June/July Round Up

Five days late due to getting some short stories finished, oops 🙀 This time around, I’m combining my June and July Round Ups.

Writing News ?

One of my short stories, Unforgotten Love, is currently available in The People’s Friend magazine until Tuesday. It’s a romance mystery set in Santon Downham and inspired by the village’s church. During the 1800s, convicts on their way to the Norwich assizes were held there overnight, with only a small spyhole to watch the church service and think on their sins.

Illustration by Jim Dewar

I also received a story acceptance in June, which was a historical family drama set in Gorleston-on-Sea and inspired by the song Blow the Man Down. The submission title was The Smuggler’s Sea Shanty.

On the social media side of things, I posted here about The Mermaid’s Gift, another one of my romances, which was published in 2016. I’m hoping to do a blog post for each of my People’s Friend short stories, examining historical details and inspiration, with links being added to my publications list on the blog.

So far, I’ve written posts for Lavender and Leeches and The Mermaid’s Gift. The next one should be Carried By The Wind, with a few family history secrets revealed, although that’s if I can track down the photographs I want to share.

You’ll know whether they’ve been unearthed if it’s Carried By The Wind or In Fields of Corn.

Preview !

With several of my longer pieces sent off and waiting to hear back from, I’m focusing on short stories before starting on another pocket novel.

The Smuggler’s Sea Shanty – Sent and accepted.

The Mystery of the Ruby Necklace – Just recently submitted. A mystery inspired by Victorian New Year traditions.

The Sweetest of Dreams – Late 1600s or early 1700s depending on where my research takes me. Inspired by St Thomas’s Day, orangeries and an old wives’ tale about an onion.

The Gingerbread House – A winter story which is going to focus heavily on sweets and cakes, particularly Twelfth Night cake.

Follow the Stars – A coming of age story, and another one inspired by Norfolk smuggling, with a more unique take on transporting contraband.

I’m also still working on my timeslip trilogy, Robin’s Breast, for agent submission. So far, ten out of the forty chapters have been completed.

Hopefully I’ll have some time to write some science as I love the genre so much. The recent Doctor Who series has got me in the mood for space again.

Eyes in the Walls is still in the early draft stage, but here’s the opening paragraph:

We no longer have blackbirds to warn us of the oncoming night. The mechanical ones do not understand what the darkness hides. Their sensors return nothing even with our dead strewn like autumn leaves on the streets.

🌘

Instead of a writing tip this month, it’s going to be a prompt:

What would you choose to write as the following paragraph? Something romantic? Creepy? Let me know in the comments. Mine is another piece of dialogue.

“But that’s it – it’s daytime!”

See you all next month!

About the Author

Kitty-Lydia Dye wanders the beaches for inspiration with her dog Bramble. Her historical fiction has been influenced by the local myths roaming the haunting landscape of the Norfolk marshes. Many of her short stories have appeared in The People's Friend magazine. She has also released a collection inspired by Gaston Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera. She enjoys knitting dog jumpers, gazing at the waves at night, exploring church ruins as well as taking part in amateur dramatics (and played the part of an evil flying monkey!)