MarySmith’sPlace ~ #Books aren’t only for Christmas

I didn’t get round to putting up a post on Saturday because I was so gutted when the latest Covid restrictions came in which means I won’t be able to see my son at all over Christmas.

I thought today, instead, I’d post some photos of Mazar-i-Sharif but when I went searching through my picture and scan files I couldn’t find what I wanted. I know they are there, somewhere (usually spotted when looking for something else entirely) – a reminder I really must organise my filing system.

Oh, well, I thought, if I don’t up a post it’s not a problem – the world will still keep on turning, besides I still have to pack for the next few days in Edinburgh. As part of those preparations, I’m about to stock my Kindle. It suddenly occurred to me that perhaps some people out there might want to put one of my books on their own Kindle – so I offer a blog post which is a bit of shameless advertising!

Those of you who have enjoyed my posts about my first trip to Afghanistan may also enjoy Drunk Chickens and Burnt Macaroni: Real Stories of Afghan Women, a memoir which covers my later years in Afghanistan.

Blurb:
This is a unique portrayal of the lives of ordinary Afghan women before and after the Taliban regime. The reader is caught up in their day-to-day lives sharing their problems, dramas, the tears and the laughter: whether gossiping over tea or learning how to deliver babies safely.

As well as the opportunity to enjoy meeting the women, Drunk Chickens and Burnt Macaroni takes the reader on a journey through some of the most stunning and dramatic landscapes in the world  And if you want to know why the chickens were drunk and the macaroni burnt – you’ll have to read the book! Only £2.99.
Find it on Amazon: http://smarturl.it/dcbm

For those who prefer fiction, No More Mulberries is a novel, also set in Afghanistan.

Blurb:
Scottish-born midwife, Miriam loves her work at a health clinic in rural Afghanistan and the warmth and humour of her women friends in the village, but she can no longer ignore the cracks appearing in her marriage. Her doctor husband has changed from the loving, easy-going man she married and she fears he regrets taking on a widow with a young son, who seems determined to remain distant from his stepfather. 

When Miriam acts as translator at a medical teaching camp she hopes time apart might help her understand the cause of their problems. Instead, she must focus on helping women desperate for medical care and has little time to think about her failing marriage. When an old friend appears, urging her to visit the village where once she and her first husband had been so happy, Miriam finds herself travelling on a journey into her past, searching for answers to why her marriage is going so horribly wrong.

Her husband, too, must deal with issues from his own past – from being shunned by childhood friends when he contracted leprosy to the loss of his first love. £2.32
Find it on Amazon: http://smarturl.it/nmm

For lovers of short stories, I suggest Donkey Boy and Other Stories

Blurb:
Shot through with flashes of humour the stories here will entertain, amuse, and make you think. Mary Smith’s debut collection of short stories is a real treat, introducing the reader to a diverse range of characters in a wide range of locations. A donkey boy in Pakistan dreams of buying luxuries for his mother; a mouth artist in rural Scotland longs to leave the circus; a visually impaired man has a problem with his socks; and a woman tries to come to terms with a frightening gift – or curse. Only 99p (Paperback £4.99)
Find it on Amazon: http://smarturl.it/dbaos

Several illustrated local history books are available in both ebook and hard copy. More details of those are on my Amazon page here.  

And finally, the most recent publication, to which I contributed along with 21 other writers, is Writedown: Lockdown in the Galloway Glens at the Time of Covid.

Blurb: Writedown provides a unique record of life in Galloway, south west Scotland during lockdown through the work of 22 writers in a collection of lyrical poetry, desperate rants, humour and quiet endurance. They tell the story of how a community dealt with unprecedented times. eBook £1.99
Find it on Amazon: http://smarturl.it/writedown

Hope you might find something that takes your interest.