April was a busy month with 11 flights for work, pleasure and family celebrations.
In this newsletter I’ll introduce you to an exciting author, John Black and update you on what I’ve been doing during April.
Author John Black
John is from Bucharest, Romania and has spent most of his working life in the gaming industry, helping create exciting virtual worlds. He’s a gamer, husband, father, pancakes enthusiast and more recently he followed his life dream of becoming a fiction author, writing in the horror thriller and dystopian genres. John likes to contemplate “what would happen if” scenarios.
His approach to writing is to go “all in”, keeping it fast paced and immersive. John told me he’s got a lot more to offer in this genre, so keep an eye out for more excellent books from him.
Growlers Moroi is the first book in his trilogy and for the next few days, as a special offer, he’s discounting the eBook price to $0.99 in the US and UK. So go check it out and download a copy.
Book description:
What if the world as you know it has just ended?
Silence. Growling. Silence…
Sometimes it’s not the strong who survive.
When their relaxing family vacation is interrupted by a blackout, Andrei and Lili hope it is just a blip and power will soon be restored. But they, their seven-year-old son and Lili’s parents soon realize that the blackout was just the beginning.
Every decision, every move could mean a terrible death as the family is hunted by growling creatures and packs of feral dogs.
Grab this novel set in Eastern Europe for an intense roller-coaster of danger, impossible choices and characters who stay with you long after you reach the end. You’ve never read anything like it.
Click here to download your copy of Growlers
What do some of his reviewers say?
I read many zombie themed books but this series has a twist and new idea into the topic and idea of zombies. The characters are very interesting and believable. You better have a few onions and some garlic to get you through these books. A very fun and interesting read with a new twist and idea about zombies. Loved these books! Bravo. … Cathy Hogan
A good scary tale. Looking forward to finishing the series … Barbara Houk
It was good to read a different take on the zombie story. The characters kept my interest. However, I do wish everyone would stop screaming all the time, especially Andrei. I will be reading Book 2 … Ross Barreras
I loved it! … Margaret
So, download your copy and see what you think.
What have I been doing in April?
April I was able to attend two Hurricanes rugby games at the Sky Stadium in Wellington. The ‘Canes’ being our regional rugby team. I have a confession to make, Cathy is from Wales and is passionate about her rugby, so I’m there to support one of her passions.
I also got to leave New Zealand for the first time in nearly 4 years with a business trip to Fiji, a country I’d never been to. So it was quite an adventure getting the pre-travel COVID tests and all the required paperwork to check in for both leaving New Zealand and again in Fiji to return.
Considering New Zealand was, at the time, open to returning New Zealanders, the international terminal at Auckland Airport was eerily quiet with many shops still shuttered closed and more people working in the Duty Free Store than passengers using the terminal.
Fiji Airways was very quietI had only a few hours in Nadi while waiting for my flight to the capital, Suva. There is a marked difference between the international and domestic terminals.
I was in Suva for 4 days. It was a bustling city, but didn’t see much between the hotel, business meetings and local restaurants. I had an overnight at a hotel close to the airport in Nadi before an early check-in for my return flight to Auckland.
One thing I did find was the need to change my perspective. The pace of life in the South Pacific is slower than what a European is used to. So, I quickly accepted things happen slower and naturally take longer, whether this is in a meeting or waiting for a meal. Everyone was incredibly welcoming and friendly, and I look forward to returning to Fiji.
Sunset from the hotel
A few days later, Cathy and I flew down to Queenstown for Easter. We stayed at our favourite hotel, Hulbert House. Just like our previous stay, due to COVID, closed borders and cancelations we were the only guests. We love staying at Hulbert House as the building has been restored to its original state (except excellent insulation, electric lights and instant hot water. The staff are friendly (and helpful too!), the location is a two minute walk to the centre of Queenstown and the views out over the lake and mountains are just stunning.
We enjoy visiting Queenstown as the city sits next to Lake Whakatipu and is surrounded by jagged mountains. Flying in and out of the airport offers spectacular views.
In the evenings we’d head down into the city centre for a meal and take a walk around the lakefront. We’d even see large eels and trout swimming in the clear lake water close to the shoreline.
On Good Friday we took the hotel’s ebikes for a spin around the lake towards Arrowtown.
We’ve never ridden ebikes before and we found them to have seats which could be raised and lowered at the press of a button.
However, the bikes were heavier than our non-electrical assisted bikes we have at home, and these had fewer gears. So we weren’t impressed, as neither of us experienced any benefit. However, after I went down a steep hill, went over some bumps, locked my brakes and hit a tree at speed. While battered, bruised and still bleeding when I remounted the ebike, the assist worked and made easy work of the next climb. Cathy checked out my bike and agreed it performed differently to hers. After comparing both bikes she found a loose cable on her bike and once it clicked into place, Cathy had electrical assist and found after that, cycling was easier. We even made it up the steep hill to Hulbert House without jumping off and pushing them up the hill (which we both expected to happen).
That evening over a glass of wine in the hotel before we were heading out for dinner, my left knee swelled up and I struggled to walk. The staff kindly drove us the short distance down the hill to the restaurant so we wouldn’t be late, plus it saved me a painful walk. We walked back afterwards, though slowly, and had Cathy to support me.
On Saturday I’d surprised Cathy with a heli-vineyard tour where we flew between vineyards as we sampled the various Otago wines. It was a fantastic way to get a unique perspective of the mountainous landscape and not spend hours in a minibus while we could arrive and depart in style.
Cathy was enjoying herself