• Jodi writing about The Odyssey and upcoming books

• An exclusive audio extract from A Family Affair

• Get Jodi’s books on Kindle Unlimited

• A new guest feature: Travelling With Cheese by St…

Read more

• Jodi is writing about the upside of being a bestselling author (or moderately well-known, as she prefers to say).

• A new guest feature: The Time Tourist by Essie Foxford - Tripadvisor style reviews of historical events

• Get Jodi’s books on Kindle Unlimited

• Win a SIGNED hardback and one-of-a-kind signed print when you pre-order A Family Affair by Jodi Taylor

• NEW! Writing Competition - write a short play to be performed at Jodiworld

• Short Story of the Month: Christmas Past

  There’s plenty to read this week and you can see everything on the blog too. CLICK HERE for the blog.

Someone once asked me – what’s the upside of being a bestselling author?

There was a bit of a pause while we discussed the term bestselling, finally settling on moderately well-known. Sorry, but I can’t help it. I find it hard to think of myself as an author, let alone a bestselling author. Moderately well-known was the compromise.

Anyway, to answer the question:

I think the biggest – and certainly the most unexpected upside – is when people tell me my books have helped them through dark times. That they’ve made a difference to their lives. Like most people I find it hard to believe that something I have done could actually make a difference. And for the better, as well. And to the lives of people I haven’t ever met. I think anyone would find that difficult to take on board. We all donate to the charities of our choice, or perhaps do a little voluntary work every now and then, but actually, to have a specific action help someone you’ve never met – to shine a little light in a dark time – is quite hard to believe.

I don’t know why I’m so surprised – we all have times when things don’t go well for us. Days when we just don’t want to get out of bed and face the world. It’s happened to me once or twice and I always found great comfort in the stories of Georgette Heyer. They’re well written and light and witty and fun. Yes, there’s always the happy ending but it was the journey to that happy ending that was so important to me. Her books made such a difference to my life but I can honestly say that at no point did I ever, ever think I would be in a position to pay back my debt. So yes, I think that’s always the thing that comes to mind first when I’m asked about the benefits of being moderately well-known.

Something much more petty now. People ask me if I’ve always wanted to write and the answer is no. Writing got me into an enormous amount of trouble at school. When commanded to submit an entry for the school poetry competition I wrote about cannibalism (I still am, actually. Just wait until you read Home in Time for Tea, a new St Mary’s short story in the Short on Time anthology out in May 2027). That did not go down well. My essays were continually red-lined for using slang or poor English and frequently emblazoned with the dreaded See Me. Presumably in the eyes of the educational establishments of the mid 1960s, everyone spoke in perfectly constructed and grammatically correct English. Which, let me tell you – we didn’t. I can see the point of that in academic essays, but in children’s stories … Wouldn’t it be nice if one of the benefits of being moderately well-known was to be able to go back in time and say, ‘See. I was right and you were wrong. And what’s wrong with cannibalism anyway?’

Petty revenge aside, I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to two wonderful history teachers – Miss Tregaskes and Mrs Allison – who ignored my trouble-making ways and did so much to foster my love of History.

Moving on to a fun benefit – being moderately well-known has given me an excellent excuse for talking to myself. Even in public. I tell people I’m not going mad – although the consensus is that I am – I’m simply working on dialogue. Or character development. I am also now permitted to stare out of the window for long periods of time – something parents, teachers and employers found particularly irritating – but these days I’m not daydreaming; I’m simply working out a complicated plot. Best of all, I don’t have to go outside if I don’t want to. I can stay inside and work on my story and everyone’s happy. Deadlines darling! So useful.

What else? Oh yes – I can finally justify buying so many books. Because they’re not for me – not as such – they’re for research. Or reviewing. Or monitoring trends in other genres. Or following favourite authors. Keeping abreast of my chosen profession, anyway and all perfectly legitimate.

Next one – occasionally I’m recognised in the street. I do tend to start nervously and shy backwards but once we’ve established that I don’t owe anyone any money, I’m delightful. And writing is quite a lonely profession. Just me, my laptop, Matt and Hotel Chocolat, plus whatever’s in my head at the moment, so it’s lovely to be able to have a chat with a real person.

Oh – this is a good one. My family have finally stopped asking me when I’m going to get a proper job. They’ve finally accepted that this is what I do for a living. Not that any of them have read my books – other than my mum, of course. Occasionally, just for fun, I ask them what they thought of my last book and watch them panic and struggle for an answer or run away. Christmas lunch is always good fun because unless they’re willing to abandon good food and drink, they have to stay put and try to think of something to say. There’s always a slight smell of burning when that happens. And then they start passing each other Brussels sprouts like they’re going out of fashion. Would you believe that when it comes to choosing between either Brussels sprouts or conversation with me, they choose the sprouts?

And speaking of my lovely readers – which I was several paragraphs ago for anyone who’s dropped off. I am continually surprised and delighted to discover that not only are my readers utterly bonkers but also extraordinary knowledgeable. I wonder if the two are connected. I do know that I have never appealed for assistance in vain. Whether ancient Anglo-Saxon phrases, how horseboxes work, gas fires, the Welsh language, hydraulic engineering, what do snipers wear, sex clubs, how to murder someone with a helicopter, or how to cause a condom to explode – there’s always someone out there willing to help, so please let me say thank you to everyone who has taken the time and trouble to assist me in my quest for strange and bizarre information. Yes – you know who you are.

And please don’t worry – your secrets are safe with me. In the event of my death my family are under strict instructions to step over my lifeless body and delete my browser history before calling the ambulance, so you can all sleep soundly tonight.

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Get Jodi’s books on Kindle Unlimited

Over the next couple of weeks, the St Mary’s and Time Police books will be available on Kindle Unlimited in the UK, USA and Australia - yes, we heard you down there! This will not prevent them being available on other retailers platforms.

They are already available in the UK. CLICK HERE to enjoy a 30 day free trial for Kindle Unlimited in the UK.

The Time Tourist - The only travel guide guaranteed to be out of date by Essie Foxford

Thomas Cook’s Great Exhibition Excursion (1851)

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

First Impressions

How else to begin my travels than with one of the world’s first package holidays? Mr Cook certainly knows his business. The ticket includes rail travel to Hyde Park, admission to the Exhibition and even refreshments. One simply turns up and enjoys the day. No online booking forms, no hidden extras, and nobody trying to sell me travel insurance because “you never know”.

Getting there

What the train lacks in suspension, it makes up for in punctuality and the enthusiasm of my fellow travellers, many of whom had never travelled by rail before. My only complaint? Apparently the rest of Britain has booked the same excursion.

Attractions

The Crystal Palace is extraordinary. A vast conservatory of glass and iron, filled with inventions, machinery and curiosities from around the world. If you’ve ever wondered what can be improved by adding steam, this is the place to find out. It’s noisy, crowded and worth every minute you have to spare.

Surprisingly, the attraction everyone seems determined to discuss, isn’t the machinery or even the underwhelming Koh-i-Noor. It’s the public retiring rooms.

For the modest sum of one penny, visitors can make use of the flushing toilets and receive a complimentary towel, comb and shoe shine. Money well spent. In every sense.

Overall Verdict

Highly recommended but leave room in your luggage. I only intended to buy a guidebook. Instead, I left with commemorative china, a paperweight and a new appreciation for Victorian salesmanship.

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In “No Time Like the Past” by Jodi Taylor, Max and the team from St Mary’s Institute of Historical Research jump back to Victorian London and The Great Exhibition at Crystal Palace. READ MORE here.

Would you like to write a guest post for the newsletter? We'd love to hear from you. Whether it's history, travel, a book review or a humorous anecdote, please send a brief outline of your idea to hazel@rushford.ltd. We can't wait to read it!

The Ballad of Smallhope and Pennyroyal has been selected for a July Kindle Monthly Deal in both the UK and the US - hooray! If you haven’t read the first book in the series then now is the time at just 99p or 99 cents.

CLICK HERE for UK CLICK HERE for USA

Win a SIGNED hardback and one-of-a-kind signed print when you pre-order A Family Affair by Jodi Taylor

Everyone’s favourite time-travelling bounty hunters are back in A Family Affair, the twisty and hilarious new Smallhope & Pennyroyal adventure!

We are offering one lucky fan the chance to win a hardback copy of A Family Affair and a one-of-a-kind A4 art print, both signed by Jodi Taylor herself.

To enter the prize draw, simply pre-order your copy of A Family Affair in any format, from any UK retailer of your choice, and upload your proof of purchase via the link below. You’ll be automatically entered. Good luck!

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

New Writing Competition! Write a short play to be performed at Jodiworld

This is your chance to put words into the mouths of two figures from history — and add a little Jodi Taylor chaos to the mix.

The Brief
Your play must feature two historical figures meeting for afternoon tea. What they talk about, argue about, or discover they have in common is entirely up to you.
The play must be set within or make use of one or more of Jodi Taylor’s fictional universes.
​Entries may be comic, dramatic, heartfelt, chaotic, or any combination thereof — but should feel at home within the spirit of Jodi Taylor’s worlds.

Read more...

Christmas Past - available for Kindle and is included in Long Story Short anthology

The First Farrell Family Christmas.

Max, Leon, and their son Matthew prepare to celebrate their first Christmas together at St Mary’s—a season known for extravagant feasts, spirited antics, and the traditional, albeit unauthorised, festive time jump. This year, the adventure becomes a family affair.

Max takes Matthew on a journey back to 19th-century London to deliver a parcel of Christmas cheer to his former companions. However, their plans lead them into a confrontation with the formidable Old Ma Scrope, adding an unexpected twist to their excursion. Despite the pain of the past, they discover that goodwill and family ties can transcend time itself.

• Jodi writing about Giant anacondas, cosseted laptops, mice, mossies and the Hot Tub from Hell.

• Join Jodi Taylor at Waterstones, Gloucester on 1st August
  This event was sold out but 20 extra tickets have been made available.

• Win a SIGNED hardback and one-of-a-kind signed print when you pre-order A Family Affair by Jodi Taylor

• The Great Recovery Job - grab a ticket now

• NEW! Writing Competition - write a short play to be performed at Jodiworld

• Short Story of the Month: Christmas Past

  There’s plenty to read this week and you can see everything on the blog too. CLICK HERE for the blog.

Giant anacondas, cosseted laptops, mice, mossies and the Hot Tub from Hell.

In a vague attempt to be topical, I’m calling this snippet Writing in Hot Weather.

Actually, I’m mostly OK. Believe it or not, my laptop suffers more than I do. I’ve had to buy a cooling pad for it, and it has its own dedicated fan – unlike me. I do know from experience in Turkey that laptops can become quite unreliable when temperatures exceed 32 degrees, but on the other hand, it was a fast-failing laptop that forced me to make Just One Damned Thing After Another free of charge for Smashwords readers – and look how that turned out.

I have a different laptop these days – they don’t last very long with me – the delete key fell off the last one, and the one before that developed terminal screen lag, and the one before that went insane. I’m treating this one a little more gently and so far, it’s being reasonably cooperative.

Fortunately, my flat faces north – something I curse in winter as I don yet another layer of thermals – and I’m growing bug-eyed because there’s no natural light – but it’s a blessing in this weather. And I’ve revived my old Turkey tricks – socks in the freezer – homemade air-con unit – and sleeping under a frozen towel. I’d like to report all are working well, but they’re not, so I can’t.

And I know it’s a good idea to stay hydrated and not wait until actually going blind before stepping away from the screen, but that doesn’t always happen. Very rarely happens. Doesn’t happen at all. Make a note – must do better.

Other than that, writing in hot weather isn’t much different from writing in cold weather. Just a bit stickier. And with less shivering. Let’s face it – in this country, there’s only about three days in any one year when the weather is perfect anyway. The rest is too hot, too cold, too wet, too dry, too windy, too sunny, too dull … we never run out of complaints about the weather.

Moving on – the holiday. Which can basically be summed up by the phrase – hot tub with alcohol. I had a lovely message from my editor wishing me a happy holiday and telling me she once nearly drowned in a hot tub. Yes, alcohol was involved. Fortunately, she was kept more or less upright by her fellow hot-tubees.

I should have been so lucky!

Hot tub virgin here. I had no idea what to expect. I climbed in – they’re very tall, aren’t they? We had steps into ours – and made myself comfortable. The brother was in charge of the controls – that’s the other brother, not the eminent author brother – and he said, ‘Shall we have the jets on?’

Not having the faintest idea what he was talking about, I indicated, ‘Yes – jet away, bro,’ and the next minute I was over the other side of the tub, bouncing off the side, legs in the air, to be caught in another set of jets, whirled around the other way, arms flailing, slowly and not very quietly drowning.

And unlike my dear editor, there were no helpful friends to keep me afloat. No one made the slightest attempt to keep me upright. Although, to be fair, I was now orbiting the tub at near escape velocity, and they probably couldn’t get a grip. An occasional leg would break the surface and then I’d disappear into the depths again. Hot tubs are unnecessarily deep.

And they’re no friend to short people, either. Even when the water was more or less at rest it was lapping the bottom of my nose but when the other brother thought it would be fun to run through the various functions – bubbles, jets, currents, whirlpool, tidal wave, Scylla and Charybdis – I was simply washed straight off my seat and fighting for my life on the storm-tossed Sea of Hot-Tub.

I did not, however, suffer alone. Surfacing briefly for air, I discovered my sister-in-law enveloped by flying ants. And I do mean enveloped. Every flying ant in Devon was using her as a landing pad. They’d been woken by my wails of terror, I suspect. Obviously, they ignored the other brother, and I was underwater most of the time, so Sharon was their victim of choice. Steve had just one ant balanced on top of his head. It stayed there all night, obviously perfectly happy with its pink, shiny surroundings. I suppose we could have mentioned it, but I was bobbing around looking for a safe mooring, and Sharon was semaphoring distress on all frequencies, so we didn’t really have the time.

Nor were our sufferings over with.

Our lovely cabin was in the depths of the countryside. Eucalyptus trees – more about them later – and mice. We had a mouse. It widdled on the giant box of Hotel Chocolate choccies we’d brought with us in case Devon had run out. It ate the Doritos. And then it started on the microwave cable.

I should say at this point that I wasn’t present for any of this. I was in bed recovering from hot tub trauma. Sharon, in no good mood because she’d been woken by a mossie – she’s mossie central – became aware of the sound of chewing in the kitchen. Not human chewing, I hasten to add. Getting up to investigate she discovered the mouse, making substantial inroads into vital supplies.

Her subsequent attempts to corner the mouse woke the other brother – I slept through everything, so I can’t describe the carnage – and they pursued an obviously feral and super-intelligent mouse around the kitchen. Very unsuccessfully, I should tell you. They both managed to injure themselves quite substantially and do a fair amount of damage to the kitchen, as well. Eventually, the mouse got bored and, with a contemptuous flick of its tail, disappeared behind the tumble dryer.

All this was recounted at breakfast. I probably could have been more sympathetic.

Further holiday highlights included an orange elephant, the eating habits of koala bears, molten temperatures, the other brother’s attempts to kill me by dragging me to the top of Hay Tor, paddling in the sea at Teignmouth, wonderful scenery, and a lot of food.

I mentioned the eucalyptus forest, didn’t I? Owned and managed by our kind host, who supplies zoos in this country and Europe with eucalyptus leaves for koala bears. He was telling us about all the different varieties he has to grow because they all like different flavours. And there’s no guarantee they won’t suddenly go off one type of leaf, and he has to supply something different. Picky!

And there was a snake in the duck pond. Sadly, I never got to see it, which was a shame because I like snakes. Just a small one, apparently, so those of you imagining a thirty-foot anaconda will be as disappointed as I was. There’s a sad lack of giant anacondas in this country.

Fun Fact, courtesy of Mr Markham: If you have the misfortune to be swallowed by a giant anaconda and it enjoyed the experience – yum, tasty – then they can regurgitate you and eat you all over again. Isn’t that interesting?

Sadly, the holiday is now over and I have to return – somewhat soggily – to work. I’d manage to type THE END for Well, That Could Have Gone Better, although that’s only the end of the first draft. Now I have to go through and lose about ten thousand words so that it resembles an actual book and not a series of incoherent ramblings – rather like this week’s Substack offering.

Stay frosty peeps!

That was an attempt to render myself relevant to young people and today’s modern world. Please do not be alarmed – I shan’t be doing that again.

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This event was sold out but 20 extra tickets have been made available.

Join bestselling author Jodi Taylor for a special evening celebrating the launch of A Family Affair, the second novel in her delightful Smallhope & Pennyroyal series.

Jodi will be talking about the inspiration behind the book, reading an exclusive extract from A Family Affair, and answering your questions in a lively Q&A session. Whether you’re a long-time fan of The Chronicles of St Mary’s or discovering Amelia Smallhope and Pennyroyal for the first time, this promises to be an entertaining evening full of humour, history and storytelling.

After the event, you’ll have the opportunity to meet Jodi during a book signing, with signed copies of A Family Affair and other titles available to purchase.

We look forward to welcoming you for what promises to be a memorable evening.

Buy tickets

Would you like to write a guest post for the newsletter? We'd love to hear from you. Whether it's history, travel, a book review or a humorous anecdote, please send a brief outline of your idea to hazel@rushford.ltd. We can't wait to read it!

The Ballad of Smallhope and Pennyroyal has been selected for a July Kindle Monthly Deal in both the UK and the US - hooray! If you haven’t read the first book in the series then now is the time at just 99p or 99 cents.

CLICK HERE for UK CLICK HERE for USA

Win a SIGNED hardback and one-of-a-kind signed print when you pre-order A Family Affair by Jodi Taylor

Everyone’s favourite time-travelling bounty hunters are back in A Family Affair, the twisty and hilarious new Smallhope & Pennyroyal adventure!

We are offering one lucky fan the chance to win a hardback copy of A Family Affair and a one-of-a-kind A4 art print, both signed by Jodi Taylor herself.

To enter the prize draw, simply pre-order your copy of A Family Affair in any format, from any UK retailer of your choice, and upload your proof of purchase via the link below. You’ll be automatically entered. Good luck!

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

Our next big adventure is The Great Recovery Job, taking place on 19 September. If you’ve ever fancied stepping inside one of Jodi’s worlds rather than simply reading about it, this is your chance. You’ll become part of a team of Recovery Agents, solving puzzles, gathering intelligence, uncovering clues and attempting to pull off an audacious historical heist. It’s shaping up to be something rather special, and we’d love to see you there.

There are still tickets available, so if you’ve been thinking, “I’ll get round to booking...”, this is your gentle reminder! BOOK NOW

New Writing Competition! Write a short play to be performed at Jodiworld

This is your chance to put words into the mouths of two figures from history — and add a little Jodi Taylor chaos to the mix.

The Brief
Your play must feature two historical figures meeting for afternoon tea. What they talk about, argue about, or discover they have in common is entirely up to you.
The play must be set within or make use of one or more of Jodi Taylor’s fictional universes.
​Entries may be comic, dramatic, heartfelt, chaotic, or any combination thereof — but should feel at home within the spirit of Jodi Taylor’s worlds.

Read more...

Christmas Past - available for Kindle and is included in Long Story Short anthology

The First Farrell Family Christmas.

Max, Leon, and their son Matthew prepare to celebrate their first Christmas together at St Mary’s—a season known for extravagant feasts, spirited antics, and the traditional, albeit unauthorised, festive time jump. This year, the adventure becomes a family affair.

Max takes Matthew on a journey back to 19th-century London to deliver a parcel of Christmas cheer to his former companions. However, their plans lead them into a confrontation with the formidable Old Ma Scrope, adding an unexpected twist to their excursion. Despite the pain of the past, they discover that goodwill and family ties can transcend time itself.

Join bestselling author Jodi Taylor for a special evening celebrating the launch of A Family Affair, the second novel in her delightful Smallhope & Pennyroyal series.

Jodi will be talking about the inspiration behind the book, reading an exclusive extract from A Family Affair, and answering your questions in a lively Q&A session. Whether you’re a long-time fan of The Chronicles of St Mary’s or discovering Amelia Smallhope and Pennyroyal for the first time, this promises to be an entertaining evening full of humour, history and storytelling.

After the event, you’ll have the opportunity to meet Jodi during a book signing, with signed copies of A Family Affair and other titles available to purchase.

We look forward to welcoming you for what promises to be a memorable evening.

Buy Tickets

• Jodi writing about The Pink Toolkit

• Jodi reads an extract from A Family Affair

• Win a SIGNED hardback and one-of-a-kind signed print when you pre-order A Family Affair by Jodi Taylor

• Merchandise update from Karin Mallion

• The Great Recovery Job - grab a ticket now

• NEW! Writing Competition - write a short play to be performed at Jodiworld

• Short Story of the Month: Christmas Past

  There’s plenty to read this week and you can see everything on the blog too. CLICK HERE for the blog.

I bought myself a toolkit. I rummaged around on Amazon – yes, sorry, but I’m miles away from the nearest DIY store – and found exactly what I was looking for. Small, smart, fully equipped with everything I needed to bang a nail into a wall … and … it’s pink.

Very, very pink.

I opened it up and even the tools – and there are a lot of them – are pink. Pink hammer, pink pliers, any number of pink screwdrivers, pink measuring tape – you get the picture, don’t you? Pink.

Very, very pink.

OK – a word of advice to anyone considering anything similar. By all means, buy your pink toolkit – it’s well-made, useful, and a quality product. Just don’t show it to your family. Not unless you’re prepared to endure hours – weeks, actually – of cruel comment and unnecessary mirth. The youngest brother was particularly scathing. Apparently, he found it difficult to be in the same room as so much pinkness. There were a lot of Barbie-based comments.

As you can imagine, I endured family wit with grace and style, told my pink toolkit not to listen to the Philistines, stroked it gently and took it home, where it enjoys a prominent position in my living room.

Here’s the thing. I haven’t actually used it yet. Not to bang in a nail or tighten a … a screw? Have I got that right? As soon as the toolkit turned up, my flat started to behave itself.

Ha! Not so the family.

There was a telephone call from the brother who was doing something technical in my mother’s bathroom. A shelf, before anyone gets the wrong idea. Yeah – guess who needed to borrow a screwdriver. Life is very satisfying sometimes. As a sister, my duty was clear. I made him repeat himself several times.

‘A what? … Sorry? … What did you say? … A screwdriver? … Is that the long pink thing with the knob on the end? … What? … You do know it’s pink, don’t you? … Didn’t you say something about over your dead body? … No, I’m pretty sure you did. … Yes, several times. … You do know you can catch pinkness, don’t you? … No, no treatment – just a lifetime of ridicule and abuse … You’re sure you still want to do this? … OK – on my way. … Tell you what – I’ll bring the whole toolkit … Just in case … Hello? … Hello? Oh – he’s gone. What a shame.

When life gives you brothers – buy a pink toolkit. Hours of genuine fun.

Jodi x

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CLICK HERE to preorder a signed copy of A Family Affair from the Jodiworld shop. Please note: Jodi will be signing preorders at “The Great Recovery Job” event in Cheltenham on 19th September.

The Ballad of Smallhope and Pennyroyal has been selected for a July Kindle Monthly Deal in both the UK and the US - hooray! If you haven’t read the first book in the series then now is the time at just 99p or 99 cents.

CLICK HERE for UK CLICK HERE for USA

Win a SIGNED hardback and one-of-a-kind signed print when you pre-order A Family Affair by Jodi Taylor

Everyone’s favourite time-travelling bounty hunters are back in A Family Affair, the twisty and hilarious new Smallhope & Pennyroyal adventure!

We are offering one lucky fan the chance to win a hardback copy of A Family Affair and a one-of-a-kind A4 art print, both signed by Jodi Taylor herself.

To enter the prize draw, simply pre-order your copy of A Family Affair in any format, from any UK retailer of your choice, and upload your proof of purchase via the link below. You’ll be automatically entered. Good luck!

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

Merchandise update from Karin Mallion

Over at the Jodi Taylor Shop, we’ve introduced a brand-new Vest Tops . Several people told us they loved the designs but didn’t want to scroll through pages of T-shirts to find the vest versions—especially with the glorious weather we’ve been enjoying recently—so now they’re all in one easy-to-find place. CLICK HERE

We’ve also added several new T-shirt designs, including one we’ve been asked for countless times:

“We’re St Mary’s and We Never Leave Our People Behind.”

CLICK HERE

Over on Jodiworld.org, our brand-new 2027 Pre-Convention T-shirt is now available. It’s the perfect way to start the countdown to next year’s Ancient Egypt-themed Convention and lets everyone know you’re already looking forward to another weekend of history, tea, friendship and chaos. It’s available in various colours – featured here in one of my favourites – purple!

CLICK HERE

Our next big adventure is The Great Recovery Job, taking place on 19 September. If you’ve ever fancied stepping inside one of Jodi’s worlds rather than simply reading about it, this is your chance. You’ll become part of a team of Recovery Agents, solving puzzles, gathering intelligence, uncovering clues and attempting to pull off an audacious historical heist. It’s shaping up to be something rather special, and we’d love to see you there.

There are still tickets available, so if you’ve been thinking, “I’ll get round to booking...”, this is your gentle reminder! BOOK NOW

New Writing Competition! Write a short play to be performed at Jodiworld

This is your chance to put words into the mouths of two figures from history — and add a little Jodi Taylor chaos to the mix.

The Brief
Your play must feature two historical figures meeting for afternoon tea. What they talk about, argue about, or discover they have in common is entirely up to you.
The play must be set within or make use of one or more of Jodi Taylor’s fictional universes.
​Entries may be comic, dramatic, heartfelt, chaotic, or any combination thereof — but should feel at home within the spirit of Jodi Taylor’s worlds.

Read more...

Christmas Past - available for Kindle and is included in Long Story Short anthology

The First Farrell Family Christmas.

Max, Leon, and their son Matthew prepare to celebrate their first Christmas together at St Mary’s—a season known for extravagant feasts, spirited antics, and the traditional, albeit unauthorised, festive time jump. This year, the adventure becomes a family affair.

Max takes Matthew on a journey back to 19th-century London to deliver a parcel of Christmas cheer to his former companions. However, their plans lead them into a confrontation with the formidable Old Ma Scrope, adding an unexpected twist to their excursion. Despite the pain of the past, they discover that goodwill and family ties can transcend time itself.

• Jodi writing about holidays

• The Jodiworld Honours Board and Stop the Clock ceremony

• Save 25% on A Family Affair at Barnes & Noble

• NEW! Writing Competition - write a short play to be performed at Jodiworld

• Win a SIGNED hardback and one-of-a-kind signed print when you pre-order A Family Affair by Jodi Taylor

• Bad Moon is a Kindle 99p/99c deal for June

• JUNE - GUESS THE BOOK COMPETITION

• Short Story of the Month: A Perfect Storm

  There’s plenty to read this week and you can see everything on the blog too. CLICK HERE for the blog.

Well, that was a great week off – I must do that again. In another 13 years, perhaps.

Highlights included:

Escorting my mother to her X-ray. She’s fine – I may never recover. Don’t ask.

Running out of wall on which to draft all the plotlines of future stories, I’ve been pulling all the art off the walls in my bedroom so I have room to scribble my notes for WTCHGB, Time Police 7, and the next Smallhope and Pennyroyal novel all over them. My theory is that my brain will turn over all the relevant plot points as I sleep and produce perfect solutions as soon as I open my eyes the next morning. Instinct and experience both tell me this is unlikely to occur.

Visiting Hotel Chocolat – no non-working week is complete without one of these. There were massive discounts all over the shop. The more I spent the more I saved and it would have been rude not to take this opportunity to support the economy. I’m pleased to report the economy has been supported big-time.

Having my eyes tested. I haven’t needed a new prescription for years but I suspect the time has come to admit my poor vision isn’t always the result of greasy fingerprints across the lenses. Note from my optician – stop shoving my specs into the washing up water because it’s not doing them any good. Anything that can dissolve grease and food particles is going to make short work of my specs. So noted.

Lunching with the more disreputable members of my family – which is all of them. A great deal of food was washed down with even more alcohol. I don’t know at what point the Rottweiler turned up but he was delightful. Very friendly. And also quite heavy. And warm. He was a very warm dog.

Please allow me to mention Gloucester’s new hotel – Indigo – which boasts a first-class restaurant with really lovely staff and a cocktail bar on the fifth floor with views over the cathedral. Or so they told me. After the third margarita I couldn’t even see the table in front of me. On the other hand, that might be due more to wonky eyesight rather than an overindulgence in all things tequila.

Visiting a stately home with beautiful gardens so that my brother could run through the disposing of his sister’s ashes routine. Sadly, this never really got off the ground because neither of us could remember the tree under which they were supposed to be scattered. There was discussion and some of it was not amicable.

Releasing the Christmas story – Twelfth Night – which is now at my publishers. With luck the edits won’t come back until I’ve stopped enjoying myself so much and am in a much less frivolous frame of mind.

And reading. And more reading. Stretching out on the sofa with various Hotel Chocolat products to hand and just … reading. I’ve sailed through four books already. If I can keep this up there’s a very good chance my TBR pile will actually be shorter than me and there aren’t many things in this world that can say that.

Tidying my bookshelves. Not all of them, obviously – just the four behind the sofa where I shove everything I don’t know what to do with.

Discoveries included:

Four notebooks relating to TP5 and EC3! No idea how they got there and it’s too late to incorporate any of the plot points now.

Half a dozen sketch pads.

Four art books.

One photograph album I thought I’d lost.

One unopened box of Hotel Chocolat goodies marked Happy Birthday, so they’ve been there at least nine months. I genuinely had no idea they were there and they’re a bit of a problem since my cupboard is already stuffed with chocolate goodness. See one of the above paras.

One flowerpot filled with soil. Why? I mean – seriously – why?

One flowerpot with a lump of very ancient oasis. No, I don’t know, either.

One boom box. Complete with a CD. Which dates it somewhat.

I’ve really enjoyed my week off. So much so I’m thinking of doing it again. Starting tomorrow. I’m head down in Robert Jackson Bennett’s Shadow of the Leviathan series – they are so good – and it would be nice to get that finished before I start writing on the walls again. Holidays have always been something that happened to other people but I’m beginning to see the attraction.

Happy week, everyone.

Jodi x

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The Jodiworld Honours Board and Stop the Clock ceremony by Karin Mallion (Jodiworld Events)

One of the things that makes Jodiworld special is that it has never been just about books. Over the years, what began as a shared love of Jodi Taylor’s stories has become something much more ~ a welcoming community of friends spread across the world, united by laughter, kindness, and a mutual appreciation for shenanigans.

The Jodiworld Honours Board exists to remember those members of our family who are no longer with us. Last year we also started a new tradition at the Jodiworld Convention, we held a Stop the Clock ceremony, like the Time Police ceremony, to honour and remember them.

The great Sir Terry Pratchett wrote, “A man is not dead while his name is still spoken.” Which captures exactly what the Honours Board represents. “We’re St Mary’s and we never leave our people behind.” is a sentiment that has become part of the spirit of Jodiworld too. By remembering our friends, telling their stories, and speaking their names, we ensure they remain part of our journey.

Sadly, in the past two weeks we have added two more names to the board:

Hayley Atkins, partner of Helen Rowe. Hayley attended the first Jodiworld Convention and she left a lasting impression on those who met her. Our thoughts remain with Helen and all who loved her.

Wendy Marshall, partner of Joe Tetsab. Wendy and Joe have been part of virtually every Jodiworld event we’ve ever held. Whether at conventions, gatherings, or behind the scenes, Wendy was woven into the fabric of our community, and her loss has been felt deeply by all who knew her.

The Honours Board is more than a memorial. It is a reminder that those who helped build this community will always remain part of it.

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Barnes & Noble are running a promotion for 25% off pre-orders for hardback, eBook and audiobook of A Family Affair – from Tuesday 23rd June to Friday 26th June. This is a wonderful opportunity for fans across the pond to enjoy a big saving. The promotion code is: PREORDER25

CLICK HERE TO ORDER

New Writing Competition! Write a short play to be performed at Jodiworld

This is your chance to put words into the mouths of two figures from history — and add a little Jodi Taylor chaos to the mix.

The Brief
Your play must feature two historical figures meeting for afternoon tea. What they talk about, argue about, or discover they have in common is entirely up to you.
The play must be set within or make use of one or more of Jodi Taylor’s fictional universes.
​Entries may be comic, dramatic, heartfelt, chaotic, or any combination thereof — but should feel at home within the spirit of Jodi Taylor’s worlds.

Read more...

Win a SIGNED hardback and one-of-a-kind signed print when you pre-order A Family Affair by Jodi Taylor

Everyone’s favourite time-travelling bounty hunters are back in A Family Affair, the twisty and hilarious new Smallhope & Pennyroyal adventure!

We are offering one lucky fan the chance to win a hardback copy of A Family Affair and a one-of-a-kind A4 art print, both signed by Jodi Taylor herself.

To enter the prize draw, simply pre-order your copy of A Family Affair in any format, from any UK retailer of your choice, and upload your proof of purchase via the link below. You’ll be automatically entered. Good luck!

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

Bad Moon is a Kindle 99p/99c deal for June

CLICK HERE for UK CLICK HERE for USA

JUNE - GUESS THE AUDIO BOOK COMPETITION

Guess the book and character speaking for your chance to win a signed copy of Out of Time

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

Put your knowledge of Jodi’s books to the test with our audio clip competition. Listen carefully to a short extract and see if you can identify the book and the character speaking for a chance to win a signed copy of Out of Time.

Audiobooks are hugely popular among Jodi Taylor fans, bringing her stories to life through distinctive voices, character-driven performances, and immersive narration. For many readers, audiobooks offer the perfect way to enjoy a favourite series while commuting, walking, or relaxing. They make stories more accessible, flexible, and engaging than ever.

Tune in, trust your ears, and see if you can name the book and the characters behind the voices.

A Perfect Storm - available for Kindle and is included in The Long and Short of It anthology

Max and her colleagues are facing an unusual challenge—one that doesn’t require them to jump through time but is no less chaotic. Thanks to the world’s most misguided publicity campaign, a film producer is on his way to St Mary’s to avail himself of their services. Equally eager to secure a contract for his next three films, Dr Bairstow instructs Max to ensure all goes well. Or else.

Also involved in the drama is David Sands’ latest book – a time travel story – which bears just a teeny tiny resemblance to St Mary’s and which Max is to suppress. Or else.

Unfortunately, nothing at St Mary’s ever goes to plan, and Max and the team soon find themselves at the centre of a series of disasters entirely of their own making.

From Professor Rapson and his megaphone antics to exploding rocks, legendary pub crawls, superheroes and the world’s largest bacon butty, chaos reigns. The appearance of Angus, one-third of a particularly messy love triangle, only adds fuel to the fire, ensuring that the week at St Mary’s is definitely one for the record books. Just not in a good way.

No jumps but “some people are perfectly capable of endangering life and limb by staying quietly at home” (Authors’s note).

• Jodi writing about getting back to painting

• NEW! Writing Competition - write a short play to be performed at Jodiworld

• Jodi Taylor answers - Do you plan character arcs in advance or do they evolve as you write?

• Win a SIGNED hardback and one-of-a-kind signed print when you pre-order A Family Affair by Jodi Taylor

• Bad Moon is a Kindle 99p/99c deal for June

• JUNE - GUESS THE BOOK COMPETITION

• Short Story of the Month: A Perfect Storm

  There’s plenty to read this week and you can see everything on the blog too. CLICK HERE for the blog.

Nothing much from me this week – I promised myself that when I returned from France, and provided I’d made good progress on all four short stories, and started to get Well That Could Have Gone Better in some sort of order, and started notes for the storyline for the next Smallhope and Pennyroyal book then – THEN – I’d grant myself a little downtime. Do some reading, perhaps. I do sometimes feel the need to put the words back in again. They pour out of me and I have to replenish the supply. I have a magnificent TBR pile that, if anything, is taller than I am. Although that’s not difficult.

And perhaps take up painting again. Mine is a very small flat, and all the windows are in the wrong place to give me decent light, but I will not be deterred. I’ve been promising myself this for the last three or four years, and now I’m going to do it. I particularly want to experiment with all the new art stuff. Normally, I work in soft pastels but there’s a new metallic range out there. How does that work? How can a crumbly medium be transformed into hard metallic shades? Can’t wait to find out.

And painting sticks! Watercolour is not my favourite medium, but these look worth trying. And some decent charcoal. And acrylic markers in stunningly brilliant colours. And sketching pads with different tints and textures. I love working on black – it really makes the pastels sing.

I haven’t bothered with conventional paints. Oil paints smell, and I wouldn’t want to inconvenience my neighbours, and acrylic paints are forever. Drop some on the carpet and there’s a giant purple blodge until the end of time. It doesn’t come out. So I’ve gone for the newer stuff. See how it performs. So far, all I’ve done is make a mess.

Picking up painting again after all these years is NOT like riding a bike. You do forget how to do it. Or, more likely, such small talent as I possess just got fed up with being ignored for the last decade and pushed off for good.

To counter that I’ve enrolled with an old art tutor of mine who does online courses. I should perhaps make it clear that it’s not the tutor that’s old – although the pupil is – but that I used to attend her classes when I lived in Northallerton. I’ve signed up for her very excellent pastels course and I’m greatly looking forward to getting started. The plan is to spend the next seven days not doing very much at all. Starting with tomorrow, when my brother and I are off to visit a very beautiful garden and country house. I shall of course be taking my camera to photo anything picturesque. Which reminds me – is there anyone out there who knows anything about horseboxes? The very big sophisticated ones. If so, could we have a chat sometime please? I have questions.

Where was I? Ah yes. Tomorrow’s visit. Partly for relaxation, partly for material to paint and partly so he can rehearse what to do with my ashes after I’ve gone. We’re all a bit absent-minded in my family but he’s worse than most, so every few months we hold a What To Do With My Beloved Sister’s Ashes drill. Basically, he meanders in a casual manner to the pre-selected spot, sets down the urn, gazes meditatively into the middle distance, kicks over the urn (I have to keep reminding him to remove the lid first) and scuffs the ashes into the grass. Job done – off to the pub for a congratulatory drink. Although not with me, of course. We’ve been at this for some time now and he shows no signs of getting it right. With our family luck I’ll end up on the municipal tip and he’ll go to prison.

Anyway, meandering back to the point – a week off. Yes, we all know I’ll do some writing but there will also be enormous amounts of cheese – you would not believe the bad habits I’ve brought back with me. Thank you, France! – and wine. And chocolate.

Oh – and I nearly forgot – a lovely bunch of flowers arrived. Much to the mystification of the postman, who knows that if I want flowers, then I usually have to buy my own. It turns out I’ve sold two million copies of my books since joining Headline in 2019, and they sent me flowers to mark the occasion. Thank you, Headline, and thank you, everyone who’s ever bought one of my books. There is a place in author heaven for you.

Enjoy your week – I’m definitely going to enjoy mine.

Jodi x

Leave a comment

New Writing Competition! Write a short play to be performed at Jodiworld

This is your chance to put words into the mouths of two figures from history — and add a little Jodi Taylor chaos to the mix.

The Brief
Your play must feature two historical figures meeting for afternoon tea. What they talk about, argue about, or discover they have in common is entirely up to you.
The play must be set within or make use of one or more of Jodi Taylor’s fictional universes.
​Entries may be comic, dramatic, heartfelt, chaotic, or any combination thereof — but should feel at home within the spirit of Jodi Taylor’s worlds.

Read more...

Win a SIGNED hardback and one-of-a-kind signed print when you pre-order A Family Affair by Jodi Taylor

Everyone’s favourite time-travelling bounty hunters are back in A Family Affair, the twisty and hilarious new Smallhope & Pennyroyal adventure!

We are offering one lucky fan the chance to win a hardback copy of A Family Affair and a one-of-a-kind A4 art print, both signed by Jodi Taylor herself.

To enter the prize draw, simply pre-order your copy of A Family Affair in any format, from any UK retailer of your choice, and upload your proof of purchase via the link below. You’ll be automatically entered. Good luck!

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

Bad Moon is a Kindle 99p/99c deal for June

CLICK HERE for UK CLICK HERE for USA

JUNE - GUESS THE AUDIO BOOK COMPETITION

Guess the book and character speaking for your chance to win a signed copy of Out of Time

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

Put your knowledge of Jodi’s books to the test with our audio clip competition. Listen carefully to a short extract and see if you can identify the book and the character speaking for a chance to win a signed copy of Out of Time.

Audiobooks are hugely popular among Jodi Taylor fans, bringing her stories to life through distinctive voices, character-driven performances, and immersive narration. For many readers, audiobooks offer the perfect way to enjoy a favourite series while commuting, walking, or relaxing. They make stories more accessible, flexible, and engaging than ever.

Tune in, trust your ears, and see if you can name the book and the characters behind the voices.

A Perfect Storm - available for Kindle and is included in The Long and Short of It anthology

Max and her colleagues are facing an unusual challenge—one that doesn’t require them to jump through time but is no less chaotic. Thanks to the world’s most misguided publicity campaign, a film producer is on his way to St Mary’s to avail himself of their services. Equally eager to secure a contract for his next three films, Dr Bairstow instructs Max to ensure all goes well. Or else.

Also involved in the drama is David Sands’ latest book – a time travel story – which bears just a teeny tiny resemblance to St Mary’s and which Max is to suppress. Or else.

Unfortunately, nothing at St Mary’s ever goes to plan, and Max and the team soon find themselves at the centre of a series of disasters entirely of their own making.

From Professor Rapson and his megaphone antics to exploding rocks, legendary pub crawls, superheroes and the world’s largest bacon butty, chaos reigns. The appearance of Angus, one-third of a particularly messy love triangle, only adds fuel to the fire, ensuring that the week at St Mary’s is definitely one for the record books. Just not in a good way.

No jumps but “some people are perfectly capable of endangering life and limb by staying quietly at home” (Authors’s note).

This is your chance to put words into the mouths of two figures from history — and add a little Jodi Taylor chaos to the mix.

The Brief
Your play must feature two historical figures meeting for afternoon tea. What they talk about, argue about, or discover they have in common is entirely up to you.
The play must be set within or make use of one or more of Jodi Taylor’s fictional universes.
​Entries may be comic, dramatic, heartfelt, chaotic, or any combination thereof — but should feel at home within the spirit of Jodi Taylor’s worlds.

The Historical Figures

• You may choose any two real historical figures from any era or culture.

• Both figures must be genuinely historical — deceased persons from the historical record.

• The combination of figures is part of your creative challenge. Think about what would make for wonderful drama, comedy, or chaos over a pot of Earl Grey or Darjeeling.

• Any historical figures that could cause serious offence or distress to a significant portion of the audience should be avoided. If in doubt, don’t.

Additional Characters
In addition to your two historical figures, you may include up to two additional speaking characters. These might include:

• A waitress or attendant — think “Mrs Overall”, but through a Jodi Taylor lens.

• A Time Police officer or St Mary’s historian who has arranged (or accidentally caused) the meeting.

• Any other supporting character who serves the story.

IMPORTANT: If any additional characters are Time Police officers, St Mary’s staff, or other characters from Jodi’s universes, they must have unique names — i.e. not names already used in any of Jodi’s published books. This applies to both first names and surnames.

Format & Length

• Your play should run to approximately 20 minutes when performed.

• As a guide, this is roughly 2,000–2,500 words of scripted dialogue and stage directions.

• Please write in standard stage-script format: character name (in capitals) on a new line, followed by their dialogue. Stage directions in italics or in brackets.

• Your script must be submitted as a single document in either .docx (Word) or .pdf format.

• Please include a title page with: the title of your play, your name, and your email address.

• One entry per person. Entries submitted as collaborations between two writers are welcome, but please include both names and a single contact email address.

Eligibility

Entrants must be 16 years of age or over. Entrants aged 16 or 17 must have a parent or guardian’s permission to enter.

Key Dates
Closing date: 15th October 2026 at 11:59pm (UK time). No late entries will be accepted.
Winner announced: January 2027
Performance: Jodiworld 2027 (May 28-31)

How to Enter
Send your script to:
jodiworldevent@gmail.com
Please use the subject line: “Jodiworld Play Competition — [Your Name] — [Title of Play]”
You will receive an acknowledgement email within 5 working days of submission. If you do not hear back within that time, please check your junk folder and, if necessary, contact us again.

Judging
All eligible entries will be read by Karin Mallion (Chair, Jodiworld) and Jules Jones (MC and Stage Manager, Jodiworld).
A shortlist will be selected and submitted to Jodi Taylor, who will choose the winner.
Judging criteria will include: originality and wit, “stageability” and practicality for live convention performance, quality of dialogue, and how well the play fits within the spirit of Jodi’s fictional worlds.
The judges’ decision is final. No correspondence will be entered into regarding the outcome.

The Prizes

• Your play will be performed live on stage at Jodiworld 2027.

• You will receive a credit in the Jodiworld 2027 programme and on all relevant promotional materials.

• You will receive one ticket to the Jodiworld 2027 Convention (this does not include your travel or hotel costs).

• The play will be videoed and shared on YouTube and Jodi’s social media so all her fans (and yours!) can enjoy it.

​
Rights & Legal Bits

• You retain the copyright in your script.

• By entering, you grant Jodiworld / FluffyDodo Ltd a non-exclusive licence to perform your play at Jodiworld 2027, to rehearse it in preparation for the convention, and to record and share footage of the performance for non-commercial fan purposes.

• All entries must be original works and must not infringe the copyright of any third party.

• Characters, locations, and concepts from Jodi Taylor’s books are used by kind permission for fan purposes only and must not be used in any commercial context.

• Jodiworld reserves the right to make minor edits to the winning script for performance purposes, in consultation with the author.

• Entries that do not comply with these guidelines will be disqualified.

  ---

• Jodi writing about her recent trip to France and The Great Recovery Job

• Jodi Taylor answers - Do you plan character arcs in advance or do they evolve as you write?

• Win a SIGNED hardback and one-of-a-kind signed print when you pre-order A Family Affair by Jodi Taylor

• Bad Moon is a Kindle 99p/99c deal for June

• JUNE - GUESS THE BOOK COMPETITION

• Short Story of the Month: A Perfect Storm

  There’s plenty to read this week and you can see everything on the blog too. CLICK HERE for the blog.

Well, I’m back. I know I’m in England because today is cool, grey and very wet. I feel rather responsible, actually – I spent most of my trip suffering temperatures of 34 and 35 degrees and telling everyone that I was English and never happy unless I was being rained on. And now look at the weather.

Many thanks to everyone who sent me their best wishes – the festival was everything people had told me it would be. Knights practising their swordplay – they offered me a go and I would have loved, legitimately, to be able to lay about me with a dangerous weapon, but sadly I had to go off to a panel and talk sensibly. There were books and authors everywhere – the authors were wonderfully friendly and didn’t seem to mind me massacring their language, and I absolutely adored the book covers – full of movement and colour. I particularly liked that they print an image on the edge of the pages as well. Loads of people were in costume – including a man with horns and wearing a thick fur coat. I think he was a character from a favourite French fantasy novel but he must have been baking.

And then, just as I think everyone was on the verge of heatstroke, the heavens, literally, opened. The rain came down in buckets. Of course, you couldn’t hear yourself speak in the tent. The ground was so hard that it couldn’t absorb the water and there were lakes everywhere. People were being rescued.

And just to lower the tone of the piece – and probably not that important in the scheme of things – but I managed to have cheese with every meal. Every restaurant had a different cheeseboard and trust me, I sampled every single one of them. All the food was good – authentic Quiche Lorraine was my favourite. As Hazel said, ‘Nothing like the omelette in a pastry case we get in England.’ And French chocolate isn’t bad, either.

Most gobsmackingly – I’m not sure that’s a word but it is now – I was astounded at the number of people who recognised me and were familiar with the books. Nearly everyone began the conversation with, ‘I read your first book, loved the humour, and bought all the others,’ so I have to pay tribute to translator Cindy Colin-Kapen who so cleverly retained the spirit and the humour of the original English. Humour doesn’t always translate to different countries and I’m pretty sure the world is frequently baffled by the things that make us Brits laugh our socks off.

And finally, massive thanks to everyone on both sides of the Channel who worked so hard to make our visit such a success - Isabelle, Evette, Charlotte, Eva, and Lou. And a special thanks to the two wonderful Eurostar attendants who took one look at us as we emerged from the rugby scrum that is the Eurostar queueing system and recognised two women in desperate need of wine. Merci beaucoup, guys.

Looking ahead – the next thing on the horizon is A Family Affair, out in August. I think there’s to be an event at Waterstones, Gloucester, to mark its publication, so please come along if you can. We can talk cheese.

And in September we have The Great Recovery Job at the Leonardo Hotel, Cheltenham. 19^th September 2026. Tickets are available now.

There will be:

Margaritas to drink

A reading from A Family Affair

Book signing

A buffet

Interactive gameplay

Safe cracking

Stolen artefacts to recover

Mysteries to solve

Margaritas to drink

I’m looking forward to seeing you there. As Karin says – The Timeline won’t save itself.

Leave a comment

Jodi Taylor answers - Do you plan character arcs in advance or do they evolve as you write?

In this video, Jodi answers the question: Do you plan character arcs in advance, or do they evolve as you write? She shares insights into how characters develop across The Chronicles of St Mary’s series, whether stories are carefully planned or discovered along the way, and how unexpected moments can shape a narrative.

Filmed live at Stevenage Library, this fascinating conversation offers fans a behind-the-scenes glimpse into character creation, storytelling, and the craft of writing memorable protagonists.

Win a SIGNED hardback and one-of-a-kind signed print when you pre-order A Family Affair by Jodi Taylor

Everyone’s favourite time-travelling bounty hunters are back in A Family Affair, the twisty and hilarious new Smallhope & Pennyroyal adventure!

We are offering one lucky fan the chance to win a hardback copy of A Family Affair and a one-of-a-kind A4 art print, both signed by Jodi Taylor herself.

To enter the prize draw, simply pre-order your copy of A Family Affair in any format, from any UK retailer of your choice, and upload your proof of purchase via the link below. You’ll be automatically entered. Good luck!

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

Bad Moon is a Kindle 99p/99c deal for June

CLICK HERE for UK CLICK HERE for USA

JUNE - GUESS THE AUDIO BOOK COMPETITION

Guess the book and character speaking for your chance to win a signed copy of Out of Time

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

Put your knowledge of Jodi’s books to the test with our audio clip competition. Listen carefully to a short extract and see if you can identify the book and the character speaking for a chance to win a signed copy of Out of Time.

Audiobooks are hugely popular among Jodi Taylor fans, bringing her stories to life through distinctive voices, character-driven performances, and immersive narration. For many readers, audiobooks offer the perfect way to enjoy a favourite series while commuting, walking, or relaxing. They make stories more accessible, flexible, and engaging than ever.

Tune in, trust your ears, and see if you can name the book and the characters behind the voices.

A Perfect Storm - available for Kindle and is included in The Long and Short of It anthology

Max and her colleagues are facing an unusual challenge—one that doesn’t require them to jump through time but is no less chaotic. Thanks to the world’s most misguided publicity campaign, a film producer is on his way to St Mary’s to avail himself of their services. Equally eager to secure a contract for his next three films, Dr Bairstow instructs Max to ensure all goes well. Or else.

Also involved in the drama is David Sands’ latest book – a time travel story – which bears just a teeny tiny resemblance to St Mary’s and which Max is to suppress. Or else.

Unfortunately, nothing at St Mary’s ever goes to plan, and Max and the team soon find themselves at the centre of a series of disasters entirely of their own making.

From Professor Rapson and his megaphone antics to exploding rocks, legendary pub crawls, superheroes and the world’s largest bacon butty, chaos reigns. The appearance of Angus, one-third of a particularly messy love triangle, only adds fuel to the fire, ensuring that the week at St Mary’s is definitely one for the record books. Just not in a good way.

No jumps but “some people are perfectly capable of endangering life and limb by staying quietly at home” (Authors’s note).

• Win a SIGNED hardback and one-of-a-kind signed print when you pre-order A Family Affair by Jodi Taylor

• 1-7 June is Libraries Week in the UK - Jodi’s books are available for loan as an ebook and audiobook using the Libby app

• Jodi Taylor answers - Max is such a distinctive character. How did her voice develop over time?

• Bad Moon is a Kindle 99p/99c deal for June

• JUNE - GUESS THE BOOK COMPETITION

• Short Story of the Month: A Perfect Storm

  There’s plenty to read this week and you can see everything on the blog too. CLICK HERE for the blog.

Win a SIGNED hardback and one-of-a-kind signed print when you pre-order A Family Affair by Jodi Taylor

Everyone’s favourite time-travelling bounty hunters are back in A Family Affair, the twisty and hilarious new Smallhope & Pennyroyal adventure!

We are offering one lucky fan the chance to win a hardback copy of A Family Affair and a one-of-a-kind A4 art print, both signed by Jodi Taylor herself.

To enter the prize draw, simply pre-order your copy of A Family Affair in any format, from any UK retailer of your choice, and upload your proof of purchase via the link below. You’ll be automatically entered. Good luck!

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

Jodi Taylor answers - Max is such a distinctive character. How did her voice develop over time?

In this video, Jodi answers the question: Max is such a distinctive character, how did her voice develop over time? She shares insights into the evolution of Max, how the character’s personality and humour emerged through the writing process, and why readers have connected so strongly with her over the years.

Filmed live at Stevenage Library, this fascinating conversation offers fans a behind-the-scenes glimpse into character creation, storytelling, and the craft of writing memorable protagonists.

1-7 June is Libraries Week in the UK - Jodi’s books are available for loan as an ebook and audiobook using the Libby app.

Did you know that many UK libraries offer free access to thousands of ebooks and audiobooks through the Libby app?

If you’re a fan of Jodi Taylor’s books, it’s worth checking whether your local library service uses Libby. With a free library membership, you can borrow ebooks and audiobooks straight to your phone, tablet or e-reader at no cost. Many library services carry titles from The Chronicles of St Mary’s, Time Police and other Jodi Taylor series, making it a great way to discover new adventures or revisit old favourites.

Simply download the Libby app, sign in with your library card and start browsing. It’s quick, easy and completely free.

Please note: Jodi’s publishers do not supply to the Borrowbox app - only Libby.

Bad Moon is a Kindle 99p/99c deal for June

CLICK HERE for UK CLICK HERE for USA

JUNE - GUESS THE AUDIO BOOK COMPETITION

Guess the book and character speaking for your chance to win a signed copy of Out of Time

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

Put your knowledge of Jodi’s books to the test with our audio clip competition. Listen carefully to a short extract and see if you can identify the book and the character speaking for a chance to win a signed copy of Out of Time.

Audiobooks are hugely popular among Jodi Taylor fans, bringing her stories to life through distinctive voices, character-driven performances, and immersive narration. For many readers, audiobooks offer the perfect way to enjoy a favourite series while commuting, walking, or relaxing. They make stories more accessible, flexible, and engaging than ever.

Tune in, trust your ears, and see if you can name the book and the characters behind the voices.

A Perfect Storm - available for Kindle and is included in The Long and Short of It anthology

Max and her colleagues are facing an unusual challenge—one that doesn’t require them to jump through time but is no less chaotic. Thanks to the world’s most misguided publicity campaign, a film producer is on his way to St Mary’s to avail himself of their services. Equally eager to secure a contract for his next three films, Dr Bairstow instructs Max to ensure all goes well. Or else.

Also involved in the drama is David Sands’ latest book – a time travel story – which bears just a teeny tiny resemblance to St Mary’s and which Max is to suppress. Or else.

Unfortunately, nothing at St Mary’s ever goes to plan, and Max and the team soon find themselves at the centre of a series of disasters entirely of their own making.

From Professor Rapson and his megaphone antics to exploding rocks, legendary pub crawls, superheroes and the world’s largest bacon butty, chaos reigns. The appearance of Angus, one-third of a particularly messy love triangle, only adds fuel to the fire, ensuring that the week at St Mary’s is definitely one for the record books. Just not in a good way.

No jumps but “some people are perfectly capable of endangering life and limb by staying quietly at home” (Authors’s note).

Here are five important points from the Imaginales Festival. Easily the most important, we had cheese with every meal. It was fantastic. I know there’s such a thing as egg-bound. If there’s such a thing as cheese bound, I am cheese bound, but it’s been absolutely fabulous. The food here is great.

Secondly, I was amazed at how well-known my books are here. It was a bit of an eye-opener, actually, and I have to say my French publishers, Hervé Chopin Editions and Pocket Editions, have done a fabulous job. So thank you very much, guys.

Thirdly, well, obviously I’m English, so it’s got to be about the weather. I don’t know how hot it is with you, but it has been absolutely melting here. You don’t know what hot is until you’ve been trapped in an enormous marquee with hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of other people, and it’s 34 degrees outside.

However, the situation was resolved yesterday afternoon when it went as black as night, and we had the biggest downpour of all time. Obviously, I’m English, and I was much more comfortable being rained upon than I was upon being shone upon, if that’s the phrase that I want.

It was lovely to meet my French editors and publishers. They did a super job with the Imaginales, and if anyone is ever thinking of visiting in the future, do come. It is tremendous. It takes place in a giant park, um, in the lovely little town of Épinal. Um, the food is good, the wine is good, the cheese is to die for, and it’s full of people who read fantasy and want to talk about the books and discuss the characters and the plots.

So yeah, worth making the effort to come along.

And don’t worry about the transport here in France. We came by Eurostar, which was very exciting, except I missed the bit where we disappeared into the Channel Tunnel because I was involved with the facility at the time, and when I eventually emerged, we were in France. So yes, that could have gone better.

Um, and then we were on the TGV, the high-speed transport trains, which are well worth enjoying as you hurtle through the French countryside, which is lovely. So all in all, a great visit, and as soon as I get back, I will put pen to paper and send you something for Substack.

Take care. Bye.

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Just a quick update from France, where Jodi is currently being kept extremely busy signing books, giving interviews and generally being adored by an astonishing number of French readers.

It’s all going wonderfully well, although I should mention that it is also incredibly hot.

Our journey began on the Eurostar from St Pancras to Paris. From there we were whisked by taxi from Gare du Nord to Gare de l’Est in order to catch the TGV to Nancy. It was during this part of the trip that I discovered something quite remarkable – Jodi had never been to Paris before. Given her love of history, I couldn’t quite believe it. Unfortunately, we had no time for sightseeing and were soon hurtling across the French countryside at impressive speed.

Nancy was our first stop and we checked into the wonderful Hôtel Littéraire Stendhal. Every room celebrates a different French author and the entire hotel is dedicated to books and literature. Needless to say, it was exactly our sort of place.

That evening Jodi appeared at the magnificent Hall du Livre bookshop. It’s huge by British standards and the event was packed with enthusiastic readers. It was also the moment we began to realise quite how popular Jodi has become in France. Her publishers, HC Editions, have done a tremendous job building her readership and the affection French readers have for St Mary’s is genuinely heartwarming to see.

The following morning we travelled on to Épinal for the Imaginales Festival.

Now, if you’ve never been to Imaginales, imagine everything you love about a literary festival and then multiply it several times over. More than 120 authors are attending, alongside publishers, booksellers, artists and vendors, all gathered beneath a collection of tents spread throughout the town’s park. Entry is completely free and the festival enjoys tremendous support from both the local community and the publishing industry.

Most importantly, there is an infectious excitement about books everywhere you go. People are talking about stories, meeting authors, buying books and celebrating reading. The atmosphere is simply wonderful.

Yesterday Jodi was interviewed by the French newspaper Libération and today she has a special “Meet Jodi Taylor” event. Throughout the festival there has been an almost continuous queue of readers waiting to meet her. Young readers, older readers, men, women – all united by their love of St Mary’s.

One of the greatest pleasures of travelling with Jodi is watching these encounters. Readers tell her about their favourite characters, favourite jumps and favourite disasters. They bring dog-eared books to be signed and share stories of how the series has accompanied them through difficult times. It is impossible not to be moved by their enthusiasm.

And then, of course, there is the food. We are in the Lorraine region so we had to try the local speciality Quiche Lorraine - this was sublime and nothing like the omelette in a pastry vase we call quiche in the UK.

France is not disappointing us in that department. We are eating exceptionally well and the wine has been equally impressive. It would be rude not to sample the local produce and we are doing our best to fulfil our cultural obligations.

We’re only halfway through the festival, so there is plenty more still to come. I’ll report back again soon with further adventures from France.

Until then,

Hazel

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• Jodi Taylor - What’s in the pipeline

• Jodi Taylor answers - How do you approach researching historical periods before writing them into your stories?

• Jodi Taylor’s Book recommendation: A Degree of Murder by Maz Evans

• MAY - GUESS THE BOOK COMPETITION

• Short Story of the Month: My Name Is Markham

  There’s plenty to read this week and you can see everything on the blog too. CLICK HERE for the blog.

I’m sorry I don’t have much for you this week. I’ve run out of lettuces to slaughter, and I’ve been so busy at my desk that I’ve hardly had time to lift my head, let alone venture outside.

There are plans to publish another anthology of short stories, and because I feel strongly that there should be at least one new story included – and preferably two, if I can manage it – I’ve had to sit down and write them. The working titles are Home in Time for Tea, a St Mary’s story, and Clean- up Crew 29 – the Time Police. The anthology, Short on Time, will be published in paperback, ebook and audio on 20th May 2027, and I’ll be signing copies at Jodiworld 2027.

These are in addition to the Halloween short story – Who’s There? I’ve just seen the cover design for that one and it’s pretty cool – and the Christmas story – Twelfth Night. And I’ve nearly finished the first draft of Well, That Could Have Gone Better. Please note that the word well has made a reappearance. But given the vagaries of publishing it could well disappear again. Give it time.

(That’s a good title for a book.)

Plus, I’m off to France soon to attend Les Imaginales – the Festival of Imaginary Worlds. That’s come around quickly and now I’m starting to get very nervous. Travel. Foreign travel. What could possibly go wrong? It is more than possible that my next bulletin will be postmarked Iceland. Or New Zealand. Or possibly even Hawaii. Yes, my sense of direction is that bad.

Please note that there won’t be the usual email next week, as we will be sending updates from our travels and the festival.

I have to get back to work now- first drafts to complete.

Best wishes to all.

Jodi x

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Jodi Taylor answers - How do you approach researching historical periods before writing them into your stories?

In this video, Jodi answers the question: How do you approach researching historical periods before writing them into your stories? She shares insights into her creative process, how she balances historical accuracy with storytelling, and the challenges of bringing real historical settings vividly to life in The Chronicles of St Mary’s and beyond.

Filmed live at Stevenage Library, this conversation offers a behind-the-scenes look at the research, inspiration, and imagination that shape Jodi’s much-loved time-travelling adventures.

A Degree of Murder by Maz Evans💙📚

This is a wonderfully clever black comedy of tangled relationships, sinister events, deception, downright lying, copious amounts of alcohol and inappropriate sex. Together with an impeccably timed series of shocks peppered throughout the whole book, I tore through the whole thing much, much too quickly. In fact, I loved it so much that I went straight back to the beginning to read it again, because I’m pretty sure some of the finer points passed me by.

There’s quite a large cast of well-drawn characters, and the victims, murderers and witnesses include:

Silly Tillie – the good time girl

Rob – the writer

Marty – the conspiracy theorist

JD – the wide boy

Lilah and Diana – the talented twins

Mags – the mature student

Ed – the boy with everything

Lawrence – the musician

Ryan – the tech giant

Bill – the tutor

The story is set in Bathory College and ranges over a twenty-five-year period from Graduation Day in 2000 to the Class Reunion of 2025 and is told by all the characters as they experience various important events in their lives, together with entertaining updates from the editor of the Bathory Bulletins – Tillie Johnson – a woman who, hilariously, genuinely has no idea what’s going on around her. Talk about getting the wrong end of the stick. Every time …

Not everyone survives – not by a long shot – and there’s twist upon twist at the end.

The best bit for me was that, for a large part of the book, the reader has no idea who the victim is, let alone the murderer. The court scenes are very cleverly handled and manage to contribute greatly to the story without giving anything away and the whole thing gallops along at a terrific pace.

Maz Evans has written two other books – That’ll Teach Her and Over My Dead Body which I think I’ll check out.

PS. And I don’t know if it’s a coincidence or otherwise, but is it possible that the university is named after Elizabeth Bathory, a Hungarian noblewoman and serial killer, also known as The Blood Countess? I do hope so.

Leave a comment

Buy on Bookshop.org

Buy on Amazon

MAY - GUESS THE AUDIO BOOK COMPETITION

Guess the book and characters speaking for your chance to win a signed copy of Out of Time

Put your knowledge of Jodi’s books to the test with our audio clip competition. Listen carefully to a short extract and see if you can identify the book and the characters speaking for a chance to win a signed copy of Out of Time.

Audiobooks are hugely popular among Jodi Taylor fans, bringing her stories to life through distinctive voices, character-driven performances, and immersive narration. For many readers, audiobooks offer the perfect way to enjoy a favourite series while commuting, walking, or relaxing. They make stories more accessible, flexible, and engaging than ever.

Tune in, trust your ears, and see if you can name the book and the characters behind the voices.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

My Name is Markham - available in Kindle and Audiobook formats - also included in The Long and Short of It anthology

Christmas is coming to St Mary’s; as always, chaos is not far behind. With preparations underway for the first-ever Children’s Christmas Party, Mr Markham—security officer, reluctant participant, and long-suffering observer of historians—is pulled into the madness. Between questionable reindeer routines and unexpected “poo-dropping” incidents, the festivities are shaping up to be anything but ordinary.

But when Markham, Peterson, and Maxwell are dispatched on a mission to Anglo-Saxon England in 878 AD, things go from chaotic to catastrophic. Their objective? To observe King Alfred the Great burning the cakes and uncover the truth behind one of history’s most enduring legends. However, this is St Mary’s, where no mission is ever simple, and disaster lurks around every corner.

Told entirely from Markham’s perspective, this short story provides a refreshingly wry and sarcastic insight into life at St Mary’s, where security officers remain highly suspicious of historians, time travel is never predictable, and History refuses to behave.

Buy now from Bookshop.org - UK USA

This is a wonderfully clever black comedy of tangled relationships, sinister events, deception, downright lying, copious amounts of alcohol and inappropriate sex. Together with an impeccably timed series of shocks peppered throughout the whole book, I tore through the whole thing much, much too quickly. In fact, I loved it so much that I went straight back to the beginning to read it again, because I’m pretty sure some of the finer points passed me by.

There’s quite a large cast of well-drawn characters, and the victims, murderers and witnesses include:

Silly Tillie – the good time girl

Rob – the writer

Marty – the conspiracy theorist

JD – the wide boy

Lilah and Diana – the talented twins

Mags – the mature student

Ed – the boy with everything

Lawrence – the musician

Ryan – the tech giant

Bill – the tutor

The story is set in Bathory College and ranges over a twenty-five-year period from Graduation Day in 2000 to the Class Reunion of 2025 and is told by all the characters as they experience various important events in their lives, together with entertaining updates from the editor of the Bathory Bulletins – Tillie Johnson – a woman who, hilariously, genuinely has no idea what’s going on around her. Talk about getting the wrong end of the stick. Every time …

Not everyone survives – not by a long shot – and there’s twist upon twist at the end.

The best bit for me was that, for a large part of the book, the reader has no idea who the victim is, let alone the murderer. The court scenes are very cleverly handled and manage to contribute greatly to the story without giving anything away and the whole thing gallops along at a terrific pace.

Maz Evans has written two other books – That’ll Teach Her and Over My Dead Body which I think I’ll check out.

PS. And I don’t know if it’s a coincidence or otherwise, but is it possible that the university is named after Elizabeth Bathory, a Hungarian noblewoman and serial killer, also known as The Blood Countess? I do hope so.

Leave a comment

Buy on Bookshop.org

Buy on Amazon

• Jodi Taylor - I nearly died the other night.

• Jodi Taylor answers - Which historical era has been your favourite to write about, and why?

• Jodi Taylor’s Book recommendation: Wolf Worm by T Kingfisher💙📚

• The winner from the Time Police Writing Competition - Regulation 847.6 Has Been Breached entries is …

• MAY - GUESS THE BOOK COMPETITION

• Short Story of the Month: My Name Is Markham

  There’s plenty to read this week and you can see everything on the blog too. CLICK HERE for the blog.

I nearly died the other night.

Yes – honestly.

I’ve always been a little bit critical of people who have serious accidents in the home – I don’t know why – it’s not as if I haven’t had more than my fair share of domestic disasters, but the other night I very nearly died.

It began, as these things so frequently do, with a moth. Our building is infested with clothes moths. I do my bit with sticky moth paper, but if that fails – as it sometimes does – I hunt the buggers down manually. Believe me – I am relentless. A woman on a mission.

Anyway, I’d stayed up late to watch The Martian. As always, Matt Damon had worked his magic, and I was feeling relatively benign and relaxed. (I try not to go to bed after the ten o’clock news, the watching of which, believe me, leaves me anything but benign or relaxed.) Matt had been safely returned to his home planet, the world rejoiced, Sean Bean went off to play golf with his offspring, and I went to bed.

I have an armchair – on which, ironically, Inflatable Matt rests while we have our evening chat. He’s very sound on any number of subjects, agreeing with my every word, especially on that night’s topic du jour - the benefits of a coloured background in pastel painting. Who’d have thought? Anyway, it was as I was laying my neatly-folded clothes across the armchair – who am I kidding, I just tossed them any old how – but as I did so I glanced casually upwards.

AND THERE WAS A MOTH.

Bold as brass, happily ensconced in the angle between wall and ceiling.

But not for long.

Admittedly, I could have left it until morning – except that with my luck, the little bugger would swarm overnight – or whatever it is that moths do to reproduce – and lay a million eggs in my favourite wool coat – and then I’d never be rid of them. In fact, I’d probably have to emigrate to Canada to escape them. Canada, incidentally, still emails me regularly about emigration. How do I make them stop?

Back to the soon-to-be ex-moth. And the fact that I was very nearly an ex-author – poor Matt would have been an orphan. I climbed onto the armchair, swayed a little, discovered I was three inches too short – a recurring theme in my life – and balanced, somewhat precariously, on the arm of the chair. Think Angelina Jolie doing the curtains in that scene from Mr and Mrs Smith.

In a movement of unsurpassed agility, I lunged gracefully forward and upwards at the moth, the chair tilted, I overbalanced, and put out a hand to save myself. Which would have been a brilliant move if I hadn’t grabbed for the curtain instead of the wall. The curtain, you won’t be surprised to hear, was no support whatsoever. My arm went straight through the central gap between the two curtains, and I found myself falling forward.

And the window was open. Wide open.

The curtain and I were literally falling through the open window.

I live on the second floor.

I had choices. According to my trajectory, I would either impact on the sloping roof one floor down, roll heavily off the other end and impale myself on the rather sharp railing separating the flats from the street, or I’d overshoot the railings to splat heavily onto the probably very unforgiving pavement.

To be honest, neither had any great appeal.

By now, fifty percent of me was reaching the point of no return. Instinct took over. Which was just as well because the rest of me had nothing valuable to contribute to the situation. I grabbed at the curtain.

Which came off the curtain rail. These things are very fragile, aren’t they? However, it did slow me down fractionally. I grabbed at something with my other hand. Turned out to be the central upright in the window frame and for one really nasty moment I thought I was going to pull the whole frame out of its … its … window hole, or whatever the correct term is, and it was coming with me and if I didn’t survive the fall then I’d be featuring in the Afterlife’s Accident Book as Cause of Death – Cut to ribbons by glass in own bedroom window.

However, the curtain slowed my descent, and the window frame altered the angle of my trajectory. I fell heavily sideways, landing on the linen basket, which did nothing to break my fall but did gift me an interesting wicker pattern on one thigh. I hit the floor with a bit of a thud and, somewhat entangled in the curtain because I’d forgotten to let go, it came down with me.

To be honest, the whole thing happened so quickly, I was on the floor before I realised I was falling out of the window. If that makes sense.

Oh – and Inflatable Matt followed me down, so I can honestly claim, however briefly, to have been underneath Matt Damon. Probably not something he’d want widely known.

For anyone still interested – while I lived to fight another day, the moth did not.

Take care.

Jodi x

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Jodi Taylor answers - Which historical era has been your favourite to write about, and why?

Recorded at Stevenage Library

Wolf Worm by T Kingfisher💙📚

This is another of T Kingfisher’s belting gothic horror stories.

The year is 1899 and this is the story of Sonia Wilson, a young scientific illustrator, desperate for a job – any job – after her father’s death leaves her penniless.

Arriving in North Carolina, she takes up a position with the slightly sinister Dr Halder, who hires her to illustrate his enormous collection of, quite frankly, even more sinister insects.

This is a T Kingfisher book, so obviously, it’s not long before strange things begin to happen. A sinister squirrel watches her through a window. An apparently insane possum that knows how to open doors. What horror is affecting the animals around this remote part of the state?

Read more

The winner from the Time Police Writing Competition - Regulation 847.6 Has Been Breached entries is…

Congratulations to Elaine Perkins who was voted, by readers, to be the winner. She has won a £50 gift voucher from Bookshop.org. CLICK HERE to read her entry.

Many thanks to everyone who entered. The next competition is a biggie - a play with the winning entry being performed at Jodiworld 2027. Details are to be announced in June.

MAY - GUESS THE AUDIO BOOK COMPETITION

Guess the book and characters speaking for your chance to win a signed copy of Out of Time

Put your knowledge of Jodi’s books to the test with our audio clip competition. Listen carefully to a short extract and see if you can identify the book and the characters speaking for a chance to win a signed copy of Out of Time.

Audiobooks are hugely popular among Jodi Taylor fans, bringing her stories to life through distinctive voices, character-driven performances, and immersive narration. For many readers, audiobooks offer the perfect way to enjoy a favourite series while commuting, walking, or relaxing. They make stories more accessible, flexible, and engaging than ever.

Tune in, trust your ears, and see if you can name the book and the characters behind the voices.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

My Name is Markham - available in Kindle and Audiobook formats - also included in The Long and Short of It anthology

Christmas is coming to St Mary’s; as always, chaos is not far behind. With preparations underway for the first-ever Children’s Christmas Party, Mr Markham—security officer, reluctant participant, and long-suffering observer of historians—is pulled into the madness. Between questionable reindeer routines and unexpected “poo-dropping” incidents, the festivities are shaping up to be anything but ordinary.

But when Markham, Peterson, and Maxwell are dispatched on a mission to Anglo-Saxon England in 878 AD, things go from chaotic to catastrophic. Their objective? To observe King Alfred the Great burning the cakes and uncover the truth behind one of history’s most enduring legends. However, this is St Mary’s, where no mission is ever simple, and disaster lurks around every corner.

Told entirely from Markham’s perspective, this short story provides a refreshingly wry and sarcastic insight into life at St Mary’s, where security officers remain highly suspicious of historians, time travel is never predictable, and History refuses to behave.

Buy now from Bookshop.org - UK USA

This is another of T Kingfisher’s belting gothic horror stories.

The year is 1899 and this is the story of Sonia Wilson, a young scientific illustrator, desperate for a job – any job – after her father’s death leaves her penniless.

Arriving in North Carolina, she takes up a position with the slightly sinister Dr Halder, who hires her to illustrate his enormous collection of, quite frankly, even more sinister insects.

This is a T Kingfisher book, so obviously, it’s not long before strange things begin to happen. A sinister squirrel watches her through a window. An apparently insane possum that knows how to open doors. What horror is affecting the animals around this remote part of the state?

And more importantly, what happened to her predecessor, who also happened to be the doctor’s wife? Their marriage collapsed, but did she really manage to get away from her unpleasant husband?

And what exactly is a blood thief?

Actually, I should probably say that if you’re not into parasitic maggots, then this is not the book for you. T Kingfisher gives us moments of genuine horror. The sinister hut – its mysterious occupant hovering between life and death … aaaghhh!

I honestly couldn’t put it down and sat up late – really late – to finish it. Highly recommended if you like having the socks scared off you on nearly every page.

And don’t forget – Daggerbound, the next book in her Swordheart series will be along soon.

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Buy now from Amazon

• Jodi Taylor - Stevenage Library and other news

• Jodi Taylor answers - Did you always intend the series to blend history, humour, and chaos so closely?

• It’s Time to Vote! Choose the winner from the Time Police Writing Competition - Regulation 847.6 Has Been Breached entries

• Jodiworld - The Movie watch now

• MAY - GUESS THE BOOK COMPETITION

• Short Story of the Month: My Name Is Markham

  There’s plenty to read this week and you can see everything on the blog too. CLICK HERE for the blog.

Well, here I am, back at my desk after a brilliant visit to Stevenage Library. And before I go any further, many thanks to all the lovely staff there for hosting such a great event. The turnout was brilliant, and kudos to the organisers for putting all the troublemakers in the front row. Yes, I saw you. All of you.

Thanks to the unexpectedly glorious weather the trip to Stevenage was very pleasant. And, most importantly, very nearly flawless. The only problem came when, less than two hundred yards from our destination, the driver – who shall remain nameless to protect her identity, Hazel – allowed herself to be distracted by the nearby Wine Society and veered off into the wrong lane. So disappointing. However, the fault was soon rectified – there was constructive and friendly but completely unappreciated advice from me – and we were soon back on track.

There was another slight hiccup when we attempted to check into the wrong Holiday Inn – trust me, Stevenage is positively littered with Holiday Inns. We tried four different names and still they refused to let us in so we could lower the tone of their establishment with a couple of glasses of much-needed wine. Eventually, they conceded there was another Holiday Inn just around the corner so off we set again.

Incidentally, the second attempt was successful – obviously this one was much less fussy. I don’t actually drink before an event. The combination of alcohol and difficult questions plays havoc with my ever-diminishing coherence. But for those who want to know – yes, I did have a couple afterwards. Obviously I was extremely dehydrated because they disappeared faster than a politician’s promise.

Anyway – back to the event – successfully negotiated even though I still can’t handle a microphone properly. Sorry about that. And some of the questions were very interesting, requiring deep thought from me. See the para on alcohol above.

While we were away, I actually had an extremely busy couple of days, drafting a possible storyline for a new Elizabeth Cage book, having some deep thoughts about Smallhope and Pennyroyal 3, putting together some notes for a short story to accompany a possible new anthology of short stories (to be launched at Jodiworld 2027) – they’ve all been published before and I like to give my readers something new because of that – and pulled together more ideas for Time Police 7. I had to come home in the end because my notebook was full and the bottle was empty.

If anyone finds themselves in France at the end of May, I’m attending the Imaginales Festival at Epinales. I’m somewhat nervous since I’ve forgotten all the French I ever learned at school. I shall memorise the French for I’m sorry, my French is not very good. I did the same in Turkey and it was only when I eventually arrived back in England that I discovered I’d actually been saying I’m sorry, my Turkish is a cardboard box. Which, when you think about it, more than adequately conveys the message I was trying to get across.

Oh – while I think of it – check out the jodiworld.co.uk details – it’s all looking very exciting. I can’t wait for next May.

Update on The Kitchen Windowsill of Death.

On returning from Stevenage – they’re gone – they’re all gone.

Well, the surviving three have gone to my mother who has a firm hand with this sort of nonsense. How vividly I remember moments from my childhood – ‘Your leg’s dropped off? You’ve got another on the other side. No reason to miss school.’

So three were definitely dead when I arrived home. One hovered, unable to make up its mind – and the last three assumed the traditional droop the second I stepped into the kitchen.

On the plus side, the hydroponics are doing well. Three tomato plants, a pepper plant, a cucumber, three purple basil and something unnamed and sinister. I’m betting it’s a beanstalk.

I don’t know why the government bothers with Porton Down when they could just avail themselves of my apocalyptic horticultural talents.

Take care.

Jodi x

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Jodi Taylor answers - Did you always intend the series to blend history, humour, and chaos so closely?

Recorded at Stevenage Library

It's Time to Vote for the Winner of the Time Police Writing Competition

It’s time to vote for the TIME POLICE Regulation 847.6 competition.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTRIES

CLICK HERE TO VOTE

Jodiworld 2025 - THE MOVIE

The film is a joyful, slightly unhinged, utterly heartfelt celebration of everything we love:

• The people

• The pandemonium

• The sheer brilliance of bringing this community together

If you haven’t yet watched it — pour yourself something suitably celebratory (margarita optional but encouraged), settle in, and prepare to lose track of time all over again.

CLICK HERE to watch

MAY - GUESS THE BOOK COMPETITION

Guess the book and characters speaking for your chance to win a signed copy of Out of Time

Put your knowledge of Jodi’s books to the test with our audio clip competition. Listen carefully to a short extract and see if you can identify the book and the characters speaking for a chance to win a signed copy of Out of Time.

Audiobooks are hugely popular among Jodi Taylor fans, bringing her stories to life through distinctive voices, character-driven performances, and immersive narration. For many readers, audiobooks offer the perfect way to enjoy a favourite series while commuting, walking, or relaxing. They make stories more accessible, flexible, and engaging than ever.

Tune in, trust your ears, and see if you can name the book and the characters behind the voices.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

My Name is Markham - available in Kindle and Audiobook formats - also included in The Long and Short of It anthology

Christmas is coming to St Mary’s; as always, chaos is not far behind. With preparations underway for the first-ever Children’s Christmas Party, Mr Markham—security officer, reluctant participant, and long-suffering observer of historians—is pulled into the madness. Between questionable reindeer routines and unexpected “poo-dropping” incidents, the festivities are shaping up to be anything but ordinary.

But when Markham, Peterson, and Maxwell are dispatched on a mission to Anglo-Saxon England in 878 AD, things go from chaotic to catastrophic. Their objective? To observe King Alfred the Great burning the cakes and uncover the truth behind one of history’s most enduring legends. However, this is St Mary’s, where no mission is ever simple, and disaster lurks around every corner.

Told entirely from Markham’s perspective, this short story provides a refreshingly wry and sarcastic insight into life at St Mary’s, where security officers remain highly suspicious of historians, time travel is never predictable, and History refuses to behave.

Buy now from Bookshop.org - UK USA

It’s time to vote for the TIME POLICE Regulation 847.6 competition.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTRIES

CLICK HERE TO VOTE

This is what we asked for:

Tone: Deadpan bureaucratic logic meets total time-travel disaster.

How It Works

1. Write Regulation 847.6 (overly specific, official sounding).

2. Write the timeline of the incident that forced the Time Police to create it.

3. Show the chaos escalating logically but absurdly.

Style Guidelines

• Formal report tone

• Ridiculous problem treated seriously

• Increasingly specific details

• Bureaucracy making everything worse

Your Entry Should Include

• A named officer or department

• A time-travel mistake

• Escalation into disaster

• The creation of Regulation 847.6

Recommended length: 400–800 words
Minimum: 200 words
Maximum: 1,200 words

Example Regulation

Regulation 847.6: Officers are prohibited from scheduling overlapping historical revolutions without prior clearance from Administrative Chronology and a completed Form 847.6-C (Revolution Sequencing).

---

The prize will be a £50 gift card from Bookshop.org

The winner will be chosen by a reader poll from closing on the 12th of May, with the winner announced in the May 13th newsletter.

TIME POLICE Regulation 847.6

Time Officers will not, by action or inaction, cause coffee to be removed, deleted or erased from the timeline.

Report.

Officers present. Team 323. Lt Bilson, Trainee Officer Potts, Trainee Officer Panns. Both on secondment from the Catering Dept.

Background

Oxford 1650, Anne Green, a housemaid, fell pregnant after being seduced by her employer’s teenage grandson. At 17 weeks she miscarried and delivered a stillborn child. Frightened, she hid the small body but it was discovered and she was charged under the 1624 Act to Prevent the Destroying of Bastard Children. It was presumed she murdered her child. She was sent before the Judge and sentenced to death.

14th December, she was hanged and declared dead. Green was then placed in a ‘surgeon’s coffin’ and sent to Kemp Hall, the home of William Petty, Professor of Anatomy, where her body was to be dissected. When the lid of the coffin was removed, Anne was observed to be breathing and, apparently, made a full recovery. She was pardoned, allowed to keep the coffin and lived for another 10 years.

Mission.

To verify or disprove the story of the death of Anne Green, Oxford 1650. Also, check that no unauthorised or even worse, authorised time travellers had interfered with the incident in any way.

Events leading up to the “Incident”

Trainee officers Potts and Panns were very eager to prove themselves, hoping to be allowed to contribute more to the active side of Time Police operations and the beginning of the jump went without incident. They observed discreetly and quietly checked that no rogue historians had interfered with the hanging of Anne Green.

It was decided that it would be best if we remained in the area to confirm the details of the resurrection of Green the following day. The next morning, Potts remembered seeing a coffee house at the Angel Coaching Inn and was very keen to try out an early type of coffee. She had found out that a penny was required and somehow had managed to “find one on the ground.” Potts left quickly, promising to bring three coffees back and said she would take no time at all and not cause any trouble (her exact words). I am sorry to report this was not the case.

Potts quickly discovered two things of note.

One. Take-out coffee was not a service the coffee house provided.

Two. Women were not allowed in said coffee house.

Potts did say that the riot that occurred was not something she could have foreseen and had tried her best to explain her mistake. She was attempting to leave when the subsequent fire took hold. She maintains it was a complete accident caused by someone pushing her causing her to knock over a table. The lamp falling onto the highly inflammable floor was also an unforeseen incident. Potts went on to say “How was I supposed to know that they used sawdust on the floor and everything was made of wood? Whose stupid idea was it to have everything made of wood when your only source of light was a naked flame”. Potts later realised that more research may have been needed on her part and was very sorry.

When Panns and I heard the screams and saw thick black smoke rising from the coffee house, we immediately ran over to assess the situation and to assist in any way possible. To that end we removed Trainee Officer Potts from the increasing fracas and after dowsing her cloak, returned her to the pod.. Luckily, she was not too badly charred and Potts admitted being on fire was a regular occurrence in her catering experience.

Under Code 9684/d Time Officers are not allowed to interfere with an ongoing situation involving fire, explosives or incendiary devices . So, we had to retire to a safe distance i.e. the pod and allow the fire to burn itself out. This did take quite a few hours. Luckily not too much damage was apparent. However, the Coaching Inn was completely burned to the ground.

Later, Panns and myself continued with the rest of the mission and concluded that the resurrection of Green was unusual, but not caused by interference from any legal or illegal Time Traveller and reported back to base.

Unforseen Historical Impact.

On our return, we received several notes concerning our jump. The Map Master was a bit vexed and The Commander was more irritable than usual and didn’t know why. They both demanded our presence immediately.

Potts decided that a nice cup of coffee would calm The Commander down. She was very confused to discover that “a nice cup of coffee” did not exist. The only hot drinks available were tea and saloop. We decided to visit the Time Map room first.

The Map Master was very concerned, as there had been a major problem emanating from our jump point. We received some very specific instructions.

“The Time Map had had a complete ***** meltdown. Something ***** big has happened and you lot had better go and ****** sort it or else.”

Some research into the timeline showed that the riot and fire at the Angel coaching house had caused a great deal of damage and coffee was seen as a dangerous and potentially deadly beverage. It was banned in all parts of England. Which meant that it had disappeared from the timeline completely.

How it was resolved.

Potts and Panns researched alternative timeline histories and discovered that a coffee house had been opened up in London in 1652 by Pasqua Rosée. from Turkey.

We then returned to London in 1652 and helped Rosée set up his shop and even suggested an advertising handbill to circulate which extolled the benefits of coffee, claiming “It is excellent to prevent and cure the dropsy, gout and scurvy“, as well as scrofula and “a most excellent remedy against the spleen, hypocondriack winds and the like” Coffee was once again established as a healthy and sober drink.

On returning to present, we were relieved to find out that coffee was an established fact and the timeline had reset itself. Also, The Commander was now much less irritable and much more caffeinated.

Final outcome.

The Commander decided that Trainee Officers Potts and Panns should return to their duties in the kitchen until they had learned their lesson and should be happy they are not scrubbing the latrines with their toothbrush.

They both agreed this was very fair and felt they were much better suited to catering. The past was too big, too scary and far too dangerous. They would rather tell all of the Senior Time Officers that they had run out of bacon than ever get back into a pod again.

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