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Terri was first published in short story format, by indie publishers BeWrite, back in 2000. Since then she has written and published twenty solo novels in family saga, mythic fantasy, and contemporary crime. These are published by a mixture of traditional, indie, and self-published companies, so she calls herself a hybrid author (I love that idea). She is currently working on a brand new contemporary crime series (family/gangland and police procedural) set on Dartmoor, and also the origin story for this family, set in the 1920s.
Terri’s latest book is : The Watchers of Pencarrack Moor (Book 3 in the Pencarrack Series.)
1931, Cornwall.
Gwenna Rosdew had no choice but to step up as head of the family after her father was arrested for his role in a smuggling scandal. As his release date nears, she must start planning her own future - but when her journey of self-discovery leads her down an unexpected path, Gwenna must decide just how much danger she is willing to endure.
Meanwhile, a menacing discontent grows within Dartmoor Prison, and a young convict must quickly find his feet after making powerful enemies on both sides of the wall. As the rumblings threaten to erupt into a full-scale riot, Daniel must put his faith in an unlikely ally or risk not making it out of the prison alive.
When explosive events cause their two worlds to collide, the lines between right and wrong begin to blur, and both
Gwenna and Daniel must decide which side of that line they are prepared to stand on . . .
Bio:
Terri was born in Plymouth in 1965. At the age of 9 she moved with her family to North Hill, Cornwall, a small village on the edge of Bodmin Moor, where she discovered a love of writing that has stayed with her ever since. She also discovered apple-scrumping, and how to jump out of a hayloft without breaking any bones, but no-one's ever offered to pay her for doing those. Terri is the author of the Oaklands Manor Trilogy, the Lynher Mill Chronicles (which you may remember me featuring here) , the Penhaligon Saga, the Fox Bay Saga, and a new series: Pencarrack.
She has co-written, as half of Clarke Nixon, 2 books in the Children of Sinai series, with Shelley Clarke. The third volume, Rebirth, is scheduled to be released in the spring of 2025.
Terri lives in Plymouth, and works in the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business at Plymouth University. She is represented by Louise Buckley, at the Hannah Sheppard Literary Agency.
There isn’t space here to share all of Terri’s work but you can find out more about her and her books here www.terrinixen.com
If you’ve read Terri’s books I’d love to hear from you and hope you enjoy exploring her work if not. You’ve plenty to choose from.
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About Marcia and her books:
Marcia writes historical fiction with a sprinkling of romance and mystery in a heart-warming family saga called The Hartford Manor Series that stretches from the Regency period through to Victorian times. She’s working on the seventh novel in the series, which she hopes to publish later this year.
In addition to her books, Marcia also writes blogs, newsletters, and reviews, which she shares with her readers on her website, The Devon Maid Book Corner. If you would like to join Marcia's mailing list, you can subscribe here: https://marciaclayton.co.uk/ or by downloading her FREE short story, Amelia, which is a spin-off tale from The Mazzard Tree. Amelia, a little orphan girl of 4, is abandoned in Victorian London. You can find out what happens to her here: https://marciaclayton.co.uk/amelia-fr...
The Prequel to The Hartford Manor Series is Betsey, set in North Devon in 1820:
Betsey, a sadly neglected child, is shouldering responsibilities far beyond her years. As she does her best to care for her little brother, Norman, she is befriended by Gypsy Freda, an old woman whose family is camped nearby. Freda's granddaughter, Jane, is also fond of the little girl and is concerned about her.
Thomas, the second son of Lord Fellwood, happens across the gypsy camp and becomes besotted with Jane. However, Jasper Morris, the local miller, also has designs on the young gypsy, and inevitably, the two men do not see eye to eye.
Betsey is drawn into their rivalry for the attention of the beautiful young woman, and she finds herself promising to keep a dangerous secret for many years to come.
You can order Betsey and all of Marcia’s books from any bookshop. They are also available as ebooks, paperbacks and hardbacks on Amazon, and are free to read in Kindle Unlimited.
https://mybook.to/Betsey
http://viewauthor.at/MarciaClayton
Marcia Clayton was born in North Devon, which she thinks is the best place in the world, and she would never want to live anywhere else! When she left school, Marcia worked in a bank for several years until she married her husband, Bryan, and then stayed at home for a few years to care for her three sons, Stuart, Paul and David. As the children grew older, Marcia worked as a Marie Curie nurse caring for the terminally ill and later for the local authority managing school transport.
Now a grandmother, Marcia enjoys spending time with her family and friends. She’s a keen researcher of family history, and this hobby inspired some of the characters in her books. Marcia is a keen gardener and an avid reader, and she enjoys historical fiction, romance, and crime books.
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Abi is an author of uplifting contemporary fiction as well as cosy murder mystery. And, today is a special day as it is the first birthday of Murder at the Pirate Festival.
Paulie, the protagonist is a teenager who has just discovered she's got ADHD. Abi tells me that this has brought about SO many amazing conversations with people and the feedback she's had about the authenticity of Paulie's character and the depiction of her neurodivergence has been really moving.
Abi was herself diagnosed with autism towards the end of writing this book, which, she says, makes her wonder if there's more of her in Paulie than she first thought. She's also on the pathway for an ADHD assessment so it's a brilliant example of fiction mirroring life and vice versa.
She is also a Humanist celebrant, painter and mindfulness practitioner - a Geordie girl living by the sea in South Devon with
her Turkish husband and two terrifying kids.
She loves to blog and gets her kicks through mindful parenting
styles, creative living and chocolate.
Abigail’s writing inspiration comes from scratching the surface of
everyday life to find the underlying magic that connects us all. The
fire beneath the frustration, the creativity beneath the boredom, the stillness beneath the chaos.
The ‘Life Is Yours’ series tracks one woman’s tumultuous experience of heartbreak, bi-cultural romance, motherhood and self-love.
Murder at the Pirate Festival is the first book in the Berryport Mysteries and is a totally unputdownable cosy mystery with Devonshire pirate festival vibes.
All of Abigail’s books are now available on Amazon . . .
Life Is Yours Series Sales Link:
UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B097YL6DB6
US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B097YL6DB6
Aus: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B097YL6DB6
Berryport Mysteries Sales Link:
UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CN8F63G1
US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CN8F63G1
Aus: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0CN8F63G1
Join Abigail on social media:
www.facebook.com/AbigailYardimci
www.instagram.com/abigailyardimciauthor
www.tiktok.com/@abigailyardimci_author
www.bsky.app/profile/abigailyardimci....
Get a FREE copy of Abigail’s first book, Life Is Yours, by signing up to her readers list:
www.abigailyardimci.com
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JANE CORRY
HOW I BECAME A SUNDAY-TIMES BEST-SELLER
May I start off by saying thank you to Ian Hobbs (vey kind Jane - Ed), whom I met soon after moving to Devon nearly sixteen years ago. It’s always daunting when you move hundreds of miles away to a new place but Ian and others in Devon’s writing circle kindly welcomed me into the fold.
This was a big step in my life for two reasons. First, I’d just got married for the second time and secondly, I was – without knowing it – about to write what is known as ‘the break-out’ novel. In other words, a book which changes your career. I’m convinced that the beautiful scenery and pace of Devon life helped – as did going to prison.
Let me explain. After my divorce, I took a job as a writer in residence of a high-security male prison near London for three years. When I moved to Devon, I was still under contract, so I commuted weekly. One of the prison guards lived in Bude so he would give me a lift in his prison van and my new husband would meet me at Exeter service station. I used to worry what my new neighbours might think as I got out, with my prison belt – complete with whistle - still around my waist!
When my job ended, I found it hard to get prison out of my head. So I wrote a novel about a fictional lawyer who was asked to handle a murderer’s appeal. It was called ‘My Husband’s Wife’. I didn’t hold out much hope because although I’d been published as a romance writer (nine novels) in preceding years, I was now without agent or publisher.
However, I wrote to an editor whom I used to know and asked if she had any suggestions for an agent. She gave me three names. One turned me down flat. The second said she was interested in the second idea I’d sent her (not ‘My Husband’s Wife’) and the third said ‘yes’. At that point, I had only written the first three chapters. I asked her what she’d do if she didn’t like the rest of the novel when I’d finished it. She said ‘I will.’
I’ll never forget those words. Kate Hordern is a brilliant agent and I am so grateful to her for everything she’s done for me. When I finished ‘My Husband's Wife’ some six months later, she sent it out to various publishers. Some were interested but there were no takers. I resigned myself to disappointment but then three months later, just as my husband and I were getting ready to go to London for an 80-year-old aunt’s party at the rather grand Athenaeum Club, came a phone call. A new editor at Penguin Viking called Katy Loftus had read my ms and it was going into an acquisitions meeting! I didn’t allow myself to get excited. I’d got as far as acquisitions before with other publishers and nothing had come of it. However, the calls increased during the day. They liked it. They loved it. They wanted to meet me asap because the Frankfurt Book Fair was coming up with the potential for selling to foreign publishers too.
Yet there was a problem. Even though this was my dream come true, I couldn’t be late for the elderly aunt’s formal dinner that night. ‘Then they’ll come to you at your hotel beforehand,’ said my agent.
And they did. As soon as Katy walked through the door and began talking about my characters as if she knew them as well as I did, we clicked. Contracts were signed within days. Then I had to edit and kill off a character. Did I balk? No. Katy was right. The character’s demise sharpened the plot.
‘My Husband’s Wife’ became my first Sunday Times best-seller. It was also a Washington Post best-seller. Since then, I’ve had six more Sunday Times best-sellers. Last year’s novel ‘’I Died on a Tuesday’ reached number two in Canada.
My tenth novel for Penguin ‘The Stranger in Room Six’ comes out on June 19th. It’s about Mabel, a 95-year-old, who once did something very wrong during WW2. Now in a home (a former rambling rectory, once owned by her family) she has a new carer, Belinda, fresh out of prison for murdering her husband. The two share their secrets but someone is watching Mabel from Room Six and will do anything to expose her past. Can Belinda save her? If you like the sound of that, you can buy my new book from supermarkets, bookshops and online. (Also available in audio and digital.)
All my novels are about ‘ordinary’ families who unexpectedly find themselves caught up in crime. I focus on emotions and reasonably happy endings rather than too much blood or police procedural.
My advice to those thinking of changing genres as I did, or starting out from scratch, is to think about your own unique selling point. What do you know about behind-the-scenes jobs that might intrigue others? It could be stacking the supermarket shelves; working as a hospital auxiliary; cleaning loos; being the head of a company. It’s the small details which draw readers in, along with a character’s problem which needs to be resolved. Personally, I like two or three viewpoints including one who is an unreliable narrator. This gives plenty of scope for twists – which I love. Add a dash of humour too!
If you’d like more writing tips, do visit my website at [https://www.janecorryauthor.com/](htt... There’s also a free short story if you subscribe to my newsletter. Happy writing!
It's been a joy watching Jane's career continue to flourish and I'm excited to read her latest.
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The Passenger Manifest:
Glimpses into other people’s lives are rarely what they seem - but offered the chance to journey awhile with someone, is it ever possible to figure out who they really are?
Step aboard and accompany an array of characters over the course of a year as they travel by train through changing landscapes and seasons, each carrying their own dreams, desires and secrets. Whether travelling to reunions or conferences, visiting family or friends, or even manufacturing their own dangerous liaisons, each has something to hide, and something to prove. Hurtling on to their final destinations, their paths twist and collide, shattering carefully constructed facades to reveal their inner lives and intricate lies. When catastrophe strikes, will anyone emerge unscathed?
Don't miss out on this gripping tale of concealed truths and dissembled realities.
About Rebecca:
Rebecca Southgate Williams is a debut novelist who loves to challenge our perceptions of reality and peel away the masks we wear to reveal what lies behind them. With an Honours Degree in French and German, a Master’s Degree in Library and Information Studies, and a Certificate in Translation, she has a long-held appreciation of the scope and power of the written word. Whether used to obfuscate or reveal, tear down or build up, repress or transform, words can create so many different narratives and perspectives. Her love of both classical literature and modern psychological dramas led her to the idea of creating a modern-day odyssey to explore the landscapes we travel, both in body and mind. A mother of three adult children, she currently works in the charity sector and lives in Cornwall with her husband and her younger son.
Devon Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
The Passenger Manifest (other topics)My Husband's Wife (other topics)
I Died on a Tuesday (other topics)
The Stranger in Room Six (other topics)
Murder at the Pirate Festival (other topics)
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Having paused (briefly) from my travels I am launching a new series today which will see me catching up with our community of writers who are long-standing friends of Devon Book Club. To start us off I am delighted to share news of Kirsten McKenzie’s latest novel
The Vampires of York Tower
"They're not just tenants, they're prey..."
High above Manhattan's gilded streets, York Tower rises as the ultimate address for New York's wealthy elite. But with its elderly residents dying at an alarming rate, cracks appear in the building's glossy facade. Behind designer doors and million-dollar views, an ancient evil stalks the halls—one that's perfected its hunt across centuries.
And in a building where everyone has something to hide and nothing is as it seems, the residents begin to learn that some questions are best left unanswered. The Vampires of York Tower is a gothic horror thriller where ancient vampire mythology collides with Manhattan's glittering elite.
Gothic horror and suspense fans will be captivated by this gripping tale. Ideal for readers who loved The Historian or Interview with the Vampire, this is an absolute must-read.
https://www.kirstenmckenzie.com/books
This is Kirsten’s tenth book. In her wide-ranging collection you will find 3 books in her Ithaca Time Travel series, 3 more in her Old Curiosity Shop Time Travel series and 4 Thrillers. You may remember that I previously featured The Forger and the Thief, which was hugely popular among you all.