Tag Archives: commedy

News

A New Superhero on the Block

May 18, 2022 saw the publication of Paul Mount is Special Squirrel and the arrival of a new superhero on the block.

Paul Mount is Special Squirrel cover

Paul Mount – Superhero?

Paul was the baby Mary and Joseph had longed for, even the incident Mary was involved in while pregnant wasn’t allowed to get in the way. As Paul was growing up, some of the things that happened around him marked him out as special.

As an ex-girlfriend says of him; “Bright, clever, witty, brave and gentle; my hero.”

Paul finds himself investigating local crime and corruption. His unique, but unreliable, power is definitely helpful

Paul lives in Measham, Ted Bun’s imaginary town somewhere in the English Home Counties. The story brushes against some familiar characters, PC Adiscombe, The Johnstons and the Cutters and a famous resort.

Read more

Buy the book on Amazon

Uncategorized

A new bike … a new book

I bought myself a new electric bike. We live on a hill, a long and in places steep hill, about a kilometre from the nearest bar (and the boulangerie). Being slightly eco, I prefer not to drive that short distance and go by bike, unless it is raining. Yes, I know a fairweather eco-warrior!

Proud of my new purchase I put a picture on Farceburk.

The new bike

This posting attracted a comment from my friend (?) Richard Savin. He is the author of some rather good books. Richard’s best seller is the excellent wartime drama that sweeps across Occupied France . “Girl in a Baker’s Van” so when he commented:

“The Nudist on The Butcher’s Bike?”

it made sense. It was also struck me as a challenge.

Several weeks later the plot had jelled in my mind and I started work on a story that turned out to be a much closer approximation to Richards title;

The Boy on a Baker’s Bike.

The story is set during the long summer break after finishing school. When after taking their A-Levels, English teenagers wait nervously for their results to find out if their higher education dreams are going to come true. It is the story of one young man’s working vacation one year during that fuzzy period as the seventies gave way to the eighties.

Read this story to discover the surprises that await our hero that hot summer. Dreams? which dreams? Will any of them come true?

I am delighted that the book will feature original artwork by Rene Gourley. The artist who created the cover image for The Girl with a Ginger Cat

The date of publication is not fixed yet … but I hope it will be on sale around the beginning of November. The details will appear on my author page as soon as everything is finalised.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ted-Bun/e/B01BVG6NVQ/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1

News

Christmas Sale

Yes, A Christmas Sale in November …

but it does give you time to plan, order and gift wrap these fun books (or you could just tick the Gift Wrap option!)

  The Uncovered Policeman

New House ... New Neighbours
New House … New Neighbours

The Christmas Offer

Between now and 15th December 2018 I have taken £1.00 off the price of all my paperbacks

  • The Uncovered Policeman   £4.99  NOW   £3.99
  • The Uncovered Policeman Abroad £4.99 NOW  £3.99
  • The Uncovered Policeman In and Out of the Blues £5.99 NOW  £4.99
  • The Uncovered Policeman Goodbye Blues  £6.99  NOW  5.99
  • The Uncovered Policeman Two Weddings  £4.49  NOW £3.49
  • The Uncovered Policeman Caribbean Blues  £5.99   NOW  £4.99
  • The Uncovered Policeman Family Album  £6.99  NOW £5.99
  • The Uncovered Policeman Spring Break £4.99   NOW  £3.99
  • The Uncovered Policeman Made for TV  £4.99  NOW   £3.99
  • While Bees Sleep  £5.99 NOW  £4.99
  • New House … New Neighbours  £5.99   NOW £4.99
  • New House … New Address   £5.99   NOW £4.99

Give someone the gift of naturist fiction,

An ideal Secret Santa present! Laugh when you see how the recipient reacts … or doesn’t!

Just click a link on the left to buy!!

The Uncovered Policeman: In and Out of the Blues

News

New Cover Art

Announcing the New Cover Art for the Rags to Riches Series

I have been fortunate to be given permission to use the images from Andrew Chambers to use as the cover art for the Rags to Riches (the Uncovered Policeman) books.

Andrew, who was the creative talent behind Chamber Cards and now runs Chambers Concrete, making concrete candle in Byfleet in the UK. Sounds whacky but take a look, I recommend them for that ‘awkward’ gift purchase. https://www.chambersconcrete.com/

So the New Covers

Starting with the original story ….

The Uncovered Policeman

We meet PC Adiscombe and he meets Beatrice Johnson

The Second Story

The Uncovered Policeman; Abroad

A holiday in the South of France … Hand luggage only?

The third story

The Uncovered Policeman: In and Out of the Blues

Back to some real police work

 

Did You like the new cover art?

Let me know … comment or tweet me Ted Bun @Mr_Ted_Bun

 

News, Opinion

Email from a reader

Email Subject; Made for TV

Ted ,great job, once again. Having read Andrew’s books recently made the story that much more enjoyable. I was also impressed with the Stonewall Jack storyline. I know Bea really pushed your patience in this one but it was well worth it. I also made sure to recommend Andrew’s trilogy in my review because without his good work this story wouldn’t have been possible

 Once again excellent addition. I’m sure you’re getting ready for the summer season. It won’t be long. It’s already pushing 90F here, so it shouldn’t be much longer now for you.  Scott

Email Subject; Re: Made for TV

Hey Scot

Thanks for the great review of the new book, I might have been able to do the story without Andrew’s book BUT having said in a review of one of them that it had the makings of a good TV drama … I asked Andrew for permission and we batted the idea around for a few messages which helped focus me on Rags to Riches story rather than Holding Briefs.

Bea wasn’t too bad really. Although she was a bit tangential at one stage and I had to chop quite a bit of the story out. It was Rags wanting to tell another story that was the problem! Then Fran and Jerry were on at me … and the ‘foundationers’ who you’ll get to meet one day soon.

It looks like the weather starts to change next week … so I’ll have to get busy on the pool and the garden (or get Jerry to do it!!)

 Be safe and take care in the sun

Ted Bun

The Uncovered Policeman; Made for TV
The Uncovered Policeman; Made for TV

Uncategorized

Best Seller

New House …New Neighbours

A new runaway best seller in my collection New house …New Neighbours. Out selling everything else I have published by a country mile!

New House ... New Neighbours
New House … New Neighbours

http://getbook.at/NewHouse

Number 609 best seller on the Amazon UK > Kindle Store > Books > Literature & Fiction > Humour & Satire > Literary Humour Chart!!!

It is a dream …
You’re going to retire from work and buy a house in the south of France.
You search the French countryside
Eventually, you find the right house, in the right location, at the right price!
You put in an offer.
The vendor says yes.
The legal process grinds through all the necessary steps.
The place is yours!
Suddenly, you own the right house, in the right location
What you have forgotten is, that with a new house, you get new neighbours!
Will they be good neighbours? As Jerry and Fran move into their new house in the village of Las Lilas, they are about to find out!!

Reviewer author Jim Gault wrote;

New House New Neighbours by Ted Bun

Ted’s latest is a slight departure from his usual, both in subject matter and in style. This is not another episode of his successful Rags to Riches series; instead we are introduced to a completely new set of characters. Sunshine, wine and naturism feature as you would expect, but there are new and different themes. As the newcomers to the South of France battle to get themselves up and running in their local community, we are treated to some amusing insights into husband-wife relationships, local customs, and the problems of battling with overgrown gardens using inadequate tools.

There are a couple of interesting stylistic developments in this novel. Ted has chosen to write this one in the first person, but alternating the narration between Jerry, the husband, and Fran, the wife. This device allows the author to exploit, in a good natured way, the comedy of the differences between their own view of themselves and that of their spouse. The author’s wry humour defines this book, whether he’s poking gentle fun at French rural life or the vagaries of technology.

As always, the story is bathed in happiness and optimism. There is no dark side here, just good fun.

 

http://getbook.at/NewHouse

 

News

New House … New Neighbours

New Book – New House … New Neighbours 26/12/17

New House ... New Neighbours
New House … New Neighbours

Ted Bun’s latest tale, “New House … New Neighbours” will be out for people to download onto their new Kindles on Boxing Day or onto their old Kindles, Computers or tablets the same day … My new book.

This is not one of my Rags to Riches series stories … It is something totally different!

So what is it all about … it is almost autobiographical a bit allegorical and amusing. The plot is …

It is a dream.

Retire from work and buy a house in the south of France.

 You search the countryside.

Eventually you find the right house, in the right location, at the right price.

You put in an offer.

The vendor says yes!

The place is yours, you own the right house, in the right location.

What you have forgotten is, that with a new house, you get new neighbours.

Will they be good neighbours?  

As Jerry and Fran move into their new house in the village of Les Lilas, they are about to find out!!

Pre-order details

Pre-order the e-book from Amazon priced at £2.99 ($3.99)

http://getbook.at/NewHouse

The paper back is available Now at £4.99 ($5.99)  … December 2017.

Books read, News

Reading in August

 August Reading and Writing

Gone to Sea in a Bucket + The Skipper’s Dog’s Called Stalin + turn Left for Gibralter (Harry Gilmore novels) by David Black

Three stories following RNVR (Wavy Navy, Royal Volunteer Officer in World War 2) Sub Lieutenant Harry Gilmore, from non expectance and bullying aboard a capital ship to successful submarine officer. Great ripping yarns stuff, weakened slightly by having an obsessive senior officer trying to destroy his career over a instance early in book one.  The rate of attrition of the RN Submarine Service being such that in reality Gilmore was unlikely to a threat to the Senior Officer for long! But I nit-pick.

 

Bed Breakfast and Bones + Dune, Dock and Dead Man (Ravenwood Cove mysteries) by Carolyn L Dean

Nice little cozy mysteries set on the NW coast of the USA. The central character is Miss Goody Two-Shoes, her friends are wonderful and the love interest is a rugged good looking detective. Wonderful escapist froth, book 3 is ready to read!

Death on the Line by Derek Fee

Better than Rebus. As the Scottish detective slowly became a less interesting character dealing with more complex crimes; Ian Wilson’s character is slowly coming to life. The story is a case of murder and Wilson’s almost only friend,  is that almost his only friend or his only ‘almost’ friend, is wounded.

Corruption and  old allegiances of Ulster not with standing Wilson goes after his man.

Song of Edmon by Adam Burch

I don’t read much Sci-Fi these days. Too much of it is fantasy with new words for existing technology. This one starts that way. However it gets going in Dune type political model. Apart from the fact that there could be no life on either side of a non rotating planet .. it is a clever story of power and manipulation.

Writing

 

I hit a bit of a problem, I thought I had a Rags to Riches short story that could be published for the England and Wales Bank Holiday at the end of August. No such luck, the story is at 18000 words and still not at mid point, so watch out for the next instalment in the adventures of the Uncovered Policeman in the next month or two.

To make up for my missing that deadline I ran a free book promo on Amazon offering The Uncovered Policeman Abroad as a free download. On August 26th it was top seller 726 in the  Amazon UK Kindle  All Books chart!

Books read, News

Notes on More Reading

The Naked President (1)

Jack Holden

An engaging short read, about 3 hours beside the pool. Written mainly from a first person perspective in short sentences.

A non-family created by one man as he travels across the world finally focuses back on one person a naturist who others want to be President of the USA.

Throw in some Native American and Eastern philosophy, a pyramid and a biker gang treat everything with a few coats of Panglossian gloss … Yes I liked it.

The Fifth Doll

Charlie N. Holmberg

Charlie is one of my favourite young adult writers. , however,  am not part of the target audience for Charlie N. Holmberg’s books. I am far from a young adult but I enjoyed reading this story.
I found it a clever well written story. Just enough pace to keep you turning the page. Just enough tension to keep you engaged. No real shocks or surprises either.
The main character is a pleasant, peasant girl in an idyllic Russian village … until

Elements of Stepford Wives and John Wyndham’s Chrysalids …

The Unsworth Manor Nudes

Paul Z Walker

A clever, fact based story based in the late Victorian era.
Earl Unsworth has a German wife who is related to the Kaiser. They respond to an invitation to visit the German side of the family and the journey begins.
There are one or two slips in etiquette, for example Lady Unsworth referred to as Mrs.
Otherwise a fun read for a summers day by the naturist pool!

Stories for Nudists about Social Nudity: (and for those who are curious)

More Stories for Nudists about Social Nudity: Volume Two (The Nudist Series Book 9)

Martin Brant

Two collects of short stories and Novellas about different takes on naturism. I enjoyed the ones set in the American Mid-West (?) in the past 19930s to 1970s where is writing is particularly evocative. Good collections be warned if you are looking a t buying these are books 5 and 9 in the series they contain books 1-4 and 6-8 respectively!

 

Ignition, Episodes 1 – 4

Josh Duncan

Naturist Young Adult Fiction. I found it very wordy but a whole lot of stuff happens. Just the characters do spend a lot of time discussing everything. Even when somebody is about to get a thumping the protagonist talk about the whys and wherefores for several pages with fists drawn back. Either being young in Phoenix is scary or ……. read and find out

 

Parallel World book 1

Richard Schillig


Pretty good John Wyndham style story about very special children. Based in the here and now and a naked world they came from to save our world and theirs. I want to read part 2

A Quiet Life in the Country (A Lady Hardcastle Mystery Book 1

In the Market for Murder (A Lady Hardcastle Mystery Book 2)

Death Around the Bend (A Lady Hardcastle Mystery Book 3)

T.E. Kinsey

Really fun to read … I love the character of Flo Armstrong, she could be the best foil for the upper classes since Jeeves!
Mind you Lady Hardcastle is no slouch as an abductive detective! (Abduction is not to be confused with deduction as she has written to the famous author several times)
A clever comedy of manners, murder and social snobbery, I loved it! and read the rest of the series, book 2 is the least sharp but Death Around the Corner is also fabulous!

Naked Punks On Dope

Matthew Black

Another story based at the (seemingly restored) Hidden Lakes naturist club.
All the usual characters are present getting themselves involved in confused scrapes and outrageous misunderstandings.
More names dropped than in any episode of Absolutely Fabulous including Lulu

A totally harmless romp, ideal for the poolside

Naked Crow 6 – Hidden Village

P. Z. Walker

Another great story from the keyboard of P Z Walker.
The usual cast from the earlier stories are all present if not totally correct (apparently!)
The story stays close to the home location, Mighty Oaks Naturist Resort and is on a nicely compressed timeline.
I enjoyed the read
The missing star, proves I don’t always give 5 stars to #naturistfiction and I felt one of the new characters story was lacking in engagement in the main storyline and didn’t really resolve at the end.

Ready, Steady, Dig! (The Rooks Ridge Series Book 1)

Rosalind Winter

I’m stuck in permanent Winter on this one. NOT recommended. I have tried to get to grips with this tale of magical guardians of an ancient roman villa and the child that might be returning heir to the fortune, as battle against the local metal detecting jobs. As sticky as the mud that covers the ruin!

 Rae Leah’s Salvation (Tales From Aelfyce Series Book 2)

Aidian Stone

A really good story, I haven’t read book 1 but I enjoyed this one!

Magical reality in a non-Earth world as a hunter from our world falls through a void into the new world and finds himself trapped but somehow he survives to defeat the alien space monsters with the help of a beautiful female. Fun!

Books read

Busy Busy Busy

I have been so busy writing Uncovered Policeman stories that I haven’t had time to post about my reading but a quick summary of some of the books I have been reading.

The list is not complete but here are some highlights

 PC Peter Grant Books 1 – 5

Ben Aaronovitch

Tall tales of magic, murder and mirth make up this Harry Potter meets the bumbling cop series.

These have been great so far but I’m baulking at the high price for book 6; The Hanging Tree: The Sixth PC Grant Mystery (PC Peter Grant Book 6) Kindle Edition  which is £8.99 the paperback is only £6.29 (If you add 20% VAT £7.55) so explain that one away Gollancz !!

Inspector Hobbes Books 1 and 2

Wilkie Martin

Quirky, Fantasy, Rural English Police Man with bumbling ex journalist companion. Lots of silly jokes great fun reads. As strange events in grave yards, Loop Woods and all around Sornchester keep the Old Man busy

Rather Be the Devil (Inspector Rebus 21)

3 Nov 2016 | Kindle eBook

by Ian Rankin
Good but not Great Rebus. Despite being retired and ill Rebus has to keep busy with investigations. Meanwhile what dastardly plans are keeping Big Ger Busy?
Interesting and complex plot cleverly resolved.
In part spoilt for me by the handling of Rebus’s COPD. This is a nasty debilitating disease. I was involved in trying to get services for the victims of this condition, so I have seen the real effects close up.  Rebus is remarkably unaffected by the loss of ability to walk and talk and never suffers the impact of real breathless episodes.