Featured author of the week

Guest Author – First Feature of 2018 – Sue Vincent

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Guest Author – Sue Vincent

Featured author of the week

 

I am delighted to have here today, friend, author, blogger, painter and poet, Sue Vincent of the Daily Echo and The Silent Eye .

Sue is an intuitive, compassionate writer who is not only the author of several books, but her two blogs are always filled with thought provoking articles, inner awareness, and personal stories and explorations into the past history, shared on her Silent Eye blog where she shares journeys and mysteries of the past from the modern mystery school she runs. On the Daily Echo, Sue shares an eclectic mix of personal writing, writing prompts for other writers to join in, and she also welcomes writers to guest post on her blog, so do check that out! Last but not least, for those of you who don’t know Sue, her companion Ani often visits her blog to talk about a gripe or some of her ‘vestigations’ as she calls them. You will learn more about Ani below.

Sue Vincent

About Sue:

I am a Yorkshire born painter and writer, living in the south of England, largely due to an unfortunate incident with a map, a pin and a blindfold. . I paint the strange things that come as images in dreams and fantasies and write about life as it happens.

I was raised in a spiritually eclectic family in a landscape where myths and legends were woven into the stones, and have always had an intimate relationship with the inner worlds and the understanding that all paths are but spokes on a wheel, leading ultimately to the same centre. It is not the path that one walks that matters, but how one chooses to walk it.

More Facts About Sue:

Sue Vincent is a Yorkshire born writer currently living in the south of England, largely due to an unfortunate incident with a map, a pin and a blindfold. Raised in a spiritually eclectic family she has always had an unorthodox view on life, particularly the inner life, which is often reflected in her writing, poetry and paintings. She lived in France for several years, sharing a Bohemian lifestyle and writing songs before returning to England where the youngest of her two sons was born. In 2008 her poem, ‘The Door of Dreams’, was awarded the David Burland International Poetry Prize. At around this time she began a collaboration with Dr G Michael Vasey which resulted in the publication of their book, “The Mystical Hexagram: The Seven Inner Stars of Power” (Datura Press) and also published a small book of poems, “Echoes of Light”. 2013 was an important year for Sue. Her novel, “Sword of Destiny”, a magical tale set in the beautiful and ancient landscape of Yorkshire, was published. “The Initiate” and “Heart of Albion,Tales from the Wondrous Head” in collaboration with Stuart France, are also due for publication later this year. These two books tell a factual tale in a fictional manner, that is at once the tale of a journey into the landscape, myth and iconography of Albion and the story of a growing and rather oddball friendship. Sue is one of the Directors of the Silent Eye School of Consciousness, a modern Mystery School with students on four continents, that seeks to allow its students to find the inherent magic in living and being. http://www.thesilenteye.co.uk She maintains a popular blog, sharing aspects of life in as many shades of vivid as her hair. She is currently owned by a small dog who also blogs.

 

Sue’s most recent book release

 

Get this book on Amazon!

 

Blurb:

“Couldn’t you make me into a Bull?” asked Coyote. In a time before Man walked the Earth, the Great Spirit breathed life into the land. Coyote was the First. Playful, subversive, curious and sometimes comical, he and his fellow creatures shaped the world for those who were to follow. Coyote is a Native American Trickster and hero of many adventures. Tales of Coyote were passed down and shared with the young to illustrate the dangers of being human.

Wilful, headstrong and always in trouble, Coyote journeyed through the spirit worlds, stealing fire and outwitting Death. When the Earth was loved as a living being, the rocks sang and the trees danced. Animals uttered Nature’s wisdom and the sun rose and set upon a wondrous world. The echoes of this magical landscape can still be found in the myths and legends of many cultures. They represent the weaving of the human spirit and the silent lore of creation. ‘Be careful, Coyote, never perform this trick more than four times in any one day.’ ‘An Imperious Impulse’ is the first book of the Lore Weavers, a collection of ancient tales retold. All traditional cultures evolved stories through which the natural and supernatural worlds could be explained and approached. Beyond their entertainment and humour is a deeper layer of mystery and symbolism through which the wisdom of the people could be transmitted. Telling of a time beyond human experience or memory, these tales meld a knowledge of the natural world with the spiritual and moral code of their creators. The essence of the human quest for an understanding of our role within creation has changed little over the millennia.

From the Dreaming of the Australian peoples, to the Great Mystery of the Native Americans and the ancient Celtic myths, there is a common thread that unites humankind across time and distance. It is in the rich tapestry of folk tales that we glimpse its multi-hued beauty. Long may they continue to be enjoyed.

 

Ani the dog

Ani the Dog (Person)

Ani’s Book

Laughter Lines: Life from the Tail End by [Vincent, Sue]

Blurb:

Do you know what really happened between George and the Dragon? Or why Briar Rose got her name? And have you ever suffered the indignity of an overdunked ginger nut?
Take a life with a small dog in tow, add a dash of red hair dye, a selection of crumbling biscuits and a passion for recitable verse… The result is a recipe for laughter. Sue Vincent shares her world in verse.

 

Now, let’s hear from Sue about her writing, blogging, mystery school, and of course, Ani.

 

Okay, I’m starting with my favorite question for all creatives – especially you, who writes, teaches and runs two blogs – how on earth do you make time for writing books?

I work every day too, so I am not altogether sure. I suspect that Time took one look at the inside of my mind and decided he needed a vacation.

Seriously, I get up early and go to bed late with a book. The rest of the day is taken up with work, writing and researching as needed, and running the blog. Ani, the infamous Small Dog, makes sure I get out in the fresh air and Stuart and I wander the countryside whenever we can get together. Most of our work stems from these adventures.

 

What was your earliest fascination with the Mysteries of Life that inspired your explorations and wanderings you partake in and share at your site, The Silent Eye? And what types of courses do you offer at your Modern Mystery School?

I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t aware of the Mysteries, although it would be years before I called them by that name. I grew up in a family where the Greater Reality was simply accepted as normality…which it is… and where pyschism and magic were not dismissed, but studied. Growing up in that spiritually eclectic family allowed me to explore many systems of belief and allowed me to find my own path.

That path eventually led me to meeting Steve Tanham and, along with Stuart France, becoming part of the Silent Eye. We have all studied within various branches of the Mysteries and saw a need for a new direction. We wanted to shape a vessel for spiritual exploration that did not need the accretion of arcane symbolism that is common to most Mystery Schools. The real Mysteries are to be found within, not in complex rituals or the ‘barbarous names of evocation’.

          The Silent Eye operates as a not-for-profit organization. We offer a three-year course of monthly lessons, with each student, or Companion, being assigned a personal mentor to walk with them through the journey. The course is designed to open the Companion to a wider and more intimate view of their own inner being and their place, and potential, within the Greater Reality.

          We also run regular informal workshop weekends, within the ancient and sacred landscape. Once a year, we run a more formal workshop that uses the ancient techniques of ritual drama to teach through personal experience. We keep the events list updated on the Silent Eye website and they are open to all.

 

Please tell us a little about Ani (your dog/person) and how she inspired you to help her write a book?

Ani, also known as The Black Beast, and ‘Anu’ in the books written with Stuart France, is a very special creature. She is a cross between an English Setter and a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever…and mad as a hatter.

There have always been dogs in my life, but this one tops them all. She has the most expressive face of any dog I have ever met, is always in mischief, and manages to make herself very well understood.

I allowed her to write a blog one day… I had not been blogging all that long and had not, back then, come across any other blogging dogs. Her post was popular, so it became a regular feature. Then a book. And she inspired so many of my own daft poems that she ended up with another book… Laughter Lines, Life at the Tail End.

She consistently outperforms me on the blog, outsells me on Amazon and gets all the fan mail.

 

You’re a profound poet and I know you’ve won the David Burland International Poetry Prize in 2008, and you also wrote a column for The Spirit Guides. Can you tell us a little about what that column is about?

I got the poetry bug from my mother, herself a prolific writer. As a child, I was fascinated by the handwritten volumes of poetry from her own youth and, like many others, I started writing poetry in my teens. Unlike many of my friends, who went in for scribbling the heart-wrenching romance of teenagerhood, my first poem was a humorous one about my little brother and the tricks he played on his sister.

 

You’ve co-authored several books with your colleague Stuart France, can you share with us a little about the Mister Fox series?

Stuart and I began writing to document our adventures in the landscape. We chose a semi-fictional format to allow us a little leeway, but, believe it or not, most of what is written is merely reported from reality.

Mister Fox came about after meeting the enigmatic ‘Charles James Fox’ and his fire-dancers. Mister Fox is by far the most exciting live event I have ever attended.  They dance in the dark, masked and wielding flame… and both Stuart and I love what they do. We wanted to tell the story of the dance and preserve the legends they have created and chose to do so as a series of graphic novels. Within them, we tell the stories behind the dance, stories that are woven from the mythology of the deep past.

 

What are your plans for this New Year as far as writing goes? Is there another book in the works?

Oddly enough, the book we are working on at present is another Fox book… Mister Fox: The Winter’s Tail. The Foxes, ousted from their traditional dancing ground by the Demon Dogs, need a new home. Someone should have told them about the dragon, though…

We are also looking at revisiting some of our earlier books, creating new covers and revising them. You learn a lot over time and it is time to put what we have learned to good use.

 

Please share with us a bit about your latest book co-authored with Stuart France – An Imperious Impulse: Coyote Tales and an excerpt.

We have used the graphic format again for An Imperious Impulse, which explores some of the ancient stories of Coyote. We had an awful lot of fun getting the images for this book. We took a Coyote headdress out into the land and drew many strange looks from people. On one occasion, a group of teenage boys just happened to visit the cave where we were working. They took one look, uttered some unprintable expletives… and fled.

The book is the first of a series we are planning, retelling some of the myths and legends from cultures across human history and exploring their deeper meanings. The old tales of every culture share many common themes, addressing the needs, hopes, fears and beliefs of the human family. It is our hope that through these books, we can add our mite to growing realization that no matter where, or when, we may come from, we share the same human story at heart.

 

Coyote by Sue Vincent

 

Thank you so much Sue for being my guest, and for sharing more about yourself and your work and books. It was a treat having you over here and learning more about Ani too, the force of nature. 🙂

You can visit Sue’s many beautiful books on Amazon

All books available in paperback and for Kindle via Amazon.

Click for Amazon’s books by Sue Vincent – UK – USA – France – Germany – Japan – and India

 

Connect with Sue:

You can find me on Facebook: S.C.Vincent and on Twitter @SCVincent or contact me using the contact form below or by Email: findme@scvincent.com

Ani has her own Facebook page if you care to call in she would be glad to see you.

For news of books by myself and Stuart France please visit our website: www.franceandvincent.com or join our Facebook  page Silent Eye Authors.

For further details of The Silent Eye please visit our website or keep up to date with events via our Facebook page.

Details of the books can also be found on Goodreads, Amazon UK and Amazon.com and your local Amazon site, where you can click ‘follow’ for updates on the latest books.

100 thoughts on “Guest Author – First Feature of 2018 – Sue Vincent”

  4. Sue Vincent is a DREAM. By that I mean, she’s a free-thinker, a psychic in the best way, an emotional AND cerebral lexicon of what many of us refuse to find within us – the Mysteries. I loved this interview. Sue’s posts inspire me and make me want to explore more of – the Mysteries. But it’s no mystery why her blog(s) are so popular.

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  6. I really loved seeing Sue over here, Debby. She does so much for other writers and bloggers. A very interesting post. I didn’t know Sue had won an award for her poetry – how wonderful and well deserved.

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  7. So awesome to see Sue out an about on another blog. Yes, Debby, I also wonder how she manages all she does. it’s quite remarkable. I enjoyed the deeper look into Sue’s background as well as the glimpses into a few books. Wonderful interview, ladies. 🙂

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  8. Sue is a wonderful blogger and writer, so prolific and talented…it is nice to learn more about her. Thank you Deb for interviewing this lovely lady who inspires all! 🙂

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    1. Thanks for visiting and reading about Sue, B. She is an amazing person and often we don’t see her making the blog circuit, rather it’s her sharing so much of the work of others. 🙂 x

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      2. Sue, it’s my absolute pleasure to have you here. It’s nice to see you being circulated around blogtown, the way you do for others. ❤ And bank on that cuppa! xxxx

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  9. Such a fabulous interview, Deb and Sue. An Imperious Impulse looks to be a great read ~ the cover alone intrigues me. It’s nice to learn more about you, Sue, and what makes you tick! The amount of work you accomplish in any given day is inspiring. Love and hugs to you and Ani the Wonder Dog 🙂 ❤❤

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    1. Thanks for visiting Lis, and so glad you enjoyed the interview and got to learn more about Sue and Ani. By sharing the works of others in our community we get to introduce readers to other great writers they may never otherwise get to know about. ❤

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  13. I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about Sue here on your blog, Debby. What an interesting life, and post. I was intrigued to read what Sue had to say about the similarities of the myths around the world. It is something I have also noticed. Her book sounds fascinating.

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  16. Wonderful to see Sue in the spotlight for a change. Great interview, especially learning about Sue’s early writing – unlike her I was one of those teenagers who wrote my first poems about love and death and life like I knew all there was to know!

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    2. I did my fair share of teenage angst… but I began with humour. Probably due to being brought up on things like Marriot Edgar’s Albert and the Lion ( which I still know by heart).

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  17. I love that your dog is such a successful, intelligent, beautiful and popular part of your life, Sue. When I first met my future husband’s dogs, they were the most amazing creatures I had met and they would play a very important role in my life. After they passed away, I knew we would never be able to “do better”. I tried to write a few articles from the perspective of the male one, Darwin (since this pair had traveled and sailed for the last part of their life, they had many experiences and stories), but I was told early on and read in the writer’s guidelines that stories from the perspective of animals were not desired/accepted. So, good for Ani to proof everyone wrong!! 🙂

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    1. Thanks Liesbet. Times do change. I’ve come across many writers right here on WordPress whose pets love to steal the show by writing about and for their owners. Now you can feel right at home writing about your pets. And Ani loves to make new friends. 🙂 x

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    2. Thanks, Liesbet. Ani has her own peculiar outlook on life and her ‘two-legs’. My dignity is frequently left in shreds by the time she has finished writing…but I know she loves me really 😉

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  21. I’ve been fortunate enough to have met Sue in person, and she’s a wonderful person, Debby. Gives the best hugs as well. 😀 Sue’s writing challenges have helped me pen together many short stories, so you can blame her for many of those scares. 😀
    Hugs to you both (and Ani, too).
    xx

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    1. LOl, I’m waiting to check out those hugs Hugh. Sue and I have a date for a ‘cuppa’ when I get over there! And now you’re trying to blame your twisted stories on Sue? LOL, just kidding. Thanks my friend. Hugs back to you!!!! ❤ xx

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  22. My first read of the day (yep, as usual, I am way behind) and one of my favorite people in the blogosphere posted about another of my favorite people in the blogosphere! What a fabulous post! It is always fun to learn more about someone you’ve met through blogging. I didn’t know Sue was a painter. Her photos are stunning! I try to pop over to see what she has posted each day, but, as I said, I am behind. (A smaller house was supposed to give me more time). It’s always fun to hear about my #1 favorite blogger, Ani. Love and hugs to all – Debby, Sue, and Ani (a special belly rub, too).

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    1. You are too sweet my friend. Thank you for visiting, especially on your limited time, and thanks for the lovely words for all 3 of us!
      And, I know all about being behind LOL – even after downsizing! It never ends does it? 🙂 ❤ ❤

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