Libby and Fran and Tamsin and Rissa

Thought it was about time to write another blog post, and two things occurred which gave me the theme. The first was Accent Press's new Marketing Guru, Duncan, asking me to do a piece for Women's Day, suggesting I write about influences on my writing - was it Mum, Dad, teacher etc etc. As I've always read and always written, that didn't strike a chord, so I wrote about the theme of this year's Women's Day, instead.

But then I managed to find a second hand copy of the only book in a series I hadn't got. It's called Dolphin Summer and is part of the Romney Marsh series by Monica Edwards, one of the all time favourites from my childhood which I still read. I have even written pieces for the Monica Edwards Fan Club magazine, acknowledging her influence on me as both a writer and a reader.

So, Duncan Stockwell, this is about influences on my writing. I picked up The Summer of The Great Secret, the second in the series, in the tiny book department of a shop near my home in London. I was one of those mad keen pony types, and due to there being several commons locally: Tooting Bec, Clapham, Wandsworth and Mitchum, I was able to ride regularly. And when a friend of my father's took over the riding school I used, I was in seventh heaven. I went in the mornings before school, after school, weekends, holidays - and I even began to lead rides. Wouldn't be allowed now, of course. Patricia and Jennifer took over the stables when I was twelve, and I was leading rides by the age of thirteen. So finding this book, with a picture of a beautiful white (grey!) pony on the cover was a joy. And I was hooked.

Scroll forward a few dozen years, and a review of one my books on Amazon said it was like Enid Blyton with gin instead of ginger beer. The review was meant to be derisory, but it remains one of my favourites. And I realised. No, not Enid Blyton, but Monica Edwards, and let's have whisky and red wine instead of gin. Libby doesn't like gin. Nor do I.

So now, this week, reading Dolphin Summer for the first time in umpty-tum years I realised that Libby and Fran are really the grown-up versions of Tamsin and Rissa, although Fran is a much calmer person than Rissa ever was. My writing style is remarkably similar to Edwards', I have the same proscribed area in which the stories are set, the same sort of cast of characters.

In my opinion, Monica Edwards was a far better writer than Enid Blyton, and her books haven't dated as much, either. I don't know if a new reader would find them as enjoyable, but, if you don't know the books already, it might be worth giving them a try. The first in the series is Wish For A Pony. Enjoy!

Out with the old - in with the new

Well, it's goodbye 2014 (I've only just got used to writing that and now it's going to change again) and hello 2015.

Life chez Cookman goes along much as usual, except that my youngest son is back home again. As he is a writer this is quite nice, and we've actually had some plot busting sessions, though sadly all his, not mine. Murder In The Blood is struggling along, and I have three months in which to complete it. Murder At Mallowan Manor did really well in its pre-order state on Amazon, staying at number one in the Cosy charts and British Detectives for ages. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Murder-Mallowan-Manor-Sarjeant-Christmas-ebook/dp/B00P9GI3HC/ref=pd_sim_b_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0VFC58FBDCR52N9ZG9AN  It's still 3 and 4 in those charts, which is lovely. I did laugh at the review that, while giving it one star, complained that it "really IS a short story"!

After Murder In The Blood I shall start work on Murder En Pointe, which, as you might imagine, has a ballet theme, which I think will be out towards the end of the year. But alongside this fairly heavy work load, I'm also thinking about other projects. I asked my newsletter and blog readers some time ago about what they would like to read in a new series, and the consensus was still an amateur sleuth and possibly 1960s, which my children are convinced I could write about because I was alive then.

However, being a mad fan of the Golden Age detective stories and authors, and having an enviable (possibly) collection of original editions, my thoughts have been turning in that direction. I had also thought of a plot line that would fit, and finally, the new incarnation of Mapp and Lucia on BBC television has made me quite excited. The poor 1960s series, (with plots already worked out by my elder son!) looks as though it will go on the back burner, and I'll see if I can if those plots could fit into the new one.  I'd be very pleased to have your comments.

Meanwhile, I've been attending panto rehearsals in my mentoring role, and it's almost made me feel I'd like to direct again. But the work involved is so tiring, I might think again…

So have a good new year, keep buying books - not just mine! - and stay healthy.

Lesley xxx

Launch of Murder Out Of Tune and news

Well, Murder Out Of Tune was well and truly launched.

Three of my children attended  - and yes, the middle one was holding a book, and the one on the left did it on purpose.  The presentation is for downloading 200,000 e-books, the group shot is part of the crowd, and finally, that is me before the wine kicked in! The ebook stayed at number one in its categories for nearly three weeks, which is pretty exciting, and is still riding quite high, I'm pleased to say.

In other news, the short story which was going to be in an anthology is now going to be released on its own - ebook only - on December 15th and is called Murder At Mallowan Manor. I shall post a cover picture when I can work out how to get the pictures and text where I want them!

Murder Out Of Tune and other stuff

 Hello all!
At last, after many vicissitudes like the resignation of my editor in the middle of the final edits, Murder Out Of Tune has emerged as an ebook today. The Kindle link is here Murder Out of Tune - A Libby Sarjeant Murder Mystery eBook: Lesley Cookman: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store 

				Murder Out of Tune - A Libby Sarjeant Murder Mystery eB...Murder Out of Tune - A Libby Sarjeant Murder Mystery eBook: Lesley Cookman: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store
				View on www.amazon.co.uk	Preview by Yahoo

It went straight to number 5 in the Amazon Cosy Crime chart and 29 in the British Detectives, which was pleasing to wake up to. It will be out as a print edition at the end of the month, and I'm having a little launch party here in my home town in a tiny micro pub, where my local bookshop will be selling books. (Yes, we still have a bookshop!) The MD of Accent Press is coming all the way from Wales, most of the children will be there, maybe a couple of fellow writers and an industry professional or two, but mainly friends and family to have a knees up. It's on a school night, so an early one, but I have no doubt that wine will be taken long into the evening by the boss and me!
I have just got back from Adrasan in Turkey once again, but as the person I travel with fell on the first morning and, it turns out, cracked her ankle, I spent most of the time around the hotel, except when my other friends kidnapped me to go on boat trips. This is me on one of them.

I also wrote the first brief chapter of Murder In The Blood, which is set in a fictional village in Turkey and will be out next May. This appears at the end of Murder Out of Tune, but before that, there will be a Christmas Short Story in a Christmas anthology from Accent Press, which may well come out on its own, too. I'll keep you posted.
Meanwhile, life goes on. Both the younger children have been on holiday in the States - not together! - and the eldest daughter is soon to move back here, which may mean I get called upon to do more babysitting. I am not a natural grandmother, so I'm viewing this with mixed feelings. This same eldest daughter has been recording an album over the past few months with fellow musicians, so I shall be boasting about that in a future newsletter. And no - it isn't pop! So far, her career has been big band and swing, spanning the thirties, forties and early fifties. She leaves the modern stuff to her three siblings, although there are some modern-ish tracks on this new album.
I am due to start my "mentoring" of a brand new panto director at our local theatre in the next couple of weeks, although I don't think he'll need it. I might need to curb his enthusiasm a bit and remind him it isn't the London Palladium.
Have a good month.
Lesley x