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Dregs Book Tour

Cover Blurb

A collection of things; none of which are related to anything else. Fantasy, fiction, poetry, shower thoughts, and speculation. Something to make you think, smile, or put the kettle on. Dip in, jump out. Shake your tailfeather. A little adventure. Just you and me. What are you waiting for?

Other Titles By the Author

Rachel Jones

Author Bio

Born in Ilford, Essex. Lifelong reader, writing poetry from the age of 7 and “stories” from about the same age.

Over the course of the years, I have had poems published in collaborative anthologies, short articles in local media, and once was a restaurant and spa reviewer in Thailand.

I self-published anthology of my own work in May 2022. I was supported and encouraged to write regularly by an emerging authors’ group called The Inkwell Collective. I have released my second anthology this month.

Currently, I am midway through writing a magical-realism novel which I hope to release next year.

My husband and I emigrated to Australia in 2011. We have had some real adventures in this amazing Land Down Under! Imagine having to drive 300 miles to get to a post office (it’s a long, long way!)

We live in Katherine, Northern Territory where I’m a member of a local writers’ group. These lovely people are a source of support and inspiration. My style is quite different to the majority of the material that they generate but they took me under their wing, nonetheless. When I have time, I also run a book-swap stall at our community markets during the Dry Season. The weather is a bit cooler and we have more visitors coming through town. It’s fun and usually involves me drinking coffee and reading books. (A perfect way to spend a morning.)

In the wonderful world of work, I am a Clinical Educator and Remote Area Nurse. The local landscape makes it one of the most terrifyingly beautiful places in the world. It is an unforgiving environment and not for the faint of heart. My work can be demanding; writing is my escape.

The Book Tour

Day 1 - Favourite Quotes

The proper nouns aren’t speaking to anyone uncapitalised. I can’t even begin to describe the adjectives! (From 101 Words - yes really, count them) (Rachel Stoddart)

She waved her hand in front of his face, and he blinked, slowly, with an almost reptilian languor. (From The Pitch) (Eryn McConnell)

Perfect. Today was going to be a success, she thought. The Universe is aligning itself for me. (From The Pitch) (Michelle Marshall)

"Thanks, Grandad," he said. "Told you I had a good feeling about you." (From The Pocket Conundrum) (Sophie Jupillat Posey)

Once again, Alex had deployed her emergency handbag knickers.(From The Pitch) (Tim Marshall)

Dobbs scratched his chins. All of them. He shook his head and peered more closely at Jim. His eyebrows knitted together, forming a horizontal question mark. (From Jim Builds A Chariot) (Yvonne Marrs)

She couldn't go into the meeting with breath like a twelve year old Tabby. (The Pitch) (Kirsty McKay)

Day 2 - Character Summaries

When I am dying, don't bring me flowers or prophets. Bring me you. (From the poem - Last Touch.) (Rachel Stoddart)

A pilots’ mask clamped to her face, limpet-like, supplying breathable air. She thought she may have been here for hours. A windy glacier dragged itself across her skin. The slow destruction causing her jaws to grind, intent on destroying their own teeth (From Effie's Eye) (Eryn McConnell)

I told them that this tree did more. Than stop them having summer fun. It shelters them from what’s in store. When all the other seasons come. (From The Tree) (Michelle Marshall)

Mr Perfect glanced up from his phone and flashed a smouldering grin. Long dormant uteri roused themselves from their slumber. Ovaries within a twenty-mile radius burst into life. In the distance, sirens could be heard. "Crikey, I can see why I don't use you very often. Dial it back, Sexy. You can't afford the child support." She swept her eyes round the room, finally catching sight of the Druid. He was arranging some spider webs into magical patterns. Oblivious to his surroundings, he giggled and chanted as he worked. "I thought you would do okay, my dear friend. You just needed to be set free." The woman smiled and sat back in her seat, appearing relaxed for the first time. "Righto, guys," she said. "We'll have another crack at this. Please try to stay in the character that I write for you." "But..." said Security. "No buts, we have to make this work. I need to finish this bloody book." "Will there be any refreshments?" asked Ivy. "Ooh, good question," said Bess. The woman sighed. "Look, if we can reach the end of this first draft, I promise we can have a nice tea together. How does that sound?" (From Chairs to be stacked away, please) (Sophie Jupillat Posey)

Oh! To have a beard That reaches to your feet. And don’t forget, it’s a safety-net For anything you eat. (From The Viking Poem) (Tim Marshall)

Griff began the process of shoe-horning his own enormous form into the golf buggy. Mark watched his efforts for a while before helping him get the last of his buttocks into the seat. (From The Pocket Conundrum) (Yvonne Marrs)

The words which we don't dare to speak, are the words that weigh us down. The silent words that tell of pain, are those that help us drown. (The Unbearable Weight of Truth) (Kirsty McKay)

Day 3 - Favourite Excerpts

Last Touch - An incredibly moving poem. I would recommend it to everyone living in a social media world to remind them what is important in life. (Rachel Stoddart)

The Pocket Conundrum - There was something about it, the way it launched us in, and the ending. It was less full than the others, but it touched me. (Eryn McConnell)

Chairs to be stacked away, please - This was difficult to choose, as every poem or story had an appeal to me. On balance, I’ve gone with Chairs to be stacked away, please. I found the room in which the story takes place so easy to visualise, as I’ve worked in and attended gatherings in similar venues. The story itself is cleverly constructed and as it comes to its climax, the purpose of the characters' presence is revealed. I think it’s a story that all writers will be able to relate to! (Michelle Marshall)

The Pocket Conundrum - This is really hard, because all were outstanding. I think my favorite was the story The Pocket Conundrum. It took the reader in unexpected places the entire time. The characters were relatable and the ending was a genuine feel-good moment. There is a lot of punch in this short story, whose themes are about death, hope and the value of life. (Sophie Jupillat Posey)

The Pitch - I enjoyed ‘The Pitch’ best amongst the offerings in this book. The tone is immediately set by the opening lines (the first of which was my choice for favourite line from Day 1), and it continues to be an unabashedly fun story from there. (Tim Marshall)

The Pitch - Alex in ‘The Pitch’ is fabulous! “...Alex deployed her handbag emergency knickers. If a bus mowed her down, at least her mother would be proud of her daughter’s clean underwear.” - something that not everyone has heard of, but I was often told this when growing up, so it made me laugh. (Yvonne Marrs)

My favourite has to be the short story, The Pitch. It reminded me of the film Liar Liar with Jim Carey and I couldn’t stop laughing. It was a really well written and fun read watching the pent up frustration all come tumbling out in one meeting. How many of us would love to be in Alex’s shoes and give our bosses and the people we work with a good old fashioned roasting instead of biting our tongues and putting up with their rubbish. "This man needs an agency who understands what he does. His plans won't come to fruition this year or even next. He is investing in the future! You lot want to pollute the English Channel, give migrants diabetes, and play football with traumatised kids. You want to stamp his company name all over that mess? Who do you think you are? Inflatable goal posts? Seriously?" (Kirsty McKay)

Day 4 - Video Interview

Day 5 - Reviews

Overall Rating: 5 stars. This has been a lovely book to read. The poems are quirky and extremely clever. The short stories have touches of delicious fantasy and amazing realism. The author seems to have the captivating writing style of someone between David Foster - Wallace and Neil Gaiman. (Rachel Stoddart)

Overall Rating: 5 stars. This collection has humour, zing and a ton of grace. The author’s voice comes through loud and clear, with a wry, intelligent tone. I giggled, I smirked, and I guffawed. The writing is clever, flowing well, with snark a plenty. It’s real, with enough archetypes that we, too, can recognise. The poetry is good, well structured, although less engaging for me than the short stories. I liked the mix of forms, though. (Eryn McConnell)

Overall Rating: 5 stars. This small but perfectly formed book was an absolute breeze to read from start to finish. Rachel’s writing flows naturally from her and she has a gift for creating colourful characters and verse. The writing is wonderfully witty but there are also moments of poignancy that really make you stop and think. To me this beautifully reflects real life, where there are moments of humour and hope to be found even in the darkest times. I’d recommend this collection to anyone, even people who aren’t particular fans of poetry and short stories. Reading Dregs feels like passing a stranger in a street and getting an intriguing glimpse into their life before carrying on with the business of your own day. I’m very excited for Dregs 2! (Michelle Marshall)

Overall Rating: 5 stars. This was one of the quirkiest collections I’ve read in a while. One goes through many emotions when reading through. Some stories are comfy feel-good stories; some are strange and end in eclectic ways; some are creepy and end in a dark way; as for the poems they are all over the spectrum too; with some being philosophical musings about life and emotions; others about writing, or some being about family and death. All of the stories and poems have a strong emotional punch, whatever genre they fall in. The author’s voice is clear and unique, whether it’s for the poetry or the stories; the poems flow and are digestible because they are not long; and all the content seems to have a linking thread of delving into the intense parts of human nature: whether it’s uncomfortable, or on the contrary soothing to the soul. The collection felt cohesive despite the different mediums. (Sophie Jupillat Posey)

Overall Rating: 5 stars. In hindsight, the title of the book is quite suited to the tone of its contents, not for lack of quality, but for the quirky voice of the writer. Not everything here goes together, but it certainly works, and feels like a great introduction to Rachel Jones as an author. The pieces range from comedy to horror, with a few more philosophical and existentialist works in between. I personally enjoyed the author’s irreverent sense of humour and the stories where it was center stage were real highlights for me. (Tim Marshall)

Overall Rating: 5 stars. Rachel has written many different characters in this work of assorted gems from her portfolio. Many could be used in novels of their own. I’d like to see her separate these into different works, and who knows, maybe this will happen in the future. I did enjoy most of it, and I would happily recommend it. (Yvonne Marrs)

Overall Rating: 5 stars. I am not normally a fan of short story collections or poetry, as I prefer to sink my teeth into a good novel. With poetry whilst I find some verses quite beautiful, I often find it difficult to understand and truly connect with. However I was completely blown away with the poetry and short story compilation in Dregs. I absolutely loved all of the stories and poems in this short but powerful book. The poetry truly resonated with me on a personal level and so I must commend the Author on this point alone. To be captured by a poetry collection is really telling for me on just how good the quality and expression of writing is. There are two short stories that I loved and would read them again and again, the Pitch being one of them. Dregs ticked every box for me and is a book I would definitely add to my own personal collection and recommend others do the same. (Kirsty McKay)