Go, sit upon the lofty hill,
And turn your eyes around,
Where waving woods and waters wild
Do hymn an autumn sound.
The summer sun is faint on them —
The summer flowers depart —
Sit still — as all transform’d to stone,
Except your musing heart.

Not mine. Written by Elizabeth Barrett Browning in 1833.

Autumn already and the weather as we say here in Scotland is dreich. This is probably my favourite Scottish word, descriptive of the weather like no other. As an author, searching for words that reflect what we are describing is not only enjoyable but a necessity in a well written sentence. Good writing is an art form and should be of the old school. Literature and art should be engaging and uplifting. Can you remember when an unmade bed was considered art – then compare it to the wonderful creations of Michaelangelo? And think of PG Wodehouse and his sublime use of language. Compare his selection of amusing stories with some of the titles you find on the shelves of book-shops today. Dreadful language and virtually no punctuation. Books should raise the use of English and not reflect the illiterate and uneducated.

Okay, that’s my rant. Now for the good news. This weekend, 27th and 28th October, MAYHEM will be promoted by Amazon on Kindle as a free download (USA version or UK version). The book is fast paced, action driven with plenty of twists to the story that will, I trust, keep the reader wanting to find out “What happens next.” That’s a good sentence to use when talking about a thriller, – “What happens next?”

I hope you like it. Please also inform any other Kindle owners about this offer. Thanks and happy reading!