CHRISTMASINKENT
KENTISH WINTER READS CONT .
GC Fisher : Canterbury Woods www . gcfisherauthor . com
The perfect cozy winter read , the second book in the Maeve McPhillips series will bring more intrigue , thrills and murder into your living room than ever before . Canterbury Woods by G . C . Fisher is the easy to read murder mystery with a supernatural twist that will have you hooked from the first page . Set in the second UK lockdown , the book not only gives us a down to earth story about an ordinary woman who just so happens to be able to see and talk to the dead , Fisher also manages to delve into many important issues that affected many of us during the turbulent months of Covid , in a thoughtful and meaningful way .
What made you want to become an author ?
I love listening to stories . They don ’ t have to be made up , it might be gossip about someone , or the best way to grow potatoes . Whatever it is , I have to share it , and get someone else enthused . Before starting ‘ Canterbury Murders ’ I didn ’ t think it would work on paper . So I suppose that makes me an accidental author .
How did you find the inspiration to finish your second novel Canterbury Woods so quickly after only publishing your debut ; Canterbury Murders last year ?
Readers were asking for more , they wanted to know what happened to the characters after the book ended , so I started thinking almost immediately . The inspiration came from two things , the fact that we were all in lockdown and how everyone was managing , plus Canterbury , both as it is today and the fascinating bits of history all around us .
What is it about the character of Maeve McPhillips that made you come back for more thrills , murders and mysteries ?
Maeve is the sort of person you might see in any coffee shop . Look around you and you will see lots of people like Maeve going about their business ; shopping ; stopping for tea with friends ; going for a walk . I love the idea that extraordinary things can happen to anyone , any day . You never know what adventure you might get caught up in . It ’ s only in the middle of a crisis that you discover people ' s hidden strengths . That ’ s when you get to know someone . Now that I know Maeve I am looking forward to putting her into more challenging situations . She has flaws , she has let life drift by , now she is starting to wake up . What will she discover ?
Canterbury Woods is available at Canterbury-based gift shop RockPaperScissors or via their website www . rockpaperscissors . co . uk .
Nigel Cawthorne : I Don ’ t Believe It nigelcawthorne . com
Hilarious is the word that comes to mind when thinking of I Don ' t Believe It by Nigel Cawthorne ; a collection of letters perfectly compiled to demonstrate the outrageously British art of complaining . This laugh out loud assortment of outrage is enough to have anyone clutching their sides , as we realise that Brits really do have moaning in our genes . In short , the perfect book to pick up if you are looking to tickle your funny bone this festive season .
What was the inspiration behind I Don ’ t Believe it ?
Letters to the editor are an amazingly entertaining window on everyday concerns . They are much more lively than history books , because a real person is telling you what is bothering them and why about their daily lives . Sometimes these letters are very moving indeed , sometimes laugh-out-loud funny to us . Before the internet turned complaining into a channel of snarkiness , trolling and vicious shouting , Britain had the subtle skill of invective down to an art . Things are usually treated in a light-hearted manner – indeed , with a proper British insouciance . But sometimes there is a stiff upper lip and a lower one quivering with barely suppressed rage .
This , and your previous book Outraged Of Tunbridge Wells must have given you some laughs , what is your favourite complaint that you ’ ve seen ?
It was a letter written at the height of World War I in which the author complained about cockerels waking up too early ! Another favourite is a writer who complained about trees alongside roads . He reckoned they were pests that shut out ‘ air , light and sunshine ’ and caused unhealthy , wet roads . During World War II someone opined that closing cinemas on Sundays would save the empire . It goes on …
Give yourself a laugh this Christmas by grabbing a copy of I Don ’ t Believe It at www . hive . co . uk .
36