Barn Cats and a Short Short Story!!

I'm excited to share another early review of Dying for Money:

"I've read the first four books of this series and thoroughly enjoyed how Vicky draws the reader into mystery and intrigue as Meg tries to untangle a web of chaos surrounding a murder that rings too close to home for her. But, book #5 Dying for Money is just as captivating and hard to put down. Vicky's transitions between characters and situations is so smooth and effortless that it is just a pleasure to read and my desire to want more is a craving hanging in the air! Thanks Vicky!! More please!! Linda".

(Please email me your review, or post on Amazon if you purchased any of my books from there. Thank you).

After the short short story, there's a brief update on the barn cats!

This short short story was written in ten minutes during the recent meeting of the Uxbridge Writers' Circle. One member selected a 'prompt' and we were off! The prompt was 'clip'. We each used the word very differently.

I have no idea why I immediately found myself in a boys' boarding school!

Here it is:

Lilac

"You'll get a clip around the earhole if I catch you doing that again!" the headmaster growled at Tim who was shaking so much that he dropped his school cap. "And pick that up before I decide to send you to detention."

Tim picked the cap up.

"Go!" the headmaster yelled.

Tim's legs wouldn't work. The shaking got worse and he fainted again, crumpling into a mess of blazer, tie, and grey short trousers, in front of the headmaster's large, dark, oak desk.

The headmaster was flustered. He didn't know what to do for a second, but then did what he always did when he was in a fix- he yelled for Miss Swinson. Miss Swinson ran into the room. Her flushed face, blond hair, and sparkling eyes distracted the headmaster, but Miss Swinson saw Tim.

"Oh, dearie me. I'll get matron."

"Yes. Thank you, Miss Swinson."

But what should he do in the meantime? He caught sight of the vase of lilac that Miss Swinson had put on his desk. He yanked the foul-smelling flowers out and threw them in the waste paper basket, and dumped the water on Tim's red hair.

The boy stirred. He looked up at the headmaster with widening eyes. The look of abject terror stirred something inside the hard-shelled headmaster. He bent down and talked to Tim as if he was a lost kitten, with soothing words while smoothing his red hair.

Miss Swinson and Nurse Baine nearly fainted themselves when they saw this sight. But they say this was the start of the headmaster's romance with Miss Swinson.

Vicky Earle Copyright 2023

Barn Cats

Cricket and Brownie are lying in their favourite place when I'm in the barn: on the cover we put on the water trough overnight.

Brownie isn't keen to have his photo taken, but Cricket is not at all bothered.

The cats are wonderful and I enjoy them very much. Cricket plays with Raven (our young black border collie/shepherd cross), but Cricket is always the boss!

They're great members of the Abington Farm family!

Thanks for reading my post.