Man Booker Prize Entry - Songs From The Secret Place

Our latest title 'Songs From The Secret Place - The Meeting of the Spirits' by Deborah Clarke has been entered for the Man Booker Prize - www.themanbookerprize.com and we believe deserves every bit of it. There is a review on this site from a professional writer, which is worth looking at. This book is excellent and we hope the judges love it as much as we do.

Womankind

I was reading today about a charity called Womankind Worldwide, which works for women in the UK but also in the developing countries. A lot of the work they do is giving support and legal advice to women who speak out against female circumcision. This is a particularly brutal form of genital mutilation and some horrendous outcomes for many of the girls concerned. Girls as young as 12 are abducted and raped and forced to marry to save the honour of their families. Many are forced to endure anal sex because they are unable to have intercourse in the normal way, because of their treatment. These women are bravely speaking out against their treatment, against accepted norms and need help and support so why not log onto their site and see if you can help them in any way - www.womankind.org.uk

Using universal energy to get published

Some may or not be familiar with some of the ideas and principles of how universal energy works. For centuries people have been pointing out that we are what we think and believe, our experience is coloured by our conditioning and our conscious or unconscious patterns. My experience shows that you get what you you expect to get. If this is true, and you want to get a book published how about trying some new techniques.
If we accept the idea that we get exactly what we expect to get and that sometimes our unconscious, which has its own agenda, may not be in alignment with our conscious desires, then it makes sense to pay attention. The way we see what is happening in our unconscious is to pay close attention to what is happening in our lives, the people, events and so on and more particularly which parts of our lives are not working for us and getting us what we want.
Once we see what is being mirrored around, without judgment or blame, or feeling like we deserve this, we can then tackle bit by bit what our feelings or limiting beliefs are communicating to us, then we can start to get past our conditionings and start to get in touch with who we truly are and what we are really all about.
Then we can use techniques like EFT www.emofree.com to clear these negative feelings or beliefs. So if you want to get published and it is not happening for you, why not try reading this site, suspend disbelief and give it a go, it might suprise the hell out of you.

If you want to write

Brenda Ueland writes a very good book on this topic called 'If you Want to Write - releasing your creative spirit'. However, I want to add to this. I was reading a comment this morning on www.MetaxuCafe.com . A writer was making some fair points about the way new writers are treated by some of the larger publishing houses, namely that if you don't have an agent then you won't be considered at all. A point was also made by a journalist Miller that there is an oversupply of people wanting their work published. Now, I also have an idea that belief is everything. If you believe you will succeed, if you put yourself in resonance and alignment with a thing, deal with your doubts, your negativity; an idea, a dream will manifest. So my thoughts are; if you love to write, then write for yourself, write from your heart, write from your self, to yourself. If you want it published, then keep going, put action in with that intent and never give up, don't talk yourself out of it, 'cause I bet you at the bottom of the negative belief is a fear that your work (your creative child) will not be accepted, or criticised, or putdown etc... No one ever said that publishing is ever easy either for the writer or the publisher, who after all takes the risk to put the work out there, in an already full market, at their own expense and put a lot of effort in then persuading the booksellers to take the books in the first place. Who often, will only take then on a sale or return basis. Difficult it may appear to get work published and selling, but with will, with intent, with belief, there is always a way and that way may manifest in unexpected ways...

Short Story Competition for Adults

Button Bridge Books Ltd are running a summer short story competition on the theme ‘Human Nature’ for anyone aged 18 years or over. The prize is:
(1) a copy of our latest title ‘Songs From The Secret Place – The Meeting of the Spirits’ by Deborah Clarke
(2) the short story published on both our web-site and publishing blog ‘Button Bridge Books’ for three months, which is linked and syndicated to many other literary web-sites
(3) an opportunity to submit further work of book length for serious consideration for publication, either fiction or non-fiction on a spiritual/health/healing/archetypal/complementary medicine field or similar type.

The short story must be between 1500 – 3000 words in length and the closing date is the 1st September 2006. If you wish to enter please email anne@buttonbridgebooks.co.uk for an application form, which must be sent back with the story, by email attachment.

Batblog Story now on new batblog see link

See Batblog for latest escapades of the Batcave

Latest Research into Emotional Freedom Technique

The latest news from www.emofree.com about the benefits of EFT and the latest research:-
SUMMARY
In preliminary clinical trials involving more than 29,000 patients from 11 allied treatment centers in South America during a 14-year period, a variety of randomized, double-blind pilot studies were conducted. In one of these, approximately 5,000 patients diagnosed at intake with an anxiety disorder were randomly assigned to an experimental group (tapping) or a control group (Cognitive Behavior Therapy/medication) using standard randomization tables and, later, computerized software. Ratings were given by independent clinicians who interviewed each patient at the close of therapy, at 1 month, at 3 months, at 6 months, and at 12 months. The raters made a determination of complete remission of symptoms, partial remission of symptoms, or no clinical response. The raters did not know if the patient received CBT/medication or tapping. They knew only the initial diagnosis, the symptoms, and the severity, as judged by the intake staff. At the close of therapy:
63% of the control group were judged as having improved.
90% of the experimental group were judged as having improved.
51% of the control group were judged as being symptom free.
76% of the experimental group were judged as symptom free.
At one-year follow-up, the patients receiving tapping treatments were less prone to relapse or partial relapse than those receiving CBT/medication, as indicated by the independent raters assessments and corroborated by brain imaging and neurotransmitter profiles. In a related pilot study by the same team, the length of treatment was substantially shorter with energy therapy and related methods than with CBT/medication (mean = 3 sessions vs. mean = 15 sessions).
If subsequent research corroborates these early findings, it will be a notable development since CBT/medication is currently the established standard of care for anxiety disorders and the greater effectiveness of the energy approach suggested by this study would be highly significant. The preliminary nature of these findings must, however, be emphasized. The study was initially envisioned as an in-house assessment of a new method and was not designed with publication in mind. Not all the variables that need to be controlled in robust research were tracked, not all criteria were defined with rigorous precision, the record-keeping was relatively informal, and source data were not always maintained. Nonetheless, the studies all used randomized samples, control groups, and double blind assessment. The findings were so striking that the team decided to report them.
The principal investigator was Joaqumn Andrade, M.D. The report was written by Dr. Andrade and David Feinstein, Ph.D. The paper will appear in Energy Psychology Interactive: An Integrated Book and CD Program for Learning the Fundamentals of Energy Psychology (Ashland, OR: Innersource, in press, distributed by Norton Professional Books) by David Feinstein in consultation with Fred P. Gallo, Donna Eden, and the Energy Psychology Interactive Advisory Board.

Beatrice's blowwave

Beatrice flew out of the batcave chocked up with tears. She had never felt so devastated in her life, she really thought her and Norman were going to make a go of it, she knew she was in love with him already. " It's my own fault" she said out loud, "I should have known we weren't compatible, after all he is a noctule bat and I am a soprano pipistrelle, we like ducking and diving a bit more, his flight pattern is too straightforward for my liking". As she said it she knew it wasn't true, she loved his flying in a straight line, high overhead and his sexy narrow wings and she really loved the fact he was a naturally BIG bat. She landed on the nearest oak tree branch and began to wipe her eyes with her wing.
"What's up little one" said a booming voice. Beatrice instantly recognised the tree resonance and said "oh hello, I am sorry, I am a bit upset about my boyfriend, we have just split up " she replied. The oak tree was about to reply when Tina, one of the tiny teenage bats flew and landed beside her. "Hello Beatrice" she said. "I am doing a promotional leaflet drop for the new hairdressers that has opened up called Bat Bouffant, they do hair, nails, baticures and everything, they have 20% off if you go today" and with that she flew off. Beatrice looked at the leaflet thought 'oh what the hell, I'll go for it, I need something' and with that she said goodbye to the oak and flew off to the hairdressers.
As Beatrice flew into Bat Bouffant she recognised Deb Daubenton bat. Beatrice had always liked Deb, mainly because she admired her humility and sense of humour. Because Deb was a Daubenton, she had always had naturally very hairy feet to seize the insects as she skimmed over the water surface, but the other bats had made her life a misery with all kinds of pisstakes. They had called her names like 'yeti foot' and 'wig wings'cause they couldn't believe that the hair was all her own, amongst many others. "Hello Bea" Deb said, "have you come for a Bat Blowwave?" "yes"Beatrice replied. Then out of curiosity she asked "what made you set up the salon Deb?" Deb replied "oh you know, I have spent a fortune over the years trying to keep my unruly hairy feet in trim, so I decided to train myself and help out the other Daubentons, anyway Bea, what's all this I hear about you and Norman?" Beatrice's heart sank, of course the hairdressers is the second place to find out the gossip next to the chatting in the pub, she should have thought this through. Deb could see her face drop and said "I am sorry Bea, I didn't mean to pry, come on I will give you the works, bugger those male bats, lie back and be pampered" and with that she set to work....

Norman and Beatrice have their first row

While Beatrice was with Penelope and Bertram and the young Pipistrell Players Norman had been busy hunting Vyella down to ask her what the flower was she had put in his test-tube for remedy making. His instinct had been correct and she was propping up the bar Mad Maud's (the batbar where bats went to relax, have a drink and listen to the occasional solo artist. Beatrice had sung here a couple of times, she was a talented singer (soprano pipistrelle) and loved the batblues). Vyella was giggling and futtering her batlashes at a visiting bat that Norman had never seen before. "Hello Vyella, I have come to apologise" said Norman, "I was a bit rough on you" he said. "Go away Norman, I am busy" said Vyella. "Yesss go away" said the bat with a distinct Italian accent, that Vyella was talking to, his words were slurred and he looked worse for wear. "I just want to talk to you for a minute Vyella, then I will leave you to it" said Norman. Vyella, had been getting a bit bored with Vic who was visiting from Verona and all he talked about was wine this, wine that, grape this, soil that, Amerona this and Chianti Classico that, and although she had pretended to be interested she was actually very glad for the interruption. "Okay, excuse me Vic" she said and her and Norman sat down in a quiet corner.
Meanwhile Penelope had extricated Bertram from his tights, Neil the young bat dressed up as an acorn had practised his part falling out of Derek who was playing the oak tree and Beatrice had told Penelope the story so far. Beatrice was also pretty miffed that Norman had not come back to the lake to help her out of her rubber ring and felt very abandoned indeed.
Penelope listened carefully and said "look Beatrice, you can't take Vyella's word for it, Norman doesn't strike me as the type and besides he has had the hots for you for months, he was moping around and all over the place until you two got together, go and find him and talk to him". Beatrice knew she was right and flew off in search of Norman. Bertram in the meanwhile had been reading Penelope's script for her new play. "Look here sweetheart, how about we go and practise scene three in private" he said with a glint in his eye. "Besides, I need something soothing rubbed on my...." "Alright, Alright Bertam, I get the picture" Penelope interrupted, bring those icecubes from the freezer and the bowl of Strawberries" she said.....
Beatrice flew to Norman's batbooth, no sign of him there, she flew to the lake to see if he had gone back there, she flew to his roost, then her roost, then the bat library in case he was looking up an ingredient for his remedies, he was nowhere to be found. "hello Beatrice" said Tom, one of the older bats who spent his time watching the world go by and a member of the Neighbourhood Batwatch Scheme. "hello Tom, you don't happen to know where Norman is do you?" she said. "Yes Bea, he is in the bar talking to Vyella, I didn't realise that you and he had split up" he said. Beatrice could barely speak, she was clogged up now in her batthroat and about to burst into tears. Without a reply she flew into the bar to take a look for herself and sure enough there was Vyella with her batwing draped over Normans thigh and they were deep in conversation. Without stopping to think she went to the bar and ordered a pint of 'message in a bottle', she watched as the glowing fluid filled the glass, picked it up, went over to Norman and without a word tipped the lot over his head. Some of it splashed on Vyella. "You two-timing dick, you shit, what kind of bat are you!? she shouted and with that she turned on her heels and left. Norman was stunned and in shock, he had been discussing the flora and fauna of Venezuela with Vyella when suddenly he was covered in ice cold beer. As he tried to stand up he slipped on his batbum on the tiled floor of Mad Maud's, Vyella tried to steady him and landed on top of him, Pete Pipistrell who had seen what was happening shouted "it serves you right". By this time Vyella Vampire had got one of her fangs caught in Norman's leg, which looked dangerously close to his netherregions. Maud (who came from good irish stock came out from the bar and said "get out, begorrah, you are disgusting, I won't have any of those shinanigans goin on in my bar, " and with a broom in her hand she chased Norman and Vyella out of the bar, to the claps and cheers of the customers, who for the most part didn't have a clue as to what was going on but it brought some excitement and interest to the day..

Beatrice's drama

Beatrice was still mad, she felt so angry and hurt at what Vyella had said. She thought her and Norman were exclusive and anyway, she didn't believe in batbonking others while she was serious with one special person and that's what she thought she had in Norman. She was ready to fly into the batcave and tell him to stick the relationship, when she stopped herself. 'I need to calm down, I need to check out Norman's side of things, before I do anything' she thought. Beatrice stopped herself so fast in mid flight that she did a loop the loop, back flip and was about to do a nosedive into a pile of batpoo that had recently been cleared out of the batcave (there had been a film crew from some TV series in, filming the batcave and they had got so fed up wading around in piles of batdroppings and all of the insects that lived in it that they decided to shovel some of this out. This had upset the insect population, who had decided to make it their business to find as many ways to get down their trousers and up their noses as possible. Clive Cockroach had managed to get so far up one of the men's legs that he had run screaming out of the batcave, ripping his trousers off shouting "help I've got a cockroach crawling around my cra..... " and filming had to stop for the day while the film crew's nerves settled). Anyhow, Beatrice managed to skid to a halt, the right way up. 'What to do to calm down...hummm.. I know I will go and chat to Penelope pipistrell and ask her advice, she has been round the block a few times, she knows a bit about men and relationships' she thought to herself.
Penelope was busy writing a new play for the drama group she ran in the Batcave. Penelope and Bertram bat had set up the Pipistrell Players some years before. They both loved drama and music and for a time Penelope had taken cello lessons with Beatrice, before she decided that her real passion was acting. It was in Penelope's mind to put on the play for the BATFA awards (Bat Association for Theatre and Film Awards) due that year. The play was broadly based on her life as an actress and contained some of the more steamier moments of her life and she was in two minds as to how much detail she should include. Others' ideas of decency had got her into trouble before. She had once put on a production called 'Fetish Fancies and other explorations' which she thought was very tame and toned down, in comparison to what she had actually got up to. But they were the critics, and the sexually repressed kicked up a stink about a scene where behind a screen voices could be heard saying 'flick your batwing there ooohh do it a bit harder... oh now the ostrich feather....now the fruit ....what do you mean you haven't got any fruit, you're a bloody fruit bat aren't you, your whole bloody life revolves around the stuff....'. The audience weren't shown any real live batbonking, but nevertheless, the protestors camped outside with boards saying 'stop the plot, we don't want this rot, we are the moral minority and consider ourselves in the majority';and in the end she had to cut the scene to please them 'cause one of her sponsers got nervous with all the bad press and chickened out. While Penelope was struggling with her dilemma, Beatrice arrived. Penelope stopped and said "bloody hell Beatrice, what's up, I can feel your anger from here" (Penelope was very sensitive energetically and could feel others' emotional fields). There was a big crash from behind and before Beatrice could answer they both looked round to see Bertram looking very dazed and staggering about. One of the younger players in their acorn costume had been practising falling from one of the other players dressed up as a tree and misjudged the distance and landed on Bertram's head. "Some nut has bashed me on the nut and now my nuts hurt" he said (the tights he was wearing for the swashbuckling scene had split his difference in all the furore)as he stood there grabbling his head and his batnuts at the same time. Both Beatrice and Penelope started to laugh, it was just the kind of diversion they both needed, "oh come here Bertam, let me sort your nuts out" said Penelope.....

Button Bridge Books: Songs From The Secret Place

Button Bridge Books

Button Bridge Books: Self Matters

Button Bridge Books: Self Matters

Norman's New Invention

As soon as Vyella had gone, Norman started to unravel what had happened with his remedy, all that was left in the test-tube was a green unpleasant looking goo. He set about the task of starting again. "Hum, a days work down the pan," he said to himself. He was about to throw the green goo down the toilet, when he thought 'I wonder what this will do, I wished I had asked her what she had put in the test-tube'. There came a knock on the batbooth door. One of the younger bats Russell (named so because he was never able to keep still even as a tiny bat and was always foraging amongst the leaves for grubs and insects) was stood there. "Um, Norman, I saw Vyella come in here a while ago, I came to look for you but couldn't find you" he said. "You didn't happen to see if she was carrying anything did you?" said Norman. "Yes, as a matter of fact she had a big flower" he replied. "Is everything alright Norman?" said Russell, "it is now, thanks Russell" said Norman and with that Russell went back to his roost for some shut eye, he was in his teenage bat years and pretty knackered most of the time, on top of that he had a huge zit on his batnose, which he wanted to hide until it had gone down before his latest girlfriend Frennella spotted it; he was worried it would put her off.
Norman looked around for remnants of the flower, then spotted them in the corner of the batbooth. It was something he had never seen before, he needed to find out from Vyella what it was, but how? 'I know he thought, I will go and apologise to her and soften her up a bit, perhaps I was a bit harsh, I am probably scared of her still and overreacted to her come-on. I know where she will be, I will lay bets that she is in the bar'. With that he shut the batbooth door and flew off to find her.

Vyella's revenge

Vyella, was sat on a tree branch, watching Beatrice fly off, she could see Beatrice was angry and upset. 'That will teach Norman for messing with me,' she thought to herself and inwardly she chuckled at the idea of Beatrice having a go at Norman. 'That will mess things up for a while, I hope she breaks up with him' she mused and she started to feel better.
"What did you do that for?" asked a deep booming voice. Vyella nearly jumped out of her skin and looked all around, but there was no-one there. "Who are you are what do you want?" she said. "Little bat, if you are going to sit on my branch communing your thoughts with me, then you must expect some comment from me" said the voice again. By this time Vyella was starting to panic, her heart was racing. "What do you mean..." then it clicked, she had heard of some of the other bats chatting to the trees, but had never done it herself before, in fact she had thought they were slightly batty. "It is none of your business what I do" Vyella replied. "You are making it my business by being here" the tree replied. By now Vyella was intrigued, she was not imagining it, she could really hear a voice and it was intelligent. Then there was a murmer of assent and she realised that all the trees around were listening and watching. Seriously shaken, but also intrigued she said "Norman bat hurt me, so I want to hurt him, it is as simple as that, there was no need to say the things he said". There was a silence, then a quiet voice said "You are not happy Vyella, you have not been for a long time I can see it in your bataura, you are not satisfied...." Vyella flinched. She started to feel really squirmy inside and she didn't like that. "I am not staying around here anymore, you are seriously wierd" and with that she flew off to the batcave to the batbar to try out some of the 'message in a bottle' and see who else was up for an afternoon of distraction. She knew of at least two other bats that she could rely on for a bit of fun....

Bat Storm

Norman was by now incensed by Vyella the Vampire. "Get off me, what do you think your doing? You know I am seeing Beatrice Bat, I don't want to pick up where we left off. You bored the pants off me then and you hold no interest for me now. You have no sense of self, you just drift into being what others want you to be instead of having the courage to just be yourself. This is a big turn off. I have found someone special in Beatrice and I don't intend on ruining it, so bogoff and leave me alone". Vyella stood in complete shock. she had always depended on using her batfemininewilds to get men to want her, it had always worked; though nothing had ever lasted for very long. Here was a man turning her down and rude with it as well. "I am not staying here to be insulted, you were never that good anyway Norman, I just thought I could use you for a fill-in like last time." With that she turned on her batheels and left.
Norman was shaking with anger and fear. He had never plucked up the courage to say such a thing to anyone before, let alone a woman. Part of him was terrified and waiting for more of a backlash and another was suddenly exhilerated. He had always felt frightened of Vyella, which was part of why they had got together in the first place. He hadn't really liked her much, but felt it wasn't manly to turn down her offers for batbonks, he thought this was what male bats were supposed to do; he was also fearful of her, but he had regretted that decision from the beginning and was hugely relieved when she had left. He turned his attention to the batbooth and the disappearing green haze 'now what to do about this experiment' he thought.....
Meanwhile, Beatrice had extricated her batbum from the rubber ring, as it had deflated she was able to take off and now she was in the process of quietly drying her batbuttocks off in the forest by using her wings to fan warm air at her netherregions. She was chuckling to herself about the fabulous fun she had had wizzing along the lake at batmark10. She was considering setting up some kind of theme park rides for the others bats and deep in thought about the marketing opportunities when a voice said "Oh hello Beatrice, what are you doing?". It was Vyella, she was still miffed with Norman for the things he had said and was desperately wanting her revenge. "Oh hello Vyella, I thought you were in Venezuela?" Beatrice said, feeling uncomfortable at being found out drying her bum off. "Oh, I had a batmessage from Norman asking me to come back, he said he was missing me and wanted to pick up where we left off. He likes the more unusual batbonking with me, in fact we have just had a quicky, I am going to get my roost sorted and then we are having an insectswoop together later, I must go...." and with that, off she flew.
Beatrice felt absolutely sick to the stomach. A sinking feeling of humiliation decended upon her and then absolute murderous rage arose within her, she picked up her wings and flew towards the batcave, wrinkly bottom or not, she was going to sort this out....

Bat Brain Overload

Beatrice was sat on her rubber ring, floating on the lake, quietly chuckling to herself, when she realised that she was stuck in her rubber ring. With all the batacoladas and insects she had been scoffing while her and Norman had been chatting and a bit of fluid retention , the rubber ring had welded itself to her. Now it looked like Norman was going to be a while and she was too embarassed to sonic ping to the other bats in case they all flew out to have a look and took the batpiss out of her predicament. What to do she wondered?
Meanwhile, Norman had got to his batbooth to check on the 'big bang' he had heard and opened the door. Immediately a green haze escaped through the bat door and Norman before he could stop himself, took in a breath. "Urrhhhh he said, that's disgusting, it's like the worst batfart I have have ever smelt and I have just breathed it in....." before he could continue a batshape emerged from the green haze out of his batbooth. "Hello Norman, I have been waiting for you, I got bored, so I thought I would have a play with one of your remedies and ummmh well...." It was Vyella the Vampire. She and Norman had had a bit of a batfling some months before, but although the batbonking was good, she had no conversation or interest for him. In the end she had moved on to one of the other bats and last Norman heard she had got into the more experimental side of things and flown off to Venezuela. Norman could feel the anger rising at her intrusion into his life, more than anything else he was miffed at her messing with his genius. "What do you want Vyella, I am busy and I don't want you waltzing into my private space like this." "Oh come on Norman, we have been more private than this, I thought we could pick up where we left off" she replied. She moved over to him and began stroking his batwing...
Meanwhile, Beatrice was getting a bit worried, Norman had been ages and she was getting hot under her batcollar about the rubber ring, it seemed to be tightening around her batbuttocks even more. 'Ah, she thought, it's the water, my batskin is absorbing it and swelling, I have been sat on this lake too long, I bet my batbum will be all wrinkly like a prune when I do finally manage to free myself. I will have to dry out in a warm corner and hope no-one notices.' She was also a bit worried about the fish in the lake mistaking her batbum for food, she had heard there was a big Pike in the water called Pierre (he had apparently swum from France, doing a cross channel, fish race, for international fish relations to try to mend antagonisms after the cod war (there was very nearly side taking and at one point it looked like an international fish war was about to ensue) and never wanted to go back; he couldn't stand snails for a start...)
Anyhow, Beatrice was beginning to panic when Pete Pipistrell flew over head. He had always held a candle for Beatrice and had quite a softspot for her. Beatrice called to him. After much discussion, it was decided that Pete could deflate the rubber ring by pulling out the rubber plug, that Beatrice was unable to reach. Pete pulled the plug and suddenly the rubber ring with Beatrice in it blew off across the lake like a rocket, accompanied by a big long wet rasping farting noise. "It is not me" she cried, as she shot off into the horizon.....