Author: patsy

patsy

Emotional with a pinch of hope

I’ve had a rather wonderful review of the audiobook version of my novel Paint Me A picture.

Paint Me A Picture by Patsy Collins is like a burst of sunshine on a rainy day! This story is deep and emotional with a pinch of hope. This story feels so real, so raw, and so relevant nowadays, I can’t believe it was first published in 2012!

The main character Mavis… oh my, all I wanted was to give her a massive cuddle! There wasn’t a reference to autistic trades (and in 2012 there wasn’t kind of enough awareness out there) but for me, it felt that Mavis falls into the Neurodiverse pond. I loved to see the daily struggles and successes through Mavis’s eyes!

Mavis has a plan to end things, she had enough at the same time she will take any chance to delay her plan. And then things and events unfold and life takes completely different turns!

This is my second book by Patsy Collins and I found that I absolutely love her writing! It’s so friendly, so down to the ground, and it connect with you on completely different level!

I listened to an audiobook narrated by Deborah Keating and this is one of the books where you feel how the narrator connects with the book and the combination of writing style and narration brings a brilliant experience. Absolutely and highly recommend this audiobook!

I am looking forward all other books by Patsy Collins that I have and who will be released!

If you read and loved The Maid by Nita Prose you will love this book!”

Paint Me A Picture is available here to buy as an audio book, ebook, paperback or through kindle unlimited. It’s on Audible (as a free trial for new listeners) it can be ordered through bookshops, or requested at your local library.

patsy

Wednesday word of the week – Blurb

A blurb is a short description of a book or film for promotional purposes. They’re devilishly difficult to write (though not as bad as a synopsis!)

Talking of blurbs here’s the one for my latest cosy crime novel, which will be released later this month and can be ordered here.

 

Muriel Grahame has kept a secret for seven decades. It’s protected her and loved ones, given them freedom and opportunities. She’s grateful for the chances, the happiness, she’s had. Her wish is to give those gifts to others.
Crystal Clere has mysteries to solve. Some are fun, like the test her police colleagues set to celebrate her move to CID. Others, like Adam’s belief he’s discovered vital information and friend Ellie’s non existent love life are just puzzling. Murder, and further attacks on residents of Little Mallow, are puzzling too but no fun at all.
Muriel wanted to silence gossip for fear it would lead to her secret being uncovered. Now she worries more people will suffer unless she reveals it. But how can she, when the secret is not hers alone?
Crystal gets people talking with cake baking, birthday parties, coffee and questions, questions, questions. She’s sifting through insinuations, speculation and lies to get at the truth.
Can the two women replace fear with joy, and move on with their lives?

 

patsy

Wednesday word of the week – Evince

Evince means to reveal the presence of a quality or feeling, or to make clear and plain. I believe this photo of our front garden evinces my love of flowers.

Evincing is also a word, evinced by its presence in my dictionary.

 

patsy

Rainbow (and me) on the Radio

I’ll be on Soundart Radio on Monday morning (10 – 12), talking to my friend Anne Rainbow about different aspects of writing including my cosy mystery series, travel, and probably other things too. There will also be a selection of songs which we like and feel tie in with my work, or our lives and writing in general.

Anne has a Facebook group associated with her show. If you’d like to join that you can post questions for her to ask me live on air (eeek!) You can find out about her other shows there. Her guests include artists of all descriptions.

The photo is of us when we ran a residential workshop together a *few* years ago.

patsy

Getting Warmer

No, not the weather – that’s decided to stop being calm and mild, as it was for our Christmas trip in the campervan, and to behave more as we’d expect for this time of year. Perfect staying in and reading weather!

Getting Warmer is the title of my short story in the January 2025 issue of Take A Break’s Fiction Feast.

patsy

Wednesday word of the week – Undulatory

Undulatory is a great word, isn’t it? It means undulating or wavy, or due to undulation. And undulation means a wavy motion or a gentle rise and fall.

There are days when my hair is as undulatory as this wave lapping gently against the breakwater.

Happy New Year!

patsy

Wednesday word of the week – Yule

Yule-tide is an archaic term for the festival of Christmas. Yule is just a shortened form of that.

A Yule-log is either a real log, or one made from cake and covered in chocolate. Guess which is my favourite! (Coincidentally, the next word in my dictionary is ‘yummy’) Traditionally a yule-log really big piece of wood, which would be set alight on Christmas Eve to signal the start of the festivities, and would hopefully keep burning until twelfth night, when the feasting and frivolity would stop.

I don’t have any kind of yule log this year, but I do have a nice big tree stump, which would probably burn well – although I think it looks better left in the garden. This is it at the end of last winter.

patsy

Wednesday word of the week – Logorrhoea

Maybe you’ve heard, or even used, the phrase ‘verbal diarrehoea’ for someone who talks too much? Logorrhoea is actually the correct word to use as it means an excessive flow of words. It’s prononunced log-oh-ree-a.