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 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
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!
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.”
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!
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.
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 Taylor says…
‘The one where Matthew and Max take their first steps towards an understanding. The king-sized picnic they take to the starving boys was personally researched by me. I don’t think anyone realises quite how many sausages authors must force down for the sake of verisimilitude. A little more sympathy, please.’
Yes, as the only brother, I gave my 3 older sisters hours of fun. Often, I was sat down with dolls and teddy bears with a pink ribbon in my hair while an older sister played teacher. Lucky I was a boy though because the 2 older sisters had threatened to throw me in the local canal if I had been another sister. So if you think I'm strange, you know who caused it!
Of course Maxwell must have a silver hammer, 'bang, bang' or should that be 'knock, knock'.
Not pink. Rose!