England is in limited lockdown as I write, and non-essential shops are closed until 2 December. This means local booksellers will miss out on several of their busiest weeks of the year. The big online retailers will be fine, but our nearest bookshop is owned and run almost single-handedly by one man. Like many others, … Continue reading #SignForOurBookshops
They’re back! A new MEDICUS novella on 9 July
Many thanks to the patient friends of Ruso and Tilla who've been in touch to ask how - and indeed what - they're doing. Occasionally I get emails asking what happened in between the novels. Usually the answer is 'not much', which is why there isn't a book about it. However... some people wondered whether … Continue reading They’re back! A new MEDICUS novella on 9 July
VITA BREVIS now in paperback in the USA!
VITA BREVIS, the story of Ruso and Tilla's trip to Rome, is published in paperback in America today! Ask at your local bookshop, or find it at Barnes and Noble or Amazon. Meanwhile, also in the USA, MEDICUS - the first book in the series - is still a July Deal on Kindle. Apologies to … Continue reading VITA BREVIS now in paperback in the USA!
Tuesday on the Blog Tour – Parmenion Books
Many thanks to the excellent Robin Carter over at Parmenion Books for hosting today - a VITA BREVIS giveaway and some medical remedies you very probably haven't tried before. Or even considered.
VITA BREVIS is (almost) out in the UK!
At last! The hardback of VITA BREVIS, the story of Ruso and Tilla's trip to Rome, goes on sale in the UK tomorrow (22 September). You can read the beginning here. This publication is less nerve-wracking than usual because the book's already been released in the US and in other formats here, and I'm grateful to … Continue reading VITA BREVIS is (almost) out in the UK!
Competition fever!
There's competition fever here at Downie Towers, with the caption competition running till the end of July, plus two more chances to win goodies. Apologies to those who've heard this all before, but in case you haven't... First, a chance to stock up your summer reading bag with books of your choice, or to win … Continue reading Competition fever!
VITA BREVIS, published today – and a caption competition.
I'm delighted to announce that Ruso and Tilla's seventh adventure, set in the great city of Rome itself, is now available on an e-reader near you! Find out more about it here. If you live in the USA, Canada or Cambridge*, VITA BREVIS should also be available in a bookshop. (*The fine folk at Heffers … Continue reading VITA BREVIS, published today – and a caption competition.
How to pick a winner
Here in the Disunited Kingdom one of the latest squabbles over who's going to be Prime Minister centres on whether one candidate might have said she’d be better at the job than her rival because she has children. People are rightly asking why this is relevant, while the candidate who’s alleged to have said it … Continue reading How to pick a winner
Badly dressed for the Bard
Big thanks to Fiona and the staff at the lovely Walter Henry’s bookshop in Bideford, who marked the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death on Saturday with tea and cake and fine hospitality. The collective noun for a gathering of local readers, writers and historians should probably be ‘a gossip’ but we fell respectfully silent to … Continue reading Badly dressed for the Bard
At last… Semper Fidelis in the UK!
Finally, the untold story of Hadrian's visit to Britannia is released in print in the province! Read all about it here. If your local bookshop doesn't have a copy on the shelf, they should be able to order it. As should your local library. To the people who have been asking where it is - … Continue reading At last… Semper Fidelis in the UK!
Ruth Downie 