Morton S. Gray's Blog, page 3
June 30, 2025
An Insight Into The Characters From High Hopes For The Bomber Girls by Vicki Beeby
This week author Vicki Beeby shares an insight into the main characters from the last in her Bomber Command series, Book 4 – High Hopes For The Bomber Girls which was published by Canelo Saga on 19 June 2025. I have thoroughly enjoyed this series and share my own review of the book at the end of this post. Over to Vicki …
Thanks for inviting me on your blog again, Morton. It feels like only yesterday that I was here to talk about my third Bomber Girls book, and now here I am, back to tell you about the fourth and final book in the series and, in particular, its two main characters.
High Hopes for the Bomber Girls features the same characters as the other books but this time the focus is on Jenny Hazleton and Edwin Holland. I’ve grown very fond of these two over the course of the books so I’ve been looking forward to bringing them centre stage.
Jenny, although highly intelligent, was forced to leave school at fourteen so she could start earning. Yet she has such a love of learning that she devours whatever books she can lay her hands on. A quirk of hers that’s given me a lot of enjoyment is her mispronunciation of words she’s only ever read. As you can imagine, these often pop out at the most embarrassing moment!
I thought that, despite her lack of qualifications, the WAAF would spot her intelligence when she joined, so I had her assigned to a technical trade – Meteorological Assistant. This puts her in close contact with the hero of the story, Edwin, as he is a navigator and needs to visit the station Met Office, where Jenny works, for weather updates before he can accurately plot a course.
Something I always like to explore in my books is how the war interrupted characters’ lives and how it subsequently changes them. Edwin was studying for a PhD in astronomy before the war and if war hadn’t broken out, he would have lived out his life quite happily as an academic – he’s just the kind of geeky character I love writing about! It’s inevitable that with their mutual love of learning, he and Jenny would be attracted to one another, so what’s kept them apart for the last three books? Quite a lot, actually, as readers will discover!
Most of it I can’t reveal here because they would be huge spoilers but I will say that Edwin is finding it hard to reconcile his drive to do his duty and shorten the war with the knowledge that many of their bombs are falling on civilians. This is exacerbated by things he experienced and did when he was shot down behind enemy lines (this happened in Christmas for the Bomber Girls). Needless to say it’s going to take all Jenny’s help to get him to confide in her and, perhaps, start on the road to healing. You’ll have to read the book to find out how it happens!
About Vicki Beeby
Vicki Beeby writes historical fiction about the friendships and loves of service women brought together by the Second World War.
Her first job was as a civil engineer on a sewage treatment project, so things could only improve from there. Since then, she has worked as a maths teacher and education consultant before turning freelance to give herself more time to write.
In her free time, when she can drag herself away from reading, she enjoys walking and travelling to far-off places by train. She lives in Shropshire in a house that doesn’t contain nearly enough bookshelves.
Website: vickibeeby.co.uk
Facebook page: facebook.com/VickiBeebyAuthor
Instagram: @vickibeebyauthor
Sign up for Vicki’s newsletter here
More About High Hopes for the Bomber Girls
The war may nearly be over, but danger is ever-present as storms lie ahead…
Even with peace on the horizon, Met WAAF Jenny Hazleton is as busy as ever. Her keen weather forecasting allows the pilots to continue their missions, including food drops to starving allies and the repatriation of prisoners of war.
Navigating many of these missions is Flying Officer Edwin Holland, whose rejection of her advances at Christmas still stings. Edwin is increasingly haunted by his role in the war, including the bombing of Dresden, and Jenny yearns to comfort him. But when he reveals the shocking reason he turned her down, she must decide if their friendship is well and truly over.
After a local young woman is found dead under suspicious circumstances, Jenny and Edwin come together to track down the killer. Can they rebuild their friendship – and can they ever be more than just friends? Or are the scars of war too deep to truly heal?
The dramatic and inspiring finale to the series, perfect for fans of Kate Thompson, Daisy Styles and Soraya M. Lane.
Purchase link: here
Other books by Vicki Beeby:
Morton’s Review of High Hopes For The Bomber Girls:
I have enjoyed all of the books in this series so a definite five stars from me. My review is as follows:-
There is something so lovely about beginning to read the next book in a series when you already know and care about the characters and can’t wait to find out what happens next in their journeys through life. High Hopes for the Bomber Girls is a very satisfying conclusion to Vicki Beeby’s Bomber Girl series. Although part of me would like to see a book written about these characters after the war and later in their lives too.
This novel concentrates on the story of Jenny, who is much cleverer than she believes herself to be, even with her mispronunciations of words she has only seen written down not spoken. The novel illuminates the impact of some of the things our servicemen and women had to endure and do in the war years and how this potentially affected their relationships and future lives. Lovely to catch up with Edwin, Pearl, Greg, Thea, Fitz, Deedee and Thomas too.
As always with a Vicki Beeby novel, I got carried away with reading and was eager to get back to the book whenever I had chance. Can’t wait to see what the author will treat us to next.
Buy High Hopes For The Bomber Girls: here
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Published by Choc Lit an imprint of Joffe Books
June 23, 2025
The Inspiration Behind The Silent Resistance by Anna Normann
This week my blog guest is Anna Normann, actually the pen name of two co-writers – Natalie Normann and Anan Singh, whose novel The Silent Resistance had a paperback edition released last week (19 June 2025). Natalie, one of the pair of writers, is sharing the inspiration behind the novel for my blog readers. Fascinating story …
Hi Morton and thank you for having me on your blog today. I wanted to share a few thoughts about how the idea for my latest book came to be. I’ve written it with my good friend Anan, and we had so much fun doing this book together after so many years.
I always wanted to write about the Second World War, and years ago I convinced Anan we should try to write something together. We went on to write seven books together before I decided to focus on writing historical romance series.
The Second World War caught my imagination early. I was fascinated by the stories I heard from family members growing up, and I read everything I could get my hands on. Most of the books written before the eighties focused mainly on ‘the boys in the woods’ as they are called in Norway – the brave and heroic resistance fighters fighting the nazis against all odds. I loved it, but it left an impression women didn’t participate much.
Every story, non-fiction and fiction, had men as heroes. Then, over the years, new historians realised there were other stories to be told, stories that were was missing from the official narrative, and they started looking elsewhere. Perhaps they had a woman in their family who joined the Resistance, or perhaps she was a spy fraternising with the enemy for information or she smuggled people out of the country. And finally women started to talk about their experiences, and they were so much more than stories about housewives standing in line for food.
I couldn’t get enough of stories like that.
Photo: Germans arriving in Haugesund 10th of April, 1940When Anan and I started our first collaboration, we wrote a spy story set in Germany during the war. It was great fun and even if we moved on to different genres for our next books, we always wanted to write about the war again. If we could only find the right story…
That idea showed up 29 years later when we finally found something we were both excited about.
The Silent Resistance grew from after we stumbled over a book about ‘The Bigamy Law‘, an amendment in the Marriage Act that devastated the lives of women and their children. In the midst of everything that went on during the Occupation, their own government failed them bitterly.
And it was such a strong betrayal that we couldn’t let it go.
Anni’s husband is at sea, unable to return home, and she has to manage as best she can, to keep their daughter safe and happy. When Guri, her mother-in-law, asks her to help the Resistance, she accepts. Anni pays a high prize for her participation, even ending up in a women’s camp after the war.
Photo of Hovedøya campTheir story is one of many. Ordinary women stepped up and fought the Nazis, knowing the danger to themselves, but they did it anyway. It wasn’t a choice, it was their duty.
About Anna Normann
Anna Normann is the pseudonym of authors Anan Singh and Natalie Normann, and it all happened because of a bet. Sometime in the nineteen eighties, while watching a movie with a so-so plot, they started arguing about improving the plot and how they could write a better story than that mess. And then Anan’s wife said ‘I bet you can’t’ …
Since then, they have published seven books together in Norwegian, exploring different genres. Their first novel, set in the Second World War, won a competition in 1995 for ‘Norway’s best entertainment novel’.
The Silent Resistance is their first book in English together.
Website: https://natalienormannauthor.com/
To keep in touch with Natalie/Anna you can use the following social media links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NatalieNormannAuthor?locale=nb_NO
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/natalienormann/
X: https://x.com/NatalieNormann1
About The Silent Resistance
Occupied Norway, 1944. Anni endures the war alone, aiding the resistance while longing for news of her sailor husband. Her daughter, Ingrid, is her joy, and Anni is determined to keep her safe. But when a German official is billeted at their home, danger escalates, and Anni faces an agonising dilemma.
London, 1952. Ingrid has been trying to understand her mother’s mysterious disappearance at the war’s end. Clinging to Anni’s promise that she would always come back for her, Ingrid sets out to discover what happened all those years ago.
Buying links:
A Very Hygge Holiday (both books on Amazon Kindle UK): Here
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Published by Choc Lit an imprint of Joffe Books
June 16, 2025
Where Is This Year Going? by Morton S. Gray
Where is the year going? I’m very aware that we are almost halfway through the year. Maybe I’d better review my Christmas present list soon?
Talking about presents, my husband has been experimenting with something a little different with his birthday present 3D printer. These earrings are lovely!
I’ve been deep into writing up my husband’s family history for the last few months in collaboration with hubbie’s uncle and cousin. I find myself wishing I had a time machine so that I could ask about some of the career moves and moves across the country the individuals made, for example from Norfolk to the North-East and from Winchester to the North-East via Somerset. It would also be very useful to be able to find some of those elusive missing details too.
I will admit it is distracting me from the novel writing, but I really feel it important to translate all of these research notes in my study into files/books that might be passed down through the generations rather than being thrown away when anything happens to me.
My garden is starting to look lovely and my newly purchased rose is about to flower. As a writer how could I resist a rose called Inspiration?
I haven’t much book news at the moment, but I was thrilled to find that Choc Lit Publishing have launched new versions of the paperbacks for the first six of my books in The Secrets of Borteen Bay series with the updated Kindle covers and this includes Christmas at Borteen Bay, the novel that hasn’t had a paperback version before. Yay!
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Published by Choc Lit an imprint of Joffe Books
June 9, 2025
Food In ‘The Santorini Writing Retreat’ by Eva Glyn
Something a little different on my blog today, as Eva Glyn author of The Santorini Writing Retreat joins me to talk about food featured in her book.
I’ve also included my own review of this fabulous title at the end of the post. If you are quick, you can get the Kindle edition of this book at the bargain price of 99p, as it is on offer at the moment. Links at the end of the post. Over to Eva …
FOOD IN THE SANTORINI WRITING RETREAT
Much as food is an important part of any overseas holiday, I believe it’s an important part of a virtual trip too. And I know from experience my readers love learning about local dishes, so in The Santorini Writing Retreat I didn’t hold back.
It helped that the retreat in the book is set on a farm growing traditional Santorini products – or at least, trying to. The inspiration was Nomikos Estates, which we visited when I went on my research trip to the island, and spent a fascinating morning with the owner, talking and tasting.
Eva in the pistachio orchard at Nomikos EstateBeing volcanic, Santorini has rich agricultural land, but sadly it’s being constantly eroded by tourist development, a trend Yiannis Nomikos is keen to reverse, and a theme I carried into the book. Tourism may earn the big bucks, but the traditional way of life is important too; who wants to visit an island that has basically become a theme park?
Leaving vines to one side, the typical crops are pistachios, fava beans, tomatoes and capers. The fava beans are more akin to yellow split peas than the more broad bean like legumes we find in the UK under that name. They are used to make delicious thick purees, often served with grilled octopus, or simply sprinkled with capers and spring onions.
Fava Bean PureeCapers are not actually cultivated, but harvested from plants growing wild. They spring out of almost every nook and cranny in the rocks on the hills, and from walls in people’s gardens. They don’t feature in the book because they’re collected earlier in the year, but if you visit the island they will pop up in all sorts of meals – both as buds and leaves – and it isn’t a Greek salad on Santorini without them.
The crop which takes centre stage in The Santorini Writing Retreat are pistachios, largely because they are harvested in late summer when the book is set. We wandered the pistachio orchards with Yiannis, learning about how they are grown, harvested, and dried in the sun. And how the trees had been planted by his father from seed in the year he was born. His connection to them was palpable and showed us, more than anything, what traditional farming on the island is all about.
Nomikos PistachiosIf you are interested in recipes for fava beans in particular, please visit the blog on the Nomikos Estate website here: https://nomikosestate.com/blog/
About Eva Glyn
Eva Glyn writes destination based fiction set in sunny Mediterranean climes for One More Chapter. She lives in Cornwall with her husband of almost thirty years and is a travel-holic. She also writes as Jane Cable.
To find out more, follow Eva on Instagram @evaglynauthor or on Facebook Eva Glyn, Author.
More About The Santorini Writing Retreat
Bestselling author Jessica Rose needs to escape from a terrible secret that’s robbed her of her creativity. Could leading a retreat on a gorgeous Greek island be just what she needs?
Coming home to Santorini was never in Zina’s plans, but now she’s determined to make her new business a success.
And then there’s Karmela, who just wants to write her book and make her mother proud.
In the heat of their Greek island paradise, these new friends find the courage to shape their own stories, and write endings they can all be proud of…
Buying Link: https://mybook.to/SantoriniRetreat – don’t forget if you are quick you can get the Kindle edition for 99p!
My Review of The Santorini Writing Retreat – Absolutely 5 star!
I absolutely loved this book and it is my new favourite by Eva Glyn whose books I have enjoyed before. It really felt as if I was part of the writing retreat myself with its wealth of characters with challenges and interesting back stories.
You quickly become involved with the dynamics of Karmela, her mother and Iain, Zina, Lambros and her mother, Jo with her secrets and the other participants on the retreat who all have their own resons for being there. I was keen to read the book having encountered character Karmela in The Dubrovnik Book Club by the same author.
Lots of words of wisdom for everyone in the pages of this book too which have been noted for use at a future date. Thoroughly recommend this title.
The Santorini Writing Retreat is available here.
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Published by Choc Lit an imprint of Joffe Books
June 2, 2025
An Extract from ‘What We Left Behind’ by Luisa A. Jones
This week I’m treating readers to an extract from Luisa A. Jones’ newly released WW2 novel What We Left Behind.
Hi Morton, and thank you for hosting me on your blog today. I’m excited to share an extract from my new book, What We Left Behind, and to tell you more about it.
It’s 1st September, 1939 in Pontybrenin, a fictional town in Wales. My main character, a young librarian called Dodie Fitznorton, is at the village hall, where a raggle-taggle bunch of evacuees has been assembled for local people to collect and take to their billets. Her soft heart has already led her to accept three children, instead of the two her sister had planned to take, in order to prevent a group of siblings being separated. Now, she finds herself faced with a dilemma.
Extract from What We Left Behind…
“It’s so kind of you to take the three, Miss Fitznorton. An odd address – Plas Norton. But – isn’t Plas a German word? Doesn’t it mean town square, or something? Are you… are you German?” Her eyes widened and her cheeks turned pink.
Dodie shook her head hastily. “No, I’m not German, and it’s Plas, not Platz. Plas is a Welsh word. It means…” She hesitated, struggling to come up with a definition that didn’t sound boastful. “It means… mansion.”
“Well, that’s good. You won’t have any difficulty in accommodating three, in that case.”
The billeting officer’s ears had pricked up. He thumbed through his sheaves of papers. “Ah yes, Plas Norton. When I visited, I discussed the possible number of billets with… let me see, now. A Mrs Havard, according to my records.”
“My sister,” Dodie said. “She offered to take two children, but to avoid separating siblings I’ve agreed to take three.”
It wouldn’t do to sound as if they didn’t want to do their bit. When she’d discussed it with Charlotte, they’d both agreed that this was important war service. They’d have been willing even if it wasn’t compulsory. It was one of the few things they did agree upon.
The man sent her a stern look over his reading glasses. “The capacity of the house suggested to me that there was sufficient room for several more. I understand the house was run as a hospital in the last war, accommodating a dozen or so convalescent officers. Even with four adults in the family, and two members of household staff living in, there are still several bedrooms standing empty.”
There was an awkward silence in which Miss Summerill and the WVS volunteer exchanged a speculative look.
Dodie swallowed. “I’ve already taken one more than my sister agreed to…”
“But given that you’re the last host to come forward, and you do have plenty of space… Even if you could take them just for tonight, it would be a great help. And then if you find you don’t have room, we could make enquiries tomorrow to find alternative accommodation. A hostel, perhaps.” The volunteer’s smile seemed artificially bright.
The billeting officer didn’t smile. “The hall closes at six. If no one else comes forward, we’ll have to march those last two around the streets and knock doors until we find a household willing to take them in. It seems a shame to put them through that when you can see they’re already exhausted and hungry. Especially as you are fortunate enough to have the capacity in your… mansion.”
Dodie’s stomach plummeted. So far, the fellow had refrained from pointing out that accommodating a child was compulsory if there was sufficient capacity in the billet. For all she knew, he might have the right to impose a fine if she refused. There didn’t seem to be a way to avoid taking all five children.
“Look at the poor little things,” the WVS volunteer added. “Think of the day they’ve had.”
The vicar had come in, jangling a large bunch of keys in his hand as if he was impatient to lock up. “It’s five to six. Are we all done?” he asked.
“I think we are, Reverend. Are we?” The billeting officer addressed Dodie with a persistence she had to grudgingly admire. He held his pen poised over his papers.
“I suppose we are.” She sighed. “For tonight, at least.”
~~~
In my research, I discovered that many child evacuees were separated from their siblings, some for the whole duration of the war. Many endured long, tiring journeys to their destinations, with no idea where they were going or for how long they might be away from their families. Lots of evacuees recalled being the last to be chosen as locals picked the children they thought were most appealing from the rapidly dwindling group.
Some host families were less than enthusiastic about taking on strangers’ children whose habits and attitudes might be very different from their own, but hefty fines could be imposed for refusing to take in evacuees. It was fun to imagine Dodie’s kindness and courtesy leading her to take on more than she had bargained for, despite knowing this is likely to cause conflict with her sister.
I was enormously grateful to you, Morton, for sharing an extract from your Mom’s memoir with me. It helped me gain further insights into life during the Second World War. I hope you enjoyed this snippet from the book and that it’s whetted your appetite to know what happens next!
More than welcome, Luisa Mx 
Luisa A Jones lives in South Wales. She writes captivating and emotional fiction with characters you’ll root for from the first page. Her first historical novel in The Fitznortons series, The Gilded Cage, was released by Storm Publishing in 2023, followed by a sequel The Broken Vow in 2024. She is currently writing a new series set during the Second World War. The first book, What We Left Behind, was published on 30th May 2025.
To keep in touch with Luisa you can use the following links:-
Website: www.luisaajones.com
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/LuisaAJonesauthor/
Bluesky : https://bsky.app/profile/luisaajones.bsky.social
Bookbub : https://www.bookbub.com/profile/luisa-a-jones?list=about
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/luisa_a_jones_author/
About What We Left BehindWhat We Left Behind: Unforgettable World War Two historical fiction
1939. Bombs threaten London and five small children step onto a rickety train, clutching their gas masks, heading to an uncertain future…
When the war with Nazi Germany sends five displaced children to her door, Dodie Fitznorton knows life in her quiet village will never be the same. Her once orderly home is now strewn with odd socks and abandoned toast crusts, and she gasps when she discovers a flea-infested ginger kitten hidden away upstairs.
But the baggage these little ones bring is far more than just their tattered suitcases. Eight-year-old Olive trembles when spoken to and won’t say how she got a bruised lip, and her brother Peter seems angry at the entire world. Then Dodie meets the children’s grey-eyed American teacher, Patrick Winter, who makes her feel she’s not alone in this fight.
As darkness falls over Europe, Dodie’s fragile sanctuary begins to feel like a fortress under siege. With whispers of spies in the village and the children’s precious futures at stake, Dodie must decide who to trust before everything she’s built crumbles to ashes around her…
A deeply poignant tale of love forged in wartime – heartwarming, captivating and impossible to forget.
Buying Link here
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Published by Choc Lit an imprint of Joffe Books
May 26, 2025
Meet the Main Character of Wild Swimming at Croftwood Lake by Victoria Walker
This week I’m pleased to welcome Victoria Walker back to my blog to tell us more about her main character, Nora Hartford, in her latest book, Wild Swimming at Croftwood Lake which was published on 20 May 2025. Over to Victoria …
I’m thrilled to be on Morton’s blog this week! My latest book, Wild Swimming at Croftwood Lake was published last week (20 May 2025). It’s the fourth book in the series set in the fictional small town of Croftwood, and I’m going to introduce you to my main character.
Nora Hartford is in her early forties and has recently moved to Croftwood after the breakdown of a long-term relationship. She’s a potter – think a cross between Keith Brymer-Jones and Emma Bridgwater – and she’s a fan of wild swimming.
Nora had been with her ex, Julian, since they met at art college and one of the main reasons she left him was because he’d thought he deserved the success that she had, more than she did. She knew that if things were different and he’d had the success that she had, she would have supported him and been happy for him but Julian wasn’t able to do that for her. Ultimately, that was what drove them apart and because they’d made their life in Bristol, Nora knew she had to leave to move on without reminders of him everywhere.
When she settles in Croftwood, in her dream cottage, the only thing missing is her regular swim in the sea pool at Clevedon. Just as she thinks perhaps the only answer is a trip down the M5 to get her fix, she stumbles across a lake on the other side of the woods. It’s an absolute godsend. Swimming is the only thing that’s kept her sane over the past few months. When the water’s cold, she doesn’t think about anything else other than that. It empties her mind of everything for those few minutes while her brain is concentrating all its efforts on deciding whether it’s going to go along with her plan to swim or whether it’s going to send her gasping for the shore. Then, once the initial shock is over, swimming in the lake is the most calming thing in the world. It’s an addiction, a challenge, and whatever else is going on in Nora’s life, it’s a something she can rely on. It helps her believe in what she can do and what she can achieve. Even if the person she thought loved her the most doesn’t love her enough to be proud of her, she’s proud of herself.
As you might have guessed, Nora’s wild swimming habit was inspired by my own. I have to be honest – the main reason I started was because I wanted to own a Dryrobe. I made sure it was something I was going to stick at before I forked out on that, though! I’ve been to the lake almost every week since last June. I’ve been religious about it because I was determined to keep swimming throughout the winter. I gave it a miss when the lake was frozen over because it didn’t seem worth the hassle of getting undressed for a one minute dunk through a hole in the ice. The coldest I swam in was 3C and even with thermal gloves on, my fingers were numb after a few minutes. Were those times as enjoyable as the ones when the sun is blazing and the lake is looking beautiful and inviting? No, they were brutal. But the sense of achievement I had afterwards was immense. And you can’t beat a cup of tea around the fire afterwards snuggled in your Dryrobe having a good old natter.
About Victoria Walker
Victoria Walker has been writing romantic fiction since a visit to Iceland in 2014 inspired her first novel. As well as writing, she spends her free time dressmaking, knitting and reading an inordinate amount of contemporary romance, particularly cowboy romance, occasionally punctuated by the odd psychological thriller and saga.
In the past she has worked as a cinema projectionist, a knitting and sewing tutor and has owned a yarn store, all things which will no doubt appear in her books if they haven’t already.
Victoria lives in the Malvern Hills with her husband.
Social media and website links
Facebook – Victoria Walker Author
Instagram – @victoriawalker_author
www.victoriaauthor.co.uk – sign up for Victoria’s monthly newsletter here!
About Wild Swimming at Croftwood Lake
Nora Hartford, successful potter and keen wild-swimmer, has moved to beautiful Croftwood, leaving Bristol and a twenty-year relationship behind her. Finally living life on her own terms, the last thing she wants is another relationship — until she meets the brooding aristocrat who owns the secluded lake on the far side of the woods.
Lord Archie Harrington’s ancestral estate is crumbling around his ears. With the roof falling in and an empty bank account, discovering a trespasser in his lake is the last thing he needs. Instead, it might be the solution to saving Croftwood Court—and his lonely heart.
As their connection deepens beside the tranquil waters, their lives away from the lake couldn’t be more different. Archie dreams of preserving his family legacy while Nora fears losing the independence she’s fought so hard to achieve.
Can they find a way to build a life together without surrendering the very things that brought them together in the first place?
Join Archie, Nora and the other Croftwood residents for a summer of wild-swimming, celebrations and new beginnings!
Buying link: www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0F55TY5F8
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Christmas at the Little Beach Cafe
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nk you for visiting my blog – Morton S. Gray – Author. I hope you enjoyed this post.
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Published by Choc Lit an imprint of Joffe Books
May 19, 2025
Introducing Author Patricia Williams
I’m introducing a new author to the blog this week – Patricia Williams. Her debut novel The Search for Happiness, a wartime romantic saga was published on 23 April 2025.
Patricia told me that the main character of The Search for Happiness is a young woman of twenty called Beth Daly who is in love with Simon Rees. Her mother Maud however has a marriage to another man John Dawson an unsavoury character in mind for her daughter.
Here is a short extract to whet your appetite …
‘I see our parents are planning our wedding.’ A man’s voice made her jump.
‘John!’ She turned to see the gaunt face too close to her own, her heartbeat increasing with tension and fear. Why had she left the room and the safety of her parents?
‘There will be no wedding for me,’ she spluttered, moving back, the smell of tobacco and beer on his breath, making her feel sick. ‘I intend to enjoy my life first. Once I’m twenty- one I’ll be free to marry whom I choose, not the one that my mother demands!’
She clenched her fists, determined that there was no way she would marry the man in front of her, and turned away, how she disliked him, with his greasy hair too long and his small eyes reminding her of his mother. Abruptly, he hauled her away from the hall doors into the shadows away from the party within.
‘Let’s have some fun to change your mind.’ Pushing her against the wall, he kissed her, shoving his tongue into her mouth and making her retch. She struggled as he dragged aside her jumper, squeezing her breast and making her cry out in pain, and with his other hand he fumbled with his trousers forcing her legs apart. With all her strength, pushing him away, punching him on the nose, there was a satisfying crack. Beth froze as he fell against the fence onto the snow, his trousers around his ankles unable to move.
About Patricia Williams
My name is Patricia Williams, I live in Cardiff with my husband. I have spent my working life as a nurse and then a nurse lecturer at Cardiff University. I had intended to write a reference book on Reflective Practice following my Thesis in that subject. However, my creative juices took me on a different path towards fiction and Romance particularly during the second world war. It wasn’t until I retired that I was able to fulfil my dream to turn away from academic writing to storytelling based on my love of reading. I became a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and joined the local Cariad Chapter of the RNA. I have written several books (Not published yet) as well as The Search for Happiness, hopefully as part of a trilogy. I have benefited from the RNA New Writers Scheme and several writing friends from the chapter providing beta reading support.
About The Search for Happiness
It’s December 1938 when Beth Daly rejects a sexual attack at a dance by the man her mother wants her to marry. Little does she know that as a result he will take his revenge in the bank in Conwy North Wales where they both work. Beth has no choice but to leave the bank to become a part of the Women’s Land Army
She has loved her brother’s friend Simon Rees, since childhood. As the years pass this love has developed into something more, loving him even more. She has to hide this love from her mother who insists that she have nothing to do with Simon. Her mother vows that Beth will marry the man she has chosen for her daughter.
With the Second World War erupting in 1939, Simon enlists in the RAF and asks her to be his wife. He must wait until she turns twenty one in December and does not need her mother’s permission.
Feeling safe on the farm she does not realise that there is someone watching her.
When at a Christmas dance with the Land Army, Beth is attacked and abducted away from the village hall.
Will Simon rescue her in time and will she have to choose between Simon and her mother?
Buying Links:
A Wartime Romantic Saga set in North Wales Link here
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Published by Choc Lit an imprint of Joffe Books
May 12, 2025
An Extract From ‘The House of Lost Whispers’ by Jenni Keer
Blog readers this week have the treat of an extract from Jenni Keer’s new novel The House of Lost Whispers. Published on 27 April 2025 by Boldwood Books this title is attracting lots of high star reviews!
Thank you, Morton, for letting me pop by your wonderful blog again. It’s always such a joy to visit and your virtual biscuits are the best!
On this occasion, I’m sharing a short extract from my recently published EIGHTH novel – The House of Lost Whispers. It’s an historical romance but, as with many of my books, there’s a twist. Olivia Davenport is orphaned when the RMS Titanic sinks with her parents on board. Sent to live at Merriford Manor in Norfolk with her guardian and his four adolescent sons, there is heartbreak on the horizon as WW1 looms. As a particularly imaginative child, Olivia finds solace in a friendship with an imaginary voice through the wall in her tower bedroom… But what if the voice isn’t in her imagination? What if the voice exists in an alternate reality? One where the Titanic had never sank…
Chapter 1
Sunday 14 April 1912
The unprecedented sales of his last book, The Mystery of the Broken Violin, had afforded Mr Jasper Davenport and his wife the finances to sail across the Atlantic Ocean on the largest, most luxurious steamer in the world. It was to be truly the trip of a lifetime and, with public readings at various literary societies lined up in several large American cities, a potentially profitable one to boot.
The Davenports, however, were devastated when their only daughter presented with a blotchy rash the week before their departure. The doctor confirmed what they all suspected: thirteen-year-old Olivia had contracted measles. Selina Davenport was all for cancelling but was eventually persuaded by her husband that they should go ahead because the child had battled the worst of the illness before they were due to set sail. Besides, he pointed out, by being on the maiden voyage of the RMS Titanic, they were certain to go down in history and, as an author of adventure novels, it was an experience he couldn’t afford to miss. He already had in his mind an idea for a story set aboard a great ocean liner, so he planned to treat the trip as research.
From the moment they stepped foot on the ship, they were in awe of both the size and magnificence of this engineering marvel and, as first-class passengers, they were treated like royalty by the crew. Their Louis XVI triple-berth stateroom was the height of luxury, with electric heaters, horsehair-stuffed sofas and marble washstands. Rich Axminster carpeting had been laid in the first-class reception area, the Georgian smoking room boasted a carved Italian marble fireplace, and the grandeur of the main staircase was unparallelled.
Eager to remember every detail, both for the novel he was planning, and to share with his daughter upon their return, Jasper made extensive notes on everything from the bevelled mirrors and fine Irish white linen, to the quirky characteristics of his fellow passengers. Thomas Andrews, the exceedingly amenable Harland and Wolff naval architect who had designed the ship, was on board and was happy to talk about the construction and outfitting of the vessel. Captain Edward J. Smith proved incredibly helpful with his polite enquiries as to the procedures followed should someone pass away whilst they were at sea. Jasper even chatted to some of the children playing shuffleboard and quoits on deck, wondering who his daughter might have befriended had she been present.
All of the information was carefully written up in his leather-bound notebook, and although it wouldn’t make up for Olivia missing this most momentous of journeys, sharing this with her when he returned home was the least he could do.
On the Sunday morning, the Davenports attended the church service, led by the captain, in the first-class dining saloon. Afterwards, Jasper set to work outlining his next novel at the small table in their room on A deck. The room itself had inspired the fictional setting for the grisly murder of a wealthy Manhattan heiress, and he could already picture the scene: her dark-red blood pooling into the thick carpeting and an ivory-handled dagger sticking from her back. One of the more talkative stewards, who regularly answered the bell push above the bed and served them their morning tea, had been earmarked as a possible character in the book. A particularly theatrical fellow, Jasper could quite see him being the one to discover the body, running down the corridor with his hands in the air and wailing like a woman.
That afternoon, he helped his wife secure a deckchair on the promenade. She sat with a tartan steamer rug across her knees to read a book; not one of his though – she complained that they were rather too violent for her tastes, centring as they did, almost entirely around men. He then took himself off to the first-class smoking room and settled in one of the leather-upholstered armchairs, where he engaged some of the other passengers in a lively political debate.
That evening, the couple dined on oysters, filet mignon, roast duckling and peaches in Chartreuse jelly. The temperature dropped sharply and by eleven o’clock, they were tucked up, snug in their four-foot-wide bed, complete with its impressive ornamental brass bedstead. Selina placed her cold toes on her husband’s bare legs and he chastised her, before relenting and allowing her icy feet to remain.
At exactly 11.39, he rolled over in his sleep and flung his arm across his wife. On the ship’s deck, unbeknownst to him, lookouts Frederick Fleet and Reginald Lee were in the crow’s nest, ninety-five feet in the air, alert for hazards in the water. The air temperature had fallen to near freezing, and below a clear sky, punctuated with sparkling stars, the ocean was as calm as a millpond.
But, at precisely that moment, an anomaly in the magnetic field surrounding the earth allowed radiation from the sun to enter the atmosphere and shoot along every vein of metallic ore that ran through the planet. The resulting vibrations disrupted the very fabric of space and time and, inexplicably, a duplicate earth was formed as the reality of this world cleaved into two. Few people noticed anything amiss as it lasted the tiniest fraction of a second. A jolt in our physical existence. A juddering of time. But those magnetic ripples were felt through every deposit of copper and seam of iron that ran from the molten core of the planet to the earth’s crust.
For most of the 1.8 billion people going about their lives, this involuntary wrinkle was not even noticed. But on that night, at that exact moment, when the very survival of over two thousand passengers was at stake, every fraction of a second made a difference to the tragic sinking of a luxury liner somewhere in the North Atlantic Ocean, four hundred nautical miles from its intended destination. On that night, in that exact location, that ripple mattered…
I hope the opening of the book is enough to whet your appetite!!!
Jenni x
About Jenni Keer
Jenni Keer lives in the glorious Suffolk countryside with her four grown up children, three demanding cats, but just the one husband. She is often frustrated by their inability to appreciate that when she’s staring into space, she’s actually working, and that watching television counts as research. Much younger in her head than she is on paper, she adores any excuse for fancy-dress and is part of a disco formation dance team.
Keer has written two contemporary rom coms and six quirky historicals, with another due out in the autumn.
The best-selling No. 23 Burlington Square (her 1920s sliding doors mystery) has now sold over 100,000 copies.
Find Jenni @jennikeer on all social media platforms
Buying link for The House of Lost Whispers below –
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nk you for visiting my blog – Morton S. Gray – Author. I hope you enjoyed this post.
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Published by Choc Lit an imprint of Joffe Books
May 5, 2025
Too Many Ideas? by Morton S. Gray
Do I have too many ideas?
I was in a reflective mood the other day and so took time out from the social media whirlygig. I love writing and get ideas for stories from everything and everywhere but does that stop my necessary focus on preparing one book for publication? Hmmm ….
I have so many ideas that I’ve often thought I should start an ideas agency lol.
Regular blog readers will know that I have published seven books in the Borteen Bay Series under the Choc Lit Publishing now Joffe Books banner, but nothing stays the same in the publishing world and I suspect that my publisher wants different things at the moment to the stories that I pen.
So I decided to do an inventory of novels both finished and in progress or planned. I even made myself laugh, as on my list I discovered I have six contemporary novels, six timeslip novels and six standalone titles, one of which could develop into a series of its own. No wonder I am confused where to devote my writing energies!
Any tips on how to decide how to proceed welcome but I suspect it is a decision only I can make – so the debate will continue – maybe I need to dowse or play “eenie meenie mo”.
Watch this space as to what I decide … At least I’m not short of ideas
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nk you for visiting my blog – Morton S. Gray – Author. I hope you enjoyed this post.
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Published by Choc Lit an imprint of Joffe Books
April 21, 2025
About Hunger By S L Rosewarne, Plus An Extract
This week I have a return visit on my blog from Sue Kittow, writing fiction as S L Rosewarne. Not afraid to tackle difficult issues in her fiction, Sue has recently published her latest title Hunger and joins my blog to tell us more and to share an extract. Over to Sue …
Hello Morton, and thanks so much for having me back on your blog!
Sue and LainyI know people get confused as I write non-fiction as Sue Kittow, my maiden name. I decided to use Rosewarne to write fiction, as it was my mum’s maiden name and now she is no longer with us, there are no Rosewarnes to carry the name on. So I felt my books should do that job!
I’ve written five Cornish literary themed walks books as Sue Kittow and have now diversified into writing fiction – The Rescue, a tale of overcoming bereavement, narrated by woman’s best friend, Moll, and the sequel is Lainy’s Tale which details the rollercoaster of adopting a rescue dog, also narrated by Moll.
Hunger, my third novel, is not written by Moll. Sorry for all Moll fans, but it wasn’t appropriate as Moll was very greedy, and Hunger deals with a mother’s desperate journey to find help for her daughter who’s suffering from anorexia. This is drawn from my own experiences of being anorexic many years ago. It’s such a taboo subject, and one which no one really understands, so this is my attempt to shed some insight into a truly brutal disease, but also to give hope that there is life, love and humour after an eating disorder.
More About Hunger
When Laura’s partner leaves home, their 13-year-old daughter Jess copes by losing weight and getting fit, running for miles along the Cornish coastpath with her beloved dog.
Her other obsession is photography, and she lives for Saturday mornings, when she and her father meet to take pictures.
But when they have to move house and change schools, Jess feels her world fall apart and gradually retreats into anorexia: a fierce, constant battle against starvation. How can Laura persuade Jess to get help before she becomes dangerously ill?
Laura and Jess must discover the importance of friendships and of accepting help, and must learn to trust again with help from their new friends as well as their treasured four-legged companions.
Extract from Hunger:-
16 year old Jess is talking to her therapist, Angela, about Jess’s imaginary twin, Maddy, who personifies her eating disorder:-
I had another session with Angela. She said,’ have you thought about how you’d make friends with Maddy?’ She smiled. ‘Or Madeleine, depending what mood she’s in.’
‘She’s definitely been Madeleine over the past few days, throwing a real wobbly,’ I said.
‘Was she shouting or crying?’
‘Both.’
‘Why?’ she said. ‘What caused her wobbly?’
I had to think about that. ‘I think it’s cos she’s scared.’
Angela’s face brightened, like I’d said something really clever. ‘Why is she scared?’
‘Because she can’t do what she wants,’ I said. That wasn’t quite right, so I added, ‘cos she’s out of control. And that’s really scary for her.’
Angela nodded and then she said, ‘What is she good at? Apart from schoolwork and games. What are her hobbies, her interests?’
I shrugged.
Angela said, ‘Perhaps she’s jealous because you’re the talented one.’
‘Me?’
And she grinned. ‘Yes, you,’ she said.
I could feel my face go red and I couldn’t say anything.
Angela sat back and said, ‘If Maddy was upset, what would you do?’
I had to think about that. ‘Well, we could hang out. Go and see a film maybe.’
‘And what would you talk about?’
‘I dunno,’ I said. ‘I’d ask her why she was upset, I guess.’
‘How would you feel after you’d talked, do you think?’
‘I suppose I’d feel good.’
‘Why is that?’
And I said, ‘Because it’s nice to make other people feel better.’ I told her about Shelly. Then it dawned on me that apart from her, I hadn’t tried to make anyone feel better for a very long time.
Angela nodded and said, ‘Yes, anorexia makes you very selfish.’
That really hurt, and I said, ‘It’s not like I want to be selfish, it’s that I’ve been taken over by anorexia. By Maddy. I don’t upset people on purpose, you know.’
Angela nodded but didn’t say anything. And that really got to me. I hate the idea of being selfish. And though I don’t like to admit it, she might be right. All I’ve thought about recently is me, my weight, how to avoid eating. I haven’t really considered how Mum must feel. Or Em. Or how Nick feels coming to visit me here.
And I felt really small. I think Angela knew because she smiled and said, ‘That’s the trouble with depression. It does make you very introverted, so you don’t have the energy to think about other people. And you forget how good life is with those that you love and care about.’
That’s really stayed with me. I don’t want to be that selfish person. Then I realised that Mum and I haven’t been close since Dad left, and I really miss that. And I don’t want to be selfish with Nick or Em or Mum or Gran or anyone I love. Even Dad.
Buying links – www.suekittow.com
Amazon – http://bit.ly/4i3j8ZJ
About Sue Kittow
I write contemporary women’s fiction with an underlying theme which can be overcoming grief (The Rescue), second chances and dealing with a traumatised rescue dog (Lainy’s Tale), how to live with and overcome anorexia (Hunger) – everyday dilemmas that many of us face.
I hope that by sharing my experiences, wrapped up in characters that have grown from my imagination, you may laugh and cry with us, and enjoy reading how they overcome their troubles.
My other books are my series of literary Cornish walks – Walks in the Footsteps of Poldark, Daphne du Maurier, Cornish Writers and Rosamunde Pilcher, also available from my website as well as Amazon.
To keep in touch with Sue you can use the following links:-
Links – www.suekittow.com
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/suekittow2016
Instagram – walks_cornish_writer
Twitter/X – @floweringpot
Substack – @ suekittow Walking – and writing – with Sue
Thank you for visiting Morton S. Gray’s blog.
Sign up to my blog to receive weekly updates below:
Christmas at the Little Beach Cafe
Tha
nk you for visiting my blog – Morton S. Gray – Author. I hope you enjoyed this post.
You can also find me on Amazon, Facebook, X Twitter and Instagram.
Published by Choc Lit an imprint of Joffe Books
