1 October 2015 - 5-STAR AMAZON REVIEW FOR 'SHEEZA'

5-STAR AMAZON REVIEW

FOR 'SHEEZA'

*****

G'day folks,

Today, I received a great review for one of my favourite books - SHEEZA. This review was provided by one of Australia's most noted poets, Vicki Case. Also, at the bottom of this post is a great comment by an American living in Australia, Tracy Dumpert. Tracy has just finished reading 'Gunnedah Hero' and 'A Drover's Blanket'.  

Australia's award winning author - Clancy Tucker, is an exceptional literary talent. He has the ability to captivate your interest & emotions from the inaugural page. He then takes you on the emotional roller-coaster journey his book has in store for you.

Sheeza is no exception. This story absorbed me immediately. I found myself feeling the pain & anguish of a young boy who was struggling to fulfil his dream of owning a kelpie dog. One day fate; & a well-constructed argument with his mother; step in and his dream comes to fruition. His dreams of one day competing in a sheep dog trial with his dog are finally achievable. 

However, after a motor vehicle accident, Danny lost his leg & had it replaced with an artificial limb; constricting his movement/s somewhat. The kelpie pup that chose him at the pet shop also had a slight deformity in her leg. Together they formed an incredible bond & trained regularly with their goal in sight. 

On their novice attempt they win a sheep dog trial. Then, the selfish act of an individual shatters both their lives when Sheeza is stolen by a truck driver outside the pet shop where she was tied up while Danny paid the final amount he owed the store owner for her. They search & search for months but nothing. Then, one fateful day Sheeza is found many, many miles from home & returned to Dan.

Sheeza had my emotions throughout. I found myself crying tears of joy in some chapters & tears of heartbreak & sorrow in others. I felt as though I was in the story; that it could have easily been me.

I highly recommend this book to everyone. It is a great book that will stay with me forever.

I truly loved this story so much Clancy. Thank you so much for giving it life. It’s another of your great books that would make an amazing movie.

 Vicki Case

Comments by Tracy Dumpert, regarding 

'Gunnedah Hero' and 'A Drover's Blanket':

 Clancy,

Hi. I don't normally send emails like this. However, I finished 'Gunnedah Hero' and 'A Drover's Blanket'. Great books. I couldn't put them down.

I'm an American living near Gosford NSW and commuting to Sydney everyday. The books kept me engaged each day on the train. My only challenge was holding back tears while people sit beside me on the train and look at me funny, sniffing. I like to read books dealing with Aussie heritage. And these were great.

Thanks,

Tracy Dumpert

Clancy's comment: Well, there ya go, folks. Looking for a good Christmas present? Look no further. You've heard how good these books are, and further reviews can be seen at the top of this blog. So, head up to the book shop and grab a copy of these books; paperback or e-books.

Many thanks to Vicki Case and Tracy Dumpert for taking the time to comment on my work. Love ya work!

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30 September 2015 - WHO CREATED THE FIRST ALPHABET?

WHO CREATED THE FIRST ALPHABET?

G'day folks,

Ever wondered who created the alphabet? Well, here ya go ...

Before the alphabet was invented, early writing systems had been based on pictographic symbols known as hieroglyphics, or on cuneiform wedges, produced by pressing a stylus into soft clay. Because these methods required a plethora of symbols to identify each and every word, writing was complex and limited to a small group of highly-trained scribes. Sometime during the second millennium B.C. (estimated between 1850 and 1700 B.C.), a group of Semitic-speaking people adapted a subset of Egyptian hieroglyphics to represent the sounds of their language. 

This Proto-Sinaitic script is often considered the first alphabetic writing system, where unique symbols stood for single consonants (vowels were omitted). Written from right to left and spread by Phoenician maritime merchants who occupied part of modern Lebanon, Syria and Israel, this consonantal alphabet—also known as an abjad—consisted of 22 symbols simple enough for ordinary traders to learn and draw, making its use much more accessible and widespread.

By the 8th century B.C., the Phoenician alphabet had spread to Greece, where it was refined and enhanced to record the Greek language. Some Phoenician characters were kept, and others were removed, but the paramount innovation was the use of letters to represent vowels. Many scholars believe it was this addition—which allowed text to be read and pronounced without ambiguity—that marked the creation of the first “true” alphabet.

The Greek language was originally written from right to left, but eventually changed to boustrophedon (literally, turning like oxen)—where the direction of writing alternated with every line. By the 5th century B.C., the direction had settled into the pattern we use today, from left to right. Over time, the Greek alphabet gave rise to several other alphabets, including Latin, which spread across Europe, and Cyrillic, the precursor of the modern Russian alphabet.

Clancy's comment: Interesting, eh? Long live the Greeks!

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29 September 2015 - WOMEN WHO HAVE WON NOBEL PRIZES

WOMEN WHO HAVE

 WON NOBEL PRIZES

G'day folks,

I think you will find this very interesting. I sure did. As a male, I've always been a great advocate for women, kids, and those who cannot stand up for themselves, for whatever reason. You may ask why? Well, it's easy. I was brought up in a tough environment, and I still recall what my mother went through at the expense of my father who came back from the war a total mess. Fortunately, I turned a negative situation into a positive life experience. Having said that, let me highlight some women who have been rewarded for great work.

When it comes to record-setting Nobel Prize recipients, there’s Marie Curie and there’s everyone else. The Polish-French scientist was the first woman to share a Nobel Prize (the 1903 physics award, with her husband Pierre and fellow French scientist Henri Becquerel, for their pioneering work on radioactivity) and was also the first woman to receive an unshared Nobel, the 1911 chemistry prize, for her discovery of the elements radium and polonium. That makes her the only person ever to win Nobel Prizes in two different sciences. As if that weren’t enough, four of her family members are also Nobel laureates. In addition to Pierre, her daughter and son-in-law shared the 1935 chemistry prize, while another son-in-law was the director of UNICEF when it won the 1965 peace prize.

The first woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize was Baroness Bertha Sophie Felicita von Suttner, née Countess Kinsky von Chinic und Tettau, who won in 1905. Von Sutter was the author of an influential anti-war novel and had a leading role in convincing dynamite magnate Alfred Nobel to include a peace prize in his bequest. The first female Nobel literature laureate was novelist Selma Lagerlöf, whose most popular book was about a boy who flies around Sweden on the back of a goose. The first woman to win the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine was Gerty Theresa Cori, who shared the 1947 award for discovering how sugar-derived glycogen is used by the body as an energy source.

The last first woman to win the Nobel in her category was Elinor Ostrom, who shared the 2009 economics prize for her groundbreaking analysis of common property. The wait was so long for a woman economics laureate in part because that prize wasn’t established until 1969. In all, as of 2013, Nobel Prizes have been awarded to 44 different women.

Clancy's comment:  You go, girls. Love ya work!

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