Toby’s Crystal Blog

  I have always loved crystals and stones. Walking along the seashore picking up different shaped rocks and pebbles holds a fascination for me. How long have they been there? Where did they come from?

Many years ago, I went to a crystal workshop and picked up a quartz crystal. I almost dropped it! as I felt a buzz like electricity in my hand, before it travelled through the whole of my body. Later on, I found out about the piezoelectric qualities of crystals.  

Putting pressure on them pushes the atoms closer together, freeing the electrons on the surface of the crystal, which release light. [Ancient shamans - wise men and women - used to strike crystals in ceremonies to release a flash of light. Not recommended as you could break the crystal!]  Once you take the pressure away, this allows a very small expansion of the crystal, and as it re-absorb electrons and light from the atmosphere, it produces a vibration as the crystal returns to its original structure. So you don’t just get light - you can also get a vibration!

There is also a quality known as pyroelectricity.  When heat is applied to crystals, the electrons produce an electrical energy, and they expand.  When the crystals are cooled, they contract.

Also, when pressure or heat are applied to crystals, the tip, normally positive and receiving energy will change its polarity to negative, and emit energy instead - from the tip or the outer edge.  

So if you squeeze a crystal with a hot hand and get a reaction, now you know why!

I also found out that crystals [particularly man made ones nowadays] are widely used in industry, but was equally fascinated to discover that their qualities can be applied for healing purposes. This started me on a twenty year journey, leading me, finally, to writing about crystals - not as a ‘how to’ book [there are plenty of those around] but as a fictional book, which is really a fantasy.

Toby - the hero - has plenty of adventures in ‘Toby’s Crystal’ - and even more are planned for him in the second book, ‘Toby and the Crystal Prophecy’.

Now for the not-so-interesting part!  I live in the countryside with my husband and two gorgeous cats in a cottage with an orchard, woods, a stream and sheep on the hill.  I love gardening,  read a lot, enjoy surfing the net, watching documentaries on television, and e mailing my friends. And I LOVE writing my books!