Monday, 22 September 2025

GUEST POST WITH ANGELA PETCH

This week I'm thrilled to welcome back the lovely Angela Petch to
my blog. One of my favourite authors, Angela's most recent novel, The Lost Garden, was published by Bookouture on  September 11th.

Welcome, Angela!
Thank you so much, Jan, for inviting me to chat on your lovely blog. 

I think you're going to tell us why you wrote The Lost Garden so it's over to you.


Why did I write The Lost Garden?
I have to admit after seven historical novels set in Italy during World War Two, I felt stale, worried I was falling into a rut. I needed to write something different. Locations in my books are very important to me. I like to visit the places and winkle out stories. The little town of Sant'Agata near to where we live had always intrigued me. When we drive back to England in October, it is usually wreathed in Octobetr mists, perched on the rock above higgledy-piggledy cotto rooftops of the town
below. It has always seemed unearthly to me and for years it hasn't been possible to visit because of restoration work. To my delight, it opened up a handful of years ago, but I was so disappointed. The inside is now dedicated to a display of stories and fairytales. 
But I am an author. This shouldn’t disappoint me, surely? I met with a poster on entering which proclaimed that everything is a fairytale. (Tutto è  fiaba). Rather tatty cut-outs of classical characters: Cinderella, the Little Prince, babes in the wood and the talking tree replaced what I had hoped to find: the history of the castle itself. Surely such a prominent building must have seen activity in World War Two? Even the local tourist office was unable to supply me with information. There was a dog-eared book about local men transported to camps elsewhere in Europe, but nothing about what had happened in the town or castle during WW2.

But this castle needed another story…
As I leant against the low wall that lines the steps to the castle, a ginger cat (Tigressa in the book) rubbed against my legs and then jumped onto the wall. He disappeared and I was terrified he had come to harm. I peered over to see he was grooming himself on a ledge which ended in a copse. And then my imagination started to crank up its creaking wheels and I thought, what if it was an old path that led to a secret garden? I turned around and an elderly lady shuffled across the cobbles in her slippers below where I stood and entered a humble
house. She had to be one of my characters: a housemaid to the rich folk who lived in the castle. And then I pictured a sixteen-year-old in front of her easel, a bossy, slightly frumpy English governess hanging over her. That governess went at the structural edit stages but I was off...and almost one year later, my story was published by Bookouture. 
The Netgalley reviews are very favourable and I hope new readers will enjoy my new story that dips into history, the supernatural and mysterious, inspired by an ancient castle, perched on the Rock of the Wolves.It is such fun to magic up stories and I hope readers enjoy the latest.
Thank you, Angela. I'm sure they will. I haven't quite finished reading it but I'm loving it. To know that the story was inspired by a real town and castle, and especially by a real ginger cat, makes it all the more special.

BLURB
It hides a family secret that could change the course of the war.

Italy, 1930s. Tina lives in the crumbling castle of Montesecco with only her strict father and their maid, Allegra, for company. She's never allowed to ask questions about her mother who died in childbirth. But the day Tina discovers a hidden, crumbling door, everything changes.

Inside is an overgrown garden. Ivy and roses adorn the stone walls. Fresh water springs from a fountain and the scent of wild herbs fills the air. How did she never know this beautiful place existed? Excitedly begging Allegra for answers, the elderly woman's face turns pale. 'You must never mention this to your father. It's not safe. You've found your mamma's garden.'

The Count believes Tina's mother died because of the garden: but Allegra refuses to say more. Certain she can feel her mother watching over her, Tina secretly tends the garden herself. And when war breaks out, Tina's encounters with local resisitance fighters mean the garden becomes a place of refuge, a p[lace of hope - and a place of great danger when Tina must prove where her loyalties lie once and for all... 

Will Tina ever discover the truth about her mother? Or was the garden, with all its secrets, never meant to be disturbed?

An absolutely breathtaking and stunning historical novel about the incredible risks people took in wartime, family secrets, loss and love. Perfect for fans of Fiona Valpy and Santa Montefiore. 

Read what everyone's saying about The Lost Garden:

'Oh blimey. absolutely stunning... Spellbinding and beautiful... A favourite, top tier, stick-with-me forever book... Gave me a day full of joy... So much courage and strength... A definite must-read.' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Had me at secret garden!... Stunning... Gorgeous... Absolutely wonderful... A completely captivating  and emotional novel that I will never forget!' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Something spell-like about this book... I found myself unexpectedly teary more than once... A novel that sneaks up on you... it gets under your skin. Five stars.' bookcoffeebrews. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Beautiful... I was swept away... it felt like stepping into another world...  I found myself eager to return to the book every chance I got...Full of heart... Immersive and moving.' Goodreads reviewer. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

BIO
Angela Petch is an award-winning and bestselling writer - plus the occasional poem. Every summer she moves to Tuscany for six months where she and her husband own a renovated watermill which they let out. When not exploring their unspoilt corner of the Apennines, she disappears to her writing desk at the top of a converted stable. In her Italian handbag or hiking rucksack, she always makes sure to store a notebook and pen to jot down ideas. 
The winter months are spent in Sussex where most of her family live. When Angela's not helping out with grandchildren, she catches up with friends. 

LINKS FOR SOCIAL MEDIA
Instagram: @angela_maurice

BUYING LINKS

Add it to your TBR here: https://geni.us/B0FHBH86K4social

And more links here:
Audio:



Thank you for reading. I'm sure you enjoyed finding out more about Angela's fabulous new novel, The Lost Garden.
My Book News 

This afternoon, I submitted the structural edits for book six, The Stolen Sister, partially set in Crete, and due out on February 24th, 2026. 

A reminder for those of you who prefer to support independent bookshops, you can now order both The Secret Sister and The Silent Sister from Cover To Cover, a gem of a bookshop in beautiful Mumbles, Swansea. 

https://cover-to-cover-mumbles.myshopify.com/collections/fiction

You may also follow me on: 

X/Twitter - @JanBaynham.

FaceBook - Jan Baynham Writer

Instagram - janbaynham

Bluesky - Jan Baynham

For more information about me and my books, please visit my AMAZON page.


Did you know that all my novels are available to read on KINDLE UNLIMITED for those of you who subscribe?

The launch price of The Silent Sister is 0.99p. and 0.99c. 


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Monday, 15 September 2025

Guest Post With Georgia Hill


This week, I'm delighted to welcome lovely author, Georgia Hill, back to the blog to talk about her writing and her latest novel, Magpie, published on September 9th by Bloodhound Books.

Georgia, welcome back. It's over to you.

Thank you so much for having me on again, Jan!

So, where do you get your ideas from? 

Writers are often asked this. Anywhere, everywhere and from anything is the short(ish) reply. The longer answer is that inspiration is a fleeting and ephemeral thing. Disparate strands float around and then crash into each other until impossible to ignore. While writing The Sea Glass Necklace, set in a sleepy Devon town called Flete, the nugget of another dualtime historical novel was playing constantly in the background …

It’s been impossible to ignore the popularity of witch-themed books. I read and enjoyed Weyward and Widdershins, loved Elena Collins’ The Witch’s Tree and devoured every witchy book Syd Moore has written. Witches and their persecution hold a fascination for me, which probably dates from visiting, as a small child, The Museum of Witchcraft and Magic in Boscastle, Cornwall. It left an indelible impression.

I love the research so began diving more deeply into the subject. It was engrossing but distressing. Then I happened upon the story of The Bideford Witches, three women who have the sad claim to be the last women in England to be hanged for witchcraft. They met their fate at Heavitree in Exeter. A Devon-born friend told me Heavitree means hanging tree … The Bideford Witches inspired Prudie Tenpenny, one of main characters in Magpie. Like many women who were accused of witchcraft, she is old, marginalised and her status is gradually stripped away.

When I decided Flete would have a cobbled street with half-timbered buildings, I knew I had my link. Tenpenny House is the place my heroines share – just at different times in history – in 1660 and 2018. It’s as much a character as the humans in the book. The other strand which began working its way in was the English Civil War. I find it an intriguing period; complex and confusing. It tore the country into pieces, families were riven apart, and brother was set against brother. But I was interested in the aftermath. How did you reconcile living with people who had once been your sworn enemies? Surely old resentments would bubble up? Things were beginning to come at me thick and fast!

I began to get that tingle, that sixth sense that I was onto something. I struggled with making the modern narrative as dramatic and emotional as the historic until I happened upon a Radio 4 programme about a woman who had suffered from deepfake porn. And there it was, my twenty-first century plot. 




I’m back to writing a contemporary romance at the moment, the fourth in my Lullbury Bay series. The next one is out in October.

 


I love writing dualtime historicals but they are involving and, quite frankly, exhausting. It’s good to mix it up and write something different. Have I finished with Flete, my sleepy seaside town in Devon? I don’t think so. It’s just a matter of which historical period to land in next!

Bio

Georgia Hill writes warm-hearted and up-lifting contemporary and dual narrative romances about love, the power and joy in being an eccentric oldie and finding yourself and your community. She lives near the sea with her beloved dogs and husband 9also beloved) and loves the books of Jane Austen and collecting elephants. She's also a complete museum geek and finds inspiration for her books in the folklore and history of the many places in which she's lived. She's worked in the theatre, for a charity and as a teacher and educational consultant before finally acknowledging that making things up was what she really wanted to do.

You can find her here:  

X @georgiawrites

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/georgiahillauthor

Website www.georgiahill.co.uk

Two women. Two centuries. One house full of secrets.

A spellbinding tale for fans of Weyward, where the past never truly dies…

When Beth Loveday retreats to a shadowed corner of the Devon coast, she hopes to rebuild her life in peace. But the old timbered shop she buys—Tenpenny House—has other plans. Strange objects hidden in the walls. A book of forgotten remedies. And dreams that feel like memories.

In 1660, Susanna Loveday walks the same worn floors. Apprentice to a healer, she's swept into a deadly game of suspicion and power when whispers of witchcraft begin to spread. As danger closes in, a single choice will echo through time.

Linked by blood and bound by secrets, Beth and Susanna are caught in a web that spans centuries. The truth lies buried—but Tenpenny House remembers everything…

BUY LINKS

geni.us/-Magpie

Thank you, Georgia. Your new book looks and sounds wonderful. It's on my TBR pile and I can't wait to read it. 

My Book News 

Thank you, too, if you have already read The Silent Sister. The fantastic reviews are still coming in and, to date, the number of ratings and reviews now totals 503!

I've almost completed the structural edits for book six, The Stolen Sister, partially set in Crete, and due out on February 24th, 2026. 

For those of you who prefer to support independent bookshops, I'm delighted to let you know that you can now order both The Secret Sister and The Silent Sister from Cover To Cover, a gem of a bookshop in beautiful Mumbles, Swansea. 

https://cover-to-cover-mumbles.myshopify.com/collections/fiction

You may also follow me on: 

X/Twitter - @JanBaynham.

FaceBook - Jan Baynham Writer

Instagram - janbaynham

Bluesky - Jan Baynham

For more information about me and my books, please visit my AMAZON page.


Did you know that all my novels are available to read on KINDLE UNLIMITED for those of you who subscribe?

The launch price of The Silent Sister is 0.99p. and 0.99c. 

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