Category Archives: Behind the scenes with Lexi

Find out what Lexi is up to – writing, school visits, and snippets of her life.

Happy birthday Agatha

I grew up on a diet of Agatha – the books and films. To join in her week long birthday celebrations, I asked cosy crime writer and Agatha expert, Isabella Muir, about Agatha’s childhood. It turns out we share some of our favourite childhood books – I’m actually about to re-re-read The Phoenix and the Carpet. And did you know she was home educated but her sister wasn’t? Interesting. Anyway, over to Isabella …

Agatha Christie – a child of her time

Young Agatha Christie (Miller)

As we are about to celebrate the birthday of Agatha Christie – that famous Queen of Crime – I’ve been reading about her childhood – what would life have been like for the young Agatha – strange to think that she lived her first ten years in the 19thcentury!

Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller was born on 15 September 1890 into a wealthy upper-middle-class family in Torquay, Devon. She was the youngest of three children born to Frederick Alvah Miller, an affluent American stockbroker, and his Irish-born wife Clara.

Agatha’s sister, Margaret was also born in Torquay, eleven years earlier and her brother, Louis, who was born in New York, while Frederick and Clara were on a business trip, was ten years her senior. When Frederick’s father Nathaniel died, he left his daughter-in-law Clara £2000 and it was this money she used to buy ‘Ashfield’, a villa in Torquay where her third and final child, Agatha, was born.

Ashfield was a much loved spacious home, with well-kept gardens, a conservatory ‘full of wicker furniture and palm trees’ and a greenhouse.  The gardens became Agatha’s playground, as although Agatha’s sister, Margaret, was sent to Roedean School in Sussex for her education, Clara decided Agatha should receive a home education.

Clara believed that starting education too early was not a good thing, suggesting: ‘…no child should be allowed until it was eight years old, since delay was better for the eyes as well as the brain.’ (from Agatha Christie: a biography by Janet Morgan.

But Agatha had different ideas! By the time she was five years old she had taught herself to read and went on to enjoy books by Mrs Molesworth, including Christmas Tree Land(1897) and The Magic Nuts(1898). She also read the work of Edith Nesbit, including The Story of the Treasure Seekers(1899), The Phoenix and the Carpet(1903), and The Railway Children(1906). Once she was a little older, she moved on to reading the verse of Edward Lear and Lewis Carroll, which inspired her at the age of 10 to write her first poem, ‘The cowslip’.

The Cow Slip

There was once a little cowslip and a pretty flower too. But yet she cried and fretted all for a robe of blue.

Now a merry little fairy, who loved a trick to play, just changed into a nightshade, that flower without delay. The silly little nightshade thought here life a dream of bliss, yet she wondered why the butterfly came not to give his kiss.

 

Agatha grew up at a time when wealthy families employed servants. Her ‘wise and patient’nannie, ‘Nursie’, took on the main responsibility for Agatha’s upbringing in those early years, while ‘Five-course dinners were prepared daily by Jane, the cook, with a professional cook and butler hired for grand occasions…’

Nursie took Agatha off to dancing classes and her parents taught her arithmetic, which she loved, and she learned to play both the piano and the mandolin. She also had a passion for dogs – one of the earliest known photographs of Agatha depicts her as a little girl with her first dog, whom she called George Washington.

From her early years it was clear that Agatha had a love of language and a vivid imagination. Janet Morgan describes her as being ‘fascinated by words and phrases’. She had little or no contact with other children until the family decided to spend winters in Europe.  This was a time when upper middle-class families found it cheaper to let the house out in England with its cold climate, and enjoy the benefits of warmth and sunshine in southern France and Italy – even though they would be paying to stay in hotels. It was here she started to form friendships, as well as gain a good grasp of French and a love of travel that would stay with her throughout her life.

Her father was often ill, suffering from a series of heart attacks and when he died in November 1901, aged just 55, money was tight, but Clara and Agatha continued to live together in their Torquay home.

Agatha and her mother, Clara, lived a relatively comfortable life.  In her biography of Agatha’s life, Janet Morgan writes: ‘There was a comfortable order and predictability to life…her world was private and safe.[…] She was given responsibility for amusing herself and looking after her animals and birds…

However, Agatha later claimed that her father’s death marked the end of her childhood, as in 1902 she was sent to receive a formal education at Miss Guyer’s Girls School in Torquay.

Up until her father’s death Agatha and the rest of her family were fortunate to enjoy financial comfort.  Even after that time, the financial struggles they experienced were nothing compared to many during the late Victorian era who were not so lucky. This was a still a time when the fear of the workhouse loomed large for anyone who was unemployed and living in poverty.

But the spark of imagination that was evident from Agatha’s very early years led on to her prolific output of novels, short stories and poetry.  She wrote more than sixty detective novels, as well as romance under the name of Mary Westmacott and her own autobiography, which was published in 1977, after her death. She started writing as a child and continued into her eighties. No wonder then that she is said to the best-selling author of all time, outsold only by Shakespeare and the Bible.

It has been fun researching Agatha Christie’s life, which I was inspired to do as I developed my Sussex Crime series, which introduces readers to the fictional world of Janie Juke, the young librarian and amateur sleuth who sets out to solve crimes and mysteries.

It is Agatha’s wonderful detective, Hercule Poirot, that Janie Juke sets out to emulate as she develops her sleuthing talent in the sleepy seaside town of Tamarisk Bay.

This blog post is one of a series, which leads up to Agatha Christie’s birthday and national #cozymysteryday on 15th September, as I enjoy the opportunity to be Chindi’s ‘Author of the week’.  Chindi is a network of authors, both traditionally and independently published, based largely in West Sussex.   Between us we publish a wide range of books, from historical and crime fiction to romance and children’s books, from humour to self-help.

To find out more about the great Queen of Crime and help to celebrate Agatha Christie’s birthday, then look out for the other blog posts in the series:

Agatha Christie and Isabella Muir  https://isabellamuir.com/blog/

Agatha Christie and the sixties  https://patriciamosbornewriter.wordpress.com/daily-blog/

What is a cosy mystery?  https://www.carol-thomas.co.uk/blog/

The good, the bad and the ugly  https://samefacedifferentplace.wordpress.com/

Investigating the past  https://rosemarynoble.wordpress.com/

Agatha Christie and Janie Juke https://isabellamuir.com/blog/

And as a present to you, on Agatha’s behalf, I am pleased to announce that the first book in my Sussex Crimeseries – The Tapestry Bag– will be available on Kindle for just £0.99p for one week only – grab it while you can!

Plus, there’s more! You can get a free copy of her novella, “Divided We Fall“, when you join here

Isabella Muir is the author of the Sussex Crime Mystery series:

Isabella Muir 3D COVERS x 3

BOOK 1: THE TAPESTRY BAG

BOOK 2: LOST PROPERTY

BOOK 3: THE INVISIBLE CASE

Her latest novel is: THE FORGOTTEN CHILDREN

She can be contacted via:

Twitter: @SussexMysteries

Facebook: www.facebook.com/IsabellaMuirAuthor/

Website: www.isabellamuir.com

Or on Goodreads

 

 

 

Does an eccentric childhood feed a funny author?

Those of you who have been following my blog for a while will know that I’m a bit of a Robin Bennett fan, so when I spotted he’d published an autobiography, I was first in line for a copy, and I wasn’t disappointed. If you like autobiographies and are prepared to peek inside a very eccentric English upbringing, give it a go. Anyway, he very kindly agreed to answer the million and one questions I had. Here’s what we chatted about …

 

With your rather eccentric background, I’m picturing you writing in a treehouse or a bunker. Please tell me you don’t write at a very boring desk in a very boring office!

Out of necessity, I’ve trained myself to write pretty much anywhere and everywhere: airports, trains, pubs and, once, three days at Reading Crown Court. A large chunk of my writing is currently carried out lying full length on the backseat of the car whilst I wait for children to finish clubs.

Given you hop between fiction and non-fiction, kids and grown-ups, what should we expect next?

I’m just finishing up on a (mainly) rhyming book inspired by Boewulf and Hunting of the Snark (it is called ‘Lief the Lesser and Hell’). It’s set about 10,000 years ago when the land mass between modern Europe and the British Isles was swept away by a tsunami. It is about the journey a boy and a girl take when they end up on a log together and wash up in what would be today’s Kent. Neither like each other much. Until they do.

Any plans to do an audiobook? Would you narrate it yourself?

I was asked but scheduling was tricky over the summer, so it might be for early 2020. I’d love to have a crack at narrating myself.

Some of your fictional characters are a bit bonkers. Are any of them inspired by your family?  And if so, do your family know!?

Ha ha! A lot of my characters are based on family, but I honestly don’t think they would notice. I think the thing is most of them see themselves as very normal, which is what makes it so funny (some of the time).

Would you share a childhood photo of yourself, ideally in a sinking fishing boat, clutching a rather unfortunate duck? I know this might require a trip to the attic so you may be gone for a while but I’ve got my fingers crossed you reappear eventually.

I’ll do my best, although a combination of boarding school and parents who did not go in for pictures much means I have very little. This is me with my big brother, Charles ,who is holding Judy, the Cairn terrier who was partner-in-crime (and often instigator-in chief) for most of the things we got up to.

Mums Book Blast - 1. charles me and our cairn judy

I have to say, I approve of his dog – here’s my Cairn terrier looking like butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth.

Lexi's dog

 

If you’d like to check out the book, here’s the details …

Blurb: If life gives you lemons, add gin

Life’s a Banquet is the unofficial but essential ‘guide book’ to negotiating your way through life – through education, family life and business, to relationships, marriage, failure and rejection.

Aged 21, Robin Bennett was set to become a cavalry officer and aged 21 and a half, he found himself working as an assistant grave digger in South London – wondering where it had all gone wrong.

Determined to succeed, he went on and founded The Bennett Group, aged 23, and since then has gone on to start and run over a dozen successful businesses in a variety of areas from dog-sitting to cigars, translation to home tuition. In 2003, Robin was recognised in Who’s Who as one of the UK’s most successful business initiators. Catapulting readers through his colourful life and career, Robin Bennett’s memoir is an inspiring tale.

 

Purchase Links:

UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lifes-Banquet-Robin-Bennett/dp/1912881683

US– https://www.amazon.com/Lifes-Banquet-Robin-Bennett/dp/1912881683

 

Biography

robin_bennett_author_entrepreneur

Robin Bennett lives in Henley on Thames, Oxon. He is an author and entrepreneur who has written several books for children and books on the swashbuckling world of business. His documentary, Fantastic Britain, about the British obsession with magic and folklore, won best foreign feature at the Hollywood International Independent Documentary Awards.

 

Robin says, “When the world seems to be precarious and cruel, remember that the game is to never give up – there’s everything to play for, and it will all be OK.”

Perfect for pony mad readers

A few years ago I had a mid-life crisis, and decided to learn how to ride. I’d ridden occasionally as a kid, and dreamt of having my own pony, but it never happened. So one day I came home and admitted to my other half that I’d “accidentally” bought a horse. It’s very easy to do, I promise! Anyway, I was looking through a collection of my favourite books from when I was young and, even though I didn’t ride regularly then, it turns out they all have a horse on the cover. I really was a pony-less pony-mad youngster.

Anyway, I’m now enjoying catching up on all those missed years of Pony Club. So when I saw Tabby’s Big Year, I was first in the queue for a copy and begging for an interview!

This is a properly horsey book. Lovely, kind, hard-working characters (with the exception of the baddie, of course), an idyllic setting and a classic horsey plot. There is a lot of information about horse care and exercising so it may bore a non-horsey youngster, but it was so carefully and accurately written that I devoured it and I bet any pony-mad youngster would too.

It is a sequel, but I read it as a stand-alone with no issues.

Here is my chat with the author, Hollie Anne Marsh. No surprises, but it’s about horses … and books … and more horses!

I see you’re now based in Barcelona. Have you tried riding in traditional Spanish tack?

No, I haven’t! I have been down to Seville in Andalucía a few times for dressage training and even here in Barcelona, I have ridden quite a few Spanish horses though – they are quite willing, comfortable to ride and have wonderful temperaments generally.

What’s your first horsey memory?

One of my first memories is riding my friend’s pony bareback and galloping him from the paddock gate to the feed shed. We would take turns and do this most days cheering each other on!

What are your top tips for parents of horse-mad children?

I think you shouldn’t force your children to ride. I was desperate to ride since the age of eight and I worked at the riding school to have weekly lessons. When I was fourteen, I got a part-time job so I could loan a pony. Since then horses were a motivation for me to be responsible and make a decent living. My friend that got me into horses, it was her mother that really wanted her to ride versus her… and my friend doesn’t ride now. I also think once kids are old enough, make sure they take some responsibility for their horses they ride eg grooming, cleaning the stable or paddock.

Have you sat your baby boy on a pony yet? We’d love a pic!

Yes. The first time he went alone he was scared and cried on my friends’ pony. The second time though he was smiling and looked quite proud of himself – probably after watching his mummy ride all the time. He also has had a sit on my horse Frieda once with me and another time tried to ride my instructor’s dog trying to imitate me!

Do you think there’s more we could we do to encourage boys into riding? (My son is the only boy in our Pony Club).

It’s funny in Spain there are loads of boys and men that ride. Riding is quite macho and different to the UK, or Australia where I am originally from. In the UK or Australia, the boys seem more interested in adrenalin or team/ball sports. I think the fun and exciting factor is a drawcard… also, team sports like horse ball could encourage them more. In Spain, they have a big horse ball scene actually.

Other than your own books, what are your top 3 books for horse-mad children?

I read Amanda Will’s Riverdale Story for the first time recently and I think it might just be my favourite modern pony book. She is a talented writer; her characters seem authentic and the story is a page-turner. I used to love Flambards when I was younger as it seemed so exotic and fascinating to me – the old English world of hunting (although also a bit cold and cruel). I was also was a bit obsessed with the Saddle Club series as it featured not only horses but ‘coming of age’ themes.

Which of your real horses inspired the horses in your books?

In Tabby’s Big Year, Tabby’s young horse Bliss is based on my horse now, Frieda. She is a 7-year-old, 16.2hand Oldenburg mare that I am training for dressage. I’ve used many names from horses I have known in Sweetbriars. Violet’s horse Spot is based on my last horse in Australia – although I made him Andalusian in the book, however, he has the same kind temperament and dark grey colour, with a peculiar white spot on his hindquarters.

I see a proportion of sales from the first book in the series goes to the RDA. That’s wonderful. Are you doing the same for the second book?

Well, the agreement was that I would contribute once I made a profit with the books, and despite it selling well on Amazon for its genre, I am still yet to make a profit. But I have made a personal donation to them. I hope that one day the series grows bigger (as it’s still in its infancy) then I can donate to the RDA in a bigger way.

Last q, and it’s really important! Who would you want to ride with – the Dothraki warriors in Game of Thrones or the Rohirrim in Lord of the Rings?

I think the Dothraki warriors – I just read that they have such a strong bond with horses, that they are born, fight, and die in the saddle. That sounds cool!

The blurb

After Tabby’s father vanishes, a deep rift develops in Tabby’s family. Tabby’s mother is focused on being a star performer in her pharmaceutical sales career, while Ava, Tabby’s older sister, is living with grandparents in Cornwall. Tabby feels neglected by her mother and jealous of Ava and although outwardly diligent and responsible, she’s like a kettle about to blow its top… bottling things up until it’s nearly impossible to keep a lid on her frustration and sadness.

Tabby finds solace with her best friends Cate and Violet at Sweetbriars Farm where she is nursing her dream horse Bliss back to peak performance, to be able to participate in the try-outs for the British Young Riders Squad.

Tabby also finds herself facing other challenges – saving her beloved horse Nancy from the knacker’s yard and finding the courage to tell her friends the truth about her family.
Will Tabby be able to save the horses she loves and be brave enough to tell people how she really feels?

Biography

Hollie Anne Marsh is an Australian author who lives in Barcelona, Spain with her partner, baby boy and horse Frieda.

Hollie has been horse riding since she was a little girl, enjoying activities such as Pony Club, showjumping, eventing, and trail-riding in the great Australian bush. Hollie lived in England for almost ten years where she had two horses and trained them for dressage.

The Sweetbriars series is inspired by all the special moments Hollie spent with horses – good, funny, and challenging moments!

Additionally the ‘coming of age’ and ‘growing up’ experiences that Hollie had.
Hollie hopes that readers will be able to identify with the characters, find the books fun to read, and they will help readers learn more about horses.

Website: www.sweetbriarsfarm.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hellosweetbriars/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hollieannemarsh/

Twitter:https://twitter.com/Hollieannemarsh

Purchase Links:

UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tabbys-Big-Year-Equestrian-Sweetbriars-ebook/dp/B07STMZZ9J/

US – https://www.amazon.com/Tabbys-Big-Year-Equestrian-Sweetbriars-ebook/dp/B07STMZZ9J/

Top secret stuff from the amazing Celine Kiernan

I cannot begin to tell you how excited I am to have the fabulous Celine Kiernan on my blog today. I read Begone The Raggedy Witches last year, and absolutely loved it. And the sequel, The Little Grey Girl, was published recently.

She gets described by the press as “Ireland’s answer to JK Rowling”, but I really don’t think this does her justice. She has a magical quality to her writing – I’m more in the world of CS Lewis and E Nesbit.

Anyway, we had a little chat, although she did have to vanish up into the attic for a while in the middle, and here it is. How she didn’t end up a crime writer is beyond me – you’ll see what I mean!

What kind of stories did you write as a child?

Weird, dark, spooky stories, such as the one about the murderously xenophobic astronaut trapped on a crippled ship with the ghosts of the crew they poisoned and the hapless alien hitchhiker who was their intended victim.
Could you share a childhood pic of yourself, or your early writing, if by some lucky chance they’re still shoved in your parent’s attic?

Oh boy…
Me as a kid:
thumbnail_IMG_20180101_135759

You just sent me off on a very dusty hunt to look for some school day’s writing (If I have an asthma attack, it’ll be your fault)
I had an idea that I might have had some old copybooks in a trunk in my husband’s office, but in fact I turned out to have a wee folder of typed stories! My mam and dad bought me a huge old second-hand dinosaur of a typewriter when I was about 12, and I used to tippy-tap away at the kitchen table almost every night. Here are sections from a few of my stories (including the murderous astronaut one!) It’s hard for me to believe I wrote these as a child. They seem far more mature than I recall myself being.
And a tough one: the Magic Faraway tree or Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland?

Alice in Wonderland every damned time (though I prefer Alice Through the Looking Glass!)
What are your top tips for children wanting to develop their writing skills?

Don’t worry about what you think other people want to read, find a story that you want to tell. Write that story without fear or worry or shyness. Be true to yourself and what you want to say. Everything else – spelling, grammar, punctuation, all that stuff – can be learned or fixed later: even if you’re dyslexic ( I know, because I am dyslexic)

 

Eternal Seas Audio book launch!

You may have spotted that Eternal Seas has been made into an audiobook narrated by the very talented Chris Dickins. If you haven’t seen it already, here is a taster for you …

It’s just been on tour and got so many amazing reviews that Chris and I have both been overwhelmed! A huge thanks to all the bloggers who participated 🙂

Here are just a few snippets, but if you’d like to read the full reviews, the links are below.

“Five stars from me – a thoroughly enjoyable story and a well written fantasy novel that suits an audio book perfectly – very highly recommended!!” Donna’s Book Blog

“I had thoroughly enjoyed reading the e-book version of this story and was intrigued to discover if I’d enjoy the audiobook version as much – and I did! … he is very talented at bringing the story to life in the imagination of his listeners. He uses his voice to make it clear just which character is talking and his use of expression, intonation and volume is exemplary. I can easily imagine children being as enthralled as I was by how he relates the story and events, capturing you and taking you into the heart of the action packed adventure.” Splashes Into Books

“I absolutely adored this audiobook for children aged 7-12 (ish).  I think it’s a brilliant introduction to fantasy writing for young children …. The audio itself was extremely well narrated, by Christopher Dickins, who did a brilliant job of using a range of voices so the characters can be distinguished between easily – I feel this is important for young children who find it more difficult to focus on audio. ” Like Herding Cats

“There is a an ease and sense of geniality to his voice that is extremely pleasant. His voice work is great, providing a nice cast of characters. His work is extremely similar to that of David Tennant. Tennant, often recognized for his work on Broadchurch or Doctor Who, is a truly wonderful narrator and voice actor. Dickens, at times, sounds eerily similar and with equal skill.” World Geekly News

“when the sleep timer kicked in, I was still wide awake and ended up just setting another timer so I could keep listening. The audiobook was as hard to turn off as the book was to put down when I read it. Chris Dickins was the perfect choice – he is certainly talented when it comes to different voices. He really injected the full sense of adventure into the story, and I just felt swept along with it.” Mai’s Musings

“The narrator was really great! He gave each character a really distinctive voice, which is an element of audiobook narrating that can be done really well or really… not. But this narrator got nicely into the heads of the characters, and portrayed their attitudes through their words. It builds up a lovely picture of the characters and scene when the narrator does their job well, and I’ll always be appreciative of a good narrator!” The Treasure Within

“a nice easy listen to fill a couple of hours. Something you can so easily lose yourself in, it brings a smile to your face as you are swept up along the way.” Zooloo’s Book Diary

“Christopher Dickens has a pleasant, easy to follow voice, perfect for this genre and age range. He conveys the change in characters and atmosphere well and does so in a way where you know which character is speaking before the speech tag comes – a fantastic quality in a narrator. I don’t have kids, but I found Mr Dickens relaxing, and a great storyteller.” Radzy Writes & Reviews

“the narrator is easy to listen to and his voice doesn’t sound too mature to be narrating from the point of view of a 12 year old boy.” Birdies Bibliotecha

“a brilliant book which is very well narrated” Black Books

“This is one of the best audiobook narraters I’ve come across. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for more audiobooks from him, and of course for more books in this series.” This is my bookshelf

Here are the links to all the reviews.

Radzy Writes http://www.vainradical.co.uk/blogs/eternal-seas-blog-blitz/
Zooloo’s Book Diary http://zooloosbookdiary.co.uk/audiobookreview-of-eternal-seas-by-lexi-rees-rararesources
Herding Cats https://likeherdingcatsblog.wordpress.com/2019/04/23/eternal-seas-by-lexi-rees-audiobook-tour/
World Geekly News http://worldgeeklynews.com/books/eternal-seas-book-review
The Treasure Within https://thetreasurewithinblog.wordpress.com/2019/04/23/eternal-seas-a-sea-faring-adventure-story-blog-blitz/
donnasbookblog https://donnasbookblog.wordpress.com/2019/04/23/blogtour-bookreview-for-eternal-seas-by-lexi-rees/
Birdie’s Bibliotheca https://birdiesbibliotheca.com/2019/04/23/eternal-seas-a-review/
Splashes Into Books https://splashesintobooks.wordpress.com/2019/04/23/eternal-seas/
Mai’s Musings https://maitaylor567291325.wordpress.com/2019/04/23/eternal-seas-lexi-rees-audiobook/
This Is My Bookshelf https://thisismybookshelfblog.wordpress.com/2019/04/23/blog-tour-eternal-seas/

 

Huge thanks again to everyone, and to Rachel’s Random Resources for hosting the tour!