Feb 12 2026

Bones can dream

Where does the time go? Ten years ago I had three published novels, a complete trilogy, no less. With two more books scheduled for release, one in March and one in December. I really was living the dream.

The titles for the Starling Hill trilogy books originated from listening to a singer/songwriter duo, Chris While and Julie Matthews. Their ‘Best of’ album included a song titled “Starting All Over: which became Starting Over for book one. Arc Over Time for the second book was from the song, “Bridge Over Time” from their “Hitting the Ground Running” album which also included a song titled “Carved in Stone” for the third book.

Carved in Stone almost didn’t get published. My publisher had warned me when I submitted Arc Over Time that sequels don’t always do well, especially as I was a new author with only one previous book to my name. They were right, of course. So I understood their reluctance to take a chance on book number three.

Anyway, I somehow convinced them to go ahead. In my blog in February 2016 when the trilogy was released, I explained why I had wanted to complete the story.

Bones can dream
…This almost became the title of Carved in Stone because of the character who isn’t there but who pervades the imaginations and subsequently, the actions, of the other characters.
In Starting Over the bones of a long dead historical figure are discovered at Starling Hill farm. They turn out to be the bones of Cartimandua who was the chief of the Brigantes tribe in Britain when the Romans turned up in force in AD43. I hesitate to use the title ‘Queen’ because I doubt that was a title bestowed on her by the tribe. It was used by the Roman historians who wrote about the period much later. We have no written records of this time in Britain. However, for the sake of not having to ascribe other words to denote her leadership, she is generally referred to as Queen Cartimandua.
Archaeologists in this country would love to be the discoverers of Cartimandua’s final resting place. No one knows where she went once her reign ended.
In these stories, and particularly Carved in Stone, Cartimandua becomes another presence. It is her influence on their lives that brings all the characters together one way or another.
This is fiction, of course. But I hope that one day Cartimandua’s actual bones will be found to give archaeologists the chance to piece together her life and what happened to her in those final days…

I was also influenced at the time by the discovery of King Richard III’s bones under a Leicester car park and watched the final interment ceremony with great interest. Carol Ann Duffy, the poet laureate at the time, wrote a poem for the occasion and one line at the end of the first verse resonated with me…”Grant me the carving of my name.” That’s when I felt it was important to give Cartimandua that kind of recognition in the story.

I hope I did her justice. And many thanks to Affinity Rainbow Publications for taking the chance on publishing the third book and give the queen her final resting place.

(Note: The three books are available individually, and also as a box set)

Print and eBooks by Jen Silver are available from Affinity Rainbow Publications / Amazon, Bella Books, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Apple Books

Audiobooks – narrated by Nicola Victoria Vincent:

A Wild Moon Rises: Audible UK/ Audible US / Apple Books / Kobo / Nook (B&N) / Storytel / Google Play / Libro.fm / Audiobooks / Everand (Scribd) / Spotify

Country Living: Audible UK / Audible US / Audible DE / Audible CA / Audible AU / Amazon UK / Amazon US / Apple Books

Darcy Comes Home: Audibl e U K / Amazon UK / Amazon US / Apple Books

Starting Over: Audible UK / Audible US / Audible DE / Audible CA / Audible AU / Amazon UK / Amazon US / Apple Books

Changing Perspectives: Audible / Amazon / Apple Books / Beek / Chirp / Everand (Scribd) / Google Play / Kobo / Nook / Spotify

Jan 15 2026

Book Bingo

Jae’s Sapphic Book Bingo is up and running for this year. Check out how to play here. If you’ve not played it before, it’s an ideal way to learn about authors new and old and find books you might not have come across before. There’s a wide of categories to fill up the bingo cards – 25 for the regular bingo card and 12 for the Hidden Gems one. All the rules are explained on Jae’s website.

Here are a few of my books to cover some of the categories:

Changing the subject…Weather

There were lot of weather reports of massive snow bombs around the country when Storm Goretti was active during the first week in January. The snow, literally, does seem to have fallen ‘around’ the country. We’re located more or less in the middle and it has totally missed us. We had some torrential rain during that period – if it had fallen as snow we would have had substantial coverage of the white stuff to add to the news headlines. Calmer and warmer at the moment, but threats now of another ‘Beast from the East’. We’ll believe it when we see it!

Meanwihile, if you are in a snow zone, please stay warm and enjoy some more time for reading.

Print and eBooks by Jen Silver are available from Affinity Rainbow Publications / Amazon, Bella Books, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Apple Books

Audiobooks – narrated by Nicola Victoria Vincent:

A Wild Moon Rises: Audible UK/ Audible US / Apple Books / Kobo / Nook (B&N) / Storytel / Google Play / Libro.fm / Audiobooks / Everand (Scribd) / Spotify

Country Living: Audible UK / Audible US / Audible DE / Audible CA / Audible AU / Amazon UK / Amazon US / Apple Books

Darcy Comes Home: Audibl e U K / Amazon UK / Amazon US / Apple Books

Starting Over: Audible UK / Audible US / Audible DE / Audible CA / Audible AU / Amazon UK / Amazon US / Apple Books

Changing Perspectives: Audible / Amazon / Apple Books / Beek / Chirp / Everand (Scribd) / Google Play / Kobo / Nook / Spotify

Sep 2 2025

AI…good or bad?

“The Medium is the Message”

These words by Canadian philosopher Marshall McLuhan were a catch-phrase when I was growing up in the sixties. Along with “Global village” – a concept also attributed to McLuhan. People around the world were now connected through the technologies of the time. One of the main concerns was the impact of television on behaviour…the good and the bad effects. His ideas from the last century are even more relevant today. Although the messages in the media are now more accessible on a personal level.

“We become what we behold. We shape our tools and thereafter the tools shape us.”

This is another McLuhan quote which I think epitomises where we are with AI at this moment in time. At first it was a tool with limited use…search engines, auto-correct on our texts and emails…to the overarching use now. We’re realising the negative effects too late to pull back. So the only option is to embrace it but be aware of its limitations. For example, if students use it to write essays, they need to do fact-checking, where possible, and also check any references provided – as they are may not actually exist. Spelling is still a useful skill. Otherwise how do you know if the auto-correct is correct.

Ever since the invention of photo-enhancing software, it’s been possible to create fake images. But that needed a degree of mastering the full range of an application’s features which not everyone undertook. My use of Photoshop, for example, was limited to cropping and lightening or darkening photographs. Now more advanced features can be done easily with AI tools. A swipe of your finger and the overflowing rubbish bin spoiling a scenic view is gone.

We’re seeing the damaging effects on all creative arts, not just photography: writing, acting, painting. Where does it end? Everything you view or experience can be or has been faked.

Soon, as anyone who reads/watches science-fiction knows, human beings will be surplus to requirements. And, who is to say that’s a bad thing considering the mess we’ve managed to make of living on this planet.

On a different note, I hope you’ve all enjoyed a lovely summer. It’s been a dry and sunny one for most parts of the UK. Here in Yorkshire, we have a hosepipe ban in place as the reservoirs, rivers and canals are at extremely low levels. Now that we’re in September, I’m sure the rains will come and we can start moaning about the cold and wet.

If you haven’t read any of my books, then here’s a link to my publisher’s website. I can assure you that none of them have been written with the help of AI. My own un-artificial, limited level of intelligence came up with the stories.