Hello readers
I thought I’d give you a couple of spooky pieces today for Halloween – a little bit of flash fiction and a poem. Hope you enjoy them. The flash fiction is a very old piece, in fact probably one of the first pieces of flash fiction I wrote. See what you think. The poem Witches’ Exhibition is one of my favourites and was published in Magic (Gloucester Poetry Festival Anthology 2019)
House of Grace family saga trilogy has been on a Kindle Countdown deal this week – The deal ends at midnight (GMT tonight). If you haven’t already downloaded at this bargain price (A trilogy for £2.97) then you need to hurry because the price is going back UP MIDNIGHT TONIGHT.
‘She was born into nobility. But with times changing, will she be allowed to marry beneath her station? If you like strong-minded women, social conflict, and stories vividly told across fascinating eras, then you’ll adore this 1950s/60s family saga.’
Download House of Grace HERE for 99p/99c
‘After tragedy hits the small coal mining village of Wintermore, nine-year-old miner’s son, George, is sent to Granville Hall to live with his titled grandparents.
What could go wrong?’
Download The Coal Miner’s Son HERE for 99p/99c
The Granville Legacy is the final book in House of Grace trilogy
‘Assuming his title as Lord Granville is no easy task for coal miner’s son, George Gilmore.
Can George step into his grandfather’s shoes?‘
Download The Granville Legacy HERE for 99p/99c
Or
Download the trilogy HERE with one click for £2.97/US equivalent
Paperbacks available via Amazon or any good bookstore or library.
Signed paperbacks at discounted prices plus postage and packaging available to UK readers from my online bookstore HERE.
It gives me great pleasure to welcome back the lovely author, Val Penny, to Patricia’s Pen. Val is not only a terrific crime fiction writer but she is also one of my special friends and a fellow Swanwick delegate. Val is here to chat about her new novel The First Cut. without further ado, it’s over to Val.
Thank you so much for inviting me onto your blog today.
It’s a pleasure, Val. I’m sure my readers are looking forward to hearing all about The First Cut.
Val Penny
I have been writing and telling stories all my life. When I was a child, I used to make up stories for my little sister after our Mum put the light out and told us to go to sleep. Later, I wrote documents, contracts, and courses as part of my job, but my time was well accounted for and so I did not create any fiction.
However, I took early retirement when I was diagnosed with breast cancer, and there were times when I suffered severe side effects from my treatment. I could not go out, spend time with friends or indulge in many of my favourite hobbies, but watching daytime television gets very old very fast, so I turned to reading. It was the only thing I had the energy to do and could do safely.
I read voraciously, as I always have. I particularly enjoy reading crime fiction and thrillers. I indulged this interest with many novels including those by Peter Robinson, Ian Rankin, Linwood Barclay and Kathy Reichs.
After a while, I began to feel a little better and decided to start reviewing the books I read in my blog Bookreviewstoday which I enjoyed doing. Then, as I began to feel better still, I got restless, but was still not well enough to do very much and I complained to my long-suffering husband about getting bored. It was then he challenged me: ‘If you know so much about what makes a good book, why don’t you write one?’ I laughed. However, the challenge was set and I have been writing police procedural crime thrillers set in Scotland ever since.
In fact, my publishers, Dark Stroke Books have just launched the first book in a new series The Jane Renwick Thrillers where the main character is Detective Sergeant Jane Renwick, The First Cut.
Jane Renwick appears in my original series of crime novels, The Edinburgh Crime Mysteries but the main character is Detective Inspector Hunter Wilson. However, there was no competition about who my new main character should be. I had created an interesting back story for Jane Renwick. She grew up in care and struggled against the odds to achieve her ambition of joining the police force, but she did manage to do this and is a respected police detective in the Major Incident Team (MIT).
However, Jane has not been able to marry. She lives with her civil partner, Rachael Anderson, who is also a detective on the force. The First Cut is set in 2014 and marriage for the LGBTQ community did not become legal in Scotland until 2016. Maybe Jane and Rachael will marry in the future.
The Jane Renwick Thrillers will reflect the work of MIT, therefore Jane’s stories will take her all over Scotland, not just Edinburgh where she and Rachael live. I look forward to sharing the beautiful and varied parts of Scotland with my readers as they follow Jane’s adventures.
First Cut is the first in the new series of novels, The Jane Renwick Thrillers. Val Penny’s other crime novels, Hunter’s Chase Hunter’s Revenge, Hunter’s Force Hunter’s Blood and Hunter’s Secret form the bestselling series The Edinburgh Crime Mysteries. They are set in Edinburgh, Scotland, published by darkstroke Her first non-fiction book Let’s Get Published is also available now and she has most recently contributed her short story, Cats and Dogs to a charity anthology, Dark Scotland.
Val is an American author living in SW Scotland with her husband and their cat.
Where to buy books
Links
House of Grace trilogy is on a Kindle countdown deal. This means if you purchase the trilogy on Kindle you can save £5 and buy the three books for less than a cup of coffee.
This is the first time The Granville Legacy has been offered at 99p/99c and only the second time for The Coal Miner’s Son. These deals will be rare.
Find out more about each book in the trilogy and check out the reviews – If you like family saga, 1950s to 1980s, social conflict and stories told across fascinating eras, then you’ll adore this generational journey.
Buy the trilogy on Kindle with one click
or individual books
All three books also available FREE with Kindle Unlimited
More about The Coal Miner’s Son
More about The Granville Legacy
Download House of Grace trilogy for less than a cup of coffee HERE
It’s a delight today to welcome another Swanwick Writer, A J Roberts, Andy to his friends, to Patricia’s Pen. Andy has come along to chat about his debut swashbuckler novelette Gentleman of Fortune. Without further delay let’s go over to Andy.
A J Roberts
In recent years, I’ve gained a fondness for pirate stories, whether it’s books like Rafael Sabatini’s Captain Blood or Robert Louis Stephenson’s Treasure Island, the Pirates of the Caribbean films, the TV series Black Sails, or video games like Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag. With this in mind, I’ve been wanting to write my own pirate stories, which culminated in one of my first published books; the swashbuckler novelette, Gentlemen of Fortune. Taking place in the Caribbean in the late 17th Century, Gentlemen of Fortune follows a pair of wandering rogues named Kestrel and Scar as they help a woman named Rosanna Barclay find her missing father with the promise of a hidden treasure.
I drew a lot of inspiration for Kestrel and Scar from Fafhrd and The Grey Mouser, the protagonists from an often-overlooked sword and sorcery series by Fritz Leiber. I’ve heard it said that Leiber wrote these characters in an attempt to create two fantasy heroes that were closer to human nature, as antidote to Robert E. Howard’s Conan the Barbarian, whom he found too unrealistic. In a similar vein, I wanted to write a Pirates of the Caribbean-type story without the fantasy elements which I feel bogged down the later films in the series.
Getting this story out there has been a voyage in and of itself. I started it in 2015, and finished the first draft in 2016, sending it off to one publisher at the end of that year only for it to be rejected. After coming out of employment in 2018, I decided to revise it as a summer project before going to university. I sent it off to another publisher, but heard nothing back. In 2019, I revisited again and sent it off to another two publishers, one of whom rejected it a month later. However, the second publisher, an American pulp magazine, contacted me a year later expressing an interest in publishing the story. Since it had taken them a year to get back to me, I’d changed the ending and made the decision to self-publish the story for an upcoming university assignment as it was one of my most polished works. While I wanted them to publish the story, I also knew that I wouldn’t be able to use it in the assignment if they did. I arranged for them to defer any publication until after the assignment was marked so it wouldn’t affect my grade. However, delays on the publisher’s end combined with the sales of the copies I printed have made me want to get the story to a wider audience. With this in mind, I’ve decided to self-publish via Kindle Direct Publishing.
After all, I enjoyed writing this story, and I want to write more stories featuring Kestrel and Scar. But I want to get the stories I’ve already written out there first.
About A J Roberts
Born in Lancashire, A. J. Roberts has been writing as a hobby since the age of 17. This initially stemmed from writing campaigns for pen-and-paper roleplaying games, and later developed into short stories reminiscent of the pulp magazines.
After discovering an annual writers’ retreat in Derbyshire, he decided he wanted to take things further. In 2018, he left his job as an accountant to begin studying for a Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing. While he’s experimented with new mediums on his course, he hasn’t forgotten the old pulp style he was originally inspired by.
Links
As it is National Poetry Day I thought I’d share one of my poems. Sky Ballet was first published in Sarasvati Magazine (Indigo Dreams Publishing 2017) and later in my poetry pamphlet Taxus Baccata (The Hedgehog Poetry Press – 2020)
I was inspired to write Sky Ballet after witnessing a huge murmuration over the M40 back in 2015 when my youngest son was studying at Warwick University and my husband and I were on our way for a visit. Unfortunately the photos I took while a passenger in the car were not very good so I can’t take credit for the photograph below. This image was found on Pixabay.
If you like my poem and would like to read more you can purchase a copy of Taxus Baccata at half price by going here.
Happy National Poetry Day everyone. Why not celebrate by writing a poem?
It is a delight today to introduce Julie Stevens, a fellow poet from the wonderful Hedgehog Poetry Press. Julie has come along to chat about her writing and shares her poem, Bird. Without further ado it’s over to Julie.
Julie Stevens
I’ve always loved words. For years, I was heavily involved in local theatre, both acting and singing, with a bit of dancing, if you could call it that! Later I became a teacher, encouraging a love of words in children. Being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) over thirty years ago brought this to an end, but it led me into writing, although only in more recent years. Writing poetry is my love now and my poems normally give an insight into my life with MS.
At first, I just wrote for myself, but was soon supported in sharing with everybody. I’d been told my poems were relatable and speak of MS in a way that helps people understand the illness and disability in general. The website was born! Being diagnosed with a progressive illness is devastating. The therapeutic side of writing is well-known, but being able to share my words and know they have such a positive effect on others is a joy.
Being in a quiet, still space is where I start. Ideas will come from what’s inside, quite literally, MS is bursting with them, or from poetry books I’ve read, or the everyday. I’m always looking for that spark. I like to keep writing and spend time editing later. Every day if possible. Sometimes an idea grows into another one and there’s another poem or two!
In September 2020, my first pamphlet Quicksand was published by Dreich, having come second in their chapbook competition. Poems that show the ups and downs of being disabled, how I view the illness, hopes for the future and how I learn to fly amongst other things.
In June 2021, my micro pamphlet of poems, a Stickleback called Balancing Act, was a joint winner in a competition with Hedgehog Poetry Press. It’s about staying on your feet, keeping going and finding the colour. I’ve had great feedback on both pamphlets and I’m delighted to know my next collection of poems will be published in 2022 by Hedgehog Poetry Press.
It dawned on me that this was a great fundraising opportunity, so I have started selling these books and donating the proceeds to the MS Trust. The MS Trust have helped me so much over the 30 years and counting in which I’ve had MS, in particularly from the MS nurses I’ve had regular contact and advice from and their informative leaflets, magazines that have brought understanding. It was time to give back and say thank you. So far, I have raised over £450 for the MS Trust in such a short time which is brilliant.
Bird – Julie Stevens
I scooped handfuls of pink confetti,
gave it wildly to the sky and watched it
float down to my hair, cheeks, nose, wings
and there I was, perched on my branch of blossom
singing thanks to my velvet landing and
wings of release. My beak looks fine don’t
you think? Playing this rousing tune to all
around, collecting delight in my chocolate opal feathers,
skinny legs, like hers down the road
and royal stretching wings. But I can’t stay.
I need to taste the lift once more, feel the rush
and hover light knowing I’m safe.
I’ll return to the grind when I’m done,
these wings show me what it’s like to soar.
Come now, ride with me, you won’t
stumble in clouds.
Well done, Julie, on raising money for MS Trust. Good luck with the future fundraising. Thank you for sharing your amazing poem, Bird, with my readers.
About Julie Stevens
Julie Stevens writes poems sometimes reflecting the impact Multiple Sclerosis (MS) has on her life. Her poems have recently been published on Ink Sweat & Tears, in Sarasvati (Indigo Dreams) and on the Honest Ulsterman. Her winning Stickleback pamphlet Balancing Act was recently published by Hedgehog Poetry Press (June 2021) and her debut chapbook Quicksand by Dreich (Sept 2020).
Links to Books
Links
Thank you to the lovely author, Val Penny, for inviting me over to her blog to chat. If you fancy reading what we had to say – click HERE.
My guest on Patricia’s Pen today is the lovely author, Tania Crosse, who writes the most gorgeous books. Tania’s here today to chat about her writing so without further ado it is over to Tania.
Tania Crosse
Hello, everyone! And a huge thank you to Patricia for having me as her guest today!
Let me start by telling you a little about myself. I’d wanted to be an author since I was a child. I’d always written stories, but it wasn’t until my family had grown up that I had time to pursue my dream. On a visit to Morwellham Quay in Devon, once the greatest copper port in Queen Victoria’s Empire, I experienced several flash visions of Victorian characters, so vivid that they inspired what became my debut novel. I then turned my attention to nearby Dartmoor, its wild, savage beauty and fascinating history. Just imagine living in this unforgiving, brutal landscape in days gone by! So I set about writing a series of exciting, dynamic tales to interpret different aspects of local history, all packed full of poignant drama.
Originally published between 2004 and 2014, I’m delighted that the series has recently been re-released by Joffe Books, with two titles reaching Amazon Number One Best-seller! Each book can be read individually, but it’s best to follow them in order if possible.
Let me tell you a little about Book One, THE HARBOUR MASTER’S DAUGHTER. In the late 1860s, Morwellham is facing a devastating era of change that mirrors the troubled coming of age that Rebecca, spirited daughter of the harbour master, must experience. It is both a passionate and, at times, harrowing love story, and a tale of intrigue and deceit among a community already fighting for its survival. As Rebecca struggles to secure her own future, she discovers the port is in jeopardy from the same enemy and she alone can save it.
In Book Two, THE RIVER GIRL, the young heroine, Elizabeth, is brought up on her uncle’s lowly tenant farm on Dartmoor. The subject of jealousy, obsession and revenge, can she ever be in charge of her own destiny or will she remain a hostage of her past? Even the man she comes to love holds a dark secret, and they each have to face their demons in a terrifying climax.
The sagas that followed are based on different aspects of the area’s history, the clues being in the titles! We have THE GUNPOWDER GIRL, THE QUARRY GIRL and THE RAILWAY GIRL, before we move from the Victorian era to WWI with THE WHEELWRIGHT GIRL and THE AMBULANCE GIRL. But there are also two Dartmoor stories set in 1950s, LILY’S JOURNEY and HOPE AT HOLLY COTTAGE, currently published by Allison and Busby.
But it doesn’t end there. I went on to write four 20th Century sagas for Aria Fiction, set in London & the south-east: NOBODY’S GIRL, A PLACE TO CALL HOME, THE CANDLE FACTORY GIRL and major-award winning THE STREET OF BROKEN DREAMS. So, what next? Well, I’m currently writing a saga that starts in Ireland before moving to Plymouth and going through the Blitz and beyond. Quite a marathon task! But do you know what? I just love the challenge!
About Tania Crosse
Tania Crosse was born in London, but at a young age, moved to Surrey where her love of the countryside took root. She wanted to be an author since childhood, but after obtaining a degree in French Literature, life took over. It wasn’t until her children were older that she began writing seriously. She has now had published nine historical novels set on her beloved Dartmoor, while The Street of Broken Dreams, the last of four Twentieth Century sagas set in London and the south east, won Best Saga in the 2020 awards of the Romantic Novelists’ Association. Two of her Devon titles have obtained Best Selling status on Amazon.
Links
It gives me great pleasure today to invite along a fabulous poet, Rachel Deering, who I got to know via Twitter. Rachel has come along to Patricia’s Pen to chat about her writing and she also shares a poem. Without further ado, it’s over to Rachel.
Rachel Deering
In January, 2020, just as the pandemic was unfolding, my debut poetry collection Crown of Eggshell was published. I had started writing again after ten years, rejoined the wonderful writers’ site, ABCTales, and tentatively started a Twitter account with the thought that I ought to be on social media of some description in order to promote my collection. I had no idea what I was doing. However, I gradually met some of the loveliest people in the poetry community on Twitter, including participating in #TopTweetTuesday most weeks, courtesy of @blackboughpoems.
I regularly share my poetry on Twitter via links to ABCTales. I write as ‘onemorething’ on the site. I can fully recommend the site to any writer – another kind and supportive community. I started writing when I was very young as a medium for expressing my feelings (badly) and continued into adulthood. I only began sharing my poetry though in my early thirties and was published in a number of anthologies. I have always used and been drawn to writing poetry as an outlet for self-expression, but through the editing process for my collection, I feel that I have become a more confident writer.
Crown of Eggshell is a collection of poems that I intended to be a journey of recovery – of movement from darkness to light. I love birds so there are regular references and also to my love of mythology and folklore. My inspiration comes from a personal connection I feel to something I have seen, heard or read – whether it’s on a walk, a painting, a radio programme, or a book about wildlife.
Nightingales – Rachel Deering
These plain nightingales are monks
who chant in secret,
hymns of constellations,
cloistered in brown robes, to hide
and stalk the refectories
of their woodland floors,
blended to this umbered domain.
All the brightness is in the notes
that ring out; we could hear
the magic of it,
as if the sepia of their plumage
had drawn the colour out
and thrown it into the air
as new quavers that voice
our more modest hopes and wishes.
They sing their nocturnal prayers
for Spring and love,
a dance of fantails
and nests of dark emeralds.
About Rachel Deering
Rachel Deering was born in Devon, but has lived in lots of different places around the UK. She is now settled in Bath. Rachel has worked in education for over 25 years. Rachel loves long walks, wildlife, art, literature, history, mythology, folklore, fairy tales, music and her garden. She is completely devoted to her cat ‘The Bear’. Her most treasured books are The Lord of the Rings, Alice in Wonderland, The Complete Poems and Plays of T S Eliot and The Golden Bough. She is very passionate about the environment and how we treat one another in society.
Links
Patricia M Osborne 