Artwork & Odd Stories
A collection of artwork by the late John Blair Anderson (born Henry John Keir Cross 1945 to 1997). The paintings are full of life and interspersed with a variety of short stories from his sister, J L K Cross. The paintings and stories have been brought together: the art is not an illustration of the story, neither is the story a comment on the art. However, the works have been matched loosely connecting mood or idea where possible.
'A diverse collection of paintings by John Blair Anderson. These follow the creative path that led to the development of his own expressive style, from the early works discovering light, colour and form through those that bely the various influences his painting underwent to Anderson's arrival at his own distinctive language of paint.' - ART CRITIC
'Mischievous, surreal, ghostly wonderful collection of lively tales exploring all manner of human relationships - often with tongue firmly in cheek. Complementing Anderson's artwork, the combination of stories and paintings makes this a delightful book to dip into, or read all the way through!' - HELEN BLECK
Dear Lives & Early Graves
Life, death and a love story set mostly in the 1940s, with World War II and echoes of The Great War in the background. This evocative story of love, loss and resilience spans English cities and countryside as British families carry on as best they can despite wartime austerity and notions of respectability. Some, but not all, cling to the remnants of the old order.
Neil, from industrial Scotland, and a much younger Emily from the Dorset countryside cross paths in the lively but constrained world of wartime Bristol where both work for the BBC. Despite her family’s concern for the niceties of respectable living, Emily is drawn to Neil’s creative world. He is under the spell of her unrestrained spirit.
However, their love story is far from simple. The lingering grief of war and the weight of family secrets challenge them at every turn. There are obstacles in the couple’s path as they navigate a changing society where old ways and standards clash with modern harsher realities. Neil and Emily face the shadows of an ill-fated marriage, an accusation of murder and uneasy family relationships.
Their journey moves from Bristol to rural Dorset, where locals struggle with war-time rationing and evacuees; then to bomb scarred streets of London and deprived Scotland – places marked by births, marriages and tragic young deaths. Family loyalty survives. Amid parties and fun there is a growing need for alcohol.
The families manage for a few years after the war – a new world both hopeful and damaged. Success is dampened by illness. The town and country divide widen as smog, alcohol and glamour contrast with the pull of the countryside. Emily increasingly longs for the country life where she feels more comfortable. In a landscape of shifting values and persistent memories, Neil and Emily must somehow find a way for love to endure and thrive amid the ravages of history.
'A wealth of stories with real insight into time, place and human complexity ...A generous warmheartedness is brought to all the characters. An impressively rich narrative.' - SAM BOYCE
Mudge in the Mist
Melding the myths of the Hebrides with the mists of Dartmoor, this tale of two families weaves an intriguing web of destiny, curse... and gossip.
As the McCain family, newly arrived from London, eagerly start a new life at Mudge Farm on Dartmoor, it soon becomes clear they are strangely unwelcome. When they are joined from Scotland by the easy-going Robbie family – with their angelic daughter Shona and pragmatic son Davy – life becomes both easier and stranger.
Set in Britain recovering from two world wars and adjusting to the tensions of the cold war, the everyday life of the community is deftly spun with superstition, the occult and mystery as a curious love story develops.
About the author
J L K Cross, born Jennifer Lucy Keir Cross early spring 1944 in Perth, Scotland, is a fiction writer whose work is rich with personal and historical insight. Her early memories stretch back to VE Day in Glasgow, a time she recalls with vivid sensory impressions and distant echoes of the jubilant atmosphere marking the end of WW2. Her younger brother was born at home on that day.
Her father, John Keir Cross was a successful BBC radio producer. As well as adapting the classics for Radio Drama, he was also an author and playwright. He became freelance when her mother, Audrey, proposed moving the family to the Devon countryside. Her dear father, who had been such an influence on her early years, died suddenly when she was 21.
School was a local convent run by French nuns. At first, she thrived in this limited environment. At 18 she married a handsome farmer. She was studying Thomas Hardy for her ‘A’ levels and maintains that teenage girls living in the country should avoid reading Thomas Hardy – especially if there are country boys around who look like Gabriel Oak or some other Hardy hero as seen in film adaptations.
However, the marriage, although a mismatch, was not unhappy. When their two fine sons were adult, she took a bilingual secretarial course and embarked on a new chapter in London where she met the love of her life, Harry, a pianist and kindred spirit. Together they embraced London’s musical and theatrical community performing in small opera companies sometimes with meagre pay. She had never before managed to earn from music apart from once playing the organ at a funeral in Devon. She kept a roof over her head with office work while Harry played piano for dance classes and the church.
All the while there was a farming world in Devon. She remained good friends with her first husband. It had been a sad day when the marriage ended but it brought her a warm-hearted extended family. When her state pension was due, she retired from office work and was around for her mother who doggedly marched through her last days looking after a flock of sheep in bucolic isolation on Dartmoor.
She had always scribbled short stories and radio plays. With Harry’s loving encouragement she began to write a novel. Sadly, after 33 happy years together, Harry suddenly collapsed and died – a heart breaking loss. As friends and close family offered support she started picking up pieces of her creative work which includes novels and short stories accompanied by artwork from her late brother. These works offer readers intimate glimpses into a great variety of lives. Jennifer now divides time between London and the family in Devon, exploring new stories that grow from life’s simple but profound moments.
JLK Cross
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All artworks on this website and in my books are the work of my late brother John Blair Anderson