Hello, and welcome to my January Newsletter.
Happy New Year, everyone, and may the year bring you everything you wish for. We had a lovely first Christmas in our new home, catching up with family and friends, and generally lazing around, eating and drinking too much! After so many months of waiting to move, it is therapeutic to begin putting our plans for the new house in place. We have begun work on the garden, but are waiting for a new patio to be laid early in the spring before we can do much more. The garden is much smaller than our previous one, but we need to make a few changes to make it even easier to manage as we get older. Those of you who know me best will not be surprised to hear that I brought many plants from our previous home, and I can’t wait to plant them and get the garden to my liking. Once it’s presentable, I’ll share some photos with you.
Old Saying of the Month
Up to Scratch
Today, the saying “up to scratch” means something that meets the expected standard or quality. However, the term originated in the late 18th century, during the days of bare-knuckle boxing, when a line was scratched into the ground to serve as the starting point for each round. For a boxer to be “up to scratch” meant they were fit enough to stand at the line and fight. If a boxer failed to meet this standard, then they were deemed unfit to continue and declared the loser. The tradition continued for some time, and boxing rings used to contain a line etched down the middle. The phrase gradually came to mean “meeting any standard or requirement.”
January Blog Spot
Humpty Dumpty and Other Nursery Rhymes
With moving house and publishing my last book, I haven’t had much time to write any new blogs for a while, so over Christmas I decided to do just that.
While clearing our attic for the move, I came across an old nursery rhyme book that I used to read to my children, and I glanced through it with fond memories.
This led me to wonder how some of these rhymes came to be, so I decided to do a bit of digging.
Here’s a blog about a few of my favourites:
My Writing News
Five Star Review for Millie’s Escape
I recently had Millie’s Escape professionally reviewed and was delighted when it achieved five stars. You can read the review here: https://maryanneyarde.blogspot.com/2025/11/editorial-review-millies-escape.html
I was interested to hear that the reviewer thought that whilst the earlier books in The Hartford Manor Series could be read as standalone novels, this book would be best read as part of the series.
I often wonder about this, and, as the author, it’s difficult to know, though probably the books are best read in order. However, of all of them, I would have thought this one worked well as a standalone novel, given that it is set mostly in a different location and with new characters. All a matter of opinion. What do you think?
Book Signing at The Castle Inn, Landkey
On 6 December, I was invited to hold a book signing event at my local pub.
I had a lovely morning, selling and signing books and chatting to people who called in for a coffee or their newspaper.
When our village shop closed a couple of years ago, the pub landlord stepped up and now sells newspapers and staple foods like milk and bread, and hosts a post office once a week.
It’s great to see a local inn thriving in the current financial climate, and we are lucky that it hosts musical evenings, bingo, knit-and-natter sessions, and a weekly quiz.
The photo is of a local resident purchasing two of my books, and she also wanted a photograph – fame at last!
Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour
In mid-December, I organised a Blog Tour with the Coffee Pot Book Club for Annie’s Secret, but also featuring all the other books in The Hartford Manor Series. You can take a look at the main post here: The Coffee Pot Book Club: Blog Tour: Annie’s Secret / The Hartford Manor Series by Marcia Clayton.
My books were featured on the websites of twenty-two historical fiction authors, and the publicity resulted in more sales than usual. You can see the websites below – all worth a visit – you might find a new author to enjoy.
Book Eight of The Hartford Manor Series
Thank you to all of you who have read my latest book, Annie’s Secret, and especially if you have left me a review on Amazon – always very much appreciated, however short. Now, I left a few loose ends to be tidied up at the end of the book, and a few people have asked whether I have started writing the next one yet. One lady, nearly ninety, is impatient for the next book and has urged me to get on with it, saying she doesn’t know how much longer she will be around! No pressure then! Well, I haven’t started writing it yet, but the good news is I have begun planning the story into chapters, which is always the first step for me. I hope to begin writing the first draft very soon, with a view to publishing it later in the year. Watch this space as they say …!
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:
The Angel Maker
Reduced to 99p from 8th to 15th January.
The Angel Maker is set in a Devon village in Victorian times.
Unmarried mother Charlotte is distraught when her aunt has her baby adopted behind her back.
Will she ever see her daughter again?
You can find the book here: http://mybook.to/TheAngelMaker
A Woman Scorned
Reduced to 99p from 22nd to 29th January.
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!
You can find the book here: https://mybook.to/AWomanScorned
My Book of the Month
Perfidious Brambles by Celia Martin
About the Book
Lady Timandra Lotterby has travelled with her dear friend Eliza Tilbury and Eliza’s siblings to Eliza’s great uncle’s estate in the wilds of Northumberland, England. Timandra is accompanying her friend to lend support to Eliza after the death of Eliza’s father and the uprooting of Eliza and her siblings. Their seemingly inauspicious arrival as the sun is setting has them all on edge as they stare in wonder at the rambling Perfidious Brambles. Great Uncle Percival Seldon at first seems to be a fearful curmudgeon, but under the influence of Timandra and Seldon’s grandson, Gavin Merritt, he mellows. Ghosts and murder attempts are threatening the peace, and as Timandra tries to solve the mysteries, she finds herself falling in love with the handsome Gavin Merritt. But can she win his love, or has he already given his heart to Eliza?
My Review
This is the eighth book I have read by this talented author, and, as usual, I was not disappointed. Eliza Tilbury and her four siblings, having found themselves penniless following the death of their father, are offered a home by their Great Uncle Percival Seldon in the rambling and mysterious house, Perfidious Brambles. Accompanying them to their destination in the wilds of Northumberland is Eliza’s close friend, the practical and fearless Lady Timandra Lotterby. At first, they find the aged Percival Seldon to be a grumpy old man, but under the influence of Lady Timandra, he gradually warms to his new family. Timandra is attracted to Seldon’s handsome grandson, Gavin Merritt, but is sure he is falling in love with Eliza, her attractive friend. The book is beautifully written and well-researched, and contains fascinating descriptions of life in the seventeenth century. A must for all lovers of historical fiction, as is the entire series. Strongly recommended. You can find the book here: Perfidious Brambles by Celia Martin
You can also read my review of another book by this talented author here: My Review of “And the Ground Trembled” by Celia Martin < Marcia Clayton and learn about all the books in the series.
Well, that’s all my news for now, so thank you for continuing to follow me, and until next time, I hope you keep safe and well.
Very best wishes
Marcia
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