Spicy Green Ginger A tribute to Hull-City of Culture
Short Stories – Hull and East Riding Yorkshire– Andrew Reid Wildman
A voice from a writer who deserves discovery.
These pieces show Andrew at his best; as an interpreter and observer of human nature, always funny, he describes life in this beautiful area of Yorkshire through decades and people characters who sometimes did or didn’t fit the profile of the neighborhood.
The readers will find the collection full of familiar themes and characters.
Spicy Green Ginger – For people who belong to Yorkshire
Spicy Green Ginger is sour and sweet, deliciously, wickedly misanthropic, and at times sad and tender. The characters are of course entirely fictitious, but who has not at times felt like them? For instance poor Betty Bridgenorth, a hard-working, proud baker who is savaged by a nameless internet troll, and sets out to seek revenge? Or Edna Isenthorpe, who just wants to enjoy her train journey in peace. Some of the historical stories are based loosely on murderous events or legends from the county; others seek to recreate the atmosphere of places now lost, for example the famous Kardomah Café.
Why Spicy Green Ginger?
The Land of Green Ginger is a narrow street at the bottom of Whitefriargate, in the old town area of Kingston Upon Hull, England.
Stolen Childhood – Excerpt from the book
The Stolen Yorkshire Childhood
Beverley, East Yorkshire, the present day
“Can I help you, sir?” asked PC Darren Kendalson, a recent recruit to the force. He was staffing the desk of the Westwood police station in Beverley. Just over an hour left remained of his afternoon shift.
“Yes,” replied the man, an attractive if rather highly strung man of middle age, his cheeks red, his head balding. The tall man’s blue eyes flickered sadly, great depth etched in his resigned expression. “I want to report a stolen childhood,” said he.
“A stolen childhood?” replied the officer, a confused smile on his sweetly innocent face. He was too young to understand the man’s complaint.
“Yes,” replied the man. “My Yorkshire childhood was stolen you see, and I want it back.” The man scratched his scalp as he spoke, making it bleed.
“I am not sure I can help you with that,” replied the young officer. There was the hint of a smirk in his cherubic face, a little scorn, a little cruelty. His lips twitched in secret amusement.
“Let me deal with this, son,” interjected Sergeant Brown, a man approaching retirement, his stomach fighting a territorial war with his tunic and winning. PC Kendalson smiled professionally, and sat back to watch. He was getting used to surprises in police work.
Who is Andrew Reid Wildman Andy In Hull
Andrew Reid Wildman was born in Beverley, East Yorkshire. He currently lives and works in Essex, and is a lecturer in English at a busy London college.
Andrew loves writing short, acerbic stories, picking up on the foibles of ordinary people, and exploring the complexities of social interaction. His home county often features in his work. Andrew Reid Wildman also enjoys painting in his free time, and has been a best-selling artist with www.artgallery.co.uk for several years. He has a Masters degree in Victorian Studies from Birkbeck University.
Author’s words
”I am a son of Beverley, and I took to short story writing a couple of years ago. Each of my stories is set, with a few exceptions, in my home county.”
Social media Links https://www.facebook.com/SpicyGreenGingerShortHullAndEastRidingStories
Photo and information by provided and used with permission from:
Authors PR - Madi Preda
http://about.me/AuthorsPR
http://about.me/AuthorsPR
I would like to thank Andrew Reid Wildman for taking the time to answer my questions.
1) What genre do you like to write?
I love short stories, and with a vinegary twist! I also like autobiography, and short and sweet insights to photoblogs.
2) How long have you been writing? What prompted you to start writing?
I wrote my first book, an autobiography about converting to Judaism and moving to Israel a few years ago. I started writing short stories a couple of years ago, but found the best ones where the ones that reminded me of East Yorkshire, and that started when I spent Christmas there, and it was the trigger.
3) What inspires you to write?
I love watching the interaction between people and how false and pretentious it can be and I love taking a scalpel to that and laying it bare. I love sending up snobbery and foibles.
Spicy Green Ginger by Andrew Reid Wildman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I can only describe this as a collection of fables about various individuals in strange and usual situations. Once again I am glad that I am a perseverant. If I had judged this book by the first story, I would have stopped due to the extreme dislike of it. Not that I didn't give it a fair chance. I even read it twice just to make sure I had not missed something. Maybe there is a back story about the characters that I needed to know in the first place in order to understand what was happening. Like always, I suffered through, however, and I am glad I did. If I had not I would have missed reading the rest of the stories with their quirky dark humor and clear plots. If you like stories about people then this collection is for you. This is a great group of stories about the oddity of people and how their surroundings can affect how they act. Or if you are familiar with Spicy Green Ginger then you may find these enjoyable. I would, however, recommend that you read the first story last or even skip it all together.
View all my reviews
4) When a story idea pops into your head, how long does it typically take to write it (from start to finish)?
A matter of hours! But I like to return to it and polish it. That takes longer.
5) What did you find to be the most difficult part of the writing process? Easiest?
Getting into the right frame of mind to write is the hardest. I need to be really relaxed and inspired and not tired. But once I start I follow the dialogue in my head and just fly. I find writing a person's own thoughts to be the easiest. It makes me laugh.
6) Of all your characters whom do you most relate to?
Unfortunately my characters are seldom pleasant! But nevertheless I relate to their frailty and vanity.
7) Is there one of your characters that you did not like when you started writing about them, but found yourself liking by the end of the story?
No. I am quite savage. Kitty has claws when writing I am afraid!
8) What is your least favorite part about writing? The Most?
I don't like proof reading, I get caught back up in the story and forget I am supposed to be looking for typos. I love rereading my stories a few weeks or months later, and thinking "wow, did I write that?"
9) When you are not writing or editing what do you do for relaxation?
I love painting. And photography, and also cooking. I also like wandering around London.
10) What genre of books do you like to read?
I love books with humor and also a good sense of location. So for instance Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin; great location and humor and interesting characters. I also like some crime fiction.
11) What author(s) do you enjoy reading? Why?
I do like Miss Read, and the Agatha Raisin series by MC Beaton, both very anchored in the English countryside. I am reading one of hers at the moment actually. I also love PG Wodehouse, Donna Leon, Alex McCall Smith and.....I must confess to returning to Enid Blyton when the mood takes me.
12) Tell us about your books where can people find them?
You can easily buy my books online, for instance from Amazon or WH Smiths. There can be some good deals, especially in the US. It is also available from Authorhouse.
Thank you so much for this opportunity I enjoyed it very much here are my thoughts.
Spicy Green Ginger by Andrew Reid WildmanMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I can only describe this as a collection of fables about various individuals in strange and usual situations. Once again I am glad that I am a perseverant. If I had judged this book by the first story, I would have stopped due to the extreme dislike of it. Not that I didn't give it a fair chance. I even read it twice just to make sure I had not missed something. Maybe there is a back story about the characters that I needed to know in the first place in order to understand what was happening. Like always, I suffered through, however, and I am glad I did. If I had not I would have missed reading the rest of the stories with their quirky dark humor and clear plots. If you like stories about people then this collection is for you. This is a great group of stories about the oddity of people and how their surroundings can affect how they act. Or if you are familiar with Spicy Green Ginger then you may find these enjoyable. I would, however, recommend that you read the first story last or even skip it all together.
View all my reviews
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