This year seems to have gone by at breakneck speed and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down at all! Perhaps it’s because last year seemed to last forever! But as things are moving quickly, it means I have lots to share with you!
Christmas is Coming!
Yes, it’s not Halloween yet, but it’s not Christmas in December that I am talking about! Christmas in Stickleback Hollow is being released on 26th October! And Spring in Stickleback Hollow is not far behind! To say thank you for being loyal readers and give you a bit of a discount, Christmas in Stickleback Hollow is available for pre-order for just $2.99. It will be full price on the day of release, so make sure you have you pre-order secured to get the discount 🙂
She has one shot to pull off the perfect village Christmas party. But bloodstains under the mistletoe hide a sinister surprise…
It is available in paperback, hardback and digital format, and don’t worry KU peoples, it’s in KU too so you won’t miss out on the latest adventures of Lady Sarah, Mr Hunter and Constable Evans.
From Christmas in Stickleback Hollow:“Come, my friend, you need to unburden yourself,” Wilbraham whispered in the constable’s ear as the gift-giving turned to carolling and dancing. Arwyn looked surprised to see the captain at his shoulder but allowed him to steer him from the ballroom to the library. The servants were clearing the tables of the empty plates and used cutlery, so paid little attention to the two men who slipped through the house. When they were safely encased in the quiet and calm of the library, Wilbraham spoke.
“It takes a serious matter to cloud a day such as today. If you will tell me what troubles you, I will do the same,” the captain said slowly as he poured them both a glass of whisky.
“I received a letter this morning. I suspect I received it yesterday, but I didn’t find it until today,” Arwyn began, his voice shaking.
“And what was in this letter?” Wilbraham asked patiently.
“It was from Mr Hunter. He told me about meeting you on the road north, and the time you spent together. He also said that after you parted ways, he happened upon some information that he believes could lead him to find Grace and Millie. He is unlikely to return for quite some time,” Arwyn replied and drag deeply from the glass of single malt.Â
“I see. Are you concerned for his safety or concerned that he may never return home again?” Wilbraham inquired.
“Both. Since the man carrying news of Grace and Millie was murdered, it has become clear that searching for them is too dangerous to be undertaken alone. Alex doesn’t know the danger he is in,” Arwyn shook his head and sighed.
“Of all the men I have met in my life, there is none that I would consider as brave, resourceful, and hard to kill as Mr Hunter. He will not blunder about blindly, nor take foolish risks unless a certain lady is involved. I would not worry about him as much as I would be concerned about her,” Wilbraham shrugged.“You are concerned about Lady Sarah? Why?” Arwyn asked with bemusement.Â
“I am concerned about her safety and her heart. For her heart’s sake, I would hurry the return of Mr Hunter. My cousin has become somewhat enamoured with the legend of Lady Sarah and fancies himself in love. He is a good man, but he is not in love. I would not wish a foolish love affair upon either of them. Hunter returning home would be the best and quickest way for all three to find happiness. But there is such stupidity where love is concerned,” Wilbraham laughed to himself.
“And why are you concerned for her safety?” Arwyn asked as he sat on one of the sofas and leaned forward on his knees.  Â
“Last night, I followed the Russian ambassador as he stepped out into the gardens. He was meeting with a man who will stop at nothing to keep his secrets. Right now, Lady Sarah is a threat to him. Today, there was nothing to fear. There are too many people here that she knows and trusts, she is too well protected. But tomorrow, the house will all but empty and Lady Sarah will be in more danger than I think either of us can conceive at this moment,” Wilbraham took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.Â
“What can we do?” Arwyn asked.
“Firstly, I would write back to Mr Hunter at the address in his letter. Tell him of everything that has happened here. Of Oliver, of the murder and the danger to Lady Sarah. Then I would suggest that we both stay here until we can be certain that she is safe,” Wilbraham replied.
A scream and yelling in the hallway interrupted any further conversation and caused the two men to scramble for the door as fast as they could.Â
As they stumbled into the hall, they saw the source of the commotion. Two of the maids were in tears, sobbing to each other. Behind them, Cooky and Mrs Egerton had four children by the ears. Lee, Stanley, Charlotte and Charles.Â
“We should get back to the party, no telling what we’ll miss,” Wilbraham winked and marched over to his mother to find out what such an unholy alliance of mischief-makers had been doing on such a holy day.
Speaking of Christmas
You may or may not be aware of the current paper shortage that is sweeping the nations. This is a real thing and it does mean there will be paperback and hardback shortages over Christmas for all authors whether you are signed to Penguin or they print on demand. So here are the recommendations of how to beat the paper shortage this Christmas:
- Buy early! If you can’t live without your paperback or hardback books, get your orders in early and make sure it is before 7th November if you are ordering direct from any author (7th November is the last ordering date for any books from wholesale suppliers)
- Go digital where you can. If you can buy digital books and send them as gifts, then absolutely do. This may not be the first choice for many but it does mean they can at least read the book, even if it isn’t in their preferred format.
- Be prepared! Due to the nature of Covid and the knock on effect it is having worldwide, we don’t know when this paper shortage will end so be prepared to order early for any birthdays or major events you need books for (World Book Day springs to mind),
This is not a drill! So if you want to grab any of your favourite Stickleback Hollow titles in paperback before Christmas, do it sooner rather than later!
If you are not quite in the Christmas spirit yet, you can grab All Hallows’ Eve in Stickleback Hollow, Easter in Stickleback Hollow and the 12 Days of Christmas in Stickleback Hollow to get you ready for the latest holiday volume!
I hope that you enjoy Christmas in Stickleback Hollow and are eagerly awaiting Spring! I would like to finish this email with the biggest thank you to all those who backed my Kickstarter to fund the overhaul of the book covers for the series. Some of the covers are still on their way, but before the New Year, the new look will be finished! So thank you for being so awesome! Until next time!
The journey that Sarah and Lieutenant Forsythe take from India to England is one that travellers in the early 1800s would have had to brave before the Suez Canal was completed and the establishment of direct voyages from England to India.
Mightier Than the Sword UK Publications 
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