Morton S. Gray's Blog, page 8

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 Tw itter and Instagram.

Published by Choc Lit an imprint of Joffe Books

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Published on April 15, 2024 04:01

April 8, 2024

Interviews, Book Recommendations and Other News

Morton S. Gray Radio Appearance

I was recently interviewed for a new radio programme, Books and Tunes on West Wiltshire Radio by fellow Choc Lit author Christine Penhall. I have been interviewed a few times in the past for BBC Radio Hereford and Worcester, so I knew what to expect, but Chris made the process very relaxed and the interview was recorded. You can listen to it on this link – here

Other Choc Lit authors who have been interviewed for Books and Tunes include Kirsty Ferry, Berni Stevens and I know Victoria Cornwall and Anni Rose are on the programme soon too, so it’s worth keeping an eye on.

Recent Reads

I always have a book on the go and thought I would share a few of my favourite recent reads:

The Dubvronik Book Club by Eva Glyn, One More Chapter

In a tiny bookshop in Dubrovnik’s historic Old Town, a book club begins…

Newly arrived on the sun-drenched shores of Croatia, Claire Thomson’s life is about to change forever when she starts working at a local bookshop. With her cousin Vedran, employee Luna and Karmela, a professor, they form an unlikely book club.

But when their first book club pick – an engrossing cosy crime – inspires them to embark upon an investigation that is close to the group’s heart, they quickly learn the value of keeping their new-found friends close as lives and stories begin to entwine…

Find The Dubvronik Book Club here

The Cornish Midwife Jo Bartlett, Boldwood Books

A fresh start…

Midwife Ella Mehenick left the small Cornish town of Port Agnes for London and never looked back. But when her seemingly perfect life crashes down around her, there’s only one place she can heal her battered heart – the place she once called home.

A new arrival…

Ella is quickly welcomed into the small community midwife team and loves her new job caring for mums and their precious babies – it’s what she does best! But being back also means facing ex-flame Dan Ferguson…the first man to break her heart.

A second chance at love?

Dan is still as gorgeous as ever, but he’s never forgiven Ella for leaving. And now she’s back it’s clear that there is unfinished business between them. As Ella settles into her new/old life, she can’t stop the memories of how she once loved Dan so completely – and maybe never stopped.

Maybe coming home to Cornwall is Ella’s chance to love again…

Meet The Cornish Midwives of Port Agnes- where community, friendship and love are always delivered.

(This is the first in this series and I have read and enjoyed most of the other books in the series now too!)

Find The Cornish Midwife here

Plot Twist by Breea Keenan, Headline Accent

Becca Taylor is having a bad summer.

Her best friend is dead. Her good-for-nothing ex is back in her life. And her career is in freefall.

So, when fellow writer Riley O’Connell invites Becca to the charming Irish countryside, she can’t pack her bags fast enough, even though they have never met.

But happily-ever-after isn’t quite so simple.

And Riley is not a sensitive female romance novelist like Becca assumed. No, he is definitely a man. A hot, six-foot tall, Irish man.

But with their complicated pasts getting in the way, Becca and Riley just can’t get on the same page.

So can fate give their love story a rewrite?

Find Plot Twist here

What Am I Up To?

Having published my seventh book set in my fictionalised town of Borteen in January, writing wise I’m now working on a new contemporary novel series and a couple of timeslip books. My writing process never ceases to amaze me, in that I seem to like working on several projects at once. Wish me luck.

Thank you for visiting Morton S. Gray’s blog.

My latest release is A New Arrival in Borteen Bay

About The Secrets of Borteen Bay Series

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 Tw itter and Instagram.

Published by Choc Lit an imprint of Joffe Books

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Published on April 08, 2024 00:01

April 2, 2024

What Is Your Legacy? by Morton S. Gray

I’m a day late blogging this week, but there is a valid reason. My youngest son was 21 on Friday and we were invaded by his friends for the weekend. Seven staying on Friday night and five on Saturday has meant I’ve spent the rest of the weekend washing towels and bedding and restocking the fridge. It was however a great pleasure to chat to these young men and women, all about to finish their university days and embark on their careers – what a lovely group of young people and great friends to my son. I wish them all the best of luck with their final exams, dissertations and futures.

My own legacy has been a subject I’ve been pondering of late. There are of course my two sons, grandson and my seven published novels. I’ve probably mentioned before that my late mother wrote her memoirs for the period of her life from her birth in 1933 until the death of my father in 1989. Since mom’s death in 2022 I have been typing up her words – all 29,000 words of them, which for someone who consulted a dictionary for many spellings is no mean feat!

It was of course a very emotional journey through my mother’s life, including the war years and meeting and marrying my father and early information about myself and my younger sister, with many mentions of other family members too. I lost count of how many tears I shed, but I like to think it might have helped with the grief process too.

I now intend to embellish mom’s words with relevant photographs from her own extensive photograph collection and possibly add snippets from my own recollection of events mentioned. When I’ve done that, I need to investigate a short print run (any ideas welcomed) so that I can give copies of her memoirs to family members, particularly her grand and great grandchildren.

The process has been interesting and cathartic and has turned my thoughts to my own legacy of information and to getting this into some sort of order. The extensive notes I have on our family tree and the stories I wrote during a memoir course would probably all disappear if something happened to me tomorrow. So, I have vowed to produce a more lasting record in a format that family members might at least keep on a bookshelf.

I’ve started by photographing favourite things about the house and then writing the story of each object below, making sure of course that I print these pages and put them into a folder so that it is all together in one place.

So my purpose in writing this today is to urge readers of my blog to maybe consider their own legacy information and how that can be recorded. Any thoughts welcome in the comments …

Thank you for visiting Morton S. Gray’s blog.

My latest release is A New Arrival in Borteen Bay

About The Secrets of Borteen Bay Series

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 Tw itter and Instagram.

Published by Choc Lit an imprint of Joffe Books

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Published on April 02, 2024 03:38

March 25, 2024

An Extract From A New Arrival In Borteen Bay By Morton S. Gray

I’ve come to the conclusion that I am much better at promoting other authors books on my blog than my own, so this week I’ve gritted my teeth and decided to shout about my latest novel by sharing an extract. I do hope that you enjoy it.

My seventh novel A New Arrival in Borteen Bay was published on 23 January 2024 by Choc Lit an imprint of Joffe Books. I am sharing an extract from towards the end of the first chapter. If you haven’t yet read the book I hope that you are encouraged to read on …

This is what it says on the back of the book:

FALL IN LOVE WITH AN UTTERLY IRRESISTIBLE, BRAND-NEW ROMANCE ABOUT FRESH BEGINNINGS AND LETTING GO OF THE PAST.

Skye knows it’s now or never. It’s time for her to reveal herself to the father she’s never met.

So she hops on a plane from Dublin to the English seaside town of Borteen.

But between the father she’s just getting to know and her worried mother, Skye realizes that the past is never that simple as a whirlwind of secrets turns their world upside down.

And now Skye has Adam, the hunky guy next door, to contend with. He’s determined to show her there’s room in her life for love.

Skye thinks they’re better off as friends, but Adam has other ideas. Even when she reveals a secret of her own.

Will Skye allow history to repeat itself? Or will she let go of the secrets of the past and open herself up to the future?

This extract is from the end of the first chapter of the book :-

“Her mother was going to kill her.

Skye took off the beaded dress very carefully. She now knew that it had been her mother’s wedding dress and had always been in the box on top of the wardrobe at home, cushioned in tissue paper. Glancing again at the photograph of her mother wearing the dress on her wedding day, which Wynn had only shown to her for the first time a week ago, Skye couldn’t quite believe how closely she’d managed to replicate the image from the photograph, right down to the correct positioning of the feathers in her hair.

She undid the plaits now, letting the feathers fall to the patterned carpet of the guesthouse bedroom. Her newly loosened hair had a wavy appearance that looked extremely odd, given she was used to her raven-black hair falling in a sleek curtain around her face.

What exactly had she achieved from her theatrical performance? She questioned her motivation. It had all seemed so clear before she’d arrived here. She’d seen the light of recognition in Buzz’s eyes from across the sand labyrinth and the dawning of his disbelief, but then her courage had deserted her and she’d run away as fast as she could.

Her mother had recently finally given in and supplied answers to her questions, telling her about Buzz and his crystal shop in the small seaside town of Borteen, with the flat above where they used to live together. Skye had peered through the windows when it was closed and guessed it was like a time capsule, still selling the same crystals and incense as when her mother had been involved in the business all those years before.

Her mother had been less forthcoming about her reasons for leaving Borteen and Buzz, clamming up completely with tears in her eyes. Skye was confused and frustrated, especially as her mother appeared to treasure the wedding dress and her wedding photograph from the way they were kept safely and separately in the box on top of the wardrobe.

With no further information, Skye had decided to come to Borteen to try and get answers for herself. She had another reason for travelling to England after all.

The guesthouse bedroom was large and comfortable, if old-fashioned. She’d booked it for two weeks and defiantly paid the bill with her mother’s credit card before she’d left home. She’d spent a couple of days building her courage, silently and stealthily watching Buzz, like a private investigator. The fact that he’d set up the labyrinth on the beach had been a bonus.

She guiltily knew that by now her mother would have found the credit card payments for her flight and the accommodation at Rose Court guesthouse. She’d know that Skye was in Borteen, England, and she wouldn’t be at all happy.

Curiosity might yet kill the cat . . .

As she’d run up the stairs to her room dressed as her mother, impersonating her mother in fact, she’d nearly bumped straight into the dishy guy who was staying in the opposite room. He’d introduced himself to one of the other guests at breakfast as Adam. She knew it was Adam, because the elderly man had repeated it as Alwyn and had been corrected.

Adam had apologized for getting in her way, even though it was really her fault they’d almost collided. He’d looked at Skye and the strange dress with curiosity and, dare she imagine it, interest in his blue eyes. She made an effort to try to remember that look of admiration, as given her current predicament, she was unlikely to have the time or inclination to think about men or romance for the foreseeable future.”

Buying Link here

About Morton S. Gray

Morton lives with her husband and Lily, the tiny white dog, in Worcestershire, U.K. She has been reading and writing fiction for as long as she can remember, penning her first attempt at a novel aged fourteen. She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and The Society of Authors.

Her debut novel The Girl on the Beach was published after she won the Choc Lit Publishing’s Search for a Star competition in 2016. Her other books for Choc Lit are The Truth Lies Buried, Christmas at Borteen Bay, Sunny Days at the Beach, Christmas at the Little Beach Café, Summer at Lucerne Lodge and A New Arrival in Borteen Bay.

Morton previously worked in the electricity industry in committee services, staff development and training. She has a Business Studies degree and is a qualified Clinical Hypnotherapist and Reiki Master. She also has diplomas in Tuina acupressure massage and energy field therapy. She enjoys crafts, history and loves tracing family trees. Having a hunger for learning new things is a bonus for the research behind her books.

You can catch up with Morton with the following links:-

Website and blog at www.mortonsgray.com

X Twitter @MortonSGray

Facebook Author Page – https://www.facebook.com/mortonsgray/

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/morton_s_gray/

Thank you for visiting Morton S. Gray’s blog.

My latest release is A New Arrival in Borteen Bay

About The Secrets of Borteen Bay Series

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 Tw itter and Instagram.

Published by Choc Lit an imprint of Joffe Books

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Published on March 25, 2024 02:24

March 18, 2024

An Extract From At The Stroke Of Midnight By Jenni Keer

A regular visitor to my blog, Jenni Keer released a new novel At The Stroke Of Midnight on 12 March 2024 and I am delighted that she is here to share an extract of the new book published by Boldwood Books …

Thank you so much for inviting me on to your blog again. It’s always such a pleasure to be asked, and your virtual biscuits really are the best I’ve ever had.

Also, HUGE congratulations on your January release of A New Arrival in Borteen Bay. Such a great cover! (Thank you, Mx)

I’ve had an exciting week over here in sunny Suffolk, with the release of my sixth novel last Tuesday, so it gives me great pleasure to share an extract of At the Stroke of Midnight with you all today. But, first things first, let me tell you a bit about the book…

What it says on the back of the book –

It’s 1923 and in a decade that promises excitement and liberation, Pearl Glenham and her father are invited to a mysterious country house party on the Dorset coast, by a total stranger.

Her father claims not to have any prior association with Highcliffe House, but upon arrival, it is apparent that he has a shared history with several of the guests, although he won’t admit it. Belatedly discovering that her father was blackmailed into attending, Pearl’s worries are compounded when their host fails to arrive…

Intimidated by everyone at the party, she escapes to the nearby cove and stumbles upon a mysterious mercury clock hidden in a cave. This strange encounter sets in motion a series of events that will culminate in an horrific house fire, claiming the lives of all the guests, including Pearl herself.

But then Pearl wakes up back in the cave, seemingly destined never to live past midnight. She can repeat the day. But can she change its outcome?

This is the first time I have dipped my toe in the waters of cosy crime, with a book my publisher describes as “Rebecca meets Agatha Christie meets Groundhog Day”. It was such a fun book to write, so now let me whet your appetite with a scene where the guests first have lunch, and Pearl begins to suspect strange things are afoot…

***

Céline had all eyes on her from the moment she stepped back onto the terrace to join them for lunch. A waft of expensive scent both preceded and followed her, and her movements were graceful and considered. She had changed into another stunning ensemble – a yellow and turquoise jewelled turban was about her head, and she was swathed in yards of matching oriental-style silk. It was all terribly modern, and far too extravagant for daywear. The blue suit was obviously just her travelling ensemble, and Pearl wondered how many changes of clothing the woman usually wore during the course of a day.

A pleasant, if simple, meal was served, where Pearl contributed little, but observed a very great deal. Her father immediately rearranged the cutlery and glassware set before him so that everything was perfectly aligned, looking across at his daughter as he did so as if to imply this was something she should have seen to. But it was Céline who held most of her attention. The older woman casually brushed the arms of the men and frequently ran her tongue across her painted red lips. (She only ever wore red lipstick, she confided, as it was the most sensual. Poor Pearl didn’t know how to respond.) There was a considered pause before the Signora spoke and, was it Pearl’s cynical imagination, or was the woman deliberately stretching out those Gallic vowels in her honey-coated voice, just to trap the buzzing insects of men seated around the table?

Mr Standfield, on the other hand, was all bluster and impetuous pronouncements.

‘Dammit, it’s so hot, a fellow could strip to his undergarments and throw himself in the sea.’

Everyone looked up from their food, even Aldo, who Pearl noticed was finally looking engaged, if only by his plate of cold chicken pie and salad.

‘I have no desire to go to the cove,’ Céline said, pulling a face that demonstrated exactly how objectionable the thought was to her.

‘No, well, quite,’ Standfield said. ‘Perhaps a cold bath is preferable. The sea is for paddling children and impoverished fishermen.’

Pearl said nothing but thought he was being rather snobbish, considering Queen Victoria herself had been an exponent of the health benefits of an ocean dip.

Despite their protestations otherwise, it quickly became apparent to her that, with the possible exception of the silent Aldo, the other three guests had met before. There was something about the way they sat, bodies tilted away from each other, and the awkward pauses in the conversation. Everyone was still avoiding the usual civil enquiries about family, occupation and background, which convinced her this was a trio of people who had a shared history but, for some unfathomable reason, were not prepared to admit it…

***

I hope you are intrigued enough to want to read on. If you are, the book can be found here – mybook.to/strokemidnightsocial

I try to write quirky books because I enjoy reading quirky books. I hope that the twists and turns catch you out, and if they don’t, I hope you enjoyed the smug feeling of being right. You clearly have a brain that works like mine.

It’s been a real rollercoaster of a ride in the five years since I’ve been published, but with each release, I have grown in confidence as a writer, and I was thrilled that my 2023 release, No 23 Burlington Square, stayed for such a long time in the Amazon Kindle top 100 chart. Buying link – mybook.to/burlingtonsqsocial

Thank you so much for having me over, Morton. Do connect with me on social media. I’m easy to find as I’m Jenni Keer everywhere. (Thanks goodness my husband’s surname was more unusual than mine!) Have a glorious Easter and roll on the summer weather.

Jenni x

Thank you for visiting Morton S. Gray’s blog.

My latest release is A New Arrival in Borteen Bay

About The Secrets of Borteen Bay Series

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 Tw itter and Instagram.

Published by Choc Lit an imprint of Joffe Books

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Published on March 18, 2024 00:42

March 11, 2024

Who Is Eva Glyn?

Good friend, Eva Glyn’s latest novel The Dubrovnik Book Club published by One More Chapter was released on 8 March 2024. To celebrate the author reveals something of the real Eva Glyn for my blog readers …

Eva… she is me, and yet she isn’t. Perhaps she’s the best version of who I’d like to be, or maybe just a handy pseudonym for my books set in Croatia. Either way, I’ve become very comfortable with her, and when a certain coffee shop insists on having my name when I order, I normally give hers instead.

So where does the name come from? Eva was my father’s mother’s name. She died before I was born, but as Dad was a writer too it just felt right to use it. And Glyn is a tribute to my Welsh roots; most specifically author and poet Glyn Jones, a friend of my parents and a man I admired greatly.

Clearly Eva loves to travel, and her books were born out of her first trip to Croatia in 2019. Not only did she hear the most moving of stories about a boy growing up during the war in the 1990s, but she fell in love with the place and the people. That ‘boy’ is tour guide Darko Barisic who as well as inspiring The Olive Grove has become both a collaborator and a close friend.

Eva with Darko

Eva’s most recent trip abroad was to Florence where she soaked up the fabulous churches, the Medici history, Tuscan hilltop towns and a huge amount of pasta. She’s definitely a foodie, but sadly she shares my intolerance of wheat, and can’t even try the fabulous cakes and savoury pastries that feature in her books.

Naturally Eva loves to read and the stories she loves most are about people and their relationships. Not necessarily romances; friendships, families, neighbours… any book that puts the characters centre stage. As an author she’s lucky enough to receive review copies of new titles before publication, and her three most recent recommended reads are Bonjour Sophie by Elizabeth Buchan (out 4th April), The Best Way to Bury Your Husband by Alexia Casale (14thMarch) and Claire Dyer’s fabulous What We Thought We Knew.

About Eva Glyn

Eva Glyn writes escapist relationship-driven fiction with a kernel of truth at its heart. She loves to travel and finds inspiration in beautiful places and the stories they hide.

Her love affair with Croatia began in 2019, and since then the country’s haunting histories and gorgeous scenery have proved fertile ground for her books, driven by her friendship with a tour guide she met there. His wartime story provided the inspiration for The Olive Grove and his help in creating a realistic portrayal of Croatian life has proved invaluable. Her second novel set in the country, An Island of Secrets is a dual timeline looking back to World War 2, and although her third is a contemporary romance featuring mature main characters, The Collaborator’s Daughter, has its roots in that conflict too.

Inspired by authors she loves such as Libby Page and Faith Hogan, Eva has wanted to write books about unlikely friendships for a long time. March 2024 sees her dream realised when The Dubrovnik Book Club is published. She had just the best fun choosing the diverse book club reads, including titles by Richard Osman and Jane Austen.

Eva lives in Cornwall, although she considers herself Welsh, and is lucky enough to be married to the love of her life, who she’s been with for almost thirty years. She also writes as Jane Cable.

Social media:

Instagram: @evaglynauthor
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EvaGlynAuthor/
Twitter: @janecable
Bookbub: @evaglyn

About The Dubrovnik Book Club

‘The perfect summer escape, I adored it!’ USA Today Bestseller, Faith Hogan

In a tiny bookshop in Dubrovnik’s historic Old Town, a book club begins…

Buying Link : https://mybook.to/TheDubrovnikBookClub

Review by Morton: 5 Stars

An Interesting and Absorbing Read

I have now read several novels by Eva Glyn, but I do believe this is my favourite book. A story, or rather multiple entwined stories, told through the point of view of four characters which I found myself absorbed and carried away by.

Claire has come to Dubrovnik to run a book shop for the owner whose wife is seriously ill and runs a book club at the store. Claire is paranoid about catching Covid again after a particularly nasty bout of the disease and Long Covid too. She has to learn to cope with the proximity of others. Luna, her assistant in the bookshop has secrets and obstacles of her own to overcome. Karmela, a history professor, caught up with the past and the distant past needs to thaw and allow herself to have friends again and Vedran, probably my favourite character, has complex wounds both from the war and his toxic relationship with missing girlfriend, Didi.

When the future of the book shop is threatened all four of the main characters and their friends need to join forces to try to save it.

As the story unfolds we learn more about the past and present of these characters and their life aspirations too. The book club reading choices are cleverly intertwined with the narrative of the story experienced by Claire, Luna, Karmela and Vedran. I found myself sneaking away at all hours of the day to read a little more and was totally wrapped up in their stories.

I think this book could easily lend itself to a sequel. Bravo Eva Glyn.

Thank you for visiting Morton S. Gray’s blog.

My latest release is A New Arrival in Borteen Bay

About The Secrets of Borteen Bay Series

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 Tw itter and Instagram.

Published by Choc Lit an imprint of Joffe Books

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Published on March 11, 2024 00:47

March 3, 2024

What Made Me A Writer by Anni Rose

This week Anni Rose is back on my blog talking about what made her a writer. Anni has a fantastic series out with Choc Lit an imprint of Joffe Books the latest of which is Recipe for Mr Christmas. Over to Anni …

What made me a writer? – That’s a difficult question, I like to think it was in my blood. I know we both share a love of genealogy, and had a day out in Birmingham together last year, to trawl through adoption records to help a friend of mine find his half-brother. We did find the necessary record and managed to reunite the family.

As a writer, I am always fascinated about the characters I come across in the course of my research. Actually, I do have several other successful authors – writers of both fact and fiction in my family tree, so perhaps it was my destiny.

In fact if we were to go back as far as the fifteenth century, there is someone, potentially an ancestor of mine, although there are a couple of gaps in the tree that still need to be bottomed out, that I’d like to tell you about.

Our John, as I shall call him, was the earliest known owner of a copy of The Canterbury Tales, because he bequeathed it in his will, which was drawn up in 1420. At the time it was valued at £11 3s. Still a lot more than you’d pay for most books these days and back then £11 3s would net you either: eight horses; nineteen cows; 61 stones of wool; 35 quarters of wheat; or 557 days of skilled labour. Today’s cash equivalent value is estimated to be around £7,200.00 (2020), although one of the first printed versions of the book, printed fifty years after John’s death, did fetch over £4.5 million at auction fairly recently.

There does seem to be a certain amount of evidence to suggest that John’s copy was an original. Not only did he know Chaucer, but also one of the characters in the Canterbury Tales – Harry Bailey.

Chaucer’s starting point for the Canterbury Tales was the Tabard Inn, set in Southwark, which back then was “a most disreputable suburb of London” – home to brothels and drinking houses. And the host of the fictional Tabard Inn, in Chaucer’s books was one Harry Bailey. Harry travels with the pilgrims as not only their guide but the judge of the travellers’ tales, so he could have been said to have instigated the first short story competition.

Both Harry and the Tabard Inn really did exist. The Inn burnt down in 1669 but was subsequently rebuilt and renamed the Talbot which finally felt into disrepair in the 1870s and was demolished. These days a plaque can still be seen commemorating the site and the George Inn, the oldest galleried public house in London and its neighbour is still there. Another literary connection coming up – Charles Dickens wrote about the George Inn in a couple of his novels, including Little Dorrit.

Who owned the Tabard back in Chaucer’s day is unclear, it might even have been our John. We can certainly trace him in Southwark back to at least 1378 and he is listed in the Southwark poll tax returns of 1381 as a hosteller with three servants.

Whereas, Harry Bailey, in real life was an MP, a tax collector, a sometimes coroner in Southwark and also a collector for the notorious poll tax. And guess what, one of those who worked alongside him in 1381, collecting the poll tax was John. Although when the peasants revolted and stormed their way through Southwark, it is believed that John joined their numbers and may have helped keep London bridge open to let the rebels through.

Shortly after, there came a move to clean up the area and close down unsanctioned brothels. In 1390 a petition to the then king urged him to shut them down. So, the King demanded the landlords of five such brothels to appear before him and one of those landlords was John, who was sent to the Tower of London for fourteen days with his servant.

John appears to have seen the error of his ways, no more unsavoury behaviour from him! In 1392, he described himself as a tailor, and he remained a member of that fraternity until his death in 1420.

These days, with the internet, more and more information is readily available, so I’m still hopeful that a link will present itself soon and John can take his rightful place on my tree.

Of course registration of births, deaths and marriages has been a legal requirement for 150 years, which makes family research a bit easier. For a number of years, I was lucky enough to be a registrar. To be able to help anyone register a birth, death or marriage was a real privilege. I always loved hearing people’s own stories and being able to help them, which prompted the idea of making my main character, Maddie, a registrar in Recipe for Mr Ideal.

Maddie was such a fun character to write, she believes that marriage should be for life, regardless of whether the ceremony involves specially trained owls, dinosaurs or the police, it should be only the beginning of a story that will end in happily-ever-after.

Saying that, Maddie’s own married life is far from perfect. When her husband, David, suddenly walks out, Maddie’s long-held beliefs are put to the test.

Except Maddie knows David was never really her ‘Mr Ideal’; that was sweet, funny, motorbike-riding Josh Diamond – although obviously not that ideal, as he did dump her to move to the States. Even so, when Josh unexpectedly rides back into town, Maddie begins to wonder whether her happily-ever-after could still be to come …

So, thank you for having me on your blog today Morton, it has as always been fun talking to you and good luck with your own family history.

What a fascinating family history tale, Anni and we must go researching together again soon. Mx

About Anni Rose

Born and raised in Berkshire, Anni emigrated to Wiltshire eight years ago, where she lives with her husband, sister and two dogs.

As a child, she could usually be found either reading or writing fiction, producing reams of stories over the years.

On leaving school, the need to earn a living sort of got in the way and her writing was limited to financial reports or employees’ handbooks, but a local writing course and an encouraging group of writing friends re-ignited the fiction flame many years later and Anni went on to have several short stories published in various magazines.

Anni would describe her writing these days as mainly modern romantic stories with a healthy dollop of humour thrown in. Away from writing Anni can usually be found behind a camera, walking the dogs, enjoying one of her husband’s curries or one of her sister’s bakery treats.

You can catch up with Anni on her website www.anniroseauthor.co.uk, on Twitter – @AnniRoseAuthor, or on her Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/anniroseauthor

About Recipe For Mr Christmas

Sometimes second chances take a little time . . .

Susie Keane is mourning the death of her husband. They had a wonderful forty years of marriage, but now she’s unsure of what to do with her life.

Until the arrival of the annual Christmas card from the oh-so-perfect Bailey family gives Susie the push she so desperately needs. Next year, she’ll be the one with the exciting stories to gloat about.

Hello cooking courses, motorbike lessons and pole-dancing classes. Goodbye moping about and feeling sorry for herself.

But then something happens that Susie isn’t prepared for. A school reunion.

And she definitely isn’t prepared to meet a man who does the impossible. Bob Diamond is the first person to put a smile back on Susie’s face.

Bob lost his wife eighteen months ago and knows exactly what Susie’s going through. And it doesn’t hurt that he’s a singer and guitar player in a band. Together, perhaps they can fall back in love with life and find joy again.

With Bob by her side, Susie soon discovers that, sometimes, the best gift of all is the one that brings two lonely hearts together . . .

This utterly heart-warming story about new beginnings later in life is perfect for fans of Caroline James, Judy Leigh, Cathy Hopkins, Alexandra Potter, Dee MacDonald, Sue McDonagh or Maxine Morrey.

Book buying links:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/40GjhKh

Choc Lit Website: https://www.choc-lit.com/authors

Thank you for visiting Morton S. Gray’s blog.

My latest release is A New Arrival in Borteen Bay

About The Secrets of Borteen Bay Series

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 Tw itter and Instagram.

Published by Choc Lit an imprint of Joffe Books

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Published on March 03, 2024 23:58

February 26, 2024

What Makes Me A Writer by Helena Dixon

This week I’m pleased to welcome Helena Dixon back to the blog to tell us about her fascinating writing journey. Helena’s 15th Miss Underhay Mystery – Murder at the Island Hotel – is published on 4 March 2024 by Bookouture. Over to Helena …

Thanks Morton for hosting me on your blog. I thought I’d talk about what makes me a writer and why I write my books.

I joined my first writing group when I was twelve and started off with poetry, getting published by my local paper who would pay me by postal order. That ages me, doesn’t it? I finished my first novel when I was 17 complete with homemade hand painted cover. It was pretty terrible. I carried on writing and finished several more novels all of which were rejected for various reasons.

Then I had three children in four years so writing went on the back burner until just before I was 40 I had a health scare. That made me realise that it was no good saying I’d be an author someday. That day was now, and I needed to either put up or shut up.

I started writing again, the internet came into being and I learned more about my craft. Eventually I sold two books in one week. One was Marrying Max which went on to win a national prize. The other was The Cinderella Substitute which sold to a U.S publisher. These were romance stories. I wrote another thirty or so romances, several are now out of print while I decide what to do with them.

However, a lot of my books had elements of a mystery or crime and my then agent, Madeleine Buston suggested I should write crime novels. My father was a retired police chief inspector and I love watching and reading classic mysteries. I also love old buildings and the area where I now live in Devon.

My health problems reappeared, and I stopped writing for almost four years. In that time I had one book which I’d started but wasn’t sure what it was. After talking to Elizabeth Hanbury, a fellow writer I realised it was a 1930’s set golden age style mystery and I had a lot more ideas for where the book could go. I sent it off to various places and my current agent Kate Nash sent it to auction.

We received several offers before going with Bookouture and Murder at the Dolphin Hotel and the Miss Underhay series sprang to life. I’m currently writing book 16 and have signed a new contract for 6 more books in the series. All the books can be read as standalones and Murder at the Island Hotel is my latest book. I’m also working on another project which I hope to make an announcement about soon! Watch this space as they say …

Thank you, Helena. I always love hearing about the journey of other authors and wow another six books, how wonderful. I’ve read and loved Murder at the Dolphin Hotel but need to catch up on the others. Good luck with everything. Mx

About Helena Dixon

Helena Dixon is a Black Country girl living in Devon. Married to the same man for over thirty-seven years she has three daughters, one grandson, a cactus called Spike, and a crazy cockapoo. She is allergic to adhesives, apples, tinsel and housework. She was winner of The Romance Prize in 2007 and Love Story of the Year 2010 as Nell Dixon. She now writes historical 1930’s set cozy crime. Helena enjoys hearing from readers and you can read her news and contact her via her website at https://www.nelldixon.com visit her blog at https://www.nelldixonrw.blogspot.com find her on Twitter @NellDixon and friend her on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nell-Dixon/228642037151856 or follow her on Instagram @HelenaDixonauthor Subscription to her non spammy newsletter is free https://t.co/upTmuKukHd

About Murder at the Island Hotel

Helena’s latest book in the best-selling Miss Underhay series is Murder at the Island Hotel

A gorgeous island off the English coast, a beautiful hotel perched on the cliffs, a group of glamourous friends… and a suspicious death? Kitty Underhay’s invitation didn’t mention murder!

Spring, 1936. As the boat draws into the harbour of Bird Island, Kitty is absolutely delighted to see the stunning hotel for the first time. She and her friend Alice have been asked to join the distinguished guests before the hotel officially opens its doors, but they have barely unpacked when the owner is found dead in his own study…

Sir Norman’s death looks like suicide. But Kitty isn’t convinced – she cannot find a note, and he is left-handed but was shot on the right side of his head. Kitty tries to reach the police, but a violent storm engulfs the island and the power goes out. Kitty and Alice need to move quickly before anyone else finds death on their dinner menu!

With several old friends amongst their suspects, Kitty decides the investigation should stay secret. But it’s not until Kitty uncovers Sir Norman’s financial difficulties that she’s on the killer’s trail. Can Kitty and Alice catch the culprit in time for tea, or will they become the next guests on the murderer’s list?

Get your copy at https://t.co/die4zcDdjX available in audio, paperback or kindle from March 4th 2024.

Thank you for visiting Morton S. Gray’s blog.

My latest release is A New Arrival in Borteen Bay

About The Secrets of Borteen Bay Series

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 Tw itter and Instagram.

Published by Choc Lit an imprint of Joffe Books

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Published on February 26, 2024 00:39

February 19, 2024

A Tribute to Lynn Forth

Today (19 February 2024) is a sad day but also a celebration of determination, living well and friendship, as we say goodbye to the lovely Lynn Forth who sadly died on 28 January 2024 as we attend her funeral.

I first met Lynn at a writing event in 2014 and we hit it off right away. Lynn lived close to me and together with other writing friends from the area we met regularly from then on until her death either online or in person, including going to the Romantic Novelists’ Association conferences.

First meeting in 2014

Lynn was always full of life and laughter. She was guaranteed to have a witty saying, a double entendre, an alliteration or a naughty take on most things and loved to burst into song. She will forever be associated with flamingos, fans and large necklaces. She will be sadly missed and we all agreed at our writing meeting last week that we need to Live like Lynn (she loved alliteration).

So, this week I wanted to make a little tribute to Lynn and her books on my blog and yes, her personality shines through in her work too. Lynn published four novels, Love in La La Land, Love, Lies and Cafe au Lait, The Girl Who Used to Be Me and Secrets of the Chateau. You can check out her novels here

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Farewell lovely friend …

Thank you for visiting Morton S. Gray’s blog.

My latest release is A New Arrival in Borteen Bay

About The Secrets of Borteen Bay Series

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 Tw itter and Instagram.

Published by Choc Lit an imprint of Joffe Books