Tag: Storyteller

The Magical Irish Garden Sanctuary

The focus of this blog is Leonbergers including Leonberger book reviews. However,  sometimes I post about books that are not about Leonbergers but that are books on other topics that I love and want to promote. This time the book is Tales From the Irish Garden: The Missing Pieces by Sally Cronin. Below I am giving an overview of the two formats for the book (I bought the paperback edition).

  • Paperback Edition –  Publisher : Moyhill Publishing (April 28, 2026), ISBN-10 : ‎191352938X, ISBN-13 : 978-1913529383, 154 pages, Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8.3 ounces, dimensions : 5.25 x 0.35 x 8 inches, it cost $9.95 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
  • Kindle Edition – Published : April 19, 2026, ASIN : B0GX2SV17S, 132 pages. It is currently $5.74 on Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
The front cover features the title and author name on the background of a pink rose.
Front cover of Tales From the Irish Garden: The Missing Pieces by Sally Cronin. Click on the image to go to the Amazon page for the paperback edition of the book.

Amazon’s Description of Tales From the Irish Garden

In the Irish Garden there is fantasy, magic, friendship and love to be found in this green and welcoming haven. For some of those who find their way to the garden there is a renewal and an awakening of the spirit and special gifts lost through tragedy. For others it is the end of a long and arduous journey to find their soulmate.

The Irish garden has been a sanctuary for centuries for those escaping persecution, invaders and grief. Its guardian is the storyteller, a man who has lived for hundreds of years and who is part of a network of guardians around the world, offering a safe haven to those worthy of their protection.

It is not only humans who travel from afar to this garden, but animals which are hurt or lost. One creature in particular has travelled across time following the elusive melody remembered from its time in an ancient civilisation, a cat who has reached its ninth life.

There is fantasy, magic, friendship and love to be found in this green and welcoming haven. For some of those who find their way to the garden there is a renewal and an awakening of the spirit and special gifts lost through tragedy. For others it is the end of a long and arduous journey to find their soulmate.

You are welcome to join the storyteller, Finn, Lilah, Ramon, Michael, Bebechat and Flaco in the garden to enjoy their company, discover their stories and be amused at some of the antics they get up to as they finally find a peaceful home to call their own.

This is my five star review for the book: Tales From the Irish Garden: The Missing Pieces by Sally Cronin

There is a Magical Garden in Ireland

There is a magical garden in Ireland where persecuted healers, mistreated animals, and others can seek refuge. It is a beautiful sanctuary with flowers, birds and cottages. It is overseen by its guardian the Storyteller, an ancient practitioner of the magic arts. He is several hundred years old and does not seem to age. He is able to talk to fairies, animals, and other creatures. The Storyteller cannot have a large group of friends and marriage is not a good idea for him, because of his immortal existence and magical abilities. People seek refuge at his sanctuary, and he welcomes them, helps them and protects them. They live happy lives in the magical garden until they pass on.

In this book we meet several fascinating characters in need of help including Finnegan, Lilah, Bebechat, Michael, Gabriel, Ramon and others. There are people who are intolerant and egotistical, men with evil hearts who wish to harm others, but they cannot enter the sanctuary. That is to protect the innocent. There is adventure, gripping and scary moments, but peace wins. I found the adventures in this book captivating and the description of the magical garden and the Storyteller comforting. The book is very imaginative and fun to read. I highly recommend this book.

The description of the book is written on a beige background.
Back cover of Tales From the Irish Garden: The Missing Pieces by Sally Cronin. Click on the image to go to the kindle edition of the book.

About the Author, Sally Cronin

Sally Cronin is the author of nineteen books including her memoir Size Always Matters in 2024. This was an updated version of her first book, Size Matters published in 2001 which followed her weight loss of 150lbs and the programme she designed to regain her health.

A programme she shared with her clients over her 27 year career as a nutritional therapist and on her blog. This has been followed by another eighteen books both fiction and non-fiction including multi-genre collections of short stories and poetry.

Her latest book is part of a three book series set in a garden in Spain and then in Ireland. Tales from the Irish Garden: The Missing Pieces brings together creatures and people in need of a sanctuary, where they can spend their lives in peace.

As an author she understands how important it is to have support in marketing books and offers a number of FREE promotional opportunities on her blog Smorgasbord Blog Magazine and across her social media.

After leading a nomadic existence exploring the world, she now lives with her husband on the coast of Southern Ireland enjoying the seasonal fluctuations in the temperature of the rain.

Website: https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com

This is my review and post regarding another of Sally Cronin’s books that I love: Life of a Dog Told by the Dog.

The Powerful Voice Of A Story Teller

This is a Leonberger blog but sometimes I post about books that are not about Leonbergers but that are books that I want to promote. This is another one of those. I recently read Voice Of A Story Teller Paperback – by Sara Kjeldsen. It was a book that I loved and therefore I want to promote it.

  • Paperback –  September 29, 2020, ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08KB137YM, ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8690747237, 91 pages, Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 4.8 ounces, dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.21 x 9 inches, it cost $4.65 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com. 
  • Kindle – September 25, 2020, ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08K5Q3J7L, 66 pages. It is currently $3.99 on Amazon.com. Click here to order it from Amazon.com. 
Mountainous landscape in darkness and a starry sky.
Front cover of  Voice Of A Story Teller. Click here or the picture to visit the Amazon.com page for the paperback version of the book.

Amazon’s description of the book

A troubled war survivor named Barak becomes obsessed with a beloved story teller named Almaz. Though she is beautiful and charming, Barak is convinced that she is a fake and has the power to start wars. He can’t seem to control his violent thoughts toward her and they worsen every time she runs into him. Will Almaz be able to help Barak heal with her words, or will he act on his urges?

My Amazon Review of Voice Of A Story Teller

The Story of a Lonely Mind Darkened by Pain

This story takes place in a somewhat dystopian future. The narrator, Barak, lost his friends in a terrible war, something that deeply traumatized him. He feels forgotten by his society and he becomes obsessed with a charming storyteller Almaz whom he feels is arrogant and is stealing everyone’s attention away from what he thinks is important. His bitterness, self-pity, envy and anger result in him hating Almaz. We are following his dark thoughts, which leads him to commit dark acts, which in turn result in an intriguing tale with interesting consequences.

I hesitate to call Barak a protagonist, which is why I call him “the narrator”. You can understand him and feel sorry for him even though you disagree with his thinking and his ghastly actions. Culpability, being responsible, karma, still apply even when you are hurting, a truth that your self-pity may overshadow. The Abel and Cain story comes to mind, and I was also relating it to the confessions of the demon in Clive Barker’s Mr. B Gone. I guess the author used her expertise in therapy to make Barak’s dark character possible to understand, even relatable, at the same time as the story teaches us readers something.

This book is very well written, compelling and imaginative. It is full of interesting twists and surprises, wow moments, and may even be shocking at times. It is a book you want to think about after you are done reading it. The book also demonstrates the value of storytelling. Stories are powerful and they stay with us long after the storyteller is gone. It is certainly a page turner and I highly recommend it.

The Amazon description of the book on black background. The author's picture is in the upper left corner.
Back cover of  Voice Of A Story Teller. Click here or the picture to visit the Amazon.com page for the kindle version of the book.

About the Author

Sara is a Canadian multi-genre author who loves tea and adventures. This is a list of her published books