Don Hale Blog

*P ctured above - Former ex-pat and popular Australian author Joy Bloumis has just missed out on a prestigious final book awards short list. North Wales produced and promoted story was nominated for a prestigious Australian Jewish book award. The Storms You Walk Through:  A Memoir of Roza Hamer by ex-pat author Joy  Bloumis.   *This book is now available on Amazon:  https://amzn.to/4lXUnzo Exclusive report by Don Hale . Promoted by Coast and Country online magazine. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025     An exciting new book written by an Australian author and promoted by North Wales based Coast and Country online magazine in conjunction with publishers Bookpublishing4u, has narrowly missed out on a prestigious top Jewish Book Award in Australia after reaching the final cut of nominations. Ex-pat and octogenarian  Joy Bloumis , who now lives in Victoria, Australia, has written a fascinating new book about a mysterious and dramatic episode in her life that f...

*Pictured above - Oleksandr Kadkalo competing in a trail race. EXCLUSIVE: How a Ukrainian veteran athlete Oleksandr Kadkalo copes with life and work in war-torn Kyiv. Ukrainian athlete Oleksandr Kadkalo runs the gauntlet every day in war-torn Kyiv…this is the true story of how a keen veteran runner and businessman copes with everyday life and constant threats from Russia.   Exclusive report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com   Whilst writing various posts for my blog, I occasionally come across some quite remarkable people, who both read my blog, and share my love of running. This week, I have spoken with veteran athlete Oleksandr Kadkalo, who lives and works in war-torn Kyiv in Ukraine, who reveals the facts about coping with everyday life. He is the founder and co-owner of a 25-year-old business that deals with energy saving and supplies equipment for heating and water supplies.  We are both members of  Strava , a running, cycling and sports website, pro...

*Pictured above - veteran foreign correspondent and author Colin   McIntyre. Special Coast and Country Author Spotlight Feature Welcome to another new author feature in conjunction with Amazon. Tiptoeing Through the Cold War:  A veteran correspondent looks back - by Colin McIntyre. *NOTE: This book is now available on amazon:   https://amzn.to/49992Tu ABOUT THE AUTHOR : Former foreign correspondent and author Colin McIntyre.   Published by North Wales based firm:   www.bookpublishing4u.co.uk https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com In this very interesting memoir the author, Colin McIntyre, looks back on 34 years as a foreign correspondent mainly reporting the Cold War.  After joining Reuters news agency in the 1960s he is posted to East Berlin, the only Western correspondent accredited to communist East Germany, and Czechoslovakia, still reeling from a 1968 Soviet-led invasion to crush attempted reforms.  After a spell in Asia covering communist takeovers in ...