Reading Guide to My Wattpad Books

Summaries and Interconnectedness

So, just to provide a bit more details and to establish the interconnectedness of the stories/characters/events, here are the short summaries/blurbs/the first things that come to my mind when I think of the story:

Sweetly Isolated (Swallow Barn Cottage Series, Book 1)

John Holyoake gets stuck in self-isolation in the Swallow Barn Cottage with a reclusive mystery writer Clementine Augusta Bernadette Gwendolyn Popplewell. John was the first Holyoake that was born in my mad writer's mind. There was a lot of chocolate and eggnog (the grown-up kind) involved in writing this story. I started writing it just before Christmas 2020, and I was already fed up with the pandemic at the time, not knowing that there was still plenty of it ahead of us. I thought it would be funny to place the story in Lower Woulds, since Fleckney Woulds already existed at the time, being the location of two stories in Fox & Oakby series. That's how it all started, really.

Away With the Fairies (Swallow Barn Cottage Series, Book 2)

Will, John's brother, gets stuck in the same cottage with another ginger, Fiona King. The story takes place 4 years after Sweetly Isolated. Will seems to be everyone's all time favourite. I based him on my partner. Not in terms of limping or the military past, but personality wise. It makes me very happy. This story was the beginning of 'the Holyoake canon' - the Holyoake men being silent and knowing what happens behind them without looking; frozen berries and vegetables being applied to bruises; a Sage coffee machine making an appearance with its velociraptor noises; Tom Whitlaw appearing with his trusty snow shovel; the doorbell interrupting the frisky activities; etc. Will was initially called Frederic (for fanfiction reasons, which I can explain if you're interested, but otherwise might take too much time to elaborate here). Frederic 'Axeman' William Holyoake. Danny Carter, his former squaddie, still calls him Axe in The Toast of the Town. But of course, now he's just Will. Our Will. 

Official Town Business (Fox & Oakby Murder Mysteries, Book I)

This is the first cosy mystery book I've ever written. It was year 2017, and I just wanted to 'kill off' a fictional version of my best friend's boss, since the woman was causing a lot of emotional pain to someone dear to me. Thus, a plough and a barn full of manure. As they say, don't annoy a writer, they'll write you into their book. I grew up watching Midsomer Murders and reading the classics such as Christie and Chesterton. I'm awfully fond of Georgette Heyer as well. I just wanted to create - and frolic in - a quintessential, yet imaginary British village, with its funny old ladies, and a butcher, and a fishmonger. I don't know if I succeeded, but I've surely been having lashings of fun.

Paint the Town Red (Fox & Oakby Murder Mysteries, Book II)

Imogen Fox and the Mayor from Official Town Business return in the second book of the series to solve yet another gruesome double murder. I mean, Imogen solves them. Oakby is just there for moral support and to make Imogen happy. The man is lovely this way. Seriously, I love John. He's such a pure poppet. I hope everybody who needs one will have a John Thomas Crispin Oakby in their life. I wonder if I'm the only one who snorts every time they see his full name. I mean, it might be a very British joke, but... John Thomas? Seriously, Katya? Also, I have proper daddy issues, so his father joins the crew in this one. Mmm, the Titan. So lush.

The Toast of the Town (Fox & Oakby Murder Mysteries, Book III)

This poor book took two years to write. Damn the pandemic. I apologise if it's a tad disjointed, and the plot might move in lurches and jerks. On the other hand, I've 'woven in' more Holyoakes into this one (their stories had been written by then, and it felt amazing to meet Fiona, Will, Viola, and Rhys again). Also, I gave Danny Carter from Her Crown Jewel a bit of spot light in this one. No one seems to love Danny as much as I do. It's alright. Now that I think of it, he's even more like my partner than Will. Maybe, that's why.

Look Back at Me (Fleckney Fields Series, Book 1) - in the middle of the events of The Toast of the Town

Ah, Rhys... *sigh* What can I say. It's my favourite of all my stories. Period.

Also, Dr. Viola Holyoake, Rhys Holyoakes' ex-, second, and only wife is the most bada** female character of mine. They got married after two dates, divorced after five years, met again after ten, and got married twice more. He's the cousin of John, Will, and Oliver (Between Heaven and Rock); she's Imogen Fox's Watson.

Initially she was conceived as a composed, insecure ED survivor, a reflection of my own past and my trauma, a sort of a therapy character. After she achieved her HEA, I let her have fun, kicking a** and krav maga burglars left and right. You go, lady!

Every Bookshop Needs a Cat (Fleckney Fields Series, Book 2) - in the middle of the events of The Toast of the Town

This is the story of Rhys' brother, Sam, and his future parter Yola, Viola's friend; as well as Klaus Bjornsson (oh be still my heart! And my ovaries as well!) and Anya Ferguson. It takes place at the same time as Look Back at Me. I'm half way into the next chapter of it, so it'll be out of its hiatus in no time.

Between Heaven and Rock (Swallow Barn Cottage, Book 3)

Oliver, John and Will's brother makes its appearance. Further down the timeline, he's the vicar in Fleckney. And a firefighter. And he's pansexual. And I gave him a Nordic partner. He's my second-most-loved male character, and I can see why. I was in a good place emotionally when I wrote him. 

I should write a one-shot explaining the whole 'Heaven smells like lilacs' thing between him and Rhys. So many ideas/stories to write, so little time *sigh*

A Woman About Town (Fox & Oakby Murder Mysteries, Book IV) - ONGOING!

I've just started this one. We'll see a lot of memories of the teen Holyoakes, and Oakby, and the Whitlaws, and the Bjornssons. It'll be fun, I hope. Also, Jarvis Montjoy, the brother of the mycologist from Sweetly Isolated, makes his appearance.

And prepare yourselves for Danielle Witt, my darlings.

The On-Screen Marquess & I (The Holyoake Family Series)

Oh god, Roro. What a gatinho. 

This story was written as a traditional Kolmakov Christmas cheer story. I decided it'd be a sort of a 'family reunion.' It'd been a year since I wrote Sweetly Isolated - the story that had started it all by introducing us to the very first member of the Holyoake family, John 'Furry Menace' Holyoake! To celebrate it, I gathered all my Holyoakes together - and introduced Roy 'Roro' Amaratunga, who's actually a Rupert. You'll get the joke if you read the story.

I love Roy. A lot. I gave him my personal interests (*aheam* and those interests as well) and contradictions. Anastasia is a properly meta character as well. She's Korean, but her parents are from the Soviet Union and speak Russian. She's a capable and amazing person with a disability. Plus, I was just a tad fed up with a certain Netfl*x series about Regency romance being everywhere, so I larked a tad. 

Also, I now need to write a story explaining why he confessed his feelings towards Anastasia - half-asleep and high on painkillers - as if quoting the Oakerton series. I might create a Fleckney short story collection. But again, so many ideas, so little time.

Her Crown Jewel (Hygge Royal Romance Series, Book 1) - PART 1 COMPLETE. PART 2 COMING SOON!

I might have to put this story on hiatus, despite how much Danny Carter tickles my pickle. I haven't decided yet. Let me know what you think.

For FAQs, proceed to the next chapter of this story, please!