Hello, and welcome to my November 2025 Newsletter.
At the end of September, Bryan and I visited Porto, which is the second-largest city in Portugal. I must confess, it’s a city I’d never heard of, although since mentioning our visit to friends, it seems it’s quite famous and has featured in one of Michael Portillo’s programmes about train journeys. We went on a long weekend with our two sons, Stuart and David, and their wives, Laura and Jenny, primarily to spend some quality time together. We had planned to visit Dublin, where several years ago, Stuart held his stag weekend, but none of us ladies had ever been. However, upon investigating accommodation and transport, etc., we found it was cheaper to go to Porto for five nights than to stay for two nights in Dublin! Lovely though I’m sure Dublin is, it was a no-brainer, and we suspected, with better weather, which it proved to be. Porto has steep streets that lead down to the picturesque River Douro, and many of the buildings are decorated on the outside with tiles, making it picturesque. The city deserves more than a brief mention in my newsletter, and so I plan to write a blog about our visit at some point.
In the meantime, I thought you might like to see a couple of photos. The first is of Bryan and me with Stuart and David taking a well-earned rest, and the second is of the vineyards in the Douro Valley, famous for port wine.
Old Saying of the Month
Now that the weather is turning colder, I thought this would be an appropriate old saying to take a look at.
To Have Cold Feet
We all know that these days, this saying means to have lost your nerve or confidence, but it originated as a military term referring to warriors who had frozen feet and could not rush into battle.
November Blog Spot
My Granny’s Arithmetic
My maternal granny lived to be ninety-five years old, and I can’t say I knew her that well, for in those days, children were seen and not heard! However, one of her school books came into my possession when an aunt died, and I am impressed by my granny’s arithmetic skills when she was only eleven years old. See if you could do these sums!
https://marciaclayton.co.uk/my-grannys-arithmetic/
My Writing News
Annie’s Secret
My main news is that Annie’s Secret, my latest book in The Hartford Manor Series, was published on 18 October and is available as an ebook or paperback from Amazon, or by ordering it from a bookshop.
As always, I would be grateful for any reviews on Amazon, even if you don’t want to write anything; just the stars help. The more reviews a book receives, the more Amazon make it visible to readers searching for their next book.
You can find the book here: https://mybook.to/AnniesSecret
Book Signing at The Castle Inn, Landkey, Near Barnstaple
I’m delighted to have been invited to host a book signing at my local pub, The Castle Inn in Landkey, on 6 December from 9.30 am to 12 noon. If you’re looking for a Christmas present for someone, maybe a signed book would fit the bill! I’d love to see you there! The Castle Inn is situated in the centre of the village with a large car park at the rear. The address is Blakes Hill Rd, Landkey, Barnstaple EX32 0NF
The Rabbit’s Foot
I recently had The Rabbit’s Foot professionally reviewed by Mary Anne Yarde, a well-respected author and reviewer. I was delighted when the book received a five-star review, which you can read here:
https://maryanneyarde.blogspot.com/2025/10/the-rabbits-foot-hartford-manor-book-3.html
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 Mazzard Tree will be 99p from 2nd to 9th November.
When Annie’s father dies, her mother is left with 7 hungry mouths to feed. Annie, 15, is determined to keep her family from the workhouse.
Will she succeed? What lengths will she go to? A gripping Victorian family saga.
You can find it here:
http://mybook.to/TheMazzardTree
Millie’s Escape will be 99p from 20th to 27th November.
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
One for Sorrow by D. G. Torrens
About the Book
THE PAST BROKE HER BUT THE PRESENT MAY KILL HER…
Avery Masters has never known love, only false representations of it. Failed by her mother and again by the state care system, she trusts no one. Until the charming, handsome, Ethan Channing enters her life unexpectedly and love bombs her. Avery falls hard and fast. Unbeknownst to Avery, Ethan is concealing a deadly secret! Willow Forbes, Avery’s best friend, sees right through Ethan and tries to warn Avery to no avail. Avery’s life is about to take a perilous turn. AVERY’S LIFE HANGS IN THE BALANCE
My Review
What a great book – I couldn’t put it down! After a desperately unhappy childhood, neglected and unloved by her mother and abused by those who should know better in the care system, Avery Masters has never experienced true love and, unsurprisingly, finds it difficult to trust anyone. Fortunately, she has good friends in Willow and Jackson, and they look out for her.
When she meets the charming Ethan Channing, he seems too good to be true, and she falls head over heels in love with him. However, her friends see straight through him and warn her that he is far too controlling, and they worry for her.
However, Avery is not to be told, and in her eyes, Ethan can do no wrong. Her friends are distraught as they watch Avery fall under his command, and they fear for her safety. This is an outstanding story, well written and with strong characters, and it fully deserves five stars.
There are now three more books in this series. I’ve read Two for Joy and Three for a Girl, and am looking forward to Four for a Boy, which I understand will be published soon.
You can find the book here: One for Sorrow by D G Torrens.
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.
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