If you’re able to access Overdrive via your library membership, you can now read all my books for free. The ones with mauve bands at the top and bottom are single short stories – the others are novels or short story collections.

The complete books should also be available through over services, such as Borrow Box, Odilo and Cloud Library, but you may have to request them through those services.

You can now subscribe to this blog and get new posts by email. At least, I hope so – technology isn’t my strong point. If you’d like to give it a try, enter your email address in the turquoise box over on the right.

Here are a few random photos, just to let you know the kind of thing you’d be letting yourself in for.

All of my collections of slightly spooky stories are currently on sale for 99p (or 99c on the US).

Not long ago, on a dreich day, we walked along the Ayrshire coast towards Greenan castle. On the way, we met a charming lady (I think she may be called Morag) and her delightful Scottie dogs (or dugs as they’re known round here) called Hamish and Robbie. Each had a tartan collar and bow. As we went our separate ways, Morag called the bots away to their porridge – apparently they like some every morning.

I ‘stormed the castle’ (OK, scrambled up the steep path), had a look round, then Gary and I went back to the van for tea, Empire biscuits, and shortbread.

Zymology is the scientific study of fermentation.

I don’t do this, but I do sometimes study the results in a very unscientific way.

Cheers!

I haven’t won a prize for my own writing (not lately anyway, although I have entered a few competitions so maybe I will). Instead I’ve won a selection of books by Margaret Holbrook, who ran a draw on her website.

When Margaret offered to post the books to me I explained we were on our travels in the mobile writing retreat / campervan. We realised I’d be passing fairly close to where Margaret lives. As that’s near RHS garden Bridgewater that seemed the ideal place to meet – they don’t just have plants, but also a coffee shop with cake.

I hope you’re impressed with how well we co-ordinate with the planting scheme. I can’t tell you why I look windswept and Margaret doesn’t. I can’t tell you about the books as I haven’t read them yet – I’m looking forward to doing that. I could tell you how many chocolates are left from the box which was also part of the prize, but I’m not going to!

Something which is mellow is soft, rich and free from harshness, particularly where our senses are involved. If we’re mellow, we’re either softened by age and experience – or by alcohol! (A nice mellow shiraz, perhaps?)

When describing fruit it meand soft, sweet and juicy. Mellow soil is rich and loamy.

I took this picture of my and Gary’s shadows in the mellow evening light. (That’s not snow but chalk – the light breeze was mellow too.) I *may* have drunk some wine when we returned to the van after our walk.

I currently have a story in both The People’s Friend Weekly magazine, and the special. In all the remains Louisa wants to do one last thing for her old friend and discovers the old lady had felt much the same way – although her nephew feels very differently.

Heart and Home is set in the fictional Moitlet Hall. Isn’t that illustration lovely? It’s even prettier than my own vision of the place!
Did you spot that Moitlet Hall is almost an anagram of Little Mallow?

Tumultuousness is a long word, so I’ll build up to it …

A tumult is an uproar or noise, an angry demonstration or disturbance or a conflict of emotions in the mind.

Tumultuous is disorderly, noisily agitated or making a tumult. If you’re being those things, you’ll be acting tumultuously and demonstrating tumultuousness.

Waterfalls are a tumultuous torrent of water.

Can you imagine the tumult of emotions the pixies experienced when Gary knocked on their door? He only tapped gently, but to them it probably sounded like a tumultuous racket.