The tempting front cover of A Gift for Maisie Bloom
Maisie Bloom is a newly qualified teacher who lives in the Yorkshire Dales. She is kind, fun and full of hope, and she is one of the reasons I have been absent from my blog.
A Gift for Maisie Bloom has been my great writing escape and is my debut romance novel. The story follows a newly qualified teacher who becomes an accidental sleuth and falls in love. I adore romances and indulge in those delicious cosy mysteries on television, so I have combined these genres.
An escape to the Yorkshire Dales
Conversations with my niece Maria inspired the relationship between Maisie and her Aunt Ada. I love my niece’s perspective on life, but it always amuses me that she forgets I was her age once upon a time. It was a joy to send Maisie on her adventures and hide tiny jewels of observations that may one day connect with Maria. And I must confess I also listened carefully to all other nieces and nephews, so I’ll leave them to dig for a few treasures.
A Gift for Maisie Bloom has a special place in my heart. What a thrill to create my own idyllic village in the Yorkshire Dales, then send Maise to Paris. Of course, I also insisted on lots of sunshine, good times and laughter.
A research trip to Yorkshire
I can’t wait for readers to meet Maisie and her nosy neighbours.
More about A Gift for Maisie Bloom:
You’re not supposed to fall in love when investigating your aunt’s disappearance.
When Maisie Bloom inherits her aunt’s cottage in Yorkshire, life is perfect, including her two love interests. But when mysterious mail and blog posts arrive, she discovers Aunt Ada was investigating the disappearance of a prolific author in Paris. Was it murder? Soon Maisie is hot on the trail.
But can you sleuth in Paris without falling in love?
Early reviews of A Gift for Maisie Bloom:
‘Readers are going to fall in love with Maisie.’
‘This wonderful mystery is a gift for readers who enjoy cozy crime, intrigue and romance.’
‘Refreshingly different! Laugh-out-loud humour laced with whimsy, eccentric characters and delightful glimpses of the Yorkshire countryside and romantic Paris.’
‘I defy you not to laugh out loud at the antics of the nosy neighbours.’
‘A curl up on the settee and read the winter blues away novel.’
It’s a gorgeous cosy mystery mashed up with romance and is all about books, love and family, starting in a Yorkshire village and then whisking you off to Paris.’
Karl is a chartered accountant who previously worked in financial markets for over thirty years. He has collected books his whole life with a focus on London and crime fiction. He is married with two children and lives in Surrey.
Jessie: Can you tell me about ‘The Weight of the Shadows’?
Karl: At one level ‘The Weight of the Shadows’ is an entertaining crime thriller mystery with plot twists and turns. At another level it is the first six days at the beginning of a series that introduces some interesting characters and a narrative that has subtle and, I hope, thought provoking subjects.
Jessie: Crime thrillers are always popular. It’s a great genre to establish a fanbase. What have the reviewers said about your new book?
Smiling, Karl started to recall some of the reviews.
Karl: “an intriguing plot, thoughtful, profound themes, complex troubling characters, and language that make us shudder for its honesty, clarity, and confidence” – Piaras O Cionnaoith
“irresistible book, impossible to put down” – Bookgirl Sulagna
“a story that is intense and heart-pounding!” – Elaine Emmerick
Jessie: I’m impressed that you have already commenced your second book. We are in an ideal place to read. Can you read an extract from the book to tempt the reader?
Karl: It’s a real privilege to read here in Agatha Christie’s library.
Benedict was motionless with one thought. Never give up.
She pushed the tip of the blade in and under the skin on his chest, near his heart.
Karl: This extract is only a few words, but the importance of these at the start of the narrative is significant.
Jessie: A great choice – you certainly hook the reader into the narrative. I can tell that you enjoyed constructing the narrative and the characters. How did you feel when you had finished writing your book, and did you miss any of the characters?
Karl: The euphoria of finishing was quickly met by the realisation that as an indie author the work had just started. Apart from the marketing, reviews, social media etc. I remembered that I needed to start working on the second book in the series.
Given the second book in the series starts the day after the end of this first book I’ve not really had the opportunity to miss the characters.
Jessie: Who would you like to read your book and why? This could be another author, someone famous, a friend or a member of your family.
Karl: If I were choosing an author it would be Agatha Christie. We could discuss the pace of the plot and sub-plots.
If it were someone famous (and alive) I’d ask Stephen Fry to review the book. Within the series I’m going to try to examine and compare some cognitive and emotive subjects through the plot, characters and narrative. I’d really like to discuss these with him.
Karl Holton
Jessie: Why should I keep your book in my handbag?
Karl: Well I hope it has a plot that keeps you guessing and is enjoyable as it begins to reveal itself. If you read some of the reviews you will notice that it’s not clear what the connections are at the start and then the plot arcs entwine; that’s very deliberate.
Jessie: What is the last sentence written in your writer’s notebook?
Karl: ‘Nice nails’ – you’ll have to read the book to see why I might have written that down.
Jessie: What is the biggest challenge for an author?
Karl: This is a really interesting question because it will very much depend upon what type of author you want to be. A full-time author who wants a publisher to do everything for them will have a very different set of challenges compared to an indie with a job who is happy selling a few books a month. I’m going to give you my answer based upon what I am, which is an indie who is trying to make this my full-time job.
My single biggest challenge is becoming known enough so that people take a chance and buy, read and review the book. As an indie author, you have no one to help this happen so you need to do it and this takes a significant amount of both time and commitment. In a world where we have over 200k books published in the UK per year and possibly 1 million in the US, just being seen is a challenge that any aspiring author should not understate.
I have discussed this issue with other authors, both published and indie. Personally, I think many really talented authors will either give up or just never be seen because they get lost in this ‘jungle’.
Jessie: What is the best advice that you have received as a writer?
Secrets, art, Spain and Yorkshire are always winning ingredients for me. Intrigued by Connectedness, when it arrived in the Handbag Gallery, I invited Sandra to tell us more about the inspiration behind her book. She was kind enough to respond and offer a giveaway.
Dear Readers,
I am delighted to present an extract from Connectedness, the second in my ‘Identity Detective’ series of adoption reunion mysteries.
When her mother dies, Justine returns to her childhood home in Yorkshire where she decides to confront her past.
Justine Tree’s art sells around the world, but does anyone truly know her? When her mother dies, Justine returns to her childhood home in Yorkshire where she decides to confront her past. She asks journalist Rose Haldane to find the baby she gave away when she was an art student, but only when Rose starts to ask difficult questions does Justine truly understand what she must face.
I firmly believe that daughters do not tell their mothers everything, and vice versa. I didn’t. Did you?
Happy reading!
Sandra Danby
Collaging on the track in Istan, Spain
Extract from Connectedness by Sandra Danby
The clouds hurried from left to right, moved by a distant wind that did not touch her cheek. It felt unusually still for May. As if the weather was waiting for the day to begin, just as she was. She had given up trying to sleep at three o’clock, pulled on some clothes and let herself out of the front door. Despite the dark, she knew exactly the location of the footpath, the edge of the cliffs; could walk it with her eyes closed. Justine lay on the ground and looked up, feeling like a piece of grit in the immensity of the world. Time seemed both still and marching on. The dark grey of night was fading as the damp began to seep through her jeans to her skin. A pale line of light appeared on the eastern horizon, across the flat of the sea. She shivered and sat up. It was time to go. She felt close to both her parents here, but today belonged to her mother.
Three hours later, she stood at the graveside and watched as the coffin was lowered into the dark damp hole. Her parents together again in the plot they had bought. It was a big plot, there was space remaining.
Will I be buried here?
It was a reassuring thought, child reunited with parents.
TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD, ARTIST JUSTINE TREE HAS IT BUT SHE ALSO HAS A SECRET THAT THREATENS TO DESTROY EVERYTHING
Is Justine strong enough to admit the secrets and lies of her past? To speak aloud the deeds she has hidden for 27 years, the real inspiration for her work that sells for millions of pounds. Could the truth trash her artistic reputation? Does Justine care more about her daughter, or her art? And what will she do if her daughter hates her?
Justine’s tale of art, adoption, romance and loss moves between now and the Eighties, from London’s art world to the bleak isolated cliffs of East Yorkshire and the hot orange blossom streets of Malilaga, Spain.
A family mystery for fans of Maggie O’Farrell, Lucinda Riley, Tracy Rees and Rachel Hore.
Praise for Sandra Danby
This is a novel that I found hard to put down as it swept me along on a roller-coaster of an emotional ride. I had to pull myself together not to burst into tears. Isabell Homfeld, book blogger, Germany
With her well-defined, sympathetic characters, layers of meaning, and sensual, all-engaging descriptions, the author takes us on a highly-emotional and gripping journey through the art world, exploring love, loss and human weakness, all coming together in a truly heartfelt conclusion.Liza Perratt, Book Muse book blog
Evocative and descriptive prose brings places to life with sights, sounds and scents. Justine becomes a very sympathetic character as layers are peeled away and more and more of her past is revealed. Cathy Ryan, Between the Lines book blog
A proud Yorkshire woman, tennis nut and tea drinker, Sandra believes a walk on the beach will cure most ills.
A proud Yorkshire woman, tennis nut and tea drinker, Sandra believes a walk on the beach will cure most ills. Unlike Rose Haldane, the identity detective in her two novels Ignoring Gravity and Connectedness, she is not adopted.
One of the great things about writing this series is that I continue to write about Rose, of whom I am very fond despite her occasional spikiness. To me she is a real person. I grew to love Justine too, perhaps because her birthplace in Yorkshire is also mine. She has also left me with a lasting love of art, which I continue to indulge by buying beautiful art books and wishing I could paint. Despite many attempts at watercolours, I really am hopeless. Perhaps it is time for some lessons.
Folks, I am suffering from cottage envy. Author, Helen Christmas sent me pictures of her chocolate box cottage, with an English country garden. She has an enviable writing room, with a view. The colours of her summer garden will lift your spirits. Indeed, Helen’s sunny letter provided me with the desire to write and the need to purchase a new home. I invite you to retreat to Helen’s life, in the country, via her blog post. Let’s dream about the idyllic writer’s life…
17th century thatched cottage passed down through five generations
My husband, Peter and I are blessed to live in a 17th century thatched cottage passed down through five generations. We not only love our home but live near close to Bognor seafront. I escaped the rat race in 1999 by which time we had set up a small website design business at home. In summer we spend time maintaining our walled back garden, growing vegetables whilst sharing our home with a beautiful white cat, named Theo (after Peter’s Great Great Grandfather) and doting border collie, Barney.
In summer we spend time maintaining our walled back garden
In the time I have lived here, I’ve become fascinated with the conservation of period property as we endeavoured to protect our cottage. We did come up against the might of our local council who purposefully made planning applications difficult. In fact there was one planning officer in particular whose underlying duplicity astounded me and was perhaps the inspiration behind some of the scenes in my book series, ‘Same Face Different Place,’ a mystery thriller which spans 4 decades.
Working from home gave me the freedom to reflect on life, especially when walking Barney along the beach
I began my writing journey in 2011. Working from home gave me the freedom to reflect on life, especially when walking Barney along the beach; such musings included the various social changes I’d observed. I remember the 70s when Labour were in government and despite the power of the trade unions and strikes, there was more camaraderie. People looked out for each other. Next came the 80s. As a student, it was an exciting time, the clothes, the outrageous styles and the music; a time when everyone craved more money but sadly, it turned into an era of greed. With less compassion in society, it makes me wonder if people forgot life’s simple pleasures, something that our home has made us appreciate. It made me want to write a novel that embraced all these different decades.
I have always loved reading and cannot deny the influence of certain authors: Leslie Pearse for her loveable characters and unforgettable stories; Martina Cole who opened my eyes to a world of psychopathic gangsters. But most poignant of all was Ken Follet’s ‘Pillars of the Earth’ a saga which explored the conflict of Medieval times and the impact wielded by men in power.
Going back to my own writing, once started, I began to get up at dawn to get at least a couple of hours in before work. Much of my writing takes place in our peaceful office with Barney curled up at my feet and nothing but the cry of gulls on the beach.
Whilst thinking about my writing space, there is just one more thing I would like to mention; there is a very special picture in the office of Peter’s ancestors, all of whom lived in this cottage. In fact this inspired a particular scene in my second book ‘Visions.’
In fact this inspired a particular scene in my second book ‘Visions.’
The misty faces of three generations (including their father, just a baby at the time) added an element of comfort to the atmosphere and even though the sepia-toned picture contained an eerie quality, it emitted the sense that someone was watching over them.
I definitely feel something when I gaze at that picture; it breathes a sense of nostalgia into my world and feels very reassuring, which is wonderful for a writer…
Helen is certainly blessed with inspiration, and it is wonderful she appreciates her life. Helen writes romantic suspense. She has written a saga spanning decades. Her work sounds fascinating. Interesting, how the environment and experiences make us and inspire us. Many thanks to Helen for writing to my blog.
About Helen
Helen Christmas enjoying her life
Helen J. Christmas lives on the south coast of Sussex in a very old thatched cottage with her husband. With a love of writing since childhood, she started her decade spanning thriller series ‘Same Face Different Place‘ in 2011. Her first book ‘Beginnings,’ set in 1970s London, combines romantic suspense with a hard-hitting conspiracy thriller.
Writing is something she juggles around family and social life. Helen is self employed and enjoys running a web design company from home with her husband, accompanied by their faithful border collie and a fluffy white cat.
We have busy lives and among my many hats, I am a writer, a blogger, photographer and website designer. I love networking with other authors and readers and when I’m not engrossed in work, I enjoy gardening, cooking, reading books, films and fine wines.
Same Face Different Place is a mystery suspense thriller, set across 4 decades. The first book ‘Beginnings’ is based in 1970s London against a backdrop of organised crime and police cover-ups. Part thriller and part romance, it has been likened to books by Martina Cole and Kimberley Chambers and received some pleasing reviews.
The next part of the saga, ‘Visions’ resonates through the 80s, packed with nostalgia from the music and fashion to the politics under Margaret Thatcher’s government.
Book 3 ‘Pleasures’ continues where ‘Visions’ left off, a thrilling coming of age story, where the younger generation are drawn to designer drugs and raves. This book ends with a dramatic trial at the Old Bailey, where pieces of the mystery are unpicked and justice is served…
But nothing is straight forward with this complex cast of characters; as the main heroine, Eleanor, must once again protect her family from the evils of her enemies. The final episode, ‘Retribution’ concludes with a terrifying campaign of revenge and is published in 2 parts, ‘Retribution – Phase 1’ and ‘Retribution – End Game.’ With the characters reunited in an epilogue in 2012, I am pleased to say, the series was completed in summer 2017.
Karl: At one level ‘
I have always loved reading and cannot deny the influence of certain authors: Leslie Pearse for her loveable characters and unforgettable stories; Martina Cole who opened my eyes to a world of psychopathic gangsters. But most poignant of all was Ken Follet’s ‘Pillars of the Earth’ a saga which explored the conflict of Medieval times and the impact wielded by men in power.
