Guest Blogger - Karen King

A warm welcome to the fabulous Karen King and her shiny fun new book,The Runaway Wives. Here is the back cover blurb: 'We’re leaving. And there’s nothing either of you can do about it!’ When the surprise holiday Dee thinks her husband has booked for her sixtieth birthday weekend turns out to be yet another solo golfing break – it’s the last straw. Meanwhile her best friend Babs’s other half has decided to move to Spain and is acting like he doesn’t need to consult anyone. Not even Babs! Well, if their husbands think they can do what they want, so can their wives. So, with that thought, the two best friends leap into Dee’s trusty car and head for the seaside, and an adventure they’ll never forget. Back home their furious husbands want them to return immediately. But – as they begin to enjoy their newfound freedom – will either of the runaway wives ever want to come back home again? An absolutely hilarious, uplifting, escapist story, perfect for fans of Maddie Please, Judy Leigh and Dawn French.

Doesn't that sound fun? I asked Karen to tell us the inspiration behind the book: As a ‘golden yearer’ myself, I love the present trend to base stories around older characters, to show them dealing with life’s problems, coping with relationships, having fun and just generally living their life. I’ve written a few romcoms where the main characters are in their twenties or thirties and I really wanted to change that so was delighted when Boldwood offered me a three book contract to write ‘golden years’ women’s fiction. The Runaway Wives is the first book in this contract. I really enjoyed writing this book. I had so much fun writing about Dee and Babs, the main characters, who set off for a week in Cornwall when both their husbands make selfish decisions without consulting them. I’ve always loved Cornwall, regularly holidaying there when my four daughters were young, and finally moving there in 1999. I lived in Cornwall for several years and have some wonderful memories. It’s the ideal place for getting away from it all and was perfect for Dee and Babs to ‘run away’ to and have some fun together. It was a nostalgic trip down memory lane to write about the cobbled streets, sandy beaches and picturesque harbour in the fictional village of Port Telwyn. As the week goes by Dee and Babs both have to come to terms with the fact that their long marriages might be over. People often stop in relationships that aren’t really working for many reasons, maybe they feel that they’re too old to start again or they feel a loyalty to their partner because they’ve been together so long, but then something happens and they have a tough decision to make. Do they trudge on miserably or go it alone? That’s what both Dee and Babs have to decide. I firmly believe that it’s never too late to have a second chance at life. I myself remarried at fifty-eight and moved to Spain with my husband Dave when we were both in our sixties. You’re never too old to start over and try something new. About Karen: Karen King writes psychological suspense and women's fiction and is celebrating her fortieth year of publication. She has also had 120 children’s books, two young adult novels, and several short stories for women’s magazines published. Her early writing career was spent writing for Jackie and other teenage and children's magazines including Winnie the Pooh and Barbie. Her suspense novels The Mother In Law, The Perfect Stepmother and The Stranger in my Bed and her romantic novel The Cornish Hotel by the Sea all became International Amazon bestsellers and several of her books have been translated into other languages. You can get your copy of The Runaway Wives HERE

Guest Blogger - Hannah Dennison

A warm welcome to my writerly friend Hannah Dennison. Hannah is the author of the fabulous Honeychurch Hall series and today sees the launch of book 11!! A Fatal Feast at HoneyChurch Hall. I asked Hannah to pop in to talk a bit about the story behind the series, what inspires her to write. Here's what she had to say:Thank you to Helena for hosting me today! Writers are often asked where we get our ideas—and whether we’re ever afraid we’ll run out of them. I think I can speak for my fellow scribes when I say: ideas are everywhere. What I do worry about is running out of time. I’ll never write all the stories I want to before I either drop dead or become completely senile. That said, writing a long-running series—A Fatal Feast at Honeychurch Hall is book 11—comes with challenges. It’s harder than you’d think to come up with new and inventive ways to bump someone off. I’ve had more than one idea only to remember, “Oh no, I already did that in book three.” And don’t get me started on cliff-hanger moments… there are only so many times my heroine can get lost on Dartmoor. The spark for this new mystery came with our village flyer announcing the annual safari supper fundraiser. Instead of traveling across the veld to spot exotic animals, guests would enjoy a progressive dinner party, to enjoy a different course at a different home. What an excellent setting for … murder. Still, the seed (no pun intended) of a new story is always out there. In fact, just this morning I stumbled across an article about rare snowdrops and the fierce rivalries between collectors— galanthophiles, as they’re known. Let’s just say... book twelve may involve something far more dangerous than a gardening trowel.

About the book! When Eric Pugsley, who runs the unsightly scrapyard on the Honeychurch Hall estate, brings home his Turkish fiancée, everyone is delighted - even if the marriage does seem to include her outrageously feisty mother. A Safari Supper at the Hall is held in their honour, but trouble begins when, somewhere between the first course and dessert, one of the villagers goes missing and is later found drowned in the estate's ornamental lake. Rumours of foul play abound, given that competition is fierce to clinch a trophy at the upcoming Flower and Produce Festival, where sabotage had already come into play when someone released a herd of goats into the village allotments and one of the planned entries was eaten. But things take an even more sinister turn when Eric asks our heroine, Kat Stanford, to value the bride-to-be's 19th century Etruscan engagement ring, only to be told that historically it was used to carry poison - hardly an appropriate choice for love, but Eric is adamant it's what his fiancée wants. And then a second body is found... unearthing a hotbed of sabotage, blackmail, and old grudges. Grab a copy Kindle or order HERE with free shipping! Hannah Dennison is the author of the Honeychurch Hall Mysteries, the Vicky Hill Mysteries, and the Island Sisters Mysteries. You can find Hannah on Facebook Instagram and on her website

Verity Bright is back!

A wam welcome back to Verity Bright and their wonderful new book, A Recipe For Murder. You can get your copy HERE

Cream cakes, cucumber sandwiches, apple tarts and… poison? Lady Swift is trying to plan the menu for her wedding, until murder strikes in kitchens across the village! Lady Eleanor Swift’s marriage to dashing Chief Inspector Hugh Seldon is just days away. There’s a lot to organise from the dress to the catering, including, of course, the all-important wedding cake. But Eleanor is heartbroken when their chef, apple-cheeked Annie Tibetts, dies of poisoning. And as the doctor confirms her death wasn’t an accident, accusations fly around the whole community. With more of the village struck down by the poison, Eleanor must unmask a killer who seems intent on spreading chaos amongst her nearest and dearest. Everyone is accusing their neighbour… and Eleanor is in a pickle as the seating plans for the wedding fall apart. But she soon has bigger fish to fry when the source of the poison is traced to a trusted establishment in town. Eleanor is certain they are being framed and that sabotage is afoot… And when a sample of poisoned wedding cake is delivered anonymously to Hugh working at his station miles away in Oxford, Eleanor realises that while she has been planning for the future, her past has been catching up with her. Eleanor must race across the countryside to save her love from certain death. Can Eleanor find the proof in the pudding and save Hugh in time? And will the poisoner finally get their just desserts?

Release day for The Secret Detective Agency!

Release day at last for the first book in the Secret Detective Agency series. Book 2, The Seaside Murders is out at the end of next month. So, if you like Agatha Christie type twisty plots, world war 2 settings and quirky characters then this is the book for you. Includes added catitude with Marmaduke the one eyed ginger cat.

Meet Miss Jane Treen – the coffee-drinking cat lover dressed head to toe in tweed, who just happens to be a secret super sleuth! London, 1941: Miss Jane Treen is at her desk, strong black coffee in hand and fluffy ginger cat by her side, when her top-secret government work is interrupted by an urgent call to Devon. A woman has been found dead in a lake in a place where she shouldn’t have been. Jane needs to gather the clues and find the killer before someone else from the agency gets hurt… Shy and handsome code-breaker Arthur Cilento is bewildered by the arrival of the efficient Miss Treen and her cat Marmaduke. She bursts into his life unexpectedly, forcing him out of his comfort zone. The reluctant colleagues huddle near the warmth of a crackling fire in Arthur's country home, working to piece together the murderous puzzle at hand. In the sleepy Devon village, someone is hiding something: but is it the busybody vicar and his sister, the dutiful housekeeper and her secretive son, the stern librarian, or someone else altogether? And who were the people with the woman in the lake on the day she died? No sooner have Arthur and Jane have drawn up a list of suspects, than a parcel reveals a clue that sends them in hot pursuit of a coded diary stashed in a village church. But as the heavy wooden door slams behind them and a key turns in the lock, one thing is sure: they need to unravel the truth and crack this code before the killer decides their number is up… But if they can catch the culprit in time, might this unusual pair become the finest crime-solving partnership since Holmes and Watson hung up their hats…? If you love twisty crime novels, top-secret intrigue and the very best of Golden Age mysteries, then you will adore Helena Dixon’s totally gripping cozy novel, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T E Kinsey and Verity Bright! You can get your copy HERE Tomorrow I have a big launch party planned here in Devon and I'll pop some pics up afterwards!

London Book Fair

This week is London Book Fair, a massive trade gathering for publishers and overseas buyers. I cannot begin to tell you how thrilled I was when my agent sent me this pic of the Hachette stand. (Bookouture, my publisher are part of Hachette)For years my dream has been to see a book of mine on a big poster in a railway station or on the Underground. I used to joke that was when I would know I had made it. Getting this pic today made me cry good tears. It's been a dream for so long and London Book Fair is such a huge thing. To have my title selected for this kind of attention is incredible. When I signed my last contract I never even got a mention in the Bookseller - the book trade magazine. It was a six book contract for Miss Underhay and then a 3 book contract for The Secret Detectives so you know you would have thought... So this is just fantastic

Not long now till it's released and you can read it for yourself on March 27th!!!!!

Guest Blogger - Elizabeth Bailey

A warm welcome to my friend Elizabeth Bailey here to tell us more about the inspiration behind her latest book, The Killing Cave.

Corpses follow Lady Fan wherever she goes… 1799, England A family holiday to the seaside takes a dramatic turn when Lady Ottilia Fanshawe’s young son Luke accidentally stumbles on a body in a cave. Lady Fan and her husband Francis quickly rush to the scene and find the corpse bound and blindfolded with a bullet hole in his head. It appears the man was executed, and with smugglers well-known to operate in the area, the local sergeant suggests it was a quarrel amongst the reprobates. But Ottilia is not so sure. The crime scene seemed staged, and the dead man too well dressed to be a common criminal. There is nothing else for it. The Fanshawes must extend their stay on the Norfolk coast to allow Lady Fan to take the lead. But with her health compromised, four young children to care for and a grumbling mother-in-law in tow, can Lady Fan summon up enough strength to unravel this mystery? Or will this be the case that finally forces her into retirement? This sounds fabulous so I asked Elizabeth to tell me the inspiration behind her book. Ottilia, my heroine sleuth, was originally meant to star in a grand historical series based around an heirloom fan. She existed as notes in my ideas book. I envisaged her then as a shy, retiring type of woman - an image that rapidly faded under the onslaught of the bold crime-fighting Ottilia who emerged. My brother, also a writer, suggested the series might work as crime. Frankly, as an avid reader, I didn't think I could write in the genre. I mean, you need clues, and clever plotting, twists and all that. I dismissed the idea, but it niggled for years. I mentioned it to my friends at a Romantic Writers' event. Their arm-twisting did the trick. With trepidation, I began to write. By fluke or good fortune, the story rolled off my fingers onto the keyboard, probably due to Ottilia refusing to play second fiddle and demanding her place on centre stage. When characters take charge, writers have very little say in the matter. You can buy your copy HERE Thus Lady Fan was born, along with an entourage of familiar characters which has grown with the series. Not least, Lord Francis Fanshawe, her champion and husband, whom she meets in the first book, The Gilded Shroud. More about Elizabeth: After a career on the stage, Elizabeth found her true metier in writing novels. They lived in her bottom drawer for years until she found success with Mills & Boon's historical romance line. 18 stories later she turned to crime with The Lady Fan Mystery series. It had instant success which crashed after two books. Elizabeth returned to romance, but persisted with the mysteries and eventually found a new publisher in Sapere Books. The Killing Cave is the eleventh book and Lady Fan is still going strong.

Murder on the Cornish Coast out today!

Whoop, whoop! Release day for Murder on the Cornish Coast! BUY HERE if you haven't yet got your copy. Five star reviews on Net Galley which is brilliant and already waving a best seller flag in Australia!

News!

Wow! February is turning into a very busy month. On a personal front it was my birthday and then, just yeserday my second grandson arrived. Ezra Reuben 6lb 1oz making Isaac William a big brother! Book 20 in the Miss Underhay series now has a title, Murder at the English Manor, and I've had a sneak peek at the cover. It looks lovely and bright! The cover reveal for book 2 in the Secret Detective Agency series also took place yesterday!

You can preorder your copy HERE With Murder on the Cornish Coast out on Feb 20th, The Secret Detective Agency out March 27h and The Seadside Murders out April 30th Murder at the English Manor will be out May 23rd!!! Phew!!!!!!!!!

February!

Well, here we are in February. I hope this finds you all safe, well and snug. Signs of spring are popping up here in my corner of Devon. A few crocus and daffodils, primroses and snowdrops open in the lanes. All signs that Spring is on the way. That means new books! Murder on the Cornish Coast is out on February 20th! Preorder and of course the release of the first of the Secret Detective Agency books is also drawing nearer. Out on March 27th! I've had a sneak peek at book 2 in the new series, Murder at the Seaside and it looks fab with Marmaduke the cat gracing the cover once more. You can preorder book 1 HERE Since February is my birthday month and I have my second grandson due any day now I am very excited for the next few weeks. There will be a special giveaway to celebrate the launch of the Secret Detective Agency series so watch this space!

Happy New Year

Whoops! I thought I had already posted and here we are, midway through January. Time just seems to slip by so quickly! I'm just starting to line up some lovely blog guests for the next twelve months and I've lots of book news to bring you as I have 7 books coming out this year! 4 Miss Underhay mysteries and 3 in my new Secret Detective Agency series! Last year I wrote just over 500, 000 words! This year I hope will be slightly less hectic. However I have a new baby grandson due in February so no doubt here will be other things to take up my time! Preorders are up for Murder on the Cornish Coast HEREand for book 1 in The Secret Detective Agency seriesHERE and if you are in the US or Canada and haven't yet read Murder on the French Riviera it's on a monthly kindle deal just for January!HERE