What weather! Hope you are all coping with the unusual amount of rain we have had in the last few days. I have never suffered from delusions of grandeur, but for a couple of days we had our own private moat. Very privileged. I am aware that many properties have been inundated and it must be very scary to be at the mercy of the elements.
The Café.
Towards the end of January, I was invited to drop into the Library Café at Hale Village Hall. What a terrific idea the library café is. We had tea and excellent cake, and I gave them a copy of each novel to add to their shelves for future lending. It was a very relaxed atmosphere, and it was great to meet and have a chat. Several dogs came along for the walk and were very well behaved. The café is open in Hale Village Hall, on Tuesday afternoons from 2-4pm. It is located downstairs. I attach a picture of the gathering.
Update.
Shot in the New Forest, my working title for book 4, is now complete and has started the final stage of its journey. It has been sent to my publishers The Book Folks who are part of Joffee Books. They will oversee the final edits, the design of a book cover and eventually publication. I don’t yet know if they will change the title or leave it as it is. I am looking forward to seeing their sample cover designs. I was pleased with their choices for books one, two and three.
In Shot in the New Forest a local photographer is killed on his daily run along Hale Purlieu. He is married with two daughters and is a stalwart of the local community. He teaches Sunday school, is the chairman of the gun club and on every committee going.
Rev Harry smiled. ‘Have you ever lived in a small community, inspector? You will hear as many different opinions of a man as there are days of the week.’
‘And on Sundays,’ Daisy said, ‘Everybody is a saint.’
‘Spoken like a native, young lady.’
But somebody didn’t like him…
Craft fairs.
I really enjoyed having the chance to chat with readers at craft and book fairs last year. It was interesting to find out which characters in the books were your favourites and your hopes and expectations for their futures. I now know that there was hope of a relationship between Callum and Daisy…sorry. Callum has met Rainbow Waters and Daisy…watch this space.
So I am going to attend some more fairs this year. The first one we are going to is on 21st February at Alderholt Village Hall, not a location we have been to before, but I am looking forward to it.
The following month we are going to Woodfalls and Morgan’s Vale Hall on the 7th March, Bransgore on 21st March and Lyndhurst on 28th. We will be selling and signing books and if you have already purchased copies and would like them signed, bring them along and see us.
Book 5
Plotting for the next book in the New Forest Murder Series is starting soon. It will be set in Frogham and the surrounding area. More soon.
Hi Carol, I met you at the pre-Christmas fair at Woodfalls and Morgan’s Vale last year. I have, subsequently, read all three Callum MacLean books and am greatly looking forward to your fourth. I love your writing and, as a relative newcomer to New Forest life, appreciate the accuracy of your descriptions of nature as well as your astute observations of the characters’ personalities. I shall certainly pop along to one of the fairs, maybe Aldershot, to see you again.
Best regards, Maggie
Hi Maggie,
I am so pleased that you are enjoying the series.
We are going to Alderholt on 21st February as you say, and if you do get to come along, then please come and say hello.
We are also going to Woodfalls again in March.
This is not yet in the public domain, but Joffee Books are hoping to produce my novels as audio books, so a quick research question, if you don’t mind. They have asked me who I see as my main characters. Callum is a taller, broader Neil Oliver from the Coast series of TV programmes.
Which actor, or TV character do you see as Daisy?
Best carol