tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61855132373914659062024-03-14T09:44:55.954+00:00Broad Thoughts From A HomeBroad Thoughts From A Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08798249743031672360noreply@blogger.comBlogger261125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6185513237391465906.post-64936480572933642362024-01-25T11:00:00.001+00:002024-01-25T17:09:59.065+00:00LLANDDWYN LOVERS<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">In Wales, today is a very special day for lovers. It is the feast of St Dwynwen (in Welsh: Llanddwyn), who is regarded by many as the Welsh equivalent of St Valentine – the patron saint of lovers.</span><span style="font-size: 16px;"> H</span><span style="font-size: 16px;">er feast day (25 January) is often celebrated by the Welsh with flowers and cards.</span></p><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I’ve always loved the Isle of Anglesey (or, to give it its Welsh name, Ynys Môn) - so much so that for the past thirty years it has been my second home.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">As well as boasting a rugged natural beauty, Anglesey is also steeped in history and folklore. So when I was looking for a setting for my novel <i><a href="http://mybook.to/NeverOnSaturday" target="_blank">Never on Saturday</a></i>, Anglesey was the obvious choice.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Never on Saturday</span></i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> is a paranormal dual-timeline romance novella, set partly in medieval France and partly in present-day North Wales. And one of the key scenes in the novel takes place at one of Anglesey’s most picturesque locations: Llanddwyn Island.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yhi3vESSmRI/WIiVVkFMQaI/AAAAAAAADOI/e2wOixfLXp8fRRCMDGmEPvx8fIFtQJH9QCEw/s1600/Llanddwyn%2B%2528silhouette%2Band%2Bwaves%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yhi3vESSmRI/WIiVVkFMQaI/AAAAAAAADOI/e2wOixfLXp8fRRCMDGmEPvx8fIFtQJH9QCEw/s320/Llanddwyn%2B%2528silhouette%2Band%2Bwaves%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Llanddwyn Island (in Welsh: Ynys Llanddwyn) is a remote rocky promontory, about a mile long, situated at the south-west corner of Anglesey, and forms part of the Newborough Warren nature reserve. It is not, strictly speaking, an island, although if the tide is exceptionally high, as can be seen in this photo, it can become one for a few hours: </span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G63VEvmZ9Kc/WIiU_7_K_ZI/AAAAAAAADOE/ZV75N8nTVv4tJWUmGH_0WgDKVmrf5groQCEw/s1600/Llanddwyn%2B%2528cut%2Boff%2Bat%2Bhigh%2Btide%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G63VEvmZ9Kc/WIiU_7_K_ZI/AAAAAAAADOE/ZV75N8nTVv4tJWUmGH_0WgDKVmrf5groQCEw/s320/Llanddwyn%2B%2528cut%2Boff%2Bat%2Bhigh%2Btide%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">According to tradition, the original Dwynwen was a fifth-century Welsh princess, one of the daughters of Brychan, a prince of Brecon. She fell in love with a young chieftain named Maelon, but rejected his advances. The reasons for this vary according to which version of the story you read, but the popular belief is either that Maelon tried to seduce Dwynwen before they were married, or that Dwynwen’s father had plans for her to marry someone else. But whatever the reason, the outcome was the same: Dwynwen prayed to be released from her doomed love affair.</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2RtqT4fcCnw/WIiVSoNNgPI/AAAAAAAADOI/N3mPBoBkuFcW6GzpJUPxRz4of6fAC2wdgCEw/s1600/Llanddwyn%2B%2528info%2Bboard%252C%2BSt%2BDwynwen%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2RtqT4fcCnw/WIiVSoNNgPI/AAAAAAAADOI/N3mPBoBkuFcW6GzpJUPxRz4of6fAC2wdgCEw/s320/Llanddwyn%2B%2528info%2Bboard%252C%2BSt%2BDwynwen%2529.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">In answer to her prayer Dwynwen was visited by an angel, who instructed her to concoct a potion which would dispel all thoughts of love. One source tells that the potion was made from rare herbs from Newborough Forest, mixed with a lover’s tears and beads of dew from the petals of the snapdragon. She and her lover both drank the potion, at which point Dwynwen immediately forgot her love for Maelon. Maelon, unfortunately, fared rather worse: he was transformed into a block of ice.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The angel appeared to Dwynwen again and granted her three wishes. Dwynwen’s first wish was that Maelon should be restored to life. Her second wish was that she herself should never again wish to marry, and her third wish was that all faithful lovers should find true happiness. She then retreated to what is now Llanddwyn Island and spent the rest of her life in isolation.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mhXgudQ-3gk/WIiVE8A5ciI/AAAAAAAADOI/NJ-pZSDjK988rmR3TvLb4Hwo6rqtiJjNwCEw/s1600/Llanddwyn%2B%2528info%2Bboard%252C%2BSt%2BDwynwen%2Band%2Bmedallions%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mhXgudQ-3gk/WIiVE8A5ciI/AAAAAAAADOI/NJ-pZSDjK988rmR3TvLb4Hwo6rqtiJjNwCEw/s320/Llanddwyn%2B%2528info%2Bboard%252C%2BSt%2BDwynwen%2Band%2Bmedallions%2529.JPG" width="293" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Meanwhile, Maelon was restored to life in accordance with Dwynwen’s wish, and the spot where the block of ice had stood, according to tradition, became a spring of clear water. This spring became St Dwynwen’s Well, and it soon became a popular place of pilgrimage for lovers. It was said that a woman could test the fidelity of her lover by scattering breadcrumbs on the water then laying her handkerchief on the surface. If the handkerchief was disturbed by one of the eels living in the well, this foretold that the lover would be faithful.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kkKtTJfF_kQ/WIiU18pnn_I/AAAAAAAADOE/4aQc0kpXU8oD_Syoet6ailcwr56RHlzbACEw/s1600/Llanddwyn%2B%2528St%2BDwynwen%2527s%2BWell%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kkKtTJfF_kQ/WIiU18pnn_I/AAAAAAAADOE/4aQc0kpXU8oD_Syoet6ailcwr56RHlzbACEw/s320/Llanddwyn%2B%2528St%2BDwynwen%2527s%2BWell%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The place of pilgrimage was so popular that during Tudor times it became the richest in the area, and in the early sixteenth century a church was built on the site of Dwynwen’s original chapel. Sadly, the church fell victim to the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1536, but its remains can still be seen today.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-izhyL1gCtVE/WIiUwBfBJ-I/AAAAAAAADNw/QGqg4X-008QPhSNc0EJWdzTPoOVBM7iQgCEw/s1600/Llanddwyn%2B%2528chapel%252C%2BCeltic%2Bcross%252C%2BNewborough%2Bbeach%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-izhyL1gCtVE/WIiUwBfBJ-I/AAAAAAAADNw/QGqg4X-008QPhSNc0EJWdzTPoOVBM7iQgCEw/s320/Llanddwyn%2B%2528chapel%252C%2BCeltic%2Bcross%252C%2BNewborough%2Bbeach%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">As for what happens on Llanddwyn Island in <i>Never on Saturday</i>, and why it is pivotal to the story, click <i><a href="http://mybook.to/NeverOnSaturday" target="_blank">here</a></i> to find out more...<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">A Large Print edition, featuring a beautiful cover image of Llanddwyn Island, was released last year by Ulverscroft Books and should be available in libraries.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ysBGXTlcvgJ3txWOHY2de-KRq2RdZI6rbNrv1qrVLgXxvsktp-ZIKPv_xV7H1p_SdWCyJrEOUPyr1eSrdoTEUC6uL5ix6dKYmFUUTYUWDor19hurXF1QsVNCcRKSBYECcz3_JTayi1EVH0n6gO8bgv7uPYIBPH6j0xOEM6tSR0zJC69mPPlLeA1w/s2048/NOS%20Ulverscroft.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ysBGXTlcvgJ3txWOHY2de-KRq2RdZI6rbNrv1qrVLgXxvsktp-ZIKPv_xV7H1p_SdWCyJrEOUPyr1eSrdoTEUC6uL5ix6dKYmFUUTYUWDor19hurXF1QsVNCcRKSBYECcz3_JTayi1EVH0n6gO8bgv7uPYIBPH6j0xOEM6tSR0zJC69mPPlLeA1w/s320/NOS%20Ulverscroft.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i style="font-size: 16px;">Never on Saturday</i><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16px;">is also available in French as</span><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span><i style="font-size: 16px;"><a href="http://mybook.to/JamaisLeSamedi" target="_blank">Jamais le Samedi</a>, </i><span>and </span>as an <a href="https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/B0CN7CDBB9" target="_blank">Audible audiobook</a>, beautifully narrated by Sarah Pogson.</div><br /></div>Broad Thoughts From A Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08798249743031672360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6185513237391465906.post-71325206525446236642023-10-31T12:11:00.001+00:002023-10-31T12:11:48.570+00:00HALLOWE'EN BOOK PROMO: THE UNFORTUNATE SIDE EFFECTS OF HEARTBREAK AND MAGIC by Breanne Randall<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHIMI9bxe-ORLiY7xQQSucRPEsQpITD-CODz3A_CVlcqhenxPFc8JhG3-VqyWYU7ckvBDYe4fLdBvvdwti1N6THPaen4WoWGsqDxBnHb06r07wLnTxQYecpmKt9TK36AaNAntPg1lLbR70hJSnp5JFSkHLkMoPQ-vnstoB7RREnn4hBRI1eZOw8P9nmSo/s700/The%20Unfortunate%20Side%20Effects%20of%20Heartbreak%20and%20Magic%20.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="700" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHIMI9bxe-ORLiY7xQQSucRPEsQpITD-CODz3A_CVlcqhenxPFc8JhG3-VqyWYU7ckvBDYe4fLdBvvdwti1N6THPaen4WoWGsqDxBnHb06r07wLnTxQYecpmKt9TK36AaNAntPg1lLbR70hJSnp5JFSkHLkMoPQ-vnstoB7RREnn4hBRI1eZOw8P9nmSo/w511-h201/The%20Unfortunate%20Side%20Effects%20of%20Heartbreak%20and%20Magic%20.png" width="511" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">For fans of <i>Practical Magic</i> and <i>Gilmore Girls</i>, this charming debut novel and TikTok sensation is packed full of romance, charm and plenty of magic…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Revelare witches are cursed. As long as they use their magic, they are doomed to four heartbreaks.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">So far, Sadie Revelare has experienced three – the devastating departure of her mother and the loss of her brother. And the most painful heartbreak of all: Jake McNealy, her first love. Ever since, Sadie has done everything she can to protect herself from more pain.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">But now Sadie's beloved grandmother is sick. And without her, Sadie isn't sure she will have the strength to keep her family and her magic together.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">As Sadie’s carefully structured life begins to unravel, Jake returns to town after a decade away. And in the face of a final heartbreak that could tear Sadie apart, she must decide once and for all: is love more important than magic?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">The perfect read for anyone looking for a cosy and warm witchy novel to curl up with this autumn.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Purchase Link - <a href="https://amzn.eu/d/gbqaEhX" style="color: #954f72;" target="_blank">https://amzn.eu/d/gbqaEhX</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNbj_63T9bGu3-hbZE2gvqY954KbC-KgvbOD4cu8YW3nJEQ9ep3tydMGmnUhtFJKnX_Sh3d_MabChuNFKcy-l0-3qxC6XqE2yiqHde7QdUZ5dZm7E9uBvDnW5dL1F8oTeuKAyyZKuGG7xt78SY9QuBMFp4lVzwKSYKmq226kvUqNVFzHLn2J3pp3gTAT0/s1209/Breanne%20Randall%20author%20photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1209" data-original-width="964" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNbj_63T9bGu3-hbZE2gvqY954KbC-KgvbOD4cu8YW3nJEQ9ep3tydMGmnUhtFJKnX_Sh3d_MabChuNFKcy-l0-3qxC6XqE2yiqHde7QdUZ5dZm7E9uBvDnW5dL1F8oTeuKAyyZKuGG7xt78SY9QuBMFp4lVzwKSYKmq226kvUqNVFzHLn2J3pp3gTAT0/w209-h262/Breanne%20Randall%20author%20photo.jpg" width="209" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Author Bio – Breanne Randall is a freelance writer by trade and an author by vocation. She graduated with honours with degrees in English Literature, Psychology, and Religious Studies, and her articles have been published in national magazines such as Parents, Fit Pregnancy, Good Housekeeping, Family Circle et al. as well as regular contributions to sites such as Disney Family, SheKnows, Bustle, et al. A seasoned traveller, she imbues her stories with the magic and culture collected from the over forty countries she’s visited.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Breanne lives in the sleepy foothills of Northern California with her husband, two daughters, and a slew of farm animals. When she’s not writing, you can find her wandering the property searching for fairy portals or serving elaborate stuffed animal tea parties.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Social Media Links – Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/houseofrandall" style="color: #954f72;">houseofrandall</a> Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/breanne_randall" style="color: #954f72;">@breanne_randall</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p>Broad Thoughts From A Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08798249743031672360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6185513237391465906.post-1023915567094083922023-06-26T09:42:00.000+01:002023-06-26T09:42:02.170+01:00THE LANGUAGE OF THE BORDER REIVERS - a guest post by Jennifer C Wilson <p style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14.666667px;"><i>Today I'm thrilled to welcome back to my blog my dear friend and fellow-author Jennifer C Wilson, whose latest novel <b><a href="https://mybook.to/TheWarriorsPrize" target="_blank">The Warriors' Prize</a></b> has just been released by <a href="https://ocelot-press.com" target="_blank">Ocelot Press</a>. I've already had the pleasure of reading this book, and believe me, it's an absolute delight.</i></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14.666667px;">Jen is here to tell us about a fascinating aspect of the story, and how its influences are still evident today.</i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYFOyCQRsf15vTw092QkS570URwiOC_Zalj8_XCQzx0jWv1WA_Q_I-Y71EFEdF9ga6px71tR-wY_uTsVvLYxRLgdit8KsmAKqC_6UhR06o86nw5Sp55H_yw69bK2eRMWNKBzCAC_i5h1lqK9QNJ1SNA-AwR3TO6uvSyzNkmv_dmHrRXlF2XJTZlmCB/s4500/JCW-TheWarriorsPrize_HiRes.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4500" data-original-width="2832" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYFOyCQRsf15vTw092QkS570URwiOC_Zalj8_XCQzx0jWv1WA_Q_I-Y71EFEdF9ga6px71tR-wY_uTsVvLYxRLgdit8KsmAKqC_6UhR06o86nw5Sp55H_yw69bK2eRMWNKBzCAC_i5h1lqK9QNJ1SNA-AwR3TO6uvSyzNkmv_dmHrRXlF2XJTZlmCB/s320/JCW-TheWarriorsPrize_HiRes.jpg" width="201" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><b style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">The Language of the Border Reivers</b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify;">As creators of phrases go, I think it’s fair to say that the high seas take the win; between pirates and various navies, so many things we say without thinking today originated on the water. However, I’m glad to say that some also came from my neck of the woods – the Anglo-Scotland border region. Of course, given the nature of the border reivers, they aren’t necessarily the most sweet-natured of words… <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify;"><u><b>Blackmail</b></u>: ‘Mail’ through the Middle Ages and into the Tudor era was another word for ‘tax’ or ‘rent’, and in the borders, this was often paid in silver coinage (‘white mail’, harmless enough). However, the borders weren’t exactly a cash-rich society, and sometimes, landlords would seek payment by other means, often taking goods or livestock which would be ultimately a higher value than if tenants had paid in coin. This became known as ‘black mail’. Charging extortionate rents to legitimate tenants was one thing; eventually, reiver gangs began essentially threatening local farmers into paying protection money, which also became known as blackmail. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify;"><u><b>Being caught red-handed</b></u>: A pretty literal one here – if you were caught with blood on your hands, either through murder or stealing livestock, you were deemed to have been caught red-handed, and could even be executed on the spot. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify;"><u><b>Bereaved</b></u>: Another obvious one; if the reivers killed one of your family (which happened a lot), then you were said to have been ‘be-reived’. It isn’t a huge step to the modern equivalent, and is a useful reminder that however much the reivers have been romanticised in fiction (including my own, I will admit), they were a ruthless bunch, and practically impossible to govern until King James VI/I joined the thrones of England and Scotland in 1603. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify;"><u><b>Hot to trot</b></u>: All right, so this one isn’t entirely proven, but I like the thinking behind it… The ‘hot trod’ was an immediate attempt at retaliation, giving borderers the opportunity to gather a group of neighbours and head out after reivers, to try and reclaim their stolen property. The symbol of the hot trod was the carrying of a burning sod of peat atop a lance, and it was considered a duty to help if a trod rode your way. If nothing else, helping others might give them cause to come to your aid when the time came. Although not as popular now, ‘hot to trot’ refers to being ready to go, and to spring into action, just as the reivers were when the call came for a hot trod. It’s not a huge leap of the imagination to see how the phrase might have morphed over the centuries. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify;">It's not just about the words which have stayed with us, though. Given the ‘independent’ nature of the borders and borderers (read ‘unmanageable’); in their heyday, those from the north of Scotland and south of England might have struggled to fully follow discussions between border residents, with Scots English emerging as a combined dialect all of its own. Given that it wasn’t rare for borderers to carry both English and Scottish flags, revealing whichever was the most prudent at any particular time, the fact that they had their own language is no surprise at all. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify;"><b>MORE ABOUT THE BOOK</b>:</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><b><i>The Warriors’ Prize</i><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><u>Stirling Castle, 1498<o:p></o:p></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Visiting court for the first time since her father's death, Lady Avelina Gordon finds herself drawn to the handsome warrior, Sir Lachlan MacNair. But as a woman who has seen too many of her friends lose everything for 'love', she keeps her heart guarded.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><u>Castle Berradane, 1502<o:p></o:p></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Lady Avelina is unceremoniously told to expect her new husband within the month. The man in question: Sir Lachlan.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Lachlan arrives in Berradane carrying his own secret, and a determination to control his heart. As attraction builds between the couple, they find themselves under attack and fearful of a traitor in their midst.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Can the teamwork they've shown in adversity so far pull them through one final test, and will they find the strength to risk their hearts, as well as their lives?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><b>Purchase Link - </b><a href="https://mybook.to/TheWarriorsPrize" style="color: #954f72;">https://mybook.to/TheWarriorsPrize</a><span class="MsoHyperlink" style="color: #0563c1; text-decoration: underline;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgktEAMq22yfkSUWicA5hU8j8TcHzRuvp5CH78_wfvHQgg0m4VTBdv-SnvC0xYz9iNZCXRDascxoD8tGyyY1tTNgoR8FKQXYC7BhssripTrPy1ypO8RjN8tWx6spN8mdv0J8blpZo7ka8llU98kzT58zeaHYxalbD2HJgaFvvtu8O_ME_nJX1jIzIQz/s1800/JenniferCWilson.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgktEAMq22yfkSUWicA5hU8j8TcHzRuvp5CH78_wfvHQgg0m4VTBdv-SnvC0xYz9iNZCXRDascxoD8tGyyY1tTNgoR8FKQXYC7BhssripTrPy1ypO8RjN8tWx6spN8mdv0J8blpZo7ka8llU98kzT58zeaHYxalbD2HJgaFvvtu8O_ME_nJX1jIzIQz/s320/JenniferCWilson.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><b style="font-size: 11pt;">MORE ABOUT JEN</b><span style="font-size: 11pt;">:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Jennifer has been stalking dead monarchs since she was a child. It started with Mary, Queen of Scots, then moved onto Richard III. At least now it results in a story!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">She won North Tyneside Libraries' Story Tyne short story competition in 2014 (no dead monarchs, but still not a cheerful read), and has been filling notebooks and hard-drives ever since. Her Kindred Spirits series, following the 'lives' of some very interesting ghostly communities, is published by Darkstroke, and her historical romances by Ocelot Press.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Jennifer is currently exploring some new ideas for historical romance, and hoping to visit Kindred Spirit friends old and new, north of the border...<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><b>Social Media Links –<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jennifercwilsonwriter/" style="color: #954f72;">https://www.facebook.com/jennifercwilsonwriter/</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/inkjunkie1984" style="color: #954f72;">https://twitter.com/inkjunkie1984</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Website: <a href="https://jennifercwilsonwriter.wordpress.com/" style="color: #954f72;">https://jennifercwilsonwriter.wordpress.com/</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jennifercwilsonwriter/" style="color: #954f72;">https://www.instagram.com/jennifercwilsonwriter/</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><i>Huge thanks to Rachel's Random Resources for the opportunity to take part in this blog tour. Do check out the other posts over the next few days. Details are on the banner below.</i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0x1a79kzD14-sZI_BCOPTFRNf7WZQYIFtQyobSr7_2_q_bDMYHwNAvIW5WWOYIMRA2CIXwWaYnpO3tYqZ3Qg4CqQuycCKjfrewxDysH-AVLzVBLV9JgBKcMGEgYnEczybg28kMmh9ltpL-DxmnRfsgWOw6t4gn6S4hlRykTp8Ls-OOkznHJY4H3Q-/s1676/The%20Warriors%20Prize%20Full%20Tour%20Banner.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1250" data-original-width="1676" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0x1a79kzD14-sZI_BCOPTFRNf7WZQYIFtQyobSr7_2_q_bDMYHwNAvIW5WWOYIMRA2CIXwWaYnpO3tYqZ3Qg4CqQuycCKjfrewxDysH-AVLzVBLV9JgBKcMGEgYnEczybg28kMmh9ltpL-DxmnRfsgWOw6t4gn6S4hlRykTp8Ls-OOkznHJY4H3Q-/s320/The%20Warriors%20Prize%20Full%20Tour%20Banner.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><br /></p>Broad Thoughts From A Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08798249743031672360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6185513237391465906.post-22810648068211918782023-04-08T11:07:00.001+01:002023-04-08T11:07:20.950+01:00THE CASE OF THE MISSING PEKE - an interview with Kate Darroch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXOx1xF3aUrHVCZaF3XNVwwXVnddi60EMNqVRU6jkg3xnp04sJv0Barq2EXbUrHZNYW9keBKbcl7oJWhNNWgmiQPFJF09Z0ex8X7nJARn_OSYPZVasHuxfGpmSORU8odgsmdbeq-_8v6mIrAlBEoyqwK7znchJB43YNmZ_PtZfescNOmJT9siuV6UU/s1000/HuntingHartInvestigates-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="687" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXOx1xF3aUrHVCZaF3XNVwwXVnddi60EMNqVRU6jkg3xnp04sJv0Barq2EXbUrHZNYW9keBKbcl7oJWhNNWgmiQPFJF09Z0ex8X7nJARn_OSYPZVasHuxfGpmSORU8odgsmdbeq-_8v6mIrAlBEoyqwK7znchJB43YNmZ_PtZfescNOmJT9siuV6UU/s320/HuntingHartInvestigates-1.jpg" width="220" /></a></div><br /><p><i><b>My guest today is the award-winning novelist Kate Darroch, who is here to talk about her new book <a href=" https://www.amazon.com/Case-Missing-Peke-Huntingdon-Investigates-ebook/dp/B0BYHJC5YB" target="_blank">The Case of the Missing Peke</a>.</b></i></p><p><i><b>Welcome, Kate! <span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What prompted you to first start writing? What was the first thing you wrote?</span></b></i></p><div style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;">When I was young I lived in Scotland, in the days when "the tawse" (a heavy leather strap) was used to beat misbehaving pupils. I was very quiet, but during a Latin lesson one day I was doodling on the cover of my jotter. Doodling helps me to think. For some reason that annoyed my teacher, and he gave me "six of the best" on my right hand. My hand was so swollen I couldn't hold anything in it. I was 13 years old.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;">After school I sat down and with my left hand I wrote a comic story about a boy who had a magic travelling ring. His headmaster would see the boy disappear from school corridors on his magic travels - and this made the headmaster fear for his own sanity. But one day the head is swept up in the magic field and arrives in Switzerland with the boy. <span class="gmail_default">T</span><span class="gmail_default">he head is so relieved that he wasn't "seeing things" that he becomes a friend to the boy and they travel around magically together.</span></div></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: times new roman, serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: times new roman, serif; font-size: medium;">I was prompted to write the story because I respected my teacher's scholarship and wanted to do well in his class. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;">I wished that he had understood that I was doodling to help me to understand his lesson, </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;">and I wished that he had been kind to me, as the headmaster in my story is kind to the boy.</span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: times new roman, serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>Can you summarise your latest work in just a few words?</b></i><span style="font-family: times new roman, serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;">I'm writing a series of humorous mystery novellas - Huntingdon Hart Investigates: The Casefiles of an Occasional Detective. The first is <b>The Case of the Missing Peke. </b>Hunt is a mid-30s retired MI5 hitman living quietly in an English village. When he agrees to search for a missing puppy, Hunt meets the only woman he will ever love.</div><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b><span style="font-family: times new roman, serif; font-size: medium;"> </span>What was the inspiration for this book?</b></i></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;">I love Sherlock Holmes mysteries, and I adore send-ups. This is my comedy <i>hommage</i> to Sherlock Holmes.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><i><b>Did you do any research for the book?</b></i></span></div><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;">I had done a lot of research for a humorous spy series I intend to write next, and I adore going racing and once owned a part-share in a steeplechaser. Most of Hunt's cases are linked to Newmarket racecourse.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br /></div><i><b>How do you decide on the names for your characters?</b></i><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;">Usually they come to me from the Muse, but often I adapt what the Muse gives me.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;">For example, my heroine <span style="color: #0f1111;">Màiri Maguire, whose book <i>Death in Paris </i>has won me 15 book awards, was originally called Maggie Maguire. </span><span style="color: #0f1111;">But a publisher told me that there is already a female sleuth called Maggie Maguire, so I re-named her </span><span style="color: #0f1111;">Màiri</span><span style="color: #0f1111;">because she is Scots Irish. M</span><span style="color: #0f1111;">àiri is both a Scottish name (pronounced Marrhi) and an Irish name (pronounced Moiyra).</span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #0f1111;">Màiri</span><span style="color: #0f1111;">'s</span><span style="color: #0f1111;"> life is so upside-down that I thought it appropriate to give her a name that wasn't straightforward.</span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #0f1111;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #0f1111;">Hunt came to me from the Muse as Huntingdon MacSpeirin, </span><span style="color: #0f1111;">but I had a reader contest to name him </span><span style="color: #0f1111;">and so he became Huntingdon Hart, courtesy of the lovely Ami.</span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #0f1111;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><i><b>Do you plot your novels in advance, or allow them to develop as you write?</b></i></span><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family: times new roman, serif; font-size: medium;">Both. The story comes to me from the Muse. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;">Out of respect for her gift, I write a very detailed outline. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;">Then I write the book. Very often, as I write, the story changes.</span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family: times new roman, serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default"><b><i>Now the book is published and ‘out there’ how do you feel?</i></b><span style="font-family: times new roman, serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family: times new roman, serif; font-size: medium;">I am having great fun writing more Hunt stories. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;">I chose to write them as Quick Reads to give readers of my earlier books a little fun </span><span style="font-family: times new roman, serif; font-size: medium;">while I write the next </span><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;">Màiri</span><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"> novel, <i>Death in Rome.</i></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #0f1111;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><i><b>Is there a message for the reader?</b></i></span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family: times new roman, serif; font-size: medium;">Yes. My message to the reader is: Have fun whenever you can. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;">When things are dark, Laughter is the Best Medicine.</span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family: times new roman, serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default"><i><b>Do you have any advice for new writers?</b></i><span style="font-family: times new roman, serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family: times new roman, serif; font-size: medium;">Yes. Write from the heart. Write in your own voice. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;">Do not listen to people who tell you that you should write "what the readers want". </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;">Write what feels right to <i>you</i></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;">, and it will find an audience. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;">Everyone has an audience. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;">And thanks to this wonderful thing called the internet, today all artists can find their audience.</span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family: times new roman, serif; font-size: medium;">Your audience will be so glad that<i> they </i>found <i>you</i>, especially if yours is not a "popular" voice.</span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family: times new roman, serif; font-size: medium;">So be true to your Muse, and she will be kind to you.</span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family: times new roman, serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default"><i><b>What can we expect from you in the future?</b></i><span style="font-family: times new roman, serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family: times new roman, serif; font-size: medium;">If God spares me, many more Hunt stories, </span><span style="font-family: times new roman, serif; font-size: medium;">at least 4 more </span><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;">Màiri</span><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"> books, </span><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;">and some stories from Major Peverel (a popular character in the </span><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;">Màiri</span><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"> books).</span></div><div class="gmail_default"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Thank you, Kate, for a most interesting chat!</i></b></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;">Thanks again, Sue. It is an honour to be a Guest on your blog.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;">More about Kate:</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvN7OjXmcBP2JZ3c4RWWAF-lIWJi3Kvz7J9ij_FRUOXBu4enNjriM5nXBzdVUyFwQwLOey5DbmnQ9a_IxT3WEvaNTXqsCz3ArEr9VomPWKgiXY-yCZ38ZxIFxkN3-wJO6wcTqQMhYT0SOFYcRL7WLb4OGReSNMTYAIOWncM5opJEBuBEc0SO3vILgW/s695/kate-pic-sq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="646" data-original-width="695" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvN7OjXmcBP2JZ3c4RWWAF-lIWJi3Kvz7J9ij_FRUOXBu4enNjriM5nXBzdVUyFwQwLOey5DbmnQ9a_IxT3WEvaNTXqsCz3ArEr9VomPWKgiXY-yCZ38ZxIFxkN3-wJO6wcTqQMhYT0SOFYcRL7WLb4OGReSNMTYAIOWncM5opJEBuBEc0SO3vILgW/s320/kate-pic-sq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify;">Living in gorgeous Coastal Devon, Kate synergises her lifelong love of reading Cozy Sleuths with years of writing experience and her extensive knowledge of foreign climes to write Travel Cozies.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify;">Her first Cozies were the 1970s-set Màiri Maguire Cozy Mysteries - fun, frothy, fast-paced mysteries, with just enough clues and twists to keep you guessing until the end.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify;">Now Kate’s Quick Reads Cozy series is released: Huntingdon Hart Investigates, Casefiles of an Occasional Detective<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify;">Kate hopes that her readers will get as much pleasure from reading Màiri’s adventures as she gets from Sherlock Holmes, Father Brown, Ellery Queen, Raffles, and Jana DeLeon's Miss Fortune series.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: center;"><i>Huge thanks to Bittersweet Book Tours for the opportunity to take part in this blog tour.</i></p></div><br /><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br /></div></div>Broad Thoughts From A Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08798249743031672360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6185513237391465906.post-56765395170551682512023-03-23T16:07:00.001+00:002023-03-23T16:07:27.085+00:00FABERGÉ by Jo Fenton <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSkzj5vjI6arwnx3-w84OZuEW8xeBM8cowfrVuYJEb5EWs_687QHkylLGdDF_1weXuT7vrSjK_dEGWgALJiXdkBHQVY5GExv4AoNj-LfDR64mAADWZ3_6zjqRjAT-2DPlT7gMIAM7KxaD-qZad_ozIklXdJZpI4mjmg5xlzNyMHy94PE0oO9LcnARW/s700/Faberge.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="700" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSkzj5vjI6arwnx3-w84OZuEW8xeBM8cowfrVuYJEb5EWs_687QHkylLGdDF_1weXuT7vrSjK_dEGWgALJiXdkBHQVY5GExv4AoNj-LfDR64mAADWZ3_6zjqRjAT-2DPlT7gMIAM7KxaD-qZad_ozIklXdJZpI4mjmg5xlzNyMHy94PE0oO9LcnARW/w476-h187/Faberge.png" width="476" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><b style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Heist. Abduction. Blackmail.</b></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.666667px;">Manchester detective Becky White and her friends at the White Knight Detective Agency take on a case involving the theft of a multi-million-pound Fabergé egg.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.666667px;">Events quickly escalate, and they find themselves dealing with unscrupulous villains who will stop at nothing - not even at kindapping or murder - to achieve their goals.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.666667px;">Can Becky solve the mystery before her hidden enemies catch up with her? </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.666667px;"><b>Amazon UK: click <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Faberg%C3%A9-Becky-White-Thriller-Book-ebook/dp/B0BTXHJC2T/" target="_blank">here</a></b></span></span></p><p><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><span lang="NL"></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><b>Amazon US: click <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Faberg%C3%A9-Becky-White-Thriller-Book-ebook/dp/B0BTXHJC2T/" target="_blank">here</a> </b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_gLdW0RnznhtxoE8DWNrwdTNhqYiW5DUBe5M6SZKlQHjxvVsN2UE3dVkhSZIGs3zcD1aM7zKb1TRItlBb_ifm30HrMCwnZRMSoTv0qnjHrCKndBeFSrgi4qX6oygUPlmA7M8EnKrf_PKZaXLYqGu1RnUjMxltWPhUpc4vA4OR1yszXWgAyR9zC6sC/s1600/Profile%20pic%20-%2027-Feb-2020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_gLdW0RnznhtxoE8DWNrwdTNhqYiW5DUBe5M6SZKlQHjxvVsN2UE3dVkhSZIGs3zcD1aM7zKb1TRItlBb_ifm30HrMCwnZRMSoTv0qnjHrCKndBeFSrgi4qX6oygUPlmA7M8EnKrf_PKZaXLYqGu1RnUjMxltWPhUpc4vA4OR1yszXWgAyR9zC6sC/s320/Profile%20pic%20-%2027-Feb-2020.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Jo Fenton grew up in Hertfordshire, UK. She devoured books from an early age, particularly enjoying adventure books, school stories and fantasy. She wanted to be a scientist from aged six after being given a wonderful book titled “Science Can Be Fun”. At eleven, she discovered Agatha Christie and Georgette Heyer, and now has an eclectic and much loved book collection cluttering her home office.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Jo combines an exciting career in Clinical Research with an equally exciting but very different career as a writer of psychological thrillers.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">When not working, she runs (very slowly), and chats to lots of people. She lives in Manchester with her husband, youngest son, a Golden Retriever/Husky cross and a tankful of tropical fish. She is an active and enthusiastic member of two writing groups and a reading group.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="Standard" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.866667px; margin: 0cm;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Jo can be found at her website <a href="http://www.jofenton137.com/" style="color: #954f72;">www.jofenton137.com</a> or on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest (links below):<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Facebook:<a href="https://www.facebook.com/jofentonauthor/" style="color: #954f72;"> https://www.facebook.com/jofentonauthor/</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Twitter:<a href="https://twitter.com/jl_fenton" style="color: #954f72;"> https://twitter.com/jl_fenton</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jo.fenton137/" style="color: #954f72;">https://www.instagram.com/jo.fenton137/</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Pinterest: <a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/jofenton137/" style="color: #954f72;">https://www.pinterest.co.uk/jofenton137/</a><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU8OCeh6tZQKYhWaZaEt_X18Hn4KhJXJ5DIV_C8ZyG6REqMFT08H8KiErPAQ58KMGBNSRfnkgxZyonmtP_jr2k1WqhM4cZbLjL1nJ9uo02zT98uNijgm5GdvnErgUa2B5xvNJXfEQW32hgq8_UlwovBfmMA2penqD633mSLZu1iFkgPHTWe7MZwac9/s2000/Faberge%20Giveaway%20Prize.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1161" data-original-width="2000" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU8OCeh6tZQKYhWaZaEt_X18Hn4KhJXJ5DIV_C8ZyG6REqMFT08H8KiErPAQ58KMGBNSRfnkgxZyonmtP_jr2k1WqhM4cZbLjL1nJ9uo02zT98uNijgm5GdvnErgUa2B5xvNJXfEQW32hgq8_UlwovBfmMA2penqD633mSLZu1iFkgPHTWe7MZwac9/w422-h245/Faberge%20Giveaway%20Prize.jpg" width="422" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><b style="font-size: 11pt;">Giveaway* to win a <i>Fabergé</i> mouse mat and notebook (Open to UK Only)</b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">To enter the Giveaway, please click <a href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/33c69494548/" target="_blank"><b>here</b></a>. Good luck!</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">*Terms & Conditions:</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">UK entries welcome. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries, and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel's Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all UK entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winner's information. This will be passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which Rachel's Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><br /></p>Broad Thoughts From A Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08798249743031672360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6185513237391465906.post-85652755026368988582023-02-22T16:07:00.000+00:002023-02-22T16:07:30.105+00:00Book Review: ASCENT by Cathie Dunn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTHUGKcYtKW6_j-CEOGSvgIDPbxrTV0j38giIbSv7MuD2QmwLU86tKhtekx2Bu4KKrwp9rihUzaL1EdgoOSXPK3ahRiaLBw4x0jBFsUzavAJuEoR1jHAogcrisoDh9NaqhwzJtutBIDqFjSIf3TN9-O95vY7Yjjcj3Umvw4a-UcKzN-bx4vnEHXYkN/s700/Ascent.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="700" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTHUGKcYtKW6_j-CEOGSvgIDPbxrTV0j38giIbSv7MuD2QmwLU86tKhtekx2Bu4KKrwp9rihUzaL1EdgoOSXPK3ahRiaLBw4x0jBFsUzavAJuEoR1jHAogcrisoDh9NaqhwzJtutBIDqFjSIf3TN9-O95vY7Yjjcj3Umvw4a-UcKzN-bx4vnEHXYkN/w442-h174/Ascent.png" width="442" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">I've read a lot of Cathie Dunn's books in the past, and her novels bring history to life in a way that few writers can achieve. </span><b style="text-align: left;"><i>Ascent </i></b><span style="text-align: left;">is no exception - with the added bonus that it covers a subject about which comparatively little is known: the rise of the House of Normandy and its history before 1066, and in particular the women who helped to create it.</span></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Ms Dunn has painted a vivid and compassionate picture of the period. The characters and the settings leap off the page, and the book is both entertaining and educational. <b><i>Ascent </i></b>is highly recommended, and I eagerly await the further novels in the series.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">In the meantime, read on to find out more about the book, and a chance to win a signed paperback copy of this excellent novel.</p><p><b>More about </b><i><b>Ascent</b></i>:</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">A brutal Viking raid heralds the dawn of a new, powerful dynasty – the House of Normandy<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Neustria, Kingdom of the West Franks, </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">AD 890</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Fourteen-year-old Poppa’s life changes when Northmen land near Bayeux. Count Bérengar, her father, submits to them, and she is handfasted to Hrólfr, the Northmen’s heathen leader, as part of their agreement.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">To her relief, Hrólfr leaves immediately in search of further conquest, only returning to claim her years later. In the face of retaliating Franks, they flee to East Anglia, where she gives birth to their son and daughter.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">When Hrólfr and Poppa return to reclaim Bayeux, his new campaign strikes at the heart of Frankish power, and King Charles of the West Franks offers him a pact he cannot refuse. In exchange for vast tracts of land in Neustria, Hrólfr must convert to Christianity and accept marriage to Gisela, the king’s illegitimate daughter.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Poppa’s world shatters. She remains in Bayeux, with her daughter, Adela. When Gisela arrives one day, demanding she hand over Adela to be raised in Rouen, Poppa’s patience is at an end. But Gisela makes for a dangerous enemy, and only one woman will survive their confrontation high up on the cliffs.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Will Poppa live to witness the dawn of a new era?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">ASCENT is the first in a new series about the early women of the House of Normandy – women whose stories have been forgotten through time.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Until now!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Readers of Viking and medieval fiction will enjoy ASCENT, a fictional account of the life of Poppa of Bayeux, handfasted wife of Rollo the Viking.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Trigger warning: Loss of a child. Some battle and fighting scenes.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Purchase Links <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">International Buy Link: <a href="http://mybook.to/NormandyAscent" style="color: #954f72;">http://mybook.to/NormandyAscent</a> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Amazon US: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09RNB6N5L/" style="color: #954f72;">https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09RNB6N5L/</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Amazon UK: <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09RNB6N5L/" style="color: #954f72;">https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09RNB6N5L/</a><span lang="NL"></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Amazon CA: <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B09RNB6N5L/" style="color: #954f72;">https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B09RNB6N5L/</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Amazon AU: <a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B09RNB6N5L/" style="color: #954f72;">https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B09RNB6N5L/</a><span lang="FR"></span><o:p></o:p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOda26W0Uxjc3bZjyLUXnn9FS_F3kYKcIBq-MUY4uN1WAq5DNVdLLDkONHkyyR5T0q7ZBqdXI5XMdzdBDVxUnreDOonKE7mgmwQN6TUQuNepgqvXFf3Dfq3L_ZtENLDU-kwTxXhgHX2SjA0nXxXpdh3EwFX3sbiyETr7Uv-NhsRLwMaSYQWxJ39tiA/s480/Ascent%20-%20Cathie%20Carca.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOda26W0Uxjc3bZjyLUXnn9FS_F3kYKcIBq-MUY4uN1WAq5DNVdLLDkONHkyyR5T0q7ZBqdXI5XMdzdBDVxUnreDOonKE7mgmwQN6TUQuNepgqvXFf3Dfq3L_ZtENLDU-kwTxXhgHX2SjA0nXxXpdh3EwFX3sbiyETr7Uv-NhsRLwMaSYQWxJ39tiA/s320/Ascent%20-%20Cathie%20Carca.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><b>More about Cathie</b>:<p></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Cathie Dunn is an award-winning author of historical fiction, mystery, and romance. The focus of her historical fiction novels is on strong women through time.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Cathie has been writing for over twenty years. She studied Creative Writing online, with a focus on novel writing, which she also taught in the south of France. She loves researching for her novels, delving into history books, and visiting castles and historic sites. A voracious reader, primarily of historical fiction / romance, she often reviews books on her blog, Ruins & Reading.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Cathie is a member of the Historical Novel Society, the Richard III Society, and the Alliance of Independent Authors.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">After many years in Scotland, Cathie now lives in south of France with her husband, and rescued Charlie Cat and Ellie Dog. Discover more about Cathie at www.cathiedunn.com.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Social Media Links – <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Website: <a href="https://www.cathiedunn.com/" style="color: #954f72;">https://www.cathiedunn.com</a> <br />Amazon Author Page: <a href="https://author.to/CathieDunn" style="color: #954f72;">https://author.to/CathieDunn</a> <br />Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/cathiedunn" style="color: #954f72;">https://twitter.com/cathiedunn</a> <br />Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CathieDunnAuthor/" style="color: #954f72;">https://www.facebook.com/CathieDunnAuthor/</a> <br />Ruins & Reading FB group: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/722966445318513" style="color: #954f72;">https://www.facebook.com/groups/722966445318513</a> <br />Pinterest: <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/cathiedunnwrites/_saved/" style="color: #954f72;">https://www.pinterest.com/cathiedunnwrites/_saved/</a> <br />Goodreads: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5066224.Cathie_Dunn" style="color: #954f72;">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5066224.Cathie_Dunn</a> <br /><br /><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Giveaway to win a signed paperback copy of <i>Ascent</i> by Cathie Dunn. <span style="font-size: 14.666667px;">Please click </span><a href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/33c69494545/" style="font-size: 14.666667px;" target="_blank"><b>here</b></a><span style="font-size: 14.666667px;"> to enter. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><i>Terms and Conditions: Worldwide entries welcome. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.</i><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnHEBFqsfusTbg66RPN5sAoVk3pIR-QG09q5F8NWPe1PIXA44_0X7GS4YAfuctE34rS4eYe9tEg7oau2xYs_yXaNKiLRGMhBiSSfznw_P_ukOvBGk83oMdPlqDft7Jw6DuvQQ091AzYyV6R7TtVid1ZQPVvoxBA1sR1kg6jr3P7LzXFIKNFM-PFGPh/s1505/Ascent%20Full%20Tour%20Banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1250" data-original-width="1505" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnHEBFqsfusTbg66RPN5sAoVk3pIR-QG09q5F8NWPe1PIXA44_0X7GS4YAfuctE34rS4eYe9tEg7oau2xYs_yXaNKiLRGMhBiSSfznw_P_ukOvBGk83oMdPlqDft7Jw6DuvQQ091AzYyV6R7TtVid1ZQPVvoxBA1sR1kg6jr3P7LzXFIKNFM-PFGPh/s320/Ascent%20Full%20Tour%20Banner.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Huge thanks to Rachel's Random Resources for the opportunity to take part in this blog tour. Do check out the other posts - details are on the banner above.</p><p><br /></p>Broad Thoughts From A Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08798249743031672360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6185513237391465906.post-8227169788737682972023-01-25T10:46:00.011+00:002023-06-26T11:16:31.339+01:00LOVERS OF LLANDDWYN<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">In Wales, today (25 January) is a very special day for lovers. It is the feast of St Dwynwen (in Welsh: Llanddwyn), who is regarded by many as the Welsh equivalent of St Valentine – the patron saint of lovers.</span><span style="font-size: 16px;"> H</span><span style="font-size: 16px;">er feast day is often celebrated by the Welsh with flowers and cards.</span></p><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I’ve always loved the Isle of Anglesey (or, to give it its Welsh name, Ynys Môn) - so much so that for the past thirty years it has been my second home.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">As well as boasting a rugged natural beauty, Anglesey is also steeped in history and folklore. So when I was looking for a setting for my novel <i><a href="http://mybook.to/NeverOnSaturday" target="_blank">Never on Saturday</a></i>, Anglesey was the obvious choice.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Never on Saturday</span></i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> is a paranormal time-slip romance novella, set partly in medieval France and partly in present-day North Wales. And one of the key scenes in the novel takes place at one of Anglesey’s most picturesque locations: Llanddwyn Island.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yhi3vESSmRI/WIiVVkFMQaI/AAAAAAAADOI/e2wOixfLXp8fRRCMDGmEPvx8fIFtQJH9QCEw/s1600/Llanddwyn%2B%2528silhouette%2Band%2Bwaves%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yhi3vESSmRI/WIiVVkFMQaI/AAAAAAAADOI/e2wOixfLXp8fRRCMDGmEPvx8fIFtQJH9QCEw/s320/Llanddwyn%2B%2528silhouette%2Band%2Bwaves%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Llanddwyn Island (in Welsh: Ynys Llanddwyn) is a remote rocky promontory, about a mile long, situated at the south-west corner of Anglesey, and forms part of the Newborough Warren nature reserve. It is not, strictly speaking, an island, although if the tide is exceptionally high, as can be seen in this photo, it can become one for a few hours: </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G63VEvmZ9Kc/WIiU_7_K_ZI/AAAAAAAADOE/ZV75N8nTVv4tJWUmGH_0WgDKVmrf5groQCEw/s1600/Llanddwyn%2B%2528cut%2Boff%2Bat%2Bhigh%2Btide%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G63VEvmZ9Kc/WIiU_7_K_ZI/AAAAAAAADOE/ZV75N8nTVv4tJWUmGH_0WgDKVmrf5groQCEw/s320/Llanddwyn%2B%2528cut%2Boff%2Bat%2Bhigh%2Btide%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">According to tradition, the original Dwynwen was a fifth-century Welsh princess, one of the daughters of Brychan, a prince of Brecon. She fell in love with a young chieftain named Maelon, but rejected his advances. The reasons for this vary according to which version of the story you read, but the popular belief is either that Maelon tried to seduce Dwynwen before they were married, or that Dwynwen’s father had plans for her to marry someone else. But whatever the reason, the outcome was the same: Dwynwen prayed to be released from her doomed love affair.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2RtqT4fcCnw/WIiVSoNNgPI/AAAAAAAADOI/N3mPBoBkuFcW6GzpJUPxRz4of6fAC2wdgCEw/s1600/Llanddwyn%2B%2528info%2Bboard%252C%2BSt%2BDwynwen%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2RtqT4fcCnw/WIiVSoNNgPI/AAAAAAAADOI/N3mPBoBkuFcW6GzpJUPxRz4of6fAC2wdgCEw/s320/Llanddwyn%2B%2528info%2Bboard%252C%2BSt%2BDwynwen%2529.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">In answer to her prayer Dwynwen was visited by an angel, who instructed her to concoct a potion which would dispel all thoughts of love. One source tells that the potion was made from rare herbs from Newborough Forest, mixed with a lover’s tears and beads of dew from the petals of the snapdragon. She and her lover both drank the potion, at which point Dwynwen immediately forgot her love for Maelon. Maelon, unfortunately, fared rather worse: he was transformed into a block of ice.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The angel appeared to Dwynwen again and granted her three wishes. Dwynwen’s first wish was that Maelon should be restored to life. Her second wish was that she herself should never again wish to marry, and her third wish was that all faithful lovers should find true happiness. She then retreated to what is now Llanddwyn Island and spent the rest of her life in isolation.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mhXgudQ-3gk/WIiVE8A5ciI/AAAAAAAADOI/NJ-pZSDjK988rmR3TvLb4Hwo6rqtiJjNwCEw/s1600/Llanddwyn%2B%2528info%2Bboard%252C%2BSt%2BDwynwen%2Band%2Bmedallions%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mhXgudQ-3gk/WIiVE8A5ciI/AAAAAAAADOI/NJ-pZSDjK988rmR3TvLb4Hwo6rqtiJjNwCEw/s320/Llanddwyn%2B%2528info%2Bboard%252C%2BSt%2BDwynwen%2Band%2Bmedallions%2529.JPG" width="293" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Meanwhile, Maelon was restored to life in accordance with Dwynwen’s wish, and the spot where the block of ice had stood, according to tradition, became a spring of clear water. This spring became St Dwynwen’s Well, and it soon became a popular place of pilgrimage for lovers. It was said that a woman could test the fidelity of her lover by scattering breadcrumbs on the water then laying her handkerchief on the surface. If the handkerchief was disturbed by one of the eels living in the well, this foretold that the lover would be faithful.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kkKtTJfF_kQ/WIiU18pnn_I/AAAAAAAADOE/4aQc0kpXU8oD_Syoet6ailcwr56RHlzbACEw/s1600/Llanddwyn%2B%2528St%2BDwynwen%2527s%2BWell%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kkKtTJfF_kQ/WIiU18pnn_I/AAAAAAAADOE/4aQc0kpXU8oD_Syoet6ailcwr56RHlzbACEw/s320/Llanddwyn%2B%2528St%2BDwynwen%2527s%2BWell%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The place of pilgrimage was so popular that during Tudor times it became the richest in the area, and in the early sixteenth century a church was built on the site of Dwynwen’s original chapel. Sadly, the church fell victim to the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1536, but its remains can still be seen today.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-izhyL1gCtVE/WIiUwBfBJ-I/AAAAAAAADNw/QGqg4X-008QPhSNc0EJWdzTPoOVBM7iQgCEw/s1600/Llanddwyn%2B%2528chapel%252C%2BCeltic%2Bcross%252C%2BNewborough%2Bbeach%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-izhyL1gCtVE/WIiUwBfBJ-I/AAAAAAAADNw/QGqg4X-008QPhSNc0EJWdzTPoOVBM7iQgCEw/s320/Llanddwyn%2B%2528chapel%252C%2BCeltic%2Bcross%252C%2BNewborough%2Bbeach%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">As for what happens on Llanddwyn Island in <i>Never on Saturday</i>, and why it is pivotal to the story, click <i><a href="http://mybook.to/NeverOnSaturday" target="_blank">here</a></i> to find out more...<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><i>Never on Saturday</i> is also available in French as <i><a href="http://mybook.to/JamaisLeSamedi" target="_blank">Jamais le Samedi</a></i>. And a Large Print edition, featuring a beautiful cover image of Llanddwyn Island, has recently been released by Ulverscroft Books and should soon be available in libraries.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ysBGXTlcvgJ3txWOHY2de-KRq2RdZI6rbNrv1qrVLgXxvsktp-ZIKPv_xV7H1p_SdWCyJrEOUPyr1eSrdoTEUC6uL5ix6dKYmFUUTYUWDor19hurXF1QsVNCcRKSBYECcz3_JTayi1EVH0n6gO8bgv7uPYIBPH6j0xOEM6tSR0zJC69mPPlLeA1w/s2048/NOS%20Ulverscroft.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ysBGXTlcvgJ3txWOHY2de-KRq2RdZI6rbNrv1qrVLgXxvsktp-ZIKPv_xV7H1p_SdWCyJrEOUPyr1eSrdoTEUC6uL5ix6dKYmFUUTYUWDor19hurXF1QsVNCcRKSBYECcz3_JTayi1EVH0n6gO8bgv7uPYIBPH6j0xOEM6tSR0zJC69mPPlLeA1w/s320/NOS%20Ulverscroft.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>Broad Thoughts From A Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08798249743031672360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6185513237391465906.post-76951343470533196992023-01-25T10:23:00.000+00:002023-01-25T10:23:23.997+00:00A MEMORABLE DAY FOR SCOTLAND<p align="left" class="Default" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">As all Scots will know, today is the birthday of Robert Burns. And it is also publication day for <i><a href="https://geni.us/f5eJb" target="_blank">Hunter's Force</a> - </i>the next book in Val Penny's series of Hunter Wilson detective novels set in Edinburgh. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Read on for a taster of the new book...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr3WBOP4L8pyfQkoBkYQog9ddYrhRFCX2uQVjLDN_BK0PLSCn8PbwPa8OnGjBauPoDA3CyzAQEFm9S9x-W7qB1gK1eiuNze6_GePVWpRFLmznTPZy-dv9xbAnQn_0NQwq19-IBVjcUIj9-c8u7PS2SqHOPFzOpKOdjVZuvhp32NRuSV3_dcHBDEyfN/s680/Val%20Penny%20-%20relaxed.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="508" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr3WBOP4L8pyfQkoBkYQog9ddYrhRFCX2uQVjLDN_BK0PLSCn8PbwPa8OnGjBauPoDA3CyzAQEFm9S9x-W7qB1gK1eiuNze6_GePVWpRFLmznTPZy-dv9xbAnQn_0NQwq19-IBVjcUIj9-c8u7PS2SqHOPFzOpKOdjVZuvhp32NRuSV3_dcHBDEyfN/s320/Val%20Penny%20-%20relaxed.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><br /><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"><br /></span><p></p><p align="left" class="Default" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw-G7xrQgbWT-QJ4dc8Lz61zWGm81JuOWcl5ouUxiljJsBDr3wrUBQLGbORcXwEclACGuRQvUVewZTUCDS8OmMwoWIXW9mxPQl_XxN_4qZ55ImMpy1zHj44HJxYZdBnVOB5cq2qWXoJZE-x4v9X8L2vmnQOMNa0taPRVfrhfq0tNFZrQfcgg0465HN/s680/Edinburgh%20from%20the%20Castle.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="510" data-original-width="680" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw-G7xrQgbWT-QJ4dc8Lz61zWGm81JuOWcl5ouUxiljJsBDr3wrUBQLGbORcXwEclACGuRQvUVewZTUCDS8OmMwoWIXW9mxPQl_XxN_4qZ55ImMpy1zHj44HJxYZdBnVOB5cq2qWXoJZE-x4v9X8L2vmnQOMNa0taPRVfrhfq0tNFZrQfcgg0465HN/s320/Edinburgh%20from%20the%20Castle.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p align="left" class="Default" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="left" class="Default" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">October can be one of the most beautiful months in Edinburgh, and the first two weeks of the month are often warm and sunny, but this morning was chilly, but the cloudless sky and slight breeze promised a typical ‘Indian Summer’. Children back at school enjoyed the challenges the academic year has to throw at them. College and university students, who invaded the city in August and September, find their feet and take full advantage of their freedom from parental restrictions. They have enthusiasm for studying their courses, but even more interest in studying each other. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="left" class="Default" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm; text-indent: 12.2pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">Jamie Thomson pulled up outside HMP Edinburgh in Saughton. He had driven his pop’s favourite old Range Rover to meet him. Pop was to be released from prison, at last, and would get out this morning. He was being let out very early in the morning to avoid a rush of journalists. Ian Thomson was one of the best-known inmates in the jail, and fame always comes at a price.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="left" class="Default" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm; text-indent: 12.2pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">Jamie leant on the car and flicked through the Facebook messages on his phone as he waited. He was glad his pop would be back to run their car showroom, Thomson’s Top Cars. Jamie and his cousin Frankie had done their best, but it would be good to have Pop back at the helm. Although goodness only knew how they were all going to fit into that three-bedroomed semi-detached house he shared with his cousin Frankie and Frankie’s twin baby daughters. With Pop out, Frankie’s brother Harry and his pal Gavin home on leave from Afghanistan, that would be seven of them squeezed in there. Jamie was sure it wasn’t going to be him sleeping in the bath!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="left" class="Default" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm; text-indent: 12.2pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">“That’s a nice welcome, son! You with your eyes glued to that phone!”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="left" class="Default" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm; text-indent: 12.2pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">“Pop! Good to see you. It’s great to have you out of the big house.” The men shook hands then hugged. Jamie had missed his pop.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="left" class="Default" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm; text-indent: 12.2pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">“It is good to be free, that’s for sure. Did you remember to bring me a hat?”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="left" class="Default" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm; text-indent: 12.2pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">“Of course. Here you go.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="left" class="Default" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm; text-indent: 12.2pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">“It didn’t have to be an <i>Andy Capp </i>style like this, boy!” Ian Thomson doffed his cap and laughed with his son. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="left" class="Default" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm; text-indent: 12.2pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">“I didn’t think you wanted it as a fashion statement; just something to hide you from the journalists?”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="left" class="Default" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm; text-indent: 12.2pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">“Well, it’s certainly not a fashion statement, lad! Let’s make tracks, before the paparazzi realise they’ve been conned. Oh, and I’ll be driving, Jamie.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="left" class="Default" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm; text-indent: 12.2pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">“Well, seeing you’re back now, Pop,” Jamie said as he handed over the keys with a grin.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="left" class="Default" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm; text-indent: 12.2pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">“Aye. We’ll go back to the house first and I’ll get a proper shower and change into decent clothes before we go over to the showroom.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="left" class="Default" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm; text-indent: 12.2pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">“You’re certainly looking fit. Been working out in the gym inside, have you?” <o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="left" class="Default" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm; text-indent: 12.2pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">“Not much else to do, really. But I have got a surprise for you. I did a wee deal inside, and we’ve got two new betting shops to add to our business empire.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="left" class="Default" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm; text-indent: 12.2pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">“Betting shops? You mean you’re a bookie now, Pop? That’s mental! Whereabouts are they?” <o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="left" class="Default" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm; text-indent: 12.2pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">“One in Frederick Street, one in Lothian Road.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="left" class="Default" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm; text-indent: 12.2pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">“Wow! That’s brilliant. Fine and central. They’ll make good money.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="left" class="Default" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm; text-indent: 12.2pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">“Aye, they do.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="left" class="Default" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm; text-indent: 12.2pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">“So, you kept that very quiet. Who’s been minding them?” Jamie asked excitedly.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="left" class="Default" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm; text-indent: 12.2pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">“Arjun Mansoor’s wife,” Ian said.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="left" class="Default" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm; text-indent: 12.2pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">“What the fuck? You’ve got back into bed with old Argy Bargy. You’re mad, Pop!” <o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="left" class="Default" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm; text-indent: 12.2pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">“No, I’m not. With him and his brother-in-law inside his wife needed a job, and she’s damn good at keeping the books straight.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="left" class="Default" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm; text-indent: 12.2pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">“Well, I think you’re insane. That old bastard Mansoor did your business over before, and I bet you’ll find his wife’s just as bad. But it’s up to you.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="left" class="Default" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm; text-indent: 12.2pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">“Yes, it is up to me. Now let’s not fall out already, son. I know what faults the Mansoors have, but the wife doesn’t ask any questions. Better the devil you know and all that, and, while Arjun Mansoor is still in the big house, he has nothing to do with this.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="left" class="Default" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm; text-indent: 12.2pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN-US">"You better hope not, Pop," Jamie said as he shook his head knowingly.</span></p><p align="left" class="Default" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm; text-indent: 12.2pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm;"><b>MORE ABOUT VAL</b>:</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm;">Val Penny has an Llb degree from the University of Edinburgh and her MSc from Napier University. She has had many jobs including hairdresser, waitress, banker, azalea farmer and lecturer but has not yet achieved either of her childhood dreams of being a ballerina or owning a candy store. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm;">Until those dreams come true, she has turned her hand to writing poetry, short stories, nonfiction books, and novels. Her novels are published by SpellBound Books Ltd. <o:p></o:p></p><p style="text-indent: 16.266666px;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm;">Val is an American author living in SW Scotland. She has two adult daughters of whom she is justly proud and lives with her husband and their cat. <o:p></o:p></p><p style="text-indent: 16.266666px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF04saKBGTpaxjirtNwFjmUiKoiBr0kYh1DaTYXc_IgIxXCM9kojWkVaYd_6_kRQCelysGlf5MrmXDC4C3Uh7c5HfSvRoPoPrf2QTbEEFaK4SMGJpjKchkXG0cv6nsi4DHs7NtC2Dhi36NxnTBpPv8bRCtnrnKQyFp1E7Jv7u7gjaX9XPC2gZCuHpQ/s800/IMG_0704.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="512" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF04saKBGTpaxjirtNwFjmUiKoiBr0kYh1DaTYXc_IgIxXCM9kojWkVaYd_6_kRQCelysGlf5MrmXDC4C3Uh7c5HfSvRoPoPrf2QTbEEFaK4SMGJpjKchkXG0cv6nsi4DHs7NtC2Dhi36NxnTBpPv8bRCtnrnKQyFp1E7Jv7u7gjaX9XPC2gZCuHpQ/s320/IMG_0704.JPG" width="205" /></a></div><br /><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-indent: 16.266666px;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><b>MORE ABOUT <i>HUNTER'S FORCE</i></b>:</span></p><p style="text-indent: 16.266666px;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">Hunter by name - Hunter by nature.</span></p><p style="text-indent: 16.266666px;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">Can DI Hunter Wilson keep Edinburgh safe when he is the hunted?</span></p><p style="text-indent: 16.266666px;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">Detective Inspector Hunter Wilson is woken in the early hours of the morning by a call from his son. Cameron's flatmate was murdered. Why would anybody want to kill a young woman recently arrived in the city?</span></p><p style="text-indent: 16.266666px;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">Hunter must call in the new Major Incident Team (MIT) to lead the investigation due to the reorganisation of police services. Hunter's ability to be involved, however, is put in severe doubt when someone from his past decides to take revenge on him. He goes missing, and his team have no idea where to look for him. Who would want to stop Hunter in his tracks?</span></p><p style="text-indent: 16.266666px;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">Meanwhile, Hunter's team must work closely with the MIT and, with or without him, solve the murder in this taut crime thriller.</span></p><p style="text-indent: 16.266666px;">To get your copy of <i>Hunter's Force</i>, click <a href="https://geni.us/f5eJb" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>Broad Thoughts From A Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08798249743031672360noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6185513237391465906.post-31183162734224648312023-01-06T11:54:00.002+00:002023-01-06T11:54:32.816+00:00HAPPY NEW YEAR - HAPPY NEW READING<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://ocelot-press.com/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ZESzvc4Qlw8_hapfo6Q68xiK3xIzUYzeQRxg4B1TyvvDk-f-0lxiXWE5SGgwA59VHVc3X_0CMoec-ny-l40V4_8fOs74p499wzQBrlsGeVQ8eH1H7md1jPMFmXAUM-OcCxq3MF4SylEhylBoVUk2GzB0-u32hiAPmLGMmxPPytP28kHQApCbLhZ1/w461-h154/OP%20banner.jpeg" width="461" /></a></div><p></p><p>Greetings, one and all! A very Happy New Year to you all.</p><p>Christmas might already seem like a distant memory, but here is something to make it last a little longer. Today is Twelfth Night, otherwise known as Epiphany - the day when, according to tradition, the Wise Men from the East arrived in Bethlehem bearing gifts for the Christ-child. </p><p>Here at <a href="https://ocelot-press.com/" target="_blank">Ocelot Press</a> I'm afraid our budget doesn't stretch to Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh, but we can offer you something else: a fantastic deal on our publications. For this weekend only, you can stock up on our Kindle titles for just 99p each (or the equivalent in your local currency). </p><p>Ocelot Press is where history meets mystery meets romance. All our bargain titles can be found on Amazon. Click on the image above to be taken our website, or go to Amazon and search for the books individually. You can also link to my own Ocelot titles (<i>The Ghostly Father</i>, <i>Nice Girls Don't</i>, <i>Finding Nina</i>, <i>The Unkindest Cut of All</i>, <i>Never on Saturday</i> and its French edition <i>Jamais le Samedi</i>) by clicking on the book covers on the right. -----></p><p>Here are the genres you can find:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHSwfSmTZyv0ZZZ9Y6lyITHIZlI-dR6sGmwoxZSa93Gx_uaQmYcLDJUgEeZ1UV_IOVvAwE7x5tGcLenGPUTeXKWA0RTVvNNhT3-dN74JO87BCFO3hI0RUc3HKSFvlVJ0kDhPYQlK9IAkBzgSIAPn0yYeVub_SIvRUB3aDz6pekIVpMNQEMCQ0X_JfS/s640/Banner%20Mystery%202.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHSwfSmTZyv0ZZZ9Y6lyITHIZlI-dR6sGmwoxZSa93Gx_uaQmYcLDJUgEeZ1UV_IOVvAwE7x5tGcLenGPUTeXKWA0RTVvNNhT3-dN74JO87BCFO3hI0RUc3HKSFvlVJ0kDhPYQlK9IAkBzgSIAPn0yYeVub_SIvRUB3aDz6pekIVpMNQEMCQ0X_JfS/s320/Banner%20Mystery%202.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV7OnQTCSQDjWZoH8XuXrzHSRdqwTRp4UovQ4hYmIoHeczC4dCORpv6sXpXXvIM-XE71Q1P9HFYAVNc_gqE91i-ueUKhlH-X3tmjAzvd8YQ-u5WVFY2NPbM7aN3E8nWfu1fFHY2ANDCzF58F65wYA4zkqTwqyrfo4K3a9xbS6_CbW0BFybbamiQ_1-/s640/Banner%20Timeslip%202.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV7OnQTCSQDjWZoH8XuXrzHSRdqwTRp4UovQ4hYmIoHeczC4dCORpv6sXpXXvIM-XE71Q1P9HFYAVNc_gqE91i-ueUKhlH-X3tmjAzvd8YQ-u5WVFY2NPbM7aN3E8nWfu1fFHY2ANDCzF58F65wYA4zkqTwqyrfo4K3a9xbS6_CbW0BFybbamiQ_1-/s320/Banner%20Timeslip%202.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRXHJXj0YL1JExSzGVs6qHqXe2xbgRgtOThNKraiSj0caA-qAgwGUEW5-HrGC9nHKIv8gkf3vcNDlgDLnHLiau2ZBDZSh7XOgt3ARr8Ur4ZGOp-F8KlwmA5IUPpocifIVbjNwzNNdP5RlUwNJvdXDetx_Bl_v3lA2IVBeDzd7N2ofDlCpjUNIuKHmm/s640/Banner%20Women's%20Fiction%201.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRXHJXj0YL1JExSzGVs6qHqXe2xbgRgtOThNKraiSj0caA-qAgwGUEW5-HrGC9nHKIv8gkf3vcNDlgDLnHLiau2ZBDZSh7XOgt3ARr8Ur4ZGOp-F8KlwmA5IUPpocifIVbjNwzNNdP5RlUwNJvdXDetx_Bl_v3lA2IVBeDzd7N2ofDlCpjUNIuKHmm/s320/Banner%20Women's%20Fiction%201.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhniPUg8zQBJWdp9s5xNFA229iFW_0BuNUzs2rNTx-ZSszFjCnCryhHiV9VZeguw6IojYmGrlSqoE95_LD6vork446h8Y7dP-Z1p895_RQi2iD39Wh4eOn2uIFBBzAM85GiDzLe3DbmXw7seGqlqJzS2-7TxkLE_9-urviE8onRtWcFKfcztfN8L9k/s640/Banner%20Hist%20Fic%202-2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhniPUg8zQBJWdp9s5xNFA229iFW_0BuNUzs2rNTx-ZSszFjCnCryhHiV9VZeguw6IojYmGrlSqoE95_LD6vork446h8Y7dP-Z1p895_RQi2iD39Wh4eOn2uIFBBzAM85GiDzLe3DbmXw7seGqlqJzS2-7TxkLE_9-urviE8onRtWcFKfcztfN8L9k/s320/Banner%20Hist%20Fic%202-2.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>Happy reading!</p><p><br /></p>Broad Thoughts From A Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08798249743031672360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6185513237391465906.post-81712089819652740162022-12-07T10:36:00.000+00:002022-12-07T10:36:33.067+00:00Review: THE CONTRABAND KILLINGS by Lucienne Boyce <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIVCDPnBLIso1TFC1KCij3vv8Dq9YwFqZxOR5eIm5lL7Z2SMkYf1x2aViSnlSXqxMlsT66mWg9Kah7wr4n91F-IVXxwJZ5K3B-F3bxPxAFVLPy2grCQAgk1ZKehInOJWC4Aj7C-pn33bHTMa7qxrDtAyo1H-6QdCj_vS8RwxlP_R1bGzTi184g8-i0/s2700/The%20Contraband%20Killings%20Cover%20LARGE%20EBOOK.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIVCDPnBLIso1TFC1KCij3vv8Dq9YwFqZxOR5eIm5lL7Z2SMkYf1x2aViSnlSXqxMlsT66mWg9Kah7wr4n91F-IVXxwJZ5K3B-F3bxPxAFVLPy2grCQAgk1ZKehInOJWC4Aj7C-pn33bHTMa7qxrDtAyo1H-6QdCj_vS8RwxlP_R1bGzTi184g8-i0/s320/The%20Contraband%20Killings%20Cover%20LARGE%20EBOOK.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"><p><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></p><p><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"><i>London and North Wales, 1799</i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm;"><i>Principal Officer Dan Foster of the Bow Street Runners is sent to collect smuggler Watcyn Jones from Beaumaris Gaol on Anglesey, and bring him back to London for trial at the Old Bailey. As if having to travel to the wilds of North Wales isn’t bad enough, Dan is saddled with an inexperienced constable as his interpreter and assistant. At least it’s a routine assignment and shouldn’t take more than a few days.<span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></i></p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm;"><i>But when the prison escort is ambushed and Watcyn Jones escapes, a straightforward transfer turns into a desperate manhunt. And as Jones’s enemies start to die, the chase becomes more urgent than ever. Dan’s search for the killer brings him up against a ruthless smuggling gang – and his chances of getting off the island alive begin to look far from promising.</i><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><b> </b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><b>Purchase Links <o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><b>US - </b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BFRRSD72" style="color: #954f72;"><b>https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BFRRSD72</b></a><b><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><b><span lang="NL">UK - </span></b><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0BFRRSD72" style="color: #954f72;"><b><span lang="NL">https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0BFRRSD72</span></b></a><b><span lang="NL"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;">As a frequent visitor to the Isle of Anglesey and the area around Beaumaris, I was particularly keen to read this novel. It did not disappoint. The characters are very well drawn, and the setting and the era really come to life on the page. The author has clearly done her research meticulously – both about the practice of smuggling and about the history of Beaumaris. And the plot is a real page-turner; I stayed up well past my normal bedtime to finish the book and was genuinely sorry when I reached the last page. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;">Although this is the fourth book in a series, it can easily be read as a stand-alone novel. Having said that, I’m now keen to read the earlier books to find out more about the characters’ intriguing backstories.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;"><b>MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR</b>:</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Lucienne Boyce writes historical fiction, non-fiction and biography. After gaining an MA in English Literature, specialising in eighteenth-century fiction, she published her first historical novel, <i>To The Fair Land</i> (2012, reissued 2021), an eighteenth-century thriller set in Bristol and the South Seas.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Her second historical novel, <i>Bloodie Bones: A Dan Foster Mystery </i>(2015, reissued 2022) is the first of the Dan Foster Mysteries and follows the fortunes of a Bow Street Runner who is also an amateur pugilist. <i>Bloodie Bones</i> was joint winner of the Historical Novel Society Indie Award 2016, and was also a semi-finalist for the M M Bennetts Award for Historical Fiction 2016. The second Dan Foster Mystery, <i>The Butcher’s Block </i>(2017, reissued 2022), was awarded an IndieBrag Medallion in 2018. The third in the series, <i>Death Makes No Distinction</i> (2019, reissued 2022), is also an IndieBrag Medallion honoree, recipient of Chill With a Book Premium Readers’ Award, and a joint Discovering Diamonds book of the month. In 2017 an e-book Dan Foster novella, <i>The Fatal Coin</i>, was published by S-Books. The <i>Fatal Coin </i>is now available in paperback.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><i>The Bristol Suffragettes</i>, a history of the suffragette campaign in Bristol and the South West of England, was published in 2013. In 2017 Lucienne published a collection of short essays, <i>The Road to Representation: Essays on the Women’s Suffrage Campaign</i>. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><b>Other Publications</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><i>Not So Militant Browne</i> in <i>Suffrage Stories: Tales from Knebworth, Stevenage, Hitchin and Letchworth</i> (Stevenage Museum, 2019)<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><i>Victoria Lidiard</i> in <i>The Women Who Built Bristol</i>, Jane Duffus (Tangent Books, 2018)<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><i>Tramgirls, Tommies and the Vote</i> in <i>Bristol and the First World War: The Great Reading Adventure 2014</i> (Bristol Cultural Development Partnership/Bristol Festival of Ideas, 2014)<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><b>Social Media</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Website: </span><a href="http://www.lucienneboyce.com/" style="color: #954f72; font-size: 11pt;" target="_blank">www.lucienneboyce.com</a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Blog: <a href="https://francesca-scriblerus.blogspot.com/" style="color: #954f72;" target="_blank">https://francesca-scriblerus.blogspot.com/</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/LucienneWrite" style="color: #954f72;">@LucienneWrite</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Pinterest: <a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/LucienneBoyceWriter/_created/" style="color: #954f72;" target="_blank">https://www.pinterest.co.uk/LucienneBoyceWriter/</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Goodreads: <a name="m_-4126279147551593435__Hlk90722717"></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6437832.Lucienne_Boyce" style="color: #954f72;" target="_blank">http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6437832.Lucienne_Boyce</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;"><o:p><br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKiRfLSN_tGPqhoNlEMMiV6dM-GGhr_lHH2E476iXpg_YPQNq-9qy1bt2-JQKnvLA_YXLdHvwlL2w8Orqm8T4oZyA2pWC2lU9P_xqaMvxeXftw1ydF2aeAdc_vpxPfT5TSvaqWgDxy8og6KrAM4HAWhKpqGFTPRLej1cFmq27-zRZQhm_aL5ItQ72V/s1946/The%20Contraband%20Killings%20Full%20Tour%20Banner.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1250" data-original-width="1946" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKiRfLSN_tGPqhoNlEMMiV6dM-GGhr_lHH2E476iXpg_YPQNq-9qy1bt2-JQKnvLA_YXLdHvwlL2w8Orqm8T4oZyA2pWC2lU9P_xqaMvxeXftw1ydF2aeAdc_vpxPfT5TSvaqWgDxy8og6KrAM4HAWhKpqGFTPRLej1cFmq27-zRZQhm_aL5ItQ72V/s320/The%20Contraband%20Killings%20Full%20Tour%20Banner.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;">Huge thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources for the opportunity to take part in this blog tour. Do check out the other posts – details are on the banner above.<o:p></o:p></p>Broad Thoughts From A Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08798249743031672360noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6185513237391465906.post-3426605937581629502022-12-05T12:28:00.001+00:002022-12-05T12:28:17.012+00:00COVER REVEAL: THE VENICE SECRET by Anita Chapman <p>I'm delighted to be part of the cover reveal event today for the lovely Anita Chapman's debut novel: <b><i>The Venice Secret</i></b>.</p><p><b>One hidden painting. Two women born centuries apart. A secret uncovered.</b></p><p>in 2019, Rachel is stuck in a rut when she discovers what appears to be a Canaletto painting in her grandmother's loft, along with a note addressed to Philippa in 1782. With help from Jake at the local art gallery, Rachel endeavours to find out if the painting is an original - and uncovers a secret from the past.</p><p>In 1780, governess at Chipford Hall, Philippa is offered the role of mistress by Earl Rupert. She escapes to Venice as companion to bluestocking Lady Cordelia, who reveals a secret that changes both their lives. They do their best to keep the secret from Lady Cordelia's social circle, but their nemesis is determined to reveal all - and ruin them.</p><p><b><i>The Venice Secret</i></b> will be published on 7 March 2023, but is already available for pre-order by clicking <b><a href="https://amzn.to/3ES3oGy" target="_blank">here</a></b>.</p><p>And now - drum roll please - here is the cover!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0-c4PDLIV34TjibQ2eTu9D9XJJbfG0igUVh2dwTMnCJZtyHNJQX4XjYjWUN_9nuU3siIEvMeQkGNgpxP3B6KticSKicxHjkaQBwtERjwWgshmqoLDiISrQ1CLQ2x6vQLUP4nygKGAvsv9UhAt0NLHuar02Ka-goEwA4C8t6L6PKqt_-giKFY-Ft2n/s1438/TheVeniceSecretCOVER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1438" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0-c4PDLIV34TjibQ2eTu9D9XJJbfG0igUVh2dwTMnCJZtyHNJQX4XjYjWUN_9nuU3siIEvMeQkGNgpxP3B6KticSKicxHjkaQBwtERjwWgshmqoLDiISrQ1CLQ2x6vQLUP4nygKGAvsv9UhAt0NLHuar02Ka-goEwA4C8t6L6PKqt_-giKFY-Ft2n/s320/TheVeniceSecretCOVER.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Anita Chapman enjoyed writing stories from a young age, and won a local writing competition when she was nine years old. Encouraged by this, she typed up a series of stories about a mouse on her mum's typewriter and sent them to Ladybird. She received a polite rejection letter, her first. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Many of Anita’s summers growing up were spent with her family driving to Italy, and she went on to study French and Italian at university. As part of her degree, Anita lived in Siena for several months where she studied and au paired, and she spent a lot of time travelling around Italy in her twenties. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Anita likes to read journals and diaries from the past, and one of her favourite pastimes is visiting art galleries and country houses. Her first published novel, <b style="font-style: italic;">The Venice Secret</b>, is inspired by her mother taking her to see the Canalettos at The National Gallery in London as a child. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Since 2015, Anita has worked as a social media manager, training authors on social media, and helping to promote their books. She’s run several courses in London and York, and has worked as a tutor at Richmond and Hillcroft Adult Community College.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj76m0ICjhV29JkMzg88PgI7Ya4LlJOOUqzGJ-dzgEgpBiJ_30pkqJUIgcGEXp6tC3Y218nktKTnTyvOz2KBfDMvAoUU8LPVCGy0L3c_U9QJvCRkRp6Ews-db_woi7Qrx9GD2Ps-Smc6_sTwSyH6z6io6LZ-ZlnIHb-3ZlpeKNuz5l_0pjQwpda1Wb8/s400/AuthorphotoAC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj76m0ICjhV29JkMzg88PgI7Ya4LlJOOUqzGJ-dzgEgpBiJ_30pkqJUIgcGEXp6tC3Y218nktKTnTyvOz2KBfDMvAoUU8LPVCGy0L3c_U9QJvCRkRp6Ews-db_woi7Qrx9GD2Ps-Smc6_sTwSyH6z6io6LZ-ZlnIHb-3ZlpeKNuz5l_0pjQwpda1Wb8/w233-h233/AuthorphotoAC.jpg" width="233" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><b style="font-size: 11pt;">Social Media Links – </b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Website <a href="https://neetsmarketing.com/" style="color: #954f72;">https://neetsmarketing.com/</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Twitter: @neetschapman <a href="https://twitter.com/neetschapman" style="color: #954f72;">https://twitter.com/neetschapman</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Facebook Page: Anita Chapman Author <a href="https://www.facebook.com/neetschapman" style="color: #954f72;">https://www.facebook.com/neetschapman</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Instagram: @neetschapman <a href="https://www.instagram.com/neetschapman" style="color: #954f72;">https://www.instagram.com/neetschapman</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Tik Tok: @neetschapman <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@neetschapman" style="color: #954f72;">https://www.tiktok.com/@neetschapman</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Huge thanks to Rachel's Random Resources for the chance to take part in this event.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2C8rJyZ6lPap-r2AOV3aELE5QScjtlqDHOuwZElpGW3CdBZjKbXsxhmmIL-yMihqu4-88zJO_HJ93gq-OsbNaerTaVjlgwhmOwH5ewt9l4nDWg2Qz0ohmrZN_Tm84wOnMI5HqSMXMnYb3Ac2H5C7liqfff8slPF_tfX7y07KwUdXsJXQDb4450Lqf/s700/The%20Venice%20Secret.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="700" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2C8rJyZ6lPap-r2AOV3aELE5QScjtlqDHOuwZElpGW3CdBZjKbXsxhmmIL-yMihqu4-88zJO_HJ93gq-OsbNaerTaVjlgwhmOwH5ewt9l4nDWg2Qz0ohmrZN_Tm84wOnMI5HqSMXMnYb3Ac2H5C7liqfff8slPF_tfX7y07KwUdXsJXQDb4450Lqf/s320/The%20Venice%20Secret.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><br /></p>Broad Thoughts From A Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08798249743031672360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6185513237391465906.post-41663795735861640352022-11-30T14:08:00.001+00:002022-11-30T14:08:34.681+00:00PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS - an interview with Val Penny<p><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"><i><b>Today my blog guest is my friend and fellow-author Val Penny, who is here to chat about life, books, and anything else that springs to mind. The new edition of Val's novel <a href="geni.us/a13c " target="_blank">Hunter's Revenge</a> is released today.</b></i></span></p><p><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"><b><i>Welcome back to Broad Thoughts, Val.</i> </b></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRfp4kUwhaxa6oHR4AZWyWF5iM6X6-cTlrJW2H9ZBTIuZFOReRNDcMSt28CsTVSHXc6PPQblj2G4yaGn0La3ABo6tVip-xWGQgSwEkYk8uK0E6JCIcIQgKR4cWNpeJSp1mOfTdIbiyZ-nI7YnWT0YMgGLJF1fBS-ZVecwbOagyKtNEWbsf8_cqbMqj/s1200/Val%20author%20pic.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRfp4kUwhaxa6oHR4AZWyWF5iM6X6-cTlrJW2H9ZBTIuZFOReRNDcMSt28CsTVSHXc6PPQblj2G4yaGn0La3ABo6tVip-xWGQgSwEkYk8uK0E6JCIcIQgKR4cWNpeJSp1mOfTdIbiyZ-nI7YnWT0YMgGLJF1fBS-ZVecwbOagyKtNEWbsf8_cqbMqj/s320/Val%20author%20pic.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"><p><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></p>Thank you for inviting me to your blog today, Sue. It is always lovely to have a chance to chat with you.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;"><b>For the benefit of those who are new to your books, please can you tell us a little about yourself?<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;"><b> </b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 16.799999px;">I have been writing and telling stories all my life. When I was a child, I used to make up stories for my little sister after our Mum put the light out and told us to go to sleep. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 16.799999px;">Much later in life, I took early retirement when I was diagnosed with breast cancer, and there were times when I suffered severe side effects from my treatment. I could not go out, spend time with friends or indulge in many of my favourite hobbies, but watching daytime television got very old very fast, so I turned to reading, but even that lost its lustre after a while. My husband jokingly suggested that I write a book – and here we are!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;"><b>Your books have a wonderfully diverse cast of characters. What gave you the inspiration for them?<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;"><b> </b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;">Some of my characters are based on people I have come across in real life, but most of them are figments of my rather over-active imagination. I created each of them considering what I wanted them to portray and the gaps in stories that I wanted them to fill. Not every character appears in each book; however, many of them are recurring characters.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;"><b>Do you have a favourite character?<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;">Many of my readers are in love with Hunter or his DC Tim Myerscough, but my favourite character is Jamie Thomson. He is the most unsuccessful villain but has a good heart. Even when he attempts a housebreaking or a theft, it is with providing for his family in mind.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;"><b>How important is setting in your novels?<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;">The DI Hunter Wilson Thrillers are set in Edinburgh. This was a fundamental decision because so many people have visited it and it is a beautiful place. It is also small by city standards which makes it easy for my characters to navigate and plausible that they will know each other. Edinburgh is almost as important a character as Hunter Wilson.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeFgP5ume5fdNbxViGxQKC_nJb9MPkBg-M_ueZ1vEqzarty90w8UgyH90v71P5gLzwqdATR342T9dv6FcclXiflJZgVjjEnTV5UOG0KUjJui1HkWV8KHtcYba30BclQQq2A8nbz6SaprtKkdI4-AptE9HZCBpe6dCtmYHcHfNBQxCkKFZ1SCcuEo9D/s361/edinburgh%20police%20cars.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="361" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeFgP5ume5fdNbxViGxQKC_nJb9MPkBg-M_ueZ1vEqzarty90w8UgyH90v71P5gLzwqdATR342T9dv6FcclXiflJZgVjjEnTV5UOG0KUjJui1HkWV8KHtcYba30BclQQq2A8nbz6SaprtKkdI4-AptE9HZCBpe6dCtmYHcHfNBQxCkKFZ1SCcuEo9D/s320/edinburgh%20police%20cars.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;"><b style="font-size: 11pt;">To what extent are your plots influenced by the setting?</b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;">Edinburgh is a vibrant multicultural city so my plots could as easily be set in any similar city in the world, but I know Edinburgh well, and know how its people think and react. To that extent the setting does influence the stories.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;"><o:p><br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;"><b>What are you working on at the moment?<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;">My new publishers, SpellBound Books, are publishing new editions of my back catalogue, which is an exciting diversion for me. This gives me lots of time to work on the next book in the DI Hunter Wilson Thrillers, <i>Hunter’s Force</i>, which will be published early in 2023, and the next book in the series of Jane Renwick Thrillers, <i>A Fighting Chance</i>.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;"><b>Finally: Is there a question that you wish I’d asked…?<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">You write a blog and keep a social media presence, as well as writing books. From an author’s perspective, how does this benefit both you and your readers?</span></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt 25.1pt;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;"><b>… and how would you answer it?<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;">I like to keep in touch with my readers and to hear from them through my website (<a href="http://www.valpenny.com/" style="color: #954f72;">www.valpenny.com</a>), my blog, and on social media. It is always lovely to keep in touch.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;"><b>MORE ABOUT VAL</b>:</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;">Val Penny has a Bachelor of Law degree from the University of Edinburgh and her MSc from Napier University. She has had many jobs, including hairdresser, waitress, banker, azalea farmer and lecturer, but has not yet achieved either of her childhood dreams of being a ballerina or owning a candy store. Until those dreams come true, she has turned her hand to writing poetry, short stories, non-fiction and novels.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;">Val is an American author living in SW Scotland. She has two adult daughters of whom she is justly proud, and lives with her husband and their cat.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAk5-u-vu4G4kLnXEdKqR164VsgeTvtSNRHGOBgaZKLMVGbx3Am2_MrIpXJ2Ff0z75r4_LnxeiLgLIniqoWVh3iNycEWqrScR2-iCgkKQ7NHHQ5ff7ZsuFtg-LFXfkBEOLZq50Vfg1djBMulAHL6qYWlVons73CK7LryVxzlJh6Kvoj5cnJAWiuzTM/s800/Hunter's%20Revenge%20SB%20Cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="512" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAk5-u-vu4G4kLnXEdKqR164VsgeTvtSNRHGOBgaZKLMVGbx3Am2_MrIpXJ2Ff0z75r4_LnxeiLgLIniqoWVh3iNycEWqrScR2-iCgkKQ7NHHQ5ff7ZsuFtg-LFXfkBEOLZq50Vfg1djBMulAHL6qYWlVons73CK7LryVxzlJh6Kvoj5cnJAWiuzTM/s320/Hunter's%20Revenge%20SB%20Cover.jpg" width="205" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;"><b>MORE ABOUT HUNTER WILSON</b>:</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #0f1111;">Hunter by name – Hunter by nature.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #0f1111;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #0f1111;">Detective Inspector Hunter Wilson is a loyal friend and a fair leader. He is called to the scene of a murder in Edinburgh where the corpse has been fatally shot. He is dismayed to find the victim is his friend and <span style="caret-color: rgb(15, 17, 17);">colleague</span>, George Reinbold. Hunter must investigate Reinhold's murky past in Germany to identify George's killer.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #0f1111;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #0f1111;">At the same time, Hunter is tasked with looking into a previously-undetected criminal gang supplying drugs from Peru. There seems to be no connection between the murder and the drug supply, until Hunter unexpectedly secures help from inmates of the local jail.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #0f1111;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #0f1111;">Hunter's investigations are hampered by distracted members of his team and unobservant witnesses.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #0f1111;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #0f1111;">Reinbold was not the quiet old man Hunter believed him to be, and his killer bore their grudge for a lifetime.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #0f1111;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #0f1111;">To order your copy of <i>Hunter's Revenge</i>, click <b><a href="geni.us/a13c " target="_blank">here</a></b>.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm;"><b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #0f1111;"> </span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm;"><br /></p>Broad Thoughts From A Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08798249743031672360noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6185513237391465906.post-60421661932633327932022-11-25T12:36:00.001+00:002022-11-25T12:36:59.713+00:00REVIEW: THE NO-HOPERS' CHRISTMAS CLUB by Geraldine Ryan <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYp8iauFxZRRSjCEShLsXBYdAd4k1yMPmEOqI34HuM4MaWdPuUuyRyDxkdaWpHiQ2Q_SXQUtZ2Y8zSHQgJhVjmCFvQpcVYEFyVyE-hiyHzZMAy-onc2ZPxB3eP-nP-R3h8ls-PRsmYkqt0ztk-_GRE9kkFORqS1xy8IEaAex0hqJkh7juC2A1G8e1l/s2418/No-Hopers%20KDP%20EBOOK%20FINAL.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2418" data-original-width="1556" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYp8iauFxZRRSjCEShLsXBYdAd4k1yMPmEOqI34HuM4MaWdPuUuyRyDxkdaWpHiQ2Q_SXQUtZ2Y8zSHQgJhVjmCFvQpcVYEFyVyE-hiyHzZMAy-onc2ZPxB3eP-nP-R3h8ls-PRsmYkqt0ztk-_GRE9kkFORqS1xy8IEaAex0hqJkh7juC2A1G8e1l/s320/No-Hopers%20KDP%20EBOOK%20FINAL.jpg" width="206" /></a></div><p></p><p><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></p><p><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">In the run-up to Christmas, we’re often far too busy to sit down and read a full-length novel (tempting though it might be).</span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">But a collection of festive short stories, one or two of which can be read as time permits, is ideal for a few minutes of self-indulgent relaxation amidst the chaos.</span></p><p><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">Each of the eighteen stories in this anthology has Christmas or New Year at its heart, but all are touchingly different in content - and all are uplifting and thought-provoking at the same time. The anthology can be enjoyed by anyone, of any age, who needs a feel-good Christmas treat. Highly recommended.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><i><br /></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><b>MORE ABOUT THE BOOK:</b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><i>As warming as a mince pie and a glass of sherry, these eighteen festive-themed shorts are just waiting to be unwrapped.<span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><i>- A lonely dog shelter volunteer battles to find new homes for her long-time canine residents while realising her own future is just as uncertain. As the new year approaches, can a fellow animal lover give her the fresh start she so wants for her dogs?<o:p></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><i>- A widowed grandmother prepares to reunite with her forbidden first love, only to discover the grand country pile from where he’s sent her a Christmas card isn’t quite what it seems.<o:p></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><i>- A single woman finally meets a man to couple up with over the festive season, but will the eccentric mistress of her late father destroy her plans?<o:p></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><i>- An ambitious 20-something attends a lavish Christmas party with only one aim – to bag a rich husband. But her plans are derailed when a troubling connection with the aristocrat she’s set her sights on is revealed.</i><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><span style="font-size: 14.666667px;"><i>Geraldine Ryan is a prolific short-story writer whose work has appeared in Woman’s Weekly and Take a Break’s Fiction Feast magazines. This yuletide collection follows hot on the heels of her first published anthology Riding Pillion with George Clooney. While Christmas comes but once a year, these moving and humorous tales will stay with you for a lifetime.</i></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><b>Purchase Links: </b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">UK - <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/No-Hopers-Christmas-Club-Geraldine-Ryan-ebook/dp/B0BMJST5H8/" style="color: #954f72;">https://www.amazon.co.uk/No-Hopers-Christmas-Club-Geraldine-Ryan-ebook/dp/B0BMJST5H8/</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">US - <a href="https://www.amazon.com/No-Hopers-Christmas-Club-Geraldine-Ryan-ebook/dp/B0BMJST5H8/" style="color: #954f72;">https://www.amazon.com/No-Hopers-Christmas-Club-Geraldine-Ryan-ebook/dp/B0BMJST5H8/</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><b style="font-size: 14.666667px;">MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR: </b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Geraldine Ryan is a proud Northerner who has spent most of her life in Cambridge – the one with the punts. She holds a degree in Scandinavian Studies, but these days only puts it to use when identifying which language is being spoken among the characters of whatever Scandi drama is currently showing on TV. For many years, she worked as a teacher of English and of English as a second or foreign language, in combination with rearing her four children, all of whom are now grown-up, responsible citizens. Her first published story appeared in <i>My Weekly</i> in 1993. Since then, her stories have appeared in <i>Take a Break, Fiction Feast</i> and <i>Woman’s Weekly</i>, as well as in women’s magazines abroad. She has also written two young adult novels – <i>Model Behaviour</i> (published by Scholastic) and <i>The Lies and Loves of Finn</i> (Channel 4 Books.) She plans for <i>Riding Pillion with George Clooney</i> to be the first of several short story anthologies. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Keep up to date with Geraldine’s news, be the first to hear about her new releases and read exclusive content by signing up to her monthly newsletter <i>Turning the Page</i>. By adding your details, you’ll also receive a free short story. Use this link to subscribe: <a href="https://bit.ly/Turningthepage" style="color: #954f72;">https://bit.ly/Turningthepage</a> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Social Media Links – </span><a href="https://twitter.com/GeraldineRyan" style="color: #954f72; font-size: 11pt;">https://twitter.com/GeraldineRyan</a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/geraldineryanwriter" style="color: #954f72;">https://www.facebook.com/geraldineryanwriter</a><o:p></o:p></p><p><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieTHEkGv8kVkh6zrwEftj11DyatRAMD2XL28eIABLe0pezlV_6wx-ABYHFs0NlZggY-sVokD3Wono-tA4PFMOA8xQcd5tQti7xVCNCkAyfqtxVV4zAEWtio7lEU0uH8K9kA4iNmbSJ9474OhOL81RI9F8j7uJOkDhuh0M7xFPnQe4oqzxScIdDdLfr/s2969/The%20No-Hopers%20Christmas%20Club%20Full%20Tour%20Banner.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2418" data-original-width="2969" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieTHEkGv8kVkh6zrwEftj11DyatRAMD2XL28eIABLe0pezlV_6wx-ABYHFs0NlZggY-sVokD3Wono-tA4PFMOA8xQcd5tQti7xVCNCkAyfqtxVV4zAEWtio7lEU0uH8K9kA4iNmbSJ9474OhOL81RI9F8j7uJOkDhuh0M7xFPnQe4oqzxScIdDdLfr/s320/The%20No-Hopers%20Christmas%20Club%20Full%20Tour%20Banner.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"><p><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><i>Huge thanks to Rachel's Random Resources for the opportunity to take part in this blog tour. Do check out the other posts - </i></span><i><span style="font-size: 14.666667px;">details</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> are on the banner above.</span></i></p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p>Broad Thoughts From A Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08798249743031672360noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6185513237391465906.post-25492930477041658832022-10-28T11:29:00.000+01:002022-10-28T11:29:49.334+01:00WHY I TURNED TO CRIME - a guest post by Miriam Drori<div style="text-align: left;"><i>Today I'm thrilled to welcome back to Broad Thoughts my dear friend, fellow-author and all-round lovely person Miriam Drori. Miriam and I started our writing careers at around the same time and have been friends for more than ten years - first online and later in person. Miriam has recently become the newest member of <a href="https://ocelot-press.com/" target="_blank">Ocelot Press</a> (a co-operative of independent authors publishing together) and her first Ocelot Press title, <b><a href="https://mybook.to/StyleandtheSolitary" target="_blank">Style and the Solitary</a></b>, was officially released yesterday. This novel, which was originally published by Darkstroke Books, is also her first venture into writing in a different genre, and she's here to tell us a bit more about it.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhR1LKR7txpYIXWCLiy1Vvjh3uPrIndnOd4-W8N84ntCneO7BjcLbWpQjvvs0LtlAmKusFVTs-iY-asmGKFg3_03X10ZSt1F-Q3U2WArTzqRzNTVgj-x8Rk_5zYB2N_3X0b5EXWdPlCNUDflP_jeouMkLzNnZHcsnNtrreYqjYtcygbczCXuAvLqJh/s820/ProfilePic%20MiriamDrori.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="820" data-original-width="820" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhR1LKR7txpYIXWCLiy1Vvjh3uPrIndnOd4-W8N84ntCneO7BjcLbWpQjvvs0LtlAmKusFVTs-iY-asmGKFg3_03X10ZSt1F-Q3U2WArTzqRzNTVgj-x8Rk_5zYB2N_3X0b5EXWdPlCNUDflP_jeouMkLzNnZHcsnNtrreYqjYtcygbczCXuAvLqJh/s320/ProfilePic%20MiriamDrori.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Welcome, Miriam!</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Thank you, Sue. It's good to be back.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Growing up, I never dreamed of a life of crime. I didn’t even dream of becoming an author at all. My reading experience, while fairly sparse, wasn’t limited to a particular genre. Yes, I liked books by Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle, but they weren’t the only books I read.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Decades later, when I decided to turn my hand to writing books (as opposed to the technical documents that had kept me busy for many years), crime wasn’t the first genre that jumped into my brain. I began with non-fiction, which was all I felt capable of writing, certain that creativity wasn’t one of my abilities. The book was about social anxiety, an outcome of a growing passion to raise awareness of that disorder.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">At some point, I began to think that fiction might be a better way of getting my message out. In fiction, you can drill inside a character’s head (metaphorically, of course) in a way you can’t in non-fiction. But I didn’t know how to write fiction and I wasn’t creative.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The first problem was alleviated by extensive reading about the craft. The second? I used settings I was familiar with and real stories of people I’d ‘met’ online. My main character was based on several of those people. I wrote my novel, worked on it with a writing group and then sent it to be professionally critiqued. Finally, I understood its main flaw: nothing happened in the story – nothing exciting, anyway.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">My next task, after writing a romance and having it accepted for publication, was to find something exciting that would affect my character and become the basis of the story. A murder was my first what-if: What if my socially anxious character was accused of murder? How would he be able to stand up for himself and explain the truth to people in authority, especially in a court of law?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">But then I had a different idea, planted just before an amazing trip and sprouting after it. What if my character was sent to Japan on work? How would he manage there, and how would that affect his life on returning home? These were the questions that nagged at me until I turned my thoughts into the novel, <i><b><a href="http://mybook.to/CultivatingAFuji" target="_blank">Cultivating a Fuji</a></b></i>. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJHj8uYTQ-BkGG45cVBsHifgBBdj9y8F-1jC9U3q3aucrlTspoO2UdIeD-mSMnaAbOV5qP07RNKjovL-QwfZyCZfQahiOyDZoXPo2F73mDinUMM_2awEEn2JYN7syDAnDHwAiPz--272bOiIjRky8RNGiJsSM6UEok2mDSesvXEYDn6BeK2Dnk_bMG/s1159/CoverFront%20-%20Resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1159" data-original-width="709" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJHj8uYTQ-BkGG45cVBsHifgBBdj9y8F-1jC9U3q3aucrlTspoO2UdIeD-mSMnaAbOV5qP07RNKjovL-QwfZyCZfQahiOyDZoXPo2F73mDinUMM_2awEEn2JYN7syDAnDHwAiPz--272bOiIjRky8RNGiJsSM6UEok2mDSesvXEYDn6BeK2Dnk_bMG/s320/CoverFront%20-%20Resized.jpg" width="196" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It was only when I finished it that murderous tendencies returned. The only time I had to testify from a witness stand, my performance was dismal. I also heard about a woman who wanted to testify against her rapist but found herself struck dumb in the event. How would my character manage?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">When I say “my character,” I don’t mean the same character from <i><b>Cultivating a Fuji</b></i>. That one managed to live his whole life without being accused of murder. No, I created a new character with a new name, nationality and profession. The characters around him are different, as are the settings. And I based the story, loosely, on <i><b>Beauty and the Beast</b></i>, giving it a similar title: <i><b>Style and the Solitary</b></i>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">After the novel was accepted by Darkstroke and people began to talk about it, they mentioned the crime genre, and I suddenly realised I’d joined a vast pool of crime novelists. Up to then, I’d thought of my story as one that happened to contain a murder. I suppose I didn’t really turn to crime at all; it was more a case of crime finding me.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This whole process has taught me something else. It seems I do have an imagination and therefore an ability to be creative. I expect we all do if we put our minds to it.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Edition 2 of </span><a href="https://mybook.to/StyleandtheSolitary" style="color: #954f72; font-family: arial;"><i>Style and the Solitary</i></a><span style="font-family: arial;"> is now available from </span><a href="https://ocelot-press.com/" style="color: #954f72; font-family: arial;">Ocelot Press</a><span style="font-family: arial;">.</span></p><h2 style="break-after: avoid; color: #2f5496; font-weight: normal; line-height: 18.546667px; margin: 2pt 0cm 0cm; text-align: justify;"><br /></h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6XGXggjO8UNklH2pK7Rb_fdoI7NYur12m6SQRPA1zQhLkOMW1bwUCkZm4jL8GZ6QVgNgzx6oiwzBP4FJo2OD2IudN8jYqwugQclvrJNiatIwKRRFG0xReRH1S5N-NIsSFP_D33eZkaWfTc1SbjtumW_m-y_xSvxdi9KCHoX0eShhcvqsUert7ZpOi/s640/FrontCover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="401" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6XGXggjO8UNklH2pK7Rb_fdoI7NYur12m6SQRPA1zQhLkOMW1bwUCkZm4jL8GZ6QVgNgzx6oiwzBP4FJo2OD2IudN8jYqwugQclvrJNiatIwKRRFG0xReRH1S5N-NIsSFP_D33eZkaWfTc1SbjtumW_m-y_xSvxdi9KCHoX0eShhcvqsUert7ZpOi/s320/FrontCover.jpg" width="201" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">An unexpected murder. A suspect with a motive. The power of unwavering belief.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A murder has been committed in an office in Jerusalem. Asaf, who works there, is the suspect. But is the case as clear-cut as it seems?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Asaf is locked in a cell and in his own protective wall, unable to tell his story even to himself. How can he tell it to a chief inspector or a judge? The fear would paralyse him.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">His colleague, Nathalie, has studied Beauty and the Beast. She understands that staunch belief can effect change. As the only one who believes in Asaf’s innocence, she’s motivated to act on his behalf. But she’s new in the company – and in the country. Who will take her seriously?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She cajoles her two flatmates into helping her investigate. As they uncover new trails, will they be able to change people's minds about Asaf?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Will Nathalie’s belief in Asaf impel him to defeat his own demons and clear his name?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://mybook.to/StyleandtheSolitary" style="color: #954f72;"><i>Style and the Solitary</i></a> was released through <a href="https://ocelot-press.com/" style="color: #954f72;">Ocelot Press</a> on 27th October 2022.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><h2 style="break-after: avoid; color: #2f5496; font-family: "Calibri Light", sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 18.546667px; margin: 2pt 0cm 0cm;">Miriam Drori<o:p></o:p></h2><div><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Miriam Drori, author, editor and social anxiety warrior, worked as a computer programmer and a technical writer before turning her attention to full-time writing. Her novels and short stories cover several genres, including crime, romance and uplifting fiction. She has also written a non-fiction book about social anxiety.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Born and raised in London, Miriam now lives in Jerusalem. She has travelled widely, putting her discoveries to good use as settings in her writing. Her characters are not based on real people, but rather are formed from an amalgam of the many and varied individuals who have embellished her life.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">When not writing, she likes reading, hiking, dancing and touring.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693334px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">You can find Miriam at her <a href="https://miriamdrori.com/" style="color: #954f72;">website</a>, <a href="http://author.to/MiriamDroriAtAmazon" style="color: #954f72;">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/miriamdroriauthor/" style="color: #954f72;">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/MiriamDrori" style="color: #954f72;">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/miriam.drori/" style="color: #954f72;">Instagram</a> and elsewhere.<o:p></o:p></p><p><br /></p>Broad Thoughts From A Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08798249743031672360noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6185513237391465906.post-30687673349169638742022-08-28T11:22:00.000+01:002022-08-28T11:22:14.920+01:00Review: GERALD PHILEY'S EURO-DIARY by Brendan James<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><i><br /></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 11pt; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghWzOWs353GsnQv5OkwKhM5oN2ILNA0dVtnGsfrvXuiO4S-aaDfW0hYU-0KxsF8ejxJEqxhjMlIE6gCHxdGc6SkfaCgbQvkCw5odO58Q1k7Lrgy9Sz8vEZTmVFYZgVj7UBza-XTdx9N4iZBjme5PTBSJjeidGh66aJvCF7XFRd4WSgKJypFVmyPeXR/s2455/Gerard%20-%20Brendan%20Bartram%20Front%20Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2455" data-original-width="1611" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghWzOWs353GsnQv5OkwKhM5oN2ILNA0dVtnGsfrvXuiO4S-aaDfW0hYU-0KxsF8ejxJEqxhjMlIE6gCHxdGc6SkfaCgbQvkCw5odO58Q1k7Lrgy9Sz8vEZTmVFYZgVj7UBza-XTdx9N4iZBjme5PTBSJjeidGh66aJvCF7XFRd4WSgKJypFVmyPeXR/s320/Gerard%20-%20Brendan%20Bartram%20Front%20Cover.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><i style="font-size: 11pt;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><i style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></i></p></i><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><i>"Could there be a world of interest and adventure beyond the Midlands? A world of confidence, sex and excitement? A better life - a better me?"</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><i>These are the questions Gerard Philey grapples with over New Year, 1995. Sitting in his rented Black Country room, reflecting on his thankless teaching job and miserable love life, he courageously decides to abandon his humdrum existence and embark on a quest for Euro-fulfilment, fun and fitness on the Continent.</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><i>After a shaky start in Brussels, events manoeuvre him to Amsterdam where chance encounters shift his world well and truly into fifth gear. He samples the trials and tribulations of new relationships, alongside managing a sex shop in the city’s Red Light Area – on top of the challenges of fat-free living and international travel!<br /><br />Through his bittersweet diary, we see how Gerard steers a laugh-out-loud course through farcical episodes and fanciful characters...and how entanglements from past and present draw him unwittingly into a criminal underworld where events ultimately take their toll.</i><o:p></o:p></p><p><br /></p><p>It has been a pleasure to read and review this light-hearted page-turner, in which a stuck-in-a-rut schoolteacher makes a snap decision to leave his life of drudgery in the Midlands and take full advantage of the new-found freedoms offered by the Maastricht Treaty. He sets off on a new adventure which takes him to a new and exciting life in the buzzing heart of Amsterdam.</p><p>It's difficult to say too much about this highly enjoyable book without giving away the plot. But suffice it to say that the author brings the Dutch capital vividly to life through the eyes of the hapless and naïf protagonist, who comes across as a lovable adult version of Adrian Mole.</p><p>The book gives a lovely insight into life in Amsterdam in the mid-1990s - and is a poignant and bitter-sweet reminder of what was subsequently stolen from the British people by the disaster that is Brexit.</p><p><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Purchase Link - <a href="https://amzn.to/3spEKZ9" style="color: #954f72;" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/3spEKZ9</a><o:p></o:p></p><p><br /></p><p><b>MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR</b>:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpDTJBCUV2hU5j7c_v-i3qO3u6260555w-TsnrNhewXnubzXpN9DU0AAkEdd95jyQ9Tg21BQ1Q7hgUAx9RbxQxfjmmWTxxDdzi6hYPL5zXZz-KD1Gsfg8SpDTZlT-2Qh88_kipPbqPJ46FGoXMP9IZ5H7wIjwW1coIX9qaVqfdi43UMEVqSx3aWS9g/s640/Gerard%20-%2020220525_142643.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpDTJBCUV2hU5j7c_v-i3qO3u6260555w-TsnrNhewXnubzXpN9DU0AAkEdd95jyQ9Tg21BQ1Q7hgUAx9RbxQxfjmmWTxxDdzi6hYPL5zXZz-KD1Gsfg8SpDTZlT-2Qh88_kipPbqPJ46FGoXMP9IZ5H7wIjwW1coIX9qaVqfdi43UMEVqSx3aWS9g/s320/Gerard%20-%2020220525_142643.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Brendan James is the author of the new comedy novel </span><i style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Gerard Philey’s Euro-Diary: Quest for a Life</i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">. Though this is his first novel, he has a large number of non-fiction publications (under the name Brendan Bartram) as a former university lecturer and researcher. A passionate linguist and Europhile, he spent a number of years working in the Netherlands, France and Germany. He lives in the West Midlands with his husband.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Social Media Links – <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Goodreads - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/450811.Brendan_James" style="color: #954f72;" target="_blank">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/450811.Brendan_James</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">LinkedIn - <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendan-james-4343a8237/" style="color: #954f72;" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendan-james-4343a8237/</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Twitter - <a href="https://twitter.com/Brendan23015569" style="color: #954f72;">@Brendan23015569</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Huge thanks to Rachel's Random Resources for the opportunity to take part in this blog tour. Do check out the other posts (details below).</i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjad8nBnfy-wmYYrUIlMZBxg_Nyh34AisahWCgq8mFZoKbBVw0c_QgfersdWr3T7iCoWpj6JFwPIw4ciBiLfAmClnH0dJWZjw0RXzscIg9SIUJSg_PlcMR3MO94hMp5ij6H7HMru1Rbql11_HpdDLz2lyUIX-oZXV0OhEEas07O6EoOy2IBPAdXq9_7/s3004/Gerard%20Philey%20Euro%20Diary%20Full%20Tour%20Banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2352" data-original-width="3004" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjad8nBnfy-wmYYrUIlMZBxg_Nyh34AisahWCgq8mFZoKbBVw0c_QgfersdWr3T7iCoWpj6JFwPIw4ciBiLfAmClnH0dJWZjw0RXzscIg9SIUJSg_PlcMR3MO94hMp5ij6H7HMru1Rbql11_HpdDLz2lyUIX-oZXV0OhEEas07O6EoOy2IBPAdXq9_7/s320/Gerard%20Philey%20Euro%20Diary%20Full%20Tour%20Banner.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Broad Thoughts From A Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08798249743031672360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6185513237391465906.post-28062086282157589642022-08-23T11:40:00.000+01:002022-08-23T11:40:10.236+01:00KINDRED SPIRITS: REGAL RETRIBUTION - a guest post by Jennifer C Wilson <p>Today I'm delighted to welcome back my friend and fellow-author Jennifer C Wilson, whose latest novel in the acclaimed <b><i>Kindred Spirits </i></b>series was released a couple of weeks ago. I had the pleasure of working with Jen as editor of this book (not that it needed very much editing), and believe me, it's an absolute cracker.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMZkic0W7Rw1fZG1a_zlPctZjKCwyUhLQ318ofxsv0-8B83PeKaMawGmch8wx35cDTUDx-l7CMQTVRfLWLo7tp6u29GyZk5CpK6BsB4cm-fSa1J2D-YPS639MccR9Gs8INSF8XCRC5On2_luo2lBfKfEETS9zaZdzte0IDimna9dI_YtNOqoOqGwTb/s1280/JCW-KS-RegalRetribution.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="802" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMZkic0W7Rw1fZG1a_zlPctZjKCwyUhLQ318ofxsv0-8B83PeKaMawGmch8wx35cDTUDx-l7CMQTVRfLWLo7tp6u29GyZk5CpK6BsB4cm-fSa1J2D-YPS639MccR9Gs8INSF8XCRC5On2_luo2lBfKfEETS9zaZdzte0IDimna9dI_YtNOqoOqGwTb/s320/JCW-KS-RegalRetribution.jpeg" width="201" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><i><b>Here, Jen shares a key scene from the novel:</b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt 36pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm;"><a name="_Toc102803897"><i>Across London, ghosts are being targeted, haunted – not an easy thing to reconcile, being a spirit. Because spirits can be faded: forcibly moved on to, frankly, nobody knows where. And nobody wants to find out. Here, what starts as a perfectly pleasant day in the Tower of London suddenly turns sour for Katherine Howard. </i><o:p></o:p></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt 36pt; text-align: start; text-indent: 0cm;"><a name="_Toc102803897"><i><br /></i></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt 36pt; text-align: start; text-indent: 0cm;"><b>Chapter Twenty-Four</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt 36pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm;">With so many incidents happening around the capital, the soldiers who haunted the city’s palaces, stately homes and other residences had been pressed into guard duty more than ever. They had always taken a security role of sorts, keeping an eye on the monarchs who inhabited their mini-realms, but with attacks increasing in frequency, most had upped their game even before they were asked. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt 36pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm;">Now, every building of historical significance had a guard either permanently positioned outside, or had a rota of regular patrols keeping watch. The majority of their efforts still centred around the queens, together with others who had a strong link to Henry VIII, but nobody wanted to take a risk. The ghosts’ council of Westminster Abbey had taken a lead role in the main coordination, with Richard [III] and the Georges [Boleyn and Clarence] taking charge in the Tower, refusing to give anyone else power in what they saw as their domain. Nobody bothered to challenge them, in view of the mood Boleyn and Clarence had been in since word of Henry’s activities had got out. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt 36pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm;">The pair had been so determined not to be blamed for either the main attacks, or any of the copycat efforts, that neither Boleyn nor Clarence had taken part in a single haunting for weeks. Not even their usual ‘rising from the fake barrel of malmsey’ trick had been spotted, by the living or the dead. Frankly, the spirits of the Tower were finding the new, serious attitude of their usually jovial neighbours almost as disturbing as the ghost-on-ghost hauntings. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt 36pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm;">“Please, brother, Clarence, it’s been weeks, we are all glum; we urgently need some cheer in our lives.” Anne [Boleyn] begged Boleyn and his partner-in-crime to do something, anything, to entertain her, as the trio stood at the top of the White Tower looking down on their home. They weren’t officially keeping watch, but more often than not the days would find at least two spirits up on the rooftop, keeping a vague eye on what was happening below. It wasn’t perfect by any means, but if anything happened in the Tower’s confines, it was one of the better spots to be amongst the first to hear of it. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt 36pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm;">As it happened, they got a much closer view of things than they’d anticipated. Katherine Howard practically bounced out of the entrance to the roof, a smile on her face and a spring in her step. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt 36pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm;">“Morning! Isn’t it a lovely day!” she exclaimed, moving over to join them at the balustrade. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt 36pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm;">“You’re in a good mood,” Boleyn said, knocking his shoulder against hers. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt 36pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm;">“I am indeed. The sun is shining, there’s a steel band setting up out on the riverside, and even Richard smiled at me earlier.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt 36pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm;">“Richard smiled? A positive change for sure,” said Clarence, leaning over the edge. “Where is he?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt 36pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm;">Only Anne narrowed her eyes. “I wonder what’s put him in a good mood. He’d have told us, surely?”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt 36pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm;">“Oh, sister, are you jealous for not knowing our mighty leader’s inner thoughts first?” joked Boleyn, sticking his tongue between his teeth and wiggling his eyebrows at her.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt 36pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm;">Anne opened her mouth to reply, but Katherine’s cry froze the words on her tongue. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt 36pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm;">“Clarence! Stop it!”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt 36pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm;">Three pairs of eyes were suddenly focused on the young former queen – including, Anne noticed, Clarence’s. He was nowhere near close enough to have been doing anything to her cousin. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt 36pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm;">“Katherine?” Anne looked around the rooftop, still seemingly empty other than the four of them. “Katherine, what is it?”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt 36pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm;">“Th-there was a hand on my neck. I swear there was,” Katherine replied, looking around wildly, her eyes wide with terror. “No!” she shrieked, batting away an invisible attacker. “No, please, leave me alone!”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt 36pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm;">To their credit, in a heartbeat, both Georges reached for where their swords would have been, moving forward in unison to try and help their friend and cousin. They were halted only for a moment by Anne putting her hands out in front of them. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt 36pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm;">“Wait, how can you attack what we cannot even see?”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt 36pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm;">“We have to try,” called Boleyn, as he rushed to Katherine’s side, trying to move his own body in between her and the direction the attack appeared to be coming from. Clarence appeared to take the hint and covered her other side, the two men effectively forming a human cage around Katherine. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt 36pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm;">It worked for a moment, until a flash of green materialised, at knee-height, and barrelled at the small group. The Georges were steady enough on their feet to remain standing, but Katherine, unnerved and anxious, stumbled backwards out of the protective ring and fell hard against the floor, unable to prevent herself vanishing through into the space below. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt 36pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm;">“Katherine!” cried Anne, following downward in a more controlled manner, hoping whoever was attacking would remain on the roof, distracted by the Georges. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt 36pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm;">No such luck. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt 36pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm;">Distracted by the fall, and still in a state of shock, Katherine had slipped into full visibility for a moment. This also made her fully tangible – which put her at risk. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt 36pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm;">Too late, Anne saw the great bulk of their ex-husband at Katherine’s side, knife drawn. There was a flash of silver, followed by two screams, then he was gone as quickly as he’d appeared. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt 36pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm;">It took a moment for Anne to realise one of the screams had been her own. She dashed to her cousin’s side, pulling her into a tight hug as the younger woman simply stared down at her hand. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt 36pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm;">“Kat, Kat, come on, you have to vanish. Now, before somebody comes. Katherine!”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt 36pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm;">The use of her full name seemed to pull Katherine back into herself, and in a moment, both women were once again visible only to other spirits. Or at least, most of them were. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt 36pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm;">“My hand… Look at my hand,” whispered Katherine, her voice shaking with fear. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt 36pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm;">Anne looked down. To her horror, Katherine’s hand was flickering, the pattern of her gown visible as it flashed briefly into transparency. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt 36pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm;">Katherine was fading. <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>MORE ABOUT THE BOOK:</i></b></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><b><i>Kindred Spirits: Regal Retribution</i></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">A visit to London’s West End sends an already angry ghost into a fury, vowing revenge on those he believes have wronged him in life (and in death). <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Soon, the attacks begin – across the city and beyond – revealing that rarest of beings: haunted ghosts!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">When a pattern starts to emerge, a council is established to formulate a plan, but can they work out who is behind the hauntings? As the severity escalates, can the combined force stop the avenging spirit, before the worst happens?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Bringing together the ghostly communities of the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey and other places, discover friendships and feuding in the race to retaliation…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">Purchase Links <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">US – <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B3238S5Y/" style="color: #954f72;">https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B3238S5Y/</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">UK – <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0B3238S5Y/" style="color: #954f72;">https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0B3238S5Y/</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><br /></p><p><b><i>MORE ABOUT JEN:</i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA2291vI1JystU3TKEJvUWrStxHXkCGiPxv7l5ffCjv89NuVWOjiFvTEkMCLzia2SNTveD4kXDGqQFpXPjvMHvhA3UXJbavs7V8f0LAscWzrBPijRFCOkyJEu2swqiB1MmydhQb49EhziQm4nnsMyEv9clk28xMT4S1npEHurged6V1x_75yNDhS9_/s678/JenniferCWilson-AuthorPhoto-B&W.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="581" data-original-width="678" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA2291vI1JystU3TKEJvUWrStxHXkCGiPxv7l5ffCjv89NuVWOjiFvTEkMCLzia2SNTveD4kXDGqQFpXPjvMHvhA3UXJbavs7V8f0LAscWzrBPijRFCOkyJEu2swqiB1MmydhQb49EhziQm4nnsMyEv9clk28xMT4S1npEHurged6V1x_75yNDhS9_/s320/JenniferCWilson-AuthorPhoto-B&W.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-align: left;">Jennifer has been stalking dead monarchs since she was a child. It started with Mary, Queen of Scots, then moved onto Richard III. At least now it results in a story!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: left;">She won North Tyneside Libraries' Story Tyne short story competition in 2014 (no dead monarchs, but still not a cheerful read), and has been filling notebooks and hard-drives ever since. Her Kindred Spirits series, following the 'lives' of some very interesting ghostly communities, is published by Darkstroke, and her historical romances by Ocelot Press.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: left;">Jennifer is currently exploring some new ideas for historical romance, and hoping to visit Kindred Spirit friends old and new, north of the border...<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: left;">Social Media Links – <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: left;">Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/inkjunkie1984" style="color: #954f72;">https://twitter.com/inkjunkie1984</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: left;">Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jennifercwilsonwriter" style="color: #954f72;">https://www.facebook.com/jennifercwilsonwriter</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: left;">Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jennifercwilsonwriter/" style="color: #954f72;">https://www.instagram.com/jennifercwilsonwriter/</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: left;">Blog: <a href="https://jennifercwilsonwriter.wordpress.com/" style="color: #954f72;">https://jennifercwilsonwriter.wordpress.com/</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: left;">Amazon: <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jennifer-C-Wilson/e/B018UBP1ZO/" style="color: #954f72;">https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jennifer-C-Wilson/e/B018UBP1ZO/</a></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Huge thanks to Rachel's Random Resources for the opportunity to take part in this blog tour. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Do check out the other stops on the tour - details below.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5_5LJGu4jufA-L0sgL_003ebm8cWx0BVz3tyo0Wh4t4AKzESg3OsEjpDJY5AbgtjjWBg53tvY-EGqXpdRaEgUi8IK2MCCrkiNkiSTmvDR9gjTPm8emz7ZgzDTZcOpWXbDQvNPtZGfnJ4J5HB6ZEqGO2UeDOCTt4rqr6-vL-GjgTFYCAP2S1U7Hu22/s1676/Kindred%20Spirits%20Regal%20Retribution%20Full%20Tour%20Banner.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1250" data-original-width="1676" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5_5LJGu4jufA-L0sgL_003ebm8cWx0BVz3tyo0Wh4t4AKzESg3OsEjpDJY5AbgtjjWBg53tvY-EGqXpdRaEgUi8IK2MCCrkiNkiSTmvDR9gjTPm8emz7ZgzDTZcOpWXbDQvNPtZGfnJ4J5HB6ZEqGO2UeDOCTt4rqr6-vL-GjgTFYCAP2S1U7Hu22/s320/Kindred%20Spirits%20Regal%20Retribution%20Full%20Tour%20Banner.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Broad Thoughts From A Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08798249743031672360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6185513237391465906.post-6925207602004150982022-07-29T10:24:00.000+01:002022-07-29T10:24:14.295+01:00A MAN IN PIECES - an interview with Henry Corrigan<p style="text-align: justify;"><i style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Today I'm delighted to </i><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><i>welcome</i></span><i style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> my fellow-author Henry Corrigan, whose novel <b>A Man in Pieces</b> is published today by Darkstroke Books.</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoU6xTBJ4HmRKzTX8-roK0WxPdL4kpfEysSBhe2DMTyoTBqLP2OfNpRLtzfeKeyJcFR0FDhWkz2NjiXBxI968sMdC1QaJrnZZB6n56jNg6xx0XTkzc8krgkWOetKbFTLd1l6K7jSXXr0gWQVv1hNagrbmWph1g2JH9SH4uCMQtru1GpxWZ4XimhlgV/s4032/Author%20Photo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoU6xTBJ4HmRKzTX8-roK0WxPdL4kpfEysSBhe2DMTyoTBqLP2OfNpRLtzfeKeyJcFR0FDhWkz2NjiXBxI968sMdC1QaJrnZZB6n56jNg6xx0XTkzc8krgkWOetKbFTLd1l6K7jSXXr0gWQVv1hNagrbmWph1g2JH9SH4uCMQtru1GpxWZ4XimhlgV/s320/Author%20Photo.jpg" width="240" /></a></b></span></div><span lang="EN-US"><b><br /></b></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm;"><b><i style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Welcome, Henry!</i></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i> </i></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>What was the first thing you wrote?</i></b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">The first thing I can remember writing is a Voltron comic book. I was, and still am, a huge Voltron fan and while I can’t remember how old I was, I can remember that trying to draw and write at the same time was really hard, especially when it came to squeezing what I’m sure was pithy dialogue into all those word bubbles. </span><span face=""Segoe UI Emoji", sans-serif" lang="EN-US">😊</span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>Can you summarize your latest work in just a few words?<o:p></o:p></b></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Just a few words? Oh, good God, no. How about a blurb? Does a blurb work? A blurb will work. </span><span face=""Segoe UI Emoji", sans-serif" lang="EN-US">😊</span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i>Driven by bad choices and worse options, a desperate father-to-be must battle his abusive boss for the last slot at a dead-end job, but the fight may lead one of them to murder.</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>What was the inspiration for this book?</b></i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">My nightmares. I was having nightmares every other day about what some would consider to be very mundane things. Paying the bills, letting people down, dealing with a hellish job and worse co-workers, dreading something bad happening to the people I loved. I started writing the book as a way to get the nightmares out, and it wasn’t until I finished that I realised I had a story that would resonate with a lot of people. Just because something is mundane doesn’t mean it’s not malevolent. That’s the very definition of the banality of evil. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>Did you do any research for the book? </b></i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Most of my research was confined to one character, my deeply-closeted, self-hating antagonist Tom. He’s a veteran, and while I grew up around veterans (my father, grandfather and step-father), and even worked with veterans for ten years, I had no actual experience of the military. (I’m a hundred-and-sixty-pound nerd with terrible eyesight. It would’ve been a poor military that accepted me.) So I did some research in regard to military bases and certain time periods so as to make things as accurate as possible. Any inconsistencies readers may find are the fault of the research, not the author. </span><span face=""Segoe UI Emoji", sans-serif" lang="EN-US">😊</span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Segoe UI Emoji", sans-serif" lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>What does a typical writing day involve for you?</b></i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Late nights and early mornings. I have a hellish day job and a lovely wife and daughter I’d actually like to see, so in those moments when I’m not too tired, I write in little speed bursts. 15-20 minute stretches where I get something down, no matter how choppy it might be. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>How do you decide on the names for your characters?</b></i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">I had the names of a number of my characters in mind from the very beginning, especially Claire, Mike and Tom. I’d wanted names that were short, sharp, and powerful: names that might be banal on the surface but would hit over time. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>Do you plot your novels in advance, or allow them to develop as you write?</b></i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">I tell everybody that I always know how a story begins and how it ends and it’s always when I get to the middle that things go wrong. Uncovering the details of the story always ends up determining where the story will go. So it’s kind of like what they say in the military: <i>A plan always holds up until it encounters the enemy. <o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><br /></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"><i> </i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>Which writers have influenced your own writing?</b></i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Stephen King most definitely, though RL Stine started me off; I’ve got dozens of <i>Goosebumps</i> books at home. Anne Rice taught me how to draw people into a world. Kurt Vonnegut taught me to make people laugh, even if you’ve got to make them cry first. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>What has been the best part of the writing process…and the worst?</b></i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">The best part of the process is a toss-up between the actual writing, having a story come together in ways that surprise you, and getting to know readers and other authors. Having others tell you they love what you create is such an awesome feeling, I can’t properly express it in words. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">The worst part of the process is definitely the silence. It took a couple of years to write the book and then another seven years pitching it, and the worst part wasn’t being told No, but hearing nothing at all. After a while, I began to feel like the proverbial tree that fell in the forest. Regardless of whether I made a sound or not, nobody cared. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>Now the book is published and ‘out there’ how do you feel?</i></b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Better. Still anxious, I mean, I want to make a career out of this after all, but better. Knowing the book is out there, seeing the presale figures, knowing that someone has an interest in it is a huge deal for me, and I will probably cry the day I hold my book in my hands. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>Is there a message for the reader?</b></i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">My book is bleak. Full stop. I’m not going to sugarcoat this, because bleak was what I was going for. My fears of <i>What if the worst should happen?</i> were what was keeping me up at night, so I wanted to showcase the worst. To give it life and let it breathe. But despite how dark things get, I want the reader to know that it is possible to turn away from our own worst selves. In fact, being able to do that is often the only thing that saves us. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>Do you have any advice for new writers?</b></i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Get used to silence, but keep pushing. By and large, the writing community is a wonderful place, full of people looking to support you and connect with your work. They will praise you, push you and challenge you, and while that might not always be comfortable, it can still help you get to where you need to go. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>What can we expect from you in the future?</b></i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">A lot, God willing. </span><span face=""Segoe UI Emoji", sans-serif" lang="EN-US">😊</span><span lang="EN-US"> I’m actually at work on the first book in a new sci-fi series, I’ve got a new horror novella I’m editing and a couple of children’s books I’m hoping to shop around in the near future. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>Good luck with those, Henry, and thank you for being my guest today! </b></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b><br /></b></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b><br /></b></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>MORE ABOUT HENRY:</i></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><br /></i></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i>Henry Corrigan is a bisexual, omnivore author, poet and playwright who writes every kind of story. Whether it’s horror or science fiction, erotica or poetry, high fantasy or children’s books, he writes it all because every story matters to him. They’re what keeps him going. Always an avid reader, Henry started writing poetry in middle school but it wasn’t until he started writing erotica in high school that he really learned the mechanics of writing. What started out as private stories and love letters, soon became publications in anthologies.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><i><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span lang="EN-US">To date, he has the rough drafts of two science fiction books, one horror novella, one play, four children’s books, numerous poems and several song lyrics waiting in the wings. Above all, he wants to be known for not staying where he’s been put. To always surprise people, especially himself. Because that’s what makes it fun. The feeling that even he doesn’t know what he’s going to do next.</span></i></div></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZr9nxzEifz7QX_tfoSm27oMV6M12v4FPUqzHbJ1cpki2G33K-9dDVEE_yZ0wd-dJCfR12Tiygp0ShbpigmnU0Ti1Yx_-NUkysa9FemTH9hLDfwtmjqu1iMKrA9E_ag72eDQPHi79aqfUXGPMAOaGBXoI6mA0lPr26AWoYZGreNnoW3KXDtJq85a1t/s4500/Cover%20-%20A%20Man%20in%20Pieces.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4500" data-original-width="2820" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZr9nxzEifz7QX_tfoSm27oMV6M12v4FPUqzHbJ1cpki2G33K-9dDVEE_yZ0wd-dJCfR12Tiygp0ShbpigmnU0Ti1Yx_-NUkysa9FemTH9hLDfwtmjqu1iMKrA9E_ag72eDQPHi79aqfUXGPMAOaGBXoI6mA0lPr26AWoYZGreNnoW3KXDtJq85a1t/s320/Cover%20-%20A%20Man%20in%20Pieces.jpg" width="201" /></a></div><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>MORE ABOUT THE BOOK:</b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-US"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span lang="EN-US">Driven by bad choices and worse options, a desperate father-to-be must battle his abusive boss for the last slot at a dead-end job, but the fight may lead one of them to murder.</span></i></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><i><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span lang="EN-US">Mike Harper would like nothing more than to burn his dead-end job to the ground. But with a wife on bed-rest and a son on the way, discovering that the company is downsizing couldn’t come at a worse time. </span></i><i><span lang="EN-US">Now, struggling to stay afloat, Mike is forced to fight for the last remaining spot to secure his family’s future. It’s too bad that Tom, his obnoxious boss, is in the same boat.</span></i></div></i></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><i><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span lang="EN-US">Tom Downes is a man with few friends and even fewer prospects, but the aging veteran has never gone down without a fight. Now, with his health failing and his marriage falling apart, Tom is willing to do whatever it takes to keep his job.</span></i></div></i></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><i><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span lang="EN-US">With a blinding snowstorm closing in, these two desperate men will battle each other on a long and twisted road fraught with heartbreaking losses – and murder.</span></i></div></i></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><span lang="EN-US"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>For when it comes to staying afloat, the American Dream can break anyone…</i></div></span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span lang="EN-US">Sales Link:<br /></span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B1VXBZT3?geniuslink=true" style="color: #954f72;">https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B1VXBZT3<br /></a></span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span lang="EN-US">Social Media Links:<br /></span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> <br /></o:p></span><span lang="EN-US">Follow me on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/HenryCorrigan" style="color: #954f72;" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/HenryCorrigan</a></span><br /><span lang="EN-US">Amazon:<a href="https://www.amazon.com/HenryCorrigan/e/B09QLF8CCJ/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1" style="color: #954f72;" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.com/HenryCorrigan/e/B09QLF8CCJ</a></span><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span><span lang="EN-US">Check out my latest articles on Medium: <a href="https://medium.com/@HenryCorrigan" style="color: #954f72;" target="_blank">https://medium.com/@HenryCorrigan</a></span><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span><span lang="EN-US">Friend me on Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/henry.corrigan.35" style="color: #954f72;" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/henry.corrigan.35</a></span><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span><span lang="EN-US">Subscribe to my website: <a href="https://henry-corrigan-y0m6k8.mailerpage.com/" style="color: #954f72;" target="_blank">https://henry-corrigan-y0m6k8.mailerpage.com/</a></span><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span><span lang="EN-US">Blog: <a href="http://henrycorrigan.blogspot.com/" style="color: #954f72;" target="_blank">henrycorrigan.blogspot.com<br /></a></span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></div></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-US"></span></p>Broad Thoughts From A Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08798249743031672360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6185513237391465906.post-72589660157293505102022-04-30T15:09:00.001+01:002022-04-30T15:09:44.410+01:00BEFORE BELTANE - a guest post by Nancy Jardine<div style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="" dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="dati1w0a ihqw7lf3 hv4rvrfc ecm0bbzt" id="jsc_c_em" style="font-family: inherit; padding: 4px 16px 16px;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql oi732d6d ik7dh3pa ht8s03o8 a8c37x1j fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d9wwppkn iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id" dir="auto" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: var(--primary-text); display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; word-break: break-word; word-wrap: break-word;"><div class="bi6gxh9e" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 8px;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql oi732d6d ik7dh3pa ht8s03o8 jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; word-break: break-word; word-wrap: break-word;"><br />Hello, Sue. Thank you for inviting me here today to share a little about <b>Before Beltane</b>, a prequel to my highly-acclaimed <i>Celtic Fervour</i> series. <b>Before Beltane</b> officially launched on 29 April 2022 with Ocelot Press, and is available in e-book and paperback formats from Amazon. The paperback can also be ordered from bookshops, and is available for library ordering on request.</span></div><div class="bi6gxh9e" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 8px;"><br /></div><div class="bi6gxh9e" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 8px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_j8YM8S0uSv-oub1fjnKPS7h--1-6Uq7gWIuCjX_LGufxZ9puo0zuoJQ9e_7cr9Y9mbzy2DO-NS2EQ0IFxF6M2xwhfuALXuDEdCbJ1CpwIApBGf0M87UxmOtMwt_yW8Z_rB0z2H1Zd6dOee1anaoQ5deWsqZWM4KAUd6l0zHgF8kstq_D-d4OxYfm/s1200/BB%20cover.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="782" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_j8YM8S0uSv-oub1fjnKPS7h--1-6Uq7gWIuCjX_LGufxZ9puo0zuoJQ9e_7cr9Y9mbzy2DO-NS2EQ0IFxF6M2xwhfuALXuDEdCbJ1CpwIApBGf0M87UxmOtMwt_yW8Z_rB0z2H1Zd6dOee1anaoQ5deWsqZWM4KAUd6l0zHgF8kstq_D-d4OxYfm/s320/BB%20cover.jpeg" width="209" /></a></div><br /><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql oi732d6d ik7dh3pa ht8s03o8 jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; word-break: break-word; word-wrap: break-word;"><br /></span></div><div class="bi6gxh9e" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 8px;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql oi732d6d ik7dh3pa ht8s03o8 jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; word-break: break-word; word-wrap: break-word;">The idea of writing a Prequel to the series spawned from review comments for <b>The Beltane Choice</b>, Book 1 of the series. Some reviewers indicated that they loved the explosive interaction of Lorcan of Garrigill and Nara of Tarras, but would have liked a bit more about their individual backgrounds prior to their meeting each other in Book 1. Other reviewers noted that <b>The Beltane Choice </b>doesn’t quite have the same historical background details as the other four novels in the series, and that they’d have liked to learn a bit more about the background history of northern Britain in AD 71.</span></div><div class="bi6gxh9e" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 8px;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql oi732d6d ik7dh3pa ht8s03o8 jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; word-break: break-word; word-wrap: break-word;">Those comments made me embark upon the writing of a Prequel. At times during the writing process, I was unsure if I should be publishing two short novellas - one about Lorcan and another for Nara. However, I felt that two Prequels to the series might be confusing.</span></div><div class="bi6gxh9e" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 8px;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql oi732d6d ik7dh3pa ht8s03o8 jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; word-break: break-word; word-wrap: break-word;"><b>Before Beltane </b>is a book of two halves. The reader learns about Lorcan’s life in the early months of AD 71. The time frame is the same for Nara’s story. When formatting<b> Before Beltane</b>, I decided to intermingle the two stories so – although Lorcan and Nara have no direct interaction with each other – the reader experiences an interlude in Lorcan’s life (a chapter) followed by one for Nara. That process is repeated throughout the book. </span></div><div class="bi6gxh9e" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 8px;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql oi732d6d ik7dh3pa ht8s03o8 jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; word-break: break-word; word-wrap: break-word;"><b>Before Beltane</b> is effectively Book 0 of the series, in which</span><span style="color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem;"> the reader experiences the trials and tribulations of what Lorcan and Nara would term their daily lives, as they undertake the everyday tasks set for them … until those lives are entirely turned upside down! Lorcan’s visit to the Sacred Groves, with the Druid Maran, is terrifying, though the future prophesied for him is thrilling, confusing and heartrending. Nara’s expectations of becoming a fully-initiated priestess of the goddess </span><span style="color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem;"><i>Dôn </i></span><span style="color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem;">are shattered when she’s summoned to the High Priestess. She is thrown out of the sacred home of the priestesses and must live at her father’s Hillfort of Tarras. The huge problem there is that her father Callan, Chief of Tarras, hates Nara and he orders her to be shunned by all at the hillfort, or they will face severe punishment. Nara must fend for herself, but fulfilling her destiny, her promise to the goddess </span><span style="color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem;"><i>Dôn </i></span><span style="color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem;">by the Festival of Beltane, seems so…impossible!</span></div><div class="bi6gxh9e" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 8px;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql oi732d6d ik7dh3pa ht8s03o8 jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; word-break: break-word; word-wrap: break-word;">I thoroughly enjoyed creating a backstory for both Lorcan and Nara and hope that readers will enjoy this glimpse of them, too. It explains quite a bit about why they are the way they are at the beginning of the series in Book 1.</span></div><div class="bi6gxh9e" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 8px;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql oi732d6d ik7dh3pa ht8s03o8 jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; word-break: break-word; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: 600;">Blurb:</span></span></span></div><div class="bi6gxh9e" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 8px;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql oi732d6d ik7dh3pa ht8s03o8 jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; word-break: break-word; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: 600;">Two lives. Two stories. One future.</span></span></span></div><div class="bi6gxh9e" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 8px;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql oi732d6d ik7dh3pa ht8s03o8 jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; word-break: break-word; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: 600;">AD 71 Northern Britannia</span></span></span></div><div class="bi6gxh9e" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 8px;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql oi732d6d ik7dh3pa ht8s03o8 jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; word-break: break-word; word-wrap: break-word;">At the Islet of the Priestesses, acolyte Nara greets each new day eager to heal the people at Tarras Hillfort. Weapon training is a guilty pleasure, but she is devastated when she is unexpectedly denied the final rites of an initiated priestess. A shocking new future beckons for Princess Nara of the Selgovae…</span></div><div class="bi6gxh9e" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 8px;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql oi732d6d ik7dh3pa ht8s03o8 jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; word-break: break-word; word-wrap: break-word;">In the aftermath of civil war across Brigantia, Lorcan of Garrigill’s promotion of King Venutius is fraught with danger. Potential invasion by Roman legions from the south makes an unstable situation even worse. When Lorcan meets the Druid Maran, the future foretold for him is as enthralling as it is horrifying…</span></div><div class="bi6gxh9e" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 8px;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql oi732d6d ik7dh3pa ht8s03o8 jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; word-break: break-word; word-wrap: break-word;">Meet <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: 600;">Nara</span></span> and <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: 600;">Lorcan</span></span> before their tumultuous meeting of each other in <span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>The Beltane Choice</b></span>, Book 1 of the acclaimed <span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Celtic Fervour Series.</i></span></span></div><div class="bi6gxh9e" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 8px;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql oi732d6d ik7dh3pa ht8s03o8 jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; 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font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; word-break: break-word; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl gpro0wi8 py34i1dx" href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/before-beltane-nancy-jardine/1141266280?ean=9781739696405&fbclid=IwAR33KGFL3JMcjeXvgwJ-YlzfAMM7vuJYCNTKA50xr2TbQFFaGymJOrcOO4U" rel="nofollow noopener" role="link" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--blue-link); cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/before-beltane-nancy-jardine/1141266280?ean=9781739696405</u></span></a></span></span></div><div class="bi6gxh9e" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 8px;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql oi732d6d ik7dh3pa ht8s03o8 jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; word-break: break-word; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: 600;">Bio:</span></span></span></div><div class="bi6gxh9e" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 8px;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql oi732d6d ik7dh3pa ht8s03o8 jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; word-break: break-word; word-wrap: break-word;">An ex-primary teacher who published local history projects, Nancy spends her retirement writing historical and contemporary fiction. All historical time periods appeal immensely but so far Roman Britain (and a teensy bit of Victorian and Edwardian in contemporary mysteries) has won the day! She loves to interact with her readers when regularly signing/ selling paperback versions of her novels at local Craft Fairs, and at larger event venues. She enjoys presenting author talks and gives formal presentations on her novels, and on Ancient Roman Scotland, to groups large and small.</span></div><div class="bi6gxh9e" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 8px;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql oi732d6d ik7dh3pa ht8s03o8 jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; word-break: break-word; word-wrap: break-word;">She’s a member of the Historical Novel Society; Scottish Association of Writers; Federation of Writers Scotland; Romantic Novelists Association and the Alliance of Independent Authors. She’s self-published with Ocelot Press. Current writing is historical fiction which begins in 1850s Scotland.</span></div><div class="bi6gxh9e" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 8px;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql oi732d6d ik7dh3pa ht8s03o8 jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; word-break: break-word; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: 600;">You can find her at these places:</span></span></span></div><div class="bi6gxh9e" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 8px;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql oi732d6d ik7dh3pa ht8s03o8 jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; word-break: break-word; word-wrap: break-word;">Blog: <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl gpro0wi8 py34i1dx" href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fnancyjardine.blogspot.co.uk%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR37-QBTj1Fh_vQtDy8PWwFSBFkRM1Riz4wVlKtq8SpaCru9pnZ1XWhRpcw&h=AT2damP7EzZG-eZiFUEqdn_aHaGtG5WdVhEtSPwRzgRZkRGOXgMe_etzeRh_8Fqbwh-ZejcezshVrDiOVzXFmVpTmsjqfGI3JXG5NHVxrnSOs9456lkkemvQ-cYJCWETyynRPhE&__tn__=-UK-R&c[0]=AT08HHw00qSmY9ssOb2u8f4z_LFfteZB7cc1D-ZKnEK_6EA-Eu0FLOvKXACagUi1gozfgxUNMVwHxbdmjUl9sYs7ncV-mRk8aMF8qZduOgOvRU_HxB1bsKGOOLDshjWEIiVepS4e5ENXnTSPuHuflyEn6lhv2YiLc_OgJvYsXk1h-SVKJvP_yCZe9ZrGGmqrufEYj0FI2wYWIqYC39Y" rel="nofollow noopener" role="link" style="border: 0px; 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Helen was here a little over a week ago talking about modern slavery (you can read that piece <a href="https://broad-thoughts-from-a-home.blogspot.com/2022/03/why-i-care-about-modern-slavery-guest.html" target="_blank">here</a>), but today she's back to tell us a little more about herself. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHSQBO1XrCBE06ebe8Q4yCH85GC1Bg7ejJzeVCB4zHayB4PTMkLMlsPu6Ta3Jabdyh38OdKUjnpfbfV_oC1bXPM55KEOAKHdRsi0mywZAxcKygr8Z8oFEm_v-QPcEIzN7n9w0zx5cfGjg9YcSJ6eXL0cmlVf3-WDkkpdHkE1stp-0AFDsVDAX9rZhH/s3952/Helen%20Matthews.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3952" data-original-width="3844" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHSQBO1XrCBE06ebe8Q4yCH85GC1Bg7ejJzeVCB4zHayB4PTMkLMlsPu6Ta3Jabdyh38OdKUjnpfbfV_oC1bXPM55KEOAKHdRsi0mywZAxcKygr8Z8oFEm_v-QPcEIzN7n9w0zx5cfGjg9YcSJ6eXL0cmlVf3-WDkkpdHkE1stp-0AFDsVDAX9rZhH/s320/Helen%20Matthews.jpg" width="311" /></a></div><br /><i style="text-align: justify;">What prompted you to first start writing?
What was the first thing you wrote?</i><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">There’s a quote I especially like from author,
Neil Gaiman. Apparently, someone asked him: </span><i>I
want to be an author when I grow up, am I insane?</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">To which Gaiman is reported to have
replied: <i>Growing up is highly
over-rated. Just be an author.</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">I’m someone who has achieved my author
dream after serving a ridiculously long apprenticeship. Many of us say we’ve
been writing from the moment we picked up a pen, and I’m one of them. In childhood,
I had some successes in competitions and fillers published in teen magazines. Then
I went on to study English at university and was a bit overwhelmed by reading
the works of great literary masters. In the early days of my business career, I
wrote late at night with a glass of wine by my side, mainly short stories that
were judged ‘too dark for our readers’ by the magazine editors I submitted to.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">As the family’s main breadwinner, after my children were born I continued
working full-time in a career that used the
analytical side of my brain. I noticed my writing was deteriorating – impacted
by turgid quasi-legal and financial business speak I had to use in reports and
documents. The creative spark left me. Writing fiction was hard, so I began
dabbling in freelance journalism and had some articles published in family and
lifestyle magazines. Ironically, in the late 1990s and early 2000s before the
internet expected content for free, even hobbyists like me were well-paid,
typically £70-£200 and once as much as £1,000. My highlight was pieces
published in <i>The Guardian</i> and broadcast on BBC Radio (in a programme called
<i>Home Truths</i> presented by the late and lovely John Peel).</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">During those wilderness years, I wrote a
couple of deeply-flawed novels and put them in a drawer. Finally, when my
children were heading for university, I decided I’d never be happy if I stayed on
the treadmill of my well-paid career. I fled corporate life, putting our family
finances at risk, and went back to university to do an MA in Creative Writing.
You absolutely don’t have to do an MA, or any qualification, to become a
novelist. I did it because I needed to make a break from the business world and
rediscover my creativity. For my dissertation, I wrote another novel. It can’t
have been too terrible because I did pass my MA, but I knew it wasn’t good
enough so it went into the drawer with the others.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span>My breakthrough novel was <i>After Leaving the
Village</i>. The opening pages won first prize at Winchester Writers’ Festival and I
spent two years querying. Five agents requested the full manuscript; many gave
positive, personalised feedback but didn’t make an offer. In the end I signed a
deal with a small indie publisher and the book came out in 2017.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">It’s been a long journey to becoming a
published author, but I’m sure Neil Gaiman would be pleased to hear I still
haven’t grown up.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i>Can you summarise your latest work in just
a few words?</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The strapline does quite a good job: <i>A
tormented mother, an abandoned girl, a deadly game of survival.</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">One of the problems with writing suspense
is trying to entice the right readers in without giving too much away.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i>What was the inspiration for this book?</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Inspiration for each novel comes in different
ways. It could be a snatch of overheard conversation, an incident that happened
to someone else or a random ‘what if?’ idea. For this book, the inspiration
arrived in visual form. I had an image of a frightened girl, who turned into Miriana,
hiding in the back of a campervan. The mental picture was so vivid if felt as if
she’d tapped me on the arm and asked me to tell her story. Immediately I wanted
to know what that story was. Why was she hiding? What had happened to her? And
how was this stranger linked to the central character, Laura.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i>What’s your writing process? Did you do any
research for the book?</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Authors are often asked, ‘Are you a plotter
or a pantser?’ Due to my long years in
management, my planning skills are over-developed so I’m about seventy percent
plotter; twenty per cent pantser, and the other ten per cent is just generally
confused.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">My starting point for a novel is a broad
plot outline and some ideas about my main characters. I do some initial
research, then write a few chapters to test out whether the characters will
live and breathe on the page. Not all stories have legs and some plots fizzle
out. Once I’m confident an idea will work, I get stuck into more extensive
research. For The Girl in the Van, I had to research, among other things, an
aspect of modern slavery known as ‘county lines’ where young people are lured
by criminal gangs into transporting drugs from cities into rural areas. I’m an
ambassador for the anti-slavery charity Unseen so I’m lucky to have access to
their materials and resources. I can also ask my contacts questions about
anything I’m not sure of. There’s quite a bit of police involvement in this
book, and for that I used the services of Graham Bartlett, a former senior
police officer who offers a consultancy service to authors.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">As I’m originally from Wales and many
scenes in the book are set in Cardiff, Penarth, and Tenby, this was a great
excuse to return to some fabulous places to research the book and take photos to
illustrate future blogs.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i>What does a typical writing day involve for
you?</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Alongside writing fiction, I’m an
occasional freelance copywriter though I’m turning down most commissions just
now – mainly because the agencies and contacts I work with want me to do
project management as well as the writing and this sucks up too much time. Self-employment
is a joy. If you meet deadlines, you can work whenever and wherever you please.
Unless I have a conference call or Zoom meeting, I set my alarm for a very
civilised 8.15 am. My lovely husband, an early riser, brings me a cup of tea.
If he forgets, I might send him a WhatsApp message: <i>Tea, please</i>. I once sent
the <i>Tea, please</i> message, in error, to my daughter’s partner – presumably, the
last person I’d messaged the night before. This caused some consternation as
they live half an hour’s drive away and the tea would have been cold before it
reached me.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Enough confessions. You probably think I’m
slothful, but this working-from-home life became the norm for many of us in lockdown.
I shovel down a bowl of cereal and I can be at my computer soon after nine.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">I wish I could devote my whole working day
to novel writing but the demands of social media, writing newsletter and blog content
and searching out new promotional opportunities take time. I do talks for book
clubs and women’s groups, and occasional library or literary festival events.
All of these I really enjoy but they need planning. For example, yesterday I
spent the morning with an author I’m due to interview at a local literary
festival soon. We met over coffee in an indie bookshop, worked out the
structure of the event, brainstormed the questions, answers and the messages
she wants to give. I still need to write up the interview brief and we’ll
discuss it again. All this preparation work is for a one-hour event.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Once I’ve cleared the business end of my inbox,
I’m back to work on my novel-in-progress. Late morning, I take Homer, our
rescue dog out for a short walk then have a fifteen-minute lunch break. I write
through the afternoon with Homer snoozing at my feet. Around four, he’ll start pestering
me for another walk and we’ll go for a long one. I’m trying to average three
miles a day to get a proper break from the keyboard.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">In the evenings I’m often out. I belong to
two book clubs and a choir. I meet friends or family for a film or a meal. If I’m
in, I might carry on writing until 10 pm then watch the News and maybe a film
or read and do a Sudoku or Wordle. I’m rarely in bed before twelve-thirty.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Writing can be solitary, but I take days off
when I need to. You can never spend too much time with fellow writers. I belong
to three critique groups. I call them my Hotel California – you can go there,
but you can never leave.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i>Which writers have influenced your own
writing?</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Two authors at the literary end of my
psychological suspense genre, who I hugely admire are Louise Doughty (<i>Platform Seven
</i>and <i>Appletree Yard</i>) and Emma Donoghue (<i>Room</i>). I would love to write like them, but my books aren’t written with literary prizes in mind. I’m targeting high-end commercial/book club crossover, and I think I’ve got this right as one book
club has already hosted me twice and has already invited me back in June to
talk about <i>The Girl in the Van</i>. The invitation came in as soon as they saw the
cover reveal for the book, and I was so surprised I asked the organiser: Are you sure they really want to hear me again?</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">In psychological suspense and thrillers, I
enjoy Lisa Jewell (<i>The Family Upstairs</i>) Gillian McAllister (<i>How to Disappear</i>),
Clare Mackintosh (<i>I Let You Go</i>), Louise Candlish (<i>Our House</i>), Emma Curtis (<i>That
Night</i>), and Katharine Johnson (<i>The Suspects</i>). The list is endless.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i>Does your new book have a message for the
reader?</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">I’ve already mentioned the modern slavery
‘county lines’ theme in the book.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">This is the second time I’ve written about
human trafficking and I’ve become dedicated to the anti-slavery cause and
raising awareness of this hideous crime. Once lured into ‘county lines’ gangs
it can be very hard for victims to break free. Recent survey research shows
public awareness of this crime is lower than of other forms of human
trafficking and slavery. Sometimes parents don’t realise their own child is
involved because they don’t spot the signs. So as well as writing a gripping
page-turner, I wanted to bring the plight of these young people to wider
attention.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i>Do you have any advice for new writers?</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Find your writer tribe. Writing can be
lonely, so writers’ groups – local ones that meet in person and online groups on
Facebook – can give us the support we need.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">You don’t have to write what you know. Draw
on it, by all means, but give your imagination a free rein to be creative.
Books would be very boring if we only wrote about our lives.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Read, read, read – sounds obvious, doesn’t
it, especially if you’ve been a reader all your life. But I’ve been surprised
to learn (from a friend who lectures on a creative writing degree course) that
many of her writing students don’t read! I once heard a quote (and I’ve
searched online but couldn't find who said it), something like: </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: large;"><i><b>If you have the arrogance to write, have
the humility to read.</b></i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i>Is there anything else you’d like to add?</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">I think the above quote about reading just about sums it up. We’re nothing without readers.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6BN-6ro5BHVwkLVUrQxCkpIySfexJnr9p5Ema-Bzq7--aDZOkIuxTqk4SGYNJUKXXun77Z4REZVWmRnq8ae4YgdJ_sXDbUgtrWjCoyXfmGRWpSOW3Fo7HmdMr5omoiOO-2VZ8EV3eBpxgiX2C8rqBF_FWVIdlPp4IN4UtgLfDBgXcQNmTd9xsaK79/s1280/The%20Girl%20in%20the%20Van%20cover%20final.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="806" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6BN-6ro5BHVwkLVUrQxCkpIySfexJnr9p5Ema-Bzq7--aDZOkIuxTqk4SGYNJUKXXun77Z4REZVWmRnq8ae4YgdJ_sXDbUgtrWjCoyXfmGRWpSOW3Fo7HmdMr5omoiOO-2VZ8EV3eBpxgiX2C8rqBF_FWVIdlPp4IN4UtgLfDBgXcQNmTd9xsaK79/s320/The%20Girl%20in%20the%20Van%20cover%20final.jpeg" width="202" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b>MORE ABOUT</b> <i><b>THE GIRL IN THE VAN</b></i>: </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i>A tormented mother. An abandoned girl. A deadly game of survival.</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i>What happened to Ellie?</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i>Traumatised by events, Ellie's mother Laura can't bear to stay in the Welsh seaside town where she lives with her partner Gareth. She escapes to London, breaking all ties with him and refusing to tell anyone her new address.</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i>After two years of living alone and working in a mundane job, Laura buys an old campervan and joins a singles holiday. Here she meets Miriana, a teenage girl who bears a chilling resemblance to Ellie. As Laura uncovers Miriana's story, she's shocked by the parallels to her own life.</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i>But stories can be dangerous, and someone out there will stop at nothing to prevent the truth about Ellie from coming out...</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b>MORE ABOUT HELEN</b>:</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Helen Matthews writes page-turning psychological suspense novels and is fascinated by the darker side of human nature and how a life can change in an instant. Her latest novel <b><i><a href="http://mybook.to/thegirlinthevan" target="_blank">The Girl in the Van</a></i></b> was published on 17 March 2022 by Darkstroke Books. Previous novels include suspense thriller <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B076H9VTQ4" target="_blank"><b><i>After Leaving the Village</i></b></a>, which won first prize in the Opening Pages Category at Winchester Writers' Festival. This was followed by <b><i><a href="http://mybook.to/LiesBehindtheRuin" target="_blank">Lies Behind the Ruin</a></i></b>, a domestic noir set in France, published by Hashtag Press. Her third novel <b><i><a href="http://mybook.to/facade" target="_blank">Façade</a> </i></b>was published by Darkstroke Books in 2020. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Born in Cardiff, Helen read English at the University of Liverpool and worked in international development, consultancy, human resources and pensions management. She fled corporate life to work freelance while studying for a Creative Writing MA at Oxford Brookes University. Her stories and flash fiction have been shortlisted and published by Flas 500, 1000K Story, Reflex Press, Artificium and Love Sunday Magazine.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">She is a keen cyclist, covering long distances if there aren't any hills, sings in a choir, and once appeared on stage at Carnegie Hall, New York, in a multi-choir performance. She loves spending time in France. Helen is an ambassador for the charity Unseen, which works towards a world without slavery, and donates her author talk fees and a percentage of her royalties to the charity.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Find out more at: </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.helenmatthewswriter.com">https://www.helenmatthewswriter.com</a> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https:www.twitter.com/HelenMK7" target="_blank">https:www.twitter.com/HelenMK7</a> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.Instagram.com/helen.matthews7">https://www.Instagram.com/helen.matthews7</a> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://facebook.com/HelenMK7Writer">https://facebook.com/HelenMK7Writer</a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i>Sincere thanks to Rachel's Random Resources for the opportunity to take part in this blog tour. Do check out the other stops!</i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzC91fg3lfPHpErgHHJDVqbXP6cMvkgfswRm2l3qCJYn9-_383blsARUm83EUXETIHU_rVRUziR9vxS5fVRUkYtsMjyiwRO71XFKwIeD79c3WoMEcYe-Or6EfrDYsXoAB2rKqkCt_C_NxlA5-DS1cUTY1heDHFySNv8P7ctp5Hm943Fr6OftGohsm2/s2344/The%20Girl%20in%20the%20Van%20Full%20Tour%20Banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1250" data-original-width="2344" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzC91fg3lfPHpErgHHJDVqbXP6cMvkgfswRm2l3qCJYn9-_383blsARUm83EUXETIHU_rVRUziR9vxS5fVRUkYtsMjyiwRO71XFKwIeD79c3WoMEcYe-Or6EfrDYsXoAB2rKqkCt_C_NxlA5-DS1cUTY1heDHFySNv8P7ctp5Hm943Fr6OftGohsm2/w400-h214/The%20Girl%20in%20the%20Van%20Full%20Tour%20Banner.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>Broad Thoughts From A Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08798249743031672360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6185513237391465906.post-90796732859668212602022-03-18T09:41:00.000+00:002022-03-18T09:41:10.318+00:00WHY I CARE ABOUT MODERN SLAVERY - a guest post by Helen Matthews<p><i style="text-align: justify;">Today I'm delighted to welcome my friend and fellow-author Helen Matthews, whose psychological suspense novel <b>The Girl in the Van</b> was published yesterday by Darkstroke Books. I had the pleasure of working with Helen as editor of this novel (not that it needed very much editing!), and I can honestly say it was one of the most gripping stories I have ever read.</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i>Helen is an
ambassador for the anti-slavery charity Unseen UK. She has written about modern
slavery and human trafficking in a previous novel, and returns to this topic in <b>The Girl
in the Van</b>. In this article, Helen explains why
she’s passionate about raising awareness of slavery-related crimes, and why she
thinks fiction has a role to play in building empathy for victims and
survivors.</i><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEge7ESrgXG583RkUM-VT40GAjfO25nWnc8rqWnbpY7vW4pdC4A2yN414ZrPJruu4OM41men-cYtpsfvQLA1-NMgFIsTWeYY_DIGhsDMzUwwmCyH1RGj0nIJqanEmbhJ2hjSeimqxD4JoelCZJdcaUlLP0Qcb8NjPze6riCud4mSVKdaX9kOiklzTQG_=s3952" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3952" data-original-width="3844" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEge7ESrgXG583RkUM-VT40GAjfO25nWnc8rqWnbpY7vW4pdC4A2yN414ZrPJruu4OM41men-cYtpsfvQLA1-NMgFIsTWeYY_DIGhsDMzUwwmCyH1RGj0nIJqanEmbhJ2hjSeimqxD4JoelCZJdcaUlLP0Qcb8NjPze6riCud4mSVKdaX9kOiklzTQG_=s320" width="311" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i>Welcome, Helen! Please tell us more...</i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Thank you, Sue!</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">When you look at the statistics of human trafficking on an
international level, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and helpless at the sheer
scale of the numbers. According to figures from the International Labour
Organisation (ILO), trafficking is second only to the drug business in scale and
the amount of profit it generates for criminals.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">It’s thought there are almost 45.8 million slaves worldwide. Forced labour in the private economy generates US$150
billion in illegal profits each year.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">This hideous crime affects not only vulnerable women and
girls from impoverished parts of the world, but also men, boys and UK citizens. It
takes place in our own towns, cities and rural areas, and maybe on your street
or mine. For a modern slavery crime to be classed as human trafficking it needs
to include an element of movement, but that doesn’t need to involve crossing
international borders – it can be as simple as moving a victim from street to
street. The crime I’m highlighting in <i><b>The Girl in the Van</b></i> is known as ‘county
lines’ - about which more in a minute. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">To put this in context of the bigger picture, let’s rewind and talk about trafficking more generally. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">When I’m giving talks to raise money for the charity Unseen UK,
audiences tell me the image that springs to their minds when they hear ‘human
trafficking’ is those shocking scenes we see on TV News: flimsy inflatable
boats packed with people in orange life jackets. At one time we focussed on
the terrible loss of life on routes from North Africa to Italy, Malta and
Spain. Now it’s on our doorstep, with boats crossing the English Channel from
France to Kent. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">So you might be surprised to know that according to the strict definition, this isn’t human
trafficking.
The unfortunate people on those boats are migrants or refugees, and they have paid
for their passage. That specific crime is ‘people-smuggling’ and is an
immigration crime – a crime against the state.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Human trafficking, on the other hand, is a crime against the person or
individual. It’s a form of modern slavery. But people-smuggling can easily turn
into human trafficking or slavery, because the passengers have put themselves at
the mercy of criminals, who don’t care if they live or drown. Let’s say a man called
Mahmood (we’ll give him a name because he’s human and we’re not going to talk
about him as a commodity, as a smuggler would do) has paid $3,000 for the
journey in one of those small boats from a Normandy beach across the English Channel. Mahmood has made himself vulnerable by relying on a callous criminal to
arrange his passage. When he reaches the UK, the smuggler might say to him, "Mahmood,
you’ve paid me $3,000 for your journey but that’s not enough. You should have
paid $6,000 or $10,000 or whatever. So now you’re in debt, and you’ll have to
work for me until this debt is paid off."<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">This is known as ‘debt bondage’ – another form of modern
slavery. My example shows just one of the ways in which a man like Mahmood might become trapped
into forced labour. In the UK, he could find himself working in a real job (say, in agriculture or a chicken factory), but he wouldn’t get paid. His
earnings would be credited to the bank account of the smuggler or gangmaster
who controls him. Mahmood would be told he has to work for free to pay off the
debt for his travel and his accommodation in the UK. This mythical debt would
grow ever-larger.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">So why doesn’t Mahmood tell someone? His employer? The
police? There are multiple reasons, and every case is different. It might be
that he’s suffered actual violence or is threatened with abuse. The people-smuggler might be someone from his own village in Sudan, and will tell him that his elderly
parents or wife or child back home will be killed if he doesn’t do as he’s
ordered. Mahmood might speak poor English. He’s likely to be here illegally, though
the criminals might have arranged a fake work permit, so he knows that if he goes to the
police he’ll be deported. Perhaps he comes from a country where people don’t
trust the police (or any authorities), and would never think of complaining to
them. And so on.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">My debut novel <i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B076H9VTQ4" target="_blank">After Leaving the Village</a></b></i> was about a young
Albanian woman, Odeta, who was trafficked to the UK, on the promise of a
well-paid career, by a man she thought was her boyfriend. Instead, she finds
herself forced into sex work. This is a vicious kind of trafficking most of us
are familiar with. That novel won first prize in its category at Winchester
Writers’ Festival and was well-received by book clubs, because as well as being
a gripping suspense read, there was enough discussion material to fill a whole
evening. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">And that’s what I want to see – people buying my books to
read as page-turners and then discovering dark contemporary storylines they
might not be aware of. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">In my latest novel <i><b>The Girl in the Van</b></i>, published on 17
March 2022 by Darkstroke Books, I’m highlighting a pernicious aspect of modern
slavery known as ‘county lines.’ This crime has grown rapidly in the UK in
recent years - though while doing my research I discovered it’s been happening
for a couple of decades. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">‘County lines’ is where vulnerable children and teens
are groomed by gangs, and used to carry drugs from big cities out to smaller towns
or rural areas. Once lured in, it can be very hard for victims to break free.
Recent survey research shows that public awareness of this crime is lower than of
other forms of human trafficking and slavery, and up to a third of people have
never heard of it. Sometimes parents don’t even realise their own child has been
groomed because they don’t spot the signs. Around 38 per cent of parents said
they wouldn’t know what to do if their child was involved. Imagine the terrible
dilemma if you’re that parent. Do you go to the police and risk your child
ending up with a criminal record?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Fortunately, the Modern Slavery & Exploitation Helpline,
run by Unseen, provides expert advice and operates 24/7 on this number:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b>08000 121 700</b>. Another source of help is The
Children’s Society. Click <a href="https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/what-we-do/our-work/child-criminal-exploitation-and-county-lines" target="_blank">here</a> for more information.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Miriana, one of the main characters in my novel <i><b>The Girl in
the Van</b></i>, becomes homeless and without family support. She falls under the power
of a drug dealer based in Croydon, south of London. He has plans to expand his
territory, and forces her to carry drugs to a rundown town in South Wales. What will
happen to Miriana, and how does her experience intersect with the other
characters in the story? If you read my book, you’ll discover how her story
unfolds.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Why would an author give away such a major plot spoiler at this stage, rather than reveal it as a twist in the story? Good question. Fortunately this
isn’t the only storyline in the novel, which encompasses family relationships,
secrets, violence, loss, grief, danger and recovery. Miriana’s story is integral
to the plot, but there are several others. Either way, it’s important to me to catch
readers’ attention and show them the desolation of a young person who finds herself
exploited, and what might happen next. As I mentioned earlier, it isn’t only
unfortunate people from impoverished or war-torn countries who are impacted. It
could happen to someone you know, perhaps even someone in your family. Revealing it
here is part of my mission to make more people aware of ‘county lines’ and
other kinds of modern slavery. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i><b>The Girl in the Van</b></i> is out now in eBook and
paperback. You can order your copy by clicking <a href="http://mybook.to/thegirlinthevan" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgtj30gjvBjdDKtbMxpqCeahgcrHWNAKjGp4shQd7DGJtYWHSM3aykfsIMlU6lhhXQ7OHs7juxSTCBOsYj1OLv8Y-RcbC-zZ0L_Fr3LTchN93LhpGKD7BPhOhAkjiQnNpHpktwFySm7zLjy5IoBtQt4fH5BAc9mWvuJrQQ34KKLO70TjrRXlLmVWmk_=s1280" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="806" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgtj30gjvBjdDKtbMxpqCeahgcrHWNAKjGp4shQd7DGJtYWHSM3aykfsIMlU6lhhXQ7OHs7juxSTCBOsYj1OLv8Y-RcbC-zZ0L_Fr3LTchN93LhpGKD7BPhOhAkjiQnNpHpktwFySm7zLjy5IoBtQt4fH5BAc9mWvuJrQQ34KKLO70TjrRXlLmVWmk_=s320" width="202" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b>MORE ABOUT</b> <i><b>THE GIRL IN THE VAN</b></i>: </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i>A tormented mother. An abandoned girl. A deadly game of survival.</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i>What happened to Ellie?</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i>Traumatised by events, Ellie's mother Laura can't bear to stay in the Welsh seaside town where she lives with her partner Gareth. She escapes to London, breaking all ties with him and refusing to tell anyone her new address.</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i>After two years of living alone and working in a mundane job, Laura buys an old campervan and joins a singles holiday. Here she meets Miriana, a teenage girl who bears a chilling resemblance to Ellie. As Laura uncovers Miriana's story, she's shocked by the parallels to her own life.</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i>But stories can be dangerous, and someone out there will stop at nothing to prevent the truth about Ellie from coming out...</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b>MORE ABOUT HELEN</b>:</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Helen Matthews writes page-turning psychological suspense novels and is fascinated by the darker side of human nature and how a life can change in an instant. Her latest novel <b><i><a href="http://mybook.to/thegirlinthevan" target="_blank">The Girl in the Van</a></i></b> was published on 17 March 2022 by Darkstroke Books. Previous novels include suspense thriller <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B076H9VTQ4" target="_blank"><b><i>After Leaving the Village</i></b></a>, which won first prize in the Opening Pages Category at Winchester Writers' Festival. This was followed by <b><i><a href="http://mybook.to/LiesBehindtheRuin" target="_blank">Lies Behind the Ruin</a></i></b>, a domestic noir set in France, published by Hashtag Press. Her third novel <b><i><a href="http://mybook.to/facade" target="_blank">Façade</a> </i></b>was published by Darkstroke Books in 2020. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Born in Cardiff, Helen read English at the University of Liverpool and worked in international development, consultancy, human resources and pensions management. She fled corporate life to work freelance while studying for a Creative Writing MA at Oxford Brookes University. Her stories and flash fiction have been shortlisted and published by Flas 500, 1000K Story, Reflex Press, Artificium and Love Sunday Magazine.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">She is a keen cyclist, covering long distances if there aren't any hills, sings in a choir, and once appeared on stage at Carnegie Hall, New York, in a multi-choir performance. She loves spending time in France. Helen is an ambassador for the charity Unseen, which works towards a world without slavery, and donates her author talk fees and a percentage of her royalties to the charity.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Find out more at: </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.helenmatthewswriter.com">https://www.helenmatthewswriter.com</a> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https:www.twitter.com/HelenMK7" target="_blank">https:www.twitter.com/HelenMK7</a> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.Instagram.com/helen.matthews7">https://www.Instagram.com/helen.matthews7</a> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://facebook.com/HelenMK7Writer">https://facebook.com/HelenMK7Writer</a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>Broad Thoughts From A Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08798249743031672360noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6185513237391465906.post-29969070627377679312021-12-07T09:47:00.001+00:002021-12-07T09:53:18.601+00:00NEW YEAR, NEW BOOK - a guest post by Val Penny<p><i>Today I'm delighted to welcome back my friend and fellow-author Val Penny, whose latest book, <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b><a href="http://mybook.to/huntersrules" target="_blank">Hunter’s Rules</a></b>, will be released on New Year's Day and is already available for pre-order. And it sounds like an absolute cracker.</span></span></i></p><p><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"></span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hdm9jXTu3bM/YanmBxHkXRI/AAAAAAAAHoo/xtJ6L4IbVpEUbUozkWEMlflAHExuPeDCACNcBGAsYHQ/s500/Hunter%2527s%2BRules%2Bcover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="313" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hdm9jXTu3bM/YanmBxHkXRI/AAAAAAAAHoo/xtJ6L4IbVpEUbUozkWEMlflAHExuPeDCACNcBGAsYHQ/s320/Hunter%2527s%2BRules%2Bcover.jpg" width="200" /></a></i></div><i><br /><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></i><p></p><p><i>Welcome, Val. Please tell us more!</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Thank you, Sue, for hosting me on your blog today. It is always a
pleasure to visit.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span>I write crime thrillers and started writing in this genre because
that is what I enjoy reading. I firmly believe that to be a good author you
must first be an avid reader, and it is due to my love of reading and
story-telling that I began to write novels.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Hunter’s Rules</span></i><span>
is the sixth book in my Edinburgh Crime Mysteries series, and there are many
more to come! Although the books form a series, each works as a standalone
novel, so readers can join the stories at any point.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span>The books are set in the beautiful city of Edinburgh which is the
capital of Scotland. I chose it because it is a relatively small city, and
people from different walks of life and backgrounds are known to one another.
That allows me to have some fun with my characters and storylines.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span>I am particularly proud of this book, because although the story
is complete within itself, the concept follows on from a short story that I
contributed to a charity anthology, </span><i>Dark
Scotland</i><span>. The story, which is again a standalone piece, is the prequel to
the novel. I hope those who read both will enjoy the conceit and those who read
either will be absorbed by them.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">And here, to whet your appetite, is how the story starts:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>“Well, I have just one more surprise for you.”<o:p></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>“Another one? Oh, Hunter,” she said.<o:p></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>“I’ve booked the honeymoon suite here for us tonight, and if
everything has gone according to plan there should be a bottle of champagne chilling
there for us. Shall we go upstairs and check?”<o:p></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>Hunter and Meera continued walking towards the elevators,
and he pressed the button indicating they would be going up. They stood close
together, gazing into each other’s eyes, but it was not long until the furthest
lift arrived. They shifted slightly towards those doors and made room for
anybody getting out.<o:p></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>Nobody got out.<o:p></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>A young woman lay motionless on the floor, and the inside of
the car was drenched with blood. <o:p></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>“Oh God, not another one,” Hunter said. He stared at the raw
flesh in the sockets where the girl’s eyes should have been. What kind of
monster would choose to murder someone this way? He turned away from the
horrific sight of the young woman’s butchered face. He gagged. Then swallowed
the bile. He daren’t contaminate the crime scene with his own vomit.<o:p></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>Meera knelt beside the victim and felt her wrist. “Hunter,
this one is still alive. Call an ambulance. Do it now!”<o:p></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>Hunter immediately went into professional mode. He stepped a
few yards away from the scene and called the ambulance. The soles of his shoes
were covered in blood. Then he phoned Fettes police station. Desk Sergeant
Charlie Middleton answered.<o:p></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>“Police Scotland, how can I help?” <o:p></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>“Charlie, the eye thief has struck again.”<o:p></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>“Fuck.”</i><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3uAqJ89-eTA/YanmTQS-19I/AAAAAAAAHow/ocy8ORZkRGoC8wS1BU49Kgu86rmKXZ_ygCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Val%2Bwith%2B6%2Bbooks.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3uAqJ89-eTA/YanmTQS-19I/AAAAAAAAHow/ocy8ORZkRGoC8wS1BU49Kgu86rmKXZ_ygCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/Val%2Bwith%2B6%2Bbooks.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><i><b>Hunter's Rules</b></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A bloody scene brings Hunter and Meera’s romantic plans to an
abrupt end. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span>A young woman was attacked in a hotel lift. She has life-changing
injuries, but she is alive. Hunter notes that her wounds are like those
inflicted on two women who previously died. </span><span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span>Can Meera keep the injured woman alive long enough for her to
identify her assailant? Is the same person responsible for all three crimes?
When Hunter is identified as a suspect in the crime, can he establish his
innocence and lead his team to solve the crime and keep Edinburgh safe?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><i>Hunter’s
Rules</i> is the sixth book in The
Edinburgh Crime Mysteries series of novels. Val Penny’s other crime
novels – <i>Hunter’s Chase, Hunter’s Revenge, Hunter’s Force,</i> <i>Hunter’s
Blood</i> and <i>Hunter’s Secret</i> – form the rest of this bestselling series
set in Edinburgh, Scotland, published by darkstroke.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">You
can also start at the beginning of The Jane Renwick Thrillers with <i>The First Cut</i>.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">Val’s
first non-fiction book, <i>Let’s Get Published,</i> is also available now and
she has most recently contributed her short story <i>Cats and Dogs</i> to a
charity anthology, <i>Dark Scotland.</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">Val
is an American author living in SW Scotland with her husband and their cat.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>Author Contact Details and Buy Links</b></span></span><u><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://www.valpenny.com/">www.valpenny.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span class="MsoHyperlink"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Authorvalpenny">https://www.facebook.com/Authorvalpenny</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/valerie.penny.739">www.facebook.com/valerie.penny.739</a></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/groups/296295777444303">www.facebook.com/groups/296295777444303</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/167248300537409">https://www.facebook.com/groups/167248300537409</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="https://twitter.com/valeriepenny">https://twitter.com/valeriepenny</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17300087.Val_Penny">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17300087.Val_Penny</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Val-Penny/e/B07C4725TK?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1611574956&sr=1-1">https://www.amazon.co.uk/Val-Penny/e/B07C4725TK</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="https://www.bookbub.com/profile/val-penny">https://www.bookbub.com/profile/val-penny</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://mybook.to/hunterschase">mybook.to/hunterschase</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://mybook.to/huntersrevenge">mybook.to/huntersrevenge</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://mybook.to/huntersforce">mybook.to/huntersforce</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://mybook.to/huntersblood">mybook.to/huntersblood</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://mybook.to/hunterssecret">mybook.to/hunterssecret</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://mybook.to/huntersrules">mybook.to/huntersrules</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://bit.ly/LetsGetPublished">bit.ly/LetsGetPublished</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://mybook.to/darkscotland">mybook.to/darkscotland </a></span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://mybook.to/thefirstcut">mybook.to/thefirstcut</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>Broad Thoughts From A Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08798249743031672360noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6185513237391465906.post-50540947489902359342021-11-23T10:39:00.000+00:002021-11-23T10:39:04.820+00:00THE WOMAN WHO FELT INVISIBLE - a guest post by Lizzie Chantree<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RUNtrJh6nDc/YXfi-jhjOpI/AAAAAAAAHlY/--mG0AGKKqMt-0Sb-8eb-lPUeSUPKMcbACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/The%2Bwoman%2Bwho%2Bfelt%2Binvisible.%2BCover.%2BLizzie%2BChantree.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RUNtrJh6nDc/YXfi-jhjOpI/AAAAAAAAHlY/--mG0AGKKqMt-0Sb-8eb-lPUeSUPKMcbACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/The%2Bwoman%2Bwho%2Bfelt%2Binvisible.%2BCover.%2BLizzie%2BChantree.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>OUT TODAY:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>The Woman Who Felt Invisible </b><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #0f1111; font-size: 10pt;">is a gorgeous romantic story of love and new beginnings. Learning to love herself and be content on her own is the first step. But will Olivia be able to leave her past behind, follow her heart and find lasting happiness? A</span><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: 10pt;"> read full of humour, romance and tear-jerking reality, from
international bestselling author, Lizzie Chantree.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p style="margin-bottom: 10.5pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 0cm 10.5pt;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 10.5pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 0cm 10.5pt;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.5pt;">Have
you ever felt invisible?<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 10.5pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 0cm 10.5pt;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.5pt;">Working
as a stationery supervisor and a sitter to a pair of internet famous,
delinquent dogs, wasn’t how former cyber-specialist, Olivia, imagined her life
turning out.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 10.5pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 0cm 10.5pt;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.5pt;">Working
in a tiny cubicle with a decrepit computer and being overlooked had suited her
for a while, but now she’s fed up, lonely and determined to make the world
‘see’ her again.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 10.5pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 0cm 10.5pt;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.5pt;">Old
school friend, Darius, wants to fill Olivia’s days with romance, but their love
of technology has taken them on very different paths.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 10.5pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 0cm 10.5pt;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.5pt;">Gorgeous
undercover policeman Gabe, is steadfast in finding out if Olivia was part of an
online scam, but something doesn’t feel right and he suspects someone else was
manipulating her life.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.5pt;">Can love blossom from the most deceptive
of starts? And can someone who feels lost, find a way to flourish against all
odds?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b> </b></p><p class="MsoNormal">International bestselling author and award-winning inventor,
Lizzie Chantree, started her own business at the age of 18 and became one of
Fair Play London and The Patent Office’s British Female Inventors of the Year
in 2000. She discovered her love of writing fiction when her children were
little and now works as a business mentor and runs a popular networking hour on
social media, where creatives can support to each other. She writes books full
of friendship and laughter, that are about women with unusual and adventurous
businesses, who are far stronger than they realise. She lives with her family
on the coast in Essex. Visit her website at www.lizziechantree.com or follow
her on Twitter @Lizzie_Chantree https://twitter.com/Lizzie_Chantree.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">MORE ABOUT LIZZIE</p><p class="MsoNormal">International bestselling author Lizzie Chantree started
her own business at the age of 18, and became one of Fair Play London and The
Patent Office’s British Female Inventors of the Year. She writes books full of
friendship and laughter, about women with unusual businesses, who are stronger
than they realise. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Book links: Lizzie Chantree.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Universal book buy link: The little ice cream shop: <a href="http://viewbook.at/IceCreamShopByTheSea" target="_blank">viewbook.at/IceCreamShopByTheSea</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Universal book buy link: Networking for writers: <a href="http://viewbook.at/NetworkingForWriters" target="_blank">viewbook.at/NetworkingForWriters</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Universal book buy link: If you love me, I’m yours: <a href="http://viewbook.at/IfYouLoveMe-ImYours">viewbook.at/IfYouLoveMe-ImYours</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Universal book buy link: Ninja School Mum: <a href="http://viewbook.at/NinjaSchoolMumRomance" target="_blank">viewbook.at/NinjaSchoolMumRomance</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Universal book buy link: Babe Driven: <a href="http://viewbook.at/BabeDriven" target="_blank">viewbook.at/BabeDriven</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Universal book buy link: Love’s Child: <a href="http://viewbook.at/Amazon-LovesChild">viewBook.at/Amazon-LovesChild</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Universal book buy link: Finding Gina: <a href="http://viewbook.at/FindingGina" target="_blank">viewbook.at/FindingGina</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Shh… It’s Our Secret: <a href="https://www.bhcpress.com/Books_Chantree_Shh_Its_Our_Secret.html">https://www.bhcpress.com/Books_Chantree_Shh_Its_Our_Secret.html</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The woman who felt invisible: <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09J98F32J">https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09J98F32J</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Social media links:<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Website: <a href="http://www.lizziechantree.com/">www.lizziechantree.com</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Author page: https://www.<a href="http://viewauthor.at/LizzieChantree">viewAuthor.at/LizzieChantree</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/Lizzie_Chantree">https://twitter.com/Lizzie_Chantree</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LizzieChantree/<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Goodreads: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7391757.Lizzie_Chantree">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7391757.Lizzie_Chantree</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lizzie_chantree/">https://www.instagram.com/lizzie_chantree/</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Pinterest: <a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/LizzieChantree/pins/">https://www.pinterest.co.uk/LizzieChantree/pins/</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">FB Groups: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/647115202160536/">https://www.facebook.com/groups/647115202160536/</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">BookBub: <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/profile/lizzie-chantree">https://www.bookbub.com/profile/lizzie-chantree</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizziechantreeauthor">linkedin.com/in/lizziechantreeauthor</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">YouTube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnCop-RlAcGqggZG3JfE-Mw">https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnCop-RlAcGqggZG3JfE-Mw</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Broad Thoughts From A Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08798249743031672360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6185513237391465906.post-51947795530566759252021-10-27T10:20:00.001+01:002021-10-27T10:20:56.668+01:00THE HIDDEN - a guest post by Alison Knight<p>Today I'm delighted to welcome back my dear friend and fellow-author Alison Knight, whose latest novel <i>The Hidden</i> has just been released. I had the honour of working with Alison as her editor (not that her work has ever needed much editing!), and I can thoroughly recommend this excellent story.</p><p>Welcome, Alison! Please, tell us more!</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nm2bzqzEeCc/YXQgR2qZusI/AAAAAAAAHkI/fJ7PTM-eRh0jxTKlC6A0getLEH0Ix9pQACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/The%2BHidden%2Bcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1283" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nm2bzqzEeCc/YXQgR2qZusI/AAAAAAAAHkI/fJ7PTM-eRh0jxTKlC6A0getLEH0Ix9pQACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/The%2BHidden%2Bcover.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><p><b><br /></b></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>AN EXTRACT FROM <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">THE
HIDDEN</i></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Background: New York,
1973. Faye has been in hiding in America since something terrible happened to
her, her boyfriend James and her brother Percy in London in 1969. She is
currently living in a cabin in Montana. She receives news that her father has
died and her mother, Elizabeth, wants to see her. They meet in the restaurant
of the Waldorf Hotel in New York.<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I must
say, you’re looking well. Life in America must suit you.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Who
says I live in America?” Faye smiled. “I might have popped over the border from
Canada, or hitch-hiked up from Mexico.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“And
did you do either of those things?”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I’m
afraid I can’t say.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Oh,
Felicity, really.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Faye leaned
forward, her hands on the table. “Call me that just one more time, and I walk,”
she hissed. “I am not Felicity. I never will be again. Accept it.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Elizabeth
leaned back, her lips thinned.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You
always were a dramatic child. I’m your mother, for goodness’ sake. Surely it’s
not too much to ask to know your new name and where you live?”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“It was
explained to you at the time. The less you know, the better. It wouldn’t be
safe for either of us. I’m actually trying to protect you. Can’t you accept
that?”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“But
it’s all over and done with now, isn’t it? You’re halfway around the world.
Can’t we just be mother and daughter for a little while?”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Faye
sat back and took a sip of her drink. She was stunned. In all her twenty-eight
years, this was the first time Elizabeth had ever said anything like that to
her. Her memories were of being told: Don’t do that, or Be quiet, or What have
you done now, you bloody child? “Why change the habit of a lifetime?” she
asked, her tone bitter.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>She
expected her mother to snarl back at her, but Elizabeth closed her eyes as
though in pain.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I know
I haven’t been the best mother,” she said after a few moments. She took a sip
of her martini and put the glass back on the table before going on. “We’ve all
made mistakes. I just don’t want it to be too late before we do something about
it. With your father and Percy both gone now…”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This
time it was Faye who closed her eyes. “So you’re not here to blame me for
Daddy’s demise as well as Percy’s?” she asked. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Oh,
darling, of course not. I know we blamed you initially over Percy, but well,
while you were in hospital for all those months, it became quite clear with all
the terrible things they said in the papers that your brother was the one who
led you into the situation, and not the other way around.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Faye
felt her mouth drop open in surprise. Had she spent years broken under the
burden of her guilt, while her parents had actually forgiven her? <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
waiter arrived with their meals. A steak for Faye and a salad for her mother.
Elizabeth couldn’t help raising her eyebrows as her daughter sliced into the
meat and ate it with gusto. Faye wasn’t about to tell her mother that she’d
been travelling for three days, had hardly slept, and had survived on snacks
from bus stations and airports along the way. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>They
ate in silence for a few minutes until Faye felt human again. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked, her tone mild. “Why
wait nearly four years before saying this?”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Her
mother put down her fork and picked up her napkin, blotting at her lips in
order to preserve her carefully-applied lipstick. “We didn’t get a chance,
darling. You were whisked away and we weren’t allowed to see you. They said we
had to keep up the pretence that you were dead in order to keep you alive. Then
they moved you on and that was that.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>She
made it sound so uncomplicated, but it had been far from simple. Faye realised
her mother hadn’t known how long she been in hospital, or the full extent of
both her physical and mental injuries. It had been decided that she needed a
complete break from her past, including what was left of her family, if they
were to convince her assassins that she really was dead. Even now, she couldn’t
tell her mother the real reason why she was moved on after a couple of months
in hospital recovering from her physical injuries. She probably thinks I was
rushed out of the country just to spite her, when in fact I was in an asylum
going through a nervous breakdown.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You
could have asked to send a message,” she said, stabbing at her steak. She carried
on eating steadily, even though she’d lost her appetite.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I
know. But we didn’t know what to say.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Faye
looked up. Her mother looked genuinely sad for a moment, but then, in true
Broughton family tradition, she rallied, pasting a smile on her face. “But
that’s in the past, all of it. I’m here now, darling, and I have a marvellous
idea. I’m booked on a Caribbean cruise, starting on Sunday. I’ve got a suite
which has two bedrooms. Why don’t you come with me? We could spend the next
couple of days shopping, my treat. Wouldn’t it be lovely to relax and explore
the islands together?”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I
can’t.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Oh.
Why not? Have you got a job?”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>She
wanted to lie, but what was the point? “No. But I have animals and people
depending on me. I need to get back.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“But
where to?”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>She
shook her head. “I’m not going to tell you, so please stop asking.” She held up
a hand when her mother would have argued with her. “I know you think I’m making
excuses, but I’m not. The people Percy and I got involved with weren’t some
tinpot gang of thugs. They were organized, brutal and evil. There were far more
of them than went to prison, and they never ever forgot. If they had just a
hint that I’m still alive, they’d hunt me down. If they thought you knew where
I was, they’d make you talk – and it wouldn’t be pretty. God, when one of them
paid James a visit, he nearly wet himself.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Of
course he did. That boy was an arse,” snapped his mother. “He had no backbone.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>MORE ABOUT <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">THE HIDDEN</i></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Secrets, nightmares, and a big black dog…<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Montana, 1973.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Faye has found sanctuary in a simple cabin in the wilds of
the Crazy Mountains in Montana with a dog called Bear. She’s a long way from
her old life in England. But she knows that one day her peaceful life could be
invaded by her enemies, and she keeps her guard up at all times.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Jeff returns home from Vietnam, a wounded, damaged hero,
just weeks after his father’s sudden death. He finds hostile, secretive Faye
living in his cabin and refusing to leave. The reading of his father’s will
adds another layer of mystery to this woman’s presence.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The tension between them grows as Jeff tries to overcome his
nightmares and expose Faye’s scars and secrets. The more he learns about her,
the more enigmatic she seems.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When her enemies come calling, she needs Jeff to protect
her. Can they learn to trust each other? And will Faye ever be safe?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">BUY LINK FOR <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">THE
HIDDEN</i>: <a href="https://mybook.to/thehidden">https://mybook.to/thehidden</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vPIObktq_gA/YXQgi6prBaI/AAAAAAAAHkQ/0dF3H1syoBwWTQdt9p9m3Mik7zZAkv3YQCLcBGAsYHQ/s5300/The%2BHidden%2BAuthor.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3975" data-original-width="5300" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vPIObktq_gA/YXQgi6prBaI/AAAAAAAAHkQ/0dF3H1syoBwWTQdt9p9m3Mik7zZAkv3YQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/The%2BHidden%2BAuthor.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><o:p><br /></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>MORE ABOUT ALISON KNIGHT</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a name="_Hlk78817408">Alison Knight has been a legal
executive, a registered childminder, a professional fund-raiser and a teacher.
She has travelled the world – from spending a year as an exchange student in
the US in the 1970s and trekking the Great Wall of China to celebrate her
fortieth year and lots of other interesting places in between.<o:p></o:p></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk78817408;">In her mid-forties,
Alison went to university part-time and gained a first-class degree in Creative
Writing at Bath Spa University and an MA in the same subject from Oxford
Brookes University, both while still working full-time. Her first book was
published a year after she completed her master’s degree.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk78817408;">Alison currently has
a trio of novels published by Darkstroke. The first, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mine</i>, is a domestic drama set in 1960s London based on real
events in her family. She is the only person who can tell this particular
story. Exploring themes of class, ambition and sexual politics, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mine</i> shows how ordinary people can
make choices that lead them into extraordinary situations.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk78817408;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Legacy</i>, a drama set in London in 1969, was inspired by a scene
in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mine</i>, and explores how an
unexpected legacy can be both a blessing and a curse. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Legacy</i> looks at themes of greed and expectations, and the
lengths people will go to when they are desperate.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk78817408;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Hidden</i>, available from September 2021, is a romantic suspense
that picks up the story of one of the characters in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Legacy</i>. Set in Montana in 1973, two wounded, damaged people are
forced together, each guarding their secrets. Can they learn to trust each
other? And will their nightmares ever end?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk78817408;">Alison teaches creative
and life-writing, runs workshops and retreats with Imagine Creative
Writing Workshops (</span><a href="http://www.imaginecreativewriting.co.uk/"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk78817408;">www.imaginecreativewriting.co.uk</span><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk78817408;"></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk78817408;">)
as well as working as a freelance editor. She is a member of the Society of
Authors and the Romantic Novelists’ Association.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk78817408;">She lives in
Somerset, within sight of Glastonbury Tor.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk78817408;"></span>
<p class="MsoNormal">SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS – ALISON KNIGHT<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/alison.knight.942">www.facebook.com/alison.knight.942</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">@Alison_Knight59 on Twitter<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.imaginecreativewriting.co.uk/">www.imaginecreativewriting.co.uk</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.darkstroke.com/dark-stroke/alison-knight/">www.darkstroke.com/dark-stroke/alison-knight/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p>Sincere thanks to Rachel's Random Resources for the opportunity to take part in this blog tour. Why not check out the other posts? Details below.</o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-96xAooSLBdI/YXQg4ukg5OI/AAAAAAAAHkc/yiXt9D_dboYM73yTgBbfPPgQWEjDavALgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/The%2BHidden%2BFull%2BTour%2BBanner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1049" data-original-width="2048" height="164" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-96xAooSLBdI/YXQg4ukg5OI/AAAAAAAAHkc/yiXt9D_dboYM73yTgBbfPPgQWEjDavALgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/The%2BHidden%2BFull%2BTour%2BBanner.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><o:p><br /></o:p><p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><br /><p></p>Broad Thoughts From A Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08798249743031672360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6185513237391465906.post-3220888626783203422021-10-19T12:34:00.000+01:002021-10-19T12:34:48.565+01:00HOLIDAYS & HOMICIDE - an interview with Jessica Thompson<p><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Today I'm delighted to welcome my friend and fellow-Darkstroke author Jessica Thompson, whose new novel <b>A Caterer's Guide to Holidays and Homicide </b>is published today.</span></i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wnb699uCnto/YWh408q7vqI/AAAAAAAAHic/NeVRD5lSw7I-apJP4fZxVbQzORYz7c1ywCLcBGAsYHQ/s1280/Cover9%2B%25281%2529.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="806" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wnb699uCnto/YWh408q7vqI/AAAAAAAAHic/NeVRD5lSw7I-apJP4fZxVbQzORYz7c1ywCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Cover9%2B%25281%2529.jpeg" width="202" /></a></div><div><br /></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><b>Welcome to Broad Thoughts, Jessica. What prompted you to first start writing? What was the first thing you wrote?</b></i></span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">It sounds so silly now, but the first thing I sat down to write as "a writer" was my first book, <i>A Caterer's Guide to Love and Murder.</i> I did so after reading a really disappointing culinary cozy mystery. I thought, "If THAT can get published, then so can I!"</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><b>Can you summarise your latest work in just a few words?</b></i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>A Caterer's Guide to Holidays and Homicide</i> is a holiday-flavored sequel to my first book. Violet and her husband are acting as personal chefs on their friend's vacation. But then, they get snowed in and someone dies! *GASP*</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><b>What was the inspiration for this book?</b></i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">When I went to college in Utah, there was this big mountain house that used to be owned by a wealthy family but had since been donated to the college. I think I was largely inspired by that real-life building, so it's pretty accurate in the book - indoor treehouse and everything!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I have also been snowed in for about a week, twice. Both times it was an ever-present thought that if anything went wrong, even a little, we would be in huge trouble.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><b>Did you do any research for the book?</b></i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I won't name the mountain house because last time I was there I hopped the fence and snuck around to make sure I had the setting description just right. Twice when someone came by on an ATV I dived into the bushes to hide!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I also brushed up on my knowledge of plant poisons. At college I was a horticulture major. I already thought I might use Taxus cuspidata (or Yew) in the book because it looks Christmassy and is poisonous, but I knew I had to when I looked up how very poisonous it is and saw it next to the front door at the read-life lodge!</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><b>How do you decide on the names for your characters?</b></i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Mostly the names are ones that I like but couldn't use for my own children, like Violet or Mercedes, but sometimes the are names that remind me of the people that the character is modeled on - such as Jake for the character who looks like my husband Nate, or Gayle for the character who looks like Oprah.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><b>Do you plot your novels in advance, or allow them to develop as you write?</b></i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Oh, I'm a plotter, all the way! I don't know how a person could write a mystery without plotting. Well, I couldn't. Even with plotting, there are things that I think of towards the end of the book that I have to go back and "plant the seeds" for.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Which writers have influenced your own writing?</b></span></i></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I love Agatha Christie and have almost finished reading all of her novels (it's been quite the project), but there are also several contemporary cozy mystery authors that I love, like Josi Kilpack and Ellie Alexander.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>What has been the best part of the writing process - and the worst? </b> </span></i></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I love the plotting and the first draft, but I'm not a fan of the editing. But marketing might actually be the worst. To have to sell yourself and your creations is a strangely arrogant and presumptuous act. Especially for something that is not technically needed, but is entertainment. It’s a weird feeling.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Is there a message for the reader?</b></span></i></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Maybe, just don’t take this too seriously. It’s for fun!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Do you have any advice for new writers?</b></span></i></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">My advice would be to reach out to other authors. For a long time I thought I could be a closet writer and no one needed to know that I was writing, but that doesn’t work. It takes a village to get a book into print. And you don’t need to be scared to start making those connections! Everyone in the writing community is so generous with their time, and willing to help and make friends. It’s wonderful! </span></div><div><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></div><div><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>What can we expect from you in the future?</b></span></i></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I have at least one more Violet book in the works. I'm thinking a prequel. I always planned to go back and write some of the early story between Violet and Jake, and I think I am finally ready.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I'm also working on something that's not as cozy. Shoot Shovel and Shut Up will be my classic-style mystery that doesn't have recipes but is instead a retelling of an Agatha Christie novel, but set on a Texan family cattle ranch. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>That sounds intriguing! Thank you for visiting me today, Jessica, and good luck with the new book!</b></span></i></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>MORE ABOUT THE BOOK</b>:</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Deck the halls...with a personal chef, a snowed-in lodge, and a sprinkling of murder!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><i><span style="font-size: medium;">"Watch the knives!"</span></i></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">While acting as personal chef for a friend's mountain retreat, Violet and her husband Jake must set aside their stress over infertility and create a magical and delicious holiday - until tragedy crashes the party.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Being snowed in and unreachable from town, Violet and Jake end up hired for a different kind of job: finding out which of the guests committed murder, and why they're trying to frame their hostess. Violet must find a balance between following her gut and keeping it all under control until the police can reach them, while still managing the kitchen. But can she sniff out the killer before anyone else bites the big one? </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>A Caterer's Guide to Holidays and Homicide</i></b> will give you a culinary holiday you won't forget! To order your copy, click <a href="http://mybook.to/catererholiday" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fSwf66yDOLg/YWmb82qh1dI/AAAAAAAAHiw/6j3XCyvrmVkORdi8_QuaA9ZhxgoB7rzIgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Jessica%2Bauthor%2Bpic.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fSwf66yDOLg/YWmb82qh1dI/AAAAAAAAHiw/6j3XCyvrmVkORdi8_QuaA9ZhxgoB7rzIgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Jessica%2Bauthor%2Bpic.jpeg" width="213" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><b style="font-size: large;">MORE ABOUT JESSICA</b><span style="font-size: large;">:</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">When Jessica discovered mystery novels with recipes, she knew she had found her niche.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Jessica is now the author of the Amazon bestselling culinary cozy mystery <i>A Caterer's Guide to Love and Murder,</i> with the second book of the series - <i>A Caterer's Guide to Holidays and Homicide</i> - now available. She is active in her local writing community, and is a member of the Writers' League of Texas and the Storymakers Guild. She received a Bachelor's degree in Horticulture from Brigham Young University but has always enjoyed writing and reading mysteries.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">As an avid home chef and food science geek, Jessica has won cooking competitions and been featured in the online Taste of Home recipe collection. She also tends to be the go-to source for recipes, taste-testing and food advice among her peers.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Jessica is originally from California, but has now adopted the lifestyle of Austin, Texas. She enjoys living in the suburbs with her husband and young children, but also enjoys helping her parents with their nearby longhorn cattle ranch.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">You can follow her on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jessicathauthor" target="_blank">Facebook,</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/jessicathauthor" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jessicathauthor/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div></div>Broad Thoughts From A Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08798249743031672360noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6185513237391465906.post-88459250140151261832021-10-05T11:04:00.000+01:002021-10-05T11:04:02.787+01:00TWELVE DATES 'TILL CHRISTMAS - a guest post by Jennifer C Wilson<p><i>Today is a very special day for my dear friend and fellow-author Jennifer C Wilson, because it marks the publication of her latest work <b>Twelve Dates 'Till Christmas,</b> released through <a href="https://ocelot-press.com/" target="_blank">Ocelot Press</a>. She joins me on the blog to talk about the background to this amazing new venture.</i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WXcysRsDFtA/YVMskCa7fLI/AAAAAAAAHgs/cODDJKW8oVAYpWGoJrObRItzlvAr5w3UwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/TwelveDatesTillChristmas-FinalCover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1283" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WXcysRsDFtA/YVMskCa7fLI/AAAAAAAAHgs/cODDJKW8oVAYpWGoJrObRItzlvAr5w3UwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/TwelveDatesTillChristmas-FinalCover.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><p><i>Welcome, Jen! Please tell us more!</i></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Hi Sue, and thank you for inviting me along to your blog
today, to talk about <i>Twelve Dates ‘Till Christmas</i>, my latest release, which
is out today! As you know, this is a bit of a departure for me, compared to
what I usually write, but as the idea landed in my mind almost fully-formed, it
seemed rude not to at least try and write it down and see how it went… <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The inspiration behind <i>Twelve Dates</i> is an odd one,
even for me. I usually get my story ideas from pottering around castles or
other historical sites, and thinking about the people who have lived there
before, but obviously, that’s been in short supply for the last eighteen months
or so. For <i>Twelve Dates</i>, it all began with a night of terrible
sleeplessness. I have been going through phases of TV nostalgia during the
various stages of Lockdown, and back in March, I had been watching a lot of <i>Coupling</i>,
<i>Musketeers</i>, and <i>Friends</i> (still am, in the last case). I had been
struggling to sort some plot points in the historical romance I was working on
at the time, and decided the best way forward might be to write something
completely different for a bit, to see if I could break the cycle and become
unstuck. As I said, one night, I just could not get to sleep, however hard I
tried, and the characters of Lexie and Callum started chattering away. Another
writing friend had also mentioned she was working on a Christmas romance
novella, and everything just slotted into place. I knew straight away that they
were best friends, almost inseparable, but initially, couldn’t work out whether
they were a couple or not. As I started jotting down ideas though, the concept
of a will-they-won’t-they / friends-to-lovers plot really started jumping out
at me, and it seemed to fit perfectly for Callum and Lexie’s situation. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I also liked the idea of a “Christmas countdown”, with
regular events leading up to the big day, and that’s when I thought about how
quickly weekends get booked up when everyone’s working hard, especially in the
run-up to Christmas, with so many parties, chances to catch up with friends
etc. After that, the concept of ‘twelve weeks’ or ‘twelve dates’ came together,
and I started thinking about key events, when they would be happening, and what
potential fall-out would be between those events. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Within a week of that bad night, I had the skeleton sorted,
and began drafting some of the scenes out, just to see if it kept working. And
I was really enjoying it, so just kept going. I always knew it would be novella
length, rather than a novel, and that I wanted to hear both Callum's and Lexie’s
sides of the story, since there’s a lot going on for both of them. After all, that
change from seeing somebody as ‘just a friend’ to sensing a growing attraction
can be a time of turmoil, and I wanted to capture that. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Given that we were in the middle of Covid, I decided to set
everything in October to December 2019, before any of us had really even heard
of the virus, and it certainly wasn’t holding up Christmas parties or other
celebrations. I know some people are tackling the pandemic in their fiction,
but for me, I couldn’t quite face it. Although I think if it had been set
during 2020, we would have found Callum and Lexie setting up their own little
support bubble, and definitely spending even more time in each other’s pockets!
Happily, in <i>Twelve Dates</i>, all of this is still in the future, and not
troubling anyone just yet.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I really enjoyed writing <i>Twelve Dates ‘Till Christmas</i>,
and hope people enjoy reading it just as much!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>Thank you, Jen. I hope this one flies for you!</i></p><br /><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>MORE ABOUT <i>TWELVE DATES 'TILL CHRISTMAS</i></b>:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Callum and Lexie are perfect for each other - at least,
that's what everyone tells them. But they're just good friends, aren't they?
And neither wants to ruin the solid friendship that's treated them so well
since university.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But when an old school friend of Callum's asks Lexie for a
date, and passions overflow on a work night out, could it be the trigger to
show each of them what they have been missing out on all this time?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">With twelve weeks until Christmas, that's a lot of opportunity
for romance - and for misunderstandings...<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Purchase Link - <a href="https://mybook.to/12Dates">https://mybook.to/12Dates</a><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aC0e8JZiyzs/YVMudjNS0wI/AAAAAAAAHg8/1NNpML9MEEErClWjHW_2dI9lnjPCM_rtgCLcBGAsYHQ/s867/Twelve%2BDates%2B-%2BJenniferCWilson-AuthorPhoto.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="867" data-original-width="867" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aC0e8JZiyzs/YVMudjNS0wI/AAAAAAAAHg8/1NNpML9MEEErClWjHW_2dI9lnjPCM_rtgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Twelve%2BDates%2B-%2BJenniferCWilson-AuthorPhoto.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><b>MORE ABOUT JEN</b>:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Jennifer C. Wilson stalks dead people (usually
monarchs, mostly Mary Queen of Scots and Richard III). Inspired by childhood
visits to as many castles and historical sites her parents could find, and
losing herself in their stories (not to mention quite often the castles
themselves!), at least now her daydreams make it onto the page. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">After returning to the north-east of England for work, she
joined a creative writing class, and has been filling notebooks ever since.
Jennifer won North Tyneside Libraries’ Story Tyne short story competition in
2014, and in 2015, her debut novel, Kindred Spirits: Tower of London was
published by Crooked Cat Books. The full series was re-released by Darkstroke
in January 2020. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Jennifer is a founder and host of the award-winning North
Tyneside Writers’ Circle, and has been running writing workshops in North
Tyneside since 2015. She also publishes historical fiction novels with Ocelot
Press. She lives in Whitley Bay, and is very proud of her two-inch view of the
North Sea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Social Media Links – <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jennifercwilsonwriter/">https://www.facebook.com/jennifercwilsonwriter/</a>
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/inkjunkie1984">https://twitter.com/inkjunkie1984</a>
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Blog: <a href="https://jennifercwilsonwriter.wordpress.com/">https://jennifercwilsonwriter.wordpress.com/</a>
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jennifercwilsonwriter/">https://www.instagram.com/jennifercwilsonwriter/</a>
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Amazon: <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jennifer-C-Wilson/e/B018UBP1ZO/">https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jennifer-C-Wilson/e/B018UBP1ZO/</a>
<o:p></o:p></p><br /><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Sincere thanks to Rachel's Random Resources for the opportunity to take part in this blog tour. Do check out the other stops on the tour - the banner below has all the details.</b></i></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G4g39Hw4_7k/YVMt4rL6NNI/AAAAAAAAHg0/SvktNt-TQWw7MYIr0xp0mdqDtAaHWQIcQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Twelve%2BDates%2BTill%2BChristmas%2BFull%2BTour%2BBanner.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1205" data-original-width="2048" height="188" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G4g39Hw4_7k/YVMt4rL6NNI/AAAAAAAAHg0/SvktNt-TQWw7MYIr0xp0mdqDtAaHWQIcQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Twelve%2BDates%2BTill%2BChristmas%2BFull%2BTour%2BBanner.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>Broad Thoughts From A Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08798249743031672360noreply@blogger.com0