I can’t quite believe we’re reaching the end of another year.
2025 has been challenging, thank you to everyone who reached out after the loss of my mum a few months ago. It’s all been such a blur I’m not entirely sure I replied to everyone personally, but it really did mean the world. Your messages were a great comfort, as was my beloved pup.
I shared a story on Facebook of the time my mum joined me at a book signing. She sat beside me, poised with her pen, and asked everyone who bought a copy of one of my titles whether she should sign it too. Her joy when someone said yes stays with me to this day.
I’m expecting the first Christmas without her to be immensely tough. If you’re struggling this year and want to speak to someone in the UK, The Samaritans will be open 24/7. You can reach them on 116123.
On a happier note, somehow, somewhere in the midst of the chaos my 10th psychological thriller, The Liar, was published.
I braved my public speaking fear to go and speak at Bloody Scotland and really enjoyed it.
This month I’ve thrown myself back in to writing and remembered how much I love it. Of course, it wouldn’t be possible for me to keep publishing without your support. It really is my dream job. It means so much to me that thanks to everyone who has bought, recommended, reviewed or borrowed one of my titles from the library, I get to carry on again next year!
There will be news soon about what’s coming up in 2026 both publishing wise and events. In the meantime, If you missed the announcement about ‘The Woman Next Door’ the novella I’ve written for the amazing charity, The Reading Agency, you can learn more about that here.
I hope you all have a lovely break and gratitude to those essential workers who carry on throughout the festive season regardless.
Earlier this year I was asked by The Reading Agency to write a novella for them.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with their wonderful work, they are a UK charity that inspires social and personal change through the proven power of reading. They work with individuals of all ages, communities and trusted partners to share the transformative benefits of reading for happy, healthy and thriving lives.
When they asked me to write a Quick Reads novella it was an immediate yes. Quick Reads are written especially for readers who might find reading challenging, may not have found the focus to read lately or may have other obstacles preventing them from reading books.
Both my husband Tim and I were so excited that after ten years of me writing books, this would be the first one he could read.
Tim is dyslexic and although he has been so supportive of my career neither of us thought he’d ever read anything longer than one of the short stories I write for magazines.
Tim read, and loved, the very first draft and it was such a joy to hear his views on the characters and plot.
‘The Woman Next Door’ is shorter than my usual books but written in a more accessible format. It still has plenty of tension and twists.
Since then, we’ve bought other Quick Reads books for him to enjoy and because of these, he’s developed a real love of reading. It really is such a wonderful campaign and one that I’m proud to be part of. They’re celebrating the 20 years anniversary of Quick Reads next year so it feels extra special to be a part of it.
If you know anyone who might benefit from a Quick Read do bear The Reading Agency in mind (other titles are available). The 2026 books are available to preorder now but I’ll be in touch nearer the April publication with further updates.
2025 hasn’t been the best year. With my own ill health to contend with as well as my mum’s and then, ultimately, losing my mum a few months ago has meant we didn’t have a holiday over the summer. But that ensured we were more than ready for a break and SO excited to leave the UK for a few days and go and see my favourite band in the world, The Counting Crows! In my favourite city – Paris! We’ve never been to a gig abroad before and it felt like a huge deal. But, in true 2025 style (for me) it didn’t quite go as we’d hoped…
I have limited energy so we decided for this trip we wouldn’t be racing around trying to see everything. Rather, I envisaged sitting for hours in coffee shops, reading, watching the world go by because the gig was really THE thing. But then we arrived and… Paris. Oh it’s just SO beautiful. Maybe we’d do a little more than I thought.
The weather was absolutely fabulous, no jackets needed. The city wasn’t too busy. We ambled around, stopping frequently for breaks and visited attractions I hadn’t been to before. (I do have limited mobility and I’ve blogged before about Paris from this point of view which you can read here.)
After such a rough year we were going to have THE BEST week. My husband and I spent a lovely couple of days doing our own thing (highlights below) and then one of my sons arrived with his girlfriend. We were all going to the gig!
But then, five minutes after they’d arrived I had a text from another of my sons – so sorry about the gig.
Wait, what?!
He’d heard the lead singer was ill and the French gigs had been cancelled. Immediately I checked my emails, the bands Instagram, the venue website and there was nothing official so I tried to hold out hope but alas, the following day, 4 hours before the gig I got the dreaded email. It was indeed cancelled (get well soon Adam!)
Although we’re all human and ill health can’t be avoided, I was, admittedly, hugely disappointed and felt a few moments of self pity. The universe really did seem to be conspiring against me this year, but then I looked around. I was in Paris with some of the people I love most in the world. There was still such a lot to be thankful for. We’d make the best of it, and we did!
These were our highlights.
Notre Dame is open again for visitors and this was a definite must for me. Aside from its troubled history and the fire, I’ve always been fascinated that the book, The Hunchback of Notre Dame helped save the cathedral. Victor Hugo loved the cathedral which was poorly neglected. His novel became hugely popular which brought the cathedral to the attention of the public (visitors were coming because of the story) and the French Government were pressured to begin restoring it in 1842. As an author myself it’s heartening that novels really can make a change.
Although I enjoyed my visit it isn’t somewhere I’d visit again. It was crowded and I prefer the smaller, more ornate churches. If you want to visit be aware that tickets are free. There are lots of online scam sites charging. Only use the official website.
Two churches we visited this time around were Sainte Trinite of which the interior is really pretty although there is scaffolding on the outside, and the Notre Dame de Lorette (pictured below) which was absolutely stunning inside.
We had never spent time wandering around the covered passages. I’m a huge art lover and loved browsing the independent galleries. The vintage books were so beautiful. My husband pointed out I wouldn’t be able to read them but the covers were so pretty it was hard not to buy them! Instead, we visited the famous Shakespeare and Company. This English language bookshop has such a fascinating history (this is not the original store or location though). The original 1919 bookstore was a haven for writers such as James Joyce, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Earnest Hemingway. As well as a place to stay and write there was a lending library for those who couldn’t afford to buy books.
The ‘new’ (founded in 1951) store is charming and popular, with a queue to get in and a strictly no photography policy. I bought two special editions of books I love before popping to their coffee shop next door for cake!
Wanting some different views of the city we went to both Galaries Lafayette and Printemps department stores. Both have roof terraces with view of the city and the Eiffel Tower. We preferred Printemps because you could sit and have a coffee (and cake!) outside and soak up the view. Galaries Lafayette does apparently do pop up cafes on the terrace but there wasn’t one when we visited.
Galaries LafayettePrintemps view
If designer shopping is your thing both stores offer most of the brands. (Do check the rules on claiming back VAT if your purchasing anything over £100). Galaries Lafayette was more impressive, the building was beautiful, but 7 floors and so many people! I found even getting up to the terrace overwhelming. However the basement restaurant was fabulous. We had the nicest (and most reasonably priced) salad we had all week.
I loved the Petit Palais museum. It’s quiet, free and there are some great pieces of art including Rodin and Monet. It’s close to my favourite bridge the Alexander III. Stepping onto this bridge is always like stepping back in time.
Petit Palais
We’d also never been to the Hotel de la Marine. Again this is one of the lesser known and quieter attractions. It was originally, in the 18th century, the home of the royal Garde-Meuble, the office managing the furnishings of all the royal properties. It was also the location of the French Crown Jewels until a heist occurred. There’s a great audio guide and it’s a breathtakingly beautiful place to visit.
Hotel de la Marine
Because of the cancelled gig palaver I wanted to do something special so we booked lunch at the legendary The Ritz. We were lucky to get a table as it was Paris fashion week. The hotel is stunning and the food was absolutely amazing. The bar was intimate and most of the other diners seem to be staying there. With the cheapest rooms starting at over £2k per night it’s something we’ll never do (I mean if one of my books was adapted into a huge movie…) but it was a fun experience.
The only place we revisited was the Musee de l’Orangerie. The chance to see Monet’s beautiful waterlily murals again was not be missed.
The absolutely highlight of my trip was our last evening. We wandered around Paris at night, everywhere is even more gorgeous lit up. We sat on the Pont des Arts bridge and watched the sparkles on the Eiffel Tower. The best bit though, was the busker, ABM Violoniste. He was on the cobblestones, by the old fashioned street lights, in front of the Louvre which was illuminated behind him. He had a electric violin and played along to a piano backing track. A mixture of classical and modern artists such as Tom O’Dell. I got really teary listening to him. A lump of emotion in my throat. We’ll see the Counting Crows again, no doubt (and send our best wishes to the band) but this was likely a one off. The perfect end to our trip.
(You can read about what we did on our previous two trips here and here.
Last week I shared why my trip to the beautiful Stirling to speak at the Bloody Scotland festival was transformative. You can read about that here. Today, I’m sharing the next leg of my trip to one of my favourite cities in the world, Edinburgh.
We stopped on the way at The Kelpies to see the impressive 30 metres high horses heads. Sculptor, Andy Scot, said of his creation, it is a ‘socio-historical monument intended to celebrate the horse’s role in industry and agriculture as well as the obvious association with the canals as tow horses’.
Then we were on the road again.
Every time we go to Edinburgh we say it’ll be the last time because it isn’t the easiest city to walk around when you have mobility problems (those hills!!) but there are always alternative ways to travel and every time we go we fall in love with it all over again. There is always something new to do (and if you haven’t been before it’s worth noting that many places are free entry).
Edinburgh is so steeped in history it almost feels like stepping back in time. I found myself yearning to write something historical.
Always fascinated (obsessed) by other writers our first stop was the Writers Museum. Here, three Scottish writers are celebrated; Robert Burns, Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson. As well as their personal items, it was great to see original letters and manuscripts. The museum is situation in Makars Court. Embedded in the flagstones are quotes from great Scottish writers and I wouldn’t leave until I’d read every single one.
My favourite place, however was, Mary King’s Close. I’d been aware of, but never ventured into, the tunnels below the city. This network of 17th century underground streets were buried under the construction of a new building in 1753 but are now open to the public. It was engrossing to learn about some of the residents who lived here (and the ghosts who apparently do now!). It was such a unique insight into the past. There really are stories everywhere.
It was great to step onto the, now decommissioned, Royal Britannia Yacht. It was interesting to learn about its history, particularly the rescue of over 600 foreign nationals during the Aden civil war in 1986. My husband certainly had fun!
We stopped for lunch at the onboard tea room and tried Cullen Skink for the first time. This smoked fish soup was so amazing it immediately because my new favourite obsession. I had two bowls and then downloaded a recipe to try and recreate it myself at home. Even though I was full, I couldn’t resist sampling the cake. It was while eating this I realised that I felt a bit queasy. I think the movement of the water in my peripheral vision was disorientating me (either that or too much soup?!) Now, I was thinking about taking my first ever cruise next year. If I got seasick in the dock should I worry?!
There was lots of mooching about with our cameras, great food, the friendliest of people and, because of the changeable weather, we saw 17 rainbows during our trip the sigh of which still fills me with a childlike joy. (Unlike the statue of Greyfriars Bobby which made me unexpectedly tearful and eager to see my own dog again).
Earlier this year my publisher asked me if I wanted to take part in a panel event at the fabulous Bloody Scotland Festival.
Did I?
I wasn’t sure. My mum had been unwell for quite a long time, getting progressively worse. I hadn’t had time to write in what felt like forever. I didn’t feel like an author anymore.
My family told me I should go. The break would do me good. I’d had an incredibly hard few years with multiple family challenges, alongside my own ill health to contend with. It might help me focus on my career again.
I said yes but then immediately questioned whether I had done the right thing. I didn’t feel part of the book world anymore. What I felt was utterly exhausted, anxious all the time. Waiting, seemingly waiting for the worst to happen.
And then, a short time ago, it did.
We lost mum and I lost motivation to do anything.
Fast forward over the summer, two cancelled holidays due to illness and car trouble and it was time to head up to Stirling. Although grateful to both my publisher and the festival for the opportunity I left with a heavy heart, thinking I had nothing to say, nothing to share.
My husband drove us (over 7 hours!). On the way we stopped for lunch at Gretna Green. It was where we’d got married twelve years ago. I had no recollection of the building, although my husband had, was my memory that bad?
I wasn’t convinced we were in the right place. There are two places to get married in Gretna. On our wedding day we had accidentally gone to the wrong place first. Had we done this again? After our wedding I had written a blog about our experience of eloping (you can read that here) and so I checked it to see if were in the right place.
We weren’t.
We changed locations and as we pulled into the second carpark it immediately evoked such lovely memories. We had lunch at the same restaurant we originally did.
We arrived at Stirling a few hours later. It’s breathtaking beautiful and as a bit of a history fanatic I was thrilled to discover that our hotel – The Stirling Highlands Hotel – used to be a Victorian school. I immediately went online and did a deep dive into the history. It was exciting to discover there was an observatory on the roof gifted in 1889 by Sir Henry Campbell. The 130-year-old telescope is still in a working condition and when we asked the manager about it he kindly took us up to see it. (Those views!!)
Then, worn out by the journey, we ordered a room service pizza and went to bed.
My talk wasn’t until teatime on Friday, so I spent the day in the hotel spa hoping to keep the nerves at bay. It didn’t. I was terrified. I hadn’t spoken at a large event for about 4 years.
I was shaking when we arrived at the Green Room in The Golden Lion. The first person I met was our moderator (and fellow author) Emma Christie who had such a calming energy I relaxed a little. My fellow panellists arrived, writing powerhouse, Daniel Hurst and award nominated Fiona Cummins. We were told our talk had sold out and my anxiety hit the roof as we were taken to the venue and mic’d up. The lights were so bright I couldn’t see much of the audience by I knew both my husband and editor were there to support me. I hoped no one could spot my hand trembling as I picked up my water.
Then I was asked why I started writing and it all flooded back to me in an instant. My love of stories, the joy in brings me. How I never wanted, still never want, to do anything else for a living. It was fascinating to listen to other writers speak about their processes and remember my own and in that moment I knew that I would be writing more books. Many more hopefully.
It might sound a little dramatic to say Bloody Scotland was transformative for me, but it really was. After the talk came the signing. It was life affirming to see so many readers buying books from the Waterstones stand for me to sign, or had bought their favourites from home (Cristian came all the way from Italy with my translations!)
It meant so much to me to chat to readers and to remember that my stories were actually being read and enjoyed. The following day I had lunch with my editor and can now say I fully feel like an author once more.
It was an amazing few days, and just the boost I needed. I’m so grateful to my publisher for putting me forward, the festival for inviting me, and my family for persuading me that it would do me good.
My 10th psychological thriller, ‘The Liar’ is out now (download for 99p on Amazon, Apple, Kobo).
It seemed so surreal going to Tesco to do my weekly shop on Saturday and seeing it on the shelves. It never gets less exciting.
Ten books in, and approaching 2 million sales, and I still have a lot to learn about my craft but here are some things I have learned along the way which makes things a little easier for me.
1. Identify your hook
Now, once I’ve had an idea, before I begin writing it, I play around with shout lines and blurbs to see if it is commercial and if I can pitch it within a few a words as possible. ‘The Liar’ centres around the Abbott family who have invited a lodger to come and live with them to help ease the financial pressure they’re under. ‘You trusted a stranger. And now he’s in your home.’ Once I know there’s a core idea that can be easily marketed, I begin to write.
2. The process is never the same
I thought once I had written a couple of books, I’d know how to do it. That it would become easier. Every single book is different. Some flow; some take sometimes years of thinking about before the story falls into place. ‘The Intruders’ my last thriller took a lot of thinking time as I knew I wanted to push the boundaries of a psychological thriller and dip into horror/supernatural territory. With ‘The Intruders’ I had already thought of a dramatic mid-point twist, and I didn’t want to rush what came after that, so I wrote part two before part one. Often, I write the first three chapters to get a feel for the characters and then I skip to the dramatic, emotional scenes. I knew ‘The Liar’ would have an emotional reveal and this was one of the first things I wrote.
3. There is no right or wrong way to write a book
This was an important lesson for me. I hadn’t had done any courses when I began writing my debut, ‘The Sister.’ I read so many ‘how-to’ posts and watched countless YouTube videos. Virtually everyone told me to never edit as I wrote which I had been doing. I tried so hard to stop. Felt I was getting everything wrong. But here’s the thing, editing as I go works for me. I do it every single time. Yes, it probably does slow down the first draft, but you must find your own way of working and trust your process. I’ve never written a book in order.
4. Some characters are harder to let go of
Mel, Jen and Amy, the Abbott family in ‘The Liar’ reminded me so much of my own family. My mum, like Mel, a hard-working single mum. My sister, like Jen, was a few years older than me and looked after me a lot while my mum was working. I became so fond of these characters. When mum Mel, goes missing, I worried all the time about Jen and Amy even though I was in control of their fate. I haven’t stopped thinking about them yet even though I’m part way through a new book. Sometimes I wish I didn’t become so emotionally attached to them but then if I didn’t, perhaps I wouldn’t be able to write in the same way.
5. It’s okay to feel vulnerable
This is a tricky one. I think there are pieces of me in every book I write and that can make it feel personal. It’s hard putting a bit of yourself out there to be judged. Terrifying. Exposing. Publishing can be harsh, rejections hurtful. Readers reviews can sometimes be upsetting (see no. 6). After writing, ‘The Sister’ and realising how personal it was, Grace’s exploration of grief mirroring my own, I began writing my second book feeling self-conscious. Protective of myself and my feelings. I felt detached from it which made it, well, not very good. I scrapped it and began again accepting that if writing was going to be my career, then it’s better to care and produce better work than not.
6. You can’t please all the readers all the time
Oh I wish I could! After ‘The Sister’ was published I read every single review. Someone thought it was too slow a burn, so I began editing ‘The Gift’ upping the pace. But wait, the next person thought it should have been slower and more developed. I hurriedly put back into my manuscript the things I had just taken out. Oh, but then the next person thought it was five star perfect. I would love nothing more than for everyone to love my books. As a reader, I know what it is to invest hours into a story and feel disappointed. I’m always so grateful when someone spends both time and money on my books and I want everyone to be happy. Ultimately, though I have to trust that if I love the story that I’m writing then someone else will too. Inevitably, there will be people that won’t and that’s okay. Very little is universally loved except, perhaps, Paddington Bear.
7. Celebrate the highs
There are so many things we achieve as writers. Getting an idea, writing the book, getting it (hopefully) into the hands of readers. Even a day showing up at your desk when you don’t perhaps feel inspired. When my first two books, ‘The Sister’ and ‘The Gift’ went to No. 1 around the world I didn’t celebrate because I felt such a horrible pressure to produce my next book. Pressure I was putting on myself. I didn’t take a break, have a meal out. Now, however small the achievement I make sure I take the time to really appreciate it (usually with cake) because as well as the highs there are a lot of lows in publishing. Celebrate eery single win.
8. Make each book the best it can be
This perhaps sounds obvious, but I remember telling my agent in the early days that I had thought of an amazing twist. He agreed it was brilliant. ‘I’m saving it though,’ I said. ‘What for?’ he asked. I explained I was saving for the next book in case I ran out of ideas. I already had one good twist for the one I was currently writing. ‘Every book you write should be better than your last,’ he said. ‘You’ll think of something else for the next one.’ And he was right. I did.
9. Sometimes stepping away is as good as showing up
I used to be very disciplined. At my desk as soon as I’d done the school run and there I’d stay. Every. Single. Day. Nowadays I find that I’m just as productive away from my laptop as sat in front of it. I find I untangle plot points, think of new reveals while I’m walking the dog. I always carry a notebook with me and often make voice notes on my phone.
10. Don’t put off starting the next book
I always aim to be at least a third through writing a new book when I have a book published. ‘The Liar’ is out now and I’m already engrossed in the Finch family. The reluctant social media stars of my next book. Although I hope readers are invested in the Abbott family in ‘The Liar’ as much as I had been when writing it, trying to piece together the clues to find out who Luke the lodger really is and how is he linked to mum, Mel’s disappearance, I knew if it didn’t do well then it would really knock my confidence and stop me starting anything new. Thankfully, it’s doing well. Charting on both the Kindle and Apple charts but if it hadn’t then I would already have lost myself in another story.
It’s publication day in the UK for my brand new psychological thriller ‘The Liar’!
Here’s the blurb – The Abbotts’ new lodger Luke hasn’t told them much about himself, but they can’t expect to know everything about a stranger who’s just moved in.
But Luke keeps asking about their family photos and looking through their things. Why does he want to know everything about them? And why does daughter Jen think someone is watching her?
Then, suddenly, Mum Mel texts the family to say she needs a break. But Mel has never gone away alone before. And now it’s been days, and no one has heard from her.
The Abbotts’ house is full of secrets.
They say people never tell the whole truth.
They’re right.
This story feels very special. It’s my 10th thriller to be published (13th book overall) and the dynamic of Mel, Jen and Amy is loosely based on my mum, sister and I. Growing up in a household of strong women really shaped who I am.
I see the same strength in Jen and Amy who have to come to terms with the dark secrets they uncover about each other, and their family, while they try to find Mel.
The early reviews have been brilliant – The Sunday Times said – “The book touches on hot button issues but none are allowed to impede its advance to a well-handled headlong denouement in which one of the women on the verge of a nervous breakdown finally cracks up spectacularly.”
The Guardian’s Observer – “There are three strong women at the heart of Louise Jensen’s ‘The Liar’. Their close relationship is the novel’s beating heart, and Jensen depicts with great tenderness a family struggling for money but not for love. This is a nicely put together thriller shot through with panache”.
The Daily Mail – “A twisty tale of family complexities and high-risk secrets from an author who rarely disappoints”.
It was INCREDIBLY hard to narrow down a choice of books for a ‘My Life in Books’ feature which was published in this week’s ‘My Weekly’ magazine. There are so many books! What would you have chosen?
“I was an introverted child (now an introverted adult) and always at my happiest when reading.
My primary school had a rule that you could take home one book a week, but when it became apparent I was sometimes reading one a day, and was always very careful with them, they let me borrow as many as I liked. I was captivated by the Famous Five series. The mystery. The suspense! It inspired me to write my first book. It was six pages long, stuck together with Sellotape and about a group of children who solved mysteries with their dog, called ‘The Fantastic Five’. Absolutely original…
Still at primary school, I had read everything Enid Blyton wrote several times over when I found my mum’s old copy of Little Women by Louisa M Alcott in our garage. I didn’t think I’d enjoy it, but I fell in love with the March family. I cried so much (if you’ve read it, you’ll know) and it was the first time I began to think about the different emotions stories can make you feel. It’s still my most treasured book and my comfort reread.
Teenage years brought with them an obsession with Stephen King. I’d read books where you felt sad, scared, and happy but here was a writer who made me feel all of the emotions at the same time. I still read everything he writes, although I was so traumatised after Cujo I had to have a break from him.
Teenage years also brought with them the sad realisation I’d never be an author. My school told me it wasn’t a proper career and didn’t give me any encouragement, and in a time without the internet it seemed an impossible dream.
Breakfast at Tiffany’s was something I picked up in a charity shop and within a few days I’d read it twice. I adored Truman Capote’s writing style and quickly read everything else he had written. In Cold Blood was the last, and one I kept putting off because crime terrifies me (I know, I’m a crime writer) but it really made me think about the motives behind crime. How many people one crime affects. It’s something that influences me when I write my stories.
In my thirties I had a car accident which also exacerbated a preexisting condition and I lost much of my mobility. I because depressed. I decided to try and write a short story so I had something to think about other than chronic pain. This became my debut novel, The Sister. It was while I was trying to write my first book that Claire Mackintosh released, I Let You Go. It was SO good I wished I’d written it, and I felt incredibly silly for trying to write my own. Still, at that stage, it was purely a hobby, so I forged on.
A few years ago I was in a reading slump. Reading and writing nothing but thrillers made me feel a little low. I started writing book club fiction as Amelia Henley, and as my son was studying for A’ Level literature I worked my way through the reading list with him. We buddy read a lot now. Some of our favourites are The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger, Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale and George Orwell’s 1984.”
I had been really looking forward to my research trip to the Lake District for months, until the week before when I was struck down by this nasty cough/cold virus that’s going around. I couldn’t shake it and the thought of traveling the seemingly million hours it takes to get to the Lakes, coupled with the turn in the weather meant I came so close to cancelling it.
I’m REALLY glad I didn’t.
On the way, we bought a mini Christmas tree and Christmas scented candle from the services and I spent the first few days tucked up on the sofa of my accommodation streaming Christmas movies. I never find the time at home to do this so despite feeling rubbish, I really enjoyed the lack of pressure to do anything.
Then, it was time to explore.
I wasn’t quite up to walking initially so we drove, stopping when we saw something we’d like to take photos of which was literally everything. The weather was freezing but the winter sun, the snow, those gorgeous autumn colours made it the perfect time to visit.
When I was feeling better we took a trip to Hill Top, Beatrix Potter’s house (love the Peter Rabbit stop sign outside). I was such a fan of her stories when I was younger. It was amazing to think that she wrote many (although not all) of them here.
I couldn’t resist taking a candlelight Christmas tour of Wordsworth’s gorgeous Dove Cottage. I’m obsessed with writer’s houses. The museum was fabulous, so much to read and learn. I’m looking forward to a return visit.
I sent my son a picture of Rydal cave (he’s been there) and told him I had felt well enough to climb the mountain to get there.
‘It’s not a mountain, mum,’ he immediately replied with.
‘Okay, a hill then.’
‘It’s actually more of an incline...’
Pfft, it felt like a mountain to me.
We explored lots of towns. Grasmere is my absolute favourite place. Of course I had to support their local bookshop with a few purchases, one of which I began reading by the open fire in the nearest pub.
I’ve arrived home feeling really inspired by the scenery, the weather, the people. I can’t wait to start writing.
I am THRILLED to reveal the details of my forthcoming novel, The Liar. Look at that gorgeous cover!
This will be my tenth psychological thriller (bring on the cake!) so it feels even more special than usual.
‘You trusted a stranger. Now he’s in your home…’
I have loved writing about the Abbot family and can’t wait to share more about them and the inspiration behind this book over the next few weeks.
For now, I’ll leave you with the blurb.
The Liar is available to preorder and will be released in April 2025.
The Abbotts’ new lodger Luke hasn’t told them much about himself, but they can’t expect to know everything about a stranger who’s just moved in.
Only Luke keeps asking about their family photos, and snooping through their things. Why does he want to know everything about them?
Then, suddenly, Mum Mel texts the family to say she needs a break. But Mel has never gone away on her own before. And now it’s been days and no one can get hold of her.
While daughters Jen and Amy frantically try to find their mum they’re alone with Luke. They’re scared, and they should be.
The Abbotts’ house is full of secrets and someone is prepared to go to horrifying lengths to protect them.
They say people never tell the whole truth. They’re right.
fabricating fiction 