguing work! The old woman turning into a younger woman, the disappearing characters, and more. Terrific writing and terrific recitation. Also interesting to hear your non-recitation remarks about topics ranging from the differences in fairies to the wonderfulness of having good parents. Thank you!

And thank you as well, Rebecca, for another superb podcast and for often spotlighting authors and bloggers. The writing community is grateful. 🙂

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I am delighted that you listened in, Dave! I knew that you would enjoy Paul’s reading. I am fascinated by how he brings out Celtic mythology. I also want to thank you for your extraordinary support and encouragement of TTT. You have been there from the very beginning and believed in the idea of building virtual communities that thrive on the exchange of knowledge and experience. Together, we do great things.

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Dave thanks for the brilliant comment- at the risk of sounding like a demented groupie, it means a heck of a lot coming from you. And Rebecca is a international treasure (one up from a national treasure) providing this amazing platform for us all. All my best mate – Paul

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I really enjoyed this discussion and reading by Paul, Rebecca. I have read the original book and enjoyed it very much. There is a scene about a tapestry with moving images; that concept has stayed with me ever since and I read this book in 2017. It created a very vivid picture for me.

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I am delighted that you listened in, Robbie. I miss visiting libraries and bookstores that featured authors reading their books and discussing their writing process. Hearing the voice of an author builds trust between writer and reader. Just this morning, I was reading an article entitled “A Manifesto for Slow Writing” which provided excellent ideas, one of which was “believe that everything deserves our close attention.” This thought is captured in Paul and your writings. There is an art to slow writing. As a reader, I am most grateful for a writer’s dedication to their work.

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I greatly enjoyed Paul’s introductory remarks about the context for Jack Hughes and Thomas the Rhymer. I LOVED the reading!! I was instantly transported to the fairy tales I loved as a child; this was the real deal. I believed every word of it, every image, every rhyme.

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Oh Liz, I still believe every word, every image and every rhyme. I am delighted that you listened in to another “authors reading their books” series. You were the one who inspired me to start the reading podcasts. I have missed the library and bookstore visits dreadfully these past months!!! Paul has a marvelous voice for reading which engages listeners from the very first words. Hugs!

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Yes! The owner worked really hard to establish his new business as a vital part of the community–and then Covid hit. I felt so bad for him. But, he’s been able to keep it going, and I give him a lot of credit for that.

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I enjoyed Paul´s reading, so very descriptive and a good use of words. I agree with Paul that 12 is when things start to change for most young people. I also agree that books can be read and enjoyed by all ages and it´s too bad we need to categorize them. Paul has a great reading voice! I love this feature.

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Thank you Darlene! I have been missing my trips to the libraries and bookstore to attend “readings” by authors, which was always a highlight. Authors reading their own work adds a level of understanding for readers that can only come from the person who wrote the words and created the narrative. It seems that their voices are intuitive and perfect for reading their books. Writers are very special people – they give us the stories, the adventures, the emotional connections that allow readers to explore their individual creativity.

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Horsefeathers… I had no idea I had fallen so far behind with your various blogs, Rebecca. I’m sorry.
This post and recording is such a delight! I’ve always loved Paul’s title for this book. It struck a cord with me right away. What a pleasure to hear him read from and discuss it. Thanks to you both. Hugs on the wing!

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How lovely to see you, Teagan! What I love about blogs as well as books, they are always waiting for you whenever you have time to to read or listen. Hugs and more hugs coming back on the wing!

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Thank you Colleen for connecting for your comments. Paul has a resonance in his voice that is perfect for reading. He brought the words alive, didn’t he? I am thrilled that we have connected. Liz Gauffreau introduced me to your blog a few months ago when we discussed Tanka poetry. I’m looking forward to our ongoing dialogue!

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