The festive period has come and gone, and the new year is now in full swing as we make our way through the dreary month of January. Gone are the sparkling trees and wonderful decorations of the Christmas period, and we were left with a house that seemed stark and a little lifeless. But work and school have commenced, and we find ourselves back in our usual routine. The comings and goings Monday to Friday have resumed, and with this, a newfound devotion to committing to my writing again.

I needed a break over December and have hit the New Year with a bit more motivation. I hadn’t looked at my manuscript over the holidays, but I was delighted when I did a read-through of the last few chapters. I felt it was reading very well. I have also had a few more reviews about The Last Coven. I am pleased people enjoy what they have read even if sales haven’t accumulated as quickly as I thought. Still, I am happy for my book to meet people when they are ready to find it, and if it takes longer than anticipated for my book to find its audience… that’s okay with me.

I have had some changes at work, and with a change in hours, I have more time to write, which excites me. That balance I was seeking is now more attainable, and that can only mean that I have less stress and anxiety as I finally find a way to balance all aspects of my life. I can continue to work in a career that I love and write whilst feeling that I am still providing for my family, not just financially but offering support in the many ways it is needed. The balance is good, and I am glad about that.

I begin the new year with hope and a promise of a better time to come—a time when I can fulfil all that I want to do and not feel overwhelmed. I am finding time to read and write, and the books I have been reading lately have been great. I will review some of these soon and add them to my blog. I was surprised by how I was drawn into some of these stories, and I am excited to share my feelings about these novels with you.

My latest read, The Lighthouse Witches was surprisingly addictive. I felt I couldn’t put it down around the halfway point. My only issue with this book is that Margaret Barclay is mentioned as one of the 11 tortured witches who is punished and executed on a remote island off the coast of Scotland in 1662. My new book is about the persecution, torture and punishment of the Irvine witches in 1618. Margaret Barclay is widely known locally as being the leader of the Irvine Coven; I was a little dismayed that the writer C J Cooke had literally listed some of the witches burned at the stake in Scotland’s darkest period, which she had not factually checked and applied the appropriate timeline and geography. It may be a piece of fiction, but she has used actual events and names of people persecuted and has placed them in a time and place that doesn’t match!

This aside, the book was good. I was utterly lost in what was occurring and couldn’t guess what was happening until about three-quarters of the way through. I enjoy a story that makes no sense, and when more is given as each page is turned, the narrative begins to come into its own. I was absorbed in finding out how each story related to the next, and the timeline, which moved back and forth in time, was more and more exciting as the story unfolded. I would rate this 4 *, and I would recommend this to my friends and fellow readers as a good read. As I said, my only issue was that the author had clearly looked up the names of witches in Scotland, and she placed them all together on a remote island with no reflection of when they were executed or where they actually hailed from.

Anyway, without planning it, I have given a review of The Lighthouse Witches, and it is a very enjoyable read with plenty of twists and turns. It holds the reader throughout, even if it is slow to start, but as the story picks up, it becomes a page-turner. Hopefully, I will receive reviews like this as my writing continues to develop and I create more mystery and suspense in my own novels.

With that, I will sign off but if you are interested in reading my book or the book I have reviewed, see the links below:

The Last Coven

The Lighthouse Witches