Hello, and welcome to my October Newsletter.
What a lovely summer we had this year, followed, in Devon at least, by weeks of rain that didn’t seem to know when to stop. However, we couldn’t grumble because the gardens were in desperate need of rain, so we knew we should be thankful. However, since then, we’ve had some lovely September sunshine, so we have been lucky. We’ve had a bumper crop of Bramley apples this year, and as a result, my freezer is full of blackberry and apple crumbles. All of the trees, hips, haws, and rowan are also loaded with berries, which, as a child, I was always told was a sign of a hard winter, so time will tell. Bryan and I have had a few walks over Exmoor this summer, and one was to Dunkery Beacon, the highest point in southern England outside of Dartmoor.
I’ve read that it rises to 519 metres and the views are amazing, stretching over the surrounding moorland. We saw several Exmoor ponies, and one came right up to the car and posed for a photo.
Old Saying of the Month
The Walls Have Ears
As we all know, this means to be careful what you say, as people may be eavesdropping, and it is thought that the saying originated in France. In the days of Queen Catherine de Medici, it was said that the Louvre Palace, now the Louvre Museum, had a network of listening tubes so that it was possible to hear everything that was said in different rooms. It was thought this was how the Queen discovered political plots and secrets.
Blog Spot
The Valley of Rocks, Lynton
This is one of my favourite walks, and I wrote this blog a while ago, but I don’t think I have shared it in my newsletter before. If I have, forgive me, but the views are well worth seeing again.
This is a relatively short walk of around two miles, but it includes some spectacular scenery. Hollerday Hill in Lynton is 750 feet in height, and its proximity to the coast provides wonderful views of the island of Lundy. On clear days, the coastline of Wales is also visible across the Bristol Channel.
https://marciaclayton.co.uk/description-and-photos-of-a-circular-walk-from-the-town-hall-in-lynton-to-the-valley-of-the-rocks/
My Writing News
Annie’s Secret
I hope my regular readers will forgive me for promoting Annie’s Secret again this month. It is the seventh book in The Hartford Manor Series and is available for pre-order on Amazon. It 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
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 9th to 16th October.
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
I’m delighted that The Angel Maker recently received a five-star editorial review from The Coffee Pot Book Club, which you can read here:
https://maryanneyarde.blogspot.com/2025/08/book-review-angel-maker-hartford-manor.html
… and then unexpectedly, a few days later, The Angel Maker also received a five-star review from Readers’ Favourite, which you can read here: https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/the-angel-maker
I uploaded all of my books onto the Readers’ Favourite site some time ago, as, if the books are selected, they can get a free review. It’s been so long, I’d forgotten all about it, and then an email arrived with the link to the review, which was a nice surprise.
A Woman Scorned
Reduced to 99p from 16th to 23 October.
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
You Know What You Did by Laura Lyndhurst
About the Book
Amanda Roberts has it all—a rich husband, perfect children, and a prosperous life. But all that is about to change. As a successful author, she has established herself in the elite world of glitz and glamour. But her marriage comes under pressure when she suspects that things aren’t as they should be. If only that was the end of her problems. When paranoia takes hold, Amanda spirals into a nightmare abyss of immense proportions. There’s no way out, and the clock is ticking … There’s somebody in the shadows and they’re looking at YOU.
My Review
This is an intriguing psychological thriller which will hold your attention from the beginning to the end. The tale is told from the perspective of two women, and this works well in this novel. Amanda Roberts is a successful author with the world at her feet. She is happily married with two lovely children – but there is someone out there with a grudge against her and a determination to bring Amanda’s world crashing down. Will they succeed? Well, you’ll just have to read it to find out, as I don’t want to give any of the story away.
As with all the books by this author, the story is well-paced and beautifully written, and I enjoyed it.
You can find the book here: You Know What You Did (Amanda Roberts Book 1)
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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