Category Archives: The Delamere Files

Eight Deviant Years

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Eight years ago, in 2018, I decided I wanted to write a story based around the infamous East End murders of 1888, and ‘Jack the Ripper.’ Wheat came out was ‘Deviant Desire,’ and as I’ve mentioned before, this was meant to be a standalone book. However, it clearly wasn’t, because it led to another 29 full-length novels over three series. The world I’d created grew organically from one book to the next, keeping to its own rules, and, in my opinion, with the writing style improving in confidence all the time. The entire collection of novels and related publications amounts to well over 3,000,000 words, and most of them are spelt correctly.

Along the way, we met a large cast of characters, some of whom survived all the way through. Although they didn’t necessarily play parts in every book, they continued to exist in what became known as the Clearwater World. They still do, even though ‘Deviant Desire’ led to a 10-book Clearwater series, which led to a seven-book Larkspur series, which then led to the 12-book Delamere series.

A few weeks ago, I prepared myself to say farewell to this world and its cast. Reaching the end of ‘The Delamere Dilemma’ was like waving off a train taking friends and family to further pastures, perhaps never to be seen again. Still, that’s what had to be done, for I was worried that if I carried on in the same vein for much longer, the stories would become samey.

So, here we are at the end of the Clearwater, Larkspur and Delamere journey, and the entire set of 30 novels and three side-novels/collections is all done, and I can (and have) started on something new. Thank you for your support so far.

If you missed the announcement, ‘The Delamere Dilemma’ is now published in the usual formats, Kindle, KU and paperback.

What’s Next?

Those who know me won’t be surprised to learn that I have already started on something new, but it is something completely different. A mystery, yes, but that is the subplot, not the main story. That is to be a character-focused love story set in the Kent countryside in 1895, so it is still a historical MM romance mystery. I am currently working on ways to make the narration authentic to the time and place, and will come back to you in the future for your opinion on the style as I start writing.

Also along the way, I will continue to promote my indie author promos as I do, and will continue to send out my monthly newsletter, and attend to this blog each week, so no change there.

As I always say: keep reading, and I’ll keep writing.

The Dilemma Dilemma

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I am in that place again. The one where I am checking through the final draft for the final time. I’ve set up for the internal layout to be done as soon as I’m ready. I have the illustration for the start of the book, the author’s notes and blurb, the ISBN and all other matters, including two cover options. But which one to use?

They are both great, and they are both different, but which fits the story best?

I can’t ask for your help without giving away the story, and I can’t do that. I have asked the only other person who has read the book (my husband), and he says both are suitable. It really is down to me.

One cover idea has one man on it, and the second one has two. As the story is about dilemma (and there is more than one), I think that two people on the cover is more appropriate, though there is less action in that version than there is in the solo figure cover. The background for both is similar, though a particular landmark features on one, and that is appropriate to the story; it doesn’t appear on the other, but something else appropriate does.

One cover idea has one man on it, and the second one has two. As the story is about dilemma (and there is more than one), I think that two people on the cover is more appropriate, though there is less action in that version than there is in the solo figure cover. The background for both is similar, though a particular landmark features on one, and that is appropriate to the story; it doesn’t appear on the other, but something else appropriate does.

I really am, appropriately enough, in something of a dilemma!

Whatever I decide, I want to reveal the cover to you soon, so I must make up my mind, and I will, soon.

Meanwhile, I am halfway through my final proof, and hope to have the MS off to be set out in a few more days. Once that’s done, the book should be up there and ready for you to read, bringing the series to an end. (At least for now.) In fact, this novel brings all three series to an end. According to my proofreader (the only other person who has read it), “It’s going to take a lot to top Dilemma!”

Meanwhile, I still have to try and publicise the other books, and sad to say, sales have been dropping off of late. not only for me, but for many others. Reasons?

1) General slowdown following the pandemic in 2020 when more people read.

2) Tightening of the belt by those who wouldn’t normally spend money on books.

3) Market flooded with millions of AI-generated pieces of rubbish that boys and girls produce from behind their desks because they’ve bought into adverts that say: “Become a novelist overnight”, and true to the times we live in, they want the money without wanting to do the work.

I remind myself I write because I enjoy writing and get on with it, because that’s all I can do.

But I can also do this and point you towards other indie authors trying to make a few sales. In this case, the Queer Romance Is Resistance promo.

36 Queer titles. This promo has been created by another guest author who has appeared on my website, Elle Keaton, so I am supporting her in return.

https://books.bookfunnel.com/queerromanceisresistancejuly2026/ykx4llolak

The Delamere Dilemma Blurb

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The publishing process has started. The manuscript is with Anne for proofreading, Andjela has my cover ideas and notes on which to base her own, and the Author’s notes are ready. I am waiting to hear back from my nephew, who may be able to make me an illustration for the inside, as we have had in the other books. I am aiming to have the book published for you by the end of the month at the latest.

Meanwhile, I did some fiddling about with some image software and managed to come up with this – it’s not part of the title, just an aide.

I also managed to produce another image with use of the dreaded AI, and it was rather good. However, this is only for publicity and has not been designed or put together by a real person, so I shan’t be using it for anything other than publicity. I will always pay a designer to do my covers, no matter how good AI gets at doing them. Why? Because it’s morally right, I know I will get the correct spacing for the spine and page numbering, and it keeps consistency across the series.

However, this does rather sum up a dramatic moment from the story.

The blurb may also help make sense of that image, so here it is.

The Delamere Dilemma

The Delamere Files Book Twelve

Such games we played in those dark days.

The Metropolitan Police suspect Lord Clearwater of being the infamous East End Ripper, the murderer responsible for the horrific deaths of five young men in 1888. Without proof to the contrary, Clearwater and everyone connected to him are finished, including his charities, the Larkspur Academy, and everyone at Delamere House.

The only way to save Clearwater is for Jack Merrit and his men to uncover the Ripper’s true identity and find the only evidence that can reveal the truth: a document that may not even exist — the Ripper Diary.

As the hunt intensifies, the return of the notorious murderer, Lucas Temple, and a wave of poisonings plunge London into chaos. Following clues from the past and present, Jack and his men uncover an unbelievable conspiracy that links the Ripper, Temple, and Clearwater himself.

With time running out, a city-wide catastrophe looming, and the Ripper Diary still beyond his grasp, Jack must outwit a ruthless enemy before everything he holds dear is destroyed in what could be the Delamere detectives’ deadliest case.

Newsletter

Don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter. This month, you have the chance for a free eBook download. To join, fill out your details on the newsletter page https://jacksonmarsh.com/newsletter/ and then authorise via the email that you will receive, and you’re in.

The next newsletter is due on Saturday, so be quick!

The Delamere Dilemma is the twelfth and final book in the Delamere Files series. It contains a spoiler for anyone who has not read the first Clearwater Mystery, ‘Deviant Desire.’ However, whether you have been following the Clearwater world from the start or not, your enjoyment of this series finale should not be affected.

The Delamere Dilemma Update (June)

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Sorry that I’ve not been very active on my website or elsewhere these past couple of weeks; I have been completely absorbed by ‘The Delamere Dilemma’ and finishing the first draft. This is now done, and I have given it the ‘quick read’ treatment. In other words, I have blasted out 170,000 words of draft one, and then sat and reread it in four sittings to ensure the flow of the story and to find any holes in the plot. Some of the writing needs some work (I have gone for two similar transition scenes, so one will have to change), and I think everything is consistent, and there are no loose ends. Mind you, there are three stories in one, and all related and tying up with things that happened in Deviant Desire and after back in 1888 and 1889, so there was a lot of back and forth between published books and the facts in them, and this manuscript.

Now, I need to crack on with the second draft while Neil beta-reads this one for me, though with summer working, his time is more limited than it was in winter. However, I am still aiming to have the book out by the end of July. I shall keep you informed.

Meanwhile, if you didn’t see the newsletter this month, you might have missed the few promos I am involved in. You’d have thought I’d do more for June, being Pride Month, but I never really got around to signing up for many, and one or two of the ones I did join only have a few books. However, the other indie authors taking part deserve my mentioning them, and I am pleased to say that every promo opportunity I now see on Book Funnel clearly states, ‘No AI.’ That means not in the text, blurb or covers. Using Photoshop and hiring an artist is fine as it always has been, but I’d never use AI to create something out of nothing. I have used it to make covers move, as in the case below, but that’s it.

Anyway, I shall now take a day off before starting again on ‘The Delamere Dilemma’ (Which should be plural as the cast come across more than one dilemma in the story), and I’ll pop back with updates now and then. Meanwhile, take a look at this promo:

Get Your PRIDE On!

Here’s a listing of 52 hot LGBTQ titles on a BookFunnel promo that might be of interest. Hockey players (still the hottest thing it seems), jocks, average guys, romance, fantasy, mystery, there is plenty of variety here.

https://books.bookfunnel.com/getyourprideon/p4nygi76by

Expecting a Knock on the Door. The Delamere Dilemma.

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Saturday morning: Woke to the sound of the overflow gushing outside the bedroom window, and managed to prevent it from making me rush to the bathroom. It was just before five, and I remembered that, when falling asleep the night before, I had heard the clock tower bell strike the half, as clear as what it was, a bell. I also recalled what various people had said the day before about the coming weather. These forecasts ranged from a possible shower to a yellow weather warning, but that is to be expected these days. There are as many variations to weather reports as there are apps to predict them, yet the simplest one is free, easy, and accurate. You stick your head out of the window, and if it gets wet, it’s raining.

Not long after five, the thunder started, and stayed with us until at least half ten (which is when I am writing this).

It was one of those storms where, when it makes itself really known, you cry, ‘Unplug everything, Maureen, and fetch the sandbags!’ Except we don’t actually say that because we don’t have sandbags, and neither of us is called Maureen. Not even in private.

When it was safe to plug back in again, I spent much time researching the effects of cadmium ingestion (in powdered form), and what might be safely mixed with it to give it the appearance of flour. (Don’t try this at home.) Following that, it was a case of discovering how one could test flour for cadmium without causing it to give off poisonous fumes (again, don’t try this at home). That successfully researched, I then went on to source the address of the Jewish Master Baker’s Association, so I could be accurate when describing the antisemitism taking place outside. Having recently addressed the issue of how one made explosives in the late 19th century, the progress of the Irish Question in 1894, and other anarchist related subjects, I fully expect a knock on the door any day now.

It is all, of course, for the latest novel, which is now at over 120,000 words and almost at the top of the hill. The hill is metaphoric, but once my imagined carriage of clues gets there, it will face a downhill race to the, hopefully, thrilling climax my characters have yet to invent for me and me for them.

Once again, I will say it: If you have been following the Delamere series, but have not yet read the Clearwater stories, now is the time to nip back and start at ‘Deviant Desire.’ By doing this, you will avoid a couple of spoilers that come to light in ‘The Delamere Dilemma.’ If you don’t intend to read the Clearwater series, don’t worry. You won’t miss out on anything, as the past is explained in ‘Dilemma’, hence a couple of spoilers.

Basically, ‘Dilemma’ gives away the identity of the East End Ripper quite early on, but if you’ve read Clearwater, you will already know it. What you won’t know, and what the book fills in, is the Ripper’s point of view during and after the murders.

It does a lot more than that, however, as I hope you will see in a couple of months.

Meanwhile, you might like to take a gander at this promo.

LGBTQIA+ Romance Reads

A collection of 52 titles with new authors and established writers side by side, all doing our bit for each other by cross sharing these promos, with folk who like to read, and thus, support indie authors.

https://books.bookfunnel.com/lgbtqrom-may/xd3t5js6qx

The Delamere Dilemma: WIP Update 02

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It’s been a while since I posted. I have been fighting off 101 scammers per week, all wanting me to buy into their community radio show or church book group (really?!) and attend conferences in the wilds of the USA that don’t probably exist, but here I am… Still beavering away on ‘The Delamere Dilemma.’

I am currently up to 80,000 words, chapter 24, and there is lots more to come. As I have said before. This is either going to be a long single book, or two parts to one story, perhaps with two titles. The Delamere Dilemma, followed by the Delamere Decision – neither of which sound very romantic. If there’s romance in this book, it’s the romance of life – not an inst-love or a slow-burn, new romance between characters; that would be gratuitous. Instead, it’s a tricky one…

I won’t give too much away, but if you have been following the Delamere Files, and have not yet read the Clearwater Mysteries – you might want to start them before you read the end of the Delamere series. Why? Well, because this new book will offer some serious spoilers disguised as an investigation, as Jack Merrit and his team set about discovering the identity of the East End Ripper of 1888.

Enough said! (For now.)

The Actor and the Earl

In case you missed the newsletter. This month, I was promoting three collections of novels (see below) and also one book in particular. This was via a newsletter swap, and I assume the swapping author has announced ‘Deviant Desire’ in her mailout, as I have advertised her book in mine. Here are the details.

The Actor and the Earl.
By Rebecca Cohen.

When Sebastian Hewel’s twin sister, Bronwyn, reneges on the arrangement to marry Anthony Redbourn, Earl of Crofton, Sebastian has no choice but to takes her place. He might feel like he’s in one of Master Shakespeare’s plays, but with his performance as Lady Crofton, he hopes to pay off his late father’s debts and save his family’s honour.

Rebecca Cohen spends her days dreaming of living in a Tudor manor house, or a Georgian mansion. Alas, the closest she comes to this is through her characters in her historical romance novels.

Take a closer look at ‘The Actor and the Earl’ here.
Rebecca Cohen’s books are on Amazon, and you can find her author page here: Rebecca Cohen on Amazon.

Promos.

In case I don’t get back to you with another update this month, here are three collections you might want to browse.

Queer Romance Is Resistance

There are 35 titles in this collection of all things MM romance, including some spice to heat things up a little.

LGBTQIA+ Romance Reads

A collection of 52 titles with new authors and established writers side by side, all doing our bit for each other by cross-sharing these promos, with folk who like to read, and thus, support indie authors.

MM ROMANCE BOOKS UNDER $4.99

Everyone loves a bargain, especially these days, and all these MM romance titles are available for under $4.99. I have included one of my backlist in this one. The Stoker Connection doesn’t get out and about enough, so I thought it was time to give it a try.

The Delamere Dilemma

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Here’s a brief update.

I have been quiet for the last couple of weeks because I have had my head down over the new project, ‘The Delamere Dilemma’, the Delamere Files book 12, and so far, it’s going really well. (Hope that hasn’t just jinxed things.)

This is going to be an ‘end of season finale’ along the lines of the other two end-of-series finales, ‘The Clearwater Inheritance’ and ‘The Larkspur Legacy.’ You can see a pattern here… ‘Inheritance’ cemented Clearwater’s future, and that of his ‘crew’ and led into the Larkspur series. ‘Legacy’ was a treasure hunt that tied up strands of stories that had been running since Deviant Desire, and set the future of the Larkspur Academy and the characters we’d met through that series. The Delamere Dilemma has an even bigger task, and it’s proving to be deliciously tricky.

The story takes us right back to the events of Deviant Desire for a reason I can’t tell you without giving things away. And that’s the fun part. How to have my Delamere men investigate events of previous stories without giving away spoilers to those who may not have read those books yet? It’s a thin line, and there will have to be some ‘going over’ of previous events from the Clearwater series. But, hopefully, this won’t put anyone off going back to day one of all 30 books if they haven’t already read them.

What’s it about, and what am I researching for it? Those are also things I don’t want to give away just yet, but if you want to search for your own clues, take a look through the history books and see what was going on in London in 1894. I will offer you one clue.

Newsletter.

My monthly newsletter will be out on Saturday, and this time, I have a special author swap book promotion with Rebecca Cohen for you to check out, plus a few promo lists with several more titles and new authors for you to explore.

If you’re not on the mailing list, you can sign up from the top of this page. I only send out one newsletter per month, mainly with lists of new titles and authors in the genres we all like, plus other news which doesn’t make it to this blog or my Facebook page.

A Night of Opposites Published

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A Night of Opposites has been published and is available via Amazon in paperback, Kindle, and it is in Kindle Unlimited. Here is a universal link to the book’s page:
A Night of Opposites

This investigation touches on some dark subject matter, as do some of the previous Delamere cases. Life for the Merrit brothers has moved on aplenty in the time they have been at Delamere, and you may have noticed a natural progression in many of the characters, and in their situation. The Delamere world is in a state of constant change, as all our lives are, and in book twelve (‘The Delamere Dilemma’) that change will lead to what I hope will be a classic ‘end of season’ finale. Before that, though, there is this mysterious case to get through.

I don’t want to give anything away, of course, but I can tell you some of the subjects talked about at the end in the author’s notes. I know many readers find these interesting, and that’s why I put them in there, not because I want to show you that I do my research.

The notes for ‘A Night of Opposites’ include:

The Thirteen Club
The London Thirteen Club was a Victorian-era dining society established in 1890 with the specific goal of debunking common superstitions through public defiance.

The ‘Dead Man’s Hole.’
As the Thames is a tidal river, the drowned, dumped and dead tended to wash up in specific places, and there were similar temporary morgue alcoves along the river, including the Dead Man’s Stairs in Wapping and the Dead Man’s Dock in Deptford.

Other Fun Facts
Including: Explanations of some of Baxter’s tall tales, cundum machines, Ah Sing of Shadwell (there was a large Chinese community around the docks of Limehouse and Shadwell in the 19th century), Walter Potter’s Museum of Curiosities in Sussex, and some explanations of medical terms for sexual ‘deviancy’ which, these days, is not deviant at all. There is also a quick chat about class and Charles Booth’s Poverty Map.

You might think that’s a lot of themes to get into one book, yet none of them is the ‘theme’ of the piece. These are just background details, and there are many more.

But that’s enough about ‘A Night of Opposites’ except to show you the full cover and remind you of the Amazon link – please feel free to share.

Promo
And for this week’s promo, we have:

Steamy MM Romance
Genres: Romance / LGBT
A selection of MM romances. There are 85 titles for you to browse. It looks like this list only allows one to two titles per author, which means there is much diversity not only in story but also in style. Looks like everything from hockey players to vampires, with a little reality thrown in along the way.

https://books.bookfunnel.com/steamymmromancebooks/if518wfdt1

A Night of Opposites. Delamere Eleven.

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I have settled on the title, I have a deadline of Sunday to dispatch the MS to be proofread, and today, I’ll start chatting to Andjela about the cover. I have two more chapters to check through today, and then I will return to the midpoint of the book and go over the second half again. That’s because, as I write, I go back and reread, check, alter and improve the first chapters more often than I do the second half. I also do that to remind myself of what’s what in the story, and in the case of ‘A Night of Opposites’, it’s a very complicated case. Not for the reader, I hope, but I mean, when Jack and his men take on this private investigation, they are immediately faced with 12 suspects. Actually, as with most mysteries, the suspect list starts off as being everyone the victim knew, but you have to start from a smaller number of obvious, rather than expand to a huge number of could be.

As for publication date, that’s likely to be in early April.

I saw this in a search and it gave me an idea for a cover…

As for content and what to expect, well, this is, at first, an obvious case, but of course, it is not. It’s one of those where Jack & Co. need to interview a variety of characters, and they are all slightly odd because they are members of the Thirteen Club (see earlier posts), in a variety of employment and with a variety of lifestyles. I was able to have great fun inventing these people, like Mr Slack, the properties maker of Drury Lane, and Captain Garnet (retired), who, since leaving the army, has taken up a job stuffing animals and creating ‘freaks’ for fairgrounds.

Along the way, Bax and Charlie have a crisis, Will sets off on his own investigation of Jack’s case, the boys are growing up (it’s now January 1894), and Jack gets himself into and out of a bad mood… The usual instalment of mystery, bromance and friendship, a little love, and much history. The story also gives us a lead into Delamere 12, which may be the last in the series, but let’s get number 11 the best it can be before starting on that. On which note, I will return to my editing and leave you with a link to a set of books that are all part of series.

Promo

This promo offers titles that are at least the second in a series. Why? So that readers might be tempted to first buy the first, I guess. These are not necessarily LGBT-themed novels, though you’ll be able to pick out mine in the list. There are 33 titles, including novellas and full-length novels.

https://books.bookfunnel.com/crimesequelsmar26/undydgw1uw

WIP Update: Delamere 11

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Still with no definite title, Delamere 11 is progressing well. I have to admit, this is the first one where I have kept so much detail in my notebooks as I go. Not that the mystery is particularly complicated (no more than usual), but because there are backstories of minor characters which have to be accurate, believable and interesting, and yet, which have to be consistent.

Some books write themselves.

‘Snake Hill’ was one of these, where I started with an ending, and then started with the start, and the two seemed to meet logically along the way. This time, I have started in the same way and know where I am heading, but I have approached the first draft with a more critical eye than usual.

Because there are many tiny details to be sure of, and because some characters have altered the story for me along the way (mildly), I have had to go back, read again, change or update, and then carry on. Yesterday, for example, I reread five chapters of draft one, in effect turning them into a draft two, while also continuing draft one further along in the story. All the time jotting notes such as 24 years in an asylum, or, Remember the Spiritualist Magazine, and Mr Phinigan Slack, secretary and illusion maker, Drury Lane. They mean something to me!

As for word count, I am at 66,000 words, and am starting to build towards a climax of the main mystery, the backstory subplot (highly connected to the main mystery), and a subplot for Baxter, while hopefully continuing to keep the reader guessing while ramping up the tension. This appeared today in a review/summary of one of the series seen on a popular Facebook page: As always in these books, the fairly placid opening chapters begin to speed up, until the heart-stopping denouement brings everything to a climax.

I have been receiving several of these excellent write-ups of late, and on Saturday, I intend to share with you some pages on Facebook that have been more than generous in their praise and support of the Delamere Series (and Clearwater), so you might also join the groups and find more indie authors to read.

On which note, the end of the month approaches, and that means a last few departing book fares to advertise, and soon, some new ones to tell you about.

Promo

To end this month’s promotions, I will leave you to browse one of my favourites, and in this case, you have two options. Clicking one gives kudos to Jackson’s list, and the second, to James’ list, and you’re welcome to click and explore both, one, or neither. See you on Saturday.

Click to view

https://books.bookfunnel.com/mysthrillsus-feb/cciprg404k

Click to view

https://books.bookfunnel.com/mysthrillsus-feb/xvfkh39erq