Welcome to M’s Author Corner.
‘Escape into a book that is worth reading and still enjoy the reality of a festive season.’ 
Do hope you are enjoying the start of this festive season with many inspiring Christmas events in and around our Rye community?
For me, the lead up to the holidays is always a time of reflection.
In 2023, what was I reminded of while walking the path of writing and working towards the publication of my recent novel, Second Chances?
It’s okay not to rush in order to have the next book or story published.
Finely crafted writing, a great story, pace, with surprise twists will captivate the reader/listener to the end. Building a loyal audience and readership takes time.
Working as part of a team with the publisher and editors ensures our voice shows up on the pages.
Less is more, we must polish and hone our manuscript.
Let passion, persistence, and patience power us through, even on the oh, so testing days.
The story and characters must shine brightly after your tale is published, read, remembered, promoted, and shared via an ongoing marketing strategy. Longevity is attainable with focus and hard graft.
Below are a few of my welcome and diverse reads in 2023:
Rachel Joyce- The Music Shop and Perfect
Gill Paul – The Manhattan Girls
Peter May – The Night Gate as recommended by The Rye Bookshop and my husband.
Tom Hanks – Uncommon Type – An excellent reread
I am currently reading Louise Walters – Mrs Sinclair’s Suitcase, and already am totally immersed.
What about you? We would love to hear what books you recommend to the Rye News community for the holidays. Do you read a different genre in each season?
Storytelling, reading, and writing is a required ingredient for a memorable festive season. Why not gift a book to the children in your life? Take them to your nearby bookstore or local library. Allow them to experience the atmosphere of dreaming and opening their imagination by choosing a book. Over the festive holidays create family fun events. Take it in turns to read aloud to each other and step into the world of fiction, fairy tales and happy endings.
Receiving Christmas post and the excitement of a handwritten festive card including a personal message is special.
In December do you still write a card or letter to close friends or family members letting them know you are thinking of them?
A little festive fact:
Did you know that the first Christmas Card was published in 1843 thanks to the founding director of the V&A, Henry Cole?
Until the December 22 issue, when I will share my festive short story with you: A Christmas Miracle, sending my warmest wishes.
Miriam
www.miriammcguirk.com
Image Credits: Miriam McGuirk .
If you want a good laugh this Christmas I can heartily recommend the extraordinarily amusing ‘Two Ruddy Ducks and a Partridge on a Par Three’. It contains 100 spoof letters written to various heads of state, religious leaders, celebrities and others and all the letters are about golf. It’s an ideal present for a golfer but non-golfers should enjoy it almost as much. Perhaps I should declare an interest … I wrote it. It’s available on Amazon, most good bad and indifferent bookshops and, most wondrously, at Londis in Staplecross. And it costs an absurdly modest £9.99. Merry Christmas.
A thought provoking article – thank you Miriam.
In answer to your question re : Books read in 2023.
This year I have thoroughly enjoyed reading Michael Connolly’s series ‘Bosch’ a pedantic, homicide detective based in LA. Beautifully crafted stories that grabbed me on the first page – all about process to solve each case.
Secondly – Peter May – a Scottish born writer living in France. His stories/series – many based in France are about a retired detective – Enzo, with a grey streak in his hair and sporting a pony tail. Great attention to realistic stories, characters and locations. Like Bosch, Enzo has his flaws which add to the stories dynamics.
And finally –
Clive, thanks for sharing your book – no doubt a wonderful read. However, perhaps you would like to share other author’s books you have read in 2023?
Thank you Miriam, always a pleasure to read you article. Unfortunately im not an avid reader, but i do send Christmas cards and do pop in a little letter to people i haven’t been intouch with through the year.
Thank you, Brenda, for taking the time to comment. Am sure, those you send Christmas cards and letters to at this time of year, appreciate your thoughtfulness. Happy Festive Season.