Tea. Toast. and Trivia.

S3 E10: D Wallace Peach on Writing and Publishing

“My latest trilogy is titled Unraveling the Veil. It’s about three races – goblins, elves, and changelings – and how blame and lies almost destroy their lives and civilization. My trio of heroes are products of their cultures and biases, and yet they have to trust each other and work together to learn the truth of a series of mysterious disappearances. Things get awfully grim before they accomplish their goal.” D Wallace Peach

I am your host Rebecca Budd, and I am looking forward to sharing this moment with you.

I am delighted and thrilled that my blogger friend and writer, D Wallace Peach, has joined me on Tea Toast & Trivia for a discussion about writing, connecting, and engaging within the world of writing and publishing.  Diana is on my side of the world, just south of the Canadian Border.  She lives in a log cabin, situated on a mountain, with her husband, two owls and a horde of bats.  She has found a place of belonging, surrounded by evergreens in the lush, green wilderness of the Oregon rainforest.

I invite you to put the kettle on and add to this exciting conversation on Tea Toast & Trivia.

Thank you for joining Diana and me on Tea Toast & Trivia.

And a special thank you, Diana, for sharing your insights and philosophy of writing. You have inspired me, and I know that you have inspired readers and listeners to embrace a creative journey.

Thank you for listening in!

Never let a day go by without a dream” Darlene Foster

I am your host Rebecca Budd, and I am looking forward to sharing this moment with you. I am delighted and thrilled that my blogger friend and writer, Darlene Foster and I are bridging approximately 8,784 kilometers, as the crow flies, between Costa Blanca, Spain and Vancouver, Canada. A distance that would be 11 hours and 25 minutes by air has taken seconds via technology.

Darlene’s short stories have won prizes and have appeared in several anthologies. She has seven published books in a series about a spunky 12-year-old girl who loves to travel, Amanda in Arabia – The Perfume Flask, Amanda in Spain-The Girl in the Painting, Amanda in England-the Missing Novel, Amanda in Alberta – The Writing on the Stone, Amanda on the Danube-The Sounds of Music, Amanda in New Mexico – Ghosts in the Wind and Amanda in Holland: Missing in Action. Readers from seven to seventy plus enjoy following Amanda and her adventures as she unravels one mystery after another. Darlene’s bilingual book, Pig on Trial/Cerito a juicio is in English and Spanish.

Darlene Foster dreamt of writing, travelling the world, and meeting interesting people. She also believed in making her dreams come true. A world traveller herself, Darlene spends her time in Vancouver, Canada, and the Costa Blanca, in Spain

So, it will not come as a surprise that today’s discussion is all about storytelling. So put the kettle on and add to this exciting conversation on Tea Toast & Trivia.

Thank you for joining Darlene and me on Tea Toast & Trivia.

And a special thank you, Darlene, for sharing your insights and philosophy of writing.  You have inspired me, and I know that you have inspired readers and listeners to embrace a creative journey.

I invite you to meet up with Darlene on her blog Darlene Foster’s Blog, which she created for writers, readers, travelers, dreamers, friends and friends she has not met yet.  It is a place where stories dwell.

Darlene’s Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/DarleneFosterWriter/

Darlene on twitter https://twitter.com/supermegawoman

S3 E8: Klausbernd Vollmar on Ugliness

I am travelling over 7,500 kilometers to Cley-Next-The-Sea, an idyllic artists’ village situated on the River Glaven in Norfolk, England. I am meeting up once again with my dear blogger friend, and professional author, Klausbernd Vollmar, who is an authority on colour theory and in the language of symbols in dreams and art.   In our last podcast, we explored the idea of beauty. Klausbernd has come back for another riveting conversation on the concept of “ugly” and ugliness. This promises to be an extraordinary discussion.

So, put the kettle on and add to your thoughts on Tea Toast & Trivia.

Klausbernd Vollmar graduated with a (MA) in German and Nordic literature, philosophy, geology, and linguistics at the University of Bochum/Germany. In Finland and Germany, he worked as assistant professor specializing in symbol systems. Winning a postgraduate scholarship by the Canada Council, he came to Canada and worked for four years as lecturer at the McGill University, Montreal. He was an editor of several magazines in Germany, Canada, and Greece.

Klausbernd studied and graduated in general and clinical psychology at the Ruhr-University/Germany. Working in Germany and England in a private practice, his writing specialized on colour and symbolism.  His website is www.kbvollmar.com

Thank you, Klausbernd, for sharing your knowledge on ugliness and how it influences our lives an choices.  I appreciate our friendship that has evolved over the past years and the many conversations that are yet to come. You continue to inspire me and foster a compassionate community spirit.

Dear listeners, thank you for joining Klausbernd and me on Tea Toast & Trivia. I know you will enjoy following the extraordinary adventures of The Fab Four of Cley – Klausbernd, Hanne, Siri and Selma on their blog, The World According to Dina.  You are only an internet click away from a vibrant discussion that opens new avenues of exploration.

S3 E7: 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.

S3 E6: The Trio on the Family Book Challenge 2021

Welcome to Tea, Toast and Trivia.

I am joined by my mother, Frances, and my sister, Sarah, to discuss a subject that is close to my heart.  Books! We have embarked on the Family Book Challenge 2021, championed by my nephew Aaron. Join us as we discuss how books transform our lives and how reading within a community of readers expands our knowledge and inspires us to read more.

So put the kettle on and add to the conversation. We would love to hear your thoughts on TeaToastTrivia.com

I am your host Rebecca Budd and I am looking forward to sharing this moment with you.

Thank you for joining Frances, Sarah, and me on Tea Toast & Trivia. Looking forward to hearing about your reading adventures.

Until next time, dear friends, be safe and be well.

Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.” Charles W. Eliot

Season 3 Episode 5: Elisabeth Van Der Meer & Dave Astor on Why Should We Read The Books We Do Not Want to Read

Welcome to Tea, Toast and Trivia.

Sir Arthur Charles Clarke, science-fiction writer, science writer, futurist, inventor, undersea explorer and co-writer of the 1968 film “2001: A Space Odyssey said:  “Any sufficiently advanced technology is equivalent to magic.

Today we are working magic by bringing together Porvoo, Finland,  Montclair, New Jersey, and Vancouver, British Columbia.  Elisabeth Van Der Meer and Dave Astor have joined me in connecting three times zones within seconds to bring you a discussion on “Why should we read the books we do not want to read?”

We are entering a new adventure in podcasting here at Tea Toast and Trivia.  Thank you to Elisabeth and Dave for taking the plunge with me.  And a very special thank you to Don, my techie, who is in the background making this happen.

Thank you for joining Elisabeth, Dave, and me on Tea Toast & Trivia.  And a very special thank you, Elizabeth and Dave, for adding your insights and suggestions for embracing books that we never thought we would read.

Listeners, you can connect with Elisabeth on A Russian Affair. You can connect with Dave on Dave Astor on Literature.  There is always an adventure in reading waiting for your arrival on Elisabeth and Dave’s blogs.

Season 3 Episode 4: Celebrating Robert Burns with the Address to a Haggis

Welcome to a special episode of Tea Toast and Trivia.

I am you host, Rebecca Budd, and I am looking forward to sharing this moment with you.

Tonight, we celebrate Robert Burns, affectionately known as Rabbie Burns, the great Scottish poet and lyricist. He has been given the honoured titles of National Bard, Bard of Ayrshire and the Ploughman Poet. He penned in the language of the Scots, even though much of his writing is in light Scots dialect and in English.

This year’s celebration will be different from all other Robert Burns Suppers that have been held throughout its history. January 25, 2021 will be the first time that the Burns Suppers will be going virtual across the world.

Thank you for joining me in celebrating the life and works of Robert Burns.

Today, I am travelling the distance of 15,174 kilometers that takes me over the Atlantic Ocean and across the equator to South Africa.  What usually takes 18 hours and 20 minutes by air travel, has been accomplished within minutes via technology. I am meeting up with Robbie Cheadle, a prolific writer whose books span the ages of children, young adults, and adults. In order to clearly separate her children’s books from her adult books, she writes for older readers under the name Roberta Eaton Cheadle.

I invite you to put the kettle on and add to this exciting conversation on Tea Toast & Trivia.  I am your host Rebecca Budd, and I am looking forward to sharing this moment with you.

Thank you for joining Robbie and me on Tea Toast & Trivia. And a very special thank you to Robbie.  You can connect with Robbie on Robbie’s Inspiration.  There is always an adventure in reading waiting for your arrival on her blog.

I am travelling over 7,500 kilometers to Cley-Next-The-Sea, an idyllic artists’ village situated on the River Glaven in Norfolk, England. I am meeting up once again with my dear blogger friend, and professional author, Klausbernd Vollmar, who is an authority on colour theory and in the language of symbols in dreams and art.   In our last podcast, we explored the influence of colour. Klausbernd has come back for another riveting conversation on the concept of ‘beauty’. This promises to be an extraordinary discussion. So, put the kettle on and add to your thoughts on Tea Toast & Trivia.

Klausbernd Vollmar graduated with a (MA) in German and Nordic literature, philosophy, geology, and linguistics at the University of Bochum/Germany. In Finland and Germany, he worked as assistant professor specializing in symbol systems. Winning a postgraduate scholarship by the Canada Council, he came to Canada and worked for four years as lecturer at the McGill University/Montreal. He was an editor of several magazines in Germany, Canada, and Greece.

Klausbernd studied and graduated in general and clinical psychology at the Ruhr-University/Germany. Working in Germany and England in a private practice, his writing specialized on colour and symbolism.  His website is www.kbvollmar.com

I enjoy following the extraordinary adventures of The Fab Four of Cley on their blog, The World According to Dina. I continue to learn from the vibrant discussions that open new avenues of exploration.

S3 E1: Welcome to Tea Toast & Trivia Season 3

Dear friends, welcome to the third season of Tea Toast & Trivia Podcast. Thank you for listening in and joining the conversation. I am deeply grateful and humbled by your support and encouragement over the past two years.

I am your host, Rebecca Budd, and I am looking forward to sharing this moment with you.

As we walk together, let us think of the words of Rainer Maria Rilke, “And now we welcome the new year, full of things that have never been.”

May peace, love and hope be your constant companions in 2021. Until next time we meet, be safe and be well.