Well, dear friends, it seems as though the lovely Ape has forgiven me for the little mishap with the bananas on my last visit. Ape, I have bought you banana muffins instead this time, and put them on the table to make sure you don’t sit on them. I remember how long it took you to get them out of your fur last time. And thank you so much for inviting me back.

Chris has invited me here to share my exciting news. I have now diversified from poetry and wandered off down a very interesting sidetrack, signposted Short Story Lane, recently publishing my first ever novelette. And, an amazing thing for someone of my very small stature amongst writers – I have also been invited to do a guest post on the blog of a very well-known and respected author, Helen Hollick. You can imagine the excitement. My husband had to peel me off the ceiling when he came home from work.

Where Angels Tread started off as an extremely short story, one of a batch to be included in a book of short stories. It was originally about 1400 words. It involved a slightly mysterious young beggar and a teenaged runaway named Jeannie. I sent it off to one of my beta-readers, and sat back to get on with the next story. She got back to me. She really liked the story and said that she couldn’t wait to find out what happened to Jeannie.

Ah! Um! Erm! I hadn’t actually planned on continuing the story. I had no idea what happened to her. I was about to find out. Now, this is the beauty of taking a wander down Short Story Lane. You think you know where you are going, follow the track for a little way and suddenly you find yourself wandering in the Forest of Novelette.

I had a think, gave my brain a bit of a shake, and suddenly out tumbled a whole pile of characters, all jostling for position. Chief of these was Jeannie who, from being no more than a passing mention suddenly turned into the main character. I imagine she was as surprised as I. Now, the interesting thing here is that Jeannie’s story was inspired by an actual event. Some years ago my husband and I were on a city break. Like two of the other characters in Where Angels Tread, we were shocked by the number of beggars. Some of them were pretty scary and I was keeping tight hold of my bag. One of them, however, drew my attention. Young, not as young as Jeannie, maybe in her late teens/early twenties, her hopeless, defeated demeanour caught my attention. It is not me in the book but, just as in the book, suddenly I had a feeling that I had to go and speak with her. I was so blessed compared to her, how could I withhold sharing with her? She was happy for me to sit with her and say a prayer. I had no change at the time, but stopped by her again once I had acquired some. I have no idea what happened to the real girl, but I’d like to think my prayer was answered. Anyway, fifteen years on, there she was, lurking in an unswept corner of my brain. Her name wasn’t Jeannie and this isn’t her story, make no mistake about that, but she was certainly my inspiration. Why had she been on the streets? Did she ever get back into mainstream life? I have no idea. But I hope so.

I was quite a long time wandering in the Forest of Novelette, indeed my husband was beginning to wonder if I would ever reappear. But eventually I found my way back to the footpath of Almost Normal Life, to find him pacing agitatedly, and hovering on the brink of calling the emergency writer recovery services. However, I so enjoyed my stroll down Short Story Lane that I have explored it again, many times, always making sure that I take provisions and a compass, for you never know where you might end up when you take a walk down Short Story Lane, and the track becomes so narrow that it is easy to get lost. I have also added a warning notice to the signpost, to ensure that folk are not caught unawares, for I have heard tell that somewhere in the Forest of Novelette is a deep, hidden place. Its name is not on my map, but some call it The Well Of Epic Adventure. I am too afraid to drink from it, and will try to stick to the footpath through The Forest, as – shhhh – there is also a dangerous marsh near the Well Of Epic Adventure. Men call it The Bog of Writer’s Block and it is a very feared place. Even to utter the name aloud can be dangerous. The Forest Of Novelette is a delightful, magical place, but I am afraid of the well and the bog, so may not venture too deeply. On the other hand – who knows what I’ll do? I’m a writer.

Oh Chris, thank you. Yes, I’d love a coffee. A banana muffin? Well, yes, thank you. I don’t mind if I do…what’s that? Thunder? Oh, a low growl? Yes, absolutely. No, I wouldn’t dream of eating your muffins.

(Apparently they are his muffins. I gave them to him. I was supposed to say ‘No, thank you.’ I have transgressed against Ape Etiquette. Ooops!)

Coffee on its own would be lovely. Ah, a biscuit. Are you sure? Oh, you are, because you have muffins. Thank you very much. Yes, biscuits are much better for me than muffins, I quite agree. 

By the way, before I go to catch my bus, I must say another thanks to Chris for very kindly helping me with some of the technical stuff which I struggled with when designing my cover. I am still, sadly, a Technoklutz, but I’m learning. 

I’ll leave you with the blurb, and a short passage from the book:

Jeannie – innocent and shy, kicked out by her mother, Rita.

Matt – predatory and dangerous. Is Rita really who he wants? 

Rod and Carla on a romantic city break and Jeremy, just seven years old, out with his dad.

And who exactly is Mike? Could there be more to him than meets the eye?

Strangers whose lives are destined to cross more than once and change forever.

Excerpt:

Running to the corner, Rita peered anxiously around it. Shocked, she watched him heading towards…her daughter! She couldn’t believe her eyes. Jeannie hadn’t seen him coming. She looked awful. Still beautiful, but skinny, shabby and oh, so cold, with a haunting vulnerability that made her heart ache. Why hadn’t she seen it before? She must have been blind! For a moment Rita’s heart stood still. She’d had no idea Jeannie was on the streets, assuming she’d stayed with a friend. She didn’t have many, goodness knows, but surely she’d had one.  

Stunned into horrified stillness, she watched Matt storming over there. A young, quite pleasant-looking man crossed his path. Matt seized him and slammed him up against the wall, shouting abuse at him. Amazingly calm in the face of his antagonist, the young man just gazed steadily at Matt, who suddenly shrank away from him, almost cowering. He turned back the way he’d come. She panicked; he was headed in her direction. He’d see her!

You can find my guest post on Helen Hollick’s blog HERE

My book is available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

You can find me on Goodreads

or chatting on Facebook

(see Loretta’s previous Guest Author article HERE and see her Trailer below)