Hello, and welcome to my September Newsletter.
It was my birthday in August, and Bryan and I had planned to spend a couple of days with our youngest son, David, and his wife, Jenny, in South Devon. However, they were both quite poorly with covid and, although they were on the mend, we decided to give it a miss and go another time. Instead, I suggested we park the car on the outskirts of Barnstaple and walk along the Tarka Trail to Braunton. It’s a lovely walk alongside the River Taw, and we planned to have fish and chips at a famous restaurant called “Squires” and then catch the bus back. The fish and chips were amazing, and we caught the bus, but for some reason, I had it in my head that it was four miles from Barnstaple to Braunton, whilst in reality, by the time we got back to the car, we had walked seven miles, which was more than far enough for us these days. However, on the plus side, we must have burned off some of the calories!
A Devon Poem
When Bryan and I went for a walk on Exmoor recently, we found a poem on a noticeboard in the car park, and I’d like to share it with you.
It was anonymous and would probably not win any competitions, but it made me smile.
Any gardener will identify with poor Tommy’s dilemma, and I, for one, have tried all these remedies to no avail, as my lacy hosta leaves can testify, although they are surrounded by grit.
The photo was taken on a path between Simonsbath and Cow Castle, a very pretty walk.
Tommy and Brian
I’d like to share a story
A cautionary tale
Of how they fought the battle
Of the Gardener and the Snail
T’was summertime in Devon
And the grass was long and lush
When Tom, a local gardener
Began to make a fuss
My veg has all been nibbled
He cried out in shock and pain
I bet that Brian, the pesky snail
Has come back here again
He crushed some eggshells in his hand
And laid them round the plot
But Brian simply got a twig
To bridge across the lot
He got some beer and put it out
He knew it couldn’t fail
But what he hadn’t banked upon
Was an alcohol-free snail
Next, Tommy tried some coffee grounds
From thirty cups a day
He couldn’t sleep, and it rained that night
And washed the lot away
So finally, he did the deed
And got slug pellet poison
He laid it out and sat nearby
To check no hedgehog ate them
He watched as Brian ate his fill
But not on veg or seedlings
Old Brian was eating buttercups
And doing Tommy’s weeding
Then, a grinning Brian tells Tommy
It’s time their story ends
Cos it’s easier to bear your foe
By making them your friend
Old Saying of the Month
The Cat Got Your Tongue
These days, this saying refers to someone who prefers to remain silent when they are expected to speak. However, there are two tales of how this saying originated. The first is from ancient Egypt, where liars’ tongues were cut out as a punishment and fed to the cats. The second refers to a whip called a “cat of nine tails” that was used by the English Navy for flogging and often left the victim speechless.
My Writing News
Annie’s Secret
I’m delighted to tell you that the seventh book in The Hartford Manor Series is available for pre-order on Amazon and will be published on 18 October. Here’s the cover and the blurb:
North Devon, England, 1887
When Lady Eleanor Fellwood gave birth to a badly deformed baby, she insisted that the child be adopted as far away as possible. However, that proved difficult to accomplish, and so, in return for payment, Sabina Carter, an impoverished widow living locally, agreed to raise the little boy as a foundling. The child’s father, Lord Charles Fellwood of Hartford Manor, warned Sabina that the matter must be treated in the strictest confidence or her family would be evicted from their home. As far as Lady Eleanor was concerned, the child was being cared for miles away.
All was well for several years until fate took a hand and, against his parents’ wishes, Robert Fellwood, the heir to the Hartford Estate, married Sabina’s daughter, Annie. Robert arranged for his mother-in-law, Sabina, and her family to reside in the Lodge House, situated at the end of the Manor House driveway. A house that Lady Eleanor passed regularly, and it was not long before she spotted Danny’s dark curls among the Carter redheads. As she looked into the child’s eyes and noted his disabilities, she recognised her son.
Now, at seven years old, Danny has had numerous operations to correct his disabilities and is a happy, healthy child. However, his presence is a source of constant anguish for his birth mother as, day after day, she watches him play in the garden. Her husband, Charles, and son, Robert, are aghast when she announces that she wants him back! An impossible situation for all concerned, and a rift develops between Robert and Annie as he struggles to find a solution to suit everyone.
Over the years, Lady Eleanor has steadfastly refused to acknowledge her daughter-in-law, for she disapproves of Annie’s lower-class origins. When a freak accident forces the two women to spend time together, they inevitably find themselves drawn into conversation. Before long, the years of pent-up resentment and family secrets surface as home truths are aired.
Will the two women be rescued from their precarious situation unscathed? And, if so, will the family survive the scandal that is about to be unleashed?
You can pre-order the book here: https://mybook.to/AnniesSecret
The Devon Maid Book Corner – Blog Posts
August was a busy month in the Devon Maid Book Corner, where I hosted three blog tours for The Coffee Pot Book Club. I haven’t read any of these books, but these two look interesting, so I thought I would share them with you.
The Herb Knot by Jane Loftus
The Hundred Years’ War comes to life in this spellbinding tale of love, betrayal and conspiracy …
Rafi Dubois is five years old when his mother is murdered after the Battle of Crecy in 1346. Alone and lost, Rafi is given a token by the dying Englishman who tried to save his mother’s life: a half-broken family seal which he urges Rafi to return one day to Winchester. Years later, when Rafi saves a wealthy merchant’s wife from a brutal robbery, he is rewarded with the chance to travel to England, taking the seal with him. But when he reaches Winchester, Rafi finds himself in a turbulent world full of long-held allegiances, secrets and treachery. His path is fraught with danger and with powerful enemies working against him, Rafi falls in love with Edith, a market apothecary. But in doing so, Rafi unleashes a deadly chain of events which threatens to overwhelm them both. You can find the book here: https://books2read.com/u/bzN6Z2
Everything We Thought We Knew by Carolyn Niethammer
In 1970, Christie left behind the comforts of L.A. and joined a New Age commune in rural Arizona. With the Vietnam War raging and the counterculture movement in full swing, she hoped to find a community to create a better society. But building a new culture is no easy task, especially when free love, psychedelics, and a war protest gone horribly wrong are thrown into the mix. Important secrets follow them beyond the commune. Put on your tie-dyed shirt and come to Bella Vida as the friends try to change the rules of modern society, then face the repercussions of when middle age sets in. You can find the book here: https://books2read.com/u/3GZ6ra
This Month’s Bargains
Betsey will be reduced to 99p from 4th – 11th September!
If you haven’t read any of my books yet, this would be a good one to start with. It’s the prequel to the series and my most popular book. Betsey, aged six, is abandoned and left to care for her three-year-old brother, Norman. Set in 1820 in a rural Devon village. You can download the book here: http://mybook.to/Betsey
The Rabbit’s Foot – reduced to 99p from 15th – 22nd September.
Sam, a tramp all his life, inherits wealth beyond his wildest dreams, but all he wants is to find Marrok, the son he abandoned at the age of five. A moving Victorian family saga. You can download the book here:
http://mybook.to/TheRabbitsFoot
My Book of the Month
Perdita, The Witch and The Toyshop by S S Saywack
About the Book
No Children Allowed is a curious sign to see outside a toyshop.
Perdita certainly thought so. But there it was for all to see, as plain as the nose on her face. When children and old men and animals start disappearing from the town, who is to blame? Everyone says THEY are those strange people who camp by the forest. That’s where the witch lives.
But Perdita knows, you should never judge a book by its cover, and the first rule in her How to Become a Detective Manual, is that everyone is innocent until proved guilty.
My Review
I have read several books by this author, and this is definitely one of his best, though Inglestone Manor is hard to beat. Perdita, the Witch, and the Toyshop is a fantastic story targeted at children but suitable for people of all ages. The story centres around Perdita, a little girl who is fascinated by the local toy shop. However, this is no ordinary toy shop, for the sign outside says “No Children Allowed” and, naturally, that makes Perdita want to enter it all the more. Other characters include Professor Eberhardt, the skilled toymaker, a strange witch with a black cat, and the mysterious “they” who live in the woods. If you think that sounds like all the essential ingredients for a wonderful children’s story, then you are right, and this beautifully written book is not to be missed. You can find the book here: Perdita, the Witch and the Toyshop
Well, that’s all my news for now, so thank you for continuing to follow me, and I hope you keep safe and well until next time.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.