Happy New Year

Wishing all of my fabulous readers a wonderful New Year. Wishing you health, happiness and peace with good books to read in the months ahead.

Merry Christmas

Wishing all of my writerly and readerly friends the blessings of the season and A healthy, happy New Year! Thank you for all the love and support this past year. I appreciate all of you x

Whoop whoop!

Celebrations all round! I'm thrilled to announce that I've just signed a sparkly new 6 book contract with Bookouture to bring you more of Kitty and Matt's adventures!!

Guest blogger - Verity Bright!

A warm welcome back to Verity Bright and their latest release Murder on the Cornish Cliffs! A festive invitation from an old family friend, the promise of gingerbread at the village inn, snowy walks on the Cornish coast with Gladstone the bulldog… But wait, is that a body on the beach? Winter, 1923. It’s nearly Christmas and Lady Eleanor Swift has received a rather strange letter from an old friend of her uncle. Mr Godfrey Cunliffe has asked her to stay in Cornwall for the holidays – but only because he believes his gardener is trying to poison him! With not a moment to waste Eleanor hurries down to his picturesque manor house with her butler Clifford and handsome beau Detective Hugh Seldon. But they arrive too late to stop the crime…

Get your copy HERE

Releasing tomorrow!!!

Wow! This seems to have rolled around quickly! Murder at the Highland Castle is out tomorrow!!!

Get your copy HERE Also!!!! Drum roll please for Murder at the Island Hotel!!! A lovely new cover and out for preorder too!!

Preorder HERE

The festive 'C' word

Well the weather has definitely turned more autumnal, and wet, here in Devon. Not long now until Murder at the Highland Castle is released and the first reviews are trickling in. Thank you so much to everyone who has read it and said such lovely things about it! It really does mean so much when a writer has laboured so hard to try to create a good story. I always forget to say that for those of you that enjoy a spot of romance. I have several title under my Nell Dixon name. A couple of them are Christmas reads - so if you fancy something short and sweet they are free on kindle unlimited and just 99p/99c if not. The first one is a re release The Cinderella Substitute, my very first published book! #Free on #KU The Cinderella Substitute, GET IT HERE

The second one is Christmas Ever After - a modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast and my mother's personal favourite of all my books!GET IT HERE

So if you fancy a gentle romance with all the Christmassy feels to curl up with in front of the fire then give them a go!

Radio!!

Today I was at BBC radio Devon talking about the upcoming Crime Convention on October 22nd in Torquay and of course the Miss Underhay books. You can listen in on catch up, we're on from about 10.15 till 11ish LISTEN HERE And of course you can grab a icket from Torquay Museum and come and meet me and my fellow crime writers on Sunday 22nd at the convention!

Guest Blogger - Lorraine Mace

Please give a warm welcome to a new guest to my blog. I've invited Lorraine Mace along to tell us about her fabulous new book, The Guest, and the inspiration behind it. Lorraine, tell us about yourself first: I was born and raised in South East London, hen I lived and worked in South Africa, on the Island of Gozo and in France before settling on the Costa del Sol in Spain. I now live with my partner in a traditional Spanish village inland from the coast and I enjoy sampling the regional dishes and ever-changing tapas in the local bars. My knowledge of Spanish is expanding. To stop my waistline from doing the same, I run five times a week.

That sounds fabulous! The Guest sounds like a really intriguing book, what gave you the idea for it? When I'm asked where do we find the ideas for our novels?I usually reply that I have an evil mind. This response generally either satisfies or terrifies the person who asked (and always scares my partner because he isn’t sure whether or not I’m joking). However, that isn’t really how I find my ideas (I do have an evil mind, but only when I’m writing). In truth, my inspiration mainly comes from interacting with, or observing people I meet along life’s path. That’s how the initial concept for The Guest came into being. A friend mentioned that an old schoolfriend she hadn’t heard from in more than 15 years had been in touch and wanted to meet up. My friend was thrilled, looking only at the positive sideof this, but my mind runs on much darker lines. The next morning, while out running, I thought about this sudden reappearance of an old acquaintance. Why had she chosen to get in touch? Why now? What did she want? Could she be trusted? Did she have a hidden agenda? Those questions formed the basis of the plot of The Guest . The friend who comes to stay in The Guest absolutely has a hidden agenda. Her actions driveLynda, the heroine, almost to the point of a nervous breakdown. It is gaslighting at its most potent. But is there something even more sinister at play? Wow! That sounds fascinating.

Tempted yet? Here is the blurb: YOUR PAST HAS COME KNOCKING. WILL YOU LET IT IN? Lynda Blackthorn is still reeling from the tragic car crash that killed her family more than a year ago. Throwing herself into her volunteer charity work, she is trying to piece her life backtogether. When she's asked to be the face of the charity's annual fundraiser, an appeal for volunteers onthe local news brings old friend Sarah to her door - and the events of fourteen years ago crashing down around her. As the two women reconnect, Lynda invites Sarah to stay in her guest bedroom. But soon strange things start happening and Lynda learns it might have been better to keep the door to the past firmly closed . . . The Guest is avaible from HERE and you can find Lorraines website HERE and you can follow her on Twitter/X HERE and on Facebook HERE or get down with the kids on Insta! HERE Thank you Lorraine for a lovely chat and best of luck with The Guest!

Returning guest blogger- Verity Bright

A warm welcome back to my lovely friends, Verity Bright and their fabulous new book!! Murder by Invitation is available HERE Lady Swift has been cordially invited to a huge royal celebration in Little Buckford to toast the King’s birthday… but wait, is that a body in the village hall? Lady Eleanor Swift and her loyal butler Clifford are busy lending a hand with preparations for the big day. The grand dining room at Henley Hall is overflowing with home-sewn flags, paint and royal rosettes. Even Gladstone the bulldog and his new friend Tomkins the ginger cat are invited! But just days before the event Mr Prestwick-Peterson, the chairman of the celebrations committee, is found dead in the village hall: strangled with handmade red, white and royal blue bunting. With the village hall in total disarray and a key part of the decorations missing, Eleanor wonders if someone dastardly is sabotaging the King’s birthday celebrations?Teaming up with her handsome beau Detective Hugh Seldon to question the local butcher, baker, and pub landlord it becomes clear that the meddlesome busybody Mr Prestwick-Peterson was not universally liked in charming Little Buckford. Indeed, the only mystery is why he wasn’t murdered before… Searching Mr Prestwick-Peterson’s pristinely organised rooms, Eleanor is surprised to find a faded photograph of a beautiful young woman hidden within the pages of a novel. Could this be the key to untangling this very village murder? And can Eleanor catch the killer before the party is over for her, too?

Guest Blogger - Nicky Downes

A very warm welcome to a new guest to my blog - Nicky Downes. Nicky is the author of Silent Fall a new thriller!! Here is a bit about Nicky -She lives and works mainly in Coventry in the heart of the U.K. Although, she can often be found cruising the canals in the Midlands on her narrowboat, Chanelle.Her favourite authors are Val McDermid, Mark Billingham and Fiona Cummins.

I asked Nicky to tell us a bit about the inspiration behind Silent Fall This is what she said: Why did I write a book with a protagonist that climbs mountains? Like everyone during lockdown, I binged. In my case, I binged biographies, television dramas and documentaries about mountaineers. It all started with Sherpa - a documentary about the real heroes of the Himalayas. I think I’ve always been attracted to adventurers and risk takers. (I love motorbike racing too!) Eventually my partner jokingly said that if I was going to read all about mountains, then I should do something with it. As a fifty-something asthmatic, I wasn’t going to take up climbing, so DI Jack Kent was born. I wrote the first draft of Silent Fall with the help of a mentor, Helen Francis, and a superb writing group on the Jericho Writers’ Ultimate Novel Writing Course. For me, knowing that I had to write the novel in a year really spurred me on. I’m the type of writer that must have a deadline or I procrastinate. Edits are another matter though. I find editing so much harder than the freedom of a first draft when you are simply telling the story. I’m always worried when I’m editing that the whole book will unravel. I will, in reality, lose the plot! I’m currently editing book 2 in the Jack Kent series, which will be published by Storm in the new year. I agree with the climbing thing! I am terrified of heights!!

When the body of a beautiful and wealthy doctor is discovered in her high-rise apartment –all alone with the doors locked from the inside – nobody can understand how or why her life has been so brutally cut short. Detective Jacqueline “Jack” Kent may have never worked a murder case before, but that’s not going to stop her trying. It seems Ana’s murderer may have scaled the ten-story building to get in – and Jack should know. As an elite climber herself, it’s a set of skills that only a handful of people have. This can’t be the killer’s first innocent victim, and if Jack doesn’t act fast, it won’t be his last. Jack throws herself into the investigation, determined to beat the twisted climber at his own game. But the crime scene prompts harrowing memories for Jack, who’s still haunted by the death of her best friend Hannah, killed on a mountain only months before. Jack lived that day while Hannah died beside her. Night after night, she relives her friend’s final moments in her dreams.When the body of another victim is found, it’s clear that someone evil is trying to get Jack’s attention. Could the killer be one of her own close circle of friends from childhood? As the lines between her personal and professional life blur, Jack must confront the demons of her own past to stop a cold-blooded killer from striking again. Detective Jack Kent is a heroine who grabs you and doesn’t let go. The first in an unputdownable new crime thriller series, perfect for readers who adored Angela Marsons, Rachel McLean and Sally Rigby. Wow! doesn't that sound fab? The buy link is HERE And you can follow Nicky on her website HERE

Murder at the Island Hotel

Well, I'm 8k into the story now and it's shaping up quite nicely. Life is a bit complicated at the moment as my mother was taken seriously ill and admitted to hospital just over two weeks ago. Thankfully, she is slowly recovering but it has meant I've been shuttling back and forth between Devon and the Black Country. Today is a happy day however as my baby grandson is 3. Birthdays are always a joyful event and his birthday comes just after his father's when he turned 30. This year we have quite a few landmark birthdays coming up. It's surprising how quickly time passes. As you grow older the swifter it goes. It's been 4 years this coming week since Murder at the Dolphin Hotel became available for preorder! What a journey that's been! Thank you to all of you who have read Murder at the Village Fair and given it such lovely reviews. And huge thanks to everyone who has preordered Murder at The Highland Castle! You are all so brilliant - I really do have the loveliest readers. I'm hoping to organise some more guest bloggers for you soon and hope you've enjoyed meeting some of my fellow writers and learning more about them and their work.

Starting book 15

Can you believe we're at book 15 already? It seems to have flown by. The working title is Murder at the Island Hotel. I'm sure you can guess where the inspiration is from! There are lots of small islands and rocky outcrops just off the Devon and Cornish coast. Most people have heard of Burgh Island, made famous by Agatha Christie in And Then There were None. This Island is called Bird Island and Kitty will be working with Alice for this one while poor old Matt is stranded on the mainland! So it should be fun!

Guest Blogger - Anita Davison

A very warm welcome to a fellow writer of history mysteries! Anita Davison is here to tell us about her first book in a new 1920's set series! Murder in the Bookshop was released on August 22nd so is hot off the press!

It is September 1915 and the country is in the second year of a war. Hannah Merrill helps run her Aunt Violet’s bookshop in Covent Garden and one morning, rumours of an air raid the night before makes her worry for the state of the bookshop. She finds the building unharmed, but the manager's poor judgement has resulted in the business failing. Hannah sacks him, and tells her Aunt Violet she intends taking over the bookshop herself with the help of their junior assistant, Archie; decisions her aunt is ambivalent about. However, when Hannah arrives to start her regime as the bookshop manager the next day, she finds her best friend Lily-Anne Soames sitting in a wing-back chair in the reading corner – dead. Distressed by the murder of her friend, she meets Detective Inspector Farrell, the police officer in charge of the investigation, who is less than happy with her story. Why was Hannah’s closest friend inside the locked bookshop at night with Hannah’s paper knife thrust into her heart? The previous spring, the Germans started a campaign of using Zeppelins to fly over the Channel and bomb the English coast. That the enemy could make direct attacks on the English people was something no one could imagine, and the resulting terror this created was immense. Reactions were mixed. While the Government's war machine ran public campaigns to expand the army and manufacture weapons, the man in the street feared a potential invasion, and public drunkenness reached worrying proportions. The licensing hours were drastically reduced, and it was made illegal to buy a round of drinks in a public house. King George V also made a pledge that the royal family would henceforth not imbibe in alcohol.The number of English, Australian and Canadian soldiers flooding into London streets created a festival atmosphere as young men from the battlefields arrive on leave eager to spend their pay. Their presence in the public houses and dance halls attracted young women taking advantage of their new freedom to enjoy themselves when they still could. This so-called khaki fever, was considered a further fall in moral standards and a real threat to family life. Women in quasi-military uniform accompanied by police officers were sent to patrol the streets to accostunaccompanied young women and intimidate them into returning home. It is in this atmosphere of uncertainty and danger, Hannah enlists her aunt’s help, determined to find out who killed Lily-Anne and clear her own name. You can get a copy of Murder in the Bookshop HERE And you can find out more about Anita and the second book in the series which will be out soon HERE

Guest Blogger - Nicola Pryce

A warm welcome to todays guest. Here is a bit about Nicola and her writing! Nicola Pryce is published by Atlantic Books and is represented by Teresa Chris. She trained as a nurse at St Bartholomew's Hospital in London, loves literature and history, and has an Open University degree in Humanities. She is a qualified adult literacy support volunteer and lives with her husband in the Blackdown Hills in Somerset. She and her husband love sailing and together they sail the south coast of Cornwall in search of adventure. It is there where she sets her books.

Her latest book is The Cornish Rebel set in Cornawall in 1801

In the wake of her mother’s death, Pandora Woodville has finally escaped her domineering father and returned to Falmouth. Bright with the dream of working at her Aunt Harriet’s school for young women, Pandora is shocked to learn the school is facing imminent closure after a series of sinister events has threatened its reputation. Acclaimed chemist Benedict Aubyn has also recently returned to Cornwall, to take up a new role as Turnpike Trust Surveyor. Pandora’s arrival has been a strange one, so she is grateful when he shows her kindness. As news of the school’s ruin spreads around town, everyone seems to be after her aunt’s estate. Now, Pandora and Aunt Harriet must do everything in their power to save the school, or risk losing everything. However, Pandora has another problem. She’s falling for Benedict. But can she trust him, or is he simply looking after his own interests? Sounds fabulous! you can get your copy of The Cornish Rebel and others in the series from HERE HERE or for UK readers who like paperbacks HERE I asked Nicola to tell us a bit about how this book came together. Sometimes, my stories seem to weave themselves together. In The Cornish Rebel,six threads were hanging tantalisingly in the air: John Loudon McAdam was in Falmouth in 1801, a renowned chemist was seeking to capture arsenic in soluble form, the Truro to Falmouth Turnpike trust had drawn a map of their proposed new route, a headmistress of a girls’ boarding school was seeking to keep her school viable, and Her land Mine in Gwinear yielded 115 tons of silver ore which, partly smelted on site, realized £5469. The sixth thread was the Old Well at St Feock with its superstitious tale of divining the man you were going to marry by visiting it at full moon. Almost by itself, the threads wove themselves together and the story began to take shape. I moved Miss Mitchell’s School for young ladies from the outskirts of Truro to the shores of Restronguet Creek and the book seemed to write itself. Well, almost. Best wishes and happy reading, Nicola

Cover reveal for Murder at the Highland Castle!

Isn't it fab? You can preorder your copy HERE A majestic castle by a Scottish loch, a glass of whisky by a roaring fire, stockings hung by the chimney… and a body? It’s a midwinter murder for Kitty Underhay! Winter, 1935. Lightly dusted with snow and nestled on the edge of a sweeping Scottish loch, Finnglach Castle looks positively magical. Kitty Underhay, her husband Matt and their beloved dog Bertie are delighted to be celebrating the new year with a Hogmanay party, but moments before midnight, a shot rings out across the grounds… Their host, Lord Barlas, is dead, murdered in the snow. The killer’s footprints have vanished and the gun is missing. With the snow-covered castle completely cut off, and a killer in their midst, Kitty and Matt need to work fast to find the culprit before someone else ends up as dead as the turkey! As the weather worsens one of the guests begins telling dark Highland stories about evil spirits. But with a sour daughter, a new wife set to inherit a fortune and a suspicious spiritual adviser, Kitty is sure the killer is close at hand. Can she, Matt and Bertie sniff out the treacherous culprit in time for haggis and whisky or will they find themselves skating on dangerously thin ice? Don’t miss this incredibly charming cozy page-turner! If you love TE Kinsey, Agatha Christie or Lee Strauss, you’ll fall head over heels for this totally unputdownable historical mystery.

Re -release news!

I'm thrilled to say that some of my older romances which have been out of sale for a while are being re-released back onto the market as e book only deals. The first to go up is The Cinderella Substitute. This is the very first book I ever had published. First by Moonlit Romance and then by Astraea Press. It's a clean/sweet novella and I still really love it. You can get a copy HERE and I love the new cover! You can find large print copies still floating around and probably at your local library.

In the two years since the tragic car crash that killed his fiancée, Nathanial (Nate) Mayer has successfully avoided another relationship. His family and especially his twin sister Nathalie are worried. Jennifer (Jenni) Blake is Nate’s personal assistant. Hired after the accident, she has her own problems to deal with, including the deaths of her adoptive parents and the debts incurred by their nursing care. But those difficulties pale into insignificance when Jenni finally traces her birth mother…

Murder at the Village Fair is out!!

Yay! So thrilled to say that the latest Miss Underhay adventure is out in the big, wide world. You can get your copy in ebook, audio or paperback HERE

Summer 1935. Enjoying a belated honeymoon visiting her new husband Matt’s family in the rolling Yorkshire hills, Kitty strolls through a village fair. But when Kitty persuades Matt to visit the fortune teller’s tent, the lovebirds are shocked to find the body of Madame Zaza slumped over her crystal ball, pearl necklace askew and a half-drunk cup of tea at her elbow. After predicting so many of the villagers’ misfortunes, how did she not foresee her own murder? From a pompous old colonel to a reticent reverend and a dodgy village doctor, Kitty soon feels like half the village had a motive for murder. But with more suspects than tarot cards, she and Matt are no closer to finding the culprit. Madame Zaza had been a part of the community’s life for decades and discovering a photograph album of the villagers through the years gives Kitty and Matt the breakthrough they’ve been searching for. Kitty is soon hot on the killer’s trail when her sleuthing puts her in terrible danger. Will her lucky stars align, or is her life line about to run out?

Murder at the Playhouse

Just a heads up for my UK lovelies that Murder at the Playhouse is a bargain 99p for the whole of August in the UK! Grab your bargain HERE Tell a friend!!

Guest Blogger Emma-Claire Wilson

A warm welcome to my fabulous guest blogger this week, Emma-Claire Wilson and her incredible debut novel, This Child of Mine. Here's Emma-Claire to tell us about herself and her book! Born in Scotland, Emma-Claire travelled the world as the child of military parents. After almost 20 years in Spain, she returned to the UK with her husband, two daughters, and rescue dog, Pip. Emma-Claire worked as a journalist for English language magazines and newspapers in Spain and in 2015 launched The Glass House Online Magazine. When not writing emotional fiction, you can find her dreaming up new book ideas or wrapped in a blanket with a book in her hand.

Her debut novel, This Child of Mine, was published by Avon Harper Collins on July 6th 2023. This Child of Mine follows the story of Stephanie who, after years of trying for a baby, finds out she is pregnant and sick on the same day. The book is an exploration of the dilemmas she faces and although is not entirely autobiographical, is based on Emma-Claire Wilson's real-life experiences. A highly emotional yet uplifting tear-jerker that will have you reaching for the tissues – perfect for fans of EMMA ROBINSON and JODI PICOULT.

When Stephanie is told she’s pregnant and that she is sick on the same day, she faces an impossible choice… After trying for a baby for so long, finding out I was pregnant was supposed to be the happiest day of my life. But in the same breath as the news I had been waiting years to hear, the doctor told me I was seriously ill. If I carry my baby to term, I will almost certainly die. If I proceed with treatment, my baby will not live. My husband – the father of this child – is telling me to save myself. But with all the secrets I know he is keeping from me, I can’t trust him anymore. What would you do? You can get your copy HERE You can also find her in all of these places! Twitter: @ecwilsonwriter Facebook: @ecwilsonauthor Instagram: @ecwilsonauthor Website: emmaclairewilson.com And if you would like a signed copy goHERE

Ashburton Sat 29th July

Heads up to all my fab Devon people. I'm keeping company with some other crime writing lovelies on Sat 29th July at Ashburton. come along and say hello!!