Friday morning, and
as usual, Doreen was running late for work, but before she could contemplate a
day mucking out for her three clients, she needed her tobacco fix. Racing out
of the front door, she noticed a balloon bobbing, on a ribbon,
tied to her neighbour's door handle. “Happy Birthday” the message read in
sparkling colours. Doreen chuckled. Her old neighbour was a birthday boy.
Pulling her jacket zip up, she hurried down the
corridor towards the staircase that would take her out of Wentworth House and to
Mr Greedy’s, the corner shop. Lengthening her stride, Doreen decided she would
get the old boy a card.
Rooting through the
poor selection in the shop, Doreen sighed, ‘Blimey there aint nothing suitable
for an old geezer.’ Excepting she was out of luck, she dropped the motley
collection back on to the box top she had lifted them from. Shrugging, she
gazed down on the floor and saw a card lying there. Picking it up, she giggled.
‘Perfect,’ she cried. The words could not have been more appropriate if she’d written
them herself. On a dull day, Doreen’s face lit up, maybe life wasn’t all that
bad, she thought and headed to the counter to add her purchase to her slate.
Upbeat with her find,
and standing at the counter, she let her guard down and before she realised her
error, Mr Greedy talked her into doing something she vowed she never would…
It would be a few
weeks before Doreen realised that buying a birthday card for her neighbour
would change her life.
I've just received an
email from a reader... it made me cry!
"I’m
in bits here. I’ve just finished Satchfield Hall. So glad my make up was
delayed this morning. Sitting here with tears streaming down my face. The last
time I remember that happening with a book was Gone With The Wind and I was
about 14. Have left a review on Amazon - I don’t do that often either.
Celia Bryant-Smythe
could never have imagined the high price she would have to pay for her one
mistake.
As her father, Henry
Bryant-Smythe learns of her indiscretion, he not only deals with it, but stamps
on it with a resounding thud that will ricochet through the years. He cares
nothing for the consequences of his actions that will bring heartbreak, pain and
loss.
Set between 1943 and
1986, Satchfield Hall is a sweeping saga of deep love, evil lies and ruthless
power.
What
readers have said…
“Barclay
overdoses us, wrings us out with oceans of wide-ranging emotions in this book.
She does it skilfully, subtly, poignantly. The story is utterly compelling.”
This
book has received a Discovering Diamonds Review:
"Satchfield
Hall is a combination of a family saga and a ‘great house, upstairs-downstairs’
story, which may appeal particularly to older women readers who remember their
own parents’ ‘old-fashioned’ attitudes. A novel to read by a warm fire during a
chilly weekend."
“I thoroughly
agree with our #DDRevs reviewer: Ms Barclay writes engrossing and highly
enjoyable novels ideal to curl up with on a cold day, or relax in the garden in
the warm sun.”
Helen
Hollick
founder
#DDRevs
“Pauline
Barclay takes the reader through the gamut of emotions. The characters are
believable, the story grips you from the beginning, and the end it concludes in
several very satisfying ways.”
“A
wonderful family saga of love and betrayal… I absolutely adored this book and
can't recommend it highly enough! It even made me cry with sadness and
happiness!”
On my special
post, Promoting Yorkshire Authors, I am delighted to welcome, Malcolm Hollingdrake.
Malcolm is here
to talk about his crime series, the Harrogate Crimes, so please help yourself to
a glass of bubbly and settle down on a recliner to find out what happens on the
streets of Harrogate.
My name is
Malcolm Hollingdrake and I write the Harrogate Crime Series featuring DCI Cyril
Bennett and DS David Owen. Thank you very much for inviting me to chat with you
here. It’s so rewarding to be asked to say a little about the books I write. “I
write” – when I say those words, I still have to pinch myself – I look at the
books, The Harrogate Crime Series, lining the shelf and feel very proud.
I
have two copies of each book, both sets have the same titles but there are two
different covers and to some extent two different collections of words within.
Why is that so?
A
couple of years ago I was lucky to sign a one book contract with Bloodhound
Books and that quickly turned into a three book and then a seven book deal. If
someone had said that would be the case in 2016, I would have laughed. By 2019,
all seven books had been accepted and I was commissioned to write a new crime
series featuring a female detective and I was offered an advance for each book.
However, circumstances prevented that happening and after careful consideration
I was determined to take back control of my work and publish independently. For
this to be a success I would need time, acquire new skills and a degree of
‘going over the top’ courage.
The
advantage of this process was that I could now re-edit the books again and
refresh them. I could add elements that I realised were missing from the first
editions and I could work to design the book covers. It did, however, take
longer than I had anticipated but I got there and now all seven books are
available in both eBook and paperback format. The first five are also available
as audiobooks narrated by the wonderful Nicholas Camm.
As
the series title suggests, the books are set in Harrogate, Yorkshire, but I thrive
on linking the crimes to some of the beautiful places within the Yorkshire
Dales. I have never had to design a set for my work … nature has done that for
me!
Book
Eight, ‘Treble Clef’ was released this year and looking at the growing number
of positive reviews it has been well received. May I take this opportunity to
thank the readers of the series for making it a continued success.
Many
years ago, I wrote my first novel entitled ‘Engulfed’. It was a novel I felt
compelled to write and one I am extremely proud to add to my library. Late last
year, after scripting eight books, I felt as though my writing skills had become
more enhanced. I wanted to breathe new life into this specific work and so
‘Bridging the Gulf’ was re-written, edited and re-covered in the style of the
Harrogate Series. It will be published on 7th August.
I
have now started work on book nine of the Harrogate Series with a working title
of ‘Threadbare’. I’m excited to be back writing and researching a new novel and
I have a publication date of February in mind.
Although the books are written as a series, I do work very hard to ensure that each could be read as a stand-alone. More information about my work can be found at:
It's arrived, the day my latest baby steps out into the world! I've loved writing this book and hope you will enjoy it as much as I have. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your amazing support, not just for The Birthday Card, but for everything over the years.
The blurb!
Doreen Wilkinson, a
woman in her mid-thirties and single mother to a seventeen-year-old daughter,
going on thirty, can never imagine life will be anything other than the daily
slog of trying to keep body and soul together.
Running late for
work, she hurries out of her flat and sees a balloon bobbing on a thin ribbon
tied to her neighbour’s door handle. Realising it must be the old boy’s
birthday she decides to get him a birthday card at the same time as she picks
up a packet of cigarettes from the corner shop.
Whilst the cigarettes
will go up in smoke, the purchase of the birthday card will change her life
forever.
The Birthday Card is
a feel good, light-hearted read that will have you laughing out loud.
“Very touching look into the life of Doreen
Wilkinson, and how she handled the surprise of her life. Fun and funny, Doreen
is an endearing character with a big heart that will have you cheering for her.
An excellent prequel to Sometimes it Happens. Delightful!” Julie Dexter
“Ms Barclay has an ability to take a reader from sorrow to mirth in an instant.”
The Birthday Card is available from
all Amazon sites
“Ms Barclay has an ability to take a reader from sorrow to mirth in an instant.”
Just three days to publication day for, The Birthday Card... yes, I'm Counting!
The blurb!
Doreen Wilkinson, a
woman in her mid-thirties and single mother to a seventeen-year-old daughter,
going on thirty, can never imagine life will be anything other than the daily
slog of trying to keep body and soul together.
Running late for
work, she hurries out of her flat and sees a balloon bobbing on a thin ribbon
tied to her neighbour’s door handle. Realising it must be the old boy’s
birthday she decides to get him a birthday card at the same time as she picks
up a packet of cigarettes from the corner shop.
Whilst the cigarettes
will go up in smoke, the purchase of the birthday card will change her life
forever.
The Birthday Card is
a feel good, light-hearted read that will have you laughing out loud.
“Very touching look into the life of Doreen
Wilkinson, and how she handled the surprise of her life. Fun and funny, Doreen
is an endearing character with a big heart that will have you cheering for her.
An excellent prequel to Sometimes it Happens. Delightful!” Julie Dexter
The Birthday Card is available to pre-order from
all Amazon sites
Today, on Yesterday
Uncovered, we slip back to 1800s
Sitting
round my pool is Susan Appleyard the author of, historical novels, so please
help yourself to a glass of chilled bubbly, a plate of tapas, then make
yourself comfortable and enjoy slipping back to the 1800s.
Tell us a little
about yourself
I
write only historical novels. To date, I have had two traditionally published
(before my career went in the toilet) and I have published eight Ebooks. I have
just completed the first draft of number eleven. I live in Ontario for half the
year and Mexico for the other half. Lucky me.
What inspired you to
write about the 1800s?
Empress
Elisabeth of Austria inspired me. I first came across her in a podcast and was
immediately fascinated and decided to write a book about her. During that
process, I came across her cousin Ludwig II of Bavaria. I can’t say why these
two people attracted me anymore than I can explain why I like chocolate and not
cheese. My present wip is set in the thirteenth century but I would like to
visit the 18th again.
Tell us little about
the story and its plot without giving too much away
It
is a novella that tells of the last months of Ludwig’s life and how he was the
victim of a conspiracy by his own government to depose him. Ironically, the
pretext was that he was insane, but he was followed in the kingship by his
brother Otto who had been declared insane several years earlier.
Is any part of the
story based on facts / real events?
Within
the parameters of historical fiction and perhaps my own bias, it is all true.
If research was necessary
what did this involve?
Mostly
my research concerned reading about Ludwig’s life and the times he lived in. I
was fortunate to be able to visit the beautiful province of Bavaria and some of
the castles he built or was associated with. That was undoubtedly one of the
joys of writing about the 18th century as opposed to the medieval
period where so much is in ruins.
Please
add all your social media links below and make them hyperlinks if you can.
On
my special post, Promoting Yorkshire Authors, I am delighted to welcome back,
Chris Turnbull.
Chris
is here to talk about his latest book, The
Planting of the Penny Hedge, so please help yourself to a glass of bubbly
and settled on a recliner to learn about a new detective in town!
Blurb
WHITBY
1891
When
an unknown man is discovered dead on Whitby beach, it is assumed that he has
drowned. However, when the police arrive at the scene it soon becomes clear
that there is more to this case than a simple drowning victim.
The
chief calls in newly appointed Detective Benjamin Matthews to look into the
case. Matthews, originally from Whitby, has been living these past two years in
York as a PC, and is less than happy with his transfer back to the harbour
town.
With
a relocation, a family conflict and now a new case to solve Matthews is well
and truly thrown in at the deep end; and the more he delves into the young mans
complex life, the darker things get.
Inspiration
The
detective in this book is in fact the detective that appeared in one of my
earlier works (D: Whitby's Darkest Secret) and after the publication of Darkest
Secrets in 2015 I began to draw my attention to the detective. I wanted to know
more about this man (because in Darkest Secrets he is more of a secondary
character) and I wanted to explore further into his life. I also loved setting
one of my books in Whitby, as I adore the place, and was keen to go back there
through my writing.
The
Planting of the Penny Hedge story came to me in 2016 and with other projects
already started I simply worked on it at small intervals at a time. Finally at
the end of 2017 I began working fully on the story, and over the course of a
year plotted out and wrote the first draft.
It
is an exciting and nervous time as my latest baby is about to be set free into
the big wide world. The Birthday Card, will be published on 12th July
in Kindle (paperback to follow later this year).
Over
the last months, Doreen Wilkinson and her daughter, Trisha, have sat at my side and
giggled away telling me their story. They have made me laugh out loud, chuckle
quietly and occasionally, Doreen, has made me feel a little emotional. How can
fictional characters do this?
Over the years, I
have enjoyed writing all my other books and loved my characters equally. Yet this
book has been a joy to write and as much as I want it published, it is always
hard to let your characters go, but, and I do say but, who knows, maybe, there could be
another book in the future with these two wonderful characters.
The blurb!
Doreen Wilkinson, a
woman in her mid-thirties and single mother to a seventeen-year-old daughter,
going on thirty, can never imagine life will be anything other than the daily
slog of trying to keep body and soul together.
Running late for
work, she hurries out of her flat and sees a balloon bobbing on a thin ribbon
tied to her neighbour’s door handle. Realising it must be the old boy’s
birthday she decides to get him a birthday card at the same time as she picks
up a packet of cigarettes from the corner shop.
Whilst the cigarettes
will go up in smoke, the purchase of the birthday card will change her life
forever.
The Birthday Card is
a feel good, light-hearted read that will have you laughing out loud.
“Very touching look into the life of Doreen
Wilkinson, and how she handled the surprise of her life. Fun and funny, Doreen
is an endearing character with a big heart that will have you cheering for her.
An excellent prequel to Sometimes it Happens. Delightful!” Julie Dexter
“Ms Barclay has an ability to take a reader
from sorrow to mirth in an instant.”
The Birthday Card is available to pre-order from
all Amazon sites
