The Circus

Author's Note

Author's NoteIt goes without saying that my characters are all fictional, although I admit to adding certain traits and secrets from the people I meet. Life is far too colourful not to integrate fact with fiction.

This book is dedicated to a wonderful lady, who has always been a part of my life, my aunt Sylvia Caswell. Not only does she have a larger than life personality, but she is hugely talented too. Each design on my book cover started out as an oil painting in Sylvia's studio, slowly bringing to life the towns and villages that I described to her and adding her own beautiful landscapes. Not only do I owe gratitude to my Aunt Sylvia for creating such vibrant scenes, but she has always been the voice of reason when I needed advice, although we invariably end up giggling so much that our eyes are filled with tears and our hearts full of happiness. We share a love of Bohemian fashion and often compare our finds from little boutiques, sometimes even swapping clothes and of course my love of books has definitely been inherited from Aunt Sylvia who devours literature with a passion. She is a rock with a heart of gold.

Of course, my cousin Antony Caswell plays a major part in the design process too, with his technical expertise, as do the team at Next Chapter, who work tirelessly to produce, deliver and promote my books. It is the sheer enthusiasm of the people around me that keeps me writing, so to friends, acquaintances and relatives across the world, I thank you all.

It was an easy decision to set this book, the fourth in my cosy mystery series, in a travelling show. I knew that the characters would be bold and independent, each with their own particular talent but also capable of withholding their individual secrets. It's a weird process, creating the lives of strangers and then committing them to paper but, once the story begins, I simply write what I see in my imagination and follow the tale to the end. In all honesty I never know where the characters will take me, but they always surprise me and never fail to disappoint.

Finally, a big thank you to Jason 'Danger' McNeill who was not only the inspiration behind a certain character in this work but also kindly agreed to read through the finished manuscript to give much needed feedback.