Hello, and welcome to my February Newsletter.  

Well, the new year started with a lot of storms again, and we lost yet another fence, but for the last few days, the weather has been lovely here in Devon, and I’ve even made a start in the garden. Below is a photo of my snowdrops, which are increasing nicely. There were none here when we moved in, and each year, I dig up a clump when they have finished flowering and plant them individually somewhere else. It seems to work a treat, and they look lovely this year, though they are not in full bloom yet.

Bryan and I have also been busy clearing out the garage. We moved to our bungalow nearly fifteen years ago, and although we tidy the garage from time to time, it’s amazing how much “stuff” has accumulated. We thought it was time to be ruthless, and this has involved several trips to the charity shops and dump. I have noticed that the few items we advertised at a low price on Facebook were unwanted – until we made them free – and then suddenly quite a few people wanted them! 

Old Saying of the Month

I enjoy looking up these old sayings, so I hope you’ll bear with me. 

Cock A Hoop
This phrase comes from a primitive tap called a spile (or cock) and shive. A shive was a wooden tube at the bottom of a barrel, and a spile was a wooden bung. You removed the spile to let the liquid flow out and replaced it to stop the flow. The spile was sometimes called a cock. If people were extremely happy and wanted to celebrate, they took out the cock, and put it on the hoop on the top of the barrel to let the drink flow freely. So, it was cock a hoop, and cock a hoop came to mean ecstatic.

My Writing News

As I mentioned last month, I’ve taken a break from writing for a couple of months to get other jobs done (like clearing out the garage!), but I’m now thinking about my next book. I’ve decided it will not be a book of short stories, which was one option I was considering, and probably not another book in The Hartford Manor Series – though there might be another one day. No, I fancy starting something new. It will still be historical fiction because that’s what I enjoy, but this time, it will be set somewhere in the 1910s and, of course, in Devon – because that is somewhere I know a lot about. Naturally, there will be new characters, and I’m looking forward to developing them. I will also need to research the new period in history, and that’s something I enjoy doing. By my next newsletter, I might have more news.

Learning Something New
At this time of year, before I start writing a new book, I usually set myself the challenge of learning something new. Last year, I decided to improve my website, and though it took several months to gradually get it right, I’m pleased with it now.

I write blogs about a variety of subjects, interview other authors, review books, and also welcome guest authors who are on a blog tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club. The picture is of the banner on my website – the Devon Maid Book Corner – with rolling hills covered in heather and a cream tea (cream on first, of course). You can take a look at my website here if you like and see what there is on offer: 

Home < Marcia Clayton

Anyway, this year, I want to get to grips with Facebook ads and see if I can boost my book sales. Facebook ads are notoriously challenging to get to grips with, so I’ve always been cautious. Another author kindly gave me some instructions, which have been invaluable, but I decided to find out more, so I sat through two courses on the subject. The first seemed relatively straightforward but bore no resemblance to my author’s friend’s guidelines, and the second offered completely different advice but provided a tutorial showing step-by-step what you had to do. I watched the (90-minute) video twice and then decided to give it a go. Guess what! What appears on the screen is completely different to what was shown in the tutorial. I guess Facebook has changed (or improved!) the system since the tutorial was made. Well, I tried, but until a new video of the up-to-date procedure is available, I’m going to use my author friend’s instructions and see how I get on. I’ll let you know!

Bickington Village Fair – 22 February 2025
For those of you who are local in North Devon, I will be selling my books in the Tomlin Hall, in Bickington, Barnstaple, on 22 February 2025, from 2 pm to 4 pm. I’ve not been there before, so I’m looking forward to meeting some new people at a different venue. If you are in the area, do pop in for a chat, even if you don’t want to buy a book.

This Month’s Bargains

I’m running some promotions on my ebooks on Amazon this month:

The Mazzard Tree will be reduced to 99p from 1- 8 February: http://mybook.to/TheMazzardTree

The Angel Maker will be reduced to 99p from 13 – 20 Februaryhttp://mybook.to/TheAngelMaker

It’s a good chance to stock up on some reading or gift a book to someone else, perhaps for an anniversary or a birthday.

My Book of the Month

Brothers At Arms: Linmore – The Early Years (Linmore Series Book 1) by Jemima Brigges

I read this book a while ago and have since gone on to read the other eight books in the series. I’ve decided to promote this first book now because Book 10 – A Taste of Freedom: An Indignity Redressed has just been published, and I’m looking forward to reading it soon. 

About the Book

Brothers at Arms – an epic family saga set in Shropshire during the Pre-Regency

Georgian era (1794-1802) – at a time when the French wars rumble on in the background – and life, with its family feuds and intrigues, continues in a rural England of the Agricultural Revolution. Joshua Norbery knows, as the second son of the gentry, there is no future for him at Linmore, a fact his older sibling never allows him to forget. His father’s decision to adopt two orphaned children gives Joshua a friend in Charlie Cobarne, who shares his intention to join the army, and a torment in Charlie’s sister Sophie, who determines to go with them and follow the drum. In so doing, she binds their friendship together. Maturity creates problems when the boy’s Grand Tour leaves Sophie at home for her safety. Her feral response creates havoc, so Squire Norbery sends her to school to learn to be a lady. Once there, she befriends the daughter of a wealthy industrialist and makes plans for the future, little knowing who has most to lose if they should go awry.

A family bereavement leaves Joshua heir to the estate, forcing him to abandon his plans to join the army and making Charlie question the direction his life will take. Sophie is in no doubt, but her obsession with Linmore leads to a misunderstanding that threatens its future.

When a crisis erupts, and a man’s life hangs in the balance, the ensuing family scandal forces Joshua into exile. Will the lessons he must learn be enough to restore his father’s respect? And what will the others do when they, too, are banished from Linmore…?

My Review
Brothers At Arms is the first book in the Linmore Series and also the first book I have read by Jemima Brigges. I wasn’t disappointed, for this book was right up my street. I love reading historical fiction, and the story is well thought out and beautifully written. The characters are well-developed, and it is clear that a lot of research went into this novel. I was particularly interested in the description of the grand tour, with the two main characters travelling through Greece, Italy and France. I will be reading more books by this talented author. You can find the book here: Brothers at Arms: Linmore – The Early Years (Linmore Series Book 1)

Well, that’s all for now, so thank you for continuing to follow me and until next time, I hope you keep safe and well.

Best wishes,
Marcia

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