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Writing poetry and making up stories since she was a child, Ann only began to write for publication when her children left home. Her ambition was to write science fiction, but, fascinated by Swansea Castle and distracted by a major stroke she researched local history, an interest that culminated in the publication of her first book Alina, The White Lady of Oystermouth, a local history book told as a story, at Easter 2012. Early retirement gave her more time to concentrate on her writing.
The sales of over 300 copies of Alina in local shops and museums, and at speaking engagements, led to a second local history book, Broken Reed: The Lords of Gower and King John in September 2013, and then to The Magna Carta Story: The Layman’s Guide to Magna Carta at Easter 2015. The latest book, Medieval Gower Stories, is a collection of ten other stories she found in her research, published in October 2017. The next book will be Swansea Miracle.
During her stroke recovery she wrote poetry, which she published as My Stroke of Inspiration in August 2015, a surprisingly cheerful collection. She is still writing science fiction, a series called Flight of the Kestrel, and the first book Intruders was published in April 2016. The second, Alien Secrets, was published in October 2018. The third, Crisis of Conscience, was published in 2021. Look out for book 4, Planet Fail.
Also a surprisingly cheerful collection of her stroke poetry, My Stroke of Inspiration, and a Christian help book, Blinded by the Light.
Reviewed by Samantha Gregory for Readers' Favorite
My Stroke of Inspiration by Ann Marie Thomas is a personal account of one woman dealing with the aftermath of a stroke told through poetry. The introduction tells us of the events of when she had the stroke. It happened at random one day while she was at work. Strokes can happen without warning and it is important that people act fast in order to minimise the damage a stroke can cause. She is taken to hospital and treated within three hours, which prevented a lot of serious damage. What follows is months and months of physiotherapy and speech therapy to regain the use of her body. Each poem tells the story of these ordeals and Ann's struggle to get through. She begins each poem with a brief explanation of the circumstances that prompted her to write that particular poem. As a Christian, Ann also includes some poems praising God.
Ann Marie Thomas has been very open and honest in My Stroke of Inspiration. There is humor in some of her poems and I'm sure the experience was very cathartic for her. Most people wouldn't have first hand experience of a stroke and this is an honest look at it. I think this book will be quite marketable to anyone who has suffered a stroke or is perhaps looking after someone who has. I found that 100 Days and Phoenix were my favorite poems. I'm sure the long nights of worry were difficult, but to create something from it shows a strength of character.
