• About Me
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    • Mr Cavell’s Diamond
    • The Daughters of Red Hill Hall
    • The Drowned Village
    • The Emerald Comb
    • The Forgotten Secret
    • The Girl from Ballymor
    • The Pearl Locket
    • The Secret of the Château
    • The Stationmaster’s Daughter
  • Short Stories
    • Shortcut Through Time
  • The Forgotten Gift
  • The Girl from Bletchley Park
  • The Girl with the Emerald Flag
  • The Lost Sister
  • The Storm Girl
  • Work in Progress

Kathleen McGurl

~ Where past and present collide…

Kathleen McGurl

Category Archives: Blogging

Lockdown

09 Thursday Apr 2020

Posted by kathmcgurl in Blogging, Uncategorized

≈ 3 Comments

I suppose, as with every other blog out there, I ought to add a post about the coronavirus and the lockdown, and how we’re dealing with it here.

We have been very lucky, in that we came back from Spain in our motorhome on 20th February, a few weeks before things started getting serious there. We had a load of plans for more travelling this spring, which of course have all been cancelled.

Our home is a large house with a garden, near the cliff top and beach in Bournemouth, which means we are very priveleged compared with some. Our younger son had come home for a fortnight’s holiday in early March, and as things ramped up he decided to stay here, as his acting course was of course suspended. Our older son decamped here from his flat in Birkenhead on the day the lockdown began, and he’s been working from home since.

I realised the other day that at Christmas I always look forward most to having both my boys with us, having time to play games, go for walks, watch movies, bake cookies with them. And so now, in lockdown, we are doing a tremendous amount of all that so I really can’t complain! We’re also catching up with friends and relatives via Zoom.

I’m also writing, of course. About half way through a new novel, and awaiting structural edits on another. Ebooks and audio books seem to be selling well which is nice.

So – life goes on. We’ve rediscovered so many small local shops which are often a better bet than the larger supermarkets. Catering for four means we’re needing quite a lot more food than usual – the breadmaker is in use most days. There was a minor crisis when we ran out of yeast but after posting on facebook a friend sent us some, and then I discovered a small shop still selling it. If lack of yeast is our biggest issue during this crisis then there really is nothing to complain about!

So far no one close to us has had the virus, though I do know a number of people in the writing community who’ve had it, including the very wonderful Rachel who organises blog tours for my new books. She was hospitalised for a while but thankfully is back home recovering now, and I wish her all the best.

I hope you’re all coping ok with this horrible situation, and I send best wishes to you all, especially those with the virus or who have someone close who has it. Keep well, keep safe, and let’s all look forward to the time when all this is behind us.

 

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Revamp

25 Tuesday Feb 2020

Posted by kathmcgurl in Blogging

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I’ve given this website a bit of a revamp, now that I have SO MANY books out!

  • Added the latest cover to the banner.
  • Listed the novels as a sub-menu off the main menu, to try to streamline things.
  • Amended heading ‘Blog’ to ‘Latest News’ which more accurately reflects this page.

Hope this makes it all look a little neater.

They shall not grow old

11 Sunday Nov 2018

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Remembrance

The sun was shining in Bournemouth this morning, the 11th November 2018, one hundred years since the signing of the Armistice agreement that ended the first world war. On a spur of the moment decision I decided to get on my bike and cycle to the town centre, in time for the Remembrance Day parade.  Bournemouth always hosts a parade, of war veterans, marching bands, Cadets, Scouts and Guides. The remembrance service is held in the town’s Middle Gardens, beside the war memorial.

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I have been to many remembrance day parades over the years. From when I was a child and teenager in Brownies and Guides, to being the mum of two sons who went through the Scout movement.  I’ve stood in the same spot I was in today, accompanying the parade, sometimes in pouring rain with only a handful of veterans and other Scout mums watching.

The turnout today was very different. I guess the weather helped – but there were certainly more marching than I’ve ever seen through streets closed to traffic, and many, many more ordinary people following, trying to find vantage points from where they could listen to the service.

Time, like an ever-rolling stream bears all its sons away;

They fly forgotten, as a dream dies at the opening day.

It was, as always, very moving. I can’t hear the Last Post without a tear in my eye. The start and end of the two minute silence was announced by the firing of a large gun, which caused all the local bird population, all the pigeons and starlings, to take to the air. So during the silence the sky was filled with birds wheeling around like souls of lost servicemen. The only sound was that of a baby’s innocent crying – a member of a generation who I hope will never know war or fear or want.

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The service was multi-denominational, with readings from several different churches, Rabbis and non-religious leaders. Its message was that of the continuous need to strive for peace.

Peace begins with respect. If we cannot accept a world of human difference we will never enjoy a world of peace.

Peace needs co-operation. If we realise that most of what we desire cannot be secured by ourselves alone we will cultivate friendship.

Let our tribute to those of all beliefs who have suffered and died in conflict be our resolve to work for peace.

(The words quoted above were part of a reading on behalf of the Defence Humanists for non-religious people in the armed forces.)

At the risk of alienating some blog-readers by ending this post on a slightly political note, I could not help but think about the aims of the EU, as stated in the Lisbon treaty. Its number one goal is to “promote peace, its values and the well-being of its peoples”.

Novel Points of View

13 Saturday Oct 2018

Posted by kathmcgurl in Blogging, Uncategorized

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Lake District, The Drowned Village

I have recently joined six other writers to contribute to a shared blog, the Novel Points of View. 

Today it was my turn to post something, and I have written about the summer’s drought, and where the inspiration for The Drowned Village came from. Please do pop over to take a look!

Haweswater

Walking up the Old Corpse Road above Haweswater – inspiration for The Drowned Village

It’s a good and varied blog about all things writing-related, and a new post goes up every Saturday, or thereabouts.  Do come and join us!

The past revealed

18 Tuesday Sep 2018

Posted by kathmcgurl in Blogging, Uncategorized

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Tags

inspiration, The Drowned Village

It’s been one of those summers, hasn’t it? The prolonged drought in the UK meant barely a week went past without there being news of some new historical or archeological remains being discovered. Ancient earthworks revealed when the grass or crops died, or reservoirs drying out to reveal long lost drowned villages.

Of course this all fascinated me, not least because my new book (out this week!) is called The Drowned Village and focuses on a dried-out reservoir revealing an old village, and the secrets buried within.

preorder promo

Here are some links to news stories about what was uncovered by the drought. All amazing stories, and I know for certain if I hadn’t already written The Drowned Village I’d be inspired to write such a story now!

Haweswater and Mardale (the valley my novel was inspired by)

A ‘lost valley’ in Cornwall

And not just in Britain – here’s a reservoir in Wicklow, Ireland that dried out

Here are some older, archeological discoveries made due to the drought

And more from Scotland

I’ve always felt the past is still there, just beneath our consciousness somehow. We only need scratch the surface and we are reconnected with it. If I pass through an ancient doorway, I’m always drawn to wondering about all the people who’ve passed through it before me…  I guess that’s why I love writing dual timeline novels!

Speaking of which – here’s the link to The Drowned Village, out on 20th September, available from online retailers or your local Waterstone’s.  I can’t wait to find out what people think of this one!

 

 

On rugby

10 Monday Sep 2018

Posted by kathmcgurl in Blogging

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Munster, The Drowned Village, The Girl from Ballymor

Those with keen eyes who’ve read all my books might have noticed they usually contain a little throwaway reference to Munster rugby club. You might have wondered why. I’m pretty sure my editor just rolls her eyes when she comes across them, but lets them go anyway.

The reason why is quite simple. I need my husband to read the book, usually in its first draft so he can provide some early honest feedback. He’s a huge fan of Munster, so the reference to the club is just a little carrot to dangle before him and get him into reading it.

Munster, for those who aren’t sure, is one of the four provinces of Ireland (the others are Leinster, Ulster and Connaught). It’s the south-west corner, and contains my favourite county, Cork (along with Kerry, Clare, Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford). Munster rugby club are one of the best in Europe, and way back in 1978 managed to beat the mighty All-Blacks.  They were a team of amateurs then, but somehow their passion and pride allowed them to achieve the unthinkable. It’s said that although the stadium at the time held only 12,000 people, somewhere around 250,000 claim to have been at the match.

 

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With husband and son at Thomond Park before the match

It was easy including a Munster reference in The Girl from Ballymor – the Munster fans often sing ‘The Fields of Athenry’ at matches. It’s actually a song about the famine, so an odd choice of song for a sporting club, but there you go. We visited Limerick, where Munster’s home ground of Thomond Park is, while I was writing The Girl from Ballymor. And we were back again for another match just over a week ago at the end of our most recent trip to Ireland.

With just 10 days to go now until The Drowned Village is published, I wonder if you’ll spot the Munster reference in that book! Post a reply here when you do.

 

Not the only writer in the family…

04 Saturday Aug 2018

Posted by kathmcgurl in Blogging

≈ 12 Comments

Tags

inspiration

I’m not sure I’ve ever met my father’s cousin Ann, although maybe she’ll say she was at my christening, or remembers me having a tantrum aged about 2, or something. But my brother visits her now and again, at her home in Glasgow. He was there recently, and chatted to her about my books, and she told him I was not the only writer in the family…

She then sent me these newspaper cuttings. The paper is very fragile – they are probably well over 100 years old. My great-grandfather, it seems, was a poet.EPSON MFP image

His name was John Coward, and I remember my grandmother talking about him. I knew him as an artist – I have two watercolours by him, and I know of several more of his paintings dotted around the family.

John Coward 1
John Coward 2

The poetry is perhaps a little flowery and Victorian for current tastes, but it is wonderful to read them and have this little glimpse into my ancestor’s heart.

Though stern old Fate our paths doth sever,

Still thou art dearer now than ever;

And thy bright glance,

In all its sweet angelic glory,

I see, as now I pen my story

With young Romance;

And Cupid’s bow, the golden token,

I fold within, for thought unspoken.

— John Coward

Of course, I’m wondering if there’s a novel idea in there somewhere. Woman is sent clippings of poems written by an ancestor, and discovers something encoded within the verse, that sets her off on a journey to discover the truth about some long-lost family secret…  What do you reckon? Shall I write it?

Season’s Greetings!

27 Wednesday Dec 2017

Posted by kathmcgurl in Blogging

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Christmas, Girl from Ballymor, Promotion

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! We had a lovely day with both sons home and my brother visiting. Lots to eat and drink and plenty of silly games.

I’ll let you into a tiny secret – I cooked Christmas dinner for the first time ever. 25 years ago I made the very wise decision to marry a good cook (not just for his cooking skills you understand!) and therefore have never had to do much in the kitchen other than clear up the not-inconsiderable mess he makes.

But this year we decided to do things differently, and so on Christmas morning our younger son and I cooked, while the other three went for a walk and to the pub. And dinner was amazing, though I say it myself.20171225_141816.jpg

Best present received? My dear husband bought me a Lego campervan, to remind me of our travels this year! I spent many happy hours on Boxing Day constructing it, with the help of two very jealous sons who have not quite grown out of Lego and probably never will.

A nice surprise this morning was to see that the ebook version of The Girl from Ballymor is on an Amazon UK promotion, selling at just 99p, and rising nicely up the charts as a result. Here’s the link if you want to grab yourself a post-Christmas bargain!

 

Interview

30 Thursday Nov 2017

Posted by kathmcgurl in Blogging, Uncategorized

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Here I am over on Sharon Booth’s blog, answering all sorts of authorly questions. Thanks for hosting me, Sharon!

Inspiration

10 Sunday Apr 2016

Posted by kathmcgurl in Blogging, Uncategorized

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Daughters of Red Hill Hall, inspiration

My publisher, Carina UK, are running a historical fiction weekend. As part of this I’ve written about what inspires me when writing the historical parts of my novel, and you can read this on their blog here .

Only a few days to go now till publication of my new book! I can’t wait for it to hit the virtual shelves!

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