Webster, Richard 1946-

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Webster, Richard 1946-

PERSONAL:

Born December 9, 1946, in Auckland, New Zealand; son of Frederick Edward (a surgeon) and Margaret Helena Meredith (a homemaker) Webster; married Margaret Joan Shaw, July 24, 1971; children: Nigel Edward, Charlotte Leigh, Philip James. Ethnicity: "European." Politics: "None." Religion: "Gnostic." Hobbies and other interests: "Book collecting, opera, conjuring."

ADDRESSES:

Home and office—8 Napa Ct., Howick, Auckland 2016, New Zealand. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

William Collins Publishers, worked as trainee, sales representative, editor, and educational manager in New Zealand and England, between 1964 and 1971; Brookings Bookshop, Auckland, New Zealand, proprietor, 1971-72; Brookfield Press, Auckland, managing director, 1976—. Hypnotherapist and author; conducts lectures, workshops, and seminars on topics related to his books. Associated with Richard Webster Popular Fiction Award.

MEMBER:

New Zealand Society of Authors, Sales People with a Purpose, New Zealand Radiesthesia Society, Psychotherapy and Hypnotherapy Institute of New Zealand, New Zealand Hypnotherapy Association, St. Heliers Kiwanis Club.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Astounding Achievement Award, Psychic Entertainers Association; Benny Award and Scroll of Honour, Variety Artists Guild of New Zealand.

WRITINGS:

Freedom to Read, HPP Press, 1972.

How to Read Tea Leaves, Brookfield (Auckland, New Zealand), 1982.

Sun Sign Success, Brookfield (Auckland, New Zealand), 1982.

The Stars and Your Destiny, Brookfield (Auckland, New Zealand), 1982.

Discovering Numerology, Brookfield (Auckland, New Zealand), 1983.

How to Read Minds, Brookfield (Auckland, New Zealand), 1984.

Secrets of Ghost Writing, Breese Books (London, England), 1987.

How to Develop Psychic Power, Breese Books (London, England), 1988.

Good Luck from Beijing, Breese Books (London, England), 1990.

Revealing Hands: How to Read Palms, Llewellyn (St. Paul, MN), 1994.

Talisman Magic: Yantra Squares for Tantric Divination, Llewellyn (St. Paul, MN), 1995.

Numerology Magic, Llewellyn (St. Paul, MN), 1995, 2nd edition published as Numerology Magic: Use Number Squares for Love, Luck, and Protection, 1998.

Omens, Oghams, and Oracles: Divination in the Druidic Tradition, Llewellyn (St. Paul, MN), 1995.

Dowsing for Beginners: The Art of Discovering Water, Treasure, Gold, Oil, Artifacts, Llewellyn (St. Paul, MN), 1996.

Feng Shui for Beginners: Successful Living by Design, Llewellyn (St. Paul, MN), 1997.

Seven Secrets to Success: A Story of Hope (novella), Llewellyn (St. Paul, MN), 1997.

101 Feng Shui Tips for the Home, Llewellyn (St. Paul, MN), 1998.

Astral Travel for Beginners: Transcend Time and Space with Out-of-Body Experiences, Llewellyn (St. Paul, MN), 1998.

Aura Reading for Beginners: Develop Your Awareness for Health and Success, Llewellyn (St. Paul, MN), 1998.

Chinese Numerology: The Way to Prosperity and Fulfillment, Llewellyn (St. Paul, MN), 1998.

Feng Shui for Apartment Living, Llewellyn (St. Paul, MN), 1998.

Feng Shui for the Workplace, Llewellyn (St. Paul, MN), 1998.

Spirit Guides and Angel Guardians: Contact Your Invisible Helpers, Llewellyn (St. Paul, MN), 1998.

Feng Shui for Love and Romance, Llewellyn (St. Paul, MN), 1999.

Feng Shui for Success and Happiness, Llewellyn (St. Paul, MN), 1999.

Feng Shui in the Garden, Llewellyn (St. Paul, MN), 1999.

Palm Reading for Beginners: Find Your Future in the Palm of Your Hand, Llewellyn (St. Paul, MN), 2000.

The Complete Book of Palmistry: Includes Secrets of Indian Thumb Reading, Llewellyn (St. Paul, MN), 2001.

Soul Mates: Understanding Relationships across Time, Llewellyn (St. Paul, MN), 2001.

The Practical Guide to Past-life Memories: Twelve Proven Methods, Llewellyn (St. Paul, MN), 2001.

Write Your Own Magic: The Hidden Power in Your Words, Llewellyn (St. Paul, MN), 2001.

Enemy Within (historical fiction), Hazard Press (Christchurch, New Zealand), 2001.

Success Secrets: Letters to Matthew (novella), Llewellyn (St. Paul, MN), 2001.

Playing Card Divination for Beginners: Fortune Telling with Ordinary Cards, Llewellyn (St. Paul, MN), 2002.

Is Your Pet Psychic? Developing Psychic Communication with Your Pet, Llewellyn (St. Paul, MN), 2002.

Pendulum Magic for Beginners: Power to Achieve All Goals, Llewellyn (St. Paul, MN), 2002.

How to Write for the New Age Market, Llewellyn (St. Paul, MN), 2003.

Michael: Communicating with the Archangel for Guidance and Protection, Llewellyn (St. Paul, MN), 2004.

Miracles: Inviting the Extraordinary into Your Life, Llewellyn (St. Paul, MN), 2004.

Candle Magic for Beginners: The Simplest Magic You Can Do, Llewellyn (St. Paul, MN), 2004.

Amulets and Talismans for Beginners: How to Choose, Make, and Use Magical Objects, Llewellyn (St. Paul, MN), 2004.

Uriel, Llewellyn (St. Paul, MN), 2005.

Gabriel: Communicating with the Archangel for Inspiration and Reconciliation, Llewellyn (St. Paul, MN), 2005.

Creative Visualization for Beginners: Achieve Your Goals and Make Your Dreams Come True, Llewellyn (St. Paul, MN), 2005.

Raphael: Communicating with the Archangel for Healing and Creativity, Llewellyn (St. Paul, MN), 2005.

Magical Symbols of Love and Romance, Llewellyn (Woodbury, MN), 2006.

Color Magic for Beginners: Simple Techniques to Empower Your Life, Llewellyn (Woodbury, MN), 2006.

Praying with Angels, Llewellyn (Woodbury, MN), 2007.

The Encyclopedia of Superstitions, Llewellyn (Woodbury, MN), 2008.

Flower and Tree Magic: Discover the Natural Enchantment around You, Llewellyn (Woodbury, MN), 2008.

Webster's books have been translated into several languages, including German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish, and Danish.

SIDELIGHTS:

Richard Webster is a prolific writer with an interest in the affairs of the mind, body, and spirit. His nonfiction works span topics from how to read tea leaves and write your own magic to conjuring, spirit guides, and numerology, as well as the more prosaic topics of writing and censorship.

Seven of Webster's books, published between 1997 and 1999, deal with feng shui, the ancient Chinese practice of arranging one's surroundings for the optimal flow of energy. According to critics, these books, like the majority of Webster's works, are written in an open, accessible style, intended for readers who know little about the subject. In fact, Webster has written a series of six books specifically intended "for beginners." This series contains works on palm reading, aura reading, dowsing, feng shui, astral travel, and pendulum magic.

Webster, a native New Zealander, also sponsors a writing contest for New Zealand writers of popular fiction. The goal of this contest is to bring often underappreciated homegrown authors to the attention of New Zealand readers, who more often consume American mass-market fiction than native works.

Webster once told CA: "I have always written. As a child I had a small neighborhood newspaper. When I left school, I went into publishing to learn as much as possible about that side of the book business. Even that experience did not deter me from writing. I have a need to write, and am happiest while planning or writing a book. A writer friend of mine takes three to six months off after completing a book. I have been known to finish one book and start the next on the same day.

"My influences are varied. Most of my books are in the ‘mind, body, spirit’ area, and my heroes are Brad Steiger and Hans Holzer, both of whom have been able to sustain lengthy and prolific careers in this field. I am also a great admirer of Frederick Faust, better known as Max Brand. He was prolific, but maintained a high standard of writing.

"My writing process is simple. For more than thirty years I have kept notes on subjects that interest me. I still do this today. Much of this material ends up in my books. I outline first, and then try to write 2,000 words a day until the first draft is finished. I then work on another project for a week or two before returning to the book to revise it. Sometimes this means rewriting the entire book, but at other times the changes are minor.

"I am by nature an enthusiastic person. If I become interested in a subject, I want to know everything about it, and then want to share my enthusiasm with everyone else. My inspiration is a desire to share my enthusiasm with others. For me, writing about my interests is the best way of doing this."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Library Journal, May 15, 1998, Gayle A. Williamson, review of 101 Feng Shui Tips for the Home, p. 83; July, 1999, review of Feng Shui para el apartmento, p. 78.

Publishers Weekly, January 25, 1999, review of Feng Shui for Love and Romance, p. 84.