I think today’s visitor is my youngest ever. She’s only thirteen and comes from Victorian London and the pages of Harriet of Hare Street by Angela Rigley. Harriet has brought a letter to her father, who has just died. I believe she wants some answers.
Dear Papa in Heaven,
I miss you so much. Why did you have to die? Mama has not told me how it happened. Not the real circumstances. She just said that you fell off a bridge. Well, dear Papa, why did you not hold on tighter? I am sorry William Henry died. We all are. But were you so upset that you jumped off? I am sure that is not the case, but some people seem to think that was what happened. Anyway, Father Lane would not have given you a Catholic burial if he thought so. I would hate to think of you burning in Hell.
What is Heaven like? I wish you could tell me. I wish… but anyway, dear Papa, I hope you are happy up there with Jesus. Say hello to him from me and tell him I vow to be a better person.
I am sure you know about the twins. Mama says William Thomas is a glutton, and she is hopeful that little Winifred will thrive, although she is still very weak. Please look after them for us, and put in a good word with God and the Virgin Mary. Have you met her yet?
Well, dear Papa, I must go. I have a job now, but you must know all about it. Do you like my window arrangements? I don’t suppose you remember teaching me how to make stars. Well, I do, and that is how I made the hanging one, covered in shiny paper, so when the light catches it, it sparkles like a real one. Just for you.
I will write again soon,
Love and kisses,
Your dutiful daughter,
Harriet.
Oh, you poor girl. I do hope things turn out well for you.
About Harriet of Hare Street
Living in a run-down area of the East end of London in the late nineteenth century is hard enough, but when thirteen-year old Harriet Harding opens the door to a stranger, who thrusts a baby into her arms, she cannot imagine how her life will change. How can she cope with a baby? And what will her parents say when they return?
You can find Harriet of Hare Street on Amazon UK or other Amazons.
About Angela Rigley
Married to Don, with five children and nine grandchildren, Angela lives in Derbyshire. Her hobbies include singing in her church choir; genealogy, having traced ancestors back to 1520; gardening; flower arranging; playing Scrabble; Sudoku; meals out; family gatherings; and, when she has any spare time she loves to read. She is the treasurer of Eastwood Writers’ Group.
Dublin, 1730
Following a lifetime at sea, John Jackson has now retired and lives in York. After thirty years of non-fiction writing, drafting safety procedures and the like, he has now turned his hand to writing fiction.
Detective Inspector Hunter Wilson knows there is a new supply of cocaine flooding his city, and he needs to find the source, but his attention is transferred to murder when a corpse is discovered in the grounds of a golf course.
Val Penny is an American author living in SW Scotland. She has two adult daughters of whom she is justly proud and lives with her husband and two cats. She has a Law degree from Edinburgh University and her MSc from Napier University. She has had many jobs including hairdresser, waitress, lawyer, banker, azalea farmer and lecturer. However she has not yet achieved either of her childhood dreams of being a ballet dancer or owning a candy store. Until those dreams come true, she has turned her hand to writing poetry, short stories and novels.
The Brotherhood – safe haven or prison?
Jo Fenton grew up in Hertfordshire. She devoured books from an early age, particularly enjoying adventure books, school stories and fantasy. She wanted to be a scientist from aged six after being given a wonderful book titled Science Can Be Fun. At eleven, she discovered Agatha Christie and Georgette Heyer, and now has an eclectic and much loved book collection cluttering her home office.
About Chasing the Case
Joan Livingston grew up on the coast of New England, where her grandparents arrived from the Azores and Madeira islands. While raising six children, she began writing in earnest when she worked as a reporter covering the rural hilltowns of Western Massachusetts. It was the start of a 30-year career as an award-winning journalist, an experience she says has paid off with realistic characters and dialogue in the fiction she creates for adult and young readers. After over a decade living in Taos, New Mexico, Joan and her husband recently returned to Western Massachusetts, which is the setting for most of her adult fiction, including her first mystery, Chasing the Case. She blogs about whatever interests her at 
About Regan – a Love Story
Henry Tobias was born in London, England, and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa where he trained as a pharmacist. As a young boy he was a member of Zionist Youth Movements in South Africa – one of the factors which influenced his decision to live in Israel. The other influence was The Holocaust – the murder of some SIX million Jews by the Nazis and their accomplices, which included citizens of many of the nations across Europe. He has a deep love of reading, especially history, particularly of World War II, The Holocaust including The Kindertransport and Jewish history throughout the ages. Some of his favourite authors are Richard Overy, Bernard Lewis and John Toland. Now retired he writes and edits. He lives in Israel with his wife of 44 years. He has three adult children and so far one beautiful granddaughter. He has so far published one anthology of eclectic short stories, ‘Just for Fun’ and is currently working on his second book, an historical novel of World War II.
This is it: Forty years ago, David Drori placed this ring on my finger and we’ve been together ever since… he and I, that is. The ring and I, too, but that’s less important.
Miriam Drori, Author 