Monday, 19 January 2026

Guest Post with Jenny Kane

This week I'm delighted to welcome the lovely Jenny Kane back to the blog. As the first guest in 2026, Jenny is going to tell us her exciting news about the Birth of a New Series.

Jenny, welcome. It's over to you!  

Hello everyone,

Happy New Year… if it isn’t too late to say that!

This year brings a brand new start for me when it comes to fiction writing. After years of largely concentrating on the romance market, I’ve left that world behind me for a while.

2026 sees my foray into the cosy crime arena. In particular – into the Cornish village of Mousehole and the home of The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives.

Blurb:

There’s some fishy business happening in the idyllic Cornish village of Mousehole. As a killer begins to make waves, can these new amateur detectives solve the mystery?

Maggie Tyson loves living in the utterly charming village, Mousehole. She spends her days walking the local coastal paths, solving the latest crossword puzzle, and working in the small town’s only fish and chip shop.

Looking for a fresh start, Ryan Stepney is in desperate need of a job, and stumbles across a vacancy at the chip shop.

When a body is found by the harbour, shock ripples through the village. And as Ryan was the last person seen talking to the victim, he becomes the number one suspect in the investigation.

Maggie is certain that her new colleague had nothing to do with the murder, so swaps her apron for a magnifying glass, and starts to investigate herself.

Can Maggie prove Ryan’s innocence and reel in the killer, before they strike again?







I loved writing every single one of my thirteen romcoms, but I’ve always had a fear of writing the same thing over and over again and so, potentially, boring my readers. So, as my publishing contract was ending, I took a gamble and didn’t try to renew it. That felt very scary – and I had a lot of wobbles as a result!

But what to write? Will another publisher take me on? What if I’m no good anymore?

It was on a walk across Exmoor that I worked out what I’d do next and that's down to my husband firing questions at me:

Q: Where was your most successful book so far set?

A: Cornwall

Q: What do you like reading the most?

A: Crime

Q: What’s the best market place to sell fiction in at the moment?

A: Not sure - probably cosy crime.

And that was that – by the time we’d got back to the car to drive home, I had a location, (Mousehole in Cornwall), I had two main characters, (Maggie and Ryan), and I had a hook (fish and chips.)

In that moment – The Fish and Chip Detectives were born! The first of their adventures will be published on 2nd April.

Buying Links

You can preorder a copy already, from all good independent book shops, eBook/audio retailers, as well as:

AMAZON UK -  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fish-Chip-Shop-Detectives-brand-new/dp/1399754491/ref

BOOKS KOBO - Kobo: The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives eBook by Jenny Kane – EPUB | Rakuten Kobo United Kingdom

WATERSTONES - The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives by Jenny Kane | Waterstones

AMAZON.DE - Amazon.de : the fish and chip shop detectives

AMAZON US - The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives: A brand-new and utterly addictive cozy crime British mystery (The Fish and Chip Shop Detective Agency) eBook : Kane, Jenny: Books

Bio 

Based in the heart of Devon, award winning author, Jenny Kane, is currently having a wonderful time writing a brand new, cosy crime, series: The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives, for Hodder & Stoughton.

Jenny has also written the contemporary women’s fiction and romance novels, Summer at Sea Glass Cove, (Aria, 2024), Misty Mornings at The Potting Shed, (Aria, 2023), Bluebell Season at The Potting Shed, (Aria 2023,), Frost Falls at The Potting Shed, (Aria, 2022), Winter Fires at Mill Grange, (Aria, 2021), Spring Blossoms at Mill Grange, (Aria 2021), Autumn Leaves at Mill Grange, (Aria, 2020), Midsummer Dreams at Mill Grange (Aria, 2020), A Cornish Escape (2nd edition, HeadlineAccent, 2020), A Cornish Wedding (2nd edition, HeadlineAccent, 2020), Romancing Robin Hood (2nd edition, Littwitz Press, 2018), Another Glass of Champagne (HeadlineAccent, 2016), and Another Cup of Coffee (HeadlineAccent, 2013).

Under the pen name, Jennifer Ash, Jenny has written Manuscript Mysteries at The Robin Hood Club (KDP, 2024), and The Folville Chronicles (The Outlaw’s Ransom, The Winter Outlaw, Edward’s Outlaw, Outlaw Justice – medieval mysteries published by Littwitz Press, 2016-2020.) She was the chief audio script and novel writer for ITV’s popular 1980’s television show, Robin of Sherwood. (AUK LTD, 2017- 2025.)

Jenny teaches a wide range of creative writing workshops including her popular ‘Novel in a Year’ course and her fortnightly ‘Fun with Words’ classes.

All of Jennifer Ash’s and Jenny Kane’s news can be found at www.jennykane.co.uk , Jennifer Ash https://www.facebook.com/jenniferashhistorical/ Jenny Kane https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100011235488766

Many thanks, Jan, for inviting me to your blog today to talk about the birth of my brand new #cosycrime series.

It's been a real pleasure, Jenny. The new series sounds wonderful and I hope the sales soar for you. I'm in awe of how many books you have written. It's exciting to know you are moving to write in another genre. 

Thank you for reading. Writers, have you been tempted to change genres? Readers, do any of your favourite authors write in different genres? I'd love it if you left a comment. Thank you. 

You may also follow me on:
X/Twitter - @JanBaynham
FaceBook - Jan Baynham Writer
Instagram - janbaynham
Threads - Jan Baynham
Bluesky - Jan Baynham

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


Thursday, 8 January 2026

Looking Back and Moving Forward

Happy New Year to you all! 

It's that time again when I look back over the last year, referring to those goals to see how many I achieved and then put into writing my hopes for 2026. What will the year ahead bring?

At the end of 2024, I was thrilled to re-sign a contract with my publisher, Joffe Books/Choc Lit. It was for two novels, The Silent Sister and The Stolen Sister. Completing both books was obviously top priority for last year and I'm pleased to say that The Silent Sister was published on August 5th and The Stolen Sister will be published in seven weeks' time on February 24th. 

These were my writing plans and goals for 2025. How did I do?

  • to work on edits when they arrive for The Silent Sister (already submitted to my editor) 
  • to complete the first draft of The Stolen Sister   
  • to edit and polish it until it is as good as I can get it 
  • to make a research trip to Crete where the novel is partially set 
  • to submit to my editor by 1st May 
  • to start a newsletter and build up a list of subscribers 
  • to attend the RNA one-day event in August 
  • to continue to support other writers ✅ 
  • to write more flash fiction and short stories 
  • to arrange more library and book-fair talks ✅(partially, but not as many as I'd have liked)
Thank you for all your support in 2025. I'd like to especially thank all of you who have bought or downloaded my novels. The number of reviews and ratings have blown me away and help so much to calm down the old Imposter Syndrome that's ever present!

In 2026, my goals will be less specific, perhaps. I'm currently working on a pitch to submit to my publishers for more novels and hope that my editor will like my ideas for a group of stories about grandmothers and granddaughters. As always with novels set in the past, the stories will involve a great deal of research so it will be some time before I complete a first draft. However, getting ideas down into an extended outline always helps me when I do start writing even though those ideas will evolve and change once I'm immersed in the new story. Here are my new goals:
  • to submit a detailed written pitch for book seven to my editor
  • to hopefully acquire a contract and begin to write the first draft 
  • to discuss ideas for further books
  • to start a newsletter and build up a list of subscribers (This is going to be the year!)
  • to attend the RNA Conference
  • to continue to try to improve and learn more about the craft of writing
  • to continue to support other writers
  • to promote my novels locally
  • to continue to enjoy writing stories to share with my lovely readers
šŸ€šŸ€Wish me luck! šŸ€šŸ€

STOP PRESS - Here is the cover of book six. I hope you love it as much as I do. It's all down to my wonderful cover designer, Jarmila. 

'Lost letters. A secret Greek love affair. A daughter's search for the truth.
Crete 1963. Young artist Greta Ellis arrives at the sun-soaked port of FĆ”ros LimĆ”ni, ready to paint and explore the beautiful Greek island.

When she meets passionate Andreas Papadakis, she is swept up in a world of colour, freedom and forbidden love. But when tragedy strikes, Greta is forced to make an impossible choice that will echo for decades.

Wales, 1984. After her mother Greta's death, silversmith ZoĆ« Cartyer receives a sealed letter that upends everything she thought she knew. Greta's dying wish is for her ashes to be scattered in Crete, a place precious to her . . . but somewhere she has never spoken of. 

Searching through her mother's belongings, ZoĆ« uncovers a series of letters. Written in Greek and dated the year before she was born, they reveal a passionate love affair. And a tragedy that tore it apart.

Determined to know the truth, ZoĆ« travels to Crete to follow the trail left behind in her mother's letters. Through olive groves and whitewashed villages of Crete, she begins to piece together a story of love, betrayal and loss - and discovers that her family was never as it seemed.

Perfect for fans of Fiona Valpy, Barbara Davis, Angela Petch, Karen Swan, Amanda Weinburg or Anita Chapman.'

It's already on NetGalley and will soon be available to pre-order on Amazon.

You may also follow me on:
X/Twitter - @JanBaynham
FaceBook - Jan Baynham Writer
Instagram - janbaynham
Threads - Jan Baynham
Bluesky - Jan Baynham

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