London. It’s a place I dreamed of visiting after hearing the poem about Christopher Robin and Alice as a child. Do you know the one I mean? Here’s the first verse:
Buckingham Palace
by A.A. Milne
They’re changing guard at Buckingham Palace –
Christopher Robin went down with Alice.
Alice is marrying one of the guard.
"A soldier’s life is terribly hard,"
Says Alice.
Luckily I was able to persuade my husband that London was a good idea, and off we went on our overseas experience. Fast forward many years, and it was inevitable that some of my experience would find its way into my writing.
Today is the release date for Cat Burglar in Training, which is partially set in London. Eve Fawkner, my trainee cat burglar attends balls in various London locations and her receiver lives in Kensington, an area I’m familiar with since we lived there for several years.
Here are a few photos from the Kensington/Knightsbridge area. These are places Eve sees or drives past on a regular basis. (Scroll over the photos for info or click on them to enlarge.)
BTW – London was everything I dreamed it would be!
Here’s the blurb:
Eve Fawkner had no intention of following in her father’s footsteps. But when the thugs harassing him to repay his gambling debts threaten her young daughter, Eve is forced to assume the role of London’s most notorious cat burglar, The Shadow. The plan is simple: pull off a couple of heists, pay back the goons and go into permanent retirement. But things get messy during her first job when Eve witnesses a murder, stumbles across a clue that sheds some light on her past and, worst of all, falls for a cop.
Inspector Kahu Williams would be the perfect man, if Eve were looking, and if there wasn’t the little matter of their career conflict. The man is seriously hot—and hot on the trail of a murderer. A trail that keeps leading him back to Eve…
Purchase today from Carina Press
Is there a place you dreamed of visiting as a child?
Love the blurb.
When I was a kid I always wanted to visit some castles..I love castles.
Thanks, Mary. Castles always sound so romantic, don’t they? I definitely wanted to see Buckingham Palace and the guards. They were a dour lot when I finally saw them :)
Would love to see London (and other parts of the British Isles) some day, and return to France and Norway.
I’ve never visited Norway but would like to. All those fiords…
The fjords are magnificent, Shelley. My host family lived on the southwest coast, so I got to see them close up–including a moonlight cruise along the coast one night. It was amazing!
I also got to spend a day or two in both Stavanger and Oslo. There is a cathedral in Stavanger that has a GORGEOUS handcarved, painted pulpit, and the nearby Iron Age Farm was really cool, too.
That sounds lovely. I’ve always wanted to see the fiords. We have something like this down in the South Island. Maybe I’ll get there one day.
Huge congrats on the hot new book..I have always wanted to go to London…
Thanks, Savannah. This book seems to have taken a long time, although it wasn’t really, if you know what I mean.
The blurb for your book is so intruguing.
I would love to visit visit various castles and notable estates from the British Isles to Japan. That would be so much fun.
Japan sounds fascinating. Maybe one day. My nephew married a Japanese girl, although they currently live in NZ.
“Cat Burglar in Training” has to be one of the best titles ever :) Happy Release Day, Shelley.
PS. Did you have to share the photos? Now I’m coloured green with envy ;)
I’m glad you like the title. There was talk of me changing it, but after much discussion it remained :)
I love London. Makes we want to go back again! Congrats on the new release!
I love London too. Thanks very much,