Oct 21 2025

Of Pumpkins and Penguins

Halloween is almost upon us. However, Hebden Bridge isn’t hosting a Pumpkin Trail this year. These photos are from a few years ago when pumpkin carving took place in St George’s Square and delightful pumpkin scenes were scattered through the town.

Meanwhile, the garden centre in Walsden has certainly gone all out with Mr Riggs’ Pumpkin Patch. My knowledge of the large orange fruit is fairly limited, so I didn’t know there were white pumpkins (and some other different-coloured squash varieties as well). Also thought it was a vegetable until I Googled it. (That reminds me of a debate in one of Jasper Fforde’s books – was the Gingerbread Man a cake or a biscuit (cookie in US-speak)?)

Speaking of tasty snacks, it’s now come to light that a Penguin is no longer classed as a ‘chocolate’ biscuit. The manufacturers say that consumers won’t notice a difference in taste. Now that the coating is out of the wrapper so to speak, we will be testing this claim for authenticity.

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.

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

Jul 11 2025

Cats in books

I conducted a survey of how may cats have featured in my novels. So far, it’s a total of 13 in ten books.

Fleur and Soames: The Starling Hill Trilogy (Starting Over/Arc Over Time/Carved in Stone)

Stevie: The Circle Dance

Hermione: Running From Love

Slinky and Babs: Deuce

Jasper: Country Living

Marge, Bart, and Korky: Darcy Comes Home

JonSnow/Dusty and Micah: Changing Times

Loki: A Wild Moon Rises

I’m very much a cat person, while my wife prefers dogs. But we have neither as pets because of allergies. Therefore, I’m stuck for photos of resident cats to accompany this blog post. However, there is this limited selection of visitors and neighbouring felines.

Piddles: rescued from freezing outside our door. Taken in by the family next door and so named by the children as she wasn’t house-trained.

Sammy: seen through neighbouring window in his favourite bird-watching spot.

Ginger: real name not known but a fairly regular visitor as he roams around the area. Always up for a scratch and a cuddle.

So if you’re looking for summer reading featuring lesbians with cats, there’s a fine selection available with the links below.

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

Apr 11 2025

Covid killed my café coffee habit

I was a regular customer of several coffee shops in Hebden Bridge until March 2020. After that, lockdowns came and went, but my frequent consumption of cappuccinos never returned. I saved a lot of money plus additional calories – because where there was coffee, there was very likely cake.

One of my usual haunts was Mooch on Market Street. It became a favourite when I discovered the shelf containing books for sale had a selection of lesbian fiction titles, some dating back to the last century. I know I picked up a Stoner Mctavish book there as well as one of Joan Nestle’s anthologies.

On publication of my first book, Starting Over, I asked the owner if it was okay for me to add one of my books to the shelf. She was happy with that and over the years I’ve placed at least one of each of my novels there. A Wild Moon Rises is the latest one to be added.

The selection has dwindled somewhat since my coffee days, but I was pleased to see five of my titles have disappeared. I hope they’ve gone to good homes.

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

Mar 11 2025

Where to buy LGBTQ+ books?

This is a hot topic at the moment with many readers wanting to boycott a certain outlet. It has been pointed out by many other authors (and some readers) that this will only hurt the little people…ie. independent authors and small publishers. (And even the larger publishers in our community will suffer as they don’t have the same financial resources as mainstream ones).

Looking for an alternative? My publisher, Affinity Rainbow Publications, has a website. You can purchase ebooks directly from them. Well worth a look and you may come across some authors you hadn’t heard of before.

All my novels and audio books with links to a range of outlets are listed here. After Affinity, Amazon is next one named on the list because that’s where most of my sales come from. There’s no getting away from the fact that it has the widest reach on a global scale that no other company can match. But, the alternatives are there to use – for ebooks anyway.

Print books are another matter altogether. Amazon’s Print On Demand service is also a boon to small businesses. Mainstream publishers can deal with large print runs in terms of not just the print costs but also distribution and storage.

So, here is where to find my books. Please have a browse and maybe take a chance on a lesser-known author and publisher.

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

Feb 10 2025

Reviewing the review

Writing a book is hard work. For me, anyway. So when it’s finally polished off and released into the world, there’s an anxious wait for acknowledgment that I might have achieved something worthwhile. A book that will garner glowing reviews and lots of five star ratings. Friends and relatives are the first readers I usually hear from. Whether on not they really liked the story, they make polite noises about enjoying it.

Actual reviews from my target audience (likely anyone who is reading this blog) are few and getting fewer each year. So, it was a great relief to receive this wonderfully worded review from Carol at LesBiReviewed. She also managed to comment on the story lines without giving away any spoilers. (Links to video review and Goodreads review) Very nice certificate too!

This quote from Carol’s review has stayed with me:

…I loved every second of this story, from the picturesque scenery and imagery of Briarbay to Mal and Selene’s slight awkwardness but cute attraction to one another. And it had a little scandal thrown in too, but not what I expected. In fact the whole story was just one big unexpected surprise.…

Reviews are important to authors. It’s often said reviews are for readers to help them decide on whether or not a particular book is for them. But it’s also meaningful to the writer to know whether or not they’ve done a good job. It only needs to be a few words, or just a star rating.

A Wild Moon Rises is also available on audio – narrated by Nicola Victoria Vincent.

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

Jul 21 2024

Coming Soon: A Wild Moon Rises

Ten days to the release date of my new book on August 1^st. Number thirteen, lucky for some. Or should I count in my novella, Three Mile Cache, and call it number thirteen and a half to be on the safe side. I’m not superstitious, really. Am I?

Releasing a new novel always brings on a bout of imposter syndrome. Is the story any good, etc. No matter how times I’ve been in this position, it’s still nerve-wracking.

Like my other books, this one is a romance. The main setting, after the prologue and first few chapters, is the north of England at the seaside. Family history is also a feature, along with questions of inheritance, a persistent ex-lover, and new connections.

(Published by Affinity Rainbow Publications)

Setting the scene:

A Wild Moon Rises: released August 1st 2024

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:

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 / iTunes

Starting Over: Audible UK / Audible US / Audible DE / Audible CA / Audible AU / Amazon UK / Amazon US / iTunes

Changing Perspectives: Audible / Amazon / iTunes / Beek / Chirp / Scribd / Google Play / Kobo / Nook (also on Spotify)

Apr 29 2024

Of rainforests and a new book

Large parts of Britain were once covered with temperate rainforests. Remnants can be found in the Lake District and I always feel that’s possibly evident here on the eastern edge of Lake Windermere.

On arrival, I’m captured by the clearness of the air, the beauty of the surroundings. I wander down to the lakeside and breathe it all in. Calm and soothing, listening to the gentle movement of the water, the rustling of the leaves, and somewhere the silence broken by the strident calls of wild geese (although the two in this photo are serenely moving along).

Back to the primeval elements: what is this – emerging from the rock – a creature from Lord of the Rings?

A new book

My writing life has stuttered and stumbled through the last two years, but I can finally announce that I’ve just signed a contract with Affinity Rainbow Publications for a new book, scheduled for an August release.

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:

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 / iTunes

Starting Over: Audible UK / Audible US / Audible DE / Audible CA / Audible AU / Amazon UK / Amazon US / iTunes

Changing Perspectives: Audible / Amazon / iTunes / Beek / Chirp / Scribd / Google Play / Kobo / Nook (also on Spotify)

Oct 5 2023

October releases

Some words about my two October releases…my first published novel and my twelfth (I don’t want to say ‘my last’ as I hope I still have another book or two inside me). This is my muse, Colin the Chameleon. He sits on top of a cabinet looking down at my computer screen. I think he’s hibernating at the moment as not many words are reaching the blank page. But I’m thankful for the ones that have emerged to produce books 1 through 12.

Starting Over will always have a special place in my heart. I started writing it during the summer of 2013. Newly retired, with more time on my hands, it was the ideal opportunity to fulfil a lifelong ambition to be a published author. Sitting in my garden writing random thoughts in a notebook about characters’ names, ages, occupations, I somehow knew that one of the MCs was a potter. This led me to researching pottery online. I came across a pottery place in Bardon Mill, Northumberland. This led me to check out Vindolanda. I discovered that I could volunteer to excavate at this Roman site near Hadrian’s wall. The story started to take off after that and I knew that archaeology would have a large part to play in the storyline.

Changing Times developed in a very different way. I already had a cast of characters from Changing Perspectives (story set in 1993, published in 2017). But the main characters would now be of retirement age. So, although I wanted to revisit them, the focus of the narrative for this book was on the younger generation. Setting the story thirty years on meant that Dani’s nieces were now in their thirties. My task then was to find out what Lucy and Holly were up to. They inhabit a world that has changed somewhat since 1993 and I tried to express the impact on them through their different life experiences.

Social media update:

I’ve now joined Blue Sky Social – connect with me there: @jenjsilver.bsky.social

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:

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 / iTunes

Starting Over: Audible UK / Audible US / Audible DE / Audible CA / Audible AU / Amazon UK / Amazon US / iTunes

Changing Perspectives: Audible / Amazon / iTunes / Beek / Chirp / Scribd / Google Play / Kobo / Nook (also on Spotify)

Aug 29 2023

History on my bookshelves

I have quite a collection of books from the eighties and nineties. A few are piled up in this photo. I think Dykeversions may be one of the first I purchased from an Athena shop in London. Athena sold mostly wall art print and posters and I don’t think they exist anymore. Anyway, they had a rack of books and I picked this up, excited to see that it was published by a Canadian company…The Women’s Press. I had just recently returned to England after ten years in Canada. Anyway, I was reading one of the short stories in Dykeversions on the bus and was so engrossed, I missed my stop.

This book seemed to be the sole lesbian offering in the shop. So, I don’t how or why it ended up there. After that, I discovered Silver Moon on Charing Cross Road. When I moved up north, I continued to buy from their mail order catalogue until they went out of business.

Stone Butch Blues came from Silver Moon. This is the 1993, first edition, published by Firebrand Books. It made a great impression on me. Jess Goldberg’s story in these pages is a tough read and it took me thirty years to get around to rereading it last month. It is a work of fiction but I’m sure a lot of the problems arising from Jess’s chosen identity were experienced by the author.

Revisiting this book was very much worth it. A reminder of the battles that were fought, the difficulties of connecting with a community that would accept you…it’s a history that lives on. Reading Stone Butch Blues, and these other books, is like opening up a time capsule from the middle of the last century. A lot has changed, but much has remained the same. (Ref: the pain in Spain over the football kiss – misogyny and sexism rules!)

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:

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 / iTunes

Starting Over: Audible UK / Audible US / Audible DE / Audible CA / Audible AU / Amazon UK / Amazon US / iTunes

Changing Perspectives: Audible / Amazon / iTunes / Beek / Chirp / Scribd / Google Play / Kobo / Nook (also on Spotify)