2020: the Pandemic, the Lockdown, the Chaos

You couldn’t write this stuff! Twelve months ago, I wrote about how I was glad to see the end of 2019 as it had proved to be a painful and grief-stricken year. For many people 2020 has been the worst year ever, and while I didn’t experience bereavement due to the pandemic, I had a pretty traumatic time.

 

It began with the training of our rescue dog, Marley. We soon discovered that he was an escape artist, and after several awkward confrontations with our neighbours when he tried to claim their garden, we spent over £1000 installing enough fences and barriers to keep him at home. Seriously, our back garden looked like a prison yard by the time we finished! Then began his behavioural training program. By that time, we were heading into Lockdown and our local dog training centre was closed. They did offer a course online, however, so my daughters and I spent some time making videos of our progress, receiving feedback from the trainer, and generally trying to keep Marley occupied so that he didn’t escape again.

 

My grandad died in March following a long illness, which left my family and I worried for his widow. Nan decided to remain at home on her own with their two elderly dogs. Both dogs died in quick succession during lockdown, and now my Nan is completely alone for the first time in her 90-year life. We have a big family, and she could stay with relatives, but she is determined to stay in her own home and wait out the pandemic. Her neighbours are looking out for her, and close relatives visit every day to bring supplies and check in.

 

During Lockdown I had this crazy idea that I could finally finish writing book 6 in the Redcliffe Novels series. That didn’t happen. I think my Muse went into self-isolation, because she disappeared and I’m still waiting for her to return. Not to be deterred, I threw myself into the business of my pagan family lifestyle blog, SpookyMrsGreen, and that has come along in leaps and bounds. Then I decided to launch a reiki therapy business, because you know that is a great idea during a pandemic!

 

Oh, and then there was my home renovation project, when I single-handedly stripped all the wallpaper in our living/dining room, hall, stairs and landing, and the bathroom (don’t ask!), and then repainted all of those rooms by myself. Well, my children helped a little… and the dog! I was happy with the result, and hopefully in 2021 I can entice my Muse to return so we can finish what we started ten years ago… Please?!

 

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Christmas with the Vampires by Catherine Green

 Our favourite bad-boy vampire, Marcus Scott, meets an old friend for Christmas in Edwardian London.

 

With his blond hair, ice blue eyes and sculpted physique, Marcus Scott immediately turns the heads of everyone he encounters upon his arrival in London at Christmas time. Unbeknownst to all the women and men who fall under his spell with just one glance, Marcus is a vampire with a desperate need to feed from the young and the beautiful. When he unexpectedly encounters Lady Amelia Richmond, the vampire instrumental in his own transition, the two begin to plan a holiday feast to satisfy their deep hunger.

Buy Links:

Available to download from Amazon US and Amazon UK

 

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Support Small Business this #BlackFriday!

 How do you feel about #BlackFriday? It seems more important this year because of the pandemic, with lots of non-essential shops closed during the second lockdown here in England. These shops now have to step up their efforts to sell more products online, competing with big brands and established internet stores. I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, I believe in not over-commercializing holidays such as Christmas. However, I sell books for a living. If I don’t sell the books I write, I won’t make any money, and that could negatively affect my children and husband.

 

 

I propose a compromise: think about the small business owners, including indie authors, craft businesses, local produce etc. They rely on income from the sales of the stock that they lovingly create by hand. We should support those businesses. When I hear about #BlackFriday, my thoughts turn to Amazon. Well, they are made up of small business owners, like me, who rely on royalties paid via Amazon for the sales of our books. Amazon is not necessarily the big bad giant that some people believe. Most of the books published on Amazon will pay decent royalties to their authors, myself included. Check the names of the sellers when you shop, and you will find some small, independent retailers.

 

Why not search for alternative Christmas gifts for your friends and family? Find them a book written and produced independently by a new author. Try a CD by a young musician. Or even search for some handcrafted bespoke trinkets, jewellery, furniture or bric-a-brac. The small business owners will be far more grateful for your custom and will make more effort to give you the personal customer service that makes you feel good about parting with your hard-earned cash. Thank you.

 

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Let’s Talk About Books: The Redcliffe Novels by Catherine Green

 

Today I talk about Love Redeems (A Redcliffe Novel), book 3 in the Redcliffe Novels series set in Cornwall, England.

 

 

1. What is the working title of your book?

 

Love Redeems (A Redcliffe Novel) – Book 3

 

2. Where did the idea for the book come from?

 

It came naturally after I wrote the first book, Love Hurts (A Redcliffe Novel) and the sequel Love Kills (A Redcliffe Novel).

 

3. What genre does your work fall under?

 

It is paranormal romance, with a little dark fantasy and some horror elements.

 

4. Which actors would you choose to play your characters?

 

Hmm, so far, I am struggling to decide on the right ones. For my heroine Jessica Stone I need a British woman with a convincing Manchester accent, long auburn hair, and green eyes. For the Mason brothers I need identical twins from Dublin with black hair and blue eyes… Any up and coming actors interested in the roles please?

 

     5. What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

 

Emotion runs high in this fast-paced paranormal adventure, where secrets unfold, and friends are not as they seem…

 

6. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

 

It will be published in partnership with Mirador, who produced my first two novels in the series.

 

     7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

 

About four or five months, I think. Once I had written the first two, this one just couldn’t wait.

 

     8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

 

It probably has elements of the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris, but I aspire to write like Laurell K Hamilton and her Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series, but with less horrific violence and a British perspective.

 

      9. Who or what inspired you to write this book?

 

I can’t really remember. My first novel, Love Hurts (A Redcliffe Novel), was cultivated in my mind for around ten years before I actually wrote it down. It first came about when I read the Nightworld series of novels by L. J. Smith and decided I wanted my own version of a vampire story with characters I could more easily relate to. Love Redeems (A Redcliffe Novel) is a natural progression from that, using experiences gained from my life during recent years.

 

     10. What else about your book might pique the readers’ interest?

 

It is set in Cornwall and describes the rugged coastline and old smugglers’ caves. There is a best friend with a new baby, two women running a business, and some interesting moral issues explored.

 

Download your FREE copy of It’s Complicated (A Redcliffe Short Story) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall, England.  Click here. 

 

Holiday Rush Big Books Giveaway

Cozy up with a book or twenty! Holiday themes, romance, and winter scenes, they're waiting for you to pick them up!

Download your FREE copy of Christmas with the Vampires now.

 

Our favourite bad-boy vampire, Marcus Scott, meets an old friend for Christmas in Edwardian London.

With his blond hair, ice blue eyes and sculpted physique, Marcus Scott immediately turns the heads of everyone he encounters upon his arrival in London at Christmas time. Unbeknownst to all the women and men who fall under his spell with just one glance, Marcus is a vampire with a desperate need to feed from the young and the beautiful. When he unexpectedly encounters Lady Amelia Richmond, the vampire instrumental in his own transition, the two begin to plan a holiday feast to satisfy their deep hunger.

 

Are you Team Jack or Team Danny? Sign up now and receive your FREE story from #TheRedcliffeNovels series set in Cornwall, England.

Trick or Read! #FreeBooks for #Halloween

Happy Halloween! This Trick-Or-Read Group Giveaway is hosted by the Prolific Works team and has books from all genres, so there's something here for everyone. You can claim as many as you'd like and enjoy your new reads!

Download Return of the Vampire Hunter for FREE today.

Return of the Vampire Hunter is pure urban fantasy with a hint of seduction thrown in for good measure. Set in Manchester, Northern England, it is a contemporary story with all the darkness of classic Gothic monsters.

Just your average Cheshire housewife – who used to hunt vampires!

Hannah Oakley used to be a vampire hunter. She retired from active service when she fell in love with the female vampire she was hunting, but old wounds refuse to heal. She and the vampire fought almost to the death, and now it seems that the vampire has tracked her down. Hannah must return to work, grudgingly accepting help from a new hunting partner, and she is determined that this time she will finish the job. But can she ignore the old lust for her vampire lover? Is the mother able to be a vampire hunter one more time? And will her marriage survive the ordeal?

 
Are you Team Jack or Team Danny? Sign up now and receive your FREE copy of It’s Complicated from #TheRedcliffeNovels series set in Cornwall, England.

Ghostly Giveaway #FreeBooks for #Halloween

 Love horror and all things supernatural? Then this giveaway is for you.

 Download Return of the Vampire Hunter for FREE today.

 

Return of the Vampire Hunter is pure urban fantasy with a hint of seduction thrown in for good measure. Set in Manchester, Northern England, it is a contemporary story with all the darkness of classic Gothic monsters.

Just your average Cheshire housewife – who used to hunt vampires!

Hannah Oakley used to be a vampire hunter. She retired from active service when she fell in love with the female vampire she was hunting, but old wounds refuse to heal. She and the vampire fought almost to the death, and now it seems that the vampire has tracked her down. Hannah must return to work, grudgingly accepting help from a new hunting partner, and she is determined that this time she will finish the job. But can she ignore the old lust for her vampire lover? Is the mother able to be a vampire hunter one more time? And will her marriage survive the ordeal?

 

Are you Team Jack or Team Danny? Sign up now and receive your FREE copy of It’s Complicated from #TheRedcliffeNovels series set in Cornwall, England.