Kate Mosse

So, I admit this is a terrible photo (shabby clothes, missing letters from the sign), but the smile is genuine. Today, I'm voting with hope for a fairer, better, more stable and principled government. After 14 years of chaos - 5 prime ministers, 7 chancellors, 8 foreign secretaries, 12 culture secretaries, 16 housing ministers - I'm voting for change: we need stability and professionalism in government, we need decency and honesty, we need politicians who support our doctors, nurses, health professionals, teachers, emergency services rather than attacking them, we need leadership that promotes unity and pride in our wonderful (if complex) country rather than sowing discord and fear, we need passionate and hard-working representatives who will listen to their constituents and act for the common good. Country before party, public service before self-interest. Simple, really. Sadly, our wonderful Westie Hamish is no longer here to accompany me to the polling station #dogsatpollingstations , but I reckon he would have been smiling, too, to see a queue outside at 7am in the morning. Democracy at work ... PS Don't forget your ID!

So, hold on to your hats - I'll be taking to the road for the publication of #TheMapOfBones , the fourth and final novel in The Joubert Family Chronicles, and doing *one or two* events .... Set almost completely in southern Africa - between 1688 and 1862 - it is part detective story, part story of revenge and resolution, but also a love letter to Franschhoek and Stellenbosch, where the first glimmerings of the idea came to me back in 2012. A huge thank you to all my South African friends who were so generous with their time when I was researching and a special shout-out to the @huguenot_museum in Rochester and the magnificent @huguenot_museum_franschhoek - so many happy days spent wandering in your graveyard! It was emotional to write - bringing to a close the story of a family I've been dreaming about, researching, writing about for twelve years ... It will be amazing to celebrate with readers (and with independent booksellers, chains and festivals), but it will be satisfying to bring this long period of writing to an end. And, even better, you still have time to read #TheGhostShip first! After that, new horizons ... #endofthestory #joubertfamilychronicles @panmacmillan #southernafrica #franschhoek #stellenbosch #capetown @panmacmillansa @booksaremybag @bookshop_org_uk @waterstones @foylesforbooks @whsmithofficial @blackwellbooks @huguenot_museum_franschhoek

So, it’s farewell to my faithful friends. Bought in 2017 (replacing a previous pair), I’ve worn you for every working event large and small, including - 6 book publications, 8 years of @womensprize celebrations, 6 weeks of theatre touring #WarriorQueens and 3 #womenresistants , countless festivals and bookshop events in places large and small, theatre shows, weddings and rather more funerals, board meetings and openings - including playing God in @chicathedral - one investiture, one literary festival at sea and one beloved grandchild! It’s daft to be sentimental about a pair of shoes, but you helped me stand tall and I’m going to miss you. But, thanks to #underground shoes a new pair is on its way for publication of #TheMapOfBones in October … for the summer, I’ll have to get used to being a *little* closer to the ground … #TheBurningChambers #TheCityOfTears #TheBlackMountain #AnExtraPairOfHands #WarriorQueens #TheGhosrShip @panmacmillan @womensprize @undergroundengland.since1981 #shoes #platforms #brothelcreepers #farewell #workshoes

It is Sunday and I am having the DAY OFF from writing, emailing, researching, promoting, talking, signing copies of #TheGhostShip ... I'm lucky to be sent so many proofs of brilliant books coming up, but where do I start? Barbara Kingsolver's first book previously unpublished in the UK @faberbooks The legendary Jacqueline Wilson's first ever novel for adults @jacquelinewilson_hq @bantambooksuk The exquisite new novel from the wonderful @shafakelif @vikingbooksuk The return of Jackson Brodie from the brilliant pen of Kate Atkinson @penguinrandomhouse Last but not least, the debut thriller from the always astonishing and lovely @louiseminchin @headlinebooks Choices, choices ... or maybe I should take another day off? Book Instagram, help me out with your recommendations and let me know what you're reading, too ... Let's turn Sunday 23rd June into book Sunday on Instagram .... #books #novels #nonfiction #publishing #bookproofs #sundaymorning #treats #treatyourself #dayoff

Another night out on the town for the ‘girls’ (me = 62, Granny Rosie = 93) for a fantastic concert by Chichester-based Pzazz singers under the direction of exuberant, wonderfully- entertaining Musical Director Marc Yarrow. Performing to a packed audience in the Assembly Rooms, there was a strong 80s vibe with songs (all arranged for the ladies by Yarrow) including Yazoo’s ‘Only You’ and ‘It’s Raining Men’ by the Weather Girls, as well as a beautiful rendition of ‘Hallelujah’ and a quite brilliant version of Lizzo’s ‘2 be Loved’ 👏🏻 This is what the @festofchi is all about - celebrating amazing local talent and filling the city with music and joy. #festivalofchichester #marcyarrow #chichester #lizzo #yazoo @queen #abba #elvis #flashdance #choir #ladieschoir #citycouncil #grannyrosie #girlsnightout #saturdaynight

Having a lovely time meeting readers at @pigeon_books in gorgeous Southsea. Here I am with owner Phil celebrating #independentbookshopweek #shoplocal #supportthehighstreet #theghostship #indies @booksaremybag #pirates @panmacmillan

Good morning! For those who fancy a *little* break from politics or football (or both - though, actually, I'm really enjoying the whole shebang) it is paperback publication day for #TheGhostShip . Last night, we had a wonderful - and packed to the rafters - launch in my home town of Chichester in our wonderful @waterstones_chichester . What a window display, small but perfectly designed. It was also my first event in the @festofchi - I'll be in the cathedral again a week today interviewing the one-and-only #AnthonyHorowitz , then I'm compering the #ChichesterSymphonyOrchestra Summer Concert in St Paul's Church on 13th July. For now, it's wonderful to have my 'lady pirates' out in the paperback world. I loved writing this novel and have had a brilliant time promoting it and chatting to readers, so thank you all for your kind words and enthusiasm. A huge thank you, too, to our heroic high street booksellers and everyone who puts books into the hands of readers who'll appreciate them. To our energetic and inspiring bloggers, to everyone at @panmacmillan . Most of all, to my wonderful @gregmosse @marthamosse_ @felixcmosse for being the best. Always. Do post photos of yourself reading #TheGhostShip , wherever you are. For now, this is me saying 'over and out' ... #pirates #novels #highseas #canaryislands #larochelle #paris #amsterdam #southafrica #fiction #stories #womenshistory #battles #corsairs #waterstones #panmacmillan #thesohoagency #theburningchambers #thecityoftears #thetaxidermistsdaughter #labyrinth

Ahoy pirates one and all, it's publication day minus one and posters are starting to appear in the wild. This one - with the hilarious 'no running' sign - is on Euston Station. I'm not doing many events - bar launching the paperback in my home town (city) of Chichester this evening at our wonderful @waterstones_chichester - so won't get to see many of these. If you see one on your daily commute, do take a picture if you have time and share. Even better, take a picture of yourself standing beside the poster and tag me, so we can build up a nationwide record of this moment. Even after all these years, I get nervous and excited, and it's great to share the experience with readers. As always, a huge thank you to everyone at @panmacmillan - not least of all the fantastic art department and marketing department, whose vision and joy in supporting authors is unparalleled. A big shout-out to all booksellers, online retails and supermarkets, especially independent booksellers in indie booksellers week (I will be working the till at @pigeon_books in Southsea at 12pm on Saturday morning, if you want to see me wrestling with a till and signing a copy or two), and thanks to all the book bloggers whose enthusiasm and engagement is so cheering. Let's hope for a fair wind and calm seas ... @panmacmillan @mantlebooks @waterstones @foylesforbooks @blackwellbooks @dauntbooks @whsmithofficial @booksaremybag @thesohoagencyuk @womensprize @christianlewispr #pirates #independentbookshop #history #paris #larochelle #amsterdam #grancanaria #canaryislands

Fancy a little bit of piracy, revenge and rebellion with your morning coffee and croissant? You do? Then #TheGhostShip is the novel for you, setting sail this week into all good bookshops, online retailers and supermarkets. Join us and escape the humdrum onto the High Seas ... @panmacmillan @booksaremybag @waterstones @foylesforbooks @blackwellbooks @dauntbooks @whsmithofficial @thesohoagencyuk #pirates #womenadventurers #grancanaria #larochelle #paris #amsterdam #highseas

Well, ahoy there! Time for me to swap my @womensprize hat for a pirate hat and go back to being an author. This week is publication week for #TheGhostShip - a women's pirate adventure that I loved writing - so I'm thrilled to see it sailing out into the world in paperback. It's also #independentbooksellersweek so a perfect combination. Book bloggers do a brilliant job - and are passionate readers all - in getting novels out to a really wide range of readers. So, I'm especially thrilled to be working with the wonderful #RandomThingsTour over the next few weeks to launch #TGS . Show them some love, share the post, let me know what you think. Novel available from all the usual places - online, high street shops, libraries. Beg, borrow (do not steal!) and let's get the book launched ... enough with the sailing puns, now ...

Girls' night out! Me (62) and Rosie (93) celebrating the opening of the Festival of Chichester at Chichester Cathedral last night with the wonderful Chichester Singers. An unusual programme - lots of composers I'd not come across before - and a fabulous atmosphere. It is an honour to be President of this small, but mighty, month-long festival of the arts, which celebrates the best of local artists, makers, performers, organisations as well as national and international musicians, authors, speakers. I opened this, the 12th festival, on the Cathedral Green earlier in the day, fighting the wind, the rain and a (glorious) peal of bells. Huge congratulations to all the committee, particularly founding father Phil Hewitt, and it was lovely to have support from the City Council, the District Council and the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Chichester, Jess Brown-Fuller. Thank you all - and to the brave crowds who joined us - for your good spirits in the teeth of the gale! Do check out the programme. My first event is my only event for the paperback publication of The Ghost Ship. I'll be in Waterstones Chichester on Wednesday 19th June at 7pm. A couple of tickets remaining via the FoC box office at the Novium or in-store at Waterstones in West Street. For the time being, Granny Rosie and I have our next date with the Pzazz Singers ... We are ready to rock & roll! @festofchi @noviummuseum @chicathedral @waterstones_chichester @panmacmillan @jessbrownfuller4chichester @phil_hewitt_runner @chichesterdc @chichestercitycouncil @chichesterft