L.M. Krier's Blog

 

It’s here! The lastest book in the popular Ted Darling crime series by L M Krier is now available to pre-order for Kindle here 

It’s also available NOW in paperback via Amazon (further distributors to follow)

The stunning cover is a Stockport photo (Underbank) from talented photographer Neil Smith, with design by DMR Creative.

New Book Release – Ted Darling crime series – L M Krier

And here’s the blurb:

‘cold cases cast long shadows’

Where the Girls Are

Ted Darling crime series

Young girls are going missing in their search for fame and fortune. Ted Darling and his team are on the case.

But when little Storm Moonchild disappeared without trace years earlier, the system seemed to forget about her.

A chance encounter in a bar abroad brings Ted face to face with her presumed abductor. Ted’s on unfamiliar territory and he makes a grave error. One which could risk his life and that of a member of his team.

Strong, character-driven crime fiction with the decidedly different detective everyone’s talking about.

Why not order your copy NOW and be one of the first to read this exciting new book release?

 

New audio-book versions of Ted Darling Crime series

Meanwhile look out for an exciting announcement coming SOON!

Hugely talented voice actor Christopher Corcoran is recording and producing the Ted Darling books in audio-book version, starting with the retrospective prequel, The First Time Ever. The excellent news is that Chris is from Wythenshawe, Greater Manchester, a whisker away from where the Ted books are set, so the accent is authentic. Accents, to be precise, as he’s doing it rather like a radio play, where every character has their own voice. Sound effects, too. When Ted takes a shot with his Heckler and Koch, you can be sure that what you hear really is an H&C firing.

Ted Darling hates having his photo taken. Here’s a rare shot of him in SFO mode.

Why not look out for news of the release, to see if all your favourite characters sound like you expected them to?

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Fictional Stockport detective Ted Darling is going back to school in Central France. Students from a secondary school in Ambert in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region are taking a break from classical literature in their English lessons to study the Ted Darling Crime Series, written by former Stockport resident Lesley Tither, writing as L M Krier.
Crime fiction books featuring a fictitious Stockport detective

A teacher from the school attended an event at a local library back in January where Lesley was appearing to present her crime fiction books, as well as the popular Sell the Pig series of travel memoirs she has written about her move to live in France with her elderly mother and brother. The teacher bought one of the Ted Darling books, read and enjoyed it and approached Lesley about giving a talk at the school.

Meet Tottie Limejuice in this travel memoir, first book in the Sell the Pig series

Lesley jumped at the opportunity, always enjoying interacting with young people. She was especially impressed that the school chose books featuring a gay main character which have an underlying message of equality and acceptance.

Putting Stockport on the map through crime fiction

Lesley lived in Stockport growing up and maintained ties with the town until 2007  when she moved to live in France. She is now a French citizen. In 2018 she was one of the sponsors of Stockport Pride, with the book series, and hopes to do the same in 2019, planning to return to visit for the occasion, her first trip back to the UK since she left.

She chose Stockport as the base for her series of crime novels – eleven now published with a twelfth under way – as it is the town in which she’s lived longer than anywhere else. Some of its striking architectural features, notably the famous brick viaduct, provide the basis for the covers of her books.

For the project, more than one hundred school students, aged around fourteen years,  had to read an edited extract, in English, from the first book written in the series, Baby’s Got Blue Eyes, then answer questions about what they’d read. Lesley is then set to visit the school to talk to the pupils and answer their questions about writing.

Ted Darling fans who follow this blog might like to have a go at the questions the students were asked. You might perhaps like to share your answers in the We Love Ted Darling group on Facebook, where all the die-hard fans hang out. Below are the questions, which the students had to read and answer in French, together with the points awarded for each correct answer.

Surname of the main character  1pt

His first name  1pt

His age 1pt

The town or country where he lives  1pt

6 details about his physical appearance  6pts

Family details of his childhood  3pts

His current family situation  2pts

2 details about his work  2pts

His clothes  2pts

His hobbies  1pt

What did Ted’s father spend his money on?  2pts

Why does DCI Jim Baker highly  appreciate Ted’s work?  4pts

Give two of Ted’s qualities and explain your choice  2 pts

Give 4 details about Trevor  2pts

How does Ted get through the difficult aspects of his work?  2pts

Draw or make a collage representing Ted Darling based on details from the text you have read.  3pts.

Further update after the actual event of the school visits – two, one week apart.

 

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Bargain book sale. In time for Christmas. Signed copies at discount prices.

UPDATE.  only one Ted Darling book left now –  1st edition of Wild Thing. Grab it while you can!

Clearance sale of books to make way for new stocks coming in. Including some first editions, now out of print. All signed by the author.

Signed books  first editions

Whatever your taste in book genres – crime fiction, travel memoirs, autobiographies, humour, children’s books – you’ll find something to interest you in this bargain book sale. Limited numbers, all stock must go, first come first served.

Crime fiction – Ted Darling crime series

Fancy a bit of crime? The following books are available. Please note that some of these early editions may contain typographical errors which have been corrected in later versions.

All orders by email only to tottielimejuice@gmail.com. Payment in advance of shipment, by Paypal, please, to tottielimejuice@gmail.com  All books in this series are 10€ each including P&P worldwide. Limited offer.

Baby’s Got Blue Eyes – first edition (signed) – 1 only

 

SOLD OUT

First edition of the first published book in the Ted Darling crime series

 

Baby’s Got Blue Eyes – second edition (signed) – 2 available

 

SOLD OUT

Second edition of Baby’s Got Blue Eyes, Introducing DI Ted Darling in a new serial killer crime fiction thriller

 

Two Little Boys – first edition (signed) – 1 only

 

SOLD OUT

First edition DI Ted Darling crime fiction thriller series, Two Little Boys by L M Krier

 

When I’m Old and Grey – first edition (signed) – 3 available

 

SOLD OUT

First edition cover photo When I’m Old and Grey, Ted Darling crime series

 

Shut Up and Drive – first edition (signed) – 1 only

 

SOLD OUT

First edition cover of crime fiction bestseller Shut Up and Drive by L M Krier

 

Wild Thing – first edition (signed) – only 1 available

First edition cover of the dark and twisty crime thriller, Wild Thing, in the DI Ted Darling series

 

Preacher Man – first edition (signed) – 1 only

 

SOLD OUT

First edition cover, Preacher Man, the Ted Darling crime series

 

Sell the Pig travel memoirs series
Books in this series are 7.50€ each including P&P worldwide, signed and personalised. All orders by email only to tottielimejuice@gmail.com. Payment in advance of shipment, by Paypal, please, to tottielimejuice@gmail.com  All books in this series are 10€ each including P&P worldwide. Limited offer.

 

Sell the Pig – first edition (signed) – 2 available

Signed 1st edition of Sell the Pig by Tottie Limejuice

 

Is That Billinge Lump? – first edition (signed) 5 available

 

First edition cover of Is That Billinge Lump? signed book by Tottie LImejuice

 

Illustrated children’s books signed by the author
In addition to the above I also have four signed first editions (can be personalised) of the popular children’s animal adventure book The Dog with the Golden Eyes. Posted worldwide for 7€ including P&P.

Children’s fiction The Dog with the Golden Eyes, a new venture from Lesley Tither writing as L M Kay

 

Back cover The Dog with the Golden Eyes by L M Kay

Don’t forget, stocks are limited and these bargain book prices can’t be repeated. So get your order in NOW.

 

 

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Ramblings about my trips to Hobbit House in Italy

I’ve been sadly neglecting this poor blog of late, so please excuse me. To make up for it, two posts for the price of one today.  I have a new travelogue out today, about my recent trip to Italy to visit one friend and introduce her to another. And to revisit the wonderful Hobbit House in Italy where I had such a fabulous minibreak last year.

Hobbit House in Italy where I spent my holidays last year and this.

 

It was such fun, I wrote a small travelogue about it, as is my habit. It costs less than a decent coffee, takes slightly longer to read than to drink one and you can find it here. http://hyperurl.co/oe5135

Return to Hobbit House

I’d had such fun on my trip there, making the journey by train – well, eleven trains in total, there and back, to be precise – I decided I’d like to go back again and take my best friend Jill to meet my other best friend, also called Jill, who runs the glamping (glamorous camping) operation which includes Hobbit House. And again, I wrote a humorous travelogue about it. http://hyperurl.co/i93u3y

Two Jills and a Tots – return to Hobbit House

 

It’s a short read and hopefully an amusing one. Here’s the blurb, to give you an idea of what’s in store for you:

Tottie’s on the road again. With her usual quirky humour, she describes her latest adventures on a road trip to Italy. Taking one good friend to meet another for a few days’ stay in a Hobbit House.

Nothing ever goes according to plan where Tottie is concerned. Ordering a brand new car for the trip was always going to be a gamble. But did it pay off?

And what about the planned night of wild camping on top of a big rock? Would that pass off without incident. After all, it never rains in that part of Italy in June. Does it?

Why not put the kettle on, put your feet up and join Tottie on her latest adventure.

Two Jills and a Tots – from left to right, Tottie Limejuice, Jill Pennington and Jill Evans

 

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You’ve never met a copper like Ted Darling

 

I was recently asked to provide a blog post for a crime mystery magazine. All about the inspiration behind the character of Ted Darling.
I thought I’d share the post here, although some of you will already know a lot of the detail. I hope you will still find it amusing.

 

It started with a dream

 

′twas the night before Christmas. And I was in bed with a policeman.
A virtual policeman, I hasten to add.
I was having one of those intense dreams. You know the ones. Where you’re conscious, on some level, that it is a dream. But it’s so good you keep saying to yourself you must remember it because it would make an amazing book.
There was all the detail there for a gripping crime thriller. Plot, characters, sub-plots. One character in particular was most persistent in making himself known and he came with a full back-story. His name was Ted Darling, a former Specialist Firearms Officer, now a Detective Inspector in the Great Manchester Police, stationed at Stockport. The town where I grew up and, occasionally, went to school. That was useful, as it meant less research for me in writing about it.

 

Crime series based in Stockport

Stockport has some great architectural features for book covers, like this wonderfully spooky tunnel – Photo: Neil Smith

Even though I was sleeping, I was still analysing thought processes. I knew where this dream was coming from, deep in my subconscious. Probably only accessible as I slept.
Crime fiction has always been my preferred genre, both to read and to watch on television. I grew up on Agatha Christie and Ngaio Marsh. I had never contemplated writing it, although I was, at this time, an author of travel memoirs.
I’d been growing increasingly disillusioned of late at the lack of originality in the crime fiction I read. The days of the heavy-drinking copper had been done well, but done to death, by the likes of Ian Rankin’s Rebus character. The growing new breed of women detectives was already merging into one stereotype. Ballsy, bolshie, always at odds with their bosses. Going off like lone she-wolves on dangerous solo crusades. I know it’s fiction, but I like a note of reality in it. And characters like that these days would be on a disciplinary in no time.
Ted Darling was different
Ted Darling was different. He was also, as I was soon to discover, very persistent. Pecking away at the inside of my head to make himself noticed. He was shorter than average and slightly built. Didn’t drink, smoke or gamble. Certainly never played away. He’d been in a steady relationship for eleven years. He and his partner had cats, not kids.
And so the dream unfolded. By some miracle, when I woke up, it was all still fresh in my mind. I live alone with my dog (dogs now) so I had no festive commitments. I took Fleur, my rescued border collie, for a quick walk. Then I sat down at my computer and start to write.

 

Fleur, the blonde bombshell, my rescued border collie, who helps with the Ted Darling series Photo: Alex Potter


I sent the first chapter to my friend and beta-reader. She asked for more.
And so it’s continued for three years now. Eleven books on, and Ted still popping into my head while I’m trying to sleep.
Lesley Tither is a former journalist (court reporter), Freelance copywriter/copy editor who also worked for the Crown Prosecution Service at its inception. She now lives in Central France with her two rescued border collies, Rosie and Fleur. The First Time Ever is the first book in the popular Ted Darling Crime Series.

 Lesley Tither, who writes the Ted Darling Crime series under the pen-name L M Krier)

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FREE Ted Darling badges

If you really do love Ted Darling, share the love with FREE Ted Darling badges. It started out as a joke when a reader, clearly meaning well, reported the famous ‘billirant’ typo to Amazon (the one made by a drunken Trev to Ted) as being a typo. Despite it being in a paragraph which read: ‘They still made a joke of Trev’s drunken typo’. One of the beta-readers suggested we should have Ted Darling merchandise using the word ‘billirant’ so the idea for the badges was born

Ted Darling brand

Now there are ten books in the Ted Darling crime fiction series, it’s time to start building a bit of a brand for our Ted. Especially now the covers have had a recent makeover to show iconic architectural images from Stockport, where the books are set.

New cover images for some of the Ted Darling crime series which feature (L-R) Vernon Park, the Stockport Viaduct, and the River Goyt near the Stockport Hydro.

Ted Darling in Stockport sponsorship deal

Now Ted is getting to be reasonably well established, I thought it would be a nice idea for him to sponsor the Pride event in Stockport in July 2018.  That means he will have a banner up, with the image above, in the town’s marketplace, in Castle Square to be precise. I’m not able to be at the event myself but I know a lot of Ted’s fans from in and around Stockport are planning on going. They’ll all be sporting their free Ted Darling badges and are getting T-shirts made for the occasion. Some of the designs are so inventive I’m giving out prizes for the best ones. My own efforts have been rather tame in comparison.

Rare selfie of me posing in my ‘I Ted Darling’ T-shirt

 

And here’s one of Ted’s marketing manager and No. 1 Alpha-reader, Jill Pennington, or, as I call her, Ted’s ‘marketing tart.

Get your FREE ‘Ted Darling is billirant’ badge – join the group

I’ve ordered a limited number of the badges. They are very nice, pink background, wording ‘Ted Darling is billirant’, 38cm. They are FREE exclusively to members of the We Love Ted Darling group on Facebook. It’s worth joining. A very friendly group, if rather naughty. There are a couple of Ted-related questions to answer in order to get in just to avoid any trolls. But anyone who genuinely loves Ted is made to feel most welcome. So why not hurry over there NOW to join, then you will be able to request your FREE badge.

Privacy Notice

I do not store your personal data anywhere online or anywhere else. You supply me with a postal address to receive your badge, I write it on a piece of paper which I then burn after sending your badge. If you want me to email you with news of future releases, please say so and I will do. Otherwise our only contact will be via the blog or the Facebook group.

Meanwhile I hope by now you’ve all seen that the prequel everyone was asking for, with Ted’s early life in firearms, plus the full ‘when Ted met Trev’ story, has been released. It’s called ‘The First Time Ever’ and I hope you will enjoy it.

Ted Darling hates having his photo taken. Here’s a rare shot of him in SFO mode.

 

Ted Book Ten, Cry for the Bad Man, is also now available for Kindle, in paperback, as also to read FREE with Kindle Unlimited. Book Eleven is already in the thought process and should hopefully be with you by the end of the year.

Book 10 in the Ted Darling series, Cry for the Badman. The cover shot, by Neil Smith, was taken near to Roman Lakes, Marple, Stockport.

To end on, just a little reminder. Reviews and word of mouth are both a HUGE help in getting the Ted Darling crime series books to a wider audience. So if you’ve read and enjoyed them, please don’t forget to leave a little review on Amazon or Goodreads, and to tell all your friends about them. Thank you.

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Meet Ted Darling

If you’ve not yet met the popular diminutive detective everyone’s talking about, now’s your chance to take advantage of a special offer book price to get to know him. Book 1 in the series is on special price of 99p until Easter Monday 2018. Grab your copy now!  The First Time Ever is the recently published backstory to the Ted Darling crime series. Strong, original, character-driven crime fiction which introduces you to Ted Darling with a gripping opener:

‘ Ted Darling was about to kill a man. For the first time in his life. He was twenty-nine years old.’

Ted Darling is a Specialist Firearms Officer, and a good one. With a promising career in front of him. Then he meets someone who could change everything but who can’t live with his police role.

Ted’s wanted to be a copper since he was nine. Can he find a new opening within the force which is his surrogate family?

Despite being trained to shoot to kill, Ted’s good with people. They like him, they trust him, so they talk to him. His skills get him noticed and he’s seconded to help with a big CID operation. It isn’t long before he’s facing his first murder case.

Has he made the right choice in switching jobs? Or is he, as his Firearms boss warns him, about to commit career suicide?

Ted Darling hates having his photo taken. Here’s a rare shot of him in SFO mode.

The Ted Darling series of crime novels comprises: The First Time Ever, Baby’s Got Blue Eyes, Two Little Boys, When I’m Old and Grey, Shut Up and Drive, Only the Lonely, Wild Thing, Walk on By, Preacher Man. Look out for further books to come in this popular crime series. Book 10 is scheduled for release in May 2018.

What else is new from Ted Darling author L M Krier/Sell the Pig author Tottie Limejuice?

I’ve been rather neglecting this website because I’ve been busy writing. Not just the latest Ted Darling crime fiction but also another book in the popular Sell the Pig travel memoirs series. Trot On!  fills in the background to the time before my move to France. It also gives Ted Darling fans an insight into the mysterious ‘Mr Green’ from the crime fiction series. Intrigued? You’ll have to read it to find out more.

Where is that cheeky little Pig now? Why is he playing with ponies on the Welsh hills?

Hobbit House in Italy

The last time I updated this site I said I was planning to visit my great friend and partner in crime Jill Pennington, alias Doris. She runs a fabulous glamping (glamorous camping) site in the Apennines and I was booked in for a 4-day stay in the fabulous Hobbit House in Italy. I did the journey by train and it was a wonderful adventure. And of course, me being me, I simply had to write a small book, a travelogue, about the trip and the visit which, naturally, I called Hobbit House in Italy. I enjoyed myself so much that this year I’m going back and taking my other best friend, who is, confusingly, also call Jill. No doubt that will merit another little book of its own.

Beautiful view from the fabulous glamping site Hobbit House in Italy.

The interior of the Hobbit House is so comfortable it was more luxurious than the hotel I stayed in to break my journey on the way there. It’s off grid but has every modern comfort you could wish for and is scrupulously clean and well presented. It even had a parking place for my broomstick!

Interior of Hobbit House with broomstick parking

So now I’ve just about updated you on the Ted Darling crime series and the Sell the Pig and other books by Tottie Limejuice. Apologies again for the long silence. Watch out for the next Ted Darling crime book in May. As ever, the title is a closely guarded secret until it goes up for pre-order because I am unbelievably superstitious! For those who like to guess, it is once again a song title, and a bit of a departure for me, as it’s a song from Lynyrd Skynyrd – not my usual musical taste!

Don’t forget, if you’ve not yet discovered the We Love Ted Darling group on Facebook, it’s a brilliant place to come and meet fellow Ted Darling fans and join in the endless game of suggesting who should play him on screen. The current favourite is Martin Freeman, so if anyone has a hotline to him, do tell him to read the books!

Hot favourite to play Ted Darling on screen, actor Martin Freeman

 

 

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Books by Tottie Limejuice and L M Krier

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Retired journalist, copywriter and copy editor Lesley Tither writes under various pen-names: Tottie Limejuice for travel memoirs and humour, L M Krier for crime fiction and L M Kay for children’s fiction.

 

It’s been a long time since I wrote anything on this blog! Not since I started the website tottielimejuice.com in fact. But I thought it was high time I brought you up to speed with all that’s been happening to me in the couple of years or so since I last posted on here.

 

Travel memoirs by Tottie Limejuice

I think back then we were just at the point of the first book in what was always intended to be the Sell the Pig travel memoirs trilogy.�� Since then, due to my appalling maths, there are now five little pigs, in order: Sell the Pig, Is That Billinge Lump?, Mother Was It Worth It?, Biff the Useless Mention, and Angling Bumateurs.

For French speakers, book one, Sell the Pig, is also now available in French, as Maman, Vends le Cochon.

 

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Travel memoirs about France written by Lesley Tither writing as Tottie Limejuice

Crime fiction by L M Krier

 

Since the first days of Sell the Pig, I’ve reinvented myself as a crime thriller writer, L M Krier, author of the DI Ted Darling of British detective/police procedurals set in Stockport, Greater Manchester. There are currently seven books in the series. All the titles are from songs and are, in order: Baby’s Got Blue Eyes, Two Little Boys, When I’m Old and Grey, Shut Up and Drive, Only the Lonely, Wild Thing, and Walk On By.

 

Book 8 in the DI Ted Darling series is scheduled for release in early September 2017, with another in the series planned for the New Year 2018.

 

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Crime fiction, the DI Ted Darling series, written by Lesley Tither as L M Krier

 

Children’s Fiction by L M Kay

I’ve also branched out into children’s fiction with a crime twist. I actually wrote the basic idea for a story many years ago when I lived in Lincolnshire. The story is loosely based on the city of Lincoln. It’s been sitting on a very old floppy disc for years, then I eventually dug it out and reworked it. Add in some utterly stunning illustrations by Andrew Campbell-Howes and so was born The Dog with the Golden Eyes.�� It’s available for Kindle and in paperback and it’s well worth the paperback price of ��4.99 just to see those amazing pictures full size.

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Children’s fiction with a crime twist, illustrated by Andrew Campbell-Howes, written by Lesley Tither writing as L M Kay

Humour as Tottie Limejuice

For every book I produce, I work closely behind the scenes with a wonderful team of betareaders who go over everything I write to make sure it is up to standard. One of them, Kate Pill, in Australia, writes such hilarious side notes that I am often sitting crying laughing at my desk here in central France. The exchanges of humour between us get very silly and often lavatorial, but I thought it might be fun to collate them into a short book.

Almost every book emerging at the time seemed to start with ‘The Girl’ after the success of The Girl on the Train (not a favourite of mine). So just for fun I decided to call the little collection No Girl on this Train.

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When I first wrote Sell the Pig, I belonged to an author site called Authonomy where I met a fellow author, Jill Pennington. I loved her book, The Diary of a Single Parent Abroad and we quickly became good friends and kindred spirits via internet.

Doris, as she is affectionately known, decided this wasn’t enough and that we should meet up in the flesh. Not only that but we should write a joint book about our mad adventure. Which we duly did, under the title of Take Three Birds.

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Planned�� future books

As mentioned earlier, Ted Darling hasn’t finished with me yet. There will definitely be more in the series and Book 9 has already started insinuating its way into my brain.

In the face of a lot of pressure from readers, I have now started the dreaded prequel to the Sell the Pig series, even though I dislike the term. And because Doris and I had such fun producing Take Three Birds, I’ve decided to go and visit her in Italy, travelling by train all the way and writing a short and hopefully humorous piece about the great adventure.

Jill runs a glamping site (glamorous camping) in the Italian Apennines. Via her Facebook site I’ve been following the incredible saga of how she has constructed a Hobbit House from scratch so I’ve booked a dog sitter and reserved my train tickets and will be visiting in September. Of course, there will need to be a book about that adventure too.

All of which should keep me out of mischief during the cold winter months.

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Author Lesley Tither, alias Tottie Limejuice, L M Krier and L M Kay, enjoying a walk in the French sunshine with her two rescued border colliers, Rosie and Fleur.

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Win T-shirt for Valentine’s Day – I Love Ted Darling motif – free entry competition

Win T-shirt to show your love for Ted Darling this Valentine’s Day! A simple, easy to enter free competition could see YOU sporting this stylish, fitted pure cotton T-shirt with the I Ted Darling motif.

Here’s one I modelled earlier. But don’t worry, I won’t be inside the one you could win. The colour is denim blue, which suits anyone and goes with anything, and available sizes are L and XL.

Win T-shirt minus me inside it

The T shirts are lovely qualify, exclusive, and cost €20 to buy direct from me, €15 if you order at least one signed paperback at the same time. But you can WIN a Free T- shirt with this simple competition.

I mentioned recently that Ted 7 will feature a character who has been in an earlier book. All you have to do is email me your suggestion, not a guess of who it is, but of who you would like to see return, and why. Please email your answer so no one sees it and steals your idea to tottielimejuice@gmail.com

Please put ‘Ted Tee’ in the subject line of your emails. Thank you.

Entries close at midnight GMT on 13 February 2017 and the winner will be announced on Valentine’s Day, 14th February.

If I like any of the suggestions enough, even if they don’t win, I might use the idea in future books in the series and mention you in the acknowledgements in the book. Don’t be bashful about having a go. I will read each and every answer submitted.

Here’s what the T shirts look like without my ugly mug sticking out of them.

Cotton T-shirt FREE to win in this easy competition

Ted on tour – Time for a change – Time for Ted

Ted’s been getting about a bit of late. He featured recently on this blog https://seumasgallacher.com/2017/02/04/elementary-my-dear-april-taylor/

And he’s going to be appearing at an online international Mystery and Thriller week on Facebook, starting on 11th February 2017. He’ll be helping me to host a slot there on Valentine’s Day from 2-3pm GMT. Why not come along and show your support?

So, what are you waiting for? Get your thinking caps on and let me know who you’d like to see returning and why. Best of luck, and may the best Ted fan win.

Save

Save

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Pet Sitters Wanted for France – free holidays with dogs

Pet Sitters wanted for occasional sitting of my dogs here in France if I have to be away for any reason. Effectively, free holidays as I’ll pay reasonable travel expenses and provide board and lodging.

I’m looking for someone exceptional whom I can trust 100% to be in charge of my girls, Rosie and Fleur, and the cats, Bibi and HRH the princess Freddie Mercury, if and when I have to go anywhere.

Rosie and Fleur get first dibs on the sofa. You may have to sit on the floor

It must be pet sitters I can trust to follow my instructions to the letter, not simply to do what they feel would be the most appropriate thing. Fleur loves everyone unreservedly (except other dogs) but Rosie is very nervous of anyone she doesn’t know, especially men. That makes choosing pet sitters difficult.

I’d be quite happy to take a couple of pet sitters but any man would have to be exceptionally good with nervous dogs to win Rosie’s trust. A couple of ladies would be ideal, or one female pet sitter who was quite happy in their own company as it’s a bit remote here.

No long walks with the dogs, either. For reasons I won’t go into here, I wouldn’t want the dogs taking off my property while I was away.

The cats are not too difficult. Bibi also loves everyone and is very affectionate. HRH is a typical Siamese cross, very haughty and anti-social so it’s quite likely that pet sitters would actually never get to see her during their stay, but that’s quite normal for her.

This might be as much as you ever see of HRH

The cats are not allowed in the house; they live in the barn and have their own run, Al-Cat-Traz, with a stunning view. It’s nice to sit there in the steamer chair watching the sun sink down behind the chain of volcanoes, with a purring, cuddly Bibi on your lap, and she will take any amount of fuss.

If you like cuddly cats, you’ll love Bibi

Pet sitters also need to be non-smokers (or vapers) please and no more than moderate drinkers. Also able to drive, either with their own vehicle or happy to drive my left-hand drive van.

If I can find the right person, it could become a regular thing, as I get braver to go away for the occasional visit. But I have to warn you I am paranoid about who I trust with the dogs so do please think carefully if it sounds like your thing.

If you are interested, do please visit the Facebook page Free Holidays in France for more details, or email me tottielimejuice@gmail.com

 

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