Wow - I was surprised (and delighted!) at the response to the "Video Chat" idea that I shared in my last newsletter! So many of you LOVED it - I received loads of lovely emails and also comments on the video itself on Youtube!

So I'll definitely be making more videos and I have lots of exciting ideas for things I can share with you on the small screen (more on that below!).

The other thing is... guess what? I'll soon be heading over to your side of the globe! (Well, American readers, anyway! 😉) More on that below as well. But first... something for the bargain hunters and animal lovers!

.

In Book News... 

I’m taking part in the Pets & Cozy Mysteries FREE Book Blast—a big promotional event running from Sept 16th to 18th with 40 free books by cozy mystery authors! 🐾📚

 If you love sleuths with animal sidekicks and mysteries that feature cats, dogs, birds, bunnies, and more, you’ll be in heaven—this event is packed with furry (and feathery) sidekicks. 🐕🐦🐱 All free to download for a limited time!

And if you haven’t started my English Cottage Garden Mysteries yet, now’s the perfect chance. Book 1—DEADHEAD AND BURIED—is included in the event, and you can meet Poppy, her mischievous ginger tomcat Oren, and a whole cast of quirky village characters as they tangle with secrets sprouting in the flowerbeds, small-town scandals… and of course, murder! 

But don’t wait too long—this treasure trove of cozy reads disappears after Thursday, Sept 18. You’ll be able to grab your free books from Amazon and other major retailers here:

https://books.bookfunnel.com/petsandcozies/fmcywggsgx 
 

***

"More videos please!" 

I was overwhelmed by the positive response to my "video chat" idea - I hadn't expected you all to enjoy it so much! 😊

That's wonderful as I have loads of exciting ideas for things I want to share with you via video... starting with a "mini-movie" of Flat Muesli's adventures in Paris! 😉 

You see, when I went to France for a book signing earlier this year, I took some videos while out & about, but never got the chance to share it at the time... Well, now I can compile it all into a fun montage for you to enjoy! 

The other idea I had was: readers often write and ask me for tearoom recommendations, especially if they're visiting Oxford and the Cotswolds, and I've been meaning for ages to put together a list of places I've visited, with descriptions & photos, etc, on my blog but as usual, just haven't had the time yet... But now I'm thinking I could do a little video, showing book research footage I've filmed in the places I've visited for afternoon tea! 😊

So look out for these new videos coming soon. I'll let you know here as soon as any of these new videos are up (and if you've subscribed to my YouTube channel, you'll be notified as soon as they're live - oh, but you need to make sure you've turned on notifications)

By the way, in case you're wondering, the 2 afternoon tea places briefly featured in this first Video Chat were: the very posh Dorchester Hotel in London and the tiny Small Talk Tearooms in Bourton-on-the-Water, a lovely village in the Cotswolds. (Unfortunately, the latter seems to be permanently closed now according to Google? ☹️)

Don't forget - if you've got any more questions for me or stories & photos you'd like to share with other readers, send them over and I'll try to include them in my next "Chatty Replies" video. (Some of you have already sent me photos and questions - thank you!)  

And let me know if you have any "special requests" or ideas for things you'd like to see on video!

A place to gossip!

Oh - the other nice thing I've discovered is that we can all chat to each other in the YouTube comments section! 😊 You can leave a comment for me under the videos or reply to one of the other readers' comments, if you want to ask them a question or comment on something they shared!

** In case anyone missed my last newsletter, here's the link to the video again. I've also added "timestamps" now so that you can skip ahead to the bits you're interested in, if you don't have time to watch the whole thing (I'm still learning this YouTube lark! 😜)

Afternoon Tea, Deleted Scenes & More | Chatty Replies to Readers

Pull up a chair, make yourself a cuppa, and join me for a mix of bookish chats, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and everyday life:

 0:00 Introduction 

0:39 Who am I? 

1:02 Newsletter sneak peek! 

1:32 Muesli says hello! 🐾 

1:40 Afternoon tea adventures (with reader stories!) ☕🍰 

2:31 Writing magic: tuning the antenna & eavesdropping! 

3:58 Reader photos? Always welcome! 📸 

4:32 A favourite comfort read from my shelf (hello, Betty Neels!) 📚 

5:14 My FAVOURITE thing in books... "atmosphere"!!! 

5:35 What happens to deleted scenes? ✂️ + how I work with Beta Readers 

7:43 plus a few Aussie life tidbits too! 😅 

9:49 Until next time… + free mystery stories! ✨ 

***

Viva Las Vegas!

I've been invited to speak on the Cozy Mystery panel at Author Nation, the biggest conference in the world for independent authors - which takes place in Las Vegas in November each year. It's very exciting and a great honour, although I'm quite nervous too!

I've never been to the famous "Sin City" before but I know many of you in the US have probably visited... do you have any tips to share? Things I should be aware of?

In particular, I'm wondering what clothes to pack! I know it's a desert climate so probably still warm outside in early November? But is it freezing indoors in the hotels with the air-conditioning going full blast? 

I'll be spending most of my time indoors, in conference rooms and reception halls, as it's a 5-day conference with a packed schedule! But I'm going to try and find time to get out and walk along The Strip, since it's so famous 😉. Have to find out what all the fuss was about!

The conference is taking place in one of the big hotels with an attached casino, so I will certainly take a peek... but I doubt I'll be trying my luck at any of the tables - hah! I'm terribly risk-averse, you see, so 'gambling' to me is about as appealing as having a root canal!

Till next time...

.