Blair's Newsletter

Sneak Peek - Draft of Wolfe 1 Cover

Yahoogroups went the way of the dodo bird last year while I was struggling with my broken foot, and when I recently got around to attempting to set up a new Newsletter, I ran into some road blocks, including one newsletter service that refused to answer a vital question until I had "opted in." Sigh. So until I find the right Newsletter Service, I've decided to post my newsletter here. Why not wait? Because the first book of my new - and different - series will be out before Christmas, and I'm anxious to tell everyone about it, and get your opinion. So here it is.

Something New out of the Blue

Well, at least I think it's new. After a string of Regency Gothics and Historicals and all the work that went into Making Magic With Words (the compilation of all my blogs on Writing and Editing since 2011), I was feeling the urge toward something lighter. And then came the pandemic and all the political brouhaha, and I knew the time had come to stick my neck out and write something different enough to offer a distraction from all our problems—an action tale but with strong elements of comedy, empathy, and triumph of the human spirit.

So I stole a character from The Abominable Major—Matthew Wolfe, the young man who nearly gave his life doing the major’s bidding and now, thanks to a whole slew of supporters on a hops farm in Kent, is setting his feet on a brand new path. To fame and fortune? Or renewed disaster? Only the Matthew Wolfe series of novellas can answer that.

The first book, The Making of Matthew Wolfe, has a familiar setting—Kirkwood Farm in Kent, the hops farm established by Colonel Marcus Trevor and Major Courtland Randolph to shelter the officers and troopers of the Royal 10th Hussars who needed a place to lick their wounds, both physical and mental, after long years of fighting Napoleon Bonaparte. Considering their own pain, giving shelter to a young man bruised and battered by life in London does not seem so far-fetched.

But Matthew, grateful as he is, knows he is not destined to be a hops farmer. And despite all his new friends in Kent, including a very young lady who teaches him to fish, at the end of Book 1, he will be off to London, hoping to learn more about his origins, and ready to begin a whole new set of adventures.
 

So what makes this series "different"? 

Most Regency series with a continuing central male character are mysteries. And seldom feature humor along with the action. Basically, the Matthew Wolfe series is a Rags to Riches tale, presented in classic serial-style, and with as many light touches as I could manage. How many books? I have no idea. I’m letting Matthew figure that out for himself. Hint: maybe until the 12-year-old girl in Book 1 grows up?

The final chapters of The Making of Matthew Wolfe occur at Christmas, and I expect to have the book available in time for a good Christmas read. I would be most grateful if you’d let me know what you think of this slightly off-beat approach to a Regency novel. (You don't have to wait to read it - just tell me whether or not you might be willing to give a book about the adventures of a seventeen-year-old from Seven Dials a try.) You are invited to email me at:

blairbancroft@aol.com

Other comments or complaints are also welcome. Do you have a favorite Blair Bancroft book? Maybe one that turns you off—information that’s always good to know. In the case of Matthew Wolfe, Book 1, how do you feel about a 12-year-old heroine? And after you've read The Making of Matthew Wolfe, I would be most grateful for a review on Amazon, B&N, Smashwords, or other online vendor.

Meanwhile, if you haven’t read The Lady Takes a Risk (the original tale set at Kirkwood Farm) or its sequel, The Abominable Major, you might consider them now. They are not necessary to an appreciation of the story of Matthew Wolfe, but they give more insight into the characters and events mentioned in The Making of Matthew Wolfe.

In case you missed some of my recent books, here’s a list:

Gothics
The Vicar’s Daughter
Shadows Over Greystoke Grange
 

Regency Warrior Series
The Abominable Major
The Lady Takes a Risk

Non-fiction
Making Magic With Words

 

Thanks so much for taking the time to read this first post in my new Newsletter.

All the best,
Blair