Charlie Clarke

Hi there! Thank you so much for looking at my In a Pickle book on Amazon. A very warm welcome to a quintessentially English market town, Bungly, where ex-pop star, Dottie Pickles and her single-again niece, Alison, run their 60s memorabilia shop, Pickles Vintage Emporium. The shop sits happily in the High Street, at the canal end of town.

Bungly is a mix of two old market towns close by to my home, in the beautiful South-West County of Wiltshire, (although Bungly could be located anywhere rural within the UK.) I love and know Wiltshire and the nearby Cotswolds, which helps me to write stories rich with a warm, escape to the country feel.

The stories are also about family and friendship, are full of mischief, eccentric behaviour, embarrassing moments which all ultimately end in joy!

Alison’s serious efforts to follow Dr Cleo Belle’s strategies on how to be a high street success, are undermined by Auntie Dottie’s insistence that life is meant to be fun! Auntie Dottie’s ideas of fun often cause chaos and embarrass Alison.

Not the least, are Auntie’s match making efforts, to team Alison up with would-be Dragons’ Den entrepreneur, Brendan Murphy. Brendan helps his dad, Big Terry, at the Royal Oak, has a stall on Bungly market, selling bits and bobs made in China and dreams of driving Alison to their honeymoon in a silver Aston Martin DB5 in James Bond style.

Alison’s idea of a romantic hero is Jane Austen’s Mr Darcy, not someone like Brendan who ends a telephone call with the words, ‘Thanks mate, top banana.’

Auntie Dottie sings and bops her way through life, relating 60s films, celebrities, music and TV in her daily activities, wearing miniskirts and knee-high boots. Her favourite tipple is Babycham. Dottie is still a pop star in her head and regularly gigs, arriving home early hours of the morning, unable to open up the shop on time as she’s still in bed, the days Alison is at the local stables for her part-time job as groom.

Auntie Dottie is at times aided in her high jinks by best friend, Beatrice Fortescue, a retired Brown Owl, who thinks of herself as a ‘Trixie’ despite dressing old-fashioned, apart from her weakness for designer stilettos.

Friend Faye Wilson, keeps Alison sane, when Auntie Dottie has stepped far out of line and placed Alison in an embarrassing situation.

About the Author

After years as a copywriter and ghostwriter of non-fiction, I wanted to write fiction. I attended umpteen courses in creative writing and loved every minute.

The courses ranged across TV scriptwriting, screenwriting, theatrical playwriting, novels, short stories and writing for children – I wanted to experience it all.

After writing a stack of manuscripts high enough to sit on, I had an epiphany. I wanted to write uplifting, Feel Good Comedy that was sparky and full of fun.

Welcome to ‘In a Pickle’. I am very excited to have the chance to share my ‘In a Pickle’ stories with you.

Praise for In a Pickle at Christmas

‘Thank you for your In a Pickle at Christmas. I really enjoyed reading it. I wish I had an auntie like that.’ Raine Cully.

'Thought I would let you know how much I enjoyed In a Pickle at Christmas. I read it at night in bed. It was light and easy to read and a lot of fun. Thanks.' (Email sent from Iris Lloyd, Author.)

‘Just taken your book & have read the first story. Brilliant sorry I didn’t read it before. Thank you.’ Pat Baverstock, Librarian.