Penny Grubb, crime writer and ALCS Chair

Rosie and Monty are delighted to welcome Penny Grubb to their blog. They love reading crime novels (and the fact that Penny carries doc choc drops in her pocket is neither here nor there…)

Penny writes crime novels about a Private Investigator. It’s not that she writes what she knows, exactly, but she does write what she likes to read…

She is also Chair of the biggest writing-related organisation in the world - that is, the Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society - this means she has writers’ best interests at heart and works out what dosh they can get for secondary rights. (Which is pretty fab and also means writers can afford to give their dogs more bones.)

To get back to the books she writes, ‘The Doll Makers’ won the International Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger; and ‘Like False Money’ was nominated for the International John Creasey Dagger - both recognitions of the fabulousness of her work were, of course, accepted with becoming modesty.

Penny thoroughly researches the 21st century PI in order to provide the authenticity which is a trade mark of her novels.

Part of that research involves interviewing real people - real victims, real criminals…….

...and real law investigator type people, too, including forensic detectives and pathologists…

Being a novelist often results in reactions from these interviewees ranging from suspicion on the one paw, to camaraderie which often involves too much detail, and even offers of work!

It’s all valuable material to Penny, and you can find out how she’s used it in her three novels due to be released on November 12th in paperback. (Found in all good bookstores on- and off-line.)

They have fab covers:

Rosie reckons ‘The Dollmakers’ cover is dead scary…….

 Penny will be out there with her special pen signing books in WH Smith’s…

- and there's a 3 for £15 offer going on - yay!

The signings:

19 November WHS Books Beverley 9.30 to 11.30
19 November WHS Prospect Centre Hull 12.00 to 2.00
26 November WHS Coney Street York 12.00 to 2.00
26 November WHS Monks Cross Shopping Park York 2.30 to 4.30
3 December WHS Westborough Scarborough 12.00 to 2.00
10 December WHS Victoria Shopping Centre Harrogate 12.00 to 2.00
17 December to be confirmed, maybe nowhere

Rosie: It’s been very interesting finding out how you work, Penny! Come back soon. *don’t forget to refill the dog choc drop pocket, though*

Monty: It’s been lovely getting to know you, Penny. You can come back anytime - even if your dog choc drop pocket IS empty. No. Really. I mean it. Honest. I do. Yeah.

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Competition for signed paperback copy of novel, 'All His Own Hair'

My second novel - 'All His Own Hair' - is on Amazon for Kindle but I've discovered this fab person is running a competition for a signed copy of the (paperback) book.

The competition can be found here

The requirements are:

quote: "All you have to do is pop along to this Amazon page - and find the answer to this question ‘What is the name of Liz’s Border Collie?’

Then just email me at info@bridaldesignsweddingjewellery.co.uk with the answer to the question plus your name to enter. The winner will be drawn from all correct entries on the 14th November. Good Luck!"unquote

Even if you have a Kindle, this could be a Christmas present for someone who doesn't.

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Miss Maddy Mouse puts on her special Christmas tree fairy outfit to wish Liz Fielding a specially Fab Morning!!!

jus becos

Greyhound in trilby - peony patch skulk - Miss Maddy Mouse - Siamese Masterfulness - inseparable corgis

She firmly believed there was a trilby for everyone

Skulking in the peony patch

Miss Maddy mouse in the pink

He was Master of the Universe

They were inseparable

Greyhound morning - Corgi topiary - Paparazzi boredom - Sarah Docbear's waiting room - patient Golden Retriever

Into the morning

Herding was in her blood, but topiary was in her soul

The paparazzi bored her

Ever more bears came for Sarah Docbear's treatment

He was waiting very patiently

Flower kitten - corgis sharing bath - cat amongst harebells - bears on a first date - beagle thinking in the petunias

Am trying to catch up with my blog postings - am sooooooo behind....


He had a lot to think about

First date awkwardbearness

The harebell stalk

Save water - bath with your pals (and - no - it's not bathe - it's 'bath' according to the original 60s - or was it 70s - slogan)

The flower kitten was on her best behaviour (for the time being, anyway)

Hoping Giselle will spoil herself on her birthday!

Oh, go on - knock yourself out! Have a fab day.

Every Sunday this Corgi dog took his hoomun for a nice drive...

Lesley Cookman, cosy crime writer extraordinaire, pays Monty and Rosie a visit on their blog!

Lesley Cookman:

First of all, thank you to Susan for allowing me on to her blog - a great honour.

Susan illustrated me (at least, that’s what I tell her):

However - although she has shown me as a slim, smoking, wine-drinking young thing with exquisite taste in scarves, writing with pen on paper in an attic - not ALL of that is quite true - no - I actually write directly onto a computer, more like this:

My heroine, Libby, lives in Steeple Martin where my books are set:

This map, especially created for me by Susan, appears in all the books and on my website.

Susan and I have been known to do joint book signings - here’s one at the Cotswold Bookstore with - from left to right: Susan Alison (map creator and co-signer of books) Gilli Allan (author of 'Torn' for Kindle), Adrian Magson (crime writer), Katie Fforde (romantic comedy writer and President of the Romantic Novelists' Association), her sister Jane Gordon-Cumming, and publisher Hazel Cushion of Accent Press (feisty, independent publishing):

 
Rosie: *snort-woof* Look - Susan’s taking a quick nap while all the lovely people are looking at the camera!

Monty: Quite right too! It’s the most noble of pastimes… zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Lesley: My latest book is called Murder At The Manor and comes out on November 7th in paperback and for Kindle so it's in everyone's favorite format.

Murder at the Manor is the ninth in the Libby Sarjeant series, and features nearly all the regular characters, including Sidney, Libby’s grumpy silver tabby cat, and her friend Fran’s Balzac, a long haired black and white. The books are 'Cosy Mysteries', which means they’re more Rosemary and Thyme

 

 

than Spooks.









Libby and Fran are both former actors, and keep their association with the stage by being involved with the Oast Theatre in Steeple Martin.

It’s all very jolly and quite good fun - apart from the odd body - but I do try and keep the stories relevant to today, so have some very serious underlying themes.

I do hope fans of Susan’s art will like the books, and thank you once again, Susan, for all the pictures.


Rosie: *woof-cough* - actually, it's our blog! But, you’re very welcome, Lesley, and you can come back anytime. Well… for as long as you keep bringing the gravy-soaked biscuits, that is...

Monty: It’s been lovely getting to know you, Lesley. Am wide awake now and I’ll be sure to be there with my Kindle on November 7th ready to do the one-claw-clickety-click dance.

Yay for Lesley Cookman, cosy crime writer extraordinaire - Yayyyyy!!!!!!!!!!bark!!!!!!!!!

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Moocher, Border Collie dog extraordinaire - co-star of White Lies and Custard Creams - romantic comedy with a dash of mystery

I’ve received many emails from readers asking about Moocher, the Border Collie who co-stars with Liz Houston in my first novel, ‘White Lies and Custard Creams’. So I thought I’d write a blog post and try to convey what my old Mooch the Pooch meant to me. He’d always had a way with woofs and I know he will be happy to be on Monty and Rosie’s blog like this.

 

He was a stray. He just turned up one day and stayed. He knew he’d come to the right place, and I knew he’d come to the right place, too. This is a limerick I wrote after he rather inconsiderately popped his clogs and left me with nothing but an empty basket:

Into my life one day a Border Collie strolled

He smelt sweetly of that in which he’d rolled

He’d come to share his life with me

And now I’ll never be free

Of fox poo aroma, and love worth more than gold

He had such a sense of joy about him. He was exactly the sort of dog who would leap up and catch snowflakes on his tongue:

And he always made a point of rolling in autumn leaves - one of life’s greatest pleasures (especially if there was fox poo underneath them, of course):

  

He was a very clever dog. It’s no wonder my paperwork’s in such a mess since he’s been gone. He'd be shocked...

There was always a hug waiting if I needed one:

 

And his live and let-live philosophy definitely taught me a thing or two!

 

 He was a very generous dog in every way. He would have distributed bones and gravy to the world if he could:

 

 

No one could stay cross with him for long. He could wrap the most dog-hating person around his little claw in no time at all. He was such a charmer!

He was always ready for a game and would play for hours and hours just to keep me entertained:

 

 

He is always with me, just out of the corner of my eye; always there peering over my shoulder, checking I’m not making too much of a hash of things. He is the extra weight in Jeff-Dog’s head as he pushes it into my hands. He makes me watch out for myself more than I previously might, and he bolsters my courage when I need it.

He was the most extraordinary dog and taught me so much about so many things. This is why Liz, my heroine in ‘White Lies and Custard Creams’ has to have her dog with her all the time, or at least know he’s around and she can see him if she needs to. She needs him to keep going through life, no matter what, trying to make sense of it. And together they will make it through, even if not wildly successfully, at least always with a laugh!

And then he left me and life really was just an empty basket, and I felt as though I’d been punched with a big spike that took all my breath and gave nothing back.

This was when I was first introduced to the Rainbow Bridge. Someone sent me the poem which I shall paste in below for anyone who’s not read it. It is comforting. I’d always known Moocher would be there for me, wherever I was, in whatever plane, but with the Rainbow Bridge there is a ‘real’ picture in my mind which makes it so much more certain.

So - I know that Moocher is waiting for me at Rainbow Bridge (along with quite a few others).

In the meantime, I and others often howl tributes to absent friends and I could swear I can hear Moocher joining in:

If you have any more questions do feel free to get in touch and I shall answer them when I’m not bawling my eyes out like I am now. Jeff-Dog is pressing his head heavily into my leg as I sit at my desk, and Moocher watches us, grinning his furry face off, knowing we know he’s there.

Rainbow Bridge

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....  

Author unknown...

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