Hello, and welcome to my January Newsletter.
Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you all had an enjoyable Christmas as we did. Our eldest son, Stuart, and his wife, Laura, came to us for Christmas Day, and we had garlic mushrooms for a starter, then a free-range chicken with all the trimmings, followed by Christmas pudding later. In the afternoon we watched The Italian Job starring Michael Caine, as it’s supposed to be a really good film, but to be honest, we were not impressed with the first hour. However, the car chase with the mini cars was excellent, and the ending was good. On the 27th of December, the four of us travelled to Chudleigh and spent a couple of days with our youngest son, David, his wife, Jenny, and our granddaughter, Chloe. Unfortunately, our grandson, Jack, was unable to join us as he was poorly, but he will be home for New Year to make up for it. As is customary at Christmas, we played Trivial Pursuit, followed by a few games of Jenga, which is always a laugh after a glass or two of wine!
For Christmas this year, instead of giving presents, we went to London with Stuart and Laura and saw the show of Fawlty Towers, which was amazing. The script was written by John Cleese, as was the original series, of course, and he managed to incorporate the best bits of all the episodes. The actors were impressive, sounding just like the original cast.
We also did some sightseeing in London, managing to squeeze quite a lot into a couple of days, including a wander around Covent Garden, a meal in Chinatown, a cruise down the Thames, and a visit to the new shopping centre in Battersea Power Station. By far, the most impressive experience of our visit was Lift 109, which takes you up through one of the massive chimneys of the old power station and provides a panoramic view of London. We were fortunate that although December, it was a clear, sunny day, as you can see from the photo. It’s well worth doing if you are in the city.
Old Saying of the Month
Hoisted By Your Own Petard
A petard was a type of Tudor bomb. It was a container of gunpowder with a fuse, which was carefully placed to blow something up. However, sometimes, things did not go according to plan, and the petard exploded prematurely, blowing the perpetrator into the air. In which case, you were hoisted by your own petard.
A Favourite Poem
I’m not a great fan of poetry, but there are a few I like, and this is one that I had to learn by heart at primary school and then recite to the class. I still enjoy it and thought you might, too.
My Writing News
Millie’s Escape – Finalist in The Coffee Pot Book Club – Book of the Year Awards
I was delighted to discover that Millie’s Escape was a finalist in The Coffee Pot Book Club, Book of the Year Awards, and even got an honourable mention. If you haven’t read the book yet and would like to, you can find it here: https://mybook.to/MilliesEscape and for a few more days, it is only 99p!
What’s Next?
A few of my readers have been asking if there will be another book in The Hartford Manor Series. Well, I think there might be – but perhaps not straight away, though I haven’t ruled it out. I am quite attached to the characters in my books, but maybe they need a rest before I put them through any more trauma! I haven’t decided what to write next, but I will be writing something, and I have a couple of ideas floating around in my mind. One is a book of short stories, and the other is another historical fiction novel, but set around the time of World War 1. It would be a challenge to research another era. I’m not sure yet. However, I usually spend January and February catching up on other things that have been neglected when I’m writing, so time will tell, as they say.
This Month’s Bargains!
Millie’s Escape is reduced to 99p until 3 January: A young girl, wrongly accused of theft, is relentlessly pursued across the desolate countryside. A delightful Victorian family saga set in a Devon village.
https://mybook.to/MilliesEscape
The Rabbit’s Foot will be reduced to 99p from 17 – 24 January 2025: 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.
http://mybook.to/TheRabbitsFoot
My latest book, A Woman Scorned, will be reduced to 99p from 25 January to 1 February 2025.
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!
My Book of the Month
A Good Mother by Lynn Goddard
About the Book
As the sun rises, eight-year-old Grace is gone! Her tent is cut while strange footsteps lead from deep in the forest to her family’s campsite and back. Days turn into weeks with no sign of Grace, although her mother, Jackie, refuses to give up hope.
Detective Duncan Jewell stumbles upon Grace’s kidnapping investigation while searching for a missing teen. The two cases seem connected, but how? As he focuses on finding answers, he tries to ignore his growing feelings for Jackie, which have been just under the surface since they were kids. She is married—he has lost his chance.
When his investigation that nobody else can see. Yet even he, an experienced police officer, is dumbfounded by what his aunt discovers!
My Review
Having a child abducted is every mother’s worst nightmare, and so this captivating story will resonate with many readers. Eight-year-old Grace goes missing from the tent she is sleeping in, and there appear to be no solid leads. Detective Duncan Jewell is investigating another missing teenage girl, and he stumbles upon Grace’s kidnapping and befriends her mother, Jackie, whom he is drawn to. The two cases seem to be connected but Duncan cannot figure out how until he enlists the help of his beloved Aunt Anna, who is a kind of psychic. The chapters shifted from one character to another, and I found this a little confusing at first, but the further I read into the book, it all started to come together, and I thoroughly enjoyed the story.
You can find the book here: A Good Mother: Joy Lynn Goddard
So, that’s all for now. Thank you for listening to my ramblings, and until next time, I hope you keep safe and well.
Very best wishes,
Marcia
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