I’m thrilled to welcome back Morton S. Grey to Linda’s Book Bag. Previously Morton wrote a fabulous guest blog (here) all about writing through emotions when she and I had had a particularly difficult year. I’m so glad she has agreed to return to stay in with me today.

If you’re an author who’d also like to stay in with me to tell me about one of your books, please click here for more details.

Staying in with Morton S. Grey

Welcome back to Linda’s Book Bag, Morton. It seems ages since I saw you in real life. Thank you for agreeing to stay in with me.

Hi Linda, thanks for inviting me over!

Tell me, which of your books have you brought along to share this evening and why have you chosen it?

I’ve brought along The Girl on the Beach. It’s just come out in paperback, my first ever, as this novel was my debut with Choc Lit after winning their Search for a Star competition. Even though I’ve been e-published for over a year there was something so special about being able to hold my novel in my hands and to run my fingers over the embossing on the front cover. I don’t often get excited, but I definitely did when my author copies arrived (you may have seen the video I posted online – blushes!) A copy of my novel now takes its place on my keeper book shelf.

(How wonderful to have a physical copy with your name on the cover. You must be so excited.)

What can we expect from an evening in with The Girl on the Beach?

The action in the novel takes place in my fictional seaside town of Borteen, as do the other novels from my Borteen Secrets Series (watch out for Book Two The Truth Lies Buried published on 1 May 2018).

(Congratulations on your new book, The Truth Lies Buried, too. Blog readers might like to know that it is available through the links here.)

The story of The Girl on the Beach follows Ellie Golden and her shock when she believes she recognizes her son’s new headmaster, Harry Dixon from her past. If Harry is who she thinks he is, he doesn’t appear to recognize her, he’s using a different name and she thought he was dead.

Ellie moved to Borteen to escape her troubled past and keep her son, Tom safe, but that past is about to catch up with her big time.

(This sounds so good.)

I’ve had some lovely reviews for the book and people seem to like the fact I’ve included teenage secondary characters, art and a youth mentoring scheme in the book. My favourite image from the novel is Harry Dixon on his daily run along the beach.

What else have you brought along and why have you brought it?

I’ve bought my heart shaped pink bucket (watch out for this in some of my stories), a spade and a beach mat. I’ve bought these along so that we can go for a walk on some of my favourite beaches, maybe Woolacombe, Llandanawg, or Bamburgh, to indulge in some beachcombing and a little paddle in the sea. I love to look out for seaglass and interesting pebbles for my collection.

Living in Worcestershire, UK I couldn’t be further from the coast if I tried, so going to the seaside is a real treat. Being on the beach is so good for the soul.

(I agree Morton. South Lincolnshire places me a good way from the sea too and I love a walk on the beach!)

Thank you so much, Morton, for staying in with me to introduce The Girl on the Beach. I think it sounds wonderful and will be sure to add it to my TBR along with The Truth Lies Buried. Good luck with both titles!

The Girl on the Beach

Who is Harry Dixon?

When Ellie Golden meets Harry Dixon, she can’t help but feel she recognises him from somewhere. But when she finally realises who he is, she can’t believe it – because the man she met on the beach all those years before wasn’t called Harry Dixon. And, what’s more, that man is dead.

For a woman trying to outrun her troubled past and protect her son, Harry’s presence is deeply unsettling – and even more disconcerting than coming face to face with a dead man, is the fact that Harry seems to have no recollection of ever having met Ellie before. At least that’s what he says …

But perhaps Harry isn’t the person Ellie should be worried about. Because there’s a far more dangerous figure from the past lurking just outside of the new life she has built for herself, biding his time, just waiting to strike.

The Girl on the Beach is available for purchase through these links.

The Truth Lies Buried

Two children in a police waiting room, two distressed mothers, a memory only half remembered…

When Jenny Simpson returns to the seaside town of Borteen, her childhood home, it’s for a less than happy reason. But it’s also a chance for her to start again.
A new job leads to her working for Carver Rodgers, a man who lives alone in a house that looks like it comes from the pages of a fairy tale – until you see the disaster zone inside …

As Jenny gets to know Carver she begins to unravel the sadness that has led to his chaotic existence. Gradually they realise they have something in common that is impossible to ignore – and it all links back to a meeting at a police station many years before.

Could the truth lie just beneath their feet?

Published by Choc Lit on 1st May 2018, The Truth Lies Buried can be pre-ordered through these links.

About Morton S. Gray

Morton lives with her husband, two sons and Lily, the tiny white dog, in Worcestershire, U.K. She has been reading and writing fiction for as long as she can remember, penning her first attempt at a novel aged fourteen. She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and The Society of Authors.

Her debut novel The Girl on the Beach was e-published in January 2017, after she won Choc Lit Publishing Search for a Star competition. The story follows a woman with a troubled past as she tries to unravel the mystery surrounding her son’s headteacher, Harry Dixon. This book is available as a paperback from 10 April 2018.

Morton’s second book for Choc Lit The Truth Lies Buried is published as an e-book on 1 May 2018. Another romantic suspense novel, the book tells the story of Jenny Simpson and Carver Rodgers as they uncover secrets from their past.

Morton previously worked in the electricity industry in committee services, staff development and training. She has a Business Studies degree and is a fully qualified clinical hypnotherapist and Reiki Master. She also has diplomas in Tuina acupressure massage and energy field therapy. She enjoys crafts, history and loves tracing family trees. Having a hunger for learning new things is a bonus for the research behind her books.

You can follow Morton on Twitter @MortonSGray, find her author page on Facebook and visit her website.