It's Friday - What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

A weekly catch-up from Jodi Taylor

This week we have:

• A birthday catch-up from Jodi Taylor

• This week’s History Briefing is Persepolis: The Fall of a Great Empire, which is featured in An Argumentation of Historians

• The link to join Jodi for a Zoom call to discuss The Ballad of Smallhope and Pennyroyal

• Killing Time is just 99p or 99cents this month

• A joke from the Silly Sunday thread in the Fans & Readers Facebook group

• Guest posts: Do you want to share something on Jodi's Substack blog?

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

---

Hello everyone,

This is a very quick note because I’m just finishing off the copy edits for Bad Moon – which should trigger preliminary designs for the cover which is always exciting – and I’m also deep in Out of Time – TP6. This one has involved a considerable amount of research which, while enjoyable and interesting, has put me behind a little bit. Quite a lot, actually. Working like stink to catch up.

Where was I? Yes – just a quick note to say thank you very much to everyone for your kind birthday wishes. It’s a funny thing about birthdays – I looked forward to them so much when I was young, more or less ignored them in my middle age but now, in my more advanced years, I greet them with a certain mild astonishment. A sort of – Good Lord, I’m still here.

Hazel sent me six wheels of cheese. I’m not sure how much cheese she thinks I eat and I don’t know whether to be proud or ashamed that I’ve already eaten one and a half of them. And the biscuits. And the chocolate. And once again I ask myself why I’m not thin.

And finally, as they say in all the best newscasts – a quick reminder. It’s been a while but we’re Zooming on Sunday 27th October at 7.00pm our time. Sorry, I have no idea if we’re on GMT or BST at the moment. Leave the bloody clocks alone, will you!

The official topic will be The Ballad of Smallhope and Pennyroyal but we usually end up discussing just about everything under the sun. Don’t worry if you can’t make it – it’s always recorded and will play on Substack and my Facebook pages.

See you there and many thanks again for all the Happy Birthdays.

Jodi.

---

History and Happenings - click here to view more posts

The sacking of Persepolis in 330 BC was one of the most infamous acts of Alexander the Great's conquest of the Persian Empire. While the city’s destruction symbolized the fall of the Achaemenid dynasty, it also highlighted the cultural and political tensions between the Persian and Greek civilizations. This History Briefing gives the background to the event that the team from St Mary’s investigated in An Argumentation of Historians.

---

Jodi Taylor and the disaster magnets of St Mary's return with a story of chaos and catastrophe, to wish you a very Merry Christmas.

Coming to a screen near you...

TEMPORA, THE TIME TRAVELLING TOURIST

Starring Astrid Gustafsson as Helen of Troy - 'the face that launched a thousand ships'

With Dirk Thrust as Achilles - 'demi god and hero'

And the Wooden Horse as Himself - 'easily the least wooden performance from anyone participating in this particular travesty' (Dr Maxwell)

Watch and weep as this epic tale unfolds...

---

Join us for a live chat with Jodi on Zoom on 27th October.

Topic: Jodi Chat about The Ballad of Smallhope & Pennyroyal and other sundry topics

Time: Oct 27, 2024 07:00 PM London

Join Zoom Meeting

https://bskb.zoom.us/j/83940266194?pwd=zSURw2URIBejtbqMjQOTole0NvDRVb.1 

Meeting ID: 839 4026 6194 

Passcode: 511760Just a reminder…

---

Killing Time is just 99p or 99 cents on Kindle this month - grab it while you can!

---

Enjoy a joke from the Silly Sunday thread from the Facebook Fans and Readers group.

Thanks to Joe Tetsab for this one…

'Pennyroyal, take off my bra'

'Yes, m'lady'

'Pennyroyal, take off my knickers, slowly and gently'

'Yes, m'lady'

'Pennyroyal, if I find you wearing them again, you'll be in big trouble. Get your own, you weirdo'

---

Guest posts: Do you want to share something on Jodi's Substack blog?

It could be about historical costumes, places or something for Controversy Corner. Those are just a few ideas but others are welcome. The articles are usually about 500 words and need at least one picture.

If your article is published you'll get a free annual subscription worth £50. This entitles you to the writing masterclass, chat room, and free eBook of the Reading Companion and History Briefing for Just One Damned Thing After Another.

Please email Hazel at hazel@rushford.ltd with your ideas. The article will appear on the blog and in the Friday digest email.

---

The Reading Companion and History Briefings eBook for Just One Damned Thing After Another. The eBook is 99p or FREE for subscribers.

It contains:

• A foreword by Jodi Taylor

• Background information on the characters

• History Briefings giving information on the four main jumps in the book

• Floor plans of St Mary’s Institute for Historical Research

• A list of British idioms and expressions

• How to make tea like a Brit

• A recipe for Toad in the Hole

• A full series guide and reading order for The Chronicles of St Mary’s series

Available in both epub and PDF formats. You can also download full-size images of the floor plans.

---