Cover Reveal #3! After Whorl Donning Double Cloaks

Monday Madness? 

Who has it? And what would that be for me, today? 

My intentions to do a ta-da!
** Cover Reveal**
for the third novel in my soon to be republished Celtic Fervour Series almost got forgotten about. It's on my big pink daily desk diary for today -  a comment for me to shout out about this spectacular cover but events of yesterday, and this morning, almost made me forget to get it organised.

I know I'm incredibly biased, but I think Karen Barrett, my cover designer, has done the most beautiful job in creating these covers. Historical fiction accuracy isn't easy to achieve on a book cover but this one for Book 3 is stunning.

In fact, they are all fabulous. Maybe tomorrow, I'll show all of them together!

What made me late in promoting this new cover is a sorry tale of poor memory, and fiddly stuff that I have to do.

My main writing tasks for today are to get my files organised for the self- publishing of the Celtic Fervour Series.

I'm presently using two different editors, who have incredibly busy schedules, so the order of edits being finished are unsurprisingly not in order of Books 1, 2  and 3.

One editor, Sue Barnard, has beavered away and got Book 2 through the polished stages in double quick time, for which I'm deeply thankful. Once the file was handed over as ready, it's now up to me to get it into a fit state along with the front matter and back matter, all ready for sending a PDF version to Createspace when I'm ready for the whole self publishing process.

When I did my self-publishing two years ago for The Taexali Game, I knew nothing at all about formatting and spent the best part of a month getting that book published in Paperback format, and then Ebook format. It would be nice if I could remember all of the tricks I employed last time, but that's not what's happening. I'm having some issues with 'widows and orphans'! I'm not going into the intricacies of getting the files ready, but it really matters to me that every page of text ends at the very bottom and starts at the very top of every single page - except when approaching a new chapter. That's a very fiddly business this time and I don't remember it happening the last time.

However, if I make good decisions now about the Font and Font size and set up properly then hopefully getting the other two books ready will take less time.

The formatting and proper setting up of the files, is why lots of people probably don't try to self- publish! I will not be beaten. See you in goodness knows how long with my update....

Meanwhile- enjoy the brilliant cover designs.

Slainthe! 

#Saturday Shorts – with #Jane Bwye

It's Saturday again, so it has to be a #Saturday Shorts interview time! 

Today, it's the turn of my absolutely lovely author friend Jane Bwye, who has taken time out from her travels to sit on the big comfy chair! I've known Jane for some years now, since she's also a Crooked Cat Books author. She's been a visitor to this blog quite often, but not lately for an interview. She's here today with some great photos as well as a lovely glimpse into her recent writing and non-writing days. 

 Let's learn a bit about Jane... 

Jane - Take a seat, please, and for my readers tell them a little bit about your life in general. 

Hi Nancy! Thank you so much for inviting me over; it seems like years since we exchanged notes. I never fail to admire your dedication to marketing your books in your local area.

Nancy: Ah, you have to mean selling my novels at my local Craft Fair venues? I've had my winter rest time, and the Fairs will start up again in mid April. I love to be out and about talking to customers directly over the selling table! But back to the interview...

You have given me some interesting questions to answer, so here goes…

Jane Bwye

When would be your best writing time? 

My best time for writing is in the mornings. My subconscious sometimes works overtime while I’m sleeping, and I’ve been known to get up in the middle of the night, grab a pen and rough paper, and write until breakfast (can’t do without my breakfast). When the characters and the story take hold, I can write any time of the day. But I always stop to give my self a break after 5pm.

Is there a particular social media platform you like best? 

Without a doubt – Facebook is my preferred social media platform. I feel comfortable there, and have made many friends through the groups. I’ve found many people I’d forgotten I ever knew, and I’m still meeting new friends who know people that I know. It is also easy to link my blogs with my Facebook pages. I know Twitter does the same. Although twitter is powerful, with its hashtags and fast responses, it is an animal which absorbs too much of my time in the day. I’ve proved to myself that, given dedication it works well, when cultivating contacts and selling books. I became addicted to it. Through Twitter I even met up with a complete stranger for coffee in town, who’d flown over from Singapore. It was most interesting exchanging notes on writing and marketing our books.

But once I approached the boundary of 2,000 followers I fell foul of the administration. When someone said Twitter had blocked my activities because I followed more people than followed me… I did a massive cull. Then I lost interest, and decided to escape from temptation. I must admit, I sometimes check it to find out the latest of what’s going on in Kenya. My blogs and other activities still create auto-tweets, and my follower numbers stay steady. Perhaps when my next book is released – a new genre – I will test those waters again.

Nancy: Facebook I can handle but I haven't found a way to be a regular properly on Twitter. Re-tweets are easy- chatting on Twitter is another ball game. 

What's your latest book about?

Going it Alone is non-fiction! A small “How-to” guide for beginners who want to start their own business. My wonderful publishers, Crooked Cat Books, invited non-fiction submissions early in 2017, and I was reeling from finalising Grass Shoots, the sequel to Breath of Africa, with a standalone novella, I Lift Up My Eyes, coming in between.

You can access my books on Amazon from your part of the world by clicking the links above.

Did you do any particular research for your non-fiction novel? 

I didn’t want even to think about writing another novel. But I decided to give non-fiction a go. It would be easy, I thought, as I’ve been a small business start-up mentor for the past fifteen years and I have numerous experiences to draw upon. It was easy – I researched a different model recommended by a friend, and glanced over other business guides. But the model meant nothing to me: my mind doesn’t function properly when faced with an assortment of named balloons and pie-charts. And most of the books were written in a dry, dull style, aimed more at established businesses than at those thinking of starting up for the first time.

I planned my Guide round typical sessions I have with my clients. (I’m a small business mentor at People Matter, a little local charity with a big heart for people who want to earn a living).

To make it more interesting, I decided to illustrate my points with anecdotes taken from true life.

My characters include – among others - a gardener, a leather-worker, a removals man, a disco-jockey, a signage expert, and a computer buff.

Nancy: That sounds like a very different approach to a work of non- fiction! In fact it sounds very 'novel' like. Do you enjoy the final phases of writing a book, like the editing for example? 

Courtesy of Jane Bwye

Yes, I enjoy editing my own work; I suppose I’m a bit of a perfectionist, but I find it relaxing.

Nancy: I mostly like editing, too, but having regained the rights to my 3 Celtic Fervour Series books from Crooked Cat at the same time has meant an awful lot of editing all, more or less, simultaneously. Added to that, is the fact that Book 4 of the series is only just becoming ready for its very first edit stages. 

Can you tell us a bit more about the Jane who is not the author/ writer? 

You ask me about myself – I’ve always loved horses, and there was nothing better for me, than to ride over the hills and far away – even when it snowed. 

Nancy: Fabulous photo, Jane. Having the correct gear has to be a big help when riding out in the snow! 

I no longer ride, so I have to be content with judging dressage instead. Until recently, I’ve enjoyed walking over the hills – my favourite place to “hide” out from life - but I’ve turned into a strictly fair-weather walker, so I tend to socialise with friends round the bridge table instead.

Courtesy of Jane Bwye

Nancy: I think that a good walk sounds great some days, but it doesn't tend to happen! 

Jane Bwye has been a writer all her life, freelancing as a journalist ever since she left school. She was brought up in Kenya, went to school there, and forsook an Oxford career as a historian to get married and build a family in the country she will always call her home. After fifty-five years in Africa, Jane moved to Eastbourne, and started writing novels.

Jane’s Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Jane-Bwye/e/B00BOK0NN4/

Website and blog: http://janebwye.com/

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/JLBwye/

Thank you so much for being a great interviewee, Jane. My very best wishes for your latest writing, and for all of your future writing projects. I'm sure that something will transpire from your latest adventures. 

Slainthe! 

Cover Reveal #2 After Whorl Bran Reborn

It's Friday already!

Since my Monday cover reveal, I've spent most of my writing time doing even more re-edits to Books 2 & 3 of my Celtic Fervour Series. It's hard to believe how much time that is taking, but the new editions will be so much better for the latest editing.

I'm again champing at the bit to do a cover reveal for Book 2 - After Whorl: Bran Reborn  - since the covers created by my cover designer Karen Barrett are absolutely fantastic. So, wait no longer- here it is!

What do you think this one will say to potential customers?

Slainthe! 

#Monday Magnificence - Cover Reveal!

There's Monday Magnificence in my brand new cover designs for my Celtic Fervour Series! 

For weeks past, I've been in correspondence with a graphic artist named Karen Barrett who took on the job of designing a matching series of covers for my Celtic Fervour Series. Karen's a highly respected and successful graphic artist, but designing covers was going to be a new venture for her.

I am so delighted to be her first customer for book cover design and can totally recommend her to anyone who might be needing covers designed for them!

Creating book cover designs for historical novels isn't always simple. For some eras there may be loads of images to choose from e.g. the Victorian era,  but eras of antiquity do not have plentiful, readily available and affordable images to use. I'm absolutely delighted with what Karen has put together for the series and can't wait any longer to share them with the world!

I'll be revealing the first three covers one at a time, so today's reveal is unsurprisingly that of Book 1.

My previous covers were designed with a very Celtic perspective in mind and I've always loved the iconic Celtic knot images that were chosen.
I'll still always have a sense of pride in my Crooked Cat Books covers but what they did not do was indicate any Roman involvement. At my Craft Fair events I've often had to say to potential customers: "Yes, my stories are about Ancient Celts but as the series progresses the involvement of the Ancient Romans increases. No, I know the cover doesn't show that but you'll know if you read the stories."  

Now, I'm hoping that people will see the cover and immediately say: "Ah, it's all about Celts being invaded by the Ancient Romans."

When I knew I'd soon be self- publishing my series I decided that new covers needed to show the Roman elements in a highly dramatic way without losing the Celtic elements. In my non artistic mind, I wanted The Beltane Choice's new cover to have merged images indicating that my story is one where the Iron Age Celts of northern Britain are being invaded and dominated by the Ancient Roman legions.

I really do think that Karen Barrett's design shows exactly that!

But...what do you think? 

My thanks go to Karen for a fantastic set of covers. Look out for the next cover reveals coming very soon!

Slainthe!

#Saturday Shorts – with #Sue Barnard

It's #Saturday Shorts time! 

Today, we get a brief glimpse of Sue Barnard, a fellow Crooked Cat author. We've now been virtual friends for about five years, but I'm delighted to say I've also met Sue in person. Always willing to share her knowledge, Sue is also a brilliant writer, editor and general helper in all things writerly!

Good morning, Sue, and welcome again to my blog. Slip onto that comfy chair and let's get some updates on you and your writing...

Describe yourself in a couple of sentences

I’m a British novelist, poet and editor, and the mother of two grown-up sons. I live in Cheshire with my extremely patient husband and a large collection of unfinished scribblings.

When is your best time to write?

Afternoons.  Mornings are usually spent catching up on other tasks, and by evening my brain has gone on strike.  But I always keep a pen and paper handy, just in case I get a light-bulb moment when I’m away from my computer.

 Nancy says: That sounds so organised! (* wink, wink- and what every author ought to do! But do I remember?)

Which social media platforms do you find most comfortable to use?

Facebook and (to a lesser extent) Instagram.  I’m gradually getting better with Twitter, but I still find it a struggle.  Some writers swear by it, but I usually end up swearing at it.

Sue Barnard

Nancy: I've not yet joined Instagram but don't count out any social media options. Twitter and I don't get anything at all! 

Please tell us what your latest book is about and its genre.

Heathcliff (due out later in 2018) is a Wuthering Heights spin-off novella which speculates what might have happened to literature’s favourite anti-hero during the three years when he disappears from the original story.  I’ve no idea what genre it falls into (if any!). 

Nancy: That definitely sounds like one I'll love reading. 

Did anything in particular influence you to write it?

It all began with a chance remark from a former school friend:

“Sue, I love the way you’ve based your book on what we did at school.  What are you going to do next?”

We were chatting just after the release of my third novel, The Unkindest Cut of All, which features a performance of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar.  This was the play we’d studied for English Literature O-Level (as it then was, back in the dark ages before GCSEs).  The novel set for the same exam was Wuthering Heights.

“Well,” I chuckled, “there’s always Heathcliff…”

At the time, it was just a passing joke between two friends who recalled crying on each other’s shoulders as we’d struggled to make sense of the vagaries of the plot, tried (and mostly failed) to decipher Joseph’s incomprehensible dialect, and attempted to understand the book’s complicated inter-personal relationships.  The latter was not made any easier by the characters’ confusing similarity of names.  Emily Brontë had clearly never read the rule-book about this.  Three of the characters have names beginning with the same initial, one of them has a first name which is the same as the surname of another, and two others have the same name entirely!

But somehow, the idea just wouldn’t go away.  I recalled how our teacher explained how “… by having the story narrated by Nelly Dean, Emily Brontë avoids having to tell us exactly what happened to Heathcliff during those missing three years…”

So – what might have happened to him?  Could I try to get into his mind, and write a story which attempts to answer that question?

 Nancy: That's a fabulous reason. 

Did it require any specialised research?

Yes, very much so.  The whole thing proved to be quite a challenge, as the dates in Wuthering Heights are very precise.  Heathcliff disappears from 1780 to 1783.  My first idea was that he could have spent his missing years as a pirate (which would certainly be in keeping with his character!), but I quickly discovered when I started my research that the golden age of piracy was several decades too early.  Then I wondered if perhaps he could have made his fortune in the American or Australian goldrush, but the goldrush years were not until the mid-1800s.  Eventually I did find something which fitted with the correct dates, but you’ll have to read the book to find out what that was!

 Nancy: That's such a tease but I will! 

Who is your main character?

Heathcliff.  Yes, that is THE Heathcliff.

What’s your Heathcliff's greatest weakness?

An inability to forgive those who have hurt him.

What’s your Heathcliff’s greatest strength/s?

I think he has an amazing capacity for love.  It is tragic that this is never fulfilled.

You're an editor for other authors, but do you enjoy editing your own work?

Sometimes!

What’s your favourite occupation? (apart from writing!)

I love reading.  As a book editor I’m never short of stuff to read!

Do you have a favourite place to ‘hide’ out from life?

I love the Isle of Anglesey, and go there as often as time permits.  In fact my fourth novel (Never on Saturday) is set partly on the island.

Favourite food and drink?

Where do I start?  It would be much easier and quicker to list what I don’t like!  But if I have to nominate just one of each, then the food would have to be fish, and the drink would be beer.  And it must be a pint.  Halves are for wimps.

Nancy: Spoken like a beer aficionado! I'm drinking an occasional beer since my son-in-law set up Fierce Beer Co with a fellow beer enthusiast. They're too busy creating it to be drinking themselves but I'm enjoying their brilliant combinations of Craft beers.  

Links for Sue's work 

I don’t have a link for Heathcliff yet.  Other books can be found on my Amazon page (see below).

Contact Sue here: 

Blog   Facebook   G+   Twitter   Instagram   Amazon  Goodreads  

Thank you for popping in today, Sue. I'm definitely looking forward to reading Heathcliff. Best wishes for all of your writing projects.

Slainthe!

# Someone to #Lean on- #Dougie MacLean

Friday means it's time to give those supporting secondary characters a bit of the limelight!

Today, I'm joined by my lovely Crooked Cat author friend, Yvonne Marjot, who has chosen a really brilliant character from her wonderful novel Walking on Wild Air. Dougie MacLean is a character to easily pin your heart on, but I'll let Yvonne tell you more about him. 

(You can also find more about Yvonne's previous visits to this blog by using the 'Search' facility on the right sidebar to access my review and posts where Yvonne Marjot has been my guest.) 

Welcome again, Yvonne! It's lovely to be reacquainted with Dougie...

Glencoe by Angus Stewart (see below)

There is Magic in the Heart of the Wind…

Today I’d like to talk about Dougie MacLean, supporting man from Walking on Wild Air, my paranormal romance set on a mysterious and beautiful island in the Scottish Hebrides.

It’s hard for me to think about Dougie as a supporting character, he’s so real and vibrant in his own right. I have a strong picture in my mind of what he looks like – Gerard Butler crossed with Douglas Henshall, with a touch of the young Peter Capaldi. But more than anything, he is based on my own partner, who died before he had a chance to read the final, published book. Mark always supported my writing, and believed in me long before I had the courage to start sending my books out into the world. Walking on Wild Air is dedicated to him: like Dougie MacLean he inhabits his own island hilltop, wild as the wind and free from all pain.

At the beginning of Walking on Wild Air Sushila Mackenzie, part Scottish and part Sri Lankan, lands on the island – her childhood home – looking for the right place to scatter her father’s ashes. She’s lonely, hurting, and very defensive. That last thing she’s looking for is a man.

But when she gets lost on the hill, as the mist comes down, a local shepherd and his dog come to her rescue and she falls under Dougie’s spell. Scotland’s misty hills are full of legends and strange tales, and Dougie has walked straight out of one and into her life, turning everything she thought she knew upside-down.

He’s a charming rogue, a dependable friend, an attractive older man, with a surprisingly naïve and open outlook on life. Sometimes he seems like a creature out of legend, a man of the distant past – and at others as modern and enlightened as Sushila herself. He might be just what she needs to heal her wounded spirit. But the discovery of who – and what – he is could break her, heart and soul.

At the summit of a bare hill, on a quiet island in the bleak west of the world, a storm was brewing. Lightning flickered and dark clouds glowered over the hilltop, their rain-heavy bases lit from within by sullen flashes.

Courtesy of Yvonne Marjot

A bolt split the sky and the rain sheeted down, half hiding the ground with its jumbled boulders and sparse coating of grasses. For a moment the scene flickered, like a jerky film noir, and then a figure could be seen on the hilltop, curled up in the foetal position, unmoving.

Thunder cracked overhead and the man raised his head, hauling his body wearily after it. He climbed to his feet and pressed them against the ground, as if testing its ability to hold him. On one buttock there was a red mark, where a rock had pressed into his side, but as he stood in the rain the mark bruised and faded, leaving no trace.

He squared his shoulders against the deluge as the clouds roiled overhead. A great shaft of lightning hit the hilltop precisely at his position, limning his figure for an instant in a halo of blue and white. He looked down at his fists, unclenched them and regarded his hands as if seeing them for the first time. He put his head back, staring upward as the rain poured over his face, drew in a deep, shuddering breath, and howled a cry of pure anguish.

Yvonne Marjot

Yvonne Marjot lives on an island off the west coast of Scotland. She has been writing stories and poems for as long as she can remember, and once won a crate of port in a poetry competition. You can follow her work at

https://www.facebook.com/TheCalgaryChessman/ 

or by following 

https://twitter.com/Alayanabeth.

'Glencoe' by Angus Stewart, reproduced by kind permission of the artist. http://angusstewart.co.uk 

To Buy Yvonne's novel CLICK 

myBook.to/WildAir

Thank you for bringing Dougie today, Yvonne. It makes me want to go back and re read Walking On Wild Air, which I do doubt will sometime in the future! As always, my very best wishes with it and with current and future writing.

Slainthe! 

#10 #Monday Meanders with Joan Livingston

Good Morning Monday!

It's time for some more #meandering, this time to Massachusetts, USA. Today, I welcome a new Crooked Cat Books author friend, Joan Livingston, who has kindly popped in to tell us about places she loves to stroll around-physically and in her writing!

Although I have been to some small towns in the US, I've never been to the area that Joan's mentioning today.

Joan Livingstone

Please get comfy, Joan, and tell us about your kind of meandering...

Hilltowns of Western Massachusetts
I am a big fan of small towns, I mean really small towns of 2,000 people or fewer, the smaller the better. Yes, I’ve lived in cities, but I want to be in a place where I can easily know who lives there with me — for better or worse.

I tend to read books set in small towns. I write about them as well. Actually, most of my novels are set in a fictional hilltown called Conwell, including my mysteries series featuring Isabel Long. The first mystery, Chasing the Case, will launch May 18 to be followed by Redneck’s Revenge in the fall. Currently, I am working on the third, Checking the Traps.

There is no such town called Conwell in Western Massachusetts although I will admit the name has significance to the town of Worthington, where my family and I lived for over two decades. Russell H. Conwell, who was born there, founded Temple University in Philadelphia. He was a whole lot of things like a minister, orator (his most famous speech is called Acres of Diamonds), philanthropist, and more. The elementary school my kids attended was named for him.

Corners Grocery, Worthington MA  -Wikimedia Commons 

But Conwell is not Worthington although there are similarities. Both have one general store, one church, one school, one stoplight, and one bar. Forests cover most of the town, and it’s a bit of a hilly commute to a city. There’s a constant stream of newcomers seeking the good life in the country. And, as I’ve written, people can be nosy and helpful. Yes, there are feuds. And lots of dirt roads that get muddy in the spring.

As I like to say, I take what I know and have my way with it.

I feel I can get easily drop a mystery in Conwell and the other fictional hilltowns I’ve created for my series. I’ve got to give Isabel Long something to do after she got canned by the newspaper where she was the managing editor. So she decides to solve a 28-year-old mystery of a woman disappearing in her town. Did anything like that ever happen? Nah.

It’s been easy to create such a town as a setting for my novels. I became immersed in the hilltowns when I reported on them for many years for the local daily newspaper. I remained interested after that ended. The hilltowns, its people and landscape were still a part of me when we moved 2,400 miles away to Northern New Mexico. After 11 years, we’ve returned to another town in Massachusetts. Didn’t I say I like small towns?

Nancy says: I love mysteries so I really think I'll be enjoying yours soon! 

My mystery, Chasing the Case, published by Crooked Cat Books, is set for a May 18 launch.

Readers can pre-order the Kindle version here:
Amazon US
Amazon UK).

The paperback version should be out soon.

My website: http://www.joanlivingston.net
Twitter https://www.facebook.com/JoanLivingstonAuthor/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/joanlivingston_author/


Thank you, Nancy, for this opportunity to be a guest on your blog.


You're very welcome, Joan. Come back soon. Best wishes with you launch and happy writing! 

Slainthe!  

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Corners_Grocery,_Worthington_MA.jpg

# 9 Someone to #Lean on- is #Zaan trustworthy?

Friday means it's time to give those supporting secondary characters a bit of the limelight!

Today's character is one of my own from Topaz Eyes. My mystery thriller has a large cast of characters to choose from but if charged to find the most supportive character, who aids the development of the story, I'm choosing Zaan. That role is not always obvious at the beginning of a mystery, it sometimes takes a little time to persuade the reader about allegiances- especially in a novel of intrigue. 

At the outset of the novel, Keira Drummond isn't sure who she can trust in the quest to locate the Tiru Salana collection of emerald jewels. She pairs up with Teun Zeger, a Californian of Dutch descent, but as in life it takes a while for her trust of him to be absolute, (and vice versa) even when she is definitely drawn to Teun as a future lover. 

The cast of characters includes a large number of third generation cousins of Teun who are also charged with finding the missing family jewellery. Teun knows none of them and because of highly irregular happenings just before this extract Keira is alarmed that Teun can't even trust Zaan, the one cousin that she favours as being the most trustworthy of the bunch that she meets in Heidelberg at the beginning of the novel. 

Keira thinks Zaan is a good guy. In this extract you can read what Teun's thinking about Zaan...

Her mobile rang some time later, as she sipped a nightcap in the hotel bar beside a very reflective Teun. Dinner had been necessary to sustain them, though neither of them had done justice to the meal. 

“Hello, Zaan.”

While she listened, Teun whipped out a pen and pulled a napkin toward him. He scribbled something before pushing the paper back toward her. Say nothing about the jewels, or about Adam’s death. Looking grim, he stared. Though surprised by his order, his glare had her nodding her head. It was just as well Zaan’s monologue still continued since she didn’t need to answer at all at that point. That gave her time to compose herself, and try to act as though absolutely nothing untoward had been happening to her. As Zaan burbled on, his call became distraction from her own sad mood.

Zaan hadn’t found Tanja’s hairpin as easily as he’d first imagined. He’d made the visit to his cousin in Brussels. The woman had clarified the brooch she’d been given did look like the one Tanja wore in the photograph of the three sisters, but she’d sold it. She’d confessed to being surprised by the gift from her aunt—Zaan’s mother—but it hadn’t been something she felt she’d ever wear; not her style. The good thing was she’d taken it to a reputable jeweller, so chances were high it could be traced. Zaan sounded positive and was pursuing it.

www.1123rf.com

With regard to verification of the Tiru Salana collection, Zaan had news on that front, too. He’d made contact with the descendants of the Amsterdam jewellers, the Koopmans, who’d been named in the 1815 newspapers. Though their company name had changed a number of times, and the business had considerably downsized, they were still trading as jewellers in Amsterdam.

“They have records in one of their premises dating back to the early eighteen hundreds. Jensen has arranged for an archivist from the university to help us trawl through the paperwork in their stores, though it will take her some time. That’s my update. Anything new at your end?”    

“Not really.” Keira hedged an answer but had to tell him something innocuous. “Though, I’m so pleased to have met Teun’s dad. He’s a lovely man…”

After some general chit-chat about Duluth, she found the conversation difficult to maintain and, at Teun’s gesture, she handed her mobile over. He had been absorbing her one-sided conversation with Zaan, and had looked so serious. She still couldn’t figure out his mistrust of Zaan, but had come to respect his caution: the person dogging their tail had convinced her of the need for vigilance. Something underhand was going on and they didn’t know who had set it up. Till they did, it was right to be watchful. She admired how economical Teun was with the truth.

my ideal Teun- www.123rf.com

“Yeah. We’re going to New York tomorrow.”

Teun’s declaration to Zaan came as a surprise since they’d been careful only to mention Duluth. Zaan had no idea they were currently in Rochester, did he?

“I’m hanging around the East Coast for a few days, but Keira’s going straight back to Edinburgh.”

So, that was it? Teun had used her to find the jewels and she was being packed off home? She seethed quietly while he finished the call. When he gave her the mobile, she couldn’t even look at him.

He grabbed her hand and led her out to the bank of lifts, his voice low though there were only a few patrons around and about the foyer. His scan of the area wasn’t secretive. She followed his every glance and satisfied herself that she recognised no-one as they stepped into the lift. Tacit silence ruled till they were in their room.

“I’m not fed up with you, Keira. I know it’s what you’re thinking, but that’s not what I’m doing. Listen while I explain, please?” He rifled his fingers through his hair as she turned toward him. “I’m… so bloody furious… about the things that are happening. You have to admit there are too many sinister events happening.”

“How do you mean?” She wasn’t prepared to forgive him yet. He needed to come clean, about everything.

“Maybe menacing things happen around you every day, Keira, but they don’t damn well happen to me. I can’t help being bloody suspicious.”

“You didn’t want Zaan to know about Adam, since you’re still not sure if he had anything to do with it?”

“I can’t get past the fact we visited Adam a few days ago. I thought someone had been in his house the other night, and, for Christ’s sake… now he’s dead. We visited my father a few days ago. He has a mysterious visitor who gets him so wound up he has a heart attack. Do those happenings not seem malicious to you? Someone has been trying to get information about the jewels—or even the jewels themselves—and my relatives have been harmed because of it. And I did nothing to prevent it!”

I've used images for Keira and Teun in various promotional material, and thought I had one for Zaan but can't locate him. I see a tall, blonde guy but what would your Zaan look like?
I hope you enjoyed the extract. You can get the novel by clicking HERE if you're interested in reading more...It's a real snip at 99p.

Have a good weekend!

Slainthe! 

#Crime? Well actually, yes!

Thursday News! 

Elgin Library- in the daylight! 

Last night, I achieved something I've been aiming for all year and that was to attend a session of the Elgin Writers Group which I've been a postal member of for approximately a year. 

It's a round trip of about 100 miles for me to get there, but apart from a little hitch in not easily locating the Elgin Library venue in the dark, in the park, it was great to be there and meet up with the 15 other attendees. 

I really enjoyed listening to the others read their work and it was the first time for a very long time that I've been required to create a Haiku on the spur of the moment! The last time would have been me leading a class lesson on Haiku during a project on Japan with my 11-12 year old pupils probably more than a decade ago. 

Here's last night's attempt given around a >5 minute slot to compose it. 

There was no exact theme but since the Haiku form is essentially about 2 (opposing) profound statements encapsulated in the moment what I produced was highly influenced by my recent 'heavy' time spent re-editing my Celtic Fervour Series. The Haiku is bound by rules, the most common form being 3 lines with syllables of 5, 7, 5 ..or a similar variety. 

Before all was calm

Chaos descended in lines

Traditions now gone

The resulting poems around the room were extremely varied but very enjoyable.

Today...as well as getting on with my re edits to Book 3 of my Celtic Fervour Series After Whorl: Donning Double Cloaks (I've completed those for Bks 1 & 2) I was off on a virtual visit to the blog of Val Penny a fairly new Crooked Cat author. Val featured recently with her crime novel Hunter's Close so since crime is her current writing genre I decided to show how crime is never far away from my novels - though they are definitely not crime novels that would be put on the crime shelves of the high street bookstore. 

This is the link to Val penny's Blog HERE I'm sure she'd love you to pop in and say hello.

Here's a REBLOG of my post since it's quite an important aspect that I often need to deal with when in front of the general public.

"

Is it a crime novel?

I start with a very broad question because you write crime novels, Val, but it’s one which I’ve been asked more than once while selling my novels at Book Fairs, Craft Fairs and events like Highland Games up in North East Scotland. Potential customers have asked me - What are your novels about?  I give them an initial overview that I write Historical Fiction; Contemporary Mystery/ Thrillers and Time Travel Historical. I then say that although my novels would not fully fit the ‘Crime’ genre on Amazon they do have crime in them to varying degrees. Though, perhaps they’re not the crime novels they are looking for.

My first century A.D. historical Celtic Fervour Series isn’t a series of whodunits set in northern Roman Britain (roughly from Yorkshire northwards) but they do have battle scenes where the intent is effectively genocide on the part of the Roman generals who invaded the north. Back then, it was bow to the dictates of Rome or they annihilated any Iron Age tribes who resisted them. That could be said to be very big crime indeed but it’s not what would normally be in a reader’s mind who is interested in ‘police detective led procedural’ crime. Killing one warrior or killing many, in battle, isn’t treated the same as murder would be in a detective novel, yet it is premeditated crime of sorts. Are the police involved? No, but they weren’t invented in Roman Britain! In my historical novels there are also situations of retaliation on the part of the invaded ‘Celts’ when they raid Roman convoys and steal the goods; and when the ‘Celts’ organise ambushes of Roman patrols and kill the auxiliary escorts, but is that crime? There are reports of rape and the death of innocent children in the novels but does that make my story fit the crime genre?

If someone picks up a copy of my mystery novels and reads the blurb they can see that although my mystery thriller Topaz Eyes wouldn’t be classified as a crime novel it does have strong criminal elements. There’s acquisition of goods (jewellery) by devious means; there’s intent to kill; there’s stalking with intent to murder; there’s theft: there’s murder; and there’s accidental death during an aggravated criminal situation – yet my story Topaz Eyes is not considered to be a crime novel because it is primarily a mystery thriller. Are the police involved? Yes, in more than one city but is it a crime novel? Errr…not quite.  Topaz Eyes has also been called a treasure hunt mystery; a romantic mystery suspense that ‘weaves a plot of intrigue across Europe’; ‘A velvety trip packed full of history, mystery and suspense’ and many other wonderful 5* comments. But it’s not a crime novel.

What about my other mysteries published by Crooked Cat Books? Well, funnily enough they also have crime in them but again not the type that gets them classified as crime novels.

Monogamy Twist is a fairly simple mystery that centres on a plot that’s a combination of a quirky Dickensian-style bequest of a dilapidated Yorkshire mansion house and a somewhat shady ancestral tree. There’s fraud; there’s intended deception and possibly even a touch of benign coercion- all of which might court prosecution today- but essentially it’s a slightly humorous ancestral romantic mystery. Are the police involved? No, but the main female character has to be an amateur sleuth to solve the mystery.

Take Me Now is what I call my ‘Corporate Sabotage’ mystery so yes, there’s definitely crime involved but it’s a light-hearted, fun romantic comedy mystery. There’s intent to cause bodily harm; there’s malicious and wilful damage to property and people; there’s attempted murder- though, again it isn’t called a crime novel. Are the police involved? Yes, they are. Is there an amateur detective involved? Yes, but she’s also one of the main characters in the romance. 

My point in all of this seems to be it’s actually quite hard to write a novel without any kind of crime in it! The next time I sell my books at a Fair of any kind perhaps I should get a large pop up banner to proclaim – I’m not actually a crime author but… J with a lot of *wink, Winks* and smiley faces.

I'll back again tomorrow with something a bit different... 

Slainthe! 

Cold? It's time for A Cold Retreat!

Tuesday greetings to you! 

Brrr... it has been cold! 

The snow in my part of the world is now melting but the last week's confinement has meant a lot more writing for me (mostly re-edits for new editions of my Celtic Fervour Series) and it's also been a great time to catch  up with some fiction reading. 

I often step out of my comfort zone regarding the genres I read, but I have to confess I don't often read psychological thrillers bordering on the horror genre that are also mysteries. But not reading a sub-genre very often doesn't mean I can't appreciate a well written novel. 

Today, it's time for a short review of a novel that I think would fit well into the psychological thriller, crime, mystery, or perhaps even the horror category. 

The author Jim Ody hasn't visited this blog before but it's lovely to welcome someone new! I haven't been involved in a Blog Tour for quite a while but check out the bottom of this post where you can see the other blogs A Cold Retreat is being featured on. 

Here's the Blurb first:  

As a child, Penny dreams of being a princess. She knows life isn’t exactly like fairytales, but she hopes it can be similar.
The future isn’t so kind to Penny. The princes in her reality turn out to be evil. Battered and bruised she hits rock bottom.

Here's what I thought as I read it....

A Cold Retreat

You know those times when you're reading a mystery, or a thriller, and think you know the ending and then something else pops up to surprise you? Well, this novel was definitely one those for me. I don’t often read this kind of thriller horror but A Cold Retreat is very well written, gripping and took some attention to detail. 

Multiple points of view can be sometimes repetitive, and I felt this happened at times, but mostly I found it to be a very good way of describing what’s happening as seen from the other perspective of a situation. I think it works well int his novel because there are multiple viewpoints to be considered and multiple characters to understand- or at least try to understand! 

The multiple characters each have their strengths and weaknesses, some are likeable and some cause a good dose of revulsion. I didn't feel drawn to any one in particular but neither did I feel the opposite, each character demanded my time fairly equally. 

Feeling a victim. Out of control situations. Retribution. Payback. Reading a situation wrongly. Memory perhaps not always sharp or accurate over time- There are plenty of themes and other aspects to 'chew' over by the end of this nightmarish novel... which if I describe them any more it would be a ‘spoiler’ and I always try to avoid them!

Did I enjoy the novel? I'm not sure, but I was very engaged while reading it. 

I'm sure readers of thrillers and horrors would love to add this 5* read to their collection! 

You can BUY A Cold Retreat  HERE  from Amazon 

Jim Ody

Here's a bit about the author

Jim was first published in an English School Textbook in 1987. He won a competition to draw a dog-walking machine. Having won an art competition the year before, he felt that at the age of eleven he had peaked and consequently retired from art.

For 10 years Jim wrote for a number of websites reviewing and interviewing bands in his own unique way, as well as contributing dark poems and comedic features.

Jim likes to write psychological/thrillers that have endings that you won’t see coming. He also favours stories packed with wit.

Zombie Cupcake Press have published his two books 'Lost Connections' and 'The Place That Never Existed', and will release his third 'A Cold Retreat' in January 2018. He also has a short stories in a number of anthologies with Zombie Cupcake Press and Bloodhound Books. Next year will see the release of a haunting novella, another psychological thriller and the start of a comedy/crime series (Caper & Dice).

He has a very strange sense of humour and is often considered a little odd. When not writing he will be found playing the drums, watching football and eating chocolate. He lives with his long-suffering wife and three beautiful children in Swindon, Wiltshire.

Here's where you can also find A Cold Retreat during the blog Tour. 

Thanks to Jim Ody for featuring, and to Simon Leonard for organising the visit today. Best wishes with A Cold Retreat!

Slainthe!