Ezra

Ezra is now available on Amazon. 

  Ezra is the story of a spirited young man named Ezra Cullen working as a labourer on his Uncle’s sheep station in the wild southwest of Australia in the 1960s. He is anything but your average twenty-three year old who has never had an average lifestyle growing up accommodating his father’s travelling career.  With a quirky attitude to boast and giant goanna for a pet he receives an unexpected visit out of the blue one day  from the well-esteemed Mr Cavendish.  He informs Ezra that his grandfather whom he has never met is on his deathbed and he is about to inherit a huge fortune.  Since Ezra’s father and grandfather had suffered irreconcilable differences in their relationship Ezra has never met his grandfather but now he finds himself the heir to a great estate in Ireland and his life changes overnight. But it is far more than he could have imagined or bargained for as he accompanies Cavendish back to Ireland and the conditions concerning the old house carry over straight away.  Mr Cavendish and the will state he is heir of the…old house…and in his mind Ezra imagines just that; some big old house in need of repair.  But the old house surpasses his wildest dreams as the old house is indeed more than just an old house in much need of restoration.  

St Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Day is approaching yet again; a day to wear green and have green drinks and green food.  For a long time I didn't really know what it was all about. I thought it was something to do with leprechauns but I was very wrong.

St Patrick was the son of a Roman Official in England in the fifth century and he was kidnapped by Irish pirates when he was only sixteen and taken to Ireland to be a slave.  After six years, he escaped and went back to England and trained in the church and one night he had a distinct dream;

I saw a man coming, as it were from Ireland. His name was Victoricus, and he carried many letters, and he gave me one of them. I read the heading: "The Voice of the Irish". As I began the letter, I imagined in that moment that I heard the voice of those very people who were near the wood of Foclut, which is beside the western sea—and they cried out, as with one voice: "We appeal to you, holy servant boy, to come and walk among us."

Patirck returned to Ireland and under much opposition from Druid priests however his faith in God would not be moved.  He saved many women and raised countless people from the dead and was the catalyst for Christianizing a pagan nation and so every year on the 17th of March he is honoured for his deeds.  

I know it's a popular time to go to the pub and have a green drink but don't forget a good read;

The Faerie Prince of Ireland is a magical Irish tale; more about it here.

New Project

 
EZRA BY ANNA ST GEORGE

I don’t know about the rest of you but I love watching the programs about restoring old buildings and homes especially the ones that have restored old castles and manors and a few in particular that I have seen were grand old homes in England.  This idea plus the biblical theme of restoration sparked the idea for my next book; Ezra which should be ready in April of this year. Following the description is an excerpt from the book.  This is also the first time I have ever written from the first person point of view.  The first part is told from the point of view of Mr Cavendish and the next part is told from Ezra's point of view. 

 

Ezra is the story of a spirited young man named Ezra Cullen working as a labourer on his Uncle’s sheep station in the wild southwest of Australia in the 1960s. He is anything but your average twenty-three year old who has never had an average lifestyle growing up accommodating his father’s travelling career.  With a quirky attitude to boast and giant goanna for a pet he receives an unexpected visit out of the blue one day  from the well-esteemed Mr Cavendish.  He informs Ezra that his grandfather whom he has never met is on his deathbed and he is about to inherit a huge fortune.  Since Ezra’s father and grandfather had suffered irreconcilable differences in their relationship Ezra had never met his grandfather but now he finds himself the heir to a great estate in Ireland and his life changes overnight. But it is far more than he could have imagined or bargained for as he accompanies Cavendish back to Ireland and the conditions concerning the old house carry over straight away.  Mr Cavendish and the will state he is heir of the…old house…and in his mind Ezra imagines just that; some big old house in need of repair.  But the old house surpasses his wildest dreams as the old house is indeed more than just an old house in much need of restoration.   

Family loyalty and heritage rise up within the young man and he takes on the task of restoring the old house

however strange things begin to happen as he discovers things about his family history and past that he never bargained for.  His domineering grandmother takes the role of matchmaker; determined to find him a wife and causing complications and there is the mysterious arrival of an Irish wolfhound who appears out of nowhere when he moves into the old house and strange happenings accompany her arrival and presence in the house and not to mention the fact the Irish wolfhound played an important role in his family’s past. Various oppositions arise to cause him frustration with the building work.  There is the national conservation department to deal with plus the constant intimidation and sly tactics of a ruthless businessman named McCoy.  But worst of all are the rumours of hauntings in the old house.  Ezra is a handsome young man of strong character and faith in God but is it enough to carry out the restoration work and restore his families fortunes and secure the heart of the girl he loves?

Excerpt from Ezra

This expedition had its challenges and this one would prove a big challenge for me for I could see that I would have to relent to flying on a plane to save great amounts of time.  So the following day I organized a flight to Perth to find young Mr Cullen and tell him he no longer needed to work on a sheep station. He was a very wealthy young man indeed.

9 June 1965-  Within hours I embarked on another part of my journey to a sheep station near Perth to find young Mr Cullen, the shepherd boy.  I expected him to be like his father however I was very deceived in this notion for he was nothing like his father.

I arrived at Mahoney’s sheep station the following day and it was Mrs Mahoney who greeted me and her nephew Ezra was nowhere in sight.  She was a tall average looking woman with dark wavy hair swept up in a bun and rounded cheeks with dimples when she smiled.  She seemed very fit and spoke with a very deep Australian accent.  “A pleasure to meet you Mr Cavendish. My brother n law sent a telegram that we could expect you soon.  My name is Veronica Mahoney but everyone calls me Ronnie round here. I hope you had a good journey.”

“It has been a very long journey and I’m afraid I’m not used to this Australian heat.”

There is young Ezra now,” she said pointing off in the distance.

I looked up but could barely see anything through the cloud of red dust and I could barely make out a figure on a horse and a few dogs running around and then I saw…It.  Some huge reptile ran across the paddock.  I jumped in horror.  “What’s that?” I was most frantic.

“Aww," said Mrs Mahoney.  “That’s just Ezra’s pet lizard but don’t worry. I don’t allow her inside.” 

I couldn’t believe it.  I was speechless.  The young man had a monster for a pet! And I begin to wonder what kind of young man he was.

and...

Some time later I got up from my comfortable spot and went to the front window; a large picturesque window that looked out over the Mahoney property; hundreds of acres of…red dust.  It was then I saw Mr. Mahoney having a word with his nephew Ezra and from the body language of the two I had a feeling it was a serious word and I hoped that perhaps he had spoken some sense into his head.  And it was later that evening that my calculations were realized when Ezra came back to the lounge and I was sitting in the lounge alone and he had the look of question in his eyes and I could hear his brain moving a hundred miles a minute.  He perched himself on the back of the couch and I thought he had picked up some casual habits in the outback.  My own dear mother would have had kittens if she saw me sitting on the couch like that.  “Mr Cavendish I…”

“Yes Lad?”

“Well….Am I rich?”

I smiled with pleasure.  “Yes, lad filthy rich.” I lifted my brows in a thrifty manner.

“So you mean like I really don’t need this job anymore?”

“To put it politely young man, you can kiss this sheep station goodbye.”

He almost shivered as the words sunk in and he looked at me and said, “Bloody hell.”

“Yes tell your Aunt Mahoney she can be the lizard’s new companion.”

His eyes lit up again.  “LIZ….oh no!  I can’t just leave Liz!” He got up and left the room in agitation and disappeared down the hall. Oh good grief I thought to myself. This young man had been deprived of the female kind for far too long.  His devotion to the lizard was unnerving to say the least.  

© Ezra 2015 by Anna St George

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