November was a busy month. The Methodist Recorder scheduled a story from me to go in the Christmas double issue, and they wanted it early so that they could pick out some photographs to go with it. It is not your usual happy-clappy Christmas story, but carries on the story about the shoplifting family, what they expect from society for their Christmas and what might actually happen to them. But poor damaged Corin does get an invitation to join our old friends on the day. Whether he will come or not . . .? You’ll have to find out when the story is published. It’s called ‘You Owe Me!’ and it will be published in the double edition for Christmas.

Next, I had to deliver the manuscript for the next Ellie Quicke mystery, Murder at the Magpie, which meant going over and over the manuscript again and again to sort out typos and mis-spaced lines and the occasional error in timing. Did she leave the office at nine or nine thirty and what happened when her daughter came to the door? This involves going backwards and forwards through the manuscript, trying to check on what I’d written earlier. I thought I’d polished the story off nicely, and then found – oh horrors! – that I’d missed the odd mistake so had to go through it all over again. But finally, it was sent off into the blue and now I have an anxious wait till I hear if it is acceptable as it is or if it needs more work.

The big news this month is of course that FALSE WALL will be published on or about the third week in December. Someone asked me the other day what this book was about and I went totally, but completely blank! I couldn’t think. Picture me with my jaw dropping . . .! Well, you must remember that since I despatched it to Severn House, I have written two short stories and the Ellie Quicke story referred to above as Murder at the Magpie, not to mention beginning to sort out what the storyline on the next Bea Abbot story will be. So, backtracking through four storylines, I herewith present the plot of False Wall – which is, if I’ve counted correctly, the 10^th in the Abbot Agency series:

Bea Abbot watched in horror as her garden wall comes crashing down, leaving the rear of her house – and three others – wide open to trespassers. The fall of the wall also disturbs human bones in a neighbour’s pets’ cemetery. An invitation to Bea and her financier friend Leon from the Admiral and his lady next door has horrifying consequences, as both Bea and Leon end up in hospital. It also leaves Bea’s house uninhabitable, wipes out her agency office and threatens to destroy Leon’s reputation. Reeling from shock, Bea is distressed when Leon deserts her in an effort to rescue an important business deal.

Even with the help of her friends, can the agency survive – and what then will become of Bea’s relationship with Leon?

Also out at the end of the month is the paperback edition of FALSE IMPRESSION – this is the one in which a series of strange events and seemingly unrelated deaths lead Leon to take refuge with Bea. And nothing is what it seems. This was first published a year ago in hardback – so don’t get confused, will you. . .

Some of you may know I’ve been experiencing problems with my eyes recently. The long-awaited operation has now taken place and I am thrilled to report that my sight is now returning to normal, hurray! Mind you, when I leave the house at the moment, it’s wearing dark glasses and carrying a stick . . . but I hope soon to be without the stick at least.

Finally, a blessing: may you always bear the true meaning of Christmas in mind as the busy-ness of the season threatens to overwhelm us. Rejoice and be merry, give thanks always for His love.

Veronica Heley

www.veronicaheley.com

http://blog.veronicaheley.com/

NEW . . . .

FALSE           WALL, the 10^th Bea Abbot. December 31^st 2015, 3 months later in the USA and other overseas territories. See above for the plot. ISBN 978-0-7278-8576-0.

FALSE IMPRESSION, the 9^th Bea Abbot. The paperback will be available from December 31^st 2015, 3 months later for overseas. ISBN 978-1-84751-5629.

MURDER BY SUSPICION- the 16^th Ellie Quicke. Booklist review: ‘The latest in Heley’s long-running series again draws its appeal from the mix of suspense, gentle humour, an unpredictable plot, and a brave and engaging amateur sleuth.’

Hardback: ISBN 9780 7278 85241   E-book: 9781 78010 6779

The audiobook of THE TARRANT ROSE, from Soundings, ISBN 9781407951836

The new pop-up by Francesca Crespi, for Noah’s Ark, has a text written by yours truly. Francesca’s work is stunning. Frances Lincoln, ISBN 978-1-84507-937-6.

You can hear me reading various bits and pieces in recordings made by Isis (Soundings) as follows: Podcast & Interview:https://soundcloud.com/isisaudio/isis-unabridged-podcast-3-veronica-heley-interview.   Collected newsletters 2011-2014 (one audio file) https://soundcloud.com/isis/veronica-heley-newsletters-2011-2014   Links to individual newsletters (click on each title) https://soundcloud.com/isisaudio/sets/veronica-heley-newsletters

UNSUNG HEROES is now available as an e-book. This is a collection of short stories concerning the problems of three retired men and their families, plus some Ellie Quicke short stories. £3.40 UK, and $4.90 USA. http://www.veronicaheley.com/othertitles.php?l1-11

Find details of all the other E-books at http://www.veronicaheley.com/ebooks.php?l1-11

It’s November already? I can’t believe it. Where did this last year go? My year went in work and play and meeting up with friends – numerous cups of coffee – piles of books read – emails received and answered and deleted . . . oh, and a book delivered here and some ebooks coming out there . . . and no, I can’t keep track of them, either!

The short stories for the Methodist Recorder started with a new theme which I’m enjoying but finding quite difficult to write, but I tell myself it’s better to have a fight with a story and come up with something that will be worthwhile than to coast along on last year’s ideas. And yes, I have been working on another short story about my two retired friends and their difficult acquaintance who doesn’t believe in family values or in being a Christian. It’s for the Christmas season, but I don’t have a date for it yet. I’ll give you the details in the next newsletter.

At the end of November I have to deliver another Ellie Quicke, which will be Murder at the Magpie. When writing this story I got a bit confused with i-phones and new-phones and smart-phones, none of which I have the slightest idea how to operate, but hopefully my editor will sort me out. And here’s where I say a big ‘thank-you’ to the delightful men and women who have edited my manuscripts in over forty years of getting published. Yes, sometimes we argue about this and that. Sometimes I invent a word, or over-use a word and they have, patiently and calmly, to explain to me that This Will Not Do. They’re always right, of course. (Not that I want to admit it at the time, but with hindsight . . .)

Recently I was asked to give a talk to the Friends of the Ansdell Library. It was billed as ‘Tea, Scones and Veronica Heley’. So you can see how far down the pecking order I came. However, it was a most delightful occasion and I believe we all enjoyed ourselves. I wish more libraries were able to have a Friends Of group because it’s fun for readers and good for the libraries, too. This particular group meet once a month with tea, a scone (plus not only jam and cream but also butter!) and to have a discussion about the book they’ve been reading. On this occasion, they had me as a speaker as well. Oh, and the tea and scones were excellent.

I don’t do many speaking dates nowadays because I’m getting on in years and don’t leap on and off trains and buses as nimbly as I used to. But in addition to the Ansdell trip, I have also been down to Plymouth to stay with friends and spend some time with the writing group there. One of the problems faced by beginner writers – and also by some who are well along the road to being publishable – is the lack of a good editor. In recent years publishers have cut their editing staff and many have gone freelance . . . but how to find one who will understand exactly what it is you wanted to say, and help you to say it? Some writing organisations may be able to point you in the direction of a suitable editor, but many don’t have a list of such people . . . and yet writers need editors and vice versa. So my question for the month is: how to connect the one with the other? Perhaps, if you know a good editor who is looking for work, you could advise them to give writing organisations their contact details?

Now, back to work. Murder at the Magpie is fun to write, but I like to make sure there’s as little as possible work for my editor to do when I turn the manuscript in – and that means going over and over the story to cut out the bits I don’t need and explain the bits that I do. And get it down to the right word count.

Finally, a blessing: may the brilliant blue skies of autumn, showing off the red and gold leaves falling from the trees, lift your hearts in thanks to the Creator.

Veronica Heley

www.veronicaheley.com

http://blog.veronicaheley.com/

NEW . . . .
MURDER BY SUSPICION- the 16^th Ellie Quicke. The charismatic leader of a cult is after Ellie’s money, and Claire the Tearful is a disaster as Ellie’s new housekeeper while another young girl it reported as having gone missing. Booklist review: ‘The latest in Heley’s long-running series again draws its appeal from the mix of suspense, gentle humour, an unpredictable plot, and a brave and engaging amateur sleuth.’

Hardback: ISBN 9780 7278 85241   E-book: 9781 78010 6779

The audiobook of THE TARRANT ROSE, from Soundings, ISBN 9781407951836

FALSE ALARM, the 7^th Bea Abbot. Paperback: ISBN 978 1 84751 466 0.

FALSE IMPRESSION, the 9^th Bea Abbot. Large print: ISBN 978 0 7278 7164 7
And . . . the paperback is coming soon.

The new pop-up by Francesca Crespi, for Noah’s Ark, has a text written by yours truly. Francesca’s work is stunning. Frances Lincoln, ISBN 978-1-84507-937-6.

You can hear me reading various bits and pieces in recordings made by Isis (Soundings) as follows: Podcast & Interview:https://soundcloud.com/isisaudio/isis-unabridged-podcast-3-veronica-heley-interview.   Collected newsletters 2011-2014 (one audio file) https://soundcloud.com/isis/veronica-heley-newsletters-2011-2014   Links to individual newsletters (click on each title) https://soundcloud.com/isisaudio/sets/veronica-heley-newsletters

UNSUNG HEROES is now available as an e-book. This is a collection of short stories concerning the problems of three retired men and their families, plus some Ellie Quicke short stories. £3.40 UK, and $4.90 USA. http://www.veronicaheley.com/othertitles.php?l1-11

Find details of all the other E-books at http://www.veronicaheley.com/ebooks.php?l1-11

To start with, thanks to everyone who has commiserated with me on my email troubles. I reckon I spent a whole week of my life on the phone to India! I have been told that I still ought to do more to get the system running perfectly, but it does now seem to respond to what I ask it to do – for which I give thanks.

I also had a query as to whether there would be any more short stories in the Methodist Recorder about my two retired men and their problems. Well, the second short story in the new series was published on 25th September. I didn’t get the date early enough to flag it up in the last newsletter, but if you’d like a copy, then just drop me an email, and I’ll send it to you. This one was called ‘Excuse me!’ and it shows our man from Mars discovering that he still has a sense of justice. A gang of shoplifters causes chaos in the town centre, which gives our old friends Bruce and Leo a chance to help Corin, if he will only accept that he is still part of the human race. There’ll be another story at Christmas time but I don’t have the date yet.

A delightful parcel arrived on my doorstep just as I was off to Warwick University to teach for a weekend at the National Association of Writing Groups – of which more in a minute. The parcel contained the newly published audiobooks of one of my historical novels, called The Tarrant Rose. A lovely cover of an old house – you remember I had cause to be concerned when a story which I can only call ‘a Georgian romp’ had a Victorian dress on the cover? Anyway, this particular story is set in Jacobean times and is about pride, mistaken identity, and plots in high places at the court of George II regarding the Pretender to the throne. I seem to remember doing a lot of research for this book to get the costumes and everyday matters right, but the love story could be set in any age.

The weekend spent at Warwick University went well. I am trying to cut down the number of such workshops I do nowadays, but this one is always worth while. Contact with a professional can shorten the learning curve for a new writer, and that’s what I aim to do. The campus is amazing! And they are still building! A doctor friend of mine used to say that, to keep students healthy, all accommodation ought to be at least a mile from the lecture rooms, and up a steep hill. Our accommodation this time was a good ten minute walk away from where we gave our workshops, but it was well designed, clean, secure . . . and looked out onto countryside! Oh, and the food was good, too. But why, oh why, do caterers think you can make a drinkable cup of tea by pouring hot-but-not-boiling water out of an insulated container onto a tea bag? I’m probably complaining in vain as this way of serving ‘tea’ is gaining ground everywhere.

MURDER AT THE MAGPIE. So, how is the Magpie book getting on? As you probably know by now, I go over and over and over each manuscript before it’s sent off to the publishers. I’m always having to bear in mind that 85,000 words is the maximum for a Severn House book. Sometimes I’m over on my first draft, sometimes under. This time I was under by a thousand words. At the end of the second draft, I was five hundred over. So then I was taking out the odd sentence here and there to get the word count down, until I found I had to add another sentence to explain this and that . . . But I still have time to work on it.

MURDER BY SUSPICION- that’s the one in which the charismatic leader of a cult is after Ellie’s money, and Claire the Tearful is a disaster as Ellie’s new housekeeper –

has had another good review. This time it’s from Booklist, who say ‘The latest in Heley’s long-running series again draws its appeal from the mix of suspense, gentle humour, an unpredictable plot, and a brave and engaging amateur sleuth.’ Bravo, say I!

And finally, a blessing: may the coming of the autumn colours give us an opportunity to pause and marvel at the beauties of the Creator’s wonderful world.

Veronica Heley

NEW . . . .

The audiobook of THE TARRANT ROSE, from Soundings, ISBN 9781407951836

MURDER BY SUSPICION, the 16^th Ellie Quicke.

Hardback: ISBN 9780 7278 85241   E-book: 9781 78010 6779

FALSE IMPRESSION, the 9^th Bea Abbot. Large print: ISBN 978 0 7278 7164 7

And . . . the paperback is coming soon.

Have you ever forgotten your pin number? Do you convert all your pin numbers to one which you can remember? I have just one store card for which I am required to use a pin number and, as my memory for numbers is not good, I wrote it down disguised as a telephone number in my diary. Only, then I couldn’t remember which part of the nine digits was the pin number! I’ve had this problem once before in the post office where the girl behind the counter said, in a bored voice, that I was the third person that morning who couldn’t remember what her pin number was!  

I’ve had one or two of my correspondents comment on the fact that I’m growing my own tomatoes, and I have to tell you that the very odd-shaped fruit on one plant are delicious! I’m told it’s a Heritage tomato, if that means anything to you. Highly recommended.

My short story called WHY BOTHER! was duly published in the Methodist Recorder on August 7^th,   with new character who makes fun of Bruce and Leo for their family values and for being Christians. Bruce’s wife Sally has christened him ‘the man from Mars’, and he certainly acts like it. If you’d like to read it, but can’t get hold of the Recorder, just drop me an email and I’ll send it to you for free. I’ve already been asked to produce another story in this series, which will come out at Harvest time . . . but I don’t know exactly when that will be. Harvest can be such a movable feast, can’t it?

Writing the next book – MURDER AT THE MAGPIE – has been interrupted by the necessity of copy editing for False Wall – which comes out at the end of the year. No one likes dealing with copy editing where all your faults of punctuation come up and slap you in the face, and your long-cherished ideas of what happens with semi-colons are blown apart. You get used to certain ways of dealing with commas, for instance, and then find that all your deliberately placed commas have been removed and put in another place! Ugh. But I now have a new copy editor, who isn’t fixated about commas, but loves – just adores – hyphens. Needless to say, I am grinding my teeth about this. Then I remind myself to choose my battles with care. So, some I’ll let her have, and one or two I’ll fight to the death to retain.

So, how is the Magpie book getting on? Well, I’ve got to the end and found myself surprised by one or two things that happened along the way. All is not what it seems at first sight. I do like planting surprises for the reader to come across, but they have to arise from the plot and not just come out of the blue. In this case I’ve had to go back and back and back over the mss to make sure that the clues to the surprises were there all the time, even though I hadn’t noticed them when I was writing that bit. Young Mikey insinuates himself into the plot even when he’s not supposed to do so – but we’re accustomed to that, aren’t we? This time he not only rides his bike on the pavement and gets shouted at by alarmed pensioners in mobile scooters, but he tries – in vain – to get Thomas to give him driving lessons. He pays War Games with a friend and finds it boring. He borrows a metal detector to find Lesley’s (police, remember) engagement ring which she’s thrown out of the window in the garden in a temper . . . and no, I’m not telling you what that’s all about but Ellie does feel guilty about it.

Meanwhile, MURDER BY SUSPICION is fresh from the publishers and getting out and about and being read all over the world, much to reader’s enjoyment (or so I hear!) This is the story in which the charismatic leader of a cult is after Ellie’s money. Pastor Ambrose works through Claire the Tearful, whom Ellie took on to look after her elderly and very frail housekeeper, Rose – and that did not work out well. Also Ellie’s policewoman friend is raising the question of a missing schoolgirl with whom Claire has had an argument. For details of the ISBNs, see below. There’s been a couple of good reviews out already – Publishers Weekly, have said ‘Ellie remains a formidable heroine, despite her rather slapdash and impulsive habits.’ I like that, don’t you?

And finally, a blessing: may the beauty of the world in high summer remind us to say ‘thank you’ every now and then. And, since I’m having a lot of trouble with my e-mails lately, this comes to you on a wing and with a prayer.

Veronica Heley

www.veronicaheley.com

NEW . . . .

MURDER BY SUSPICION, the 16^th Ellie Quicke.
Hardback:   ISBN 9780 7278 85241   E-book: 9781 78010 6779

FALSE ALARM, the 7^th Bea Abbot. Paperback: ISBN 978 1 84751 466 0.

FALSE IMPRESSION, the 9^th Bea Abbot. Large print: ISBN 978 0 7278 7164 7

And . . . the paperback is coming soon.

The new pop-up by Francesca Crespi, for Noah’s Ark, has a text written by yours truly. Francesca’s work is stunning. Frances Lincoln, ISBN 978-1-84507-937-6.

The weather has not been very helpful recently, has it? We hadn’t had enough rain for weeks – and then it overdid it. Gutters overflowed, water-butts, ditto. And still some plants decided they’d had enough and died. And the pots in the greenhouse had to be watered come rain or shine. So every morning and some evenings as well, I had to go out and find the watering-can (medium size) and water the plants I’m growing in pots, some inside the greenhouse and some out in the garden. And yes, it’s my fault for trying to keep the pots going in the summertime. Every year I vow to cut down on the number of plants in pots, and every year I think . . . well, just this little one here . . . and I really like . . . and then there’s the tomatoes which I grow in the greenhouse to avoid the blight . . . and before I know where I am, it’s back to hauling water out of the water butts.

And yes, thank you; the tomatoes are doing well, all except for one plant on which only one tomato has set and that is a very strange-looking fruit indeed. And no, I can’t remember which make it was as I’ve lost all the labels the plants came with. I was always taught that you allowed four heads of flowers to set and then cut off the top of the plant to encourage the fruit to ripen. But I like green tomatoes as well, so I’m leaving the plants to shoot up and up, tying them onto wires as they go.

I use my garden as a diversion and exercise when I’m writing. I get stuck . . . and then go and do a bit of dead-heading or weeding or whatever, and I find that the knot in my brain has loosened and I know what to write next. A long hot bath has the same effect, or playing patience . . . but enough of that.

How is the writing going? Well, all right, I suppose. At this stage, when I’m working my way steadily through the first draft of a new story, I am always conscious that at any moment a character can turn round and reveal a new side of himself or herself. This makes him or her much more interesting as a person, but means I have to go back and check that this new trait was always there when they appeared ‘on screen’ so to speak. And, surprisingly, I’ve usually written this new trait in, without realising it.

My main problem in this book is that so far Ellie’s daughter, the dreadful Diana, has not yet appeared in person, although she is raging away at the end of the phone. Of course she’s wanting Ellie to do this and that, and of course Ellie is going to try to accommodate her, but there does come a time . . . or does there? . . . when Ellie has to say ‘no’ and mean it. And that clever, difficult lad Mikey has taken to riding his bike on the pavements and being told off by all and sundry, and of course, not taking a blind bit of notice. Ah well.

What else? Well, the short story WHY BOTHER! will be published in the Methodist Recorder on August 7^th. This introduces a new character who makes fun of Bruce and Leo for their family values and for being Christians, despite the fact that they rescue him from a tricky situation. If you’d like a copy, but can’t get hold of the Recorder, just drop me an email after the publication date, and I’ll send you one free. And please, if you like this new theme, could you drop me a line to say just that? I’d appreciate it.

I’ve had the first of the professional reviews in for Murder by Suspicion, the Ellie Quicke which was published here in the UK in June, but which will not be available in the States till lst October. This is from Kirkus: ‘Heley offers another solid outing for Ellie, who isn’t slowed down a bit by the passage of time.’ Isn’t that nice?

MURDER BY SUSPICION fresh from the publishers! This is the story in which the charismatic leader of a cult is after Ellie’s money. Pastor Ambrose works through Claire the Tearful, whom Ellie took on to look after her elderly and very frail housekeeper, Rose – and that did not work out well. Also Ellie’s policewoman friend is raising the question of a missing schoolgirl with whom Claire has had an argument. For details of the ISBNs, see below.

There were two more stories published in different editions this last month. FALSE ALARM came out in paperback and FALSE IMPRESSION in large print.

And finally, a blessing: may our eyes not only see the beauty of summer days, but also the troubled faces of those around us. May our time and our patience stretch to hear what they have to say.

Veronica Heley

NEW . . . .
MURDER BY SUSPICION, the 16^th Ellie Quicke.
Hardback: ISBN 9780 7278 85241 E-book: 9781 78010 6779

FALSE ALARM, the 7^th Bea Abbot. Paperback: ISBN 978 1 84751 466 0.

FALSE IMPRESSION, the 9^th Bea Abbot. Large print: ISBN 978 0 7278 7164 7

The audiobook of THE WILFUL HEIRESS from Soundings. In CD.

The new pop-up by Francesca Crespi, for Noah’s Ark, has a text written by yours truly. Francesca’s work is stunning. Frances Lincoln, ISBN 978-1-84507-937-6.

You can hear me reading various bits and pieces in recordings made by Isis (Soundings) as follows: Podcast & Interview:https://soundcloud.com/isisaudio/isis-unabridged-podcast-3-veronica-heley-interview.   Collected newsletters 2011-2014 (one audio file) https://soundcloud.com/isis/veronica-heley-newsletters-2011-2014   Links to individual newsletters (click on each title) https://soundcloud.com/isisaudio/sets/veronica-heley-newsletters

UNSUNG HEROES is now available as an e-book. This is a collection of short stories concerning the problems of three retired men and their families, plus some Ellie Quicke short stories. £3.40 UK, and $4.90 USA. http://www.veronicaheley.com/othertitles.php?l1-11

Find details of all the other E-books at http://www.veronicaheley.com/ebooks.php?l1-11

I’ve been lazy for a couple of days. Picture me, laid out flat out on my bed, going Aargh!

The reason? We had our annual Party in the Park on Sunday. It is run by our local Community Organisation, and attracts about 6000 visitors. There are stages for choirs and dancing troupes; a beer tent and a food area; clowns and balloons and races and football and Fit for Sport and a dog show and side shows. In other words, a proper Show. The local churches get together to rent a ‘patch of land’ on which we stage crafts (free for children), a prayer tree, an entertainment section, and a book and cards stall (my church). We set up in the morning, open at one and finish at five, although there is live music till 9. Old friends come and go but the highlight for me was a ride on the wonderful, noisy, creaking, slightly tatty carousel. And yes, I managed to hitch up my skirt and climb up onto one of the horses and hang on to the barley-sugar pole and go wheeeee! So now you understand why I’ve been lying flat out on my bed, going Aargh!

As to the books. Well, the next Ellie Quicke – MURDER BY SUSPICION – came out at the end of June (available three months later in the USA). I don’t have any reviews from the magazines yet, but I do have three via the NetGalley system, which is for librarians and web-site reviewers who can apply for a free digital copy in advance of publication. And they have been very kind. Thank you, all of you.

The storyline? The charismatic leader of a cult is after Ellie’s money. Pastor Ambrose works through Claire the Tearful, whom Ellie took on to look after her elderly and very frail housekeeper, Rose – and that did not work out well. Also Ellie’s policewoman friend is raising the question of a missing schoolgirl with whom Claire has had an argument. For details of the ISBNs, see below.

Someone asked me the other day about a character in one of my books and my mind went completely blank. I have enough trouble remembering the names of characters in my current work, especially when they keep changing! For instance, in the current storyline, I had a character who started off as Donald. He looked like a Donald. He acted like a Donald. And then I remembered I have another character with a similar name – Dan, Vera’s husband. All right, Dan is Daniel, and Don is Donald, but . . . no. I decided the names were too similar, so now I have to think of another name for this important character. Gordon? Perhaps.

Mind you, there is good reason for me to be confused. At any given moment I can be working on four different story-lines. If you are as easily confused as me, I suggest you skip the next paragraph.

Currently, I have just received my copies of MURDER BY SUSPICION, officially published last week. I have finished the edit on FALSE WALL, and am waiting for the copy-editing to arrive. I am beginning the first draft of the next Ellie, MURDER AT THE MAGPIE. I am polishing off another short story for the Methodist Recorder called WHY BOTHER? introducing a new character. I am writing and sending in publicity material for MURDER BY SUSPICION, which will appear on other people’s websites soon and I’m arranging for some forward publicity for . . . er . . . remind me, someone! And I have to bear in mind that publication in the USA is going to be three months behind that of the UK, and somehow I’ve got to arrange for the website to be kept up to date . . . and there are some nice reviews coming through for . . . which story?

You get the picture?

On the whole life is good. They say that writers are never so happy as when they’re producing the first draft of a new story. I’m not sure that that’s true but, as it happens, this one is coming along a treat . . . at least, it seems to be all right at the moment. What I’ll think of it when I come to the edits, I don’t know.

And finally, a blessing: may the longest days of the year bring more light than darkness into your life.

Veronica Heley

NEW . . . .

MURDER BY SUSPICION, the 16^th Ellie Quicke.
Hardback:   ISBN 9780 7278 85241         E-book: 9781 78010 6779

FALSE ALARM, the 7^th Bea Abbot.
Paperback: ISBN 978 1 84751 466 0.

The audiobook of   THE WILFUL HEIRESS from Soundings. In CD.

The new pop-up by Francesca Crespi, for Noah’s Ark, has a text written by yours truly. Francesca’s work is stunning. Frances Lincoln, ISBN 978-1-84507-937-6.

UNSUNG HEROES is now available as an e-book. This is a collection of short stories concerning the problems of three retired men and their families, plus some Ellie Quicke short stories. £3.40 UK, and $4.90 USA. http://www.veronicaheley.com/othertitles.php?l1-11

Find details of all the other E-books at http://www.veronicaheley.com/ebooks.php?l1-11

You find me refreshed, revived, etc. In other words, I stole away from my desk for a few days holiday in Bruges. Without a computer. And only switched my mobile phone on once a day. And it was good.

I came back to find the usual things had gone wrong in the house, such as the central heating clock developing a mind of its own – why would it want to do that? Don’t I treat it well? Anyway, I got Tim to fix it.

Work. Well, first off, the audiobook of THE WILFUL HEIRESS came out in May – and I do hope you enjoy it. ‘The Lady Elizabeth Silverwood states that she may be an heiress, but she is not a fool . . .’ so you can guess the rest. Oh, yes, and she wears some lovely clothes and is being pursued by a fortune-hunter . . . or is he? The cover shows a Victorian costume, but the story is actually set in the reign of George II. Go figure! It is a beautiful cover, but perhaps a tad misleading.

More good news: the contracts are through for another Bea Abbot and another for Ellie Quicke. I spent a lot of time when I was in Bruges simply sitting and thinking about the next book. Before I start writing I have to know what the situation is that calls for Ellie to intervene, I have to know what the main characters look like and how they behave, and, most importantly, I have to know their names. So I sit on a bench overlooking the canal, with the tourist boats swishing past now and then, and a cyclist thrumming along on the cobblestones at my back, and I think. It’s a lovely place to sit, looking over at ancient gabled buildings which line the canal on both sides. Where I sit there is a rough triangle of grass with some flower beds in it, and a couple of mill-stones rescued from a long-gone windmill. There are some restored windmills only a few hundred yards away on the banks of a still larger canal, but I like this quiet, grassy spot away from the road.

Names can be very difficult to pin down. You can visualise the character – how they dress and act and speak, and sometimes you can get the name straight off, but usually I have several goes at it. This time I started off with some fairly unusual names which looked all right to start with, but then became something different. Why this should be, I do not know, except that as the characters grow in my mind, the original names didn’t fit. I start writing this next story – which is to be called MURDER AT THE MAGPIE, today, as I have just managed to get off the next Bea Abbot story to my publisher. It’s a weird business, this stepping away from ‘being’ Bea, to ‘becoming’ Ellie. I assure you that I am neither personage, although I do share some traits with both. And, like Ellie, I wish I were a little taller!

What else is happening this month? Well, there will be a hardback of another Ellie Quicke – MURDER BY SUSPICION – out in the last week of June together with the trade paperback and the e-book. This one has the charismatic leader of a cult going after Ellie’s money. Pastor Ambrose works through Claire the Tearful, whom Ellie took on to look after her elderly and very frail housekeeper, Rose – and that did not work out well. Also Ellie’s policewoman friend is raising the question of a missing schoolgirl with whom Claire had had an argument. For details of the ISBNs, see below.

Also at the end of June there will be a large print version of the 7^th Bea Abbot story – which is FALSE ALARM.

Meanwhile the Methodist Recorder have asked me for another short story for the summer months, and I have to deliver that by the end of June, so I’d better get started on that, too. I think we’ll be introducing our two old friends, Bruce and Leo, to a new comer, who is going to be quite a problem. I’m rather looking forward to that. His name at the moment is Corin – but, see above – that may well change as he becomes more real in my mind.

And finally, a blessing: may the showers of rain in your life help you to grow as flowers do in a garden.

Veronica Heley

NEW . . . .

MURDER BY SUSPICION, the 16^th Ellie Quicke.
Hardback:   ISBN 9780 7278 85241
Trade paperback: ISBN 9781 84751 6244
E-book: 9781 78010 6779

Also, the audiobook of THE WILFUL HEIRESS from Soundings. In CD.

The new pop-up by Francesca Crespi, for Noah’s Ark, has a text written by yours truly. Francesca’s work is stunning. Frances Lincoln, ISBN 978-1-84507-937-6.

UNSUNG HEROES is now available as an e-book. This is a collection of short stories concerning the problems of three retired men and their families, plus some Ellie Quicke short stories. £3.40 UK, and $4.90 USA. http://www.veronicaheley.com/othertitles.php?l1-11

I have made a New Year’s Resolution – well, all right, I do know we’re now into the fifth month of the year, but I don’t know how else to term such an important, nay life-changing, event. I am not going to mention the clothes moths any more. I have thrown out all my woollen garments. I have torn up old carpets and had new ones – supposedly moth-proof – put down. I have replaced carpeting with tiles in the bathroom. I have sprayed with lavender oil. And still they come. So, I have decided that from now on the battle should be considered part of everyday normal life and therefore not to be mentioned. (Of course, like all good New Year Resolutions, I may break this one from time to time!)

I went to the London Book Fair, which has moved to Olympia and, like everyone else there, was bewildered by the signs – or lack of. Now I quite understand how difficult it was for the organisers to fit so many aspects of the publishing world into four conjoined halls and two, or was it three, sets of galleries – one of which could only be reached by lift. But was it really necessary to put table D31 between tables C45 and C56? I exaggerate not. That was the sort of obstacle which we punters had to negotiate in order to find our editors and agents. Yes, no doubt all will be fixed by next year – or will we be transferring to Excel? I rather hope not, but . . .

However, good news all round. Severn House want another two books from me, which will keep me fully employed for the next year. One for Bea, and one for Ellie, as usual. Which is just as well, as my peculiar brain is already working on that happens in Ellie Number 17, and I am still tidying up Bea Number 10, which I am due to deliver at the end of May 2015. I will try to keep you up to date on when and how each story comes out and in what format. It looks as if we will be having more paperbacks and less hardbacks in future.

Soundings are continuing to bring out audiobooks for the last few of my historical novels, which is lovely, and they are also looking at taking on the four books in the Eden Hall series. So see me walking on air. . .

Meanwhile the short story for the Methodist Recorder duly came out on Good Friday, and if you haven’t been able to get hold of a copy and would like to read it, just drop me an email, and I’ll send it to you free of charge. This one is called ‘Saying Thank you!’ in which Kerry decides we don’t thank people enough for what they do, and he sets about doing so. (Spoiler alert: we lose one of our heroes.)

Usually my publishers, Severn House, bring out an Ellie Quicke in the third week of May every year. This time it’s going to be delayed till June. But, if you like, you can always go into the library and reserve a copy now. The title is MURDER BY SUSPICION, and has the charismatic leader of a cult going after Ellie’s money. Pastor Ambrose works through Claire the Tearful, whom Ellie took on to look after her elderly and very frail housekeeper, Rose.

Do you belong to a book club, or like to have recommendations to books? Every year I have to give an in-depth review of a book I have chosen and this year it’s The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier. This is a very personal review, and many people may not agree with what I have to say about it, but if you’d like to read it, you can find it through the Review section on the website.

And finally, a blessing: may you find time to marvel at the splendour of the flowers in the gardens around you. And – like Kerry in the short story – feel brave enough to thank the gardeners concerned?

Veronica Heley

www.veronicaheley.com

http://blog.veronicaheley.com/

NEW . . . . LONGSWORD, an audiobook from Soundings. A romping adventure set in the Middle Ages, about a man wrongly accused of theft. He takes refuge in a castle, where he falls for a girl whose father has vowed she is to become a nun. CD/9781407951683.

Recently published: FALSE IMPRESSION, 9^th in the Abbot Agency series. Bea has taken in the helpless Dilys, who accidentally infects the agency’s systems with a virus, while Bea’s on-and-off friend Leon also seeks sanctuary with her. Both Leon and Dilys’s boy-friend Orlando had been lured to the car park of a swimming pool where a murderer had been at work – leaving them entangled in a web from which they find it hard to extricate themselves. Everything that happens can be interpreted in different ways and it’s some time before Bea realises exactly who was murdered and why. Before she does so, she and everyone else in the house and at the agency find themselves under siege.   Severn House. ISBN 978 0 7278 8445 9.

The new pop-up by Francesca Crespi, for Noah’s Ark, has a text written by yours truly. Francesca’s work is stunning. Frances Lincoln, ISBN 978-1-84507-937-6.

In January the Ellie Quicke story, MURDER IN TIME, came out as a paperback on   ISBN 978 18475 15186, and in February there was a large print version, at   ISBN 978 072 789 7770. Both from Severn House

One of my earliest historicals – MY LORD, THE HERMIT – has just come out on audiobook at CD/9781407951638.

SUE FOR MERCY, my very first published book, is now out as an e-book, as are CRY FOR KIT, and THE SIEGE OF SALWARPE – a romance set in the middle ages.

You can hear me reading various bits and pieces in recordings made by Isis (Soundings) as follows: Podcast & Interview:https://soundcloud.com/isisaudio/isis-unabridged-podcast-3-veronica-heley-interview.   Collected newsletters 2011-2014 (one audio file) https://soundcloud.com/isis/veronica-heley-newsletters-2011-2014   Links to individual newsletters (click on each title) https://soundcloud.com/isisaudio/sets/veronica-heley-newsletters

UNSUNG HEROES is now available as an e-book. This is a collection of short stories concerning the problems of three retired men and their families, plus some Ellie Quicke short stories. £3.40 UK, and $4.90 USA. http://www.veronicaheley.com/othertitles.php?l1-11

Find details of all the other E-books at http://www.veronicaheley.com/ebooks.php?l1-11

Hurray, hurray, I’m now officially convalescent. I can walk up to the shops without too many stops to admire the gardens en route. I can have a pleasurable chat over coffee with friends, and only have a catnap instead of a sleep in the afternoons. I can even do a bit of gardening! The mornings are getting lighter, there are some red sunsets to be seen in the evening, and there are sufficient flowers in the garden to lift the spirits. Altogether, life is on the upturn.

As for work – well, I have struggled to keep up with my copy dates and more or less succeeded. The short story, ‘Saying, Thank you!’ for the Methodist Recorder was accepted without the need for alteration and will be published on Good Friday. If you can’t get hold of a copy and would like to read it, let me know afterwards and I’ll send you one free by email. This story has Kerry deciding that we don’t say ‘thank you’ often enough, and proceeding to do something about it.

So back to work on the next Bea Abbot. I don’t usually have trouble thinking up a good first line, but this one has me stumped. Everyone now and then I think I’ve clinched it, and then I think . . . but . . .! And it’s back to the drawing board, because a snappy first line makes all the difference. My first effort was:

‘Bea watched, horrified.’     I scrubbed that and wrote:

‘Bea didn’t have time to scream.’        And finally,

‘She didn’t even have time to scream.’

It may still change because it is so important. Think about it; you’re in the library and you pick up a book by an author you don’t know, and what do you do? You may read the blurb, but then you read the first line. If that interests you, you are likely to read on. If not, you put the book down again. I usually read the last line of the book as well – but then, I’m one of those peculiar people who can’t bear to read the whole thing before finding out Whodunnit!

Then I had the copy editing to do for MURDER BY SUSPICION. Concentration required! I decided to reward myself with a piece of chocolate when I reached the end of each chapter. I got hung up on a crucial scene at the end which needed alteration, but think I’ve managed to sort it now.

I have been working so hard that many of the letters on my keyboard had disappeared. Now normally it’s not a great problem but when I have a senior moment, I glare at the white keys and think, ‘Now, where is that N?’ I thought I’d be clever and ink the missing letters in with a marker pen. Now I have violet fingertips and smudges over the whole keyboard. Yes, I know I need a new keyboard, but it’s just one more thing to organise . . . like replace the plug and chain in the basin in the bathroom. I have bought the necessary parts but haven’t a pair of pliers with which to effect the alteration. Perhaps a charitable friend will oblige.

Later – aren’t friends wonderful? Marie came round with a pair of pliers and managed the change-over, to my enormous relief. She offered me a loan of her pliers to do the job, but I declined with thanks, on the basis that she’s much less cack-handed than me. Now I owe her a cup of coffee.

April is the time for the London Book Fair, which this year returns to Olympia after having been at Earls Court for many years. I’m not at all sure how they’ll all fit in. The people who are organising the event keep sending me emails about attending all sorts of seminars and worthy-sounding workshops but I’m only going on one day to see my editors and my agent, so won’t have time afterwards to do more than have a quick look around. The publishing world has changed so much over the last twenty years that it’s hard to keep up with all the developments – for instance, who’d heard of e-books when I first got published?

A blessing: on all those wonderful people who help us in our hour of need.

Veronica Heley

www.veronicaheley.com

http://blog.veronicaheley.com/

NEW . . . . LONGSWORD, an audiobook from Soundings. A romping adventure set in the Middle Ages, about a man wrongly accused of theft. He takes refuge in a castle, where he falls for a girl whose father has vowed she is to become a nun. CD/9781407951683.

Recently published: FALSE IMPRESSION, 9^th in the Abbot Agency series. Bea has taken in the helpless Dilys, who accidentally infects the agency’s systems with a virus, while Bea’s on-and-off friend Leon also seeks sanctuary with her. Both Leon and Dilys’s boy-friend Orlando had been lured to the car park of a swimming pool where a murderer had been at work – leaving them entangled in a web from which they find it hard to extricate themselves. Everything that happens can be interpreted in different ways and it’s some time before Bea realises exactly who was murdered and why. Before she does so, she and everyone else in the house and at the agency find themselves under siege.   Severn House. ISBN 978 0 7278 8445 9.

The new pop-up by Francesca Crespi, for Noah’s Ark, has a text written by yours truly. Francesca’s work is stunning. Frances Lincoln, ISBN 978-1-84507-937-6.

In January the Ellie Quicke story, MURDER IN TIME, came out as a paperback on   ISBN 978 18475 15186, and in February there was a large print version, at   ISBN 978 072 789 7770. Both from Severn House

One of my earliest historicals – MY LORD, THE HERMIT – has just come out on audiobook at CD/9781407951638.

SUE FOR MERCY, my very first published book, is now out as an e-book, as are CRY FOR KIT, and THE SIEGE OF SALWARPE – a romance set in the middle ages.

You can hear me reading various bits and pieces in recordings made by Isis (Soundings) as follows: Podcast & Interview:https://soundcloud.com/isisaudio/isis-unabridged-podcast-3-veronica-heley-interview.   Collected newsletters 2011-2014 (one audio file) https://soundcloud.com/isis/veronica-heley-newsletters-2011-2014   Links to individual newsletters (click on each title) https://soundcloud.com/isisaudio/sets/veronica-heley-newsletters

UNSUNG HEROES is now available as an e-book. This is a collection of short stories concerning the problems of three retired men and their families, plus some Ellie Quicke short stories. £3.40 UK, and $4.90 USA. http://www.veronicaheley.com/othertitles.php?l1-11

Find details of all the other E-books at http://www.veronicaheley.com/ebooks.php?l1-11

February didn’t happen. My heavy cold morphed into a cough and there I was, stuck indoors, with no energy and copy dates marching inexorably towards me.

But oh, the kindness of friends! I couldn’t have managed without them. They popped in and out, and brought me food and fruit and bunches of daffodils. One day I decided I’d had enough of being an invalid and crawled up the road to our local shops . . . and then had to sit on a bench and rest awhile before I could manage the journey home. And what a scolding I got from my Chief Carer! I didn’t dare put my nose out of the door for another three whole days. I’m a little better now but she still rings me up and tells me whether I can go out or not!

I am a very lucky woman to have such good friends.

Do you remember I told you I now have to register all my audiobooks with the Public Lending Right system? My publisher very kindly sent me a list of all twenty-seven books, each of which has a thirteen-digit number. (Yes, 13 digits for each audiobook!)

Can you imagine how many mistakes I can make in copying out even one of these numbers? Fortunately one of my good friends has volunteered to come round some day and dictate the numbers to me, so that I can put them on the web. I’m amazed that so many of my books have made it to audio . . . do look for them in your libraries, won’t you? They’re all unabridged, and professionally narrated.

Also out in February was the large print version of MURDER IN TIME, which is the last of the Ellie Quicke books which has been published so far. Another story will be out this May or June – which reminds me that I have to set aside time in March for the copy editing of this next one, which is called MURDER BY SUSPICION.

Something else good happened this month: Booklist sent through a nice review for False Impression, which is a Bea Abbot and doesn’t come out in the United States till 1st March. They said, ‘Solid writing, larger-than-life characters, plenty of twists, and a lovable, Miss Marple-like heroine make for an entertaining and satisfying read.’ Isn’t that nice? For the storyline, see the end of this letter.

One of the things I had to get on with this last month was another short story for the Methodist Recorder, titled SAYING, ‘THANK YOU!’ which is due out on Good Friday. They need the copy six weeks beforehand, so this was a bit of a problem because of my fluey/cold and cough. I managed to rough the storyline out fairly quickly, but it was a hard slog to get it finished. I was asked recently what I meant by ‘editing’ something I’d written. For me, it’s reshaping an awkward sentence, taking out words which aren’t needed . . . sometimes whole sentences need to go. It’s all about sharpening the text, and making sure it reads as easily as possible . . . and within the word count. In the end I had to ask the Recorder for a little more time. That hurt! I pride myself on delivering on time. But it has happened this time. More about this story in the next newsletter.

Some of you have been enquiring about the moths? Well . . . sigh. I still get a few. Urgggh! After changing the carpets and all! Oh well.

February is the month in which I received that all important payment from the government for Public Lending Right, which amounts to almost 7p per loan for each of my books in the libraries. I’m really looking forward to receiving my next bank statement.

A blessing: May you always find friends to help you when you’re in need.

Veronica Heley

www.veronicaheley.com
http://blog.veronicaheley.com/

Recently published: FALSE IMPRESSION, 9^th in the Abbot Agency series. Bea has taken in the helpless Dilys, who accidentally infects the agency’s systems with a virus, while Bea’s on-and-off friend Leon also seeks sanctuary with her. Both Leon and Dilys’s boy-friend Orlando had been lured to the car park of a swimming pool where a murderer had been at work – leaving them entangled in a web from which they find it hard to extricate themselves. Everything that happens can be interpreted in different ways and it’s some time before Bea realises exactly who was murdered and why. Before she does so, she and everyone else in the house and at the agency find themselves under siege. Severn House. ISBN 978 0 7278 8445 9.

The new pop-up by Francesca Crespi, for Noah’s Ark, has a text written by yours truly. Francesca’s work is stunning. Frances Lincoln, ISBN 978-1-84507-937-6.

In January the Ellie Quicke story, MURDER IN TIME, came out as a paperback on ISBN 978 18475 15186, and in February there was a large print version, at ISBN 978 072 789 7770. Both from Severn House

One of my earliest historicals – MY LORD, THE HERMIT – has just come out on audiobook at CD/9781407951638.

SUE FOR MERCY, my very first published book, is now out as an e-book, as are CRY FOR KIT, and THE SIEGE OF SALWARPE – a romance set in the middle ages.

You can hear me reading various bits and pieces in recordings made by Isis (Soundings) as follows: Podcast & Interview:https://soundcloud.com/isisaudio/isis-unabridged-podcast-3-veronica-heley-interview.   Collected newsletters 2011-2014 (one audio file) https://soundcloud.com/isis/veronica-heley-newsletters-2011-2014   Links to individual newsletters (click on each title) https://soundcloud.com/isisaudio/sets/veronica-heley-newsletters

UNSUNG HEROES is now available as an e-book. This is a collection of short stories concerning the problems of three retired men and their families, plus some Ellie Quicke short stories. £3.40 UK, and $4.90 USA. http://www.veronicaheley.com/othertitles.php?l1-11

Find details of all the other E-books at http://www.veronicaheley.com/ebooks.php?l1-11