For an up-and-coming band working the circuit in the UK, Europe, North Africa, and the Mediterranean, life was hard. They often went without food for days, most of their income went on fuel for their van. They were lucky, in that they had a manager who paid their rent and expenses out of his own pocket in the beginning, otherwise, they'd have had to have given up or starved to death.
What lengths would you go to inherit from a will? A will requiring you to fall from grace, to do something against your nature, to do something evil - would you do it, could you do it? Would you consider yourself evil, if you carried out an evil act?
A collection of Nature photos taken by me at various locations at different times. I hope you like them. x
I was sure they'd be able to hear my heart thudding at the end of the road as I closed the telephone box door behind me, piled my stash of sixpence and shillings on the shelf above the phone directory, and wiped my sweaty palms down my baggy black trousers... from Only One Woman Christina Jones Jane Risdon.
Never a dull moment in my life. In the Music business, or whatever, there was always something to inspire my writing.
Asking someone you don't really know and have never met before to sign their name and write a message for you - wherever they want it - strikes me as an odd thing to do.
If you love music, then you will enjoy a trip down memory lane with Only One Woman, and there are so many musical references, venue shoutouts, and lots to keep musicians entertained too. Guys love our novel as much as girls do.
Oh! And there is an epic love triangle at its heart.
I must have a criminal mind.
Writing about Christmas in a 'mince pie and Christmas pudding' way, isn't my style. My mind works strangely. I'd be tempted to poison the pies and pudding before feeding them to the victims in my stories. The only times Christmas appears in anything I write it has been to juxtapose the cosy atmosphere of the season of goodwill, with something horrible about to happen.
Wow, it has been a fabulous few months, and I want to thank everyone who has purchased copies of Only One Woman, and Undercover: Crime Shorts, in paperback, and eBook. Also, thank you for purchasing many of the anthologies in which I have contributed stories, some have been on sale in aid of various charities, such as Help4Heroes, The Children’s […]
The Woman Who Felt Invisible by Lizzie Chantree.
A gorgeous romantic story of love and new beginnings. Learning to love herself and be content on her own is the first step. But will Olivia be able to leave her past behind, follow her heart and find lasting happiness? A read full of humour, romance, and tear-jerking reality, from international bestselling author, Lizzie Chantree.
It has been wonderful getting out again and into the fresh air and countryside after being up inside for the last 20 months. Trees, flowers, hedges, gorgeous skies, and space - I couldn't live without them. I always take lots of photos and here are a few taken on various visits to places I love. Jane Risdon Photos
If you are enjoying Renza's diary entries, listen in to The Authors Show Channel 6 to hear an extract from her diary, and to find out more about Renza's time in Germany in 1968/1969 and how she and Stella came to fall in love with the same musician. Only One Woman is on The Authors Show Channel 6 Podcast
Hollywood 1939 and Jazz singer Sweet Sable prepares for her set with Desi Garcia's Syncopators, but first, she has an appointment with a safe and its contents. Undercover Crime Shorts by Jane Risdon
A woman is dead, and another is missing. The only person who can save her is Cassie.
With no clues and time running out, her brother, Detective Newbold, desperately needs her help. He is counting on Cassie’s clairvoyant and empathic abilities to locate Chantelle.
When Chantelle’s brother, Pedro, seeks out a psychic for help, he meets and falls for Cassie. Though he wants answers, neither Cassie nor Detective Newbold can give any, which complicates their relationship. To make matters worse, his overbearing mother adds further damage with her meddling.
Meanwhile, the killer has been caught, but he refuses to talk. Now, it’s up to Cassie to read the signs and rescue her lover’s sister.
Will she find the answers in time?
He cleaned the bathroom quickly and expertly.
The plastic sheet and forensic suit returned to his bulging briefcase he changed back into his clothes, and with a last glance around the hotel room - checking he had left no trace of his presence - he silently let himself out of the room and made his way down the back stairs to the deserted alley where his driver waited for him...
Sally Cronin: Life is Like a Mosaic...
It is fair to say Miss Lavinia Lloyd was not the most popular teacher in the girl’s grammar school she had taught in for over thirty years.
A heart-warming Christmas romance, perfect for fans of Sarah Morgan, Mandy Baggot and Milly Johnson.
The Best Christmas Ever by Karen King
The Haunted Bride Book Tour with Maggie Tideswell.
A marriage of convenience - no strings attached - suited both Holly and Joshua just fine; a virgin marriage, so that they could both walk away… But they made a crucial mistake: they didn't take chemistry into account.
September 25th you can catch me on SHOWBOAT TV reading my 100 word piece of Flash Fiction live for their EQUINOX FESTIVAL of the Spoken Word with Music, Poetry and Flash Fiction.
My Flash Fiction story is called PAYBACK.
Only One Woman is all about music - the music of the late 1960s - and how it influenced the lives of two fashionable and exciting teens - Stella and Renza.
Follow their adventures in Only One Woman, read their most secret and innermost thoughts, live the 1960s though their eyes... and ears!
Only One Woman features the bands and singers followed by the girls and many others. This novel has authentic venues and locations, celebrities and up-and-coming new groups to discover.
Undercover: Crime Shorts is back on the fabulous global podcast, The Authors Show, where I'm chatting with my lovely host, Linda Thompson, discussing my crime collection of short stories.
With more Twists and Turns than Spaghetti Junction and edge of the cliff suspense and tension...
After a string of arson fires drives migrant farm workers from their homes and threatens Millie’s daughter-in-law, Damien agrees to go undercover to infiltrate the white-supremacist, neo-Nazi militia responsible for the fires and unmask the identity of their leader.
Millie covers his absence by spreading the news that they have separated, while he travels back to Atlantic City. When Damien reappears in California, it’s in the guise of a former cop with neo-Nazi sympathies.
Left alone to run their detective agency while maintaining a brave front, Millie dives into an investigation of a friend of the new mayor of Carmel-by-the Sea, a local resident she suspects of being a Nazi war criminal in hiding.
The action is non-stop as Damien and Millie risk their lives to eradicate the spectre of violence and racism from their community.
I am chatting to my host, the lovely Linda Thompson about writing short stories, my interest and subsequent study of Forensic Science and Criminal Justice - with various online universities in the UK catering for Crime Writers... And I read from Undercover: Crime Shorts which was great fun. We chat about my previous careers in the Civil Service and the International Music Business and so much more.
I read The Ka of Gifford Hillary on the bus all the way to Leighton Buzzard. I'd spoken to Scott on the phone the night before and he was a chapter ahead of me, so I had some catching up to do. Just before I'd left the Leighton Buzzard house, a week ago, Scott and I had found two battered copies of the Dennis Wheatley book in one of the tall bookcases, and as neither of us had read it, we decided to make it a shared experience. Scott, apparently, was a massive Wheatley fan, and I'd never read any of his books before, so I was really looking forward to it.
The delightful Donna Morfett recently interviewed me via Zoom. We had quite a giggle together as we chatted about my writing, favourite and influential authors, as well as my early life working in the Ministry of Defence in Germany, transferring later to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London; oh! and how I married a musician.
We chatted about my life in the international music business, working and living in SE Asia and America, and how my experiences have influenced my crime/mystery writing, women's fiction writing, and so much more.
The Sania stayed docked in St. Peter Port in Guernsey for hours, well, maybe just over an hour - but it was driving me insane with impatience. I leaned over the side and watched people coming and going. Oh, hurry up! How long did it take to get on and off a boat for heavens sake?!
Later:
I stood up, leaning over the rails, no longer feeling sick, just starring as Scott's island took shape. I could see rocks and flower-sprigged cliffs and little white sandy bays...and then , as The Sarnia slowed towards St. Helier, the imposing sight of Fort Regent high on its granite hill, towering into the sky. I practically jumped up and down with excited anticipation. I'd made it! I was in Jersey! Almost...
Candice knew someone was out there; she could feel him. Who was watching her, and why?
Undercover: Crime Shorts by Jane Risdon
I spent a lovely day at The Vyne, which is a 16th century Tudor mansion which has been added to over the years by members of the Chute family. It is now owned by the National Trust and is situated in Sherbourne St John, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG24 9HL. It was built for Lord Sandys, Henry V111's Lord Chamberlain. Various owners of the house have been obliged to take the name Chute in order to benefit from various wills throughout the centuries. Photos on my blog. Jane Risdon
There was a bit of a stir from the cubicles and two of the young nurses appeared and shimmied across.
'We reckon you were the group appearing with Doc Holliday and the Cards, in Dunstable,' the small nurse said, excitedly.
'Yeah, dead sexy you were and we tried to see you afterwards but the bouncers wouldn't let us near...' the darker haired one giggled.
'That was us,' Josh beamed. 'And I'm gutted that you couldn't meet us after the gig. We could have given you - um -our autographs.'
'We can still do autographs,' Zac grinned, 'in exchange for phone numbers.'
To find out more and to hear me reading from another story, Apartment 206c, tune in to my podcast interview on The Authors Show, channel 4. I am chatting to my lovely host, Linda Thompson, about writing Undercover: Crime Shorts, what inspired me to write crime stories and about my life.
A group of archaeology students in northern England scrape at the soil near Hadrian’s Wall, once a barrier that divided Roman Britannia from wild Caledonian tribes. Twenty-year-old Noah makes an intriguing find, but hasn't anticipated becoming the object of desire in a developing love triangle in the isolated academic community at Vindolanda. He is living his best life, but must learn to prioritise in a race against time to solve an astounding ancient riddle, and an artefact theft, as he comes to realise his future career prospects depend on it.
Thins I Should Have Said And Done:
“I loved every second I spent reading this book and I never wanted the story to end.
A life that ended in a second and a family split from grief.
Everything can change in a heartbeat but love prevails from the other side.
Highly recommended.”
Find out more by tuning in to The Authors Show to listen to me reading a chapter from Undercover: Crime Shorts, and to hear me discussing how I came to write it, what inspired me, and how my background has given me ideas for stories.
Two girls, one rock musician. 1968 and the world is changing. Trip back and wallow in nostalgia for the music, fashion, food, the venues, the gigs, the musicians and so much more with Only One Woman. Written by those who lived it all.
Violet has a secret that could change the lives of everyone she knows and loves, especially the regulars at the run-down café bar where she works. After losing her parents at a young age, they are the closest thing she has to a family and she feels responsible for them.
Kai is a jaded music producer who has just moved outside of town. Seeking solitude from the stress of his job, he’s looking for seclusion. The only problem is he can’t seem to escape the band members and songwriters who keep showing up at his house.
When Kai wanders into the bar and Violet’s life, he accidently discovers her closely guarded secret. Can Kai help her rediscover her self-confidence or should some secrets remain undiscovered?
A few of the photos taken on my many wanders back when we were able to move around freely.
I hope they lift your spirits and make you feel happy.
Maggie Tideswell is an international bestselling author with a passion for romance. Ghosts just can't seem to leave her alone. She combines things that can't be explained, sweaty bodies, and rumpled beds in a way that will make your toes curl and your hair stand on end.
Hello - we are Renza Rossi and Stella Deacon, and like most girls in the 1960s we kept diaries. Proper written diaries – with daily entries from 1968 through to the end of the decade, chronicling our life, the fashions, the music, the excitement – and our love affairs….Which, is just as well – because although we didn’t know it, and we certainly didn’t know each other, miles apart geographically and with totally different lifestyles, we were both in love with the same boy…How this came about, the ups and downs, the laughter, the tears, the heartbreak, and how it was resolved – all played out to a 1960s background of love and peace and rock’n’roll - is covered in the amalgamation of our diaries – which we’ve put together and called ONLY ONE WOMAN. We very much hope that they’ve whetted your appetite and you’re now longing to read the rest.
I had a blast reading from Only One Woman on Chat and Spin Radio.
I chose a chapter from Renza's Diary of 20th July 1968 and I had 8 minutes in which to read it all and hopefully not sound like an express train chuntering along at speed.
Originally posted on Smorgasbord Blog Magazine:
This week my review is for Jane Risdon for her collection Undercover: Crime Shorts. About the book Under one cover for the first time a collection of Crime Shorts from Jane Risdon featuring previously unpublished stories which will have you on the edge of your seat. There is an extract from Jane’s forthcoming novel…
Only One Woman is more than a complicated and intense love story, it is a social comment on the late 1960s and features many references to the music, fashions, food and beverages, and the Cold War, the Moon landings of the era.
We nattered about Only One Woman, which is the fab novel I co-wrote with award-winning, best-selling author Christina Jones (writer of Bucolic Frolics), and which is set in the late 1960s UK music scene. A love triangle between two girls, Renza and Stella, and guitarist Scott, of Narnia's Children.
I love to go out and about taking photos. These days I use my phone camera more than a traditional camera. I thought I'd share some photos of places I visited before we went into lockdown. I love seeing the open spaces and I hope you do too.
Tom Williams is my Guest Author: In an attempt to break away from the Napoleonic wars I have been experimenting with writing some stories set in the here and now. (Well, not quite now because I find covid restrictions a bit limiting for my characters, but near enough.) And because I wanted to escape the restrictions put on an author who writes a lot about real historical events I decided to move into the world of fantasy. Hence my Halloween 2019 novella, Dark Magic, a story of supernatural intervention in the world of stage conjuring. People seemed to like it, with its rather tongue-in-cheek take on the horror genre, so I’ve produced my first full-length contemporary novel, Something Wicked.
Dave Sivers is my Guest Crime Author: Tuesday 2 March sees the publication of my novel, Die in the Dark – and, as always, I’m both excited and apprehensive. But mostly excited. It will be my tenth published title, my ninth novel, and book six in my Archer and Baines series.
Hello - we are Renza Rossi and Stella Deacon, and like most girls in the 1960s we kept diaries. Proper written diaries – with daily entries from 1968 through to the end of the decade, chronicling our life, the fashions, the music, the excitement – and our love affairs….
Which, is just as well – because although we didn’t know it, and we certainly didn’t know each other, miles apart geographically and with totally different lifestyles, we were both in love with the same boy…
How this came about, the ups and downs, the laughter, the tears, the heartbreak, and how it was resolved – all played out to a 1960s background of love and peace and rock’n’roll - is covered in the amalgamation of our diaries – which we’ve put together and called ONLY ONE WOMAN.
We very much hope that they’ve whetted your appetite and you’re now longing to read the rest…
Meantime take a look around.
We are in Paperback from Waterstones, and Amazon and available for Kindle and Kindle for PC.
With love,
Renza and Stella XXX
In December 2019 I entered into discussions with an International Literary Agent interested in representing me internationally. I hadn't even considered getting an agent, but having been approached and after doing my homework, I was prepared to give the idea consideration. One year later, after lots of discussions, I am happy to announce that on December 10th, 2020 I signed an agreement with Langtons International Literary Agency based in New York, USA. I am now represented by their founder, Linda Langton.
A bride is sent off into the unknown to marry a stranger on All Hallows Eve, October 31, 1749. What she finds on her arrival is enough to make her skin crawl.
Limping footsteps, blood-curdling screams, smoking torches, and a house on a cliff... A man she only sees in the dark, his breathing labored behind a mask.
“A betrothal is as good as the wedding vows. You cannot leave.”
“Am I your prisoner?” "You shall stay here until you bear me a child. Then you can stay or go, the choice shall be mine!"
Thanks so much for your company over the last year and for your kind and wonderful comments and posts about my writing and photos. I am glad to have stolen some sunshine to share with you all during such a horrid year.
Robbie Cheadle has published nine books for children and one poetry book. She has branched into writing for adults and young adults and, in order to clearly separate her children's books from her adult books, is writing for older readers under the name Roberta Eaton Cheadle.
Undercover: Crime Shorts is on the global author network, The Authors Show, once more, and I am chatting to my lovely host, Linda, about murder, crime, and the inspiration for my stories in my crime collection.
Originally posted on Smorgasbord Blog Magazine:
Welcome to our show and we are excited to share decades of music with you in 2022. Here is my first selection of top 1986 hits which I hope you will enjoy. Dionne Warwick and Friends – That’s what friends are for “That’s what friends are for” was written by Burt Bacharach and Carole…
Originally posted on Smorgasbord Blog Magazine:
Welcome to the round up of posts bridging the gap between 2021 and 2022… Happy New Year and wishing us all a healthy, wealthy and love filled year whatever life and opportunistic pathogens throw at us. We had a quiet Christmas and New Year with plenty of movies, good food and the occasional glass…
Originally posted on Smorgasbord Blog Magazine:
Welcome to the Christmas Breakfast Show which we hope you will enjoy. William Price King has selected three of his favourite festive tracks, and I have chosen three of mine. Thank you for joining us today and I hope your preparations are going well for Christmas Day.. here are three festive songs I hope…
Originally posted on Smorgasbord Blog Magazine:
I know that your TBR piles are in danger of collapsing with all the books that you have bought over the year but, if you would like to add a few more to the list waiting to be read then I would like to offer you one from the selection of my eBooks for…
Undercover: Crime Shorts and me
Only One Woman written by two friends
Only One Woman
Only One Woman
Signing with Langtons International Literary Agency
Undercover: Crime Shorts in paperback & eBook
Graham Bonnet Rainbow, Alcatraz, MSB and Blackmore etc
Guest Author August 2019
https://wnbnetworkwest.com/channel/6
Only One Woman
Caroline Munro with Madame Movara's Tales of Terror
Jane Risdon 
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