Plums, Miss Lister and Elizabeth Gaskell

16 September 2019 / darkislethebooks / Leave a comment

Look at this small haul of beauties. Picked these from one of my plum trees this year. A plum tree – one of two – which was ‘cut back’ more than a decade ago by my late husband who had no clue what he was doing. It’s taken them all this time to recover. And I think tree number two has not produced any fruit. Anyway, I’ve picked this lot and hope to get some more. Need to take the step ladders out to get up to the higher branches, but I’ll do that tomorrow. This is a start.

And what do I plan to do with them? Make plum jam again. Last year, my friend Jane gave myself and our other friend, Tracy, a huge amount of plums from the trees in her sister’s garden. I made them into jam and it was delicious. I couldn’t get enough of it. So am hoping for more plums from that source again (if that’s okay, Jane!) and will add them to my small haul. Will share the results once the jam is made.

So, how are you this week? Fine and dandy I hope?? Hopefully, if you’ve been reading this blog you’ll know that I’ve finally finished editing my latest in the Nina Esposito series. The Jacobite’s Share is the sequel to Dusting Down Alcudi and is set in Perthshire, Scotland. It features our favourite archaeologist and treasure hunter, Nina, her sexy beau, Jay and a whole host of other great characters. There’s an ancient castle, attempted murder and a whole lot more. I am aiming to get the book out early next year, so watch this space!

What else has been going on?

Finally finished the above book. It was really interesting and Anne’s personality shone right through it. However, I was a bit sad that it ended before she met Ann Walker, whom she went abroad with. Would love to read those diaries especially as the TV series is based on her later life with Ann. Still it gives a lovely glimpse into her life in Georgian England and all the manners and expectations someone of her class had.

She lived most of her life in Halifax, which is just over ten miles away from Haworth, home of the Brontes. It is unlikely they ever met. I believe the Brontes would have been too far down in terms of class for Miss Lister, who was keenly aware of whom she should be consorting with.

The Brontes did not print their first book until 1846 (a book of poems by all three), which is some six years after she died. And then Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights and Agnes Grey came out the following year catapulting these young women to literary stardom. It saddens me that Anne Lister never got to read these amazing books and I would have loved to have read what she thought of them. She was a keen reader and was keen to learn at every opportunity.

Anne Lister died at the age of 49 in what is now the modern country of Georgia, with her ‘wife’ Ann Walker at her side. Her body was brought back to Halifax in April 1841 where it was interred within the church.

I feel quite sad that I have finished it now. Oh well, on to my next book which will be Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell, who did know the Brontes. Charlotte Bronte was a particular friend of hers. Elizabeth also knew Charles Dickens. Anyway, having enjoyed the TV adaptation of it, I cannot wait to start the book.

So, what else have I been up to? Well, I’ve been forging ahead with setting up my small PR and social media marketing business and hopefully have more jobs coming up. My OU course starts soon, but I’m going to get a head start on it by beginning this week (cannot wait!). I am in the process of writing another stand alone book about the havoc a genie wreaks on an unsuspecting young man. I have a murder book to edit and a young adult book to go over again.

On top of that, I’m busy trying to get the garden in order. The weather has been dry enough and cool enough for me to work on it. However, as I have a back that hurts at every opportunity, I have decided the best way to tackle the garden is by doing a bit every day. And it’s been quite enjoyable except for the fact that Millie keeps trying to escape into the neighbour’s garden due to a hole in the fence made by some stupid young guys cutting down some branches for me. Humph.They knocked some slats off and didn’t even tell me. I only found out about the hole when I heard Millie’s plaintive yelp coming from my neighbour’s garden. Being a small, quick dog she was impossible to catch. We got her eventually. Sigh. Won’t be getting those guys in to do the branches again.

Right, I am going to finish up here and wish you all adieu until next time.

Dawn xxx

Hakuna Matata and Miss Anne Lister

7 August 2019 / Dawn Thom / Leave a comment

Do you ever get days or weeks where you just feel a bit flat? I’ve been experiencing that over the last week. Thankfully it lifted by Sunday, but it meant I didn’t get a whole lot done last week. In saying that, I did take the kids out for lunch and then we went to see The Lion King (more on that later). And I did a fair bit of work around the house. So, it wasn’t so bad. Plus I edited my next Nina Esposito book. Actually, last week wasn’t the wash out I thought it was!

So how are you this week? We’re all good at Nelson Towers. I am looking forward to seeing the kids back at school next week. I love my kids, I’d die for my kids, but I still feel the summer holidays are WAY TOO LONG! The pair of them have spent an awful lot of time in their rooms watching telly or playing games. I’ve had to drag them out to go and do stuff with me. It’s their age. The girl is 14 and the boy 11 – he starts high school next week – so, I suppose they don’t want to hang about with their old mum just now. Sigh. Still, I have my dogs. Bonya, our elderly pug, is lying on the floor at my feet happily snoring away. After seeing The Lion King last week, we have sort of renamed her Pumba on account of her deadly, but silent dog farts. You’d have to smell them to believe them. I had to open both my bedroom windows one night because I seriously felt afraid I was going to die from the gas that emanated from her little furry body! Thankfully, we all survived! 😉

Talking of The Lion King. If you loved the animated movie, do go and see this one. It’s ‘live action’ and beautifully done. All the favourite songs are there and it really sticks very close to the original. I would recommend it. I was relieved that I didn’t cry through this one as I did the first time I saw the animated version (you know the bit!). The kids enjoyed it too.

What else has been happening chez moi? I’ve been trying to do a bit of work around the house and garden. I tell you, owning a house is just constant work. Apart from my normal housework (including mountains of washing… my kids have too many clothes, that must be it!), I painted the living room, sorted out the attic, repaired bits and pieces around the home. And that’s only about a third of my to-do list: I’ve still got carpets to wash, some filler to put into a hole, finish clearing the study, cut my front hedge, sort out the back garden and more! Jings, I am going to be busy over the coming months. I’m not worried about it, it’ll get done when it gets done.

Reading: I am currently reading The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister by Anne Lister and edited by Helena Whitbread. I really enjoyed the BBC series Gentleman Jack which is based on the diaries. It’s set in my favourite time period (well, one of them), the Georgian era and it’s about a woman, who happened to be a lesbian, running her own life, being her own person and not putting up with the societal norms of the day which dictated that women must be married, bear children and not manage their own money. I admire Anne Lister for her courage in pushing for an education for herself, for being a superb businesswoman and for loving the women she loved. The book is fascinating. You get a real glimpse of Georgian life for this extraordinary woman (who has to rely on her father, aunt and uncle for money), her thoughts on some of the issues of the day and her determination to live life as she wants. She’s a really strong personality and that sings out of this book.

Right, I am going to finish this post here and get back to editing my next book. Not sure when it’ll come out yet, but will let you know soon. Til next time,

Dawn xxx

Shorn, vampires and Anne Lister

3 June 20193 June 2019 / darkislethebooks / Leave a comment

Hello my lovely followers. How are you all? Hope you are well. What have you been up to this week? Me? I’ve been really busy and there was a bit of sickness in the house – again! Brought in by one of the kids – again! But that’s what happens when you are a parent. They are little bug-meisters, kids are!

Anyway, over the last week, I have had my hair chopped into a bob. It was about time. Normally I wear my hair up and back away from my face because basically my hair annoys me. And I hate going to the hairdresser so a short do is out cos it would mean constant trips to the hair salon to get it cut. My hair grows like weeds. So, I keep it long so I can wear it up. However, as I am hurtling towards the age of 50 (next year), I wanted a softer hairstyle. Hence the bob. I quite like my new look. The pic below was taken a few days ago after I’d been out (on a wet and windy day) walking the dogs, so the style is not the best it could be.

What else have I been up to? Well, the girl was sent home last Wednesday after being sick. I had to go and get her and she was white as a sheet and green about the gills. Straight to bed for her. She was off the next day, but insisted on going to school on the Friday. By Friday, however, I was feeling exceptionally peaky and spent the day lying on the sofa catching up on television programmes and generally feeling sorry for myself. I should have been over at a friend’s house having lunch and drinking wine. Instead, I was feeling exceedingly sick. I was not a happy chappy that day I can tell you. Anyway, such is life!

Talking of telly, have any of you managed to watch What We Do in the Shadows? It’s a spoof documentary series following four vampire housemates in a city in America. It’s hilarious. Some of the things they get up to are incredibly silly, but silly in a way that’s really funny. Just watched the most recent episodes this morning as I was taking in my daughter’s dress (we’ve got a wedding coming up). I had to stop sewing to have a good old chuckle at it. Watched the original film (Australian vampires) last week and that was good too.

The cast from the original film What We Do in the Shadows.

Some of the cast from the tv version – it’s so funny.

I have also been hooked on the BBC’s new drama Gentleman Jack which is based on the life of Anne Lister. Suranne Jones takes the lead role as Anne with Sophie Rundle as her love interest, Ann Walker. It’s brilliant drama and I can’t recommend it enough. It’s also a fascinating story about Anne Lister – what a strong minded, independent woman she must have been to live the way she did at the time.

Suranne (right) and Sophie (left) as the lovers Anne Lister and Ann Walker.

Anyway, now I am going to have to buy a book about Anne Lister. I want to know more about this interesting woman who lived her life on her own terms.

What else? I have nothing else to report at the moment. I haven’t been writing recently. Been too busy with various social events, so I am getting back into it this week – I have scheduled it in! I’ve also been too tired to read anything when I go to bed at night. I have a growing bundle of excellent books by my bed, so I’ll be getting back into that. I know – my life is SO rock ‘n’ roll – not! I like it though.

Right, I am going to finish up here. I have a young man to pick up from school and another cup of tea to drink when I return. Til next time.

Dawn xxx