About the Author: Mac McKechnie - and his fascinating Garden of Words books.

Special Coast and Country book review: 

*Run in conjunction with: donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025

About the Author: Mac McKechnie, and his fascinating Garden of Words books...

Mac McKechnie (*pictured above) is a Yorkshireman who lives in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Now aged 75, he has the welcome luxury of time to return fully to his lifelong love of writing. Mac is an active Christian and serves as Pastor of his local church in Barnsley. 

Mac's writing reflects a deep interest in human character, moral choice, and the quiet resilience that surfaces in times of crisis.

He has written several books across a range of genres, with science fiction and Westerns among his favourites, alongside more reflective and character-led work inspired by everyday life.

 

*Check out Mac McKechnie's Garden of Words series of fascinating books from Coast and Country online:

 https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/perryscope21/list/1KF7IALOO18JR?ref_=cm_sw_r_tw_ud_aip_sf_list_spv_ons_mixed_d_1QBT30VZJHG6PGT2NP5A_1 #amazonfinds via @Amazon

 

The Garden of Words: Poems That Grow on You Paperback: *See the link to Amazon below:

https://amzn.to/46HAQyi

The Garden of Words is a place where quiet moments are allowed to breathe. Where seasons turn gently across the page, and memories rise like soft light after rain.

In this illustrated collection, Mac McKechnie brings together poems shaped by a lifetime of watching, listening, and noticing the small details most of us rush past - the curl of frost on a gatepost, the echo of footsteps on an old lane, the comfort of a familiar voice in uncertain times.

These poems explore the landscapes of both the world and the heart: hope after loss, love that lingers, the healing found in nature, the warmth of faith, and the beauty tucked into even the simplest of days.

Each verse invites you to pause, reflect, and rediscover the gifts hidden in the quiet places of life.

Complemented by black-and-white line drawings that mirror the calm, contemplative tone of the writing, this book becomes a gentle journey — a walk through heather, a turning of seasons, a soft path through memory.

Whether read slowly, one poem at a time, or wandered through like a garden in full bloom, this collection offers comfort, companionship, and a reminder that words, once planted, can grow into something deeply rooted and unexpectedly beautiful.

A Second Garden of Words: Where New Seeds Are Sown Paperback - is an invitation to return — not to the same place, but to a deeper one.

*See the link to Amazon below:

https://amzn.to/4kFFxyz

This second collection gathers poems and line drawings shaped by time, walking, waiting, faith, humour, and the quiet lessons learned along the way. 

Here, ordinary moments are given room to speak: a familiar path taken once more, a rainy Yorkshire afternoon, the dignity found in work well done, the comfort of shared laughter, and the questions that surface as seasons turn.

Across these pages, words and illustrations work together in gentle partnership. The black-and-white line drawings echo the stillness of the poems, offering pauses for reflection and spaces where meaning can settle without hurry. Nothing here shouts for attention — instead, the collection invites the reader to slow down and notice what has always been present.

There is warmth, faith, and thoughtful humour woven throughout, alongside an awareness that life continues to grow, change, and surprise us — even, and perhaps especially, later on.

A Third Garden of Words: Where Words Replace Weeds: Paperback:

See the link to Amazon below:

https://amzn.to/4rOQmR4

The Third Garden of Words completes a trio of poetry collections shaped by observation, reflection, and the gentle noticing of everyday life.

The first book gathered general observations from familiar paths and ordinary days. The second turned inward, becoming more personal and reflective. This final volume takes a lighter step, offering a whimsical look at the small absurdities we all live with, often without noticing.

Inside, you’ll find poems inspired by labels, instructions, notices, warnings, and everyday phrases — For Best Results, One Size Fits All, Keep Upright at All Times. Read literally, they become quietly comic; read reflectively, they reveal something recognisable and human beneath the surface.

These poems are not hurried. They do not shout for attention. Instead, they smile gently, inviting the reader to pause, recognise themselves, smile, and perhaps see the ordinary world from a slightly different angle.

*Mac McKechnie is a Yorkshire writer based in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Now in his mid-seventies, he continues to write with curiosity, gratitude, and a lifelong love of storytelling. He leads creative writing groups through u3a, is active in his local community, and serves as Pastor of his church.