This is another tale concocted while tapping on my iPad on the veranda during our recent sun seeker holiday in Puerto Pollensa, Mallorca.

In the past we have called this island Majorca but Mallorca seems to be preferred nowadays.

It is a tale which begins in Largo in the East Nuke of Fife, moves to Mallorca then to Tenerife and finally to Gran Canaria.

It is a mystery/thriller/romance.

You may at first think it ‘unlikely’ but perhaps it could be true.

Self-edited using Read Aloud in Word so please forgive typos and use you best judgement.

This is another Maisie Kaywood romp.

Maisie is a modern-day Robin Hood character, choosing for herself what wrongs she chooses to put right.

Yes, it is fantasy fiction but I hope it may entertain.

The first three chapters set the scene after which Maise and her XCD Team from Lab 5 at Global Bio-Genetics spring into action.

I suggest you give it a whirl. I hope it may grab you.

This complicated tale started writing itself a few years ago and go mislaid in the editing process. I found it again a few weeks ago and polished it using the “Read Aloud” tool in Microsoft Word. If you find errors, please use your best judgement as to spelling or meaning. Thanks.

(Please also check out the other Maisie Kaywood stories and “Living with Myra”, the story about Maisie’s mother.

Note:

I have added a Table of Contents which enables readers to navigate to each chapter.

This story was written in response to a Writers’ Circus challenge to create a story inspired by a song or piece of music.

The story started with me listening again to Paslm 23, The Lord’s my Shepherd, sung to the tune Crimond by the long defunct Glasgo Orpheus Choir under the direction of Sir Hugh Roberton. This choir’s SABT rendering is in a distictive Kelvinside accent and has long been a favourite of ours.

It stirs me, often to the edge of tears.

Here is the hyperlink:

https://youtu.be/7BciFYFtmbY?si=oLWu9LnpwSEUgqgA

We have just returned from a short stay at Siverdyke Caravan park, Anstruther where the the first version of this tale was tapped out on my iPad, becoming one of a small batch of stories created by a similar process.

Without further ado, I invite you to read on.

This story has its origins from a ‘sighting’ on a train journey to Oxford, long before Covid.

Our train was diverted to Banbury and a lady joined us at a four-seater table.

She was wearing and unusual brooch.

At Banbury, we changed to a bus which took us on to Oxford. They lady went her way and we went ours.

The story began in my head and then I started to tap it out on my iPad and, as happens from time to time, it was ‘lost’ among other snippets to be completed.

Well, here it is at last, perhaps eight years later?

It opens in Harrogate then tracks the life of a girl from Glasgow to Leeds.

To discover more, you must read on. . ..

00000

This story has been self-edited using ‘Read Aloud’ in Word.

Since there are around 40,000 words there must be errors and if you find one, please make your best judgement and read on.

Thanks.

Note: I have added a Contents listing which enables readers to move directly to a Chapter heading with a single CLICK.

At this website under “Writing”, there is a section called “Maisie Kaywood Stories”. These are about a Robin Hood type character who rights wrong by taking direct action against bad people, sometimes very bad people.

“Living with Myra” is part of Maisie Kaywood’s history, chronicaling the life of her mother, Myra Kaywood (nee Gallagher), a very clever girl from Yoker, one of the poorst areas of Glasgow at that time.

The major part of the action takes place during the WW2 era (1939 to 1945).

The story begins when Myra is approaching her tenth birthday and continues until her death when Maise is eighteen, ready to take on her mother’s role in the modern era.

I hope you will find it readable and interesting. I ask that you give it say, three chapters and see if it grips you. I hope it will.

*****
My thanks must go to Kareth Paterson from our Writers’ Circus group who kindly edited this 162,000 word ‘monster’ in its original very raw form.

This story has been evolving for around eight years and over the last month I have revisited it using “Read Aloud” in Word to complete a Final Edit which you can read here.

Over these many years I have enjoyed being in Myra’s company, learning about her complex character and ‘living’ with her during her exploits.

Throughout I have tried to avoid anachroisms and keep the text faithful to my idea of what it would be like to live in those far off early days.

Dear Reader, if you find errors, and there simply must be some, please make your best judgement as to what I intended and continue to read.

Thank you.

Note: I have added a Contents list which allows readers to go direct to Chapters by CLICKING on the chapter heading.