Kit Berry's Blog

I've told many of my Stonewylde readers about my next project, which is an historical novel set on the Isle of Portland during the Civil War.  But in the meantime, I've started writing an adventure book for 9 - 12 year olds.  I have actually written the first chapter (always the hardest part in my opinion) but I needed more information.  The book (which could potentially be a series) is set on the Fleet in Dorset, the setting for John Meade Falkner's wonderful classic Moonfleet.

So on Easter Sunday, Mr B and I set off to spend the day exploring the area.  It's amazingly beautiful!

The Fleet, with Chesil Beach in the background
I read Moonfleet as a child and really enjoyed re-reading it recently. Falkner used quite a lot of artistic licence in describing the village and surrounding area.  He wrote the book at the end of the 19th Century, but set it during the 18th Century, before the Great Storm of 1824 which destroyed several houses in the village of Fleet, and a large part of the church.  Visiting Fleet today (both east, west and in the middle) there's very little there in terms of buildings. But I'd already decided that I'd be inventing my own places for my books, not wanting anyone to think I'd used their house as inspiration!

Moonfleet Manor in the distance
The name Moonfleet is in fact J M Falkner's invention - the body of water is known as the Fleet (from a Saxon word) and the tiny hamlet is of the same name.  For several generations the land was owned by the Mohune family (around the time of the Civil War - so this is very relevant to my adult novel!) and Falkner amalgamated Mohune Fleet into Moonfleet.  The house was originally known as Fleet House, but has since been renamed Moonfleet Manor (far more romantic) and is now a hotel.  We started off our day with a coffee in the lounge. It's absolutely wonderful there, despite the poor stuffed animals - a legacy of a bygone era when hunting exotic animals was considered perfectly acceptable.  I wish we could afford to stay at the hotel, but the coffee was lovely and maybe one day we'll splash out and treat ourselves.

One of the lounges at Moonfleet Manor
We ate our picnic in the lea of the ancient wall around the manor house.  It was beautifully sunny but the wind was biting, and we needed the shelter. 
The buttressed wall at Moonfleet Manor
I took hundreds of photos, trying to imagine scenes in my book and looking for just the right spot to place the cottage where the children come to spend their summer holidays.  I was keen to know if it were possible to swim in the Fleet, and how safe it would be. There were many little beaches, some stony and sharp and others full of sludgy mud.  
A beach on the Fleet - waterbird's nesting ground? There were many rowing boats - all other types banned
We were absolutely freezing after a couple of hours out in the wind, and made ourselves a very welcome cup of tea in the car!  A slice of homemade ginger and date cake went down very nicely too.
We were careful not to knock it over! Too windy outside the boot.
Then we found the old, original church - or what was left of it after the Great Storm of 1824.  It's an amazing  little place - really lovely. This is where Falkner described the Mohune vault where poor John Trenchard grabs a handful of beard from a coffin, and where the smuggled barrels bump together when the vault floods during a Spring Tide.  
All that's left of the original church - a peaceful spot
From the Fleet, the views of Portland are amazing.  What's so good is that all my research and atmosphere-soaking-up can be shared for the two books - adult and children's.  This area really does fill me with excitement and something that sparks off my imagination and creativity. 
The Isle of Portland in the distance, across the Fleet
And then, towards the end of the day when we'd seen so many fantastic views and interesting things, we saw something that filled my heart with joy and made me absolutely sure that this was the place to set my children's book.  The first ones I've seen in a long time - and many of you know just how important this creature is to me.  The quality of this photo is poor as they were in the distance and we couldn't get closer - I've really had to blow up the image.  See how the one on the left is stretching like a cat?  So beautiful, and the perfect ending to a perfect day!
Moonfleet hares! 

I was so glad to take part in this amazing event, the purpose of which was to highlight the dreadful plight of Asia's remaining wild tigers.  It's estimated that there are only about 3,500 wild tigers left in the world today, which means that extinction looms for this most beautiful of creatures.  There are more tigers in captivity than in the wild.

At St Pancras International Station - Save the Wild TigersIt was thanks to a tweet by Orion children's author, Lauren St John, that I learned of the Tiny Tracks event - a children's weekend amongst three weeks of Tiger Tracks events, and their call for authors to come along and read stories to children at St Pancras Station.  I volunteered, thinking I'd be one of many and probably not chosen, so you can imagine how delighted I was to hear that they wanted me to do two sessions of stories!

I wore my most camouflaged of outfits!There had been a competition amongst local schools to create art work from recycled materials, with the theme "Tigers are not Rubbish!", and we enjoyed looking at the entries.  This one was particularly spectacular!

Tiger made from recycled plastic milk bottlesI had originally offered to read from my battered childhood 1960s copy of Mowgli's Stories, the source of the very popular Disney film, The Jungle Book.  I have fond memories of my father reading this beautiful book to me, and of the huge colour plates that brought the magical Rudyard Kipling prose alive.  But on closer inspection, fifty years later, I realised this was not suitable to read aloud to small children in public - not least because Shere Khan was an evil tiger who was killed by Mowgli, and skinned!  Hardly the message that the Save the Wild Tiger campaigners wished to get across.

Story time at St Pancras StationI was pretty nervous about the whole event, to be honest. I had no idea what to expect as this wasn't like a normal school visit or bookshop event.  But the organisers were lovely - Lisa from Foyles Bookshop and Fiona from the company running the Tiger Tracks events - and once I'd got used to the noisy bustle of the place (Eurostar arriving for instance!), it was wonderful.

A very interested pink tiger takes a peek!The children who listened to the stories were great, as it must have been very difficult to concentrate with so much noise and distraction all around, including the never-ending station announcements about unattended luggage etc!  The little girl in the picture above was very keen to see my copy of the book (Never Trust a Tiger by Lari Don) despite Lisa helpfully holding up larger pictures, and she kept knocking my microphone away in her efforts to climb up onto my lap!

Bill Oddie read a story too!It was great to meet another story-reader, Bill Oddie, and I wished I'd met some of the other celebrities who've taken part in the three weeks of Tiger Tracks events, including Brian May, Virginia McKenna and Joanna Lumley.  It's a great cause and so many people care about what's happening to our precious wildlife.  It was really sickening to see some of the displays in the station - stuffed tigers and tiger skins, all seized during raids on London houses.  I didn't take any pictures of these as they were too upsetting.  I really cannot understand how anyone can kill for pleasure, nor want to display the carcasses from such a barbaric act.

Instead, I shall finish with a nicer photo of a very cuddly tiger - and do take a look at the amazing website of the Tiger Tracks people here.  I was really proud to have taken part in this wonderful initiative.  You can see more pics on my Facebook author page here.

World Book Day 2013 was on Thursday March 7th, but many schools celebrate for the entire week, and this year, so did I!
I'd been invited to Pilton Community College in Barnstaple on the Tuesday to teach three classes and also take part in officially opening the newly refurbished library.  I was very honoured and excited to be part of something so  special.  I'd arranged to travel down the day before and stay with a lovely author by the name of Victoria Eveleigh, known to her friends as Tortie, but to me as Tottie (due to meeting her at a very noisy Orion publishing party and mis-hearing her name!).  She writes wonderful pony books for pre-teens, and with her husband and daughter, runs a farm on Exmoor.

A lovely story - I really enjoyed it!We had a slightly traumatic evening; after arriving later than expected and discovering that Tottie had arranged a dinner party for ten (complete with pink fizz!), one of the dogs was taken ill.  Guests arrived, the delicious meal was served in the ancient farmhouse with huge fire blazing and the champers flowing freely - but poor Beetle was very poorly.  The vet eventually diagnosed alcoholic poisoning - silly dog had discovered some vodka-soaked strawberries on the midden and gulped them down!

Tottie, Sarah and their Ruby Red Devon cattle
The next morning I was up bright and early and left for Pilton Community College.  Lyn and Trish, the librarians, had put an enormous amount of work into preparing for this special day.  Trish had decorated the library as Stonewylde, with hares, barn owls, a Green Man and the Wheel of the Year!  It was very beautiful and as I walked in, I was moved to tears to see what a beautiful tribute she'd paid to my books. 
A part of Trish's tribute to Stonewylde Kit, Lyn, the Pilton Green Man (Hamish) and Trish - cutting the cakeLyn had organised the whole event so well, and after teaching two classes, it was time to officially open the library.  The local press were there and some of the younger children had dressed up as Villagers from Stonewylde, and served everyone with hot cross buns. And the Green Man himself turned up - it was amazing!

Year 7 students dressed as Stonewylde VillagersI spoke to one more class of Year 9 pupils, and after lunch with Lyn and Trish and a good chat about Stonewylde (they're both ardent fans) it was time to say goodbye.  I really was overwhelmed by the amount of work that they'd both put in to arranging this special day, and I hope very much to return to the school again in the future.  Thank you, ladies!
I drove across the border into Dorset, and the next day I visited St Andrew's Primary School in Weymouth.  This was a very special visit as I used to teach at this school, and my three sons had all spent many happy years there.  Karen Hick, one of the teachers (and a Stonewylde reader herself) had asked if I'd visit during World Book Week to talk to the older children about writing and being an author, so I spent a wonderful afternoon in my dear old classroom speaking to first Year 6, and then Year 5.

A lovely group of St Andrews pupilsThe children were absolutely brilliant; having taught older pupils recently, I'd forgotten the sheer exuberance and excitement of ten and eleven year olds.  They were wildly enthusiastic and worked so hard, and I really enjoyed my visit so much.  I promised to return when I'd written my book for 9-12 year olds, which is one of my next projects.

Happy boys at St Andrews SchoolThe next day was World Book Day itself!  I spent the whole morning at the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester, where my three boys had attended.  This is a really fantastic school and I'd been delighted when Maddi Heinrich from the school library and Sylvia Russell from the English Department had arranged for me to visit.  Maddi and Sue, the librarians, had also put a huge effort into making the event a success.  I spoke to three groups of Year 9 students in the Talented and Gifted stream, and was a little concerned as they were all so amazingly quiet!

The very attentive Thomas Hardye pupilsThey sat, completely silent, as I spoke to them of my writing experiences, creating Stonewylde, and the incident that took place in their very school which had been woven into the second book in the series.  Several Sixth Form students also listened to my talk and took part in the workshop, and it was lovely to see some familiar faces from previous book-launches in Dorchester.  Great to see you again, Rob and Millie!
Pupils buying copies of Magus of StonewyldeThere were queues at break-time as I signed copies of Stonewylde, and I didn't have time to do justice to the lovely cup-cakes that Sue had been kind enough to bake for me.  The enormous library at the Thomas Hardye School would put many public libraries to shame. After a final session with another group, Maddi, Sue and I enjoyed a delicious lunch made by them both, and I loaded up my things for a mad dash across Dorchester to St Osmund's Middle School and my final visit of the week.
It was such a rush to quickly don my outfit in the loo as half of Year 7 (around 75 pupils) filed into the Art Room with their teachers and teaching assistants in tow.  I was running late and began my talk whilst still setting up my table.  Again, the group were fantastic, listening intently as I spoke to them of hares and labyrinths, of bloody noses and following your dream.  My lovely sister, Joy Laver, who works at this school had helped me set up my books in the library, and whilst the pupils worked on their maps, I signed copies of Stonewylde for many pupils in a variety of fancy dress.  Sadly we ran out of badges, though everyone had a bookmark to keep.  Karen Ryan, the teacher who'd arranged the visit,  was dressed as a Very Hungry Caterpillar and had incredible green eyelashes.  She bought the last book, Shaman of Stonewylde (she started the series last year when I visited), and is now engrossed again!

Karen Ryan and St Osmunds pupils dressed as book characters!I arrived home late on Thursday night, exhausted but very happy indeed.  It's been the most wonderful week ever!  All four schools - Pilton Community College, St Andrew's, Thomas Hardye's and St Osmund's - made me feel so welcome.  Every single pupil I encountered during the week was polite, friendly and very engaged during my talks.  I met with such enthusiasm and warmth, and I really can't thank all the adults and all the children who made World Book Week 2013 so special for me.  Oh - and Tottie's dog has now recovered from his drinking binge and is fully recovered!  Here's a pic of one of her very beautiful Exmoor ponies, Orion Star, to finish this blog.

One of Tottie's Exmoor ponies on her farm

Outside the Old Town Hall, Weymouth  [(c) Marloes Visser]
These are two men with a mission.  Mark Vine (right) is the author of "The Crabchurch Conspiracy", a slim but fascinating book that's now out of print. It tells the story of events in February 1645, at the height of the English Civil War, when the Royalists made an audacious attempt to recapture the twin towns of Weymouth and Melcombe Regis from the Parliamentarians. Steve Booth, on the left, is one of the people, along with Mark, heavily involved in raising money to renovate the Old Town Hall in Weymouth.

Old Town Hall, WeymouthTake a look at the website and see what's going on - the 17 Century building is in desperate need of repair but the council don't have the funds.  So it's been leased at peppercorn rent to a local group determined to restore the lovely old building to its former glory, and make it available for community use.  The happily named GOTHs (Guardians of the Old Town Hall) decided to combine the anniversary of the Crabchurch Conspiracy with a massive fund-raising event.  Which is where I came into it.

Mr B and I spent the most amazing weekend in Weymouth at this event.  I'd originally bought tickets to the fundraiser because I wanted to hear Professor Ronald Hutton give a lecture on the Civil War, and also see The Dolmen play.  This band, local to Weymouth, are fast becoming internationally famous.  Their energetic brand of folk-rock has gained them a huge following at home and abroad, and local historian Mark Vine writes many of their lyrics.  A few years ago they recorded an album called The Crabchurch Conspiracy, which commemorates all those who lost their lives on both sides in the bloody battles that raged around the twin ports.  I became involved when Mark asked for narrators for the evening.I volunteered, and before I knew it, I was judging local schools' art competitions with Prof. Hutton and doing a joint book signing at Imagine Books!

Professor Ronald Hutton and Kit Berry judging Beechcroft School's art work
Ronald Hutton, Marloes Visser and Kit Berry at Imagine Books, Weymouth
It was lovely to see Ronald again - he's a great Stonewylde fan and his endorsement graces the final book, Shaman of Stonewylde.  He's Professor of History at Bristol University, and is frequently to be found on the TV.  After the book signing, we made our way to Weymouth Beach, where the re-enactment of a battle was taking place (the chosen site being too wet).  On the way, Mark Vine showed us many points of interest.

Kit Berry and Mr B with Mark Vine [(c) Marloes Visser]
Mr B calling the shots in Weymouth
There were large crowds at the beach watching the soldiers in full costume recreate the fighting.  I'm no expert on the costume or weapons, but they looked fantastic!  The noise was incredible with muskets creating the most amazing loud bangs which echoed off the stone pier, and thick smoke which added to the atmosphere.  The pikes were lethal too - we all kept well back!

Steve Howl and soldiers in sword combat
Soldiers with pikes - very long and lethal
Civil War muskets - so much smoke and noise!
 I never did find out the significance of the red and white striped gaiters - does anyone know?  Whilst the battle was taking place, Steve Booth and many others were out collecting money from the public, all to go to the Old Town Hall's renovation.

After a lovely meal at Taloch's, leader of The Dolmen, we went to Weymouth College and the Bay Theatre, where the evening event had proved to be a sell-out!  At this point I was incredibly nervous. Ronald Hutton gave the most fascinating talk about the Civil War - the man is a genius!  He talks so knowledgeably and yet so accessibly, and I almost forgot my nerves.  Then it was my turn to join him and the band on the stage for the performance of The Crabchurch Conspiracy - a whole album of songs linked by our narration, and all written by Mark Vine.

Kit Berry with Ronald Hutton and The Dolmen
The lights were blinding - I don't know how people perform on stage when they can't see their audience!  You just have to hope they're enjoying it and plough on.  I felt a complete amateur amongst such professionals, but then something happened that calmed my nerves.  Steve Howl, dressed in full costume (see below) came on to provide sound effects.  He fired his musket so loud and so close to me that I squealed!  The audience all laughed, much to my embarrassment, but I found that after that my nervousness had vanished.  Thanks, Steve!

Ronald Hutton, Kit Berry and Steve Howl at the Bay Theatre [(c) Bekki Neveah]It was a wonderful evening, and The Dolmen were brilliant. Mark must have felt very proud hearing his lyrics performed so well, and knowing we were all there thanks to his efforts.  He's a modest man but everyone knew just how much work he, and Steve Booth, had put into making the event happen.  I don't know yet how much was raised towards the Old Town Hall restoration fund, but I'm sure it was substantial as the venue was given for free, along with the performers' normal fees.

The Dolmen - brilliant music and energy!
Next year, Mark hopes to get more local schools involved as this is everyone's history and it's a fascinating story.  Beechcroft School entered the art competition and the children's artwork was wonderful; Ronald and I found it hard to choose the winners.  I certainly hope to be involved again, and this isn't entirely altruistic!  Some of you will know already that my next adult novel will be a slightly supernatural tale set in Weymouth and Portland during the English Civil War. What better way to do research than getting involved with this?

Many thanks to Mark Vine, Steve Booth, The Dolmen, Prof Ronald Hutton, Imagine Books and all the others for such a fantastic weekend.  And thanks too to Marloes Visser, manager of The Dolmen, for the use of some of her photos, and also Bekki Neveah of Neveah Hair, Southsea.  And the good news: Mark's book, The Crabchurch Conspiracy, will be reprinted and available again soon!

I didn't quite manage to write a post on the first day of the year, but this isn't bad, is it? It's grey and dull outside now, but new year's day was glorious and we enjoyed a fantastic walk along the Ridgeway in warm, crisp sunshine. Look at this blue sky!


I hope you all had a great Christmas/Yule/mid-winter celebration. I was ill for all of December until the day before Christmas Eve. I struggled on, as you do, trying to get everything ready for the holiday. We always have lots of family here, the "children" all staying and other people coming and going, and there's a great deal of preparation to be done. I tried to juggle this around the book signings and keeping up with everything, but the virus got worse as the month went on, and the last time I ventured outside at all was on this gorgeous walk in the woods with Drax. 


By the time we got home, I felt so ill and took to my bed.  Mr B looked after me for days, and for the first time in memory, I couldn't even make it outside for the Winter Solstice. I was so disappointed as the sunrise was wonderful and Mr B took some beautiful photos.

But luckily the virus decided to let me go just in time for the festivities. We had a really lovely Yule after all, and I enjoyed it far more than the previous year when we'd only recently moved here and everything was so upside down and hectic.  

Drax was much better behaved than I'd hoped for, and our beautiful Christmas Tree has survived well. I must un-decorate it but can't bear to yet as it still looks lovely. There was a slight issue over the tree this year, as I much prefer the old-fashioned Norway Spruce type (which may drop needles, but smells how it should) over the Nordman. I think I've blogged about this before. Mr B took pity on my over-emotional response to the original specimen he'd brought home, and we ended up with this beauty. And even some new lights, as both the old sets decided to give up the ghost. These ones are far more eco-friendly, so all guilt was set aside at the extravagance of buying new lights at such a time!
We enjoyed our fifth wedding anniversary on 29th and New Year's Eve was lovely. We stayed in, celebrating quietly with some delicious champagne. I must be getting old but I really do prefer this to going out. I look back to so many other New Year's Eves - wild times as a youngster, so many occasions when I was a single mum with small children and couldn't afford to go out anywhere, others when they were older and I could, and Mr B's and my early celebrations when we partied, including a very memorable one in Venice, and of course the one we spent en route to the Maldives for our honeymoon! I'm really happy to spend a romantic and companionable evening  in - and after all the busyness over Christmas with so many people coming and going, it's really good to be alone again.  Or as alone as Drax will allow!

On New Year's Day, the weather had finally cleared up and we drove to the Ridgeway for a decent walk, imagining it would be drier up on the chalk hills. Every day for weeks we've been dealing with a very wet and muddy Drax and wondering why we decided on a dog with such a coat! We live right by fields and woodland but at present, they're a quagmire and Drax returns from his walk each morning with half a ton of mud attached. 
  The Ridgeway was beautiful, and perfect for such a day. As we walked we reflected on the year that's passed and all that's been achieved. This time last year I was in a flat panic about my deadline for the final book in the Stonewylde series. Due to our house move, the original deadline (Christmas) had been and gone and I hadn't even STARTED it! Not even thought of a title! I was really, really scared that I wouldn't be able to do it. It's one thing writing the next book but quite another to actually finish the series and tie up all the loose ends. I was terrified of disappointing my readers and terrified of not being able to actually write at all.  
It seemed very odd, therefore, to be striding along only a year later with the book (all 548 pages of it) not only written but out there in the shops and in people's hands! Gollancz/Orion really did me proud, getting it out there so rapidly in order to honour the original publication date we'd announced. I don't wish to sound smug, of course, but I am pleased with it and feedback from readers has been very positive, so I think the final instalment did justice to Stonewylde. 
And now ... what next? There are so many projects I want to embark upon. I've made a little start (preliminary notes and jottings, lots of reading and some research) on three of them, in the spirit of seeing which one grabs hold and won't let me go. On our lovely Ridgeway walk we came across this signpost, and it made me laugh. So appropriate - three different directions, and not knowing which one to follow.

Happy new year, everyone! I hope it's a great one for us all. I'm so excited at the prospect of a bright and shiny start, and I have absolutely no idea what I'll have written by this time next year. Fingers crossed you'll all like it, whatever it may be. 

Way back in February at the fabulous party in the Natural History Museum (there's a blog about this in Feb's archive) I met fellow Orion author Essie Fox. I'd bought but not yet read her debut novel, a Victorian Gothic tale called The Somnambulist, and we had a chat, agreeing to read each other's books soon.  Our paths crossed again when we learned that Orion had given us both the same freelance PR lady (I think we also share her with Gregg Wallace); Essie and I decided to meet up in Windsor for coffee.

Essie is a beautiful, tiny woman who appears to have stepped out of one of her own novels.  She seems almost incongruous in 21st Century dress, and so it was wholly appropriate that when I next saw her in the Strand at the launch party for her second novel, she was dressed in black silk and crimson lace. Sadly I don't have a photo, but the book in question - Elijah's Mermaid -  looks stunning too and I can't wait to read it.

It was a fantastic launch party, and great to see the familiar faces of some other authors: Julie Cohen from Reading who writes romance, erotica and other good things, Shelley Harris, author of Jubilee, whom I'd also met at the Orion party, and Emma Darwin, author of The Mathematics of Love and Secret Alchemy, whom I'd met at an historical fiction day at the Weald and Down Museum. I also caught up with my publicist, Emma Dowson, and Kate Mills, an Orion editor whom I'd long wanted to meet.

Courtesy of Jack LadenburgAnd then a very exciting thing happened.  There across the crowded room I saw the most famous and important literary agent of them all - the legendary Carole Blake!  She runs the prestigious Blake Friedmann Literary, TV and Film Agency and is renowned for her incredible prowess in the publishing industry.  She's an author herself of the the seminal work From Pitch to Publication and her achievements are far too numerous to list here, but her profile on the company website is here.  I wanted desperately to say hello, and in the end plucked up the courage to go over and introduce myself.  I was very nervous as she has the reputation for not suffering fools gladly - and I certainly felt like a gibbering fool!

Would you believe this lady has been working in publishing for 49 years?  No, I couldn't either - I thought she was my age!  She was charming and friendly and we chatted for a while. Carole asked what I did, and I told her how I've now finished my Stonewylde Series and will soon start research for a new project - a novel set in Dorset during the Civil War. Immediately her eyes lit up and she started to tell me about a marvellous book set during that period. It sounded absolutely fascinating and I promised to read it, guessing that she must represent the author.

I can tell you that John Saturnall's Feast, by Lawrence Norfolk, is the most amazing book and I enjoyed it immensely. It's historical literary fiction and so multi-layered that it positively drips with richness and flavour. Its focus is food: feasting and fasting, fecundity and famine. I adored the culinary detail in the book, but more than that, I was entranced by the underlying themes of nature's wild abundance desecrated and plundered by Reason; of witchcraft flayed by religious zeal; of plenty laid waste by wantonness. The sensual delights of feasting and the masochism of fasting are explored, with abstinence and self-denial at one end of the table, indulgence and hand-feeding at the other.


When Carole recommended this book to me, how would she have known of my interest in natural magic? As I read the descriptions of the woods, the gardens and the Somerset Levels with the Tor in the background, my skin prickled with understanding. I loved the book and despite its depth and literary lyricism, I read it very fast. This was just as well, because I saw one of Carole's posts on Twitter (she's very prolific) about a forthcoming event in Bloomsbury where Lawrence Norfolk would be talking about the book! I was so excited and immediately snapped up a ticket.

It was a great evening. The Bloomsbury building is wonderful, very different from the Orion office block which is ultra modern. Bloomsbury is as you would expect, old and grand. I was hoping to see Carole again but anxious not to be a pest, and I'd brought along my copy of the book to be signed. After signing hundreds of copies of Shaman of Stonewylde since its launch in October, it was strange to be on the receiving end for a change. I was delighted to get the chance to chat to Lawrence over a glass of wine before the talk, and I asked him if perhaps he'd been inspired by John Keats' poem The Eve of St Agnes. I reminded him of the gist of these lines:

"While he from forth the closet brought a heap Of candied apple, quince, and plum, and gourd; With jellies soother than the creamy curd, And lucent syrops, tinct with cinnamon; Manna and dates, in argosy transferr’d From Fez; and spiced dainties, every one, From silken Samarcand to cedar’d Lebanon.
These delicates he heap’d with glowing hand On golden dishes and in baskets bright Of wreathed silver: sumptuous they stand In the retired quiet of the night ...

I'd felt other parallels between the book and poem too, but Lawrence laughed and said that although he'd studied the poem for A Level, it hadn't been a conscious influence when writing the book. We then talked of how, as a writer, one is influenced by every single thing ever read, seen or experienced. I explained how I was worried that now I'd read and loved his book so much, I may inadvertently mirror some of it when I write my own novel set during the same period. Lawrence laughed again (he's a very jolly fellow) and promised not to sue me for plagiarism!



The evening's talk, The History of English Food, was organised by Bloomsbury Cooks and was actually a conversation between Lawrence and fellow Bloomsbury author and food writer, Kate Colquhoun. Her most recent book is Mr Brigg's Hat: A Sensational Account of Britain's First Railway Murder but she was here to speak about her highly acclaimed book Taste: the Story of Britain Through Its Cooking. It was first published in 2008 and apparently helped inspire John Saturnall's Feast, despite the fact that the chapter on food during the Civil War is the shortest, and Kate's least favourite!

Kate and Lawrence are friends in real life, and this came across during their fascinating discussion. Lawrence spoke of the difficulties of describing food in intimate detail. The appearance and aroma are reasonably straight forward, but how to describe taste? There aren't that many words once you've used up salty and sweet, and besides, he said, it's like writing about sex - there's nowhere for the writer to be. Where are you, the author, in the scene? On the tongue? In the gullet? I immediately thought of the Numskulls in the old Beano comics. Lawrence was very funny indeed, although when I asked during Q & A time if he'd cooked or eaten any of the very exotic dishes in his book, he said that sadly he hadn't. Shame! I'd had visions of him facing up to shivering blancmanges and quaking puddings, roasted quails inserted in the breast of a swan and nesting on woven spinach stems and other such concoctions.

Kate's passion for her subject shone through and she spoke very entertainingly about food throughout the ages. I was lucky enough to get one of the four remaining copies of Taste (currently being reprinted), and was delighted when she signed it for me. I know I shall use this as a reference book and can't wait to read it.  Lawrence signed my own copy of John Saturnall's Feast and another one I bought for a friend for Christmas. And the lovely man even asked about my own books!


It was a really enjoyable evening and even though I was succumbing rapidly to a cold, I returned to Reading with a warm glow, feeling very happy indeed. It was also a pleasure to meet and sit with Cheryl Cohen a food writer who works with London Farmers' Markets. She'd come to hear Kate talk, but after my wild enthusiasm for Lawrence's book, she bought that too. I hope she enjoys it as much as I did.

Many thanks to Carole Blake for recommending John Saturnall's Feast at Essie Fox's party. Not only did I love the book, it also affected me deeply. I've been dreaming of it; always a sign that ones subconscious has been stirred.  I'm haunted by images of John and his mother in Buccla's Wood, foraging to survive during the depths of winter, desperate to escape persecution by the zealots. It's as well that I'm not yet ready to start writing my own Civil War story for I'd certainly be influenced by this powerful novel. Lawrence may not mind a bit of plagiarism, but knowing of Carole's fierce care for her fortunate authors, she'd certainly have something to say about it.  And I would always hope to be on the right side of Carole Blake!

Yesterday I was the very lucky recipient of a beautiful bench to go by my new pond. Some of you may recall me writing about this pond earlier in the year - all that digging and emptying and lining and tweaking, mostly done by my son Olly. I'm very pleased with the pond, although Drax has taken a shine to the waterfall bit, imagining himself as Monarch of the Glen as he poses on top. This is with the pump off, which it's been ever since we brought him home five weeks ago. When we turned on the waterfall the other day, he almost toppled in!

Anyway, last summer my very dear friend Jocelyn (my partner in crime in Dorset during my teaching days) was at Hampton Court Flower Show. Amongst the blooms she spotted a stone-carver displaying his wares. She knows how much I love stone-carving, which I used to do at evening classes in Weymouth College and also at Tout Quarry with Hannah Sofaer. When she saw his work she knew that she'd found the perfect wedding gift for me. Mr B and I are coming up to our fifth wedding anniversary, but Jocelyn is a patient woman and wouldn't be hurried into such an important purchase.

My friend Jocelyn yesterday in Beaminster
By strange coincidence, it turned out that the sculptor, Peter Price, lives and works in Dorset! And so it was that Joc and I visited him in his workshop in Beaminster earlier in the autumn to chose my Bright Carving. (We share a love of Gormenghast.)


Peter's a talented man and produces some very unique pieces. They're all crammed into a tiny outdoor area attached to an old manor, with ivy growing around and the green hills of Dorset in the background. Who could not be inspired in such surroundings?


He said he'd carve the Green Man bench for me in his usual style, and by request would add some spirals and a little heart in the corner. Jocelyn, ever the cynic, had made gagging noises when I'd asked for this. But as I pointed out, the bench was meant to be a wedding present even if it was almost five years on! 
Peter Price at his Beaminster workshop
Peter was interested to hear that I'm an author, but not especially impressed. It turns out that many years ago at a Craft Fair, a man bought a small carving from Peter for his daughter. The man told Peter that she was a poet, and said to remember her name because one day, she'd be famous. The daughter's name? Carol Ann Duffy!!!!!

Hoping that my Bright Carving would bring me similar fortune, yesterday I drove it carefully back to Reading with the tail of the car much closer to the ground.  Mr B and my teenage step-son managed to haul it into the back garden in the pitch dark, avoiding the pond and prancing puppy. I was so excited to see the bench this morning when I let the chickens out! Drax was intrigued too.


Isn't he a wonderful Green Man?  So solemn and aged, so wise and all-knowing.

It's actually so beautiful that I'm now thinking maybe I won't use it as a bench after all. And I don't really want to sit on his face, which seems a little disrespectful! So perhaps I shall use it more as an altar to nature. I have a fire-basin that my children bought me last year, and with the water in the pond and my wind-chimes too, I think the area will become my Place of the Elements. I often sit here and watch the birds and squirrels, the sky and clouds, and feel the trees' presence all around me.The bench will make a lovely focal point and will represent Earth. Can you see the seam in the piece of stone? And it's slightly glittery too.


The spirals carved into the stone will remind me of the magic all around. I'll look at those and think of this incredible year when the final Stonewylde book was published. I'll recall the incredibly moving things that my readers have said to me about the journey we've all been on together. The heart will make me think of Mr B and our first five years of marriage, so unexpected and so joyful. And it will also remind me of enduring friendship. Thank you, Jossy!

We've just spent an amazing time in Glastonbury!  First there was a book signing event in the Cat and Cauldron, an Aladdin's Cave of witchy goods.  I'd met the proprietors, Trevor Jones and Liz Williams, ages ago when I was interviewed for Radio Glastonbury, and they were kind enough to host this event for me to coincide with the Avalon Faerie Ball.  We'd hoped to get to Glastonbury nice and early and give ourselves plenty of time to spend in the Faerie Market.


Linda Ravenscroft is one of the many talented artists who were at the market.  We met Linda several years ago at the Elf Fantasy Fair in the Netherlands, where we had a stall selling Stonewylde books and cards, and we've bumped into her many times since.  It was lovely to see her again in Glastonbury, although sadly we only had ten minutes to spare in the market.  The drive down had been horrendously slow and we'd failed to anticipate all the half-term traffic heading west.
The Cat and Cauldron were well organised and had ordered in plenty of copies of Shaman of Stonewylde.  We brought along some ceremony cakes, badges and bookmarks, and before long, the shop was filling up! 

It was great to see so many lovely, smiley faces!


Time flew by, and before we knew it, all the copies of Shaman had sold out!  It was a shame having to disappoint people who came dashing in (also held up in the traffic).  Members of our Stonewylde network site had organised an impromptu get-together across the road in the old George and Pilgrim Inn, so we packed up and headed off across the road.

It was so good to see so many Stonewylde friends.  I knew none of these people before I wrote the books, but I count them as my friends now.  We were given the use of a room to ourselves, which was great, and there was a lot of hugging and catching up.  There have been several smaller meet-ups since the big Moongazy Camp last May, but because we're spread so far geographically, it's always good to get an opportunity like this to see each other.


Many of us were staying the night in Glastonbury and attending the Avalon Faerie Ball that evening.  So we reluctantly said goodbye to those who weren't, and went to get ourselves ready for the ball.


Unfortunately faeries must have a big thirst on them, because it wasn't that long before the bar at the Faerie Ball was drunk dry! There were several acts, and the one we enjoyed the most was an amazing couple called the Gypsy Pyksy, performing a dance which I think was called Ur Tre.  It involved a girl, covered in mud and her clothes in rags, being engulfed by a tree. It was really spine-chilling and creepy, and I had a nightmare about it later that night! The very talented Dorset band The Dolmen were headlining, and once they came on, they immediately had everyone dancing.  It was all great fun and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.   But now ... back to reality.  Although some of that glitter just won't scrub off!

It's Sunday, and I'm feeling tired and happy.  Yesterday was the official launch of my final Stonewylde book (despite Amazon sending out copies all during the week!) and I'd chosen to do this at Waterstones in Dorchester.  I decided this because the shop (as Ottakers) had been one of the very first places to stock the original self-published editions of Magus of Stonewylde back in October 2005.  I'll never forget the thrill of seeing my first book on a proper shelf in a proper bookshop!  So seven years on, it seemed appropriate to launch the fifth and final book in the series in the same shop, although the staff have changed several times.

On Friday I spent the morning baking cakes.  These were Ceremony Cakes, which anyone who's read the books will know all about.


There were many jokes in Waterstones about the likely effects of these cakes - but the exotic taste was, I promise, nothing more than a careful blend of cinnamon, rosemary and lavender, with a sprinkling of poppy seeds for good measure.  
The staff at Waterstones (Max, Darwin and Emma) had done me proud again, with a lovely big table and plenty of copies of Shaman, all beautifully arranged, as well as the other four books.  It was brilliant to see so many people who'd come along to buy copies of the books and get them signed.


It's so exciting to have a queue of people waiting, and one of the first customers of the day was a lad I'd met on World Book Day when I visited St Osmund's School to talk to the pupils about writing.  He's now an avid fan, and he stayed in the shop for most of my time there talking to other shoppers (he's a great salesman!).

Another very keen Stonewylde fan came to buy her Christmas presents.  She's bought all the Stonewylde books for members of her family right from the start, and she's a little concerned about what she'll buy them next year!  You can see her here with eight copies of Shaman!


A very proud moment for me was when a handsome young man who'd been standing in the queue for a while finally reached me, and stood there grinning.
     'I don't expect you remember me,' he said a little shyly, and I was amazed to find it was a boy I'd taught many years ago when he was in Year 6 at primary school - he'd just graduated from university this summer!  I certainly did remember him, though I didn't recognise him!  In fact, several of my ex-pupils turned up, and it was great to see them all looking so grown-up.  And excellent to know that all my nagging about reading paid off too!


One thing that did surprise me was how many people who came along who were my friends on Facebook.  Many of them I'd never met before (they "friended" me after reading my books) and it was great to actually meet them in the flesh.


I really appreciated some of my self-named Promo-pixies turning up to support me.  There's nothing better than the sight of a lovely familiar face at a book signing, and they were brilliant. Unfortunately Mr B didn't take any photos of them in action, which was a little remiss.

One of the very last people to come to the signing, just as we were finally packing up and getting ready to leave, was a young lady who's at present studying Creative Writing at Winchester.  I was so glad she made it in time, and it was great to know that she's found Stonewylde such an inspiration.


Many thanks to everyone who came along to buy the final Stonewylde book, and I really hope you enjoy the story.  On our social network site, there are discussions going on amongst people who've now finished it.  Many are referring to it as "a roller-coaster read" and I'm looking forward to seeing how people review the book online.

My next trip out is on Tuesday when I'm a guest of Greg Mosse, who runs the Creative Writing MA at West Dean College.  I'll be speaking to his students about Stonewylde, and I'm really looking forward to it.  The next signing event is on Saturday at Glastonbury, where I'm also attending the Faerie Ball.  I have a small pair of wings ready, and lots of glitter.

It's been a week of radio so far, in this run up to the launch of Shaman of Stonewylde.  The book will be published tomorrow, although many people who've pre-ordered it on Amazon have already got their copies. This seems a bit naughty to me, and nothing to do with making sure readers have it on the day of publication at all.  But anyway, talking of naughty ....

On Monday, I went up to London to take part in the Radio 4 Bookclub. I've done this before and it's great fun.  This recording was done at Langham Place and it's very exciting, going into the BBC building, getting your security badge, sitting in the grand studio with lots of people buzzing around with microphones.  James Naughtie is the presenter, and he's a really lovely man.  This photo is courtesy of the Radio Four website - I didn't like to ask if I could take a picture.

I made him laugh the last time I attended a Bookclub recording, by likening characters in the book Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont to characters in Fawlty Towers.  I was delighted when this was included in the final edited show that went out on air!  So on my visit this week, to discuss the Costa prize-winning book Pure by Andrew Miller, I hoped to amuse him again.  And I certainly did that - although not in the way I'd intended.
We were about to start recording, and James told us to make sure our phones were off.  I'd already put mine on silent, not actually knowing exactly how to turn it off.  It was all very quiet, no rustling or coughing, no interruptions as James began introducing the novel and its author in his beautiful, mellifluous tones.   And then suddenly, the room was full of a terrible jangling noise, the sort that plays in Tom and Jerry cartoons when something dreadful happens and someone's eyes are out on stalks.  And I realised, as my cheeks flushed and my body broke out in a sweat, that the noise was mine.
Everyone in the room - over thirty people - stared at me in horror as I scrambled in my bag to locate my phone.  I'd put it on silent!  But I knew exactly what that noise was:

You probably can't read this - I took this photo of my phone-screen yesterday but it didn't come out very well.  The top line of the alert says "Chickens!!!".  This goes off every day, including Monday. Whilst the weight of everyone's disapproval crushed me, James made light of my dreadful faux pas with a kind comment about the bad timing of people's calls.     'No,' I muttered, horribly embarrassed and still scarlet with chagrin, 'it's not my phone going off.  That's my chicken alarm.'     'Chicken alarm?'      'It's to remind me to put the chickens to bed, so the foxes don't get them.'At this the room erupted into laughter and I didn't know where to look.     'Well are they alright?   Do you need to phone someone to ask if they can be put to bed?' asked James, rolling around in mirth.     'No, no!' I said.  'They're fine - I put them into their pen before I left.'

James made several references to my chickens throughout the recording (I'm assuming these will all be edited out) including referring to me as the chicken-lady when I plucked up the courage to ask the author my question about the elephant in his book.  The book Pure is wonderful, by the way!  Dark, quite Gothic, disturbing but utterly fascinating and beautifully written too.   Before I left the studio, I promised James that if ever I were lucky enough to take part in the Bookclub again, I'd bring him a box of eggs!  And the darling man told me that he kept bees!  
The next day saw me in another radio studio, doing an interview for BBC Radio Solent.  This station covers the Hampshire/Dorset area, and as I have book signing events in both Dorchester and Southampton, my PR lady had no trouble arranging this interview.  I had intended to drive down to Southampton to the main studio, but at the last minute it was arranged for me to pop up to Caversham, just outside Reading, and use the BBC Radio Berkshire's studio.  How clever!

Another grand building, and although there was some confusion, at last I was shown into a little studio where I could speak with Katie Martin from Radio Solent.  

It was a bit weird talking to a blank wall like that (when I'm on the phone I always pace around and do things like water the plants or tidy up the fridge) but Katie sounded really friendly and the interview went well.  This is what she looks like, apparently - such a smiley face!  The picture is from the Radio Solent's website.

Apparently the interview goes out today - you can hear it on Radio Solent which can be found here - and it's available on the listen again facility for seven days.  I can promise that during the interview, there are no alarms whatsoever - I've certainly learnt my lesson, and how to actually turn the damn phone off!