Saturday, November 04, 2017

News for November

It's the season of fireworks and moustaches!
Odd to see the facial hair springing up on male faces. It gives them a good excuse not to shave for the month. Personally I'm not a fan of the huge Ozarks-style beard. It just looks odd, but some people can carry a beard better than others.
I'm rabbitting, because I'm writing. When I'm in writing mode, things go off in all directions. I lose focus on everything except the book I'm writing, which annoys my family no end. Fellow writer friends totally understand, though. Which is a good thing.
I'm writing the final book in The Shaws series. Final, because there are no more family members to write about. I've written them all, now. I've submitted a new series to Kensington, though, which I'm excited about. It's far too early to tell you much, but it will feature a character you'll have met before.
I've also got a book in progress about one of my ancestors, Hester Bateman. She was a remarkable woman. Widowed at an early age, she was left with two young sons and a silversmithing business, which was left to her, not to her sons, although they did go into the business when they grew up.
She brought silverware to the masses by using new technology. So instead of keeping the existing business on an even keel until her sons grew up, she took a huge risk and entered a new market. It paid off. She wasn't a designer as such, but silverware with her maker's mark fetches huge money today. It's a pity we don't have any!
That's what I mean when I say that if you write history, you don't actually have to make anything up. The history of the eighteenth century is full of remarkable women, who achieved a lot in their time. I don't write biography, so I use these people as inspiration, and write their stories from that. Hester, for instance, never remarried, but my heroine certainly does!
That's some of Hester's work above. Isn't it gorgeous?
I haven't heard from anyone about work I've sent. Not yet, anyway, but I'll be sure to let you know when I do.
I have two series left from Samhain and Ellora's cave, and a few stragglers, one-offs and the like. I'm planning to release the Richard and Rose series early next year. Brand new covers, but the same Richard and Rose goodness!
Did you get to Goodreads to download the Sinless giveaway? You still have time, it doesn't close until the 11th November.

https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/260970-sinless