'The Day of the Spider' is a sort of sequel to the debut
novel, 'One Day in May' by the author, but can be equally read as a standalone
work as it is very different, though still set in the 18th century.
The novel is primarily set in the heart of the Hambleton Hills of North
Yorkshire, though it starts off in Mansfield in Nottinghamshire where the
heroine (or should that be anti-heroine), Nellie Chapman, a sexually abused
young woman from a traditional mining family feels she has to move a long way
from her past life. She has no plans but to get away and live a life on her own
terms, an uncommon practice for a woman in the 18th century.
Despite Nellie's unlawful past, fate ensures that she seems to bear a charmed
life. You may hate her or love her; it's for you to judge and you'll find
plenty to entertain as you sit in judgement.
Amazon * Green Cat Books * Goodreads
As we all know by now, Brigadoon is a mythical, enchanted,
Scottish village that appears for only one day every century.
That day was when Jack MacGregor's parents took the leap,
together with their new born son, and opted to relocate to an 'earthlier'
environment, having the spectral pre knowledge that Jack would, one day, become
an author of note (ish).
Were he to keep residence in the village there would not be
a wide enough audience to read or even purchase his ramblings. That and the
fact that there was no such thing as 'television' or 'films' or even bookshops
in Brigadoon meant his literary career would have been somewhat stunted were he
to stay.
Jack was therefore raised in a town in Lancashire, where he
developed a strong Bolton accent and a fascination, via Pendle Hill, for
witches... oh, and The Munsters and The Addams Family.
The move also allowed his parents to spend their leisure
time holidaying in such glamorous locales as Blackpool, Fleetwood and Morecambe
- places that they had heard word of only in ancient folklore, back in the old
village. Places they could but dream of. If only they had known the reality.
Anyway, Jack's education was undertaken in an old Salesian
boys' school, or college as it was then known, where he honed the gentlemanly
skills of football, fencing, athletics, music, art and of course English
language and literature. He took no heed when it came to mathematics, physics
or Latin studies - he already knew they would be of little use to him in his
future life. And he was correct!
(Excuse me for a moment please. After returning from her
daily romp on the back field, our minx of a Springer Spaniel, Jinny (named
after a character in Jack's books) has just performed the most pungent poo
known to, well, anybody or anything, right outside the office door, and guess
who's down for cleaning it up...)
Where was I? Apart from in the shit... so, in a nutshell (or
nutcase) Jack took on many unsuitable roles after leaving college:
Lithographic printing, landscaping, butchering (no murder,
mind), music repping, DJ (he invented The Headbangers Ball, which fizzled out
when MTV nicked the name for their very own with no recompense to JM) working
in a record shop or three, owning a record shop, working as a Placement Officer
for the DHSS, then running two of the UK's finest small music venues.
From nowhere (but allegedly, China) came a mystery
'pandemic' whilst Jack was working part time as a courier - he was now a 'Key
Worker'! Ha Ha and thrice Ha!
The peace and quiet that accompanied this outrageous farce
finally gave Jack the time and head space he needed to put pen to paper (or one
finger to keyboard) and commence work on the weird and weirder tales that had
been rattling around for many a year.
He had planned much of this in the Lake District, in the
Valley of the Golden Eagles, surrounded by a multitude of darling red squirrels
and the odd faery, but when it came to finally 'getting it all down' Jack
completely ignored everything he'd planned and free-formed anew.
The only inspiration was a tiny black cat that Jack's
partner had discovered sitting smack in the middle of the crossroads, outside
their venue, one terribly stormy evening.
She brought him in and introduced him to their existing cat,
Spike, who proceeded to boss him mercilessly until he became his slave. Still
is!
That tiny black mouser was wittily christened 'Jet' and the
tale of 'Jet Splinters' unfolded around him, without plan or forethought.
Two books were picked up and published almost immediately by
Green Cat Books in the shire of Derby and the third has been a long time coming
due to real life getting in the way.
Book 3 has definitely been birthed and should be on its way
by 2026, but that's been promised for simply ages... getting Book 1: 'A Bustle
In the Hedgerow' and Book 2: 'The Shadow Cutters', under the banner of 'Jiggery
Pokery', to TV or Film is a priority, hopefully before Jack MacGregor's demise,
because he'd like to watch them too ... and that, my patient friends, brings
you all up to date.
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