Summer may be drawing to a close in the UK, but what a warm one it has been! Whether you enjoyed staying at home or ventured abroad I hope you had a fun time. Personally, I love to balance travel and home. Are you a home bunny or long to see the world?
Holidays are a way to escape from the normal routine of daily life commitments, to experience new challenges and recharge… Like escaping in a good book. If you enjoy a slow burn romance wrapped around a Regency romantic adventure, then read on…
My exciting news for Amazon.com readers is that from today three of my Regency novellas are now available to listen to free from Audible.com – Hannah from Harpham Hall, which was shortlisted for The Love Story of the Year Award by the Romantic Novelists’ Association when it was first published by DC Thompson has now joined The Baronet’s Prize and Phoebe’s Challenge.
In the UK and other countries they can be purchased on Kindle or enjoyed free from KindleUnlimited. I hope that in the future they will also be come available in Audible in the UK too. These are my first three novellas to be re-edited and re-launched in digital format, their length is perfect for listening to on a journey or loosing yourself for a few hours in a complete slow burn mantic wrapped around an exciting adventure.
All writers grow and learn as their careers progress. Since 2003, when my first novella was accepted for publication, a further 52 have been published in traditional large print and distributed through the Commonwealth library system.
Libraries have had to compete with the change in readers’ online habits and the availability today of books in various formats through various distribution channels. A library provides a physical presence within a community, but as well as offering its invaluable traditional book-loaning service they now offer so much more to their local community. Which is why they should be used and valued.
More good news is that For Richer For Poorer, published by Sapere Books, will be released in large print by Ulverscroft in early 2026.
For reader’s who want a longer read with all the elements of romance, mystery and adventure then get ready to fall in love!
My books offer Regency romances that will warm and captivate your heart. Discover the untold stories, hidden away from societies prying eyes.
Read now and escape into the adventure!
“Silent Revenge has the potential to capture not only devoted Regency romance fans, but also readers drawn to intrigue, history, and enduring love.”
I hope you agree. Please feel free to leave comments and questions below.
I hope you have enjoyed the sunshine and warmth of June, when the UK sampled temperatures nearing those in the tropics! In North Yorkshire the heather is ready to bloom, bringing swathes of lush purple to the vast expanses of moorland. It is a truly beautiful and everchanging landscape.
Another beautiful county that I visited recently in the South West of England was Somerset. When I stopped at a garden centre I came across a working blacksmiths’ forge and felt as though I’d taken a step back in time. Instantly thoughts of Wilfred Underwood, Imogen’s father in Secrets, came to mind. Although we tend to think of smithing as a traditional craft of yesteryear, the charming owner soon corrected that impression.
There is still a demand for the old skills, used now for restoration work, preserving items from the past. This requires the mastery of the trade and knowledge of old methods, material, tools and skillset of the original worker to recreate or mend the item in question. Past imperfections are what makes an old item interesting today.
We live in a time where we have more technical accuracy and, perhaps as a consequence, less individuality. Science has moved on, providing precision tools and improved understanding of the process, yet a modern day blacksmith has to embrace and learn the old ways as well as the new.
Old skills are called upon to mend traditional machines and objects, some still used in other local trades like the local butcher’s grinder, along with reproducing such basic items as the imperfect nails made at a smithy’s before mass production. Each repair has to be done in the style and materials of that bygone age, but today’s Blacksmith also has to build on this historic knowledge by keeping up to date with modern, contemporary designs changes in style, tools, markets and techniques.
There is a long apprenticeship still required, for this labour of love, as science and art combine.
Historically, a chestnut tree was planted near the large forecourt providing shade and was symbolically associated with the trade. Yorkshire wrought iron was and is highly prized for its quality.
In Secrets Imogen’s father, Wilfred Underwood, is the blacksmith for my fictitious village of Dibbledale – a tranquil unspoilt place inspired by such villages as Hutton-le-Hole in the North Yorkshire Moors Park. His trade was central to the local community for the upkeep of agricultural equipment, as a farrier, and the many other jobs concerning the mending of household and trade goods. Wilfred, a gentle giant of a man, also encouraged Imogen’s creative nature providing her with fine tools and wire to make delicate jewellery, deepening the bond between father and daughter.
“Secrets and their consequences worm their way between Micah and Imogen.Will they be able to save Dibbledale’s peace and tranquillity?Only when secrets are revealed can devoted friends be distinguished from destructive foes and allow love to find its true home.“
From a writing perspective there is a fine balance between keeping historical fiction accurate to the period it is written about, and accessible to a modern reader, who may be unfamiliar with that period of history.
Trades, like everyday language, evolve and adapt through time. The visual importance and need of a central blacksmith may have changed, but in Regency they were essential and central to a thriving village community. They were also excellently placed to see and hear all the comings and goings of the villagers and pick up information from travellers who crossed their paths. Wilfred as a character is able to keep his finger on the pulse of local events.
I would like to greet and thank my new readers in the United States as well as the UK and Australia who have read and enjoyed Betrayal – Book 1 of Friends and Foes Regency romantic adventure series. The
I hope you go on to read the completed trilogy and discover what happens to Lord Farrington, an enigmatic character who features in Book 3 Silent Revenge , which will be published in paperback on 5th July. More about him next time!
July’s bargain book is The Baronet’s Prize, which is now 77p/$1, which also available on KindleUnlimited.
“A delicious Regency! Eleanor is horrified to be made homeless by her brother’s gambling debts and still more disturbed to find herself falling in love with the man who won the estate. Valerie Holmes resolves this dilemma in a spirited tale that keeps you turning the pages until the final “Ah!” of satisfaction.” GL Robinson, New York USA, Regency romance author.
Reviews left on Amazon (and sites such as Goodreads) are always welcomed and appreciated by authors, especially if the book has been read and enjoyed. They are what keeps the algorithms working in the competitive world of publishing.
I would love to hear from my readers, wherever in the world you are based, and also from visitors to the region.
“A well told tale set in a time when women and ‘ladies’ were expected to obey their master’s and ‘betters’. Here we have a feisty young woman who challenges the rules to her own advantage.”
Val Wood
1814, North Yorkshire, England
The trilogy of #FriendsandFoes begins with ‘Betrayal’ in its simplest and cruel form of the breaking of trust and the abuse of power. The early nineteenth century was a time of war, change and strict social dependencies. The landed gentry held power, and the bulk of the population served, in trade, in houses, or fought for their country overseas against the might of Napoleon’s army.
When a woman of status lost their main male relative, they fell into a void where marriage, or service as a housekeeper or governess prevented them from falling low. In BetrayalLord and Lady Bagby own a vast estate in the fictitious growing market town of Beckton. Lord Bagby takes advantage of governess, Miss Georgina Davey. This spawns a web of lies and deceit from which Miss Lydia Fletcher tries to rescue her. Lydia’s own situation and silence is controlled and manipulated by the need to keep her ailing father’s tenancy in one of the Bagby estate cottages.
Enter Lord Samuel Speers, a qualified Edinburgh surgeon who is trying to locate his lost cousin, whose last known position was at Bagby Hall. Aided by his friend Lord Farrington, an Intelligence Officer to Lord Wellington, who soon realises that the Bagby’s have taken betrayal to an unimaginable scale.
Whilst finding his cousin, Speers has to accept his future role as head of the family estate following his beloved brother’s death.
The interplay of plot and the threads of deceit that run through the core and sub-plots give the story plenty of room for character development, as the external and inner conflicts arise and clash. We all like to think that in any given situation we would do the ‘right’ thing, but fortunately few of us are tested to the limit. In fiction, characters can be tested – and as authors we can determine who will rise and fall, whilst being true to the personalities that have been created. Hiding their flaws, playing with motivation and loyalties all add depth and credibility to each.
Personally, I love a happy or hopeful ending so my novels inspire and uplift after the adventure has played out. I hope my readers agree. Please leave comments below.
Secrets the second book in the series will be on Kindle countdown Amazon.co.uk from 15th June to 22nd June. In it you meet another friend of Lord Farrington the inspirational Lieutenant Micah Arrow, who has a vision to preserve his home village of Dibbledale, marry for love, and offer hope to returning soldiers – can his dreams be fulfilled? Find out in Secrets.
Silent Revenge brings the trilogy to a close with Lord Farrington’s return home, but after years oversees fighting a very visible enemy, he is now seeking a homegrown one, unaware that he and his family are in great danger from an unseen one.
Reviews are especially important in this highly competitive business, so please leave your honest feedback on Amazon and/or Goodreads.
As a special thank you to my readers Phoebe’s Challenge is 77p/$1 throughout June.
May’s welcome sunshine seems to be reflected in the vibrant yellow gorse, brightening the moorland, whilst the aroma of the wild garlic’s delicate white flowers lightens shady woodland banks.
Whether walking through the ancient pathway of Saltburn Gill from the coast or strolling through the grandeur of the grounds of Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal, Mother Nature certainly lifts the spirits and inspires, as it did in Secrets for Lord Farrington’s friend and life-saver Micah Arrow.
‘The trees were finally showing their new leaves as yellow broom made for a colourful bank in the lane’s hedgerow that dipped towards Dibbledale. Saint Cuthbert’s parish church and the vicarage were on a small hill just outside the village. Micah stopped to admire the newly bloomed clumps of primrose nestling amongst the grass. He breathed deeply – he was home and at peace.Picking his way through the grass, he admired the budding bluebells pushing their way upward. Spring was a time of revival and that is what he planned for Dibbledale.‘
Dibbledale is a fictitious village, which has elements of real locations, such as, tranquil Hutton-le-Hole and Great Ayton. The latter being where the explorer James Cook went to school. They are villages that have largely remained unspoilt by modernisation and industry, which is what returning soldier Micah Arrow wants to preserve for his family. After witnessing the horrors of war first-hand, peace is what he craves.
Appealing as any setting is, North Yorkshire has dramatic wild beauty throughout the seasons, it acts as a historic backdrop to the characters and their adventures. In writing as in life, you need moments of light and shade to give depth and pace. Here a moment of quiet reflection turns when Micah senses danger…
‘Micah swung a leg over a fallen tree trunk, but then, as the metal’s edge caught his eye, he mantraps, never had he seen such things around Dibbledale. The woodland had always been open to all. The food it provided was free, the fallen trees taken as needed by the villagers for repairs – so what had changed?…’
Secrets will be on a Kindle Countdown from the 15th to 22nd June on Amazon.co.uk and is freely available on KindleUnlimited now. Micah is an important character to Lord Farrington and reappears in Silent Revenge.
As a thank you to my readers the newly re-edited to extended version of Phoebe’s Challenge is available at 77p till the end of May.
England, North Yorkshire, 1813 Miss Phoebe Elgie and her younger brother, Thomas, flee when an accident results in them being labelled ‘machine breakers’ in the cotton mill where fate had them trapped. Hunted, with nowhere to run, they are aided by a mysterious stranger called Matthew. They soon discover that he is a man who appears to assume a variety of roles. Phoebe instinctively trusts Matthew, unlike Thomas who doubts. She is drawn to this stranger; lives and destiny intertwine as their journey crosses the path of smugglers and traitors. This hinders their quest to uncover the truth behind the demise of their family, which left them so vulnerable. Phoebe’s challenge is three-fold.She must secure their escape beyond the reach of the overseers of the mill and the crime they have been accused of...
Uncover what happened to their mother.
Cope with the confusion of her developing friendship with the mysterious, Matthew, and determine if there could be a future for them.
Swept along by the swiftness of the serious events that dog their progress to uncover the truth, Phoebe struggles to overcome and resolve these challenges. Determined, Phoebe has no time to doubt, but how will she succeed…?
If you enjoy any of my books, please leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads – they are much appreciated!
Spring is here! After the shorter colder days of winter it is glorious to see nature bursting forth with colour again. It is a season of renewal, regrowth, and new life, so it was a devastating shock and with heavy heart that I am sharing that, for my family, April opened with sad news of another dear friend losing their battle with cancer.
Jill was inspirational in the way she faced her diagnosis, coped with the treatments, and rose to the challenge.
Much as I love writing and have plans for further personal regeneration of this site, when life’s challenges – or death’s – hits, time takes on a unique perspective. Arrangements need to be made as grief is processed and change is not a choice, but a stark fact. Jill was a brave and humble lady who would not have wanted anyone’s world to be rocked by her passing. This season is one of longer, sunnier days and Easter a time of light and hope – and Jill had the latter in abundance.
Life continues, and Spring has burst forth in all its glory, the bluebells are in full bloom, wild garlic releases it aroma over beautiful white floral carpets and the birdsong is uplifting.
I would like to thank all my readers on both sides of ‘the pond’ for choosing to read Silent Revenge . If you enjoyed Lord Farrington and Jemima’s story then please leave a fair and unbiased review on Amazon or Goodreads. They are so important to authors, especially in these highly competitive days of algorithms. The paperback will be available for the summer… more about that next month!
Mother’s Day is rapidly approaching, which also means that my pre-order Regency novel, Silent Revenge, is about to go live on #Kindleunlimted and #Kindle. I am so excited to announce this as it has been a labour of love completing my #FriendandFoes trilogy.
Intelligence Officer, widower, Lord Oscar Farrington, returns to his family estate with mixed emotions. This is unsettling for the powerful, charismatic, and loyal officer who likes to be in control of his own feelings. With his overseas duties finally completed, there is talk of insurgence within the country, so he is still under orders to gather intelligence on his own countrymen, another cause for inner conflict as he has fought alongside his fellow soldiers and has some sympathy for the plight of the returnees.
Sworn never to remarry, he is devoted to his young, adopted daughter, Jessica, who he rescued with her mother in Betrayal. But Lord Farrington of all people should know ‘never to say never’, especially when Miss Jemima Parkes re-enters his life.
My other news is that the large print edition of The Baronet’s Prize is available for order directly form the publishers Ulverscroft or via Commonwealth libraries. The original short novel is also available on Kindle.
All my novels are set in the beautiful country of North Yorkshire, England. Littered amongst the actual places of Whitby, York, Harrogate and Northallerton are my fictitious market towns of Gorebeck, Beckton and Dibbledale, which are loosely based on the picturesque Helmsley, Guisborough and Hutton-le-Hole. Please share your favourite places to visit within the region.
Enjoy the coming of Spring and if it triggers the desire to start a new project, write your own adventure, then please check out my manuscript appraisal page. I have over twenty-five years of experience as a creative writing tutor and love to encourage new writers to explore this fascinating world of possibilities.
Welcome to my new monthly news update. I have had a lapse in posting, but not in writing, and am very excited to announce that Silent Revenge will soon be available for pre-order. This book is close to my heart as it is dedicated to a lifelong friend and supporter, Sue, who sadly died far too soon, and never managed to enjoy Lord Farrington’s last adventure.
Since 2003 I have enjoyed working as a Creative Writing Tutor allowing me to connect with many fellow writers, both published and unpublished, across the globe. Each student unique in their life experiences, yet all share that inner desire to create stories for others to enjoy. This I will continue to do independently, through this website.
“It is always incomprehensible to a man that a woman should ever refuse an offer of marriage.”
Jane Austen, Emma
When George III was declared unfit to function as monarch his son, the Prince of Wales, became the Prince Regent. George the younger had little interest in politics, leaving the wars with France to the politicians, whilst he indulged his friends and himself with a lavish lifestyle of elegance and fashion. The Ton – from the French phrase ‘le bon ton’ meaning ‘elegant style’ represent the fashionable society of London – an elite group. The divide between the extremes of the rich of Mayfair, London, and the poor of St Giles, living in the city slums, could not have been more dramatic.
In Parliament seats in the House of Lords were inherited and in the House of Commons could be corruptly bought, so the working and fighting man and the women who relied upon them, who made up most of the population, had little representation to improve their lot. My stories are set in the north of England away from the Ton and Parliament, but life was influenced by their wars, laws, and taxes.
In the above quote Jane Austen expressed a commonly held view, because women of the time had few legal rights as their lives were basically controlled by men.
Upper- and middle-class single females, under the age of twenty-one in England and Wales, were usually dependent upon their father or nearest male relative. If their male relatives were honest, caring, and loving family members then amicable matches secured the future of both parties, in hopefully wedded bliss, once the dowry, pin money, inheritance and jointure, in the event of death of the husband, had been legally agreed.
Book 2
However, fiction requires drama and conflict to spark a good plot, driven by engaging characters. It also reflects the unpalatable truth of the past.
If their male relative were greedy (For Richer, For Poorer), an irresponsible gambler (The Baronet’s Prize) or an overbearing parent (Hannah of Harpham Hall) then the young woman would have few options, left to her own devices unless they had the help of a hero, or a woman of independent means.
When Ellie (Discovering Ellie) is faced with a marriage match, she tries to diplomatically decline her aunt’s intentions without causing further conflict…
“I am not worldly, Aunt. I cannot think how I could make such a man happy…”
Mrs Hemming laughed. “Well, we agree on one point at least, you cannot think!”
Ellie ignored the insult and continued in her conciliatory tone. “I fear I would only annoy him. Therefore, I wish to politely decline this marriage proposal, discreetly of course, before it is made public. I do not want to cause further embarrassment to anyone. Then he would be able to find a more suitable companion, equal to the task.”
Ellie is completely dependent upon her aunt’s charity until she turns twenty-one. This dependency drives the plot, as Ellie must discover who she is, why she has a recurring nightmare, and how she can avoid a match that is being arranged ‘for her own good’ before it is publicly announced. This latter point is especially important because once it was made public, to break such a legal proclamation would be considered scandalous. Ellie is naïve and knows little of the law, or of the greater world, as many young women of the time.
Book 4
In a situation where an engagement is made between two people if broken, then it could result in a legal action of ‘breach of promise’. At the very least a reputation could be tarnished or destroyed as happened with Lucas Huntley – In Sickness and in Health.
In England, the Marriage Act of 1753 declared both parties had to have their parents’ consent if under 21. However, in Scotland this was not the case, hence the rush for elopements to the nearest place to wed north of the border, such as the famous, Gretna Green, which provided a reason for a mad dash in For Richer, For Poorer.
Friends & Foes Book 1
It is often claimed that fact is often stranger than fiction, but with historical facts the trigger for dramatic fiction is constantly there. Although women were ruled by the law, deemed unable to run their own lives, own their own wealth or children when married, deny their husband sex, or have rights to defend themselves when employed, there would have been plenty who questioned why this was so, such as:
“I do not wish them [women] to have power over men; but over themselves.” Mary Wollstonecraft, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman.
Lydia Fletcher in Betrayal was so influenced. Heroines need to have obstacles to overcome, situations that are a mystery, and the realisation that not all men look upon them in the same light.
Being single by choice was not really an option for a woman, no matter how much she desired to be the arbiter of her own fate. Unless her social status and personal income had been legally entailed and could support her, like the independent Miss Parkes of Penny Manor who befriends Ellie, she would be dependent upon others.
If young women were sufficiently educated, they could try to earn a living as a companion or a governess/teacher, but these were lonely situations with no long-term security. Uneducated or poorer women had less desirable options such as going into service, leaving the cottage to work within the factory or working the land to feed their families. In, To Love, Honour and Obey, Beth is an orphan who has no family or male relative to protect her from the system that was supposed to protect her.
Book 1
Prostitution was an option for the truly desperate. Few climbed the social ladder to a happy and long life even as a rich man’s mistress. Although some beauties and actresses managed to acquire rich patrons, such as the exceptional Harriett Mellon, born a pauper in Cork, Ireland but who ended up married to Thomas Coutts of the banking family, who successfully inherited and managed a fortune..
Servants were supposed to be chaste and could be dismissed without reference or notice if they fell pregnant. They were also open to abuse from their employers, as happens to the kindly Georgina in Betrayal. Again, as I write love stories that are aimed to provide adventure and uplift rather than depress, Georgina’s future is much brighter than many a maid who found themselves pregnant and thrown out on the streets without a reference, through no fault of their own.
Thank you for taking time out to read my blog and visit my website. Please like or leave any comments or questions below or contact me directly via the form on my Manuscript Appraisal page. If any of the above themes appeal just click the title or cover to be directed to the Amazon page.
Good news! I do like to share good news… In Sickness and In Health, published in eBook and print by SapereBooks is now available as a traditional large print paperback from @Ulvercroft. Copies can be ordered via Commonwealth libraries. Our libraries have had a hard few years, but there are people who find it difficult to manage an eReader so it is lovely to see this market niche is still catered for.
Thank you, Margaret, for taking time out of your busy schedule as a novelist, journalist and teacher of creative writing to chat to me and share some of your New Year news!
It must have been exciting to end 2023 as a ‘hot new pick’ with your Charton Minster Trilogy, published by Joffe Books. What was the inspiration behind this wartime trilogy?
Thank you for inviting me to be your guest, Valerie. I’m very happy to be here!
The inspiration for the first novel in the Charton Minster Trilogy was the famous Red Cross recruiting poster for nursing volunteers to serve alongside the professional nurses working in the various theatres of operation during World War One. This image has reproduced thousands of times, so I’m sure it must have inspired plenty of other novelists, too.
Are there plans to release more of the series in 2024?
Joffe has acquired the rights to all my novels originally published by Choc Lit, so there are four more books in the pipeline, to be released either individually or as sets.
Creative Writing Matters seems to go from strength to strength. What events and competitions do you have lined up for this year?
At the moment, the Creative Writing Matters team is reading its way through nearly 400 entries for the latest Exeter Novel Prize, which will be awarded in April this year.
The CWM team: Sophie Duffy, Cathy Hartigan and Margaret
Can you give some tips on what makes a competition entry stand out?
Try to open the entry at a point which will get readers asking questions – for example, whose story is this, what does the central character want, how might the central character go about getting what he/she wants?
Let this central character face some kind of challenge.
Be wary of starting a story with a description of the scenery or an account of the central character’s life to date.
If the competition asks for a synopsis of a novel, novelette or even a short story, make sure the synopsis covers the entire story and explains how it ends. Anything else won’t tell the organisers/readers if the entrant can construct a satisfying story. It’s (comparatively) easy to start a story. It’s much harder to develop it and to offer readers a great ending that will live on in these readers’ memories – and also encourage to read the authors’ next stories or books.
What would you say is your perfect writing/teaching balance in life now along with other pursuits?
I shall never achieve a perfect balance in life! Right now, as I explained above, my energies are focused on reading competition entries, some of which are going to need reports. I’ll catch up with my magazine work later this year. As for other pursuits – if you mean hobbies, I’m determined to get my garden into shape this spring. But I say this every year, and it hasn’t happened yet.
The publishing industry has changed vastly over the span of your career to date. Are you optimistic about the dramatic and dynamic current trends?
I suspect AI is going to become a really mixed blessing for writers of fiction. But digital publishing has made it easier for new writers to get in on the action, and commercial publishers are no longer the only gatekeepers, which is good for those who prefer to self-publish.
Thank you for chatting to me, and all best wishes for your continued writing success in 2024!
The New Year often provides opportunities and challenges – if you are an author what are your writing goals this year?
If you have always wanted to write a novel/novella/short story, but feel daunted or lost as to where to start, then check out CWM or my manuscript appraisal page where you can submit a query.
All best wishes for a happy and healthy 2024 to all!
valerie holmes, author 