Hello, and welcome new subscribers,

Thank you for all the entries for questions 1-5 on Mistaken Beliefs. I have had several emails from readers asking for more time to catch up, which I thought was fair, so the draw will now take place on Wednesday 5th July. If you would like to catch up on the previous questions, simply go here and scroll through the newsletters. All correct answers for each question will be entered into a draw, and the winner drawn at random. Winners may choose either a print version of Mistaken Beliefs or a £10/$10 Amazon voucher. Today you have a chance to win the all-new Fire 7 Tablet. Below are the six questions, one on each of the other novels in the Meredith & Hodge series. The winner will be drawn at random on 5th July. Simply send me your answers via email, or use the contact button above. Subject heading: I’m on Fire! Entries to all draws must be received by 11.00 AM GMT as the draw will take place at midday.

Here are your six questions:

1. The Making of Meredith: Which of Meredith’s friends celebrated his 21st birthday shortly before his death?

2. Misplaced Loyalty: What nickname did Meredith give Frankie Callaghan?

3. Ill Conceived: What was the name of the nightclub owned by Michael Brent?

4. The Wrong Shoes: Where did Patsy go to meet her client Kate Wilkinson?

5. Tin Soldiers: What was the name of the bag lady who helped Meredith?

6. One Secret Too Many: What was the surname of the brothers out for revenge?

Good luck, I look forward to receiving your entries. In other news…. The Meredith & Hodge Boxed set 2 is now available, and contains books 4 – 6. Tin Soldiers, One Secret Too Many and Mistaken Beliefs.

I’ll be back with the results on the 5th July – in the meantime,

Happy reading,

Hello, and welcome new subscribers,

I’m delighted to say that Mistaken Beliefs has already started to receive reviews, take a peep here. It does mean so much, both personally, and in  terms of Amazon rankings for an author to receive a review when a reader has enjoyed the book. I know it is sometimes difficult to find the time, and I myself am guilty of doing them in bulk, although I’m pleased to say mine are up to date at the moment, and I’m currently reading Concealment by Rose Edmunds. It’s the first of Rose’s books I’ve read and I am thoroughly enjoying it. You can find out what I’m reading here.

But back to the task in hand. Questions for the Celebratory give away. The correct answers for each question is entered into a draw. There is either a paperback version of Mistaken Beliefs up for grabs, or a £10/$10 Amazon gift card if preferred. On the final day there will be six questions, one from each of the Meredith & Hodge novels, and the prize for that will be the all-new Fire 7 tablet. The correct entries for all six days will be put into separate draws, and winners will be chosen at random on the 1st July. You may answer as many questions as you wish, you do not need to take part on all six days to get involved.

Question 2 – In chapter 15 What was burning in the Chapman’s house when Meredith arrived?

Question 3 – In chapter 6 What was  the name of Big Pete’s dog?

Email your answers to: mkturnerbooks@gmail.com with the subject: Am I mistaken? or click the contact button above and leave your answer as a comment.

In other news, my latest work in progress romps on, and is giving me some surprises along the way, and the Meredith & Hodge Boxed Set 2 – should be out by the end of the month. I’ve noticed that the Boxed set 1, is very popular with members of Kindle Unlimited and I get thousands of page reads each day. Kindle Unlimited allows you to download an unlimited number of ebooks each month, and despite its name you can download to any device. If you are an avid reader it can save you a fortune.  I’m told Amazon run a free 30 day trial so I’m going to check it out. It would be interesting to know how many of my subscribers use Kindle Unlimited, if you do, please let me know what you think.

I’m off to cuddle my beautiful granddaughter, and  will be back soon with question 4.

Happy reading,

Hello, and welcome new subscribers,

And finally……. I’m delighted to confirm that the #6 in the Meredith & Hodge series has arrived. Mistaken Beliefs is live and available on Amazon. It’s taken a while to get here, as this novel was based on a story I started writing over twenty years ago, but I think it suits Meredith & Hodge, let me know if you think so too.

To celebrate, let’s have some fun and test your memory. Five paperbacks and a Fire 7 tablet are up for grabs.

I will be asking five questions about Mistaken Beliefs over the next two weeks. The correct answers will be entered into a draw. Each winning entry of the daily question will receive a paperback copy of Mistaken Beliefs, or if preferred, an Amazon voucher for $10.00/£10.00.  On the final day there will be six questions, one from each of the Meredith & Hodge series so far, and the prize, drawn at random from the correct entries received, will be the brand new Fire 7 tablet.  Keep an eye on your inbox for the emails. You need not answer immediately, nor do you need to take part in all six days to qualify, you may chose how many days you wish to be involved. However, you may only enter once on each of the six days, and all answers should be received no later than 30th June 2017. Winners will be chosen at random on the 1st July and the results posted in this newsletter.

Please don’t post your answer in the comments section on the website as it won’t be eligible for the draw, please email me at mkturnerbooks@gmail.com with subject header: Am I Mistaken 1? or hit the contact button above. Here is the first question.

Question 1 – In Chapter 12, Patsy is told of the location of two murder victims – What is the name of the cottage?

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Happy reading

Hello, and welcome new subscribers,

I am delighted to announce that Meredith & Hodge are back in Mistaken Beliefs, which will be released on 18th June 2017! Meredith is up to his old tricks and keeping secrets from Hodge, and Ben Jacobs is in big trouble.

To celebrate this new arrival, I thought you’d like to have a sneak preview, so you can read the first chapter here:  Chapter One.  I look forward to your comments.

If you haven’t yet read Ill Conceived, the second Meredith & Hodge novel, it is still available at only 0.99 but be quick, this offer ends on the 17th June. You can find it here: Ill Conceived.

That’s it for now, keep a look out for the next newsletter when I’ll be back with more news about a launch day giveaway soon.

Happy reading

Hello, and welcome to new subscribers,

I have decided to break my own (new) rules, by positing my review of Phoenix by Mark Dawson here in the newsletter, as all proceeds go to helping fund breast cancer treatment for a friend of the author, and it’s a great read.

5* Phoenix – Beatrix Rose is an assassin, and in this novella we find that she has personal problems she can’t resolve. She takes an assignment in Venezuela, where she teams up with one of author, Mark Dawson’s, other heroes, John Milton. It’s a fast paced and exciting read. What should have been a simple mission suddenly becomes complicated, when the scientist they were supposed to bring back to the UK gets killed and a baby is found. I won’t say more, buy the book by clicking on the cover, and find out what happens. I promise you will enjoy it.

I hope those of you who have recently read Misplaced Loyalty enjoyed it. The second in the Meredith & Hodge series, Ill Conceived, will be reduced to 0.99 from June 10th through to June 17th. Click here to get to my Amazon page if you want to grab a bargain. While there, if you have enjoyed reading any of my novels,  it would be very much appreciated if you would be so kind as to leave a review. It doesn’t need to be anymore than a few words if you wish, but it does mean so much.

I’m still awaiting the arrival of my first grandchild, although I think it’s fair to say mum and dad are more frustrated at the late arrival than the grandparents. I’ve had lots to keep me busy; working on the latest WIP, and going through the final edits on Mistaken Beliefs. I’m delighted to say that the feedback coming in from the advanced reader team is all very positive. Phew! (If you would like to join my readers group, please leave a comment below).  I’ll keep you posted as to the release date on Mistaken Beliefs. I’ve also been catching up on writing reviews on my recent reads. My favourite book of the year so far hasn’t changed. Ice Cold Alice is still at number one. You can see what I’m reading and what I thought by clicking here.

That’s it for now, I’m off to vote and walk the dogs,

Happy reading,

It’s been far too long since I last updated you, but in my defence, there’s been a lot going on. I won’t bore you with all the detail, not all of it has been exciting – but one of the most wonderful things to happen was being told I’m going to be a grandmother – or in our family, Nan. The new addition to our family is due at the end of May, and I can’t wait. I am more excited over this than when I discovered I was pregnant myself. My son and his partner are busy, not simply making a nest, but almost knocking one down and rebuilding it. They’ve been living surrounded by boxes, dust and builders, but the end is almost in sight, and it will all be ready for the new arrival. Happy Days!

In other news: I’ve been Beta reading for other authors and was totally captivated by this one: Ice Cold Alice by C P Wilson. As soon as it’s available I’ll share the link and my review. You can have a sneak preview here.  I have also finished two novels. Yes, two!  Both have been bubbling away in the background for some time and finally, both have been finished.

The first, The Cuban Conundrum, is due back from the final proof read this weekend, and will be published on 7th April 2017. It’s available for pre-order – simply click the cover .

Here’s the blurb:  If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. A maxim that five couples, from Canada and the UK, should have taken to heart before accepting the invitation for a free return holiday to Cuba, from cousins –  Alberto and Miguel Mistro.

Because there is a catch: the hosts need the guests to bring back the flea market purchases from their last trip and help them decipher the clues on the items to break a six-hundred-year-old conundrum. But it’s a race against time as the couples battle with shadowy gun toting figures, personality clashes, disappearing guests, injuries and their own personal demons. But they have no choice but to unlock the secrets of the Mistro family, and solve the Cuban Conundrum, if they are to survive.

The second, Mistaken Beliefs, the next in the Meredith & Hodge series. I have almost literally 
just typed The End, so lots of editing etc. is necessary before publication. However, I do need some help. Firstly, I need Beta readers, so if you’d like to help on that score please contact me. I’ve not even started to think about the blurb yet, but Ben Jacobs has been accused of murder, and as the cover suggests, he did have the knife in his hand. That brings me nicely to, secondly, the cover. I’ve whittled it down to these two; it’s simply a colour choice this time, so please let me know which you prefer. Peach or Green.

I’m working on a couple of new projects now – slowly – very slowly – and have updated the WIP page here. You will note from WIP that I’m after a name for Meredith’s younger brother, any suggestions will be gratefully received.

I don’t ask for much, only Beta readers, votes on covers, and names for characters.  Look forward to hearing from you.

I must dash, editing, proof reading, writing, dog walking, housework…………

Happy reading,

While walking the dogs the other morning, I realised, as they disappeared into the woods chasing yet another
squirrel, that I was smiling. It was before seven in the morning, there was no one else around, and I was smiling. I was happy to see them bouncing around playing with each other, and racing each other to the latest tree providing refuge for the poor old squirrels. When I thought about it, I realised that I usually smile when I’m walking the dogs, and that the day before it had been pointed out that I was frowning while I was writing. Although, my husband had in the past pointed out that I was smiling as I typed. Perhaps not true all the time, but even when struggling with a plot-line, I may not have been smiling, but writing didn’t make me frown. But it had been recently.

Progress on the latest Meredith & Hodge has been slow to say the least.  I had the basis of the story from one I wrote many years ago, and with a little tweak I had one of my main characters with Ben Jacobs, (who is a favourite character of mine). I had updated it, tweaked it, and woven in Meredith & Hodge, but still something wasn’t working. It was two chapters forward and one back, as I struggled find that key element that keeps my fingers on the key board. In the end I gave up and started work on other projects. They are coming along, but, yet again, something is missing, and I type with a frown.

Then, yesterday, for no particular reason, I checked the reviews on my back-list, and I was delighted to see that  
in America I had received three great reviews on Misplaced Loyalty – as with children, I’m not sure authors are supposed to have favourites, but if I had to choose, Misplaced Loyalty would be it. The one that gave me Meredith & Hodge, and the one that caused me the most grief and embarrassment – but I digress. One of those reviews made me realise that one way or another, I needed to get back to Meredith & Hodge. In my writing life I was missing them. So, I re-opened the Ben Jacobs story to see if it was possible to salvage something, and while my husband shouted at the football on the television, I re-read what I had. Making notes in red, adding scenes, and deleting huge sections. I drafted out a couple of chapters that were needed, and worked out a few plot issues, and from nowhere the title jumped out at me. Mistaken Beliefs. I liked it. I Googled it, and found that it had not been used for any other novels, and its meaning within law fitted the story perfectly. I was smiling again, and my fingers were flying over the keyboard.

But then I went to bed. I tossed and turned as I thought about bringing it all together. It wasn’t exciting enough, there was no real twist, it was simply a ‘we all know ‘whodunit’, and it’s only a matter of time before Meredith works that out’. Not good enough. I was probably frowning as I fell asleep.
This morning I walked the dogs as usual, their minds full of squirrels, mine full of Meredith & Hodge, and the twist I needed arrived out of the blue. So, I’m back at it. The latest Meredith & Hodge, probably to be called, Mistaken Beliefs, is underway, and I smile as I type.

This is the review that gave me the push I needed, so thank you, ZB! This proves without a doubt, if indeed proof were needed, that reviews are invaluable to the author:

Biggest shock of my year:

I grew up in the country and also had a voracious appetite for reading. So I read anything and everything I could get my hands on. I freely admit that ‘who done it’s’ have always been my least favorite read. Having said all that, this book destroyed my sleep patterns. I couldn’t put it down and anytime there was a minute, and I mean that literally I read while cooking dinner lol, I had this book in my hands. Fantastic depth of characters. Even the characters who weren’t in the lead of hero and heroine were meaty,3-D, making it more difficult to figure out who done it. Nice plot twists and humor and romance too. So trust a non who done it reader when she says this is an amazing read!

https://www.amazon.com/review/R9RYUKAQILLEP/?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B009EC3MQO

I’ve dotted this post with some of what makes me smile. I’m not a great photographer (an understatement) but I hope you like them. Another walk is due now, I’ll be smiling, and straight back at it when we get home!

Happy reading,

My mum passed away on the 6th of September 2014.  I went to the cemetery with a pot plant to stand in amongst the flowers from other family members, and we had a silent chat and put the world to rights, as you do, and then I wandered back to the car reading the headstones that I passed. There were some truly magnificent grave stones, and many simple ones. A few were bedecked in fresh flowers, but many more had dead twigs sticking out of pots, remnants of flowers left months, maybe even years, before, and an over whelming number were  broken and falling apart. Some, so much so, that the various components were stacked one on top of the other, and what had been a wonderful tribute to someone’s loved ones, was now a pile of stone and marble, with onlookers unable to read the epitaph. Most of these had probably been there a hundred years or more, their occupants long since forgotten by current generations, and I found that sad. When they had been erected it was with the thought that it would provide a lasting memorial for those who had passed away, if only to strangers with no connection to the deceased,but  simply a passing interest as they walked by.

So I made a decision. I’m going to make sure that should those who survive me feel that a place of remembrance is needed, they plant a tree somewhere nice rather than have a piece of stone engraved, or maybe even place a bench in a park. You never know, if I ever get the time, I may even organise it myself. My ashes could even be used as fertilizer – does that work? That way, should they  want to visit on anniversaries, at least they will be somewhere I would like to be, and when I’m long forgotten my tree will still provide a perch for birds, a playgound for squirrels, and  of course somewhere for a needy dog to cock his leg. Oh, yes, and humans could shelter from the sun or rain if necessary.

The more I thought about it, the more my plan expanded. Rather than bring cut flowers on those anniversaries they could plant a few bulbs that would flower year after year, or perhaps plant a shrub somewhere nearby that would surprise walkers when it burst into flower in an unexpected location. I myself came across a cherry tree in the woods where I walk our dogs, and it makes me smile each spring when it bursts into blossom amongst the pine, and oak, and birch trees. So, there you have it, in my next life I would like to be a tree…….or a bench…….

Now that that’s sorted – back to ‘Feeding the Authors’ and the promised reviews:

A Funeral for an Owl – Jane Davies 5*****

I found this to be an engaging read, and had total sympathy with Jim Stevens, a history teacher trying to deal with his troubled past and his present predicament having been stabbed trying to break up a playground fight. Some great characterisation, I particularly liked Bins, Ayisha irritated, and I had total empathy with Shamayal. The story spans twenty years of Jim’s life, slipping from past to present, and I was delighted that there wasn’t a neat and tidy ending, life goes on. Recommended.

Rope Enough – Oliver Tidy 4****

An introduction to DI Romney and DS Marsh as they investigate several rapes and the death of one of the victims. I would have liked a few more twists, and although it had a predictable end, I did enjoy it.

Death Comes eCalling – Leslie O’Kane 4****

Not my normal type of mystery read, and not what I expected, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. An amusing, cosy mystery with some laugh out loud moments. An easy read with some good characters which you can imagine being transferred into an American TV family watch.

That’s it for today, happy reading

Phew! I’m pleased to say that The Making of Meredith has had the second edit, and is now back with editor Steph for proof reading. Some sections have been amended, others removed, and little bits added here and there. And, I’m delighted to say, all the Beta readers enjoyed it! Many thanks to them for their feedback, I have for the best part used your suggestions.

Thanks also to those that voted on the cover, unfortunately it’s neck and neck, so there is still time. If you haven’t already voted which do you prefer Yellow or Mauve?

Still on course for an August publication, details to follow as soon as they’re available.

What will I do now? I’ve spent the best part of the last two months with this man. When I wasn’t working with him, I was certainly thinking about him, and although the latest in the Meredith & Hodge series is underway, (probably about half-way through) I think I need a weekend away from Meredith!

So, there is absolutely nothing in my diary, other than this blog, and going out to dinner with my husband, who has been neglected due to the amount of time I’ve been spending with Meredith.

When Monday comes around though it will be back at it. I have two projects on the go, the first is the Meredith & Hodge novel, where Ben Jacobs is wrongly accused of murder, and the second, a script for radio, which I am co-writing with my older (but newly found) sister Sharon Kelly. I haven’t written a script before and I am thoroughly enjoying it! Once done, I might convince her we need to do another.

That’s it for now, I’m off to put my feet up. Have a wonderful weekend.

Despite my best intentions it’s almost five months since my last visit here. That sounds like a confession – and I do confess to being distracted from the task in hand on occasion – I could give many reasons, and even more excuses, but I’m delighted to announce that the first draft of my latest novel, now entitled, The Making of Meredith, has gone off to the editor.

It’s been an enjoyable journey for the best part, as to make sure I didn’t make errors in Meredith’s development based on the snippets revealed in his later life, I had to re-read all five novels in the series, and I enjoyed rediscovering some of the things I’d forgotten about Meredith. Yes, that is possible, and it helped me understand the flaws in his character, and whether they were nurture or nature.

I’m now in need a few more beta readers, if you are interested, please let me know as soon as possible. Please remember this is not a mystery or a thriller, but the story of Meredith from the age of eight until we meet him in Misplaced Loyalty.

With editing underway, and cover in progress, I can no longer avoid working on the blurb, which for me is far worse than writing the story, I think that may be a job for tomorrow though.

I also need help choosing the cover. I put some ideas to Antony, at ebook-designs, who has designed all of the Meredith & Hodge covers, and we’ve settled on a silhouette of Meredith against the back drop of the magnificent Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol. However, I’m now undecided on the colour scheme and the size of the silhouette, and have narrowed it down to those shown below, and would be delighted to receive your thoughts on this, which do you prefer? Please leave a comment to let me know. From the left A – D

I’m guessing that publication will be in mid-August sometime, I will keep you posted if that changes.

I am now going to get back to the Ben Jacobs story, which will be the sixth in the Meredith & Hodge series, and I am working on a radio script with Sharon Kelly, (my long lost sister) based on our finding each other.

Not enough hours as always, so must dash, thank you for your patience and encouragement, I’d better get back to it, those dogs don’t walk themselves… and I’m sure summer is on its way……..soon!

And… I’m back in the room, or at least writing again. I can’t believe it’s been three months since my last blog – I blame Christmas – so here’s a quick update. As previously mentioned I’ve been working on a couple of projects, neither of which were going as I wanted, and after re-reading and making various amendments and alterations I wasn’t satisfied. So, they have been filed in a ‘To sort out file’, and I will go back to them as and when I think I can sort them out. This left me in a quandary, as although I always have many story ideas floating around, I didn’t think there was anything that once started wouldn’t end up in the ‘To sort out’ file too, and I found other ways to fill my time.

While cleaning out a cupboard I came across the first note book I used when I started writing, and amongst the shopping lists, doodles, and reminders, I had noted down some story ideas. Nothing grabbed me, but I found the first draft of Meredith’s character, together with a basic biography of his past life, and that set me to thinking. Could I go back to the beginning of Meredith? Was there a story there? Should one go back? I certainly wanted to with Meredith, and when I thought about it, the answer I came up with was, yes.

Things often have to be taken back to the beginning to get them back on course, and there were many examples all around me. When my computer goes wrong, I’m told to ‘turn it off and back on again’, or ‘install and then reboot’. With phones we’re told to uninstall apps and start again, and all this going back to the beginning is reflected in the business world.

Following the recent banking crisis, things went back to basics for staff. Instead of being targeted and judged on their ability to get mortgage referrals, or increase the value of loans to boost profits, they were to be judged on customer satisfaction and retention.

My friend and I both worked together for a sizable corporate company many moons ago, and whilst of course they wanted to see income rising, and profits increasing, they also wanted customer service to be at the heart of what we did, to both retain those customers and cut down on complaints. It was a good sound business, and as a result it was sold on several times during the period I worked there and depending on who was at the helm, it was on and off the stock market. Each wave of new top management wanted to make their own mark, but to appease investors and the stock market , the focus switched a little more to the bottom line each time. The customer became less important, after all there were always more customers out there, profit today was king, and problems caused could be sorted tomorrow.

Many changes in procedure, staff, and administration were made, and for those of us at the coal face, they were not always for the best. Customers seemed to be paying more for less, and complaints were common place. The staff worked longer and longer hours just to keep the KPI’s rolling onward and upward, and that profit line growing. Toward the end of my time with the company, it was decided that now was the time to float it again. There was a need to strip out costs, and over a period of a couple of years, regional centres were closed, and or merged, administration was farmed out to India, and each month a new round of redundancies was announced. I became one of those statistics, and although it was a shock, it took only weeks for me to realise I was never going back that way again.

My friend who remained there, absorbed shock wave after shock wave, and each time we spoke, another face had moved on, stress levels were rising, and if things hadn’t changed I think she would have too, but someone had a brainwave on how to improve the company which may have saved her sanity, or did they?

They didn’t. What they did was go full circle, right back to where we first started. The customer was to come first, as if service levels improved, the money will follow, which it invariably does. Of course some things have changed, technology for one, but the basic premise on how the business is to be run was to go back to the beginning. Now my almost stress free friend, sits at the meeting table listening to how they will reinvent the wheel, and smiles encouragingly. She’s been there, and done that, and I’m delighted for her.

Thinking about all this was all that was needed to set me off on the first draft of my current project. I was in essence going back to the beginning, switching it off and back on again. I would write a prequel. I would find out how Meredith developed his personality and attitude to life, and I already had the outline. It was fingers on keyboard, and out he tumbled. I’m not sure of the title yet, probably simply Meredith, nor do I know how long it’s likely to take to complete it, but this one is not headed for the ‘To Sort File.’

Now I must dash, he’s in trouble at school.

Back soon,

Those of you that read my last post will know I lost my website for several weeks. Now I’m back up and running and everything has settled, I thought I’d take a look at Google Analytics to see how the crash had affected the hits on my site.

I was surprised at my findings to say the least. It appears I have come to the attention of the Russians. Given the current situation with Syria, Russia, and the US, my daughter joked that I shouldn’t draw attention to myself by blogging about it, but I decided to take the risk that my musings wouldn’t have an impact on international affairs – or given the storyline the Russian Mafia – gulp!

The analysis of people visiting the site always amazes me, and the fact that someone in some far flung corner of the world has looked at my site always brings a smile. The main hits come from the UK, Australia and America, with a spattering around the various countries of Europe, so imagine my surprise when I saw that despite the site being down for almost a month, during that month I’d had 102 hits from Russia, and was reliably informed that 98.15% of them were new users.

I decided to investigate further, and have come to the conclusion that One Secret Too Many has caused the interest. It was released on 28^th March 2015, since its release I’ve had no fewer than 1398 hits from Russia, 95% of them being new users, as shown on the following chart. For the entire time the website has been live and up to the point of its release, the site had only had 22 visits from Russia.

So One Secret Too Many is the cause, but it would have been nice if all those taking a peep had bought the book to ensure there were no secret messages hidden in the text! You never know they may have become Meredith & Hodge followers too.

I was about to sign off when a thought occurred to me, as I’m currently working on The Cuban Conundrum, which should be out by the end of the year, I wonder if I’ll see any hits from Cuba? I hope so, with any luck they’ll invite me over to discuss the detail.

If you find you have some time on your hands, and you haven’t already done so, you might want to read One Secret Too Many, and see what all the fuss is about. You can buy it here by the way- click HERE

Have a wonderful weekend

Disaster strikes again! Those of you that have followed the trials and tribulations I have experienced since I started writing will know that I am, for the best part, technically challenged when it comes to most things to do with IT. I won’t bore you with my past history, however several weeks ago I wrote a blog and attempted to log into my website to load it…and there it was – gone!

The ominous message ‘Page cannot be found’ filled the screen. I tried many different ways to find it, but in the end took advice and was told that the host server had gone down, and worst of all, had lost the back-ups for my website. I have no idea how the host is supposed to behave, but I’m certain that backing up its ‘guests’ should come near the top of the ‘to do’ list, together with being able to provide a backup when everything goes belly up. The chaps that put the website together for me got on to it, and bits and bobs were collected from all over the internet, put together, and we are almost, but not quite, back to where we were. A few parts still need attention (so please bear with me), but at least the site is up and running, and they have found me what they promise is a more reliable host.

To say it’s been a chore is an understatement, one of the things that I lost was my list of subscribers. I didn’t have thousands, but I was approaching the two hundred mark. I have therefore been wading through emails I had yet to delete, in an attempt to find reference to new subscribers or comments made on various blogs, and I have managed to cobble a list of a mere forty together. It’s been tedious, frustrating, and made me curse on several occasions. Here was yet another thing taking up time when I would rather be writing.

Writers, particularly indie authors, are constantly urged to do the following: Set up a Facebook page and post daily, join twitter and tweet regularly, have a website where readers can find out about your books and you, have a blog and write interesting posts as often as possible………Oh yes, and if you can, try writing a novel or two a year.

I’ve managed to do all of those things over a period of time, not all of them well, as I also work part-time, have a family, oh, and did I mention the three dogs that need walking twice a day? I thought so!

I’ve tried many different methods to help keep on top of things; a schedule allocating portions of the day to the various media requiring my attention, having days when I only did one of the things on the list (regarding only social media of course, I still went to work, walked the dogs, and fed the family), and various other methods. Needless to say, however I tried to do all those things which I’m constantly reminded I should do, and keep to the latest schedule, it didn’t always work. Not only did I find I wasn’t capable of being creative, or entertaining, or quick witted on demand, even when I believed I had several hours during which I could achieve wonderful things, the doorbell would ring and a visitor would arrive, or a friend I hadn’t seen for twenty or more years would invite me out to lunch and my plan would be foiled again.

I’ve had days when I felt totally inadequate being unable to keep all the plates spinning, and as a result achieved nothing, so I have decided to stop forcing it. I will concentrate on whatever takes my fancy, or grabs my imagination, on any given day. The only rule I have is to do something, however small relating to my writing, and tick something off the list of ‘to do’ each day. I’ve paid scant attention to my Facebook author page, and that will now only have links to new posts on the website, but I will still be active on my personal page.

Today for instance I’m writing this, and when I’ve finished I’ll getting back to writing the final chapters of The Cuban Conundrum. It is true that with somethings less is more. I still get side tracked with Facebook, and silently curse whoever shared the video of the cute puppies making friends with a hippo or suchlike, but I do get something down in writing without the pressure of having to do so.

I’m waffling now, so I’ll leave you to it, if you did not originally subscribe to the website, and do not want updates, please feel free to unsubscribe – I will not be offended. If you do want to stick around, welcome!

I’m off to walk the dogs, and will be back soon………..I hope.

Most of us have started to read a book or watch a film, decided how it’s going to end, and been right. We may have not guessed the correct path to that ending, but the way the characters were presented told us instinctively what would happen. For the best part it’s like that with life. We know who we are, who our family are, and what makes us all tick. Therefore, give or take, we can predict fairly accurately what will or might happen to us.

For instance, I have two children and a bunch of nieces and nephews, I think it’s a fair guess to say that I will become a grandmother or great aunt before I pop my clogs – it’s simply a matter of patience. I’m fortunate to be part of a close family, and as a consequence, I know that if the chips were down in any way I could rely on my brother or sisters for support. Even though we don’t live in each other’s pockets, I know if I needed cheering up I could organise a family get together and we would eat, drink and be merry, probably dance, and almost definitely sing – badly.

In September 2014 my mum died. It was not unexpected as she’d been ill for some time, but it was still a shock. To lose the person who was always there, the one you knew inside out, and she you, comes as a shock however well you think you have prepared for the inevitable. When I wrote about losing mum, my blog was seen by over a thousand people, one commented what a lovely piece it was, and even though they hadn’t met her they felt they knew her. Having lost mum, we all focused our attention on dad, they’d been together for over fifty five years and he was as devastated as one would expect. I cannot describe how I felt, when one evening he asked me to sit down as he had something to tell me. My mind raced at the possibilities as he left the room for a moment, and when he came back he could barely hold back the tears as he announced he was going to tell me something he should have told me when mum died. I thought the worst, as he too has had a few health problems lately, and therefore I was surprised when he handed me the photograph of a beautiful, smiling, baby girl.

SHOCK

“Who’s this?” I asked, turning the photograph over and reading it was a two year old named Sharon. I have a sister called Sharon, but it wasn’t her.

“Your sister.” He replied simply.

Again I jumped to conclusions, and assumed that he had had an affair at some stage, and the shock at his next statement left me speechless.

“Your mum had a baby before I met her, and had to give her up for adoption. That’s her, I thought you should know.”

HORROR

My mum? Impossible! Mum was very prim and proper, prudish even, and would hold the newspaper in front of her face when anything saucy, (think Carry On movies) came on the TV. How could she have had a baby at that age?

Needless to say there were a thousand questions, only a few of which my dad could answer. The shock I had initially felt was quickly replaced with horror. How, had my mum, at the tender age of sixteen coped with childbirth, and then having to give up that baby? She had been sent away from home to have the child, and allowed to go back and visit her before her adoption was finalised. How on earth had she coped? Mum loved babies, and this one was hers, how did she manage to deal with that sort of heartache? How had my Grandmother handled the situation? Had people – family, neighbours, and friends, all known about it? Of course! It was not acceptable to fall pregnant outside of marriage in the fifties. It was shameful, embarrassing, and girls ended up labelled with horrible names, and were ‘used’ goods.

I wanted to cry for her. No wonder she had such a thing about protecting her privacy, impeccable behaviour in public, never causing a fuss, and avoiding giving the gossips something to talk about. She’d been at the wrong end of that when little more than a child herself. So many things about mum, and her odd ways and beliefs, made sense now, and I wished she’d told us about her first born. I wish she’d let us tell her and show her it was alright.

Then dad told me that my sister, the one I had never met, had contacted mum when she’d had her own child. They had met, but mum refused to tell us about her or let us meet her, as she thought we would be ashamed of her for giving up her baby. I believe she knew us well enough to know that wouldn’t be the case, and the truth was that she was ashamed of herself. I can’t imagine how hard that was for her, or how awful my sister must have felt.

Mum had been little more than a child, and would have been given no choice in the matter, but she was given a secret, and a shame, that she carried her whole life. The only slight relief I felt as I considered this, was that she had told my dad. He accepted that she had had a child, he loved her, he married her, and he gave her four babies she was allowed to keep, but not even he could convince her to tell us, and as it was her secret not his, he held his tongue and shared that secret burden. He shed tears of relief that that weight had been lifted, and was delighted when I confirmed I wanted to find this missing member of our family, and I knew the others would too.

AMAZEMENT

Once I’d left dad and stored mum’s sorrow away, an excitement took hold. It was amazing to know that I had an older sister! I was no longer the eldest child! We were five and not four! I spoke to my siblings and we were in total agreement that we had to find her! With no disrespect to our mum, there would be no more secrets, sod the gossips, members of our family were missing and had to be found.

It took us less than twenty-four hours to find our new, old, sister, Sharon, and I’m delighted to say that she was pleased to have been found. She lives in Spain, has one son, and is also a writer. We exchanged emails and messages, and arranged to meet when Sharon was next in the UK. Before the meeting we were speculative, nervous, and very emotional, but that disappeared in minutes once she had arrived. We talked, we ate, we drank, and we even had a little karaoke session. There were no awkward moments, a few revelations, but it seemed comfortable in a way that is only possible with your nearest and dearest. There are still many years to catch up on, and we’ve yet to meet our nephew, Sid, a handsome young man, who boosts my chances of a becoming a great aunt, but we’re getting there. My husband and I are going to Spain to visit Sharon in early September, and my dad and younger sister Sharon are going later that month.

Having two sisters called Sharon may cause a few confusions, and our newly found sister’s adopted parents had a son, so she already had a brother called Chris, who is living in Australia. Hopefully he will also want to become part of our ever expanding family. To clarify, in order of birth we now have, Sharon, Marcia, Christopher, Julie, Christopher, Sharon, and we’re all delighted to be confused.

The photos show us at our first meeting, my brother Chris, has asked that I describe him accurately as 6’2” with a full head of hair, I’ve yet to meet the Chris in Australia, perhaps he was speaking about him…..

This certainly demonstrates that one should always expect the unexpected, and all I can say is that I hope all future shocks are as fabulously amazing as this one!

Happy Easter one and all, I hope you are all enjoying the holiday, and that the sun has shone on you. My desk is in the conservatory at the moment, and it’s glorious in here.

I’m delighted to say the first review is in on One Secret Too Many, and it’s been given five stars by the very kind Susan Haughton in the US. Here’s what she had to say:

‘Just when you wonder how this series can get any better, it does. This is the most riveting Meredith and Hodges book yet and I could not put it down. With its many twists and turns, I was so caught up in what I believed to be the most obvious “secret” of the book, I simply did not see the explosive ending coming. Buckle up, this is a great ride and read.’

It’s impossible to explain how nervous an author is when a new release is out, particularly if that release is one of a series, and readers following that series have expectations – there is a lot of nail biting, and perhaps an extra glass of wine! So, it was a huge relief when I read Susan’s review as she has followed Meredith & Hodge since Misplaced Loyalty, the first in the series. Huge thanks for your kind review Susan, it does mean a lot to me.

Reviews mean a lot to all authors, so please take the time to review the books you read, even if it’s a brief statement like: “I loved this book”, or “Not really my cup of tea, but I liked the plot.” Not only does it provide feedback to the author, it also points other readers in the right direction.

The review is obviously one of the reasons I’m chirpy, the other is I have stuck to my promise to read more. I am currently at the closing chapters of Lost Boys by Mackenzie Brown, and I’ve been hooked since the first page where I found the story was told by an eleven year old girl – but more of that next time.

Before starting this I re-read A Kind of Loving by Stan Barstow. It wasn’t as much of a shock as when I was thirteen, and despite knowing what was coming, I still urged Vic Brown, the maincharacter to take a different course. I felt the same disappointment as I did all those years ago when he settled for a kind of loving, rather than find the love of his life, the special person, his soul mate who he knew was out there somewhere.

Set in Yorkshire in the late fifties it’s difficult to imagine, that despite the mess Vic finds himself in, life was so simple and clear cut. There were rules and you followed them, if you didn’t there was a code of conduct and you stuck to it – even if that means a hurried wedding with no fanfare. It’s difficult to explain why this tale is so compelling but it is, and if you haven’t read it give it a go, I’m sure you won’t be disappointed. I have already downloaded the second two in the Vic Brown trilogy, and whilst I’m itching to read them I have Lost Boys to finish and two others on my list first. You will note I am being very disciplined, and it’s paying dividends, as I’m also itching to get back to writing – but first I read!

I’m off to write a review, then feet up with a cup of tea and a hot cross bun, and back to Lost Boys.

Enjoy the rest of the holiday, I’ll leave you with a not so chirpy chick – made me smile!

And relax! One Step Too Many, the latest Meredith & Hodge novel is now available as an eBook – initial downloads look promising. Antony at Freshly Squeezed has produced a fab full cover for the paperback, and I await the physical proof, so with a fair wind that should also be available in a couple of weeks. Lots of Facebook & Twitter friends are sharing the news, so huge thanks for your kindness, and I must continue with my feeble attempts at promotion. You can buy it HERE by the way     But, promotion aside, here’s the question I’m faced with: What now?

Try as I might, I simply can’t concentrate on any of my writing projects – as you know I usually have at least two on the go, so, if one isn’t working I can get on with the other. It’s disjointed but it works for me. However, at the moment I’m lucky if I can get a sentence down without being distracted, and I have many distractions, Ted, Archie, Molly, (my pups), work, cooking, cleaning, Facebook, Twitter…the list is endless, but that’s always been the case, and it usually helps. I work far better leaving something half done, because it gives me time to re-think it, and when I go back to it it’s all there waiting to come out – whatever the latest distraction. I wrote most of Tin Soldiers with new puppy Molly on my lap. It’s not as though I’m stuck on the storyline, or how a character might react, I simply have an inability to bring it all together at the moment.

My solution? I’m going to read instead! I’m always in the middle of reading something, but where I used to get through several books a month, I’ve probably only read four books in the last six months, and I’m determined to change that. I have a Kindle full of books waiting for me, most by other indie authors who have caught my eye, some by my old and trusted favourites, and some by those who fall in between. I’ve already made a start by reading Diamonds & Dust: A Victorian Murder Mystery by Carol Hedges. What a good choice that was! I ‘met’ Carol on Twitter, she is witty, writes a great blog, and is forever doing battle with Harpenden Town Council.

Diamonds & Dust transports you back to dank, smelly, smoggy, Victorian London. Our heroine Josephine has already had a tough life, and when her uncle is brutally murdered she is devastated. Determined to get to the truth she becomes involved in the investigation. Wonderfully atmospheric, and written in the present tense, you join Josephine observing, and having to overcome, the cruel inequality of class and gender. Refreshingly, rather than deliver clichés, Diamonds & Dust provides us with unlikely bravery and steadfast resolve from some wonderful characters, my particular favourite was Oi. The story is littered with little snippets of humour, which creep in when you are least expecting them and add to the pleasure of an already entertaining story. I had no idea what to expect and was not disappointed, a five star read! I will certainly be adding Carol Hedges to my ‘must read more of’ list.

Go and take a peep – you can find Diamonds & Dust here:http://bookgoodies.com/a/B00H0C9JG2

Together with another of Carol’s novels, I’m also going to re-read some of my classic favourites, starting with A Kind of Loving by Stan Barstow. This was the first ‘grown-up’ book I can remember reading, probably when I was about thirteen – a kind sixth former borrowed it from the school library for me. Not that Agatha Christie, wasn’t grown-up of course, but Poirot and Marple didn’t get into messy relationships, those leading a working class life were generally only mentioned fleetingly, and they all had a satisfactory or happy ending. I’m keen to see if my memory serves me well. Following that, the other novel I’ve chosen is Lost Boys by Mackenzie Brown, another author I ‘met’ via Twitter. I chose this because the description of the story was short, sharp and intriguing – once more I have no idea what to expect, but will let you know in the fullness of time.

That’s it for now – I’m off to roast a leg of lamb, and then settle down with another good book, and as always will leave you with a picture of the Three Pupperteers, as taken by daughter Ellie, and tweaked with a magic app!

Happy reading,

With One Secret Too Many away at the editors, I’ve set my mind to the next challenge. I mentioned in a blog a little while back, that I had resurrected a story I began writing many moons ago when the children were young. I felt it had promise, and all I had to do was bring it up to date (no mobile phones then, and one character wasted valuable time looking for a phone box!), and  more crucially, I had to work out what happened in the end.

On my second read through, I found that the main character reminded me a lot of Ben Jacobs, Meredith’s singer friend, so, in an about turn I’m now rewriting it as a Meredith & Hodge novel. This gives me an added issue as it means I must decide Meredith’s course of action after the ending of One Secret Too Many, and I’m dithering! If I can’t make up my mind, how on earth is Meredith supposed to cope? As you can imagine this makes moving the story on hard work, but it is moving on.

The working title is Ben Jacobs, and here’s a little of what it’s about:

Ben Jacobs finds himself charged with Murder – did he do it? The CCTV evidence suggests that he did. Meredith isn’t assigned to the case, and wants to help prove his friend is innocent, but his attempts are thwarted at the outset when Ben absconds from custody, and goes on the run. Meredith & Hodge are drawn in to helping not only prove his innocence, but solving the crime he is accused of.

Most of the old faces will be there, and a few new characters, who I am working on at the moment, and here’s where I would like some suggestions. I find that writing about characters created by other people’s imagination helps me question my original outline. It brings a new focus into play. How will that person interact with other characters, how do they effect decisions made by others,  will events turn out differently to how I imagined. I find that as in life, just when you think you know how the day will pan out, someone throws a spanner in the works, or turns up unexpectedly, and plans need to be changed, tweaked, or even abandoned as a result. It makes life a little more interesting, even though it may cause frustration.

Louie Trump was suggested by my friend Jane. We were away on a weekend Spa break and I was explaining I needed to introduce a character to shake up Meredith’s team. She came up with the name, the fact that he would be intelligent, well spoken, not pushy, and a thoroughly nice chap. He had to be an all-round good guy to compliment Meredith’s moodiness. In One Secret Too Many, there is a character called Stephen Hatton, he was suggested by my Twitter friend, https://twitter.com/RiojaPlease. Stephen, as that’s his name, and Hatton, as at the time he was wearing a fetching hat in his picture. He had previously educated me on the properties of Kevlar, which I’d never heard of, and I promised to use it in a novel, which I did. When I told him about this he also gave me the character. He was happy for Stephen Hatton to be on the wrong side of the law, but didn’t want him to be too bad. I hope he likes him when he gets to meet him!

With the latest project, I am working on two characters, one good, one bad, if you fancy giving me some ideas, here is the basis of characters I need:

Bad Guy: Night Club Owner, DVD manufacturer, into shady dealings…in what? I need a name where the initials would make a good club name. He’s middle aged, andfinanced by his father-in-law. What does he look like? Is he Bristolian? Is he ‘rough and ready’ or a charmer?

Possible Love Interest: When he first escapes, Ben Jacobs, almost literally crashes into a young woman. What’s her name? She is in a troubled marriage, and he asks for her help. She agrees as she needs something to spice up her life. Does she have children, if so how many? She has money, but was this always the case? How does she know Patsy? Should she give into Ben’s charm, and is Ben genuinely interested in her, or just using her? Will she have a skill or knowledge that will help them?

Would you like to create one of these characters? If so, either message or email me with your thoughts on the character you would like to see in print, and I’ll get to work.

Off to walk the dogs and ponder Meredith’s decision. Looking forward to meeting YOUR characters.

Back soon,

It’s seven- thirty on Christmas Eve morning, and rather than snow here in Bristol, we have drizzle. I’m not sure that Bing Crosby would have had many dreams about that, but once the fairy lights have been switched on everything will look almost as it should. Then, in the blink of an eye it will all be over, hopefully pleasant memories will have been created, and we will look forward to, and wonder what the New Year will bring.

2014 was a year of change for my family, mostly good changes, but others devastating, like the loss of my mother. We still have to get through our first Christmas without her, and that will be tough. But, we will continue to support each other, and as the saying goes, we will roll with the punches, and get through it, hopefully smiling as we remember Mum at Christmas in previous years.

The way we enter the New Year will be different too, no Mum having secret tipples in the corner, my daughter, Ellie, will be applying sunscreen in South Africa, and my son’s partner, Lori, will be making her way back down from Mount Everest base camp. It’s all strange and all change, and I have to say that I for one am hoping for a very settled and calm 2015. I will be content not to have any highs just so long as I avoid any lows.

Both Ellie and Lori have promised to keep a journal, and take lots of photographs. I will share some of that with you over the coming weeks. Some of the photographs we’ve received so far have been quite spectacular, so rather than the usual festive visuals I’ve used some of them here.

It’s now ten in the morning, and I’m pleased to say that after a break to feed and walk the dogs, and have a little breakfast, the skies have cleared and the sun is out. It’s very fresh out there, but so much nicer than drizzle. Hopefully it will stay that way, unless of course Bing’s dreams come true and we can have snow!

I am having a sale of all my novels from Christmas Day through to 28th December, all will be only 99c or 99p, so I’m off to do some promotion for that – if there are any you haven’t read you may wish to grab a bargain (or of course tell someone about it).

Before I go, I would like to thank you for all your support and best wishes throughout the year, all gratefully received and very much appreciated. I wish you a wonderfully Merry Christmas, and a peaceful and rewarding New Year.

Hello again,

I hope your Christmas preparations are well underway, that the tree is up, and that you have – or are about to – deck your halls! I’m all done on that front, with the kids away this year, last weekend we had our (fake) Christmas Eve friends and family get together, and our family Christmas Day, and although it was odd for me to go to work on what would be Boxing Day, it definitely feels like Christmas has been and gone – so all this frantic activity around me, with people buying gifts, making arrangements, and bracing themselves for the festivities to come is definitely throwing me out of kilter. I feel as though I’m in limbo waiting for something to happen and I’ve not been fully informed as to what, and yes, we still have parties to go to, and what I know will be a lovely Christmas Day with my sister, but it still feels like the rest of you have gone mad and there should be a limit to how long Christmas lasts!

My daughter is now on a farm in Durban, South Africa for three months visiting her boyfriend’s family. She arrived in darkness, and this is the view that greeted her the next morning. Lucky girl!  I’m hoping she’s going to send a few blog posts with photographs. My fingers are crossed.

The other thing that has caught me out when I least expected it, and has me wondering how to move forward, is my writing. Having readied myself to write the closing chapter(s) of the latest Meredith & Hodge novel, One Secret Too Many, I find myself stuck. Not because I don’t know what to write, but because I’m not sure I’ve chosen the correct ending.

Readers familiar with my work will know that I rarely know “who did it” myself until I’m well into the story. Of course I always know what and why things happened, even if it’s a little hazy, (I should confess that occasionally I surprise myself with a turn of events), but I always have at least three possible endings when I start writing. One reason for this is that it helps me ensure that enough clues and detail are included for the reader to believe they’ve worked out the ending, and another because the story sometimes takes a different course as it develops, and having lined up various possibilities it cuts down the need to rewrite whole sections.

This morning I sat at my desk, fingers poised on the keyboard, believing I knew what I was going to write, but with only three words typed I ground to a halt and questioned the route I had decided the characters would take. That’s never happened before, but I was about to wipe out a regular character in the Meredith & Hodge series. Was that a step to far? Was it believable? What effect would the removal of this character have on future storylines? The impact would be major – could Meredith & Hodge cope? These and many more questions have been spinning around in my mind for a few days, and this morning I thought I was brave enough to go with my decision, but I find I’m not. Does that mean I’ve made the wrong decision, or only that I’m a little scared? Add this to the fact that I hadn’t made the final decision as to which character will fall victim to the story, I have a choice of two, I had to stop writing, before things went too far. I’ve downloaded what I have so far to my kindle, and will not make the final decision until I have re-read what I have, and hopefully all will become clear… Yes, my fingers are crossed.

I’ll come back in a few days with an update, and hopefully celebrating the fact that I’ve gone with my original plan. I can’t tell you which of the characters may be despatched, but if you are a regular Meredith & Hodge reader who would you least like to see disappear from the usual cast of characters? Perhaps some outside influence will help me reach my decision.

Enjoy your (belated) Christmas preparations. I’ll leave you with my daughters favourite photo on our fake Christmas Day. She’s the one with a living pillow.

It’s been a month since my last visit here, (that sounds like I’m about to make my confession – you’ll be pleased to hear I’m not), and life in the Turner household continues to be erratic. There is so much going on with the new house, visitors, writing taking me off at an unplanned tangent, and some delightful surprises, and it doesn’t look as though it’s going to settle any time soon. I suppose life would be boring if it were too settled, however it would be nice to have at least one day a week that went according to plan.

The first disappointment for us was being let down by our builders, and the conservatory not being completed as promised. I wasted many hours waiting for someone to turn up, or to call, only to be disappointed, and immensely irritated by the delay. They got here in the end, and whilst there are still some bits to finish, it’s a delight to sit and eat dinner overlooking the back garden and the trees beyond, albeit a little chilly as the final touches (sealing) are pending!

The second disappointment for me was the cancellation of a visit from my friend, Jane. She is still in corporate life and had a meeting that couldn’t be cancelled. Maybe that was a good thing, as without the building works completed, having another body and another puppy, Bruno, in the house things would have been even more chaotic. Bruno is Molly’s brother and he is just as lively. Hopefully we will get together before Christmas. I certainly hope so. That same week I found that my editor Steph wouldn’t be available until mid-January, so the latest in the Meredith & Hodge series, One Secret Too Many, will be delayed and wont’ be released until the New Year – my fault for not booking a slot earlier, but a disappointment none the less.

Then there were the surprises. As One Secret Too Many, nears an end, on a whim I emailed my original cover designer, Antony, he’d taken a break due to ill health, and I was delighted to find that he was back at work, and has produced one option for the new cover already. Watch this space – I may need help in choosing the right cover. This discovery took the sting out of all the disappointments, and I smiled all day!

Those of you that have followed my writing progress for some time will remember I started writing a ‘Cozy’ mystery, The Cuban Conundrum, back last summer. It had been shelved due to the arrival of Molly, Tin Soldiers, and eventually Lucy. Well its back! Now I know how it ends, I found I was rushing the end of the One Secret Too Many, a break was needed, and I decided to read instead. As Archie, (I have no proof but I know it was him) had eaten my kindle, my lovely husband bought me a new one, a Paperwhite, and when I was transferring my collection across I stumbled on The Cuban Conundrum so far. I decided to read it, and I liked it! I had forgotten some of the scenes, and some of the passages made me smile, I was delighted to find it was a keeper – so I’m working on that too. That was a nice surprise, if only there were more hours in the day. I must remember to tell Steph she has two coming her way – poor woman!

Finally, we were invited to a dinner party as surprise guests. It was an Oscars themed party, (much like a murder mystery party), we have to get glammed up, bring a prop from our allotted film, andwrite an acceptance speech for an unknown award which could be for anything. A lovely surprise and a change from the norm, and despite it all being a bit of fun, I was unnecessarily nervous about the speech element – it’s surprising how a glass or two or red helps, I usually hate public speaking, even with people I know. So on Saturday I walked the dogs, wrote my acceptance speech, cursed the builders who didn’t turn up again,  did a few loads of washing, ignored the other housework, wrote this blog, updated the WIP page of my website, and finally got down to some serious writing. My only problem was which work in progress to work on, The Cuban Conundrum or One Secret Too Many…. in the end I did a bit of both!

In the fullness of time, probably a couple of weeks, I will be looking for volunteers to be beta readers for both novels, if you have the time, and would be interested please leave me a message and I’ll be in touch.

Hope you had a wonderful weekend.

Following on from the writers workshop homework I wrote about in a previous blog, Moving On, I thought I’d share Ray and the Dog, with you. The only brief we were given was the opening sentence. I hope you enjoy it.

Ray and the Dog

Ray Goldman was at the top of the hill when the dog launched itself. A big, black, wolf-like animal attached to a chain, it came flying off a back porch towards him. He turned toward the snarling animal. It was huge. Ray froze, his brain seemingly unable to communicate with his limbs. Like some horrific nightmare the world around him moved in slow motion. Ray guessed that the dog was some five hundred yards away; he watched as its front paws hit the soft grass and propelled the muscular shoulders above them forward, leaving the paws tucked under its body for the rear legs to straddle effortlessly, providing yet more momentum towards him. The dog’s mouth was open, its tongue flapping out to one side. Ray could see the saliva drops spinning away from it, perfect little spheres carried backward beyond the dog, as though some unseen force was sucking them away.

Finally, Ray’s hands moved, but only to grab hold of the edges of the floral robe that covered his otherwise naked body. The silk was smooth to the touch, and it reminded him of the other predicament he faced. Keeping pace with the world around him, his legs slowly buckled, and he fell to his knees as he awaited the impact. His head bent forward, his eyes screwed shut, and his hands still clasping the robe to his chest, it looked as though he were praying. He was. His heart beat faster, and he gulped in air as the pounding of the paws drew closer. He could now hear the dogs throaty growl clearly. Screwing his eyes shut tighter still, Ray held his breath as he wondered if he would survive the attack and have to explain his attire, and indeed why he was in the field at the top of this hill. He sighed as he awaited his fate.

Nothing happened.

Slowly Ray opened one eye and squinted at the grass that was still wet with early morning dew. Raising his head he looked in front of him. No dog. All at once life returned to his previously paralysed limbs, and he jumped to his feet and looked around.

‘Where’s the dog? Please God let this be a dream.’

Ray realised that on top of everything else, he was now talking to himself.

A movement in the small copse behind him caught his eye. There was the dog, and there was a squirrel, which having reached the safety of the copse flew up a tree with quite amazing speed. The dog lunged at the trunk of the tree and began pawing it, barking up at the squirrel, now safe in the upper branches. The dog had no interest in Ray, no interest at all. Ray let out a loud, relieved laugh, and looked at his hands which were still shaking as the adrenalin slowed its race around Ray’s body. He might pull this off yet. Ray turned back toward his destination; he would make it in a few minutes if he got a move on.

‘Is that you Ray?’ asked the familiar voice of his neighbour. ‘Are you alright old chap? Quite nippy this morning isn’t it.’

Ray heard the amusement in his voice. Sighing, Ray looked down and adjusted the floral silk gown.

‘Just dandy thank you George,’ he croaked, avoiding eye contact, ‘can’t stop, must dash. I’ll catch you later.’

*****

I’ve never got to the bottom of what Ray had been up to, or whether he ever provided George with an explanation. I may go back and work on that at some stage. Do you think I should?

Take care, have fun, I’ll be back soon.

A few days ago, I shared with you the closure of one of the most important chapters in one’s life – the loss of your Mother. Thanks to everyone for their kind words, Facebook informs me over one thousand people saw the post, I’m not sure what Mum would have thought about that!

Today on a happier note I thought I should tell you that I’m back at my desk, I’m writing, and I’m doing it in a new home. Now that there’s only me, my husband Geoff, and of course the three dogs, we’ve moved from our large family home into a smaller version, and I love it. The postcode might not be so upmarket, but we have 650 acres of woodland to the front, and I’m told (by an estate agent), one of the oldest woods in England next to a riding stable at the rear. Perfect. This house has never been the family home, and although the kids will always have a home here, that chapter is closed.

A new chapter is beginning for us, surrounded by trees. My children have never lived here, although one or other of them seem to be here daily. They have never left for school from here, bought their first boyfriend/girlfriends here, nor have they had parties here while Geoff and I were away. I won’t experience that pang of regret and worry as they leave to start their own lives, tempered of course with a little sigh of relief that the bathroom will always be clean and tidy, the doors locked, and the food that I put in the fridge is still there when I need it.

So, here I sit, writing. I haven’t done that for over a month. Much like having babies, it’s much easier when the trio of puppies are asleep – the photo to the right is the view I have from my cubby hole at the moment. I suppose I should say study or office to make it sound more industrious and important, but it’s not, it’s simply a six foot square of space off the hall of our new home.

I’ve not quite finished unpacking yet, but I already love it in here, In the afternoon the sun streams through the window and the dogs can spill over into the hall whilst I write. We are having the little lean to conservatory at the back of the house replaced with a more substantial version, this with the intention of it being my writing room, but at the moment I think I’ll stay put, and we’ll use the conservatory as a dining room.

I have opened the latest Meredith & Hodge and reminded myself of what was happening; I know where it’s going, and how it will end. My task for next week is to sit down and start writing those closing chapters.

The Recruitment of Lucy James has been formatted for print, and I’ve only had time to glance at that due to the general upset and chaos of the past few weeks, but I did spot an error in the layout, so that’s been sent back out for amendment. This has delayed the draw for three print copies to the subscribers to my newsletter, and I apologise for the delay, we will get there. Finally I’ve started on a new story, the idea came from nowhere, and although I usually know the ending before I start writing, I have no idea where that will end up. It’s something different to keep me occupied when Meredith & Hodge are playing up!

I’ll sign off now, I still have boxes to unpack, and of course stories to write. I’ll leave you with what will be the view from the dinner table in our new home.

See you soon,

This is my first blog in over a month, and during that time much has changed in my life, different chapters have been closed, it’s been difficult to think straight let alone write. In a period of two weeks my mother was taken into hospital, where she passed away, and we exchanged and completed on the sale of our house, and now have a new home. To say it has been an emotional time would be an understatement, so, if I may, I’d like to share the closure of one of those chapters.

This is my mum, Sandra Glenys Hawkes, photographed at the same age as I am now, and looking stunning. She died on the 6th September, a month and a day short of her seventy second birthday, and barely a week after her fifty-fourth wedding anniversary. She’d been ill for several years, and on three separate occasions over the last four years we’d been taken into a quiet room by the doctors, and told to prepare ourselves for the worst. The worst didn’t happen on those occasions, she managed to find the strength to stay with us, and confound the doctors. This time even her fear of being in hospital wasn’t enough, and she passed away in the early hours of the morning with my brother by her side. Whilst we knew it was coming, it didn’t soften the blow.

Mum’s funeral took place less than a week later on the 12th September, and as it says on the front of this order of service, it was a celebration of her life, with memories shared, and more than a few laughs amongst the many tears shed. Everyone says it was a lovely service, and to our family it was. Warts and all, in what seemed like a few short moments, we shared and celebrated all that she’d been to us, and said goodbye.

Mum, was truly a unique person in all senses of the word. She was a petite lady, standing five feet two, she weighed no more than ninety eight pounds her whole life, except when pregnant – producing four children in five years, and all by the age of twenty three! I cannot imagine what it must have been like coping with the four of us, but she did, and she did it well. We were taught proper manners, to be respectful, not to cause a fuss unnecessarily (particularly in public), and as I’ve mentioned in a previous post, not to say anything if we had nothing nice to say. She even found time to teach me to read before I started school.  The photograph shows a new bride, a proud husband, and newly born me, Mum was nineteen and Dad twenty-three.

Like all of us, she wasn’t perfect. She had more superstitions than I can remember, and she liked to hear the local gossip, despite being a fiercely private person who didn’t like her business to be discussed outside of the house. She was frightened by many things: spiders, a gypsy’s curse, thunder, hospitals, the list was endless. She liked to hear of good things being celebrated, but would ignore bad things, refusing to acknowledge them sometimes, as though that would lessen the impact. During that last week in hospital, she was told how poorly she was, yet still she talked about coming home, and she didn’t want her sisters told she was in hospital as they would make a fuss and cry. In fact she instructed us not to tell anyone she was in hospital, or the local gossip would get hold of it, and then everyone would know. Why was this so important to her? What difference would that make? I have no idea, but it was mum being mum, and we respected her wishes.

Like many teenagers I didn’t always see eye to eye with my mother. There were more than a few arguments over nothing particularly important, (I was too worried about her reaction to break any important rules), but I argued against many of her odd convictions, with a teenager’s logic and not much patience. I redeemed myself in later years though, by producing her first grandchild; she had six grandchildren in the end, and adored every one of them, so proud of even the most minor achievement. When they teased her about her superstitions and views on the world, she would laugh with them, unless of course they tried to put an umbrella up indoors, or place new shoes on her table!

As you can imagine there have been many conversations about mum over the last few weeks, and with only a few exceptions they have ended in laughter, she always made us laugh, even though sometimes that wasn’t her intention, and when she realised we were laughing at her she would join in. My brother, Chris’s words in the family announcement were perfect: “You gave me good looks, a fear of spiders, and a sense of humour. But most of all you gave me love. I will miss you so much.”

Sandra Glenys Hawkes, never did anything earth shattering or out of the ordinary, she was simply always there, sitting at the table doing her crosswords, and leading a quiet life. But, she was loved, she is missed, and as her chapter is closed, she is remembered with smiles.

I don’t think you can do much better than that.

It’s nearly time to move. Almost everything has been boxed up, recycled in another home, or given to the charity shop. A box of cleaning materials has been set to one side, and a note is on the fridge to remind me to keep hold of the vacuum cleaner. I’ll need to give the house a final clean for the new owners. We are just about ready to move on.

During the clearing out process I found a file containing my homework for the writer’s workshop I attended over three years ago. Each week, the lovely Carolyn Lewis would set us a homework that was supposed to be restricted to four hundred words or thereabouts. I always struggled with that. We would either be given the opening sentence, the final line, or simply a heading.

One week the heading was ‘Moving On’. At the time the story was taken from my imagination with no personal feelings attached, although I hold my hands up to blocking the basin with cigarette ends as a teenager! Now though, I know how Nicola, the lady moving on in my story, felt. As I’ve cleared each room, a memory or two has surfaced, causing me to smile or feel a little sad. So, now I have a connection with my homework, I thought it appropriate to share it with you. I hope you enjoy this short story.

Moving On – Writers Workshop Homework

Nicola was glad that the removal men had finally gone, she felt most peculiar, something odd had happened to her, and she needed to be alone. She rested her forehead against the glass panel of the front door wondering if she was having some sort of breakdown. Her thoughts darted from one event to the other. When had it started? She had been fine as the removal men had grunted and exchanged banter with each other as they removed the furniture. It had happened in the bathroom first.

Nicola coughed to interrupt her thoughts, perhaps she really was having a breakdown, after all she had just been about to consider the possibility of time travel. She turned and ran up the stairs, pausing for just a moment, before pushing open the bathroom door.

The bathroom looked as it should. The white suite, and the mirror above the basin, shone with the efforts of her cleaning frenzy. Stepping forward she looked in the mirror. There! It happened again.

It was nineteen-seventy-four, and the face that looked back at her was fourteen years of age. Reflected behind her, she saw the horrible orange plastic flower transfers that her mother had attached to the white tiles to cheer them up. She’d never liked them. The room smelt of pine disinfectant and bleach. Hearing a grunt, she looked down to find her father lying awkwardly at her feet. He smiled triumphantly having managed to unscrew the waste trap to find out was blocking the sink. The tips of her discarded and illicit cigarettes were revealed. The telling off she knew would come followed, and ended with the hug she could barely wait for. He only wanted the best for her, Nicola could still feel the guilt, and appreciated the relief given by the hug.

Flustered, Nicola rushed out and into the back bedroom.

Time had moved on to nineteen-eighty-one, and she was in labour with her first child. Her mother took her by the elbow, and sat her on a hastily placed towel on the edge of the bed. She was urging Nicola to stay calm, and breathe in through her nose and out of her mouth. Nicola smiled as her mother asked her to remain on the old towels if she could. Having a baby was a messy business, and that mattress was only a year old. A few minutes later Nicola grinned as her mother cuddled her new granddaughter and told her how proud she was. She had wrapped the infant in one of the best towels. Needing more, Nicola galloped down to the kitchen.

Her brother’s sixth birthday party was underway. The wildlife calendar on the wall reminded her it was nineteen-sixty-eight. The chipped Formica table was laden with jelly, iced cakes, and John’s favourite meat paste sandwiches. The candles burned brightly on the cake, and the other kids were calling for him to blow them out. He reached out his hand to Nicola, asking for her help, concerned he might not get them all. Taking his hand, she took a deep breath and leaned forward to join him. She didn’t blow though, it was his day, and his candles. His breath whistled through the gap where his front teeth should have been, and he grinned as the flames disappeared.

Walking around the table, Nicola pushed open the door into the garden, stepped out, and looked at the neat boarders. As her eyes moved around the garden both time and season changed. At first she found herself in early spring nineteen-seventy-two, burying the rabbit under the tree. She listened to her father complaining that the frosty ground was too hard to dig as the rest of the family looked on tearfully. As she turned, the heat of the summer of ’seventy-six caused perspiration to gather on her bow. She lay down on a picnic blanket with her best friend, and they argued playfully over who was going to get the best tan.

Nicola walked back through the house, locking doors, and closing windows, she saw her father being carried out through the hall on a stretcher, it was the autumn of nineteen-eighty-four. He never came home, and as she entered the living room, she found the curtains drawn closed against the howling wind, the fairly lights twinkling on the tree. It was almost Christmas nineteen-ninety-eight. Her daughter stood in front of the television, nervously introducing her new boyfriend. Her father had smiled and nodded a greeting, before telling him to move out of the way, as he was blocking the television, and it was a cup match. They were married now.

Picking up the carrier bag full of cleaning materials, Nicola looked around one last time, pausing to wave to her husband, who was sitting on the stairs trying to untangle the laces of his rugby boots. Stepping across the threshold, she closed the front door for the last time. Brushing away her tears, she realised she was not having a breakdown, simply making sure she had also packed her memories.

* If you live in Bristol UK, and would like to attend a writers workshop I know Carolyn is still running various courses, please let me know if you’re interested and I’ll let you have her contact details. I can thoroughly recommend it!

As children, my mother taught us that if you had nothing nice to say you shouldn’t say anything, and to a degree I agree with her. What point is there in hurting or upsetting someone? Even if the person is not there to listen to your opinion, what good does that negativity do you? Surely it’s much better to pull back your shoulders, hush your thoughts, button your lip, and get on with something more constructive?

Ah yes, constructive criticism. Is that a different kettle of fish? Does that make your opinion, which is less than flattering, reasonable? Can it fall outside the scope of ‘if you have nothing nice to say?’ I think it does for the best part. Think of Simon Cowell giving feedback to that poor soul on stage, quivering in fear before Cowell has even opened his mouth. Should Simon Cowell mislead that person simply to be kind? I believe he should on occasion, or perhaps he could be a little gentler in the delivery of the message. But, and there is usually a but, he’s judging a competition, usually amateurs who need guidance, and those that knew exactly what he’s like, and what they were possibly letting themselves in for. So are they fair game? Is he always right? Of course not, who is? But sometimes things are simply a matter of one’s personal taste. I doubt Simon Cowell likes all genres of music, or the different styles in which it’s delivered, but he rarely passes negative comment on those that have already achieved a level of success. How would that help anyone? Which brings us neatly to the point of this post – reviews and critiques.

As an indie author, I check the reviews posted on my novels regularly. I still find it amazing that someone has taken the time to read them, let alone post a review, and it is with one eye shut and braced for the smack in the face, that I read the lower starred reviews. Sometimes, (in my opinion), the reader simply didn’t ‘get it’. Others read it hoping for a different type of story, and I accept that. I’ve read many books with fabulous reviews that I simply didn’t enjoy, perhaps because it wasn’t not detailed enough, or there’s too much detail, or the characters didn’t seem real, but to others that novel was almost the best thing since sliced bread, and I accept that too.

It’s the same with most things in life – food, fashion, films, contestants on talent shows – the list is endless. Sometimes I read the ‘bad’ review and it hits me between the eyes. It’s not so much a bad review as an honest one. The reviewer isn’t trying to be clever, or spiteful, they simply didn’t enjoy the story as much as they should have, and they are telling me and any potential readers why, and I take heed. I have tied to amend, or reduce, some of the things they say they didn’t like, but not so much as to change how I write, because for every poor review there are a bunch of great reviews. So, should they have kept quiet because they didn’t have anything nice to say? Of course not, that’s what reviews are all about. I know I have been lucky as none of the ‘poor’ reviews I have received have been spiteful, but that’s not always the case for other writers. It was reading an exchange between three fellow indie writers about the Fifty Shades trilogy that prompted me to write this post. We’ll call them Jane, Joanne, and Jenny. (I’m keen not to attract their attention), and it went something like this:

Jane: Writes several paragraphs explaining why she didn’t enjoy reading ANY of the three books, most of it was constructive. (I don’t understand why she went on to buy the second two, but I read on.)

Jenny: I agree, I simply don’t understand how James has had so much success. The books are badly written, the subject matter dull, and the characters shallow. Did you read the part in book three where… (She too bought three of these terrible books? Why?)

Joanne: I know, but people are lemmings, they simply follow each other into oblivion. I bet James is sitting in her ivory tower, surrounded by her millions, laughing at those poor saps. It just goes to show that you don’t need talent to make a fortune. Meanwhile, there are good writers out there struggling to get read, and it doesn’t seem fair. I haven’t read any of them on principle; I didn’t feel I should add to her coffers. (Really?!? You feel able to comment on something you haven’t read?)

Jenny: Lucky you, I’m trying to erase it from my mind. Do you know that she even copped out describing the female protagonist by having her examine herself in front of the mirror? No imagination went into introducing the girl’s appearance at all.

Jane: I know, I was surprised at that. But then the whole thing lacks effort. She has churned out fodder for the masses. I used the mirror thing in one of my earlier books; I really should go back and change it. It will be interesting to see what she comes up with next. (Again – really? You are going to buy another one – what about adding to her coffers – think on!)

At this point I stopped reading the exchange, and went to Amazon to check them out. I found they were indie authors, with a sprinkling of reviews, some good, some bad, just like the rest of us. I even did the ‘look inside’ thing on two of them. What I found wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t mind blowing either. I wondered why they would take the time and effort to bad mouth another author’s work, particularly Joanne who hadn’t even read the books, and thought that their efforts could be best used elsewhere. I came to the conclusion that they were the afore mentioned lemmings. They had a choice of which way to run, and they chose to follow those who wanted to be negative. Having reached this conclusion I decided that my mum was right, sometimes if you have nothing nice to say, you really should keep quiet, particularly if you have no grounds on which to be nasty. I then wondered if E L James had been a singer, would Cowell be quite so harsh because he’d not mentored her, I doubted that he would, after all, would that not be sour grapes? E L James started her career as an indie author, and even if you don’t like her work, you can’t begrudge her her success surely? That would be like begrudging your neighbour a lottery win, even if they were the person in the queue in front of you when you went to buy your ticket.

That’s better! I’m glad I got that off my chest. To those of you who are wondering, yes, I did read all three. I liked Ana and her vulnerability, and I wanted to know why Christian was as he was. I got bored with the repetitive sex scenes, and wished the ending wasn’t so perfect. I like people to have happy endings, (most of them involve Richard Gere – think Pretty Woman and An Officer and Gentleman), but not so much as they are perfect, because life rarely is, but then again, this isn’t life we’re talking about, it’s fiction.

So, at the end of all that, I would leave you with this advice: Unless you are being constructive from a sound knowledge base, if you have nothing nice to say, it’s best to say nothing. Unless of course you are judging a talent competition, in which case temper your critique, as being nasty isn’t necessary. Oh yes, and if you’ve read a book you didn’t enjoy, it might be fair to give the author another chance, but after hating three of them, it’s probably best you give up, but if you enjoyed it, take the time to say so, it will make you feel so much better than being negative.

Do you agree, or am I being soft?

Happy reading,

Welcome to my website, and this, my first blog post. As I write the sky is grey and heavy, everything outside is saturated, the rain has stopped for a moment. Molly, my beautiful Bichon Frise, is asleep at my feet, and I know when she wakes up I will have to take her for a walk, irrespective of whether or not the rain returns. What should I do in the meantime? How should I fill this quiet moment? I have a long to do list. I should be writing, or editing, or reading, or cleaning (!), … and I should be making plans for our new home! There it goes – once again my heart skips a beat.

Being a fairly pragmatic person (for the best part), I find it surprising that I have always been nervous of change. I like what I know, I like what I have, but then I always have. In the fifty plus years I’ve been on this earth, my life like most others has seen nothing but change. A new school, a first date, walking through the door of my new job, getting married, having children, being promoted, being made redundant, and gulp … publishing my first novel. With the exception of only a few years, something which affects my everyday life will change on a fairly regular basis. Everything changes, it must. Yet, when change knocks at my door, even change for the better, change which I welcome, I still feel nervous.

So, here I am, spring has been and gone, summer is trying to settle in, and a large board outside my house announces it’s sold! On top of that, I am also supposed to be working on a website – I know I should have one, I should also write a regular blog – but will I get it right? The nerves are back.Deep breath … and move forward. And do you know what? When I look back on all the changes in my life, most of them have been for the best.

Sometimes that ‘best’ is not immediately, but discovered in the fullness of time, I admit I simply couldn’t see it at the time, and I know I should embrace it. Change is coming whether I want it or not, so I may as well throw open my arms and pull it close. Help point it in the direction I’d prefer, mould it into the life I want to live, and take it as a challenge, not the huge obstacle I tend to imagine was coming my way.

If you are reading this, it means the website is up and running and this is my first blog post. It may now be that summer is on its way out, and I may be living in this house or a new one. But without a shadow of a doubt, change has happened, and I survived it again. I’m still sitting here communicating with people. Some of those people are my nearest and dearest, others are cyber friends from Facebook and Twitter, and some will be readers who have taken the time and effort to contact me. Whoever you are, and however you happen to be reading this, I hope you too embrace the changes that face you, even if it is only to lessen the impact you think they may have, or indeed have had. A lovely lady once told me that I should do something that frightens me every now and again. Firstly, because I should challenge my fears, and secondly, because the exhilaration once done, would remind me I’m still alive and capable of things I never thought possible. I took her advice in the past and published Misplaced Loyalty, and here I am a couple of years later with a website. Who’d have thought? Not I.

I am now going to embrace this house move, and build a new home somewhere or other, then settle back down to get on with life, probably with my fingers crossed that the next change is still some way off.