Digging into a spy's life

I was more than a year into the research for The Infiltrator, the story of Victorian superspy Henri Le Caron, when I made the bizarre discovery that my central character was, among other things, a body snatcher.

He was also a rather cocky one, once digging up the remains of Congressman John Scott Harrison, son of an American president and father of a future president.

It was also a jolt for me to learn how widespread robbing graves was just less than two centuries ago, and how complicit mainstream authorities were in the practice. Medical schools badly needed bodies for training students, and some students made money as "sack-em-up men," emptying graves at night to provide schools with a steady supply of cadavers.

I enjoyed reading in The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce that a grave was "A place in which the dead are laid to await the coming of the medical student." Bierce's more serious writing also provided me with excellent descriptions of life for soldiers in the American Civil War, in the operations in which Le Caron was a participant.

As I detoured in my research into a study of bodysnatching, I was surprised to learn that graves have been robbed far longer than they have been respected. On the headstone for William Shakespeare at Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon are the words:

"Good friend for Jesus sake forbear
To dig the dust enclosed here!
Blest be the man that spares these stones
And curst be he that moves my bones."

Peter Edwards, author of The Infiltrator

Does Wat Thamkrabok Offer a Wonder Cure for Addiction?

In my new book ‘Dead Drunk’ I discuss how a Thai temple called Wat Thamkrabok helped me beat my addiction to alcohol. It is now almost four years since I left the temple and it really does feel like my addiction has been completely defeated. I have no idea what the future holds for me, but all I can say is that alcohol does not seem attractive to me at all these days. I have experienced some wonderful highs in recovery; highs that would have once offered plenty of reason for alcohol-fueled celebrations. I have also needed to deal with lows that previously would have had me running to the bottle. Despite all that has happened though, good and bad, I have not used alcohol and I’ve not even wanted to drink.

Considering the fact that my life is so good, it is tempting for me to want to recommend that every addict hops on a plane to get the magical cure in Thailand. Unfortunately it doesn’t work like that – I wish it did. When I first arrived at Wat Thamkrabok one of the head monks explained to me that the temple could not cure my addiction. I felt very let down until he described what they could offer me. The temple could provide an environment where recovery could happen and they could give me the tools to live life in recovery. It could work if I was completely ready to leave addiction behind forever; without this willingness Wat Thamkrabok could do absolutely nothing for me.

I personally believe that the tools offered at Wat Thamkrabok work; in fact I’m living proof that they do. I am 100% certain that if people use the tools, and don’t drink or use drugs again, their life will get better; in fact life in recovery is likely to be better than anything they could have even imagined. This can only happen though if the person is fully ready. You can only go through the Wat Thamkrabok treatment program once and if people choose the wrong time to go there it is a missed opportunity. The tools are useless to addicts if they are not ready to use them.

Wat Thamkrabok can help people go through the withdrawal stages when coming off alcohol or drugs – so can plenty of other places. The system they use is unique and many of us feel it was the easiest withdrawals we ever went through. That is not what the temple is really all about though; the real gift that the temple offers is the tools to live a satisfying life. If life is satisfying the need for addiction falls away.

I see the temple as a special place that people can find when they are ready. It is not for everyone and other addicts will find their own path; if the student is ready, the teacher will appear – I really believe that. You don’t have to travel to the other side of the world to escape addiction; you just have to summon the willingness to change.

Paul Garrigan, Author of 'Dead Drunk'

Online shopping vs Bookshops

I might be a bit behind the times, but I have yet to venture into the world of online shopping. Many of my friends and family swear by it for the great deals they get on books, but for me, getting my books over the internet holds little appeal. Great deals or not, nothing beats actually going into a good bookshop, taking my time to browse the titles, examine the books and flick through the pages. It’s one of the most relaxing ways I can think of to spend a lazy afternoon; buying books online negates this enjoyment.
It’s sad to see bookshops losing business and having to close down, as seen in the recent demise of Borders in the UK and Ireland, but I got some consolation regarding the state of our bookshops when reading about Lutyens & Rubinstein, an independent bookshop recently opened in London, which has been experiencing huge success in its opening months.
Having not had opportunity to be in London myself, I went vicariously through the reviews, which were all raving and portentous. I hope that their success will inspire the opening of similar independent bookshops that make the experience of browsing and buying books truly enjoyable.
Having said all that, I do see the many benefits of online book shopping. Here in Maverick House we get orders from all over the world for some of our titles; it’s a great thing to be able to get books that are not available in your own country. Our newest book, Mango Rains, which is being sent to the printers today, is being released in Thailand initially, and will then have a summer release in the UK. Having just finished proofreading it, I think it’s a great read that would appeal to many readers outside of Thailand. With online shopping, it will be available for anyone who wants it.
I hope that in the future, both e-books and physical books, virtual shops and actual shops, will co-exist successfully, and that the day will never come when bookshops are and thing of the past and tangible books become redundant.

Geraldine

Talking to Angels

I started reading Christine Holohan’s new book A Whisper from an Angel, and must admit I couldn’t read it too close to bedtime as it sent shivers down my spine! Christine previously published A Voice from the Grave with Maverick House, which recounted the story of how she assisted in the Jacqui Poole murder investigation after she was visited by the ghost of the murder victim. In this updated edition, Christine has added more details of her encounters with the angels and the afterlife. She gives an honest portrayal of how her gift has impacted on her life in both positive, negative, and at times, petrifying, ways.
Christine’s accounts of her experiences are so vivid and realistic it got me thinking about mediums and psychics and how they are perceived today. There is much scepticism surrounding this whole area, and many immediately laugh such things off as being “hocus pocus”. However, Christine clearly proves to us that she can communicate with spirits, and she left the detectives in charge of the Jacqui Pool murder investigation in no doubt as to the reality of her powers. There are many fraudsters who may fake having psychic abilities to make a quick buck, and these kinds of scams give mediums a bad reputation. However, for people like Christine whose abilities have been proven to be genuine, they can “create a bridge between heaven and earth.”
I must admit to being cynical about such things in the past, but stories like Christine’s help to open my mind to the possibility of an afterlife, and of links to it in the known world.
Geraldine.

As time goes by

It is now nearly five months after I have arrived in Ireland. The time of my internship here with Maverick House Publishers is coming to an end, as next week I will be flying back home to my family in Germany.

I am quite excited about seeing my family again, as well as my friends. And I love the area we live in. I have really missed the vast forests around our small village in the east of Germany. I am also excited about starting my last year of studies in October with the new term.

But, nevertheless, I am also a bit sad about having to leave Ireland. Over the last five months I have become very fond of the Irish people, as they are a wonderful and charming nation. I have even picked up a few things from the Dubliner’s accent and I am sure some words will stick with me. Dublin is also, by far, my most favourite city. For being the capital of a country it is still charmingly small, and the colours of the buildings and doors have been the motive for a lot of pictures. The way of life here in Ireland seems to be a bit more easy-going than it is in Germany.

Before I came here I was a bit nervous. I have never done more than just a short summer internship, and the prospect of really being involved in a company did, to be honest, freak me out a bit. Also, I had no experience in publishing whatsoever, and was therefore a bit apprehensive about not knowing what to do.

But now, at the end of my time here, I have realised that most of the things I was afraid off just needed to be tackled with confidence. Off course there were times when I wasn’t sure how to do something or what to do next, but I could always ask Jean, who was able to help me whenever I had a problem. One thing I am happy to have learned is that, through justified criticism, I was able to advance mentally.

The Maverick House books have played another very important part during my time here. Since all these books are non-fictional and based on the stories of real people, each and every one of them showed me that my life was pretty easy and extremely happy compared to what so many others had to go through. I have read more books in the past five months than I would usually read in that time, even though I always read quite extensively. But the topics of the Maverick House books interested me so much that I just had to read as many of them as possible while here. Through them I have come to realise that every problem I might have is only a small one, and can be overcome by putting your heart to it. I hope this will, in future, help me to overcome obstacles I long since wanted to overcome.

All in all, I am very happy to have come here and certainly do not regret my decision to come here. Maybe one day, after I have finished my studies, I will come back to Ireland.

So goodbye then, Susanne

Digital books

All the talks and discussions about the Google Book settlement and Scribd, who are trying to digitize millions of books to make them available on the internet, got me thinking about my idea of a book. I have always been a book lover, and there are certain book series I have been collecting for a long time. It is a wonderful feeling to see the complete series of a book standing on my shelf. I also have a thing for first editions of books, the older the better. I like being able to stand in front of my book case to choose a book I haven’t read in a while.
Now there are a lot of people who read their books on the computer or on their e-reader. They just buy this book as a file online. Granted, you can save a lot of space when you have all your books as files. But personally, I cannot imagine reading a book on a screen. I spend too much time on the computer anyway. Also, laptops and e-readers are quite expensive, and I wouldn’t want to take either of them with me on a holiday. On the beach they could easily get damaged by sun, water or sand. And certainly they would hold more of an attraction to steal than your paperback book. There are also some places where you should not turn on some electrical devices, like in hospitals or in planes during take-off and landing. You have to be careful about that, too.
I might be a bit sentimental when it comes to that, but a book to me is still something I can touch, hold in my hand, take with me everywhere and put onto my bookshelf.

I understand the need to digitize very old books though. There are a lot of great books that aren’t available anymore nowadays. And there are also a few books without an existing copyright holder. To have these books on the Internet does make sense.
But other than that I prefer having a real book. And I have been talking to a couple of people who share my ideas. One of them said she likes reading a book while taking a bath. Now that would be really difficult if you have your book only as a file.

I am interested what you guys out there think, though. If you want to share you views, feel free to do so.

So long, Susanne

Being a foreigner

A while ago I have read one of our books, “Farang”, by author Dr Iain Corness. He fell in love with Thailand during a holiday there and moved there permanently in 1997. Since then he has experienced numerous strange things. In a hilarious way Corness describes the differences between our western culture and the Thai culture. From dangerous animals inhabiting the kitchen, building work that takes months and months, the weirdest laws to the ritual of moving into a new house – everything is different in Thailand. Based on his experiences a new book by the author will be published this year, which I can’t wait to read.

Although Ireland and Germany may not be as different as Germany and Thailand would be, after nearly three months of living here I have come across things that are typical, so it seems, for Ireland. For example, the Irish seem to love to talk about the weather. It’s not important if the topic has been discussed with a person, if the day brings a change it will be discussed again. I think it’s just wonderful how much time one can talk about the weather here before getting bored. Another thing I have come across is the Barber shops. In Germany men and women nearly always go to the same hairdresser. I haven’t seen a hairdresser only for either men or women. Imagine my surprise when I realised that at least two hairdressers in my village are “prohibited” to me.

Other than that I think there are not too many differences between Ireland and Germany. We certainly both suffer from the economy at the moment! Anyway, I am excited about the new book, “Farang: The Sequel” coming out soon, as it helps me to see how easy it is for me to live in Ireland. I am sure that living in Thailand or, in fact, in any Asian country, would be far more difficult and certainly very different.

That’s it from me,

so long, Susanne