Chapter 19 Goodbye to a great man.

To Professor Brian Llewellyn

May he Rest In Peace with his Judy, 

his wife Marilyn

This week has been a heavy one. The world lost Professor Brian Llewellyn—a second-generation Punch and Judy performer, and the reason I became an author.

I still remember the moment I saw him on Good Morning Britain, sharing the screen with Kate Garraway and Tricia Goddard. That interview lit a spark I couldn’t ignore. For two years afterward, sleep became a stranger. Judy—the puppet, the woman, the soul—haunted my every waking thought and even crept into my dreams. She wasn’t just a character. She was real. She had feelings. Her puppets were her companions, her family, her voice.

She still marvels, in my mind, at how her humble little shows—first created to entertain her baby son—have endured for over 400 years. Her story became mine. It’s all in my blog, but today... I just want to pause and say:

Rest in peace, Brian. Reunited now with your beloved Judy—your wife Marilyn—who left this world just a few short years ago. Childhood sweethearts, you were the living embodiment of Pulcinella and Joan. Punch and Judy. Heart and soul.

Thank you for being part of my journey. For inspiring the story that changed my life. To your family, I send love, strength, and the biggest hugs. Your legacy lives on—in laughter, in puppets, and in every word I write.

Today is not a day to promote myself... today is Brian's Day

14-08-2025 R.I.P. Brian

A special birthday with a special gift!

We’re marking a special birthday with a special gift! Joan – Put on a Happy Face by Carol M. Mottershead is now available as a free Kindle download until 22nd July. This heartfelt generational tale of resilience and hope is perfect for your summer reading list. 🎉https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08HKQDQDS – and share the joy with fellow book lovers!

Chapter 18 A Moment of Reflection on My Journey Into Authorship

A Moment of Reflection on My Journey Into Authorship

I don’t usually write personal posts, but I felt compelled to speak out about something that happened recently.

To everyone who's been following my journey into authorship—thank you. Your support means the world.

As I’ve been learning the ropes of becoming an author, one piece of advice I kept hearing was: build an email list. So I dove into webinars and guidance from supposed experts, including a session hosted on LinkedIn. The manual method they shared was simple enough: send an introductory message, then—if someone replies or follows your page—check their profile, find their email, and add it to your author list.

I gave it a go. I don’t send many emails (truth be told, I often wonder if anyone would care to hear what’s going on in my world—ha!), but I pushed past that doubt and sent out a couple of messages.

And then it happened: someone emailed me requesting removal from my list… and threatened to report me under GDPR.

I was stunned. I’d followed the instructions from a LinkedIn webinar, and the person had followed me back—she was an author herself, so I assumed there was mutual interest. Clearly, I misread the situation.

I responded politely, explained how she’d ended up on my list, and assured her I’d remove her details—which I did, along with any interactions or connections we’d had. But the phrase she used stuck with me: “I never signed up to this email list.”

She was right, of course. And while I’m still finding my footing with social media and outreach, I never intended to upset or offend. I just want to share my stories.

So here’s what I wonder: why has it become so common to respond with threats instead of kindness? Why not simply say, “Please remove me from your list”? We're all just people trying to do our best—and in my case, I’m just someone who’s passionate about historical fiction and excited to connect with readers who might enjoy a dual timeline tale.

If that sounds like something you’d enjoy, you’re warmly invited to download my debut novel, Joan: Put on a Happy Face—free until 22nd July to celebrate my daughter’s birthday (happy birthday, sweetheart!).

Thank you for being part of the journey.

Joan: Put on a Happy Face (The Elixir Chronicles Book 1) eBook : Mottershead, Carol M: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

Chapter 17 I was not alone...

Today I was researching for the final book in my trilogy and decided I needed to recap how it all came to pass. Why had I started writing my books?

It came as a great surprise to me to discover that the interview with Professor Brian Llewellyn had struck a place in the heart of more than myself!

In an article by Emily Jane Davies dated 13th May 2024 she told of a University in Exeter who had taken Tricia Goddard at her suggestion and had decided to rewrite the script for Punch and Judy to make it less about violence as per her suggestion.

You may remember that it all started with an interview on 28th July 2018 on Good Morning Britain with presenter Kate Garraway and her guests Professor Brian Llewellyn and Tricia Goddard...more...

Chapter 16 Finally we have a name, a cover and a first draft...

Bursting with Excitement! 🎉📚

I can hardly contain myself—I've just finished the first draft of my next book! YAY!

There’s nothing quite like that moment when your characters finally reveal how they want their story to end. It’s thrilling, emotional, and a little bit magical. 😛

There’s still some tidying up to do before it’s ready for release (the less glamorous side of writing!), but the heart of the story is there—and it’s beating strong. I’m so proud of how it’s shaping up, and I can’t wait to share it with you.

✨ Available for pre-order now, exclusively on Amazon! ✨

Available for pre-order only on Amazon

Chapter 15 - Should a scene be cut?

 An extract from my Work In Progress 'Nicholas' waiting to be cut!

I feel this is a good scene, but it would make one of my characters a murderer and I'm not sure I should... the scene might yet get cut... does anyone think the scene should be kept in? There's time to save it if you send a reply... to carol.m.mottershead@gmail.com -

"I believed he was my love, for the rest of my life. I can’t believe how I can still be hurt by his memory. The loss of my friend... and lover... he can still hurt me... yet he is no longer the one causing me the pain, it is myself! Why? Other than let him kill me, I did everything I could to try to make things work between us. I had to survive him. To wake up every morning wishing you hadn’t... it couldn’t go on. It was me or him in the end and I had every reason to live now... my child... the child now growing inside me... the child he will never get to know, the child he must never meet. For now, my only reason for living is to look after my baby, our baby... it is the only good thing to come out of this horrible mess!  I’ll make sure he has the best life I can give him. He is my priority... I would give my life for my child..."

Have you read 'Joan put on a happy face' by Carol M Mottershead?

Click Here

Chapter 14 - A new book is nearing completion!

 Work In Progress

'Nicholas'

In my last blog I was telling you about my problems with Amazon and the sales of 'Memories Of...' and I thought - to heck with it! I refuse to chase the tales of yet another set of algorithms ha! I got tired of changing things that I was doing to accommodate a computerised system and decided 

"Onward and upwards!"

So I moved onto as third book. This one directly follows on from my first this time, so probably should have done this before, but my characters just weren't speaking to me ha!

Nicholas had been sent to the family crypt in my first book in the series you may remember. His father was tried and condemned as his murderer. He wouldn't defend himself. He spoke to no one and that's where we pick up this next story...

I've called it just 'Nicholas' for now, but this will probably change when the book in published. I hope you'll keep an eye on my blogs as I'll keep you posted as to when it is set for releases, so 

'Watch This Space' 

If you've already read my earlier books don't forget to spread the word by writing a review on Amazon or wherever you bought your copy from. Here are some links to facilitate your review...

AMAZON Reviews - 

Joan put on a happy face

Memories Of...

Thank you for following my blogs and HAPPY READING!