The Rushford Times - A weekly newsletter from Jodi Taylor
Sent on Wednesdays to paid subscribers and Fridays to free subscribers
This week we have:
Jodi Taylor on Bookshop.org
A new writing competition - The St Mary’s Incident Report Competition
News of a new short story - The Coo of Warning
February audio clip competition - guess the book and characters speaking for your chance to win a signed copy of Out of Time
A Symphony of Echoes is just 99p or 99 cents this month on Amazon
Short Story of the Month: The Very First Damned Thing - a chance to discover some of the St Mary’s short stories
There’s plenty to read this week and you can see everything on the blog too. CLICK HERE for the blog.
I’m very excited to announce that my books are now available through that very excellent website Bookshop.org. - also available in the USA CLICK HERE
They’re all there – and very smart they look too. Shame the author’s such a shambles but never mind – and are available in both eBook and paperback formats.
But – and this is the best bit – for every book sold a percentage is donated to THE INDEPENDENT BOOKSHOP OF YOUR CHOICE!!
There’s a pre-order facility, featured Books of the Month, a Read, Recycle and Redeem programme and much more besides,
Hazel says she will post the website link so you can click with confidence. Seriously, you post one link to one surgical support store and the world never lets you forget it.
Happy browsing!
Where you choose to buy your books can make a real difference. Purchasing Jodi Taylor’s print and ebooks through Bookshop.org is a simple way to support not only your favourite author but also the wider community that helps books and readers flourish.
Every purchase contributes to independent bookshops. These are the places that recommend beloved series to new readers, create beautiful displays, host events and keep a genuine book culture alive on the high street. By choosing Bookshop.org you help ensure that these shops continue to thrive.
You still receive all the convenience of online shopping. Print books are delivered straight to your door, and ebooks are available to read on your device, but your money goes towards real bookshops rather than large corporations.
A strong network of independent booksellers benefits both authors and readers. When bookshops are supported, they can champion backlist titles, hand-sell favourite authors, and introduce new readers to long-running series. This helps writers like Jodi reach more people and continue creating the stories we love.
You can even choose which bookshop to support. If you have a favourite local shop, it can receive the profit from your order. If you do not, your purchase still contributes to a shared fund that is distributed among independents.
In short, you pay the same price, enjoy the same ease of ordering and at the same time help real bookshops, real people and the future of the books you love.
The St Mary’s Incident Report Competition
Sharpen your pencils and get your brains in gear — it’s time to file a St Mary’s Incident Report. We’re inviting you to invent your own character, from any department and document a jump that went slightly off the rails in full official style, complete with all the dignity, detail and barely concealed chaos such reports require. Your entry should be 800–1,200 words and must feature one real historical figure, one entirely unexpected object and the immortal phrase: “This was not my fault.”
We know how much you enjoy the formal format and the inevitable escalation from “minor complication” to “catastrophic development,” so this is your chance to let things go gloriously wrong. Submit your report to the proper authorities and remember — clarity, accuracy, and plausible deniability are everything.
The prize will be a £50 gift card from Bookshop.org
CLICK HERE to enter. Closing date is 24th March 2026. Judging will be by a reader poll from 25th March with the winner announced on 31st March
Jodi has been busy and written a new story that’s exclusive to Substack subscribers. The Coo of Warning will be released on April 1st to paid subscribers and April 14th to free subscribers.
Hi Jodi. Have recently listened to all your current Chronicles books and I was curious as to whether you are avoiding any specific time periods, such as religious times (Christ, etc) or whether you have these pegged for the future? Are there any historical periods that you will categorically not let Max venture into? Thanks in advance.
Hi - what an excellent question and yes, you’re right. I am avoiding anything with a religious theme. In What Could Possibly Go Wrong, a character asks if confirming the crucifixion actually took place would be more or less catastrophic than proving it didn’t. In my first book I had Dr Bairstow saying there are places to which they would not go - Jerusalem during certain periods, Mecca, Medina, Bethlehem and so on. The conversation was edited out in the interests of keeping the word count down, but it’s a self-imposed rule I intend to abide by.
I’m also trying to minimise the risk of inadvertent paradox by not allowing them to jump back to any period less than one hundred years in the past, so as to minimise the risk of killing a grandparent. And also because I don’t regard anything in the last hundred years or so as actual History. I always think if it’s that recent then it’s a memory, rather than History.
Sorry, I’ve bored on for rather longer than I intended. Hope this answers your questions.
FEBRUARY - 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.
The Very First Damned Thing - available in Kindle and Audiobook formats - also included in The Long and Short of It anthology
Ever wondered how St Mary’s came to be? This story follows Dr Bairstow as he embarks on the ambitious and seemingly impossible task of founding the St Mary’s Institute of Historical Research. As part of his strategy for official recognition and the funding that comes with it, Dr Bairstow takes a team of civil servants to witness the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. During the battle, they find themselves caught in the chaos of one of history’s most decisive battles and witness first-hand the brutal reality of Napoleon’s final defeat. With that secured, Dr Bairstow can set about recruiting the first generation of St Mary’s historians, security, and technicians, assembling a team that will define the institution’s unique blend of academic brilliance and bloody-minded recklessness.
Jodi Taylor says…
‘I think I’d written more than four or five books before I wrote this prequel. I don’t know why I was suddenly overwhelmed by a need to go back to the beginning but I did. Normally my overwhelming needs involve chocolate. I always say to people – don’t read this one first. Get a couple of books under your belt first otherwise some of it might not make sense. Which assumes the rest of it does…’