https://mybook.to/COURAGE-AnthologyToday we feature
KATHY HOLLICK-BATER
GRUMPY OLD GRANDFATHER
by Kathy Hollick-Bater
Anywhere, Present-day
It takes courage to fight the memory of fear...
trailer/animation by Jean Gill (A.I. generated)
cover graphics by www.avalongraphics.org
(some stories have an adult content others a 'you will need tissues' warning)
Fifteen short stories about Courage
missed more about these stories? Click the links!
The Sentry - Noricum AD 395
The Saxon - Southern Britain AD 471
The Phoenix - a fictional country circa AD 900
Siflede - London 1066
Daisy Chain - England 1141
Stepping Between - England 1308
Confronting Plague - England 1361
Kate’s Letter - Transylvania 1478
The Portrait’s Secret - Paris 1536
Legacy - England 1558
Darkness Rising - Venezia 1923
A Taleteller’s Tale - The Caribbean 1709
The Gate - London 1900
A Sack of Potatoes - The Netherlands 1954
Kathy Hollick-Bater
Grumpy Old Grandfather – Anywhere, Present-day
with an introduction by
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| About Kathy's story Grumpy Old Grandfather |
I decided to write Grumpy Old Grandfather to help people understand that not everyone reacts to loud noises in the same way. While some may laugh at a toaster popping, a saucepan falling, or any sudden loud bang, for others these sounds can cause genuine fear and distress. We rarely know what someone has experienced in their past. They may have lived through violence, trauma, military service, or frightening events that still affect them today.
This story is about encouraging kindness, understanding, and compassion instead of judgement or laughter. Too often people are quick to mock what they do not understand, when what is really needed is care and a helping hand. I hope Grumpy Old Grandfather reminds readers that compassion should always come before judgement, because everyone carries experiences we cannot see.
About Kathy:
Kathy is severely dyslexic and struggles with her reading and writing. (And for her, in this context, AI assistance is very useful.) Her passion is horses and mental well-being. She started riding at the age of three, had her own pony at thirteen, and discovered showjumping soon after.
Kathy is now a Devon farmer’s wife, runs Taw River Equine Events, and coaches riders of any age or experience, specialising in positive mindset and overcoming confidence issues via her Centre10 accreditation and Emotional Freedom Technique training. EFT, or ‘tapping’, uses the body’s pressure points to aid calm relaxation and to promote gentle healing around emotional, mental or physical issues. She hopes to extend her training in order to help ex-servicemen overcome PTSD.
Kathy regularly competes at British Showjumping, and rides side-saddle (‘aside’) when she has the opportunity. She produces her own horses, several from home-bred foals.
She also has the ability to see, hear and talk to friendly ghosts, some of whom share our 1769 farmhouse.
Website: https://www.white-owl.co.uk/
British Breeding Futurity Grading Overall Top 2yo in Show Jumping
Coaching for Confidence and performance
EFT International accredited practitioner
Centre10 Advanced Coach
Facebook: Taw River Equine Events (sponsors always welcome!)
co-author of Ghost Encounters: The Lingering Spirits of North Devon
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| read a snippet |
GRUMPY OLD GRANDFATHER
by Kathy Hollick-Bater
Anywhere, Present-day
It takes courage to fight the memory of fear
See that grumpy old man over there? That's my grandfather. He gets scared whenever something goes bang!
I found it funny one day as he started shaking and grabbed his blanket, clutching it with tight fists when the cat had knocked an ornament off the shelf. I laughed and said, “It's just Maddie, playing games.”
He got cross with me, and I never understood why. He often shouted at me to stop sniggering when the toaster popped up with a bang!
When I was eighteen, I went to see my grumpy old grandfather, I was so proud to tell him I had signed up for the army.
He looked at me and said, “Sit down, lad. Now, I have never spoken of the past, and you never understood why the toaster made me jump, or why I got anxious when Maddie knocked something over. I was a soldier, and one day you will fully understand.”
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e-book & paperback from Amazon or order from any good bookstore |
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great anthologies featuring various authors |
You might also like books written by
Helen Hollick
cosy mystery series
nautical supernatural adventure
historical fiction:
King Arthur / 1066 era
non-fiction:
Ghost Encounters
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I loved how Grumpy Old Grandfather begins in light humour but gradually reveals a deeper trauma beneath the surface of ordinary moments. So close to life... What first seems like grumpiness is reframed into something far more human and only understood when the past is spoken aloud.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fantastic reminder that compassion should always come before judgement.