Hello, and welcome to my August Newsletter.
As I write this, it’s drizzling outside, and the garden is loving it. After the heatwave, everything was parched, and I was tired of watering, but now the lawn is recovering, and the plants are looking healthy again. All the watering reminded me of just why we’re moving to a property with a smaller garden! All the watering reminded me of just why we’re moving to a property with a smaller garden! All is going well so far with the new buyers of our bungalow, although we don’t have a moving date yet. It’s still early days, so fingers crossed that this time there are no hitches.
Now, I have a little conundrum to share concerning a plant in my garden, which I think is a Phlox. I looked at it one afternoon and was puzzled to see it was a pinkish purple, as I was sure it was usually blue. Was it my memory, I wondered, but then, the next morning before the sun was out, I noticed that it actually was blue.
To prove to my husband (and myself) that I wasn’t losing the plot, I took photos in the morning and afternoon, and here you can see what I mean.
Strange, isn’t it? I can only assume it’s the way the sunlight catches the petals, but I have three of these plants around the garden, and they all change colour through the day.
Old Saying of the Month
This isn’t really an old saying, but it is a custom that dates back a long way.
Where did the custom of giving tips originate?
The practice of tipping is believed to have originated in medieval England, where wealthy nobles would give small sums of money (sometimes known as vails) to their servants to reward good service. The custom gradually spread to travellers who would offer money to servants at inns. It is thought that the actual word “tips” comes from the saying “to impress prompt service”.
My Writing News
Book 7 – Annie’s Secret
The delay in us moving house has been good for one thing, and that is, I am getting on with Book 7, which may be called Annie’s Secret. This is one of several titles that I’m considering. At present, I’m working through the second edit, and then I will let a few family members read it to see what they think about the content and possible titles. Laura, my daughter-in-law, is working on a cover for me, and I will share it with you as soon as it’s ready.
Betsey – Editorial Review
I recently arranged an editorial review for Betsey with The Coffee Pot Book Club. Although Betsey has well over 200 reviews on Amazon, I’d never had any of my books professionally reviewed and was nervous about how it would be received. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find it was awarded five stars and Highly Recommended.
You can read the review here: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2025/05/draft-book-review-betsey-prequel-to.html I shall gradually get the whole of The Hartford Manor Series reviewed, and it will be interesting to see how the other books get on. The awards are useful for social media banners.
The Devon Maid Book Corner – Blog Posts
I’ve been hosting a couple of authors a month for The Coffee Pot Book Club blog tours, and here are the two I hosted in July. I haven’t read either of these books, but they look interesting, so I thought I would share them with you.
A Mischief of Murder by Helen Hollick
Old friends and new enemies? Jan Christopher’s Aunt Madge is to be a judge at Chappletawton’s annual village flower and vegetable summer show – a chance for the family to have a holiday the Devon countryside, especially as Jan’s fiancé, DS Laurie Walker, is still recovering from gunshot wounds and her uncle, DCI Toby Christopher, is enduring injury-related sick leave. The event should be a fun occasion where friendly rivalry between gardeners, cooks and crafters leads to the hopeful winning of the coveted Best In Show trophy – but who added mischief and murder to the traditional schedule? Read my blog about the book here: https://marciaclayton.co.uk/a-mischief-of-murder/
Ping by Lisa Lucas & Steve Landsberg
PING, which was originally conceived in 2016, precedes the current cultural popularity in Ping Pong, exemplified in the upcoming 2025 Christmas movie release of Marty Supreme starring Timothée Chalamet and Gwyneth Paltrow. Alternating between the pivotal 1971 Ping-Pong Diplomacy – where a simple game of table tennis thawed the icy relations between the U.S. and China during the Cold War – and the present-day struggles of a family weighed down by legacy, Ping is a compelling tale of history, politics, and personal conflict. Read my blog about the book here: https://marciaclayton.co.uk/ping/
This Month’s Bargains
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 4th – 11th August.
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 hanged.
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 that the two youngsters were nowhere to be found, evicted the old woman despite the fact that 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?
You can find the book here:
https://mybook.to/AWomanScorned
Millie’s Escape will be 99p from 18th – 25th August!
A young girl, wrongly accused of theft, is relentlessly pursued across the desolate countryside. A delightful Victorian family saga set in a Devon village.
You can find it here: https://mybook.to/MilliesEscape
My Book of the Month
Unfamiliar Territory by R Lindsay Carter
About the Book
Cressida Curtain has a business to run. She spends her time catching bad guys and turning them in for bounties. After all, she’s a natural-born hunter. She also isn’t exactly human. That’s her secret to keep because her very existence is the only thing holding a great evil at bay.
It’s a legacy that’s been passed down through the generations, and Cressida is the latest in line, but she’s not going to let a little thing like the fate of the world get in her way. Life as a bounty hunter is never dull. And hers is about to get a lot more interesting.
My Review
This is a charming fantasy tale suitable for young and old. I immediately fell in love with the main characters: Cressida Curtain, a young woman who is not quite human and can shapeshift into a cat, and her partner, Grimm, an enormous dog. This unlikely duo are bounty hunters who spend their time catching criminals and the occasional werewolf! However, there is more to Cressida Curtain than first meets the eye, and gradually, she discovers that her existence in the world is essential in keeping a terrible evil at bay. An evil that she must ultimately face and overcome. This is a well-written and entertaining book which I recommend to all fantasy lovers. You can find the book here:
Unfamiliar Territory (The Familiar’s Legacy Book 1)
Thank you for listening to my ramblings once again and for continuing to follow me. Until next time, take care and enjoy the summer.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.