Blog Archives
2025 Christmas Newsletter: Highlights and Upcoming Novels
Hi everyone and welcome to my Christmas Newsletter. Some of you may have received a shortened version of this letter with your Christmas card but here is the extended version should you wish to read it.
I spent most of the first quarter of 2025 publicising my latest novel Winter Star in the Scottish Highlands because, as an indie author, if I don’t get word of my books out there, who will? Winter Star is the sequel to Dark Highland Skies . I am currently writing the last in the series (title to be announced) for publication in 2026. If you want to know how Halley and Tor’s love story pans out, subscribe to my blog and keep in touch.
I’m also updating the last of my novel covers: Take Me I’m Yours. A proof copy is on pre-order but won’t arrive until after Christmas so I don’t have anything to show you. But you can download a copy (with the old cover) on Amazon for 99p or read FREE via Kindle Unlimited. .
The highlight of 2025 was the five weeks we spent in Scotland in August when we had the most am-az-ing weather. We made it over to Tobermory on Mull for the best fish in chips in the world and, to top it off, saw white-tailed sea eagles soaring over moorland/pine forests. It was so hot when we reached Arisaig I bought Factor 30 suncream from the local Spa and came home with a tan (not rusted up as usual).
We spent three nights in Drimnin in ‘Airship2’ which features in Winter Star in the Scottish Highlands as Tor and Halley’s hideaway – Beag air Bheag (little by little). When we saw it through the trees it took our breath away, it was like a film set. As for midges, the garden came complete with an anti-midge machine (the Terminator) which zapped the little blighters before they could get us. We have booked to stay there in June 2026 including the Longest Day when it never gets dark. So romantic.
I’m always looking for authentic touches to add to my novels. When we were in Mallaig we came across the Vintage Horsebox Deli which served delicious cake and coffee. I filed it away for future reference. I envisage a scene in #9 where it could be used to good effect. We also came across the Jac-o-bite cafe but that was too cheesy, even for me.
Upon checking the map I saw that we were very close to the village of Pennan and twisted Dave’s arm to drive us there. Pennan is where the movie Local Hero was filmed and we couldn’t resist standing by the iconic phone box. I love that movie so much that we downloaded a copy to re-watch in the caravan before we we visited there !!
After Pennan we headed south, and managed a quick visit to see Maggie in Lenzie before spending the day in Edinburgh and heading home. I’ll be updating the blog with more of our Scottish adventures after Christmas, so if you don’t already subscribe, please consider doing so.
In case you are unaware, my sister Phyllis King is a very talented artist and these are the covers of some of the Christmas cards she’s created. I used the stag’s head to make labels for my cards this year and it looked fantastic. Coincidentally, I found a stag’s head garland in the local Age UK, added new ribbon and batteries and it now hangs on our door in pride of place. Well, to be honest, Dave added the ribbon etc but I did order it off Amazon! Cute, or what?
Looking ahead . . . In 2026 we will be celebrating 53 years of marriage, 30 years in our current home, 20 years of retirement and Dave’s mum’s 98th birthday and, hopefully, a new novel(!). We’ll be heading out with the caravan in March to celebrate my birthday and I can’t wait. (I won’t say which one) 😊Remember, you are always welcome at Chez Lamb for coffee, cake and a chance to sit by the wood burning stove and share the craic. I promise to turn the telly off . . .
Much love and warmest wishes from Lizzie and Dave
Hallowe’en or Samhain ?
I used to love Hallowe’en, decorating the outside of the house with cobwebs, lanterns etc and getting the sweets and treats ready for the children who rang the bell shouting: trick or treat. That custom fell out of favour during Covid as I didn’t open the door to any unexpected guests. Yesterday, I was searching through a carved pine settle in the hall and discovered a tin of ‘filling puller’ sweets I’d stowed away in 2019 – the last time I handed out sweets to the neighbourhood kids. In those days we embraced the tradition wholeheartedly until, usually around about seven o’clock, the children of primary school age (accompanied by their parents or older siblings) stopped calling. At that point, deciding enough was enough, we drew the curtains and stopped answering the doorbell. Let’s face it, no one wants a group of teenagers standing on your doorstep on a dark autumn night demanding sweets with menaces, Right?
Hallowe’en was not invented in America, the tradition goes back much further. Many believe that emigrating Scots and Irish took the tradition to America with them. There it was adapted and changed into ‘trick or treat’, shipped back to the UK and merged with local traditions to create the Hallowe’en festival we know today. What I’d like to do is tell you about some of the Hallowe’en traditions I remember growing up in Scotland . . . who knows, you might recognise some of them.
Traditionally, Scottish children would go “guising” around their local neighbourhood wearing scary or outrageous costumes. Pretending to be evil spirits, they would disguise themselves and remain undetected by other wandering spirits they believed would cause them harm. Guisers would perform tricks or songs, and so were given gifts to help ward off evil. The origin of trick or treating, perhaps?
In Scotland, turnip heads would be carved into scary faces to make lanterns and lit to keep ghosts at bay. That tradition faded away, replaced by pumpkins which are more readily available these days and much easier to carve. There are many PYO pumpkin farms around where I live and it provides a popular weekend activity for families.
The ancient Celts were a blood thirsty lot and liked nothing more than decapitating their enemies and displaying their heads as trophies. The tradition of ‘apple dooking’ where children grab an apple out of a basin of water using their teeth is thought to hark back to this bloodthirsty tradition. Nowadays you are more likely to be given a toffee apple as a trophy.
Just to prove that you’re never too old to have fun, here are some photos from a Hallowe’en party hosted by friend and fellow author Adrienne Vaughan a few years ago. Some very dodgy characters turned out that night including Dracula. Although I don’t look too worried about being bitten on the neck. The other ‘weird sister’ in the fourth photo is June Kearns who writes fabulous books.
I know that Hallowe’en is all about fun and trying to pronouce Samain correctly – however, I’d like to share my own spooky story which happened many years ago when I was a teenager. Recently I reminded my sister Phyllis about it and she remembers it exactly as I do – here’s the link the post.
And . . . finally. My novel Girl in the Castle which features a haunted castle on a Scottish loch, family tragedy and a lost Jacobite treasure will be available to download over the weekend for 99p – so catch it while you can.
You can read the first few chapters FREE by following this link
I would love to hear your Hallowe’en experiences, spooky or otherwise so please leave a comment below. I always respond 🙂
The Ultimate Itinerary for a Scottish Road Trip
Our five week research trip to Scotland
Part One – Leicester – Strathclyde
In the past, when we travelled to Scotland with the caravan, we left Leicester at 4 AM to pass through the M6 Toll Road and take advantage of the preferential rate negotiated by the Caravan and Motorhome Club. Sadly, those days have gone, and it now costs sixteen pounds to travel on the toll road. The toll is now fully automated, so with a quick flick of the debit card, we were on to our first stop – Tebay Services, Westmorland. We were eager to hit the road because Storm Floris was waiting for us over the border.
We love stopping at Tebay services (if only for farmshop, cafe and restaurant). It’s rather strange when you first arrive, because the caravan site is almost deserted. However, as evening approaches, it quickly fills up. It reminded us of the time we travelled to Greece (with only a fishing tent to sleep in!) when campers belted through the former Yugoslavia (avoiding Albania) to reach Greece as quickly as possible. In those days there were queues at the bakery and bread and other supplies quickly ran out. It gave us a taste of what life would be like under a communist regime and it wasn’t very appealing. So, next morning, fuelled by a Cumberland sausage cob (!) and a cappoucino we set off to go head-to-head with Storm Floris.
We crossed the border without incident and, as usual, my heart was full as I remembered everything my family (mum, dad, granny, uncle, four kids and an alsatian) left behind when my father moved south in search of work in the sixties. But I didn’t have time to dwell on it because as soon as we were on the M74, Storm Floris made her presence known. Here, the land flattens out and the wind whips across from the west even on a good day. Soon the caravan was being buffeted by gale force winds and Dave slipped into four wheel drive as spray rose from the road making driving difficult.
At this point in the journey I usually recite Young Lochinvar (one of my fav poems) coming “out of the west”, but the driving conditions were so scary I held my wheesht. I’m sure Dave was grateful for that. In fact, the weather was so apalling, that the CAMH warden at Hamilton rang us to ask if we were still intent on camping there. We were told to come straight in and not to wait until 1pm, as was usual. I was grateful to arrive in one piece and told Dave (not for the first time) that he was a hero, even though his cape was packed in an overhead locker along with the spare towels.
The weather eventually calmed down and the caravan was no longer in any danger of aquaplaning across the motorway. We left the ‘bra’ [which protects the large front window from damage] in place as we were moving on the next day and wanted a quick getaway.
The next day, August the 5th, would have been my mother’s 97th birthday and we decided to make a pilgrimage to Craigneuk via Motherwell to visit the house where I was born. Last time we visited, an elderly lady came out and asked if she could help. She brought me up to date on some of the families I’d grown up with. Sadly, she didn’t appear this time, so we took as many photos as we could and returned to the van.
It was quite emotional standing before my old home and remembering growing up in that cul-de-sac. Back in the fifties, children played without adult supervision and pavements were marked with chalk drawings and peever beds. Although the road was now empty I could recall the children who lived there: Wallaces, Smileys, Bunces, Parkes and my many cousins. Along with the other girls I would sit on the back doorstep and write little tales and poems to read back to each other.
Then, one Christmas I was given a Petite typewriter and my writing career began . . .
It seems strange to think that the Ravenscraig Steel works was – quite literally – in our back garden. We never paid it much heed, concentrating instead on renacting the movies we saw in Saturday cinema in each other’s back gardens: The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Rob Roy and my particular favourite The Ghost Goes West. The works were demolished in 1996 and a new town – Ravenscraig, built there instead. On the last evening we visited it, but there were no ghosts waiting for me, nor a sense of what had been.
One of the eponymous Ravenscraig boilers, me as a “wean”and with grannie. Looking down Meadowhead Road and remembering . . .
I hope you’ve enjoyed the first instalment in our five week trip around Scotland; we covered two thousand miles researching #3 in the Dark Skies Trilogy. I daren’t look at the petrol receipts bcause towing a twenty-five foot caravan guzzles up the gas.
Next time, we travel onwards through the Trossachs to Barcaldine near Oban where we stayed in a romantic campsite situated in a Victorian walled garden.
In the meantime, do check out the first two books in the series and my other novels which are FREE to download on kindle unlimited. You can also read them on your kindle or purchase a paperback. Signed copies of the paperbacks are also available; please leave a message in the “comments” and I’ll get back to you.
….and remember – if you’ve enjoyed this post please like/share/reblog and leave a comment
Winter Star in the Scottish Highlands – 99p – #kindledeal
Winter Star in the Scottish Highlands is available to download for £0.99 until 31st of May.
After that it reverts to the original price of £2.99. So get it while it’s hot. Winter Star in the Scottish Highlands can be read as a stand alone. Or, you can find out more about Halley and Tor’s relationship and how/when they fell in love by reading Dark Highland Skies . I am currently writing the third book in the series: Summer Solstice in the Highlands of Scotland which I hope to publish late spring 2026.
This isn’t the first time kindle deal I’ve been offered. I was on holiday in Scotland on a freezing cold autumn day at John O Groat’s when my phone pinged and there it was. That deal was for my novel Boot Camp Bride. If you want to know more about Boot Camp Bride you can read an extract here. It is currently available to download for £0.99. Strangely, I was in the Cotswolds on the hottest day of the year this time when Amazon offered me this kindle deal. I accepted straight away as such offers are as rare as hens’ teeth.
Perhaps caravanning brings me luck! Back in 2017 when I was offered my first deal, we were touring Scotland with our first caravan – and Ebay bargain at £300. Since then, after deciding that caravanning is for us, we have upgraded several times and are currently on our fifth – a double axle with ensuite shower room, island bed and full size fridge. Strangely enough, we collected it from Newhaven which is exactly where we spent our honeymoon in great uncle Tommy’s wooden (!) caravan with no running water, fridge or other refinements.
You can read here about how our caravan becomes my writing room when we’re on holiday
Anyway, I digress. Here the books are side by side. I have a lot of affection for the hero/heroine in Boot Camp Bride, Rafa and Charlie – but Tor and Halley (Winter Star) are my and readers’ current favourites.
If you haven’t read ‘Winter Star’, Here’s the blurb – As the harsh Lochaber winter approaches and with Halley expecting a baby, living in the converted Airstream caravan, Beag air Bheag, becomes impractical. Tor’s family home – Eagles Crag – offers shelter, but his mother’s inevitable meddling is holding them back from moving there. Instead, they find refuge in the Dower House and prepare for the arrival of their baby with optimism and hope, embracing the magic of a Highland Christmas, culminating in the Ghillies’ Ball on Hogmanay.
However, an old flame of Tor’s rents the nearby bothy threatening to disrupt their idyllic life . . .
Is their love strong enough to survive the trials of family, winter and a ghost from the past?
. . . and finally. When we were in the Cotwolds we went to Snow’s Hill Manor where I spotted a bassinet in an attic room. It was seeing a similar cot in Drum Castle in Scotland two years ago which inspired me to include the contentious “Strachan Bassinet” in Winter Star.
I’ll sign off for now. Thank you for reading my blog post – I hope it has inspired you to download Winter Star and Dark Highland Skies which are available for £2.98
PS – I would love it if you ticked the FOLLOW box on my Amazon page and susbcribed to my blog
A Room of One’s Own
My Writing Space: From Promotion to Planning
Growing up, I shared a bedroom with my two sisters.Then, when I went to teacher training college in 1969, I found myself sharing a room with another student. I’ve always wanted my own room; a space in which to write and dream. It wasn’t until I married in 1973 that I was able to achieve this. Our first home was a large three bedroom pallisaded villa and my husband turned the smallest bedroom into a study for me.
Scroll forward a few years to when we were able to take early retirement and pursue our hobbies. Me – writing my first novel, and husband Dave restoring classic cars and metal detecting. (He still hasn’t found the elusive Saxon horde but lives in hope). I live in hope of writing that award winning novel and seeing it made into a movie! Well, a girl can dream, can’t she? My ambition is to have ten novels to my name and I am about to start writing number nine for publication next spring.
My study
I’m old school and call my writing den/office ‘my study’. It has everything I need and more besides, including a mug from the Literary Gift Company bearing Virginia Woolf’s eponimous book: A Room of One’s Own. The room overlooks the garden, has a window into our conservatory straight in front of my desk and, to my left, a shelf which my husband erected so I can spread out papers etc. In the winter, we have a wood-burning stove in the conservatory to keep us warm and in the summer, the doors open directly onto the patio. I sit at an old desk I bought years ago out of the local paper. My chair is new and supports my back. The desk is wide enough to hold my PC, printer, pens and notebooks, etc. I’ve also added a piece of wood over the top right hand desk drawer which provides me with extra space for my diary and in-tray. I have thought of installing a coffee machine but decided that would be a step too far.
Recently, I’ve had a massive clear out and have donated some of my paperbacks to charity shops. You can’t keep everything, right? Some books I can’t bear to part with – my ancient ‘penguins’, Mary Wesley, Jilly Cooper and Georgette Heyer novels; and of course all of my research materials. I figure that one day someone will have to empty my study so I want to make the task easy for them.
Where else do I work ?
When I’m planning the next novel I use post-its and large sheets of A3 paper, I like to work at the dining room table with MacBook, pens, highlighters, etc to hand. Again, it has everything I need, and through the double doors, I can see the sitting room where I can go to relax and watch TV/DVDs and videos for inspiration and research. My current fixation? HIGHLAND COPS ON BBC iPLAYER.
Research, caravanning and holidays
Followers of my blog will know that we try to spend most of the summer caravanning in Scotland. This year will be no exception. Once there I manage to get down to some writing each day using my MacBook Air. I save the manuscript each day on Dropbox and back up on Microsoft. Belt and braces, that’s me.
Recently I bought a keyboard to work alongside my Ipad and that takes up even less space. I do like music in the caravan (when I’m not writing) and take my blue-tooth speaker along to listen to music on Spotify. This summer , I hope to work on the sequel to Winter Star ready for publication in 2026. If you haven’t read Winter Star and the pre-quel Dark Highland Skies you can read an extract on their Amazon page.
Here is one of my favourite reviews – from Sue Baker of Facebook group – Rivetting Reads and Vintage Vibes, who recently organised a Burns’ Night celebration of my books
Well, I guess that about wraps up February’s blog post. Please be sure to follow my blog as over the coming months I will be organising a couple of giveaways . . . signed paperback copies of my novels. Until then, stay warm and look forward to spring.
Happy New Year or, as we say in Scotland . . . lang may yer lum reek
My novel, WINTER STAR IN THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS, published mid-December, has been well received. It’s a sequel to Dark Highland Skies and continues the love story of Tor and Halley as they prepare for the birth of their first child. I’m happy to say it’s one of my best-selling novels and due to readers’ feedback, I plan to write one last book in the trilogy.
As one of my lovely readers put it: “This is a superbly written story, easy to follow with fine details and explanation which are second to none. You will laugh, cry and sense all the emotions that the characters do in this snow-covered Christmas setting with an ending not to be missed. I’ve learnt so much from Lizzie Lamb’s portrayal of this magical place. As always, it’s best to read both books, but Winter star in the Scottish Highlands can be read as a standalone.”
This is Ballindalloch Castle which I visited a couple of summers ago and which inspired the castle in my book – Creag na h-lolaire, which means Eagles Crag in Gaelic. Everything about it is romantic and if you’re ever in the Trossachs its well worth a visit.
If you would like to know what the novel is about. here’s the blurb
If you’d like to read the opening chapters of Winter Star in the Scottish Highlands FREE, click here
. . . A Winter’s tale to warm your heart from the Queen of Highland Romance Wrap up and snuggle down, this is the perfect winter read, whatever the weather
if you’d like to know what readers thought of Winter Star in the Scottish Highlands – see below –
. . . A captivating and heartwarming sequel to Dark Highland Skies. Fall in love with Halley & Tor and the glorious Scottish Highlands all over again! A Winter Wonderland of love, family feuds and friendship – a gorgeous read
. . . As usual Lizzie Lamb writes a compelling and heart-warming story of love, friendship and at times difficult family relationships, with great characters and a few scheming villains too! Tor is a wonderful hero and Halley is a strong heroine and their love for each other really shines throughout the story.
And, finally, before you go, please consider leaving a rating/review for Winter Star. Short written reviews matter on Amazon and just a few sentences is enough. More importantly, enjoy the story and look out for the last book in the trilogy which I hope to publish at the end of the year.
Bliadhna Mhath Ùr
HOLDING OUT FOR A HERO
When I started writing Dark, Highland Skies I thought long and hard about the hero: Hector Strachan, known as ‘Tor. I’d already created heroes with typical highlander colouring: dark hair, blue eyes and fair skin that blisters at the first touch of the summer sun. (see Ruairi Urquhart in Tall, Dark and Kilted). Some of my choices were influenced by Jamie Frazer in Outlander – who could resist the combination of auburn hair and blue-grey eyes. Then I thought, no, Tor is going to be more like his Viking ancestors who harried the west coast of Scotland and left their DNA behind: tall, blonde – the image of a young Robert Redford sprang to mind. Well, a girl can dream, can’t she!
It appears that readers and reviewers have fallen for Tor, too. Here’s what they’ve said …
It’s great to see our military heroes so well understood, with life changing injury and post traumatic stress explored sympathetically (in Tor’s case)
It is not just the story itself which I loved but also the description of all the locations and in many cases the history behind it, I would say it was all extremely well researched
I must say I rather fell for Tor – not only because he looked like my kind of guy but because of his infinite patience and gentleness, too.
The chemistry between astrophysicist Halley Dunbar and veteran Tor Strachan, a soldier suffering from PTSD and veteran Tor Strachan simply sizzles.
A former career soldier, he was invalided out of the army following horrific wounds sustained in a dreadful incident in Afghanistan
An extract from Dark Highland Skies
‘Look.’ Tor pointed skywards to where a golden eagle was circling above them, its wing tips spread open like fingers, yellow talons tucked neatly into its body. It turned its head and looked down on them, as if demanding to know what they were doing on its land. Its high chirruping cry cut through the bright, still air, drawing everyone’s gaze away from the coffin and heavenward. ‘It’s a sign that Tam is ready to leave us and that all will be well,’ Tor murmured, bending his head close so only Halley could hear.
One of my favourite reviews – Harper’s Highland Fling
Reviews are so important to a writer. I’d love to thank each reader who takes the time to leave one after reading my book. However, as that isn’t possible, I check my reviews to make sure that I haven’t missed one and tick the ‘helpful’ box to let the reviewer know that its been seen and read. Sometimes, I can recognise the reviewer by their pen name, especially if they’ve reviewed one of my other books. However, this one by Souffle Girl has me stumped. Its such a fabulous review that I think it deserves a wider audience.
Sometimes, I ask my readers (via Twitter and Instagram) which of my heroes they like best. Souffle Girl certainly rose to the challenge !
“The hero of her first book, Tall Dark and Kilted, quite won my heart. Ruairi Urquhart, the Laird of Kinloch Mara, was so thoroughly delicious that I swore I would be true to him. Unfortunately, that devotion has wobbled several times upon reading Lizzie’s subsequent books. She does write such delectable heroes! I have to admit, Rocco Penhaligon might just have taken Ruairi’s crown. I’m really sorry, Ruairi! But look, Rocco’s gorgeous, and he rides a motorbike, and he’s a devoted dad and a loyal friend and . . . Well, you get the picture.
From the moment Rocco slides out from under that car in his garage, he had me intrigued, and as the story developed, I grew ever keener to understand this man more and figure out what made him tick. Together, I feel like we’ve been on quite a journey. Shove over, Harper MacDonald!
Actually, I’m not being fair to Harper. She’s a great character, too. Although she seemed very buttoned up and brusque and judgmental at first, as the story developed I could see another side to her entirely. And who can blame her for being angry? She’s supposed to be spending the summer holidays in Nepal, for goodness’ sake, not chasing after two troublesome teens on the back of a grumpy, sarcastic stranger’s motorbike!
The relationship between Harper and Rocco might be somewhat frosty, as they follow the trail of the errant teenagers, but that doesn’t stop some decidedly heated moments from occurring. It’s clear that, as inconvenient as it is, there’s a huge attraction between them, although neither will admit it – even to themselves. There’s a lot of snappy banter and caustic comments, and the sparkling conversations that Lizzie Lamb does so well.
I have to say, though, that as entertaining as the road trip part of the story is, it’s when the two of them reach Rocco’s house in Scotland that it takes on a new depth. Lizzie writes Scotland so well, and I felt as though I were right there in Plockton with her characters. Perhaps it’s the Scottish blood running through the veins of both Harper and Rocco, but when they reach the house, things change between them. It’s as if there, in that beautiful setting, they can stop the pretence and finally reveal to each other who they really are, and how they really feel.
Lizzie Lamb made me fall in love, not only with her hero, but with his stunning Highland home, too.
The story becomes something else as the relationship deepens, and we see a change in Rocco, and a softer, more vulnerable side to Harper. The heat between the two of them made my Kindle sizzle! This is a couple with real chemistry, and I loved the passion between them, and the gentleness and concern for each other after days of verbal dueling. As the defensive walls are finally taken down, true love, it seems, finds them at last. But with the teenagers due back any moment, time is running out for them. And with so many uncertainties to deal with, can there really be a future for Harper and her Highland hero?
You’ll have to read the book to find out, but I will say that the ending is just gorgeous, and left me feeling quite emotional – not least because I’d had to guiltily admit that Rocco had done the impossible and shoved Ruairi into second place. But if you read Harper’s Highland Fling for yourself, I’m quite sure you’ll understand why.
Read Harper’s Highland Fling and make up your own mind.
For one week only – February 11th 8am – February 18th 12 am
Harper’s Highland Fling will be available to download or 99p/99c.
click here to read the opening chapters of Harper’s Highland Fling and to purchase a copy
If you read and enjoy my novel please consider leaving a review on Amazon and Goodreads.
Narberth Book Fair 2019
Last year I learned via Jessie Cahalin that a book fair had been held at Narberth, Wales and I was keen to take part this year. One of the great things about having a caravan is that you can rock up, book into a site for a couple of nights and enjoy all the comforts of home. The only down side of the weekend was that weather front Imelda decided to hit the Welsh coast at roughly the same time as us. However, writers are an intrepid bunch so we didn’t let that put us off.
There was a day to go before the Book Fair opened and so we made the most of the opportunity to explore Tenby, a place new to us. What a fabulous little town it is, set above an amazing swathe of beach (reminiscent of The Prisoner), pastel painted houses of Dylan Thomas’s Llareggub in Under Milk Wood, twisting streets and chi-chi shops encircled by a formidable granite town walls. Much to my delight there was a Seasalt shop and a niche off-license selling gin in all its many forms. Yep, you guessed it, the tills were soon ringing.
We headed back to Narberth and set up my book table for the book fair the following day. If you’d like to read my interview on the Narberth Book Fair blog, you can find it here.
Next morning, bright eyed, bushy tailed and accompanied by a man in a kilt, I was soon behind my book table eager to meet new readers. My husband Dave is such a good sport, happy to chat to potential readers and answer questions about his kilt: which clan did he belong to (Lamont) where he’d bought his kilt (eBay!) and what was it like being married to a crazy writer of romance. (I asked that last question, actually). Other authors asked if he was available for hire as the kilt certainly proved a hit drawing in readers.
As some of you may know, I was a teacher for 34 years and I was delighted to present a workshop to aspiring writers. One of those attending my workshop – 10 Point Guide on How to Write a Novel – was Anne Williams – fabulous blogger/reviewer and friend, who shared her knowledge on what was current in the publishing world, the benefit of writing sequels/series and the importance of having a social media presence. I hope that we can work together in the future as our joint perspective was appreciated by attendees. In case you’re wondering what’s on the large scroll I’m holding, it’s my novel PLANNER which I was keen to share with the attendees. I then went on to explain the difference between being a plotster or a pantser and, among other topics, having the courage to kill off your darlings if they aren’t moving the plot along.
An unexpected bonus of attending the fair was meeting writers I’d only spoken to via Twitter or Facebook. In the collage are (clockwise) Anne Williams, Judith Barrow (joint organiser of the fair with Thorne Moore) Juliet Greenwood, Wendy Steele, Thorne Moore and Tim Wickenden. I also met Judith Arnott and we had an interesting discussion about Margaret Beaufort’s place in history. If I didn’t write romance I’d probably write historical fiction.
Sadly, the weather on Sunday worsened and that had an impact on footfall. However, books continued to be sold, business cards exchanged and, gratifyingly, two attendees from my workshop returned to tell me how much they enjoyed my talk. They complimented me on the the way I’d presented the information in such an informative, easy to understand fashion. Clearly, all my years as a teacher hasn’t gone to waste. After clearing the hall I headed for local hotel Plas Hyfryd and a celebratory meal (and maybe a raspberry gin and tonic, or two) with other writers. Dave returned to the caravan to watch the Rugby World Cup.
When I returned, Dave had, covered the caravan’s windscreen with its protective ‘bra’ (see photo 1) in preparation for the l-o-o-ng journey back to Leicester – six and a half hours with a fifteen minute break. The mist hung low in the valley as we left Wales and we were chased home by another weather front snapping at our heels. However, that couldn’t dampen my enthusiasm for the weekend. Many thanks to Thorne, Judith and their team of helpers for making the Narberth Book Fair such a resounding success.
So what’s next? I plan on spending the autumn and winter hunkered down over the pc finishing my WIP – working title I’ll Be in Scotland – and getting it ready to publish Summer 2020. In the meantime, do watch my slideshow, check out my five published romances, or read some of my other blog posts.
My Writerly Year 2019 #part two
The highlight of the year was publishing my fifth novel – Take Me, I’m Yours. For this one I abandoned Scotland and headed for Wisconsin where I spent a glorious five weeks a few summers ago. However, fear not, there is a Scottish connection as the hero – Logan MacFarlane and the heroine India-Jane Buchanan are of Scots descent – natch. You can read about it here. Within a few weeks it reached #1 in its genre –
If you’d like to read the first three chapters – follow this link – And if any readers think I’ve abandoned Scotland, read to the end of the blog for details of my next novel . . .
July was a busy month. Adrienne Vaughan and I arranged a Literary Lunch at the Belmont Hotel, Leicester which raised £300 for MIND. It was also a great chance to showcase our books and to thank people for supporting our writing. We are lucky to have such generous friends and readers.
It’s funny how good things happen when you least expect them. I was overwhelmed when Simon Whaley of Writers Magazine contacted me and asked if I’d like to contribute to a piece he was writing on BLOG TOURS. Having taken part in two blog tours in as many months I felt qualified to comment.
June saw Bongo Man and me heading for Scotland with our caravan for a month – writing, touring, kicking back. I don’t know what it is about Scotland but it feeds my soul and my imagination. We’ll be returning there this summer, too. This time, we’ll be staying on a site overlooking Castle Stalker which was the inspiration behind Girl in the Castle.
For me, writing is all about making friends and sharing my work with others. Through Facebook and Twitter I’ve made many friends who have gone on to become readers and reviewers of my novels. I never take their support for granted. On our way up to Scotland, by an amazing coincidence, one of my proofreaders was staying on the same campsite in Kendal so I was able to thank her in person for all her help. Later in the summer, on the way to Cornwall in July we were able to meet up again at Exeter Service Station where I gave her a signed copy of Take Me, I’m Yours. Who says writing isn’t romantic? LOL.
In March I attended the RONAs with La Diva, Isabella Tartaruga, who is always first to read the rough draft of my novels and give me honest feedback. I also met fabulous JILLY COOPER – cue fan girl moment. And, in case you’re wondering, Jilly is even lovelier than you could ever imagine.
If I was to choose an author whose books put me on the path to writing, it would have to be Jilly and books such as EMILY, IMOGEN etc. And who could fail to fall for her hero Rupert Campbell-Black in her bonkbuster(s) Polo, Ride and Jump?
We’re getting close to the beginning of the year and Burns Night, which we celebrated at our Danish neighbours’ house. Go figure. As for my obsession with Men in Kilts, I encourage my husband Dave to wear his as often as possible. Purely for inspiration you understand. Here he is on his way to the Burns Night supper, looking quite the part. For those who are wondering, we belong to clan LAMONT (pron: Lam’NT, not La Mont). It’s motto is: Ne Parcas Nec Spernas (Neither spare nor dispose). Not quite sure what that means . . . but I do know that I wouldn’t have achieved half of my success without Bongo Man by my side.
I was lucky enough to be featured on other writers’/bloggers’ posts this year. Here’s a selection (including two blog tours ) if you want to take a look:
- A Night in with Linda Hill
- Books in my Handbag – A Wee Dram with Lizzie Lamb
- Rosie Travers – Comfort Reads
- UKRomComChat
- Being Anne – review of Take Me, I’m Yours (blog post)
As for 2019, the events are stacking up
Carole Matthews Book Launch (February), States of Independence (March), Self publishing Conference (April), Deepings Lit Fest (May) RNA Conference (July), RNA York Tea (September), Narberth Book Fair (Wales), return to DMU to give talk on self-publishing. In addition, there’s monthly Belmont Belles meetings which I organise with mu oppo and great mate, June Kearns.
All that remains now is for me to wish you a healthy and happy 2019. I’m about to pick up the threads of the next novel which I started just before Christmas and to get stuck in. What is it about? I’ll let this tweet and the video do the talking –
Lizzie Lamb - author 