Virtual tour around Canbury Village ~ the second imaginary location for my latest novel

Canbury village featured a great deal in MISSING Past and Present, both in the ‘Present’ story of Dot, who wandered homeless around the lanes surrounding Canbury village, only two miles walk from Drumford town centre.

The walk from the town took Dot over the River Ree, through a spinney, past some allotments where Dot found a tumbledown shed open; a refuge on cooler nights. It was situated behind the school, an old fashioned Victorian building which had a main entrance out to the village green. It was here she went during her worst moments of despair to be surrounded by everyday life going on normally around her. Dot would wander long Canbury Lane, which ran through the village, and it was along the way that she discovered the solace of nature in a clearing where she slept out in the open on warm summer nights, staring up into the canopy of the three mature trees. Opposite was a tiny footpath and it was along here that she discovered the Grange, a haven where she tried to find herself once more.

Above is a rough map of Canbury in relation to Drumford.

The children of Canbury School had a great affection for Dot and called her ‘Lady Pink Hat’ and the little village shop looked out for her too, giving her food on their sell by date at the end of a day when they saw her pass by.

For Millie, in the ‘Past’ story, Canbury was her home as she trained to be a nun at the Grange, nearly two centuries before, but whereas for Dot it was a Godsend, for Millie it was more like a prison.

Did I find it difficult to write a novel in an imaginary place?

No, not at all. These places were as real in my head as Dot, Millie and the other characters who led my story forward.

Was it strange to link them to real places too?

Yet again no. I imagined Drumford as one of those communities affected by Beecham in the cut to the UK rail network; not deemed large enough to have its own station and yet a thriving and caring community nevertheless, much like many a market town in the UK. To get to Bedford there is a good bus service or of course the road.

MISSING Past and Present, is available at Waterstones or on Amazon.

Final Weekend of 99p sale for MURDER Now and Then before …

Two days to go to buy 5 Star Award Winning mystery novel by Readers’ Favorite

MURDER Now and Then

for 99p

before it will be taken out of exclusivity on Kindle Direct and Eventispress will make it available in other markets.

MURDER Now and Then on Amazon UK

New week the second in my Mysteries Inspired by History Series will also be on sale for a week. More shortly.

Author Jennifer Mugrage launches her novel and takes the Throw a Dice Challenge!

I’m really pleased to welcome author Jennifer Mugrage who is taking part in my

‘Throw a Dice Challenge’

but she is also launching her debut novel:

The Long Guest TODAY

on 2nd November 2020.

 

Book 1 of The Scattering Trilogy

The year is 10,000 B.C. All mankind was united in one project: to build a great city with a magnificent tower that reached to the heavens. But the tower fell; God confused their languages, and overnight, their world dissolved into unimaginable chaos ….

You can buy The Long Guest on

Amazon.com

Or in a bookshop

Jennifer Mugrage’s novel The Strange Land will be coming out early in 2021.

Here’s her answer to the challenge in order to get to know one of her characters; almost certainly not her protagonist, but one who will give us a flavour of her novels:

Tell us a bit about your chosen character Jennifer:

My character Sha is the youngest of four brothers living in a tribe of hunter/gatherers in 10,000 BC. His father is a high-status man in the tribe, but is abusive to his wife and sons.

What an unusual but fascinating period in history, Jennifer. Now

Can you reveal more about Sha by sharing some of his memories?

We throw a dice. One is the most tragic or horrific memory to a six which is the most fantastic:

One: Sha’s mother dies, in circumstances which cause everyone who knew her to feel guilty.

Two: Sha remembers his lousy childhood.

Three: He thinks of the painful ordeal of dragging himself out after he broke an ankle on a solo camping trip which was supposed to be his manhood ceremony.

Four: His older brother Ikash gets married. Sha is glad to see his brother so happy, but he is going to miss his best friend.

Five: Wrestling with, and confiding in, his brother when they were still kids. Good times!

Six: The chief likes Sha’s wooden sculptures, shows them to everyone, and asks him to make more!

I’m looking forward to reading the book now and finding out more about Sha and his tribe.

Tell us a bit about your novels Jennifer:

The book The Strange Land, is about the tribe’s progress over the Land Bridge. It’s the sequel to The Long Guest. Both books are coming out in rapid release!

The Long Guest is OUT NOW!

Jennifer says; Read about my fascinating research, and watch for book announcements, on my website: https://outofbabel.com .

Thank you Jennifer. Watch this space for a review of ‘The Long Guest’ shortly!

To explain why the challenge:

Diana Jackson is author of Mystery Inspired by History Series

the protagonist of her latest novel

‘MISSING Past and Present ~ Is Life Just a Roll of a Dice’

rolls a dice to relive her memories.