Author Sarah Stephenson

26/12/2024

Overheard conversations.

After discussions over their ailments, the talk changed to regrets.

I feel disappointed I haven’t had more lovers.

Do you honestly dear, you see I wish I’d had less.

21/12/2024

I’m buying this now,and although I have many books to read, this cosy crime of Nick’s will come first. I loved his first in the series and have been waiting for this to come out.

Murder in the Rough: an unputdownable cosy murder mystery - a page turner of page turners. (Flinty and Fev cosy murder mysteries. Book 2) eBook : Stuart, Nick: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

12/11/2024

This sweet looking creature , a rescue from Cyprus, is terrified of traffic.
She pulled me over, and I broke my wrist.
As a result writing has become more difficult. I can’t read a word of anything I’ve written with my left hand.
Stories running around my head are waiting for the plaster to come off. Then it’s all hands on the page.

02/11/2024

I’ve walked past his house many times a week without seeing anyone going in or out. But somebody does live there. And I wondered who it could be. A very old man. A squatter? Then one morning, a very smart woman came out. Was this the new owner? Renovations about to begin? No, she’s lived there for years. And the house remains untouched.
I immediately wondered what she did for a living. Who else resided there? What was the state of the kitchen? The back garden equally uncared for.
As my father says , there’s nowt so strange as folk .
Could this be the setting for a book?

05/07/2024

05/07/2024

It's been far too long since I posted on my author page, something I intend to correct. Motivated by the opportunity to interview my writer friend, Nick Stuart, whose cosy crime novel has just been published.

Nick, welcome to my author page and many congratulations on the publication of your cosy crime novel, Murder is a Port of Call - a great title.
A - Thanks and thank you for featuring me. Yes titles are a whole topic in themselves aren't they, particularly as people are often attracted to a book by its title alone. This wasn't the working title while I was writing the novel, but I changed it to give a better impact and feel for the story.

Did writing interest you at school? Was English a subject you especially enjoyed. Or were you more of a maths and science guy?
A - I didn't really make the most of my school years, I just had the overwhelming urge to leave the academic world and start an apprenticeship. But English was always my favourite subject, even then I found great escapism in writing stories. A few years later at college I got into the technical maths and science stuff. Weirdly, around that time I also decided I should get some private tuition and take that O level English I ducked out of as a teenager. I sat in an assembly hall full of school kids for the exam - but I got a grade A.

I remember, and please correct me if I'm wrong, you mentioned writing emails and reports at work on rather dull subjects such as widgets and other technical gadgetry. Thereby turning a rather boring but necessary subject into something more fun. Doubtless entertaining others as well as yourself. Your writing is full of humour.
A - You are correct. Technical reports and e-mails can be pretty dry and factual, plus they generally have to convey a serious subject. And you do have to choose your audience carefully, but a bit of honest creativity often went down well. I did quickly discover however that accountants are probably not the most receptive to humour when releasing money is involved.

Were widgets the start of your interest in writing, and what else did you gain from your job for use in future books? Weird colleagues, drunken Xmas parties?
A -Not widgets in isolation, but I seemed to get lumbered with more than my share of report writing, but I didn't mind because I seemed to have a flair for it - plus I had some excellent trips on the back of it too. And did I have any weird colleagues? Loads. And some of them have already popped up in my books - lots of material. Now Xmas parties might just land me in hot water if I started on those!

Thank you for chatting to me on my author page. The very best of luck with the sales of Murder is a Port of Call. Which incidentally I’m loving. And finding hard to put down.
A - Thanks for having me. And I'm glad you are enjoying the book.

14/02/2024

Francesca’s new book. I can’t wait to read.

A heads up to say that after popping into The Works today, I noticed that not only is All Change at the Beach Hotel back in there, but Dark Days at the Beach Hotel is also there, ahead of publication day, for anyone eager to read it!
Hera Books

23/12/2023

The last of my twelve days of Christmas. And it’s
almost Christmas Eve, a night years gone by, when carol singers came door to door. Not any more. Although the choir at St Alfreges in Greenwich used to carry on the tradition. They were given mulled wine and mince pies at every house. By the time they reached their local, their voices could be heard in Canary Wharf, their legs decidedly unsteady.
Around the world children will be hanging up their stockings or sacks. Parents laying out food and drink for FC and his reindeers. It’s such a wonderful heartwarming story.
I loved the feel of the bulging sock, as I tried to guess what was inside. Did you have a sock or a sack?
Can you remember your excitement when you woke up on Christmas morning and found Father Christmas had been.
Frankly I have never recovered from learning the truth. There are times growing up sucks

22/12/2023

Can it really be the eleventh day of my twelve days of Christmas?
It’s just occurred to me how vastly the decorations have changed over the years. Both indoors and outdoors.
My brother and I spent hours making paper chains. My kids gingerbread biscuits, either to eat or hang on the tree.
When it comes to lighting up the front of the house, garden and driveway, the Americans are way ahead of us with their inflated Father Christmas’s, reindeers and sleighs.
Did any of you make paper chains? If so, was it fun, or rather like podding peas, bit of a chore?

21/12/2023

On the tenth day- let it snow, let it snow, let it snow- unlikely. However I gather, and I must have misheard, if one flake of snow is seen anywhere in the country on December 25th, it’s considered a white Christmas.
As for music, whether it’s Mariah Carey’s, All I want for Christmas…or carols from Kings, music is a major part of Christmas..
What do you listen to on Christmas Day?
Meanwhile, I have to confess to adoring the snow.

20/12/2023

On my nineth day, I’m looking at angels, those winged spiritual beings loved by artists, including Boticelli and Raphael. Also a great favourite of mine and the post office who have an angel on their second class Christmas stamp.
As a child I was convinced I had a guardian angel living under my bed. Night after night, I used to check under it hoping to see him. I was convinced he was male.
He failed to appear as did my twin sister who I was sure my mother had locked in a cupboard.
I belived in angels and unicorns for years. As for Father Christmas, now that’s for another day.
Are angels a favourite of yours?

19/12/2023

On the eight day of my twelve days of Christmas, I’m thinking of jumpers- Christmas jumpers.
And it isn’t just the kids and adults who wear them, but the pets too. Usually dogs- although my brother and I did try dressing our hamster in dolls clothes.
My wire haired dachshund, Izzy was given a Halloween jumper by her favourite person , my granddaughter who was nine at the time.
The dog quickly learnt to rub her back up and down on the carpet, until her arms were released and it came off her head. The jumper lay on the floor, Izzy hiding behind the sofa.
Dougal, however is different- happy to oblige.

Do you wear Christmas jumpers . Do you dress up your dogs and do they love it?

18/12/2023

The seventh day of my twelve days of Christmas- and this time- Turkeys. It’s not always the easiest meat to cook considering all the trimmings we demand today.
Thinking about Turkeys reminded me of a job I did years ago on the Isle of Wight, catering for a lovely family with, unfortunately, a very ancient Aga. A house full of guests. Me staying in a bungalow a few streets away.
Snow fell, the Turkey refused to cook. The pigs in blankets, pink. Potatoes raw. I ran the food along the road, around the corner and up the hill. Once there, oven turned high, meat and veg in, I sprinted back in time for champagne and canapés.
Where’s the next course? Someone enquired.
I dived back along the road, by now the snow was falling fast. Pulled the browning of not blackened food out of oven and raced it back.Their reaction was surprisingly good.
I’m not too sure I’d have that confidence today.
Does cooking for crowds worry you?

17/12/2023

The sixth day of my twelve days of Christmas brings me to Christmas trees.
Real or plastic?
Kept up for how long?
If the decorations aren’t down by January 6th, it maybe possessed by gobllins- or so they thought in medieval times.
To avoid this I once kept mine up all year. I tell you I was pretty fed up with them by august and not nearly so enthusiastic when the next Christmas came round.
Now I keep them up to February 2nd, Candlemas.
How long do you keep yours up for?

16/12/2023

My twelve days of Christmas. On day five I turn to …. Drum roll…Pantomimes.
My granddaughter and I watched Snow White at the Greenwich theatre last night. An evening of fun, audience participation and Christmas spirit.
Very different from a west end show; 3 musicians playing at the side of the stage. Simple sets.The script written by the Snow Queen, who of course was male.
In 1806 Joseph Grimaldi played the clown in the Harlequin and Mother Goose at Covent Garden for 92 performances- and so the era of the pantomime dame began.
The dame is always played by a man, the principle boy by a girl.
Do you go take your children and grandchildren to pantomimes? And did your parents take you?

15/12/2023

On day four of my twelve days of Christmas I’m thinking about crackers.
We love to have them sitting on our festive tables, even if the gifts are disappointing, the paper hats embarrassing to wear, and the jokes feeble.
It’s a tradition stretching back to the 1840’s when Tom Smith, a baker in Clerkenwell made an early version of the cracker we know today.
Now here’s an up to date cracker joke.
What athlete is the warmest in winter?
A long jumper.
Will you be pulling crackers this Christmas?

14/12/2023

My third day of Christmas- not three French hens- Christmas cakes. Usually made months in advance .
Years ago when my kids were small, we went to a local Xmas Fair, leaving two Christmas cakes wrapped in tin foil, resting on the counter in the kitchen. Far too high up for our dogs Dorcas and Barnaby to reach. Incidentally, they were laced with brandy.
We arrived home full of mince pies and happy with our purchases, to find two cowering dogs retching.
The smell was appalling.
They vomited for days, currants and sultanas. Nuts and tin foil.
I had no idea, grapes and raisins were poisonous to dogs.
Thinking back now. I realise they were lucky to be alive.
Another of my pet owner faux pas was allowing the dog and hamster to lick out the bowl of chocolate cake mix. Yes together. But that’s another story.
Have any pet owners given your loved ones anything they shouldn’t have had?