Hello, and welcome to my May Newsletter.
I had hoped to be writing this newsletter from our new home, but I’m afraid we’re still waiting for a moving date. Everything seems to be progressing well, and we expect to hear more in the next week or two, but I guess it will happen when it happens! In the meantime, we’re busy packing and I’d forgotten how tiring it is – or maybe it’s because I was 15 years younger last time I moved house! In packing, I’ve been unearthing things that haven’t seen the light of day for many years, and this could be why it takes so long as I go off on a trip down Memory Lane.
I found this poem and thought I’d share it with you, but first, I need to explain why it was written. When my children were all at school, I spent a lot of time in the North Devon Record Office researching my family tree. This led me to visit many a graveyard in search of my ancestors’ tombstones. One warm summer evening, my cousin and I decided to explore the large Bear Street Cemetery in Barnstaple. We were so engrossed in our task that we didn’t notice that the gates had been shut and padlocked – or that there was a high fence with large spikes all the way around!
To our horror, we found we couldn’t get out – and this was before the days of mobile phones. We decided to explore the entire perimeter and eventually found a lower bit of fence that we scrambled over. As we walked away, a gentleman approached us and asked if we had seen anyone behaving suspiciously in the graveyard, as an incident had been reported to the neighbourhood watch. We innocently said no, we had seen no one!
A dear friend, who sadly is no longer with us, introduced me to genealogy and was highly amused by this story, which prompted him to write this poem. I’m sure most of you will know the tune to “Oh Dear What Can The Matter Be!” Well, this is his interpretation:
Old Saying of the Month
Hobson’s Choice
This saying is used these days to mean to have no choice at all. In medieval times, if you went on a journey, you could hire horses to take you from one town to another and use a relay of horses rather than having to rest the same horse. Early in the 1600s, Thomas Hobson was a man who hired out horses. However, he would not let his customers choose their horse; instead, they had to ride the one nearest the stable entrance. So, they were given Hobson’s choice.
Author Alison Huntingford
Some of you may remember that I interviewed author Alison Huntingford a while back, after meeting her at the Hartland Book Festival. Alison writes historical fiction books, and I enjoyed A Ha’Penny Will Do, and have yet to read The Glass Bulldog or Dance a Fearful Jig. Alison tells me she is working on her fourth book, provisionally entitled Hopeful Odyssey, which tells the story of her ancestors who emigrated to Canada in 1904 but returned to England in the 1920s. A fascinating glimpse into the lives that emigrants experienced as they chased their dreams.
As well as writing books, Alison gives talks about her books, and I offered to mention them here. If you are in the area, do call in and support her. Here are the dates:
Fri 16th May. 12.00 Bude Literary Festival, talk on ‘Dance a Fearful Jig’
Sun 18th May, 5.30pm Things Happen Here, Dartington. Reading an excerpt from Dance a Fearful Jig
Thurs 5th June, 5.30 pm, The Ivybridge Bookshop. Talk on The Glass Bulldog
Thurs 12th June, 10.30 am, Palace Theatre, Paignton, talk on Dance a Fearful Jig
My Writing News
Hartland Book Festival on Saturday, 14th June 2025
I’ve been invited to the Hartland Book Festival again this year and will have a stall selling my books. I always enjoy talking to the other authors and chatting with those who visit. It will be held in Hartland Parish Hall, EX39 6BL, between 10 am and 3 pm, and coffee and cake will be available. If you’re in the area, please feel free to call in for a chat!
Readers Favourite 5-Star Review!
Reviewed by Mimie Odigwe for Readers’ Favorite
Review Rating: 5 Stars!
Some time ago, I put Betsey forward for a free review with Readers Favourite, and I’d forgotten all about it, so I was delighted to be awarded a prestigious five-star award!
You can read the review here:
Set in 19th-century rural England, Betsey by Marcia Clayton is a gripping prequel to The Hartford Manor Series. It follows the early life of Betsey Lovering, an eight-year-old child growing up poor with a mother struggling to take care of her children, a father whose drinking results in violence, and two brothers. When tragedy strikes and their family is divided, Betsey is saddled with looking after her little brother, Norman. Throughout the hard, lonely times, Betsey draws comfort from a gypsy healer and her granddaughter, as well as her neighbors Aunty Kezia, Uncle Mal, and their sons. Soon, she becomes witness to a love triangle between Gypsy Freda’s granddaughter, Jane, Thomas, the son of Lord Fellwood, and the local miller, Jasper Morris, and is further burdened by a darker secret to keep.
Betsey is the story of a young girl shouldering responsibility far beyond her age. She is an outstanding protagonist: curious, kind, and determined. Dealt a heavy hand from childhood, we see poverty, domestic abuse, hunger, child labor, and other harsh realities of a bygone era through her eyes. The novel offers a panorama of working-class life, forbidden love, class gaps, friendship, and hope, alternating between heavy emotions and moments of warmth. With a strong protagonist and supporting characters, the plot flows seamlessly from childhood to youth, balancing action and pace and leaving questions to be answered in subsequent sequels. Marcia Clayton has written a beautiful historical novel that takes readers into the hardships and joys of another age. A must-read for all fans of historical fiction.
My New Book!
I’m delighted to tell you that my new book is going well, and I’m enjoying writing it. As regular readers will know, I was considering a change from writing The Hartford Manor Series and trying something different, but many readers wanted me to continue, and so I decided to do so. It took me a while to come up with a story this time, but now it’s coming together nicely – or so I hope! I’m about to start writing Chapter 24, so probably around halfway. I’d like to publish it by Christmas, though moving house might delay it; we’ll see. I don’t have a title or a cover yet, but when I do, my newsletter readers will be the first to see them.
This Month’s Bargains
Special Offers – 99p
All of my books are free to read if you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited on Amazon. However, if you want to grab a bargain, these books will be reduced to 99p on the following dates:
A Woman Scorned – my latest book – will be just 99p from 1 – 8 May.
You can find it here: https://mybook.to/AWomanScorned
1886 North Devon, England
Lady Lilliana Grantley has been seriously ill with typhoid, a disease that recently claimed her husband Edgar’s life and that of his long-time lover, Rosemary Gibbs. Now recovering at last, the lady wastes no tears on her husband but is determined to wreak revenge on his two illegitimate children.
Embarrassed for years by his affair with Rosemary, a childhood sweetheart living nearby, she has falsely accused Sir Edgar’s daughter, Millicent, of the theft of a precious brooch and wants to see her jailed or hung.
Fortunately for Millie and her little brother, Jonathan, their granny, Emily, insisted they leave home as soon as she heard of Sir Edgar’s death, for she knew his widow would seek revenge. The old lady was soon proved right, and Lady Lilliana, furious the two youngsters were nowhere to be found, evicted the old woman despite the fact she, too, was dangerously ill.
After a long and hazardous journey to North Devon, Millie and Jonathan were united with some long-lost family members who made them welcome and gave them a home. However, aware that Lady Lilliana has put a price on Millie’s head, they know they are not yet out of danger. Despite this, they are determined to find their granny, Emily, who seems to have disappeared.
Aided by her long-time lover, Sir Clive Robinson, Lady Lilliana is determined to find Millie and Jonnie and get them out of her life once and for all, but how far will the embittered woman go?
Millie’s Escape will be 99p from 22nd – 29th May!
You can find it here: https://mybook.to/MilliesEscape
1885 North Devon, England
It is winter in the small Devon village of Brampford Speke, and a typhoid epidemic has claimed many victims. Millie, aged fifteen, is doing her best to nurse her mother and grandmother as well as look after Jonathan, her five-year-old brother. One morning, Millie is horrified to find that her mother, Rosemary, has passed away during the night and is terrified the same fate may befall her granny, Emily.
When Emily’s neighbours inform her that Sir Edgar Grantley has also perished from the deadly disease, the old woman is distraught, for the kindly gentleman has been their benefactor for many years, much to the disgust of his wife, Lilliana.
Emily is well aware that Sir Edgar’s generosity has long been a bone of contention between him and his spouse, and she is certain Lady Grantley will evict them from their cottage at the first opportunity.
As she racks her brain for a solution, Emily remembers her father came from Hartford, a seaside village in North Devon and had relatives there. Desperate and too weak to travel, she insists Millie and Jonathan leave home and make their way to Hartford before the embittered woman can cause trouble for them. There, she tells them, they must throw themselves on the mercy of their family and hope they will offer them a home.
With Emily promising to follow them as soon as possible, the two youngsters reluctantly set off on their fifty-mile journey on foot and in the harshest of weather conditions. Emily warns them to be cautious, for she suspects Lady Grantley may well pursue them to seek revenge for a situation that has existed between the two families for many years.
My Book of the Month
The Winemaker’s Son by Beverley Latimer
About the Book
Saffron and Marcus are in the prime of their youth. Married for just over three years, Marcus wants to focus on his career and travel the world with his wife. So, when Saffron announces her unexpected pregnancy, Marcus is shocked and furious. He insist that Saffron should have the pregnancy terminated. Saffron is left shocked and upset, knowing she must choose between him and their baby. A heartbreaking tragedy results in Saffron travelling to France, where she meets Frenchman Raphael. Saffron senses that Raphael has suffered a trauma of his own. But will he reveal to her his own story, which is far more tragic than her own? Can these two strangers, who have seemingly been brought together by chance, bring each other some comfort, or will their respective pasts be too much for them to handle?
My Review
What a heartwarming story! The main character, Saffron, has been happily married to Marcus for three years, and they enjoy an excellent social life together. Marcus has always insisted they do not start a family for a few years, as he wants to concentrate on his career and see something of the world before they are tied down. When Saffron unexpectedly becomes pregnant, her maternal instinct kicks in, and she knows it would be impossible for her to abort the baby. She hopes Marcus will understand her feelings, but unfortunately, he is shocked and upset when she refuses to stick to their plan. As the rift between them deepens, Saffron begins to question their relationship, realising for the first time that Marcus inevitably gets his own way about most things. However, this time, she cannot go along with his wishes. Saffron decides to visit her parents in France to give her time to think, and she meets the enigmatic Frenchman, Raphael, who appears to be homeless. Out of kindness, she befriends him. However, as their friendship deepens, she is inexplicably drawn to this strange man, and it is he who comforts her when a heartbreaking tragedy occurs. I enjoyed the two previous books by this author, and this one did not disappoint. It held my attention from the first page, and I read it in a couple of days. I’m looking forward to the next one.
You can find the book here: The Winemakers Son
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.
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