Hello and welcome to my September Newsletter
It’s hard to believe that we are into September already, and no doubt people will soon be talking about Christmas! Now there’s a scary thought! We’ve had a fantastic summer though, and I for one have enjoyed the long sunny days. I think autumn will be early this year as many of the trees are already turning brown and shedding their leaves. I hope that’s all it is, and that the trees have survived the drought, but I guess we’ll have to wait until spring to find out.
I love anything to do with local history, and Bryan and I recently had a walk around Great Torrington. I think we often visit places that are further away and miss what is right under our noses. Torrington is known as “the town that burnt twice” and it also has a secret garden. If you would like to find out why all will be revealed in my blog which you can find here:
A Visit to Great Torrington
My Writing News
Betsey, The Prequel to The Hartford Manor Series
I’ve finished editing Betsey, my latest book in this series, and I’m now waiting for my trusty proofreaders to do their worst, and find any errors I’ve missed. Once I’ve made those corrections I like to leave the book alone for a few weeks, then go back and read it again. It’s surprising what you notice going back to it with a fresh pair of eyes. As Betsey is a prequel to the other three books in the series, I have to be careful that everything I write fits into the story further on. After that, I’ll format the manuscript for an ebook, paperback, and hardback. This takes me some time as I’m no expert, but hopefully, it will be published before Christmas.
My Interview with Laura Lyndhurst
My book of the month is called Degenerate Regenerate by London-born author, Laura Lyndhurst. I’m friends with Laura on social media, and I was pleased when she agreed to be interviewed by me. Laura has written four novels and also four books of poetry. You can read the interview here:
https://marciaclayton.co.uk/my-guest-author-laura-lyndhurst/
Appledore Book Festival
I know I mentioned this in my last newsletter but it’s only a couple of weeks away now. I’ve been invited to attend the Appledore Book Festival on 17 September. North Devon Authors is sponsoring a group event for local authors and it will be held in the Baptist Church in Appledore between 10 am and 3 pm. Some authors will give talks throughout the day, and I understand tea, coffee, and cake will be available. I’d love some company, so do call in and have a chat if you’re in the area.
My Book of the Month
Degenerate, Regenerate by Laura Lyndhurst
Having read and enjoyed Laura Lyndhurst’s first novel, Fairy Tales Don’t Come True I was looking forward to this, the second in the series. I wasn’t sure how the story from the first book could be continued and was intrigued to find out. The story begins with Stephanos, a policeman who has fallen out of favour with his superiors, exiled to a remote Greek island; a situation he is far from happy with.
Little happens on the desolate island, and to pass the time he decides to investigate a cold case involving the suicide or possible murder of a young woman. Then he meets an old man, Kadi, who, by choice, lives as a hermit and the two strike up a friendship. Kadi promises to tell Stephanos a tale which will benefit his career, and with nothing better to do, the young man visits him regularly. The old man ekes out the story which is clearly linked to the cold case Stephanos has been perusing, but he takes his time, teasing the policeman with many clues. As the story develops, the link to the first book in the series becomes clear and offers an intriguing interpretation of another side of the story. I will say no more as I don’t want to give the story away, but anyone who enjoyed the first book will appreciate this one even more. Here is the link to the book: Degenerate, Regenerate
Thank you for reading my newsletter and I hope you found something to interest you. Until next time, enjoy the last of the summer sunshine, and I hope to see you in Appledore in September.
0 Comments