Hello, and welcome to my December Newsletter.
I’ve recently returned from a family holiday in Lanzarote. We had a lovely time and it was wonderful to feel the warmth of the sun, but it was a bit of a shock to come back to snow and ice after enjoying 30+ degrees! This is a photo of my son, David, and his wife, Jenny, my husband, Bryan, and me enjoying a lunch of tapas in Playa Blanca. The Canarian potatoes are amazing, so if you ever visit, do try them. I’m trying to catch up with everything at home now and turn my attention to Christmas, which is not that far away!
Old Saying of the Month
Here’s another saying I’m sure we’ve all used, but I never knew where it came from.
To Eat Humble Pie
These days, the saying “To Eat Humble Pie” means to act with humility, offer an apology, or a retraction. However, the original phrase came from literally eating umble pie. Umbles were the intestines or less desirable parts of an animal, and the lower classes ate them. They were particularly related to deer, so whilst the wealthy ate venison, the servants ate umble pie.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
As it will soon be Christmas, I decided to write a Christmassy blog. Have you ever wondered where the story and the song of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer came from? I’m sure we all sang it as children.
Well, if so, you can find out here: https://marciaclayton.co.uk/rudolph-the-red-nosed-reindeer/
My Writing News
The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour
My new book, A Woman Scorned, is going on a blog tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club from 2nd to 4th December. Several hosts (usually other authors) will feature it on their websites. The Coffee Pot Book Club specialises in blog tours for books about historical fiction. For authors, it’s important to get as much exposure as possible for their books, and for the hosts, it increases the audience for their websites. If you see a post come up on your social media, it would be great if you commented or liked the post. You can take a look here: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2024/11/blog-tour-a-woman-scorned-by-marcia-clayton.html
Christmas Fayre in Landkey Village Hall on 7 December
I’ve been invited to have a stall to sell my books at the Christmas Fayre in Landkey on 7 December, so for those of you who live in North Devon, you might like to call in and say hello. The Fayre is in support of Landkey Church, which is a good cause and where I was christened and married. I’ve also been asked to decorate a tree to promote my books in a Christmas Tree Festival to be held in the church from 12 – 15 December. This has become popular in many churches, and the display of trees is worth seeing.
This Month’s Bargains
A Woman Scorned – now in Kindle Unlimited!
A Woman Scorned – is now available in Kindle Unlimited making it free to read for those who subscribe. An embittered woman is determined to wreak vengeance on her late husband’s two illegitimate children, but just how far will Lady Lilliana go? A gripping Victorian tale! Find it here: https://mybook.to/AWomanScorned
Betsey – only 99p from 19th to 26th December! Betsey, aged six, is abandoned and left to care for her three-year-old brother, Norman. Set in 1820 in a rural Devon village; the prequel to the much-loved Hartford Manor Series. You can find it here: http://mybook.to/Betsey
Penny Hampson Books
My Book of the Month in November was A Gentleman’s Promise by historical novelist Penny Hampson, and now I would like to tell you about her newly released book:
An Adventurer’s Contract
A man on the hunt for a traitor. A woman in search of the truth. Gabrielle Mercer is in trouble. Her cousin is missing, her father’s death looks like murder, and now there are rumours she is spying for the French. With no one to turn to, dare she accept help from a man she doesn’t like?
Jack Ashdown is on a mission to unmask a ruthless spy. Could it be the reclusive young Frenchwoman who has made no secret of her contempt for Englishmen like himself? Perhaps Gabrielle’s predicament will be the perfect opportunity to win her trust and do some spying of his own.
Getting close to one’s enemy is a dangerous option, but the stakes for Jack and Gabrielle are too high to ignore. Will their gamble to trust one another lead to disaster, or will they discover that neither of them is what they seem?
The buy link is: https://mybook.to/AnAdventurersContract – definitely one for historical fiction lovers to add to their reading list!
My Book of the Month
A Matter of Conscience: Henry VIII The Aragon Years By Judith Arnopp
About the Book
On the unexpected death of Arthur Tudor, Prince of Wales, his brother, Henry, becomes heir to the throne of England. The intensive education that follows offers Henry a model for future excellence, a model that he is doomed to fail. On his accession, he chooses his brother’s widow, Caterina of Aragon, to be his queen. Together they plan to reinstate the glory of days of old and fill the royal nursery with boys. But when their first-born son dies at just a few months old, and subsequent babies are born dead or perish in the womb, the king’s golden dreams are tarnished. Christendom mocks the virile prince. Caterina’s fertile years are ending, yet all he has is one useless living daughter and a baseborn son. He needs a solution but stubborn to the end, Caterina refuses to step aside. As their relationship founders his eye is caught by a woman newly arrived from the French court. Her name is Anne Boleyn. A Matter of Conscience: The Aragon Years offers a unique first-person account of the ‘monster’ we love to hate and reveals a man on the edge – an amiable man-made dangerous by his own impossible expectations.
My Review
I found this to be a fascinating and intriguing novel written from Henry VIII’s point of view. Whilst there is plenty of historical detail, clearly well-researched, the author strikes just the right balance between storytelling and facts. The novel takes the reader from the childhood of the famous king to when he leaves Catherine of Aragon for Anne Boleyn. It reflects the disappointment of both he and his wife at their inability to raise a son and heir. The reader cannot fail to feel compassion for Catherine as she suffers miscarriage after miscarriage, and then when a son is born, he sadly dies soon after birth. Although she successfully delivers a daughter, Henry blames his wife for their lack of sons, and their relationship begins to fall apart. It was also interesting to read about Henry’s relationship with his sisters; something often overlooked by the history books. I really enjoyed this beautifully written book and will be reading more by this talented author. You can find the book here:
A Matter of Conscience: Henry VIII: The Aragon Years
Well, that’s all for now, so thank you for continuing to follow me, and until next time, I hope you stay safe and well and have a fantastic Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year.
