Looking forward to a Happy New Year

I thought I would start 2026 on a positive note. Despite some trying times, there were some highlights last year and I hope they set the tone for the coming months. I was delighted to have my short story Blackmail by Degrees selected for inclusion in an anthology entitled A Right Cozy Historical Crime. Many thanks to Wendy Jones and Scott & Lawson Publishing. You can read more about this venture in my September 10th 2025 blog.

I am also very close to finishing the final polish to two novels I hope to release during 2026. The first is an historical mystery that flits between three time frames entitled Murder at Vindolanda. If you like timeslip stories or plenty about the Romans in Britain, then this is for you. This project has been a long time in the making, but you can find out more in my May 2024 blog.

My second novel on the brink of completion is a departure from historical writing. Set in an alternate present day, it is set on an Isle of Skye beset by an extreme weather event. There is a fantasy element in Winter Skye but the core of the story is rooted in orphaned twins in search of a forever home. Thanks to all those writers and readers who acted as critical friends on these endeavours.

I completed my round of the Munros in 2025 - the Scottish mountains over 3000 feet, as I mentioned in my last blog in November 2025.

It took me seven years to get up all 282 and I thoroughly enjoyed searching out so many corners of Scotland - which turned out to be even more beautiful than I expected.

Finally, I have had my most productive reading year ever. I enjoy recording my reading and reviewing books on Goodreads - so if you are interested in my reading habits, feel free to follow me there.

So, to conclude, I choose to be optimistic about 2026 and wish all the very best to all my readers as this new year gathers momentum.