 After a flurry of behind-the-scenes activity, I'm excited to share that the Kindle pre-order is live. Early reviews are coming in. "A hypnotic collection of surreal, dreamy stories. Perfect for a rainy afternoon when the attic ghost is napping." - J Martain, author of the forthcoming novel Like Moonlight on Water. "The stories in this collection will all keep you guessing, particularly the title story in which you will speculate till the end: is there or isn’t there a ghost?" - Mike Maggio, author of the award-winning novella Woman in the Abbey. "The stories are skilfully crafted, small elegies to loss in its varied forms, and the book as a whole is a haunting, and oftentimes haunted, exploration of grief." - J.S. Watts, author of the Witchlight series. Pre-order it today, and it'll be on your Kindle on (or possibly just before) 27 July. You can also add it to your Goodreads and BookBub lists.
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 Life has been busy lately, and my to-do list keeps growing, but I've finally got time to share the cover of my new collection!
Photographs of Emily and other stories is a novella with some bonus short stories attached, and it will be released later in the summer. *** “A ghost, perhaps, is not the spirit of someone who died, it’s the echo of someone who thought they’d lived.” It’s been ten years since Emily lost her life in a tragic accident. For Zeb, that’s meant ten years of crushing guilt and counselling to overcome the image of his girlfriend dying in front of him because of a decision he made. When multiple witnesses report seeing a ghostly figure in the churchyard where it happened, her family decides to host a memorial to soothe Emily’s restless spirit. Zeb cautiously returns to his estranged hometown for the service, hoping to establish the truth about these sightings. Unforeseen circumstances compel him to stay longer than planned, and even though he remains sceptical, he finds himself drawn to the churchyard, seeking the elusive ghost. Lives are shattered, grief is stark, and new futures are forged from the embers. *** The three short stories follow a widow who doesn't want to return home after the funeral of her husband, a new homeowner regretting her purchase, and a black sheep of the family at her sisters' birthday party. These quietly suspenseful and atmospheric stories weave heartbreak and grief with resilience and hope. Perfect for fans of Susan Hill, J.T. Croft, and Wendy Webb!
I had a lovely, and remarkably sunny, day out in Looe recently, dropping some signed copies of my books off at West Looe Bookshop. It's such an amazing Aladdin's Cave full of second-hand books as well as new books by local authors. Everywhere you look, there's something else to grab you. I highly recommend a visit!    The list of where you can find my books is slowly growing. They are currently in stock at:
If there's anywhere else you think my books might fit, please let me know. Don't forget, most bookshops will order books that are not on their shelves for you, so if you don't see mine, just enquire. Happy New Year! 2025 was a good year for me, writing-wise. I completed the 5th draft of my novel-in-progress and sent it to several trusted readers; I wrote a couple of brand new short stories and refreshed a couple of others; and I had my best sales year to date. I also saw the Levellers in February, was invited to talk at the Castle Heritage Centre in Bude in April, saw Calamity Jane in July and Hamilton in August (twice), watched several Women’s Rugby World Cup games at Sandy Park, met up with a long-standing author friend, Elizabeth Seckman, attended the Looe Festival of Words Book Fair in October, and saw my youngest son graduate. A whirlwind of a year, and I've got loads planned for 2026. Stay tuned! Here's a small splash of what I got up to... I am so happy to share that The Clock in My Mother's House placed as a finalist in the 2025 IAN Book of the Year Awards. A couple of stories in this collection are my personal, all-time favourites; a couple of deeply personal ones (in a good way); and they all contain a scattering of in-jokes that I giggle at every time I read them. When putting stories together like this, you can never be sure which ones will resonate with the reader, so I'm thrilled to know I got it right. Thank you to the judges and congratulations to the winners and finalists. You can see the entire list here.
Hey, look! You can now buy my books directly from me... ish.
As well as selling my self-published books (under the imprint Lynher Books) through Amazon, I also sell them everywhere else, and to do this I use IngramSpark as a my printer and distribution network. They make my books available to all the big booksellers. And now, you can buy directly from them, which is akin to buying directly from me. Without the costs associated with distributing to bookshops, I can earn a few extra pennies from each sale, which will go into my emergency chocolate bar fund - a very important fund on account of being in the middle of editing the first draft of a new novel). So, here they all are, my beautiful books, waiting to be read. My event on 11 April at the Castle Heritage Centre in Bude was fantastic, and I'd like to say a huge thank you to the events coordinator Katie for inviting me. There were some thought-provoking questions from the audience - some of which I don't think I've ever been asked before! Afterwards, my husband - who drove me - treated me to a delicious lunch at the Brendon Arms, and we sat in the sunshine with a cider. Plus a stop off at Tre, Pol & Pen farm shop and restaurant for more sunshine and a coffee on the way home. The sky was cloudless and it was so warm. I remember thinking at both venues that I really should be taking some photos, and then promptly forgot.
This year's vibe is living in the moment, and that seems to mean, for me, don't take photos just look at things instead. Great for my mental health, less good for social media 😉🤣 Do check the links and make time for a visit to any of these places if you're in the area - you won't be disappointed.
 My first event of the year is organised. If you've ever wondered what kind of chaos surrounds me as I write, this is the talk you need to hear!
I'll be talking about how it started, and how it's going, and sharing some top tips, probably 😎 If you're in or around Bude (or just like to drive) in April, come and see me. Apparently the food is delicious too.  2024 was a mixed year - a book launch in May, and then a slight case of writer's block for the rest of the year.
Writing isn't always easy - it pulls you apart and puts you back together in a completely different way; it stretches you to your limits, and it pushes you down into the depths of your emotions, trying to get the right word or sentence or paragraph onto the page. For me, that means I'll have a scene in my head so perfect that no words will do it justice. And yet, it's my job to make it so. But I wouldn't be without it. I can't remember a time I didn't, and image a time I won't, write. And that's all down to you, my wonderful readers, who buy and review and email to tell me how much they enjoy my work. So thank you! Plans for 2025 are in flux right now, but my block as lifted and the words are back, so watch this space. In the meantime, please check out my back catalogue, and this amazing 4-book bundle from my publisher, and keep up with all my daily musings on Facebook or Blue Sky.
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