Do you or your family make any special dishes for the holidays? Nothing’s changed since last week, it’s still schnitzel holding the number one spot on the dinner table! It’s a little odd that such a similar prompt should appear again. Mind you, the last 24 hours fiddling with Wordpress and Jetpack have told me one thing: don’t believe everything an AI tells you. They make things up, not lying; just, well, fairy stories I suppose. After the Cloudflare fiasco last week I’m extremely wary now about following AI advice on navigating my websites.

My new website marcusgoldworthybooks.com is live but I can’t link it into Wordpress right now. But we’ll sort it out tomorrow!

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After a week’s labours, my new website is up and running, lots of links to click and direct links to sales in Amazon. Just click on true-steps.com as usual, or click on: marcusgoldworthybooks.com You’ll end up at the new site either way. Have a look around, and feel free to send me comments, it’s been an education building a website. I’ve really learnt bucketloads doing it! If you need any tips, please ask, but my main tip is DON’T DO IT! Ha ha!

If you didn't need sleep, what would you do with all the extra time? CAMINO….medieval murder mystery! CLICK HERE! As I’ve got older, and noticeably in the last few months, sleep has become a difficult state to achieve. I now exist in a half tired state some days, after waking up at around 2am and not being able to go back to sleep. I used to be a good sleeper, eight hours and no problem getting to sleep. But now? I can usually nod off no problem, but four hours later and I’m awake again.

Name your top three pet peeves. The picture above shows what should be done to users of the exclamation “Absolutely”. Shoot ‘em—especially in interviews on TV or radio. It’s like a trigger to me, to stop whatever I’m doing and put my hands around their throat, and squeeze,,. You get my drift. It’s a disgusting affectation and when delivered in a Home Countries snobby put on accent, you’re dead meat in my eyes. Enjoy my blogs? Read CAMINO my novel! Anyway, onto number two in the list of three things guaranteed to raise my blood pressure and turn me into a raving monster:

Who are your current most favorite people? What a strange question! Who dreams these up? Are today’s favourite people tomorrow’s forgotten heroes? Remember Help for Heroes? Clap for the NHS? I think this is difficult for me to answer because I don’t think like this. When you live in rural isolation, you may only see one or two people a day, so if you value human contact, then everyone is favourite. The media will be a big influence in answering this question for me if we’re talking public figures. Perhaps it’s family or friends then, those close to us emotionally.

Finally! After a few false starts and cover printing issues, here it is, the book that started it all: CLICK HERE!Walking Towards Myself Amazon Paperback Check it out by clicking the button, no obligation to buy or anything, unless you like what you see! It’s amazing! This book took since 2004 to be published. I did it originally in ebook format, and it’s still available online in Kindle, but a lot of people have asked for a printed version, so here it is! Have a look, nice Xmas present or a good read if you’re thinking of doing the Camino. Hope you like it! X

What are your favorite animals? Enjoy my blogs? Read CAMINO, my new Medieval Murder Mystery! Here’s my number one fan and writing companion, Lily. She’s four and a half years old now, I’ve had her since she was a pupper of twelve weeks. We’re inseparable! Here we are in our favourite spot by the Rayburn in the kitchen, where most of my writing gets done. I can’t bear the cold, having lived in warmer climes for several years. I can’t think straight if I’m cold, let alone write! In fact today I finally gave in and bought a heated gilet.

Beach or mountains? Which do you prefer? Why? At 4478m, it’s an impressive rock. I had to rub my eyes the first time I saw it, as it just doesn’t look real. It’s an almost symmetrical pyramid on the border of Switzerland and Italy. If you’ve ever eaten a Toblerone you’ll recognise the familiar shape. LOVE MY BLOGS? Read my book CAMINO Mountains! I love them, the clean air, the vistas, the physical achievement of climbing one. My love of mountains nearly killed me in 1999. In the French Alps on Mont Blanc above Chamonix, near the Aguille du Midi.

What are your family's top 3 favorite meals? Schnitzel wins hands down! It holds the number one spot at our table. Second and third place is up for grabs really, JOIN MY FREE READERS CLUB! A homemade leek and potato soup perhaps, followed by a roast beef dinner. The schnitzel’s position as the number one meal though, is unassailable. With some homemade fries, made with potatoes from the garden. Now my tummy’s rumbling at nearly 2am, the fridge is calling…..

Read my latest book, CAMINO If you could meet a historical figure, who would it be and why? This guy got away with murder, literally. From 1509 until 1547, as King of England, he made a lot of peoples lives a misery. He died aged 55, had six wives, some he executed. He destroyed the religious system of England and was described as a ‘forceful monarch.’ Why on earth would I want to meet such a monster? Mainly because he sounds so unbelievable. I don’t doubt the historians, it’s just that it’s beyond belief that someone could be so horrible and remain in power.

Do you trust your instincts? Here’s someone who is instinctive, Totally. I’ve learned a lot from her, as much as she has from me. Every Friday we go to Search and Rescue training for dogs. It’s actually more about the handler learning to do something which the dog can do instinctively. The dog can use its senses to find a body in a few weeks, it takes a couple of years for the handler to learn what the dog knows already. The handler has to learn how to guide the dog in a search pattern that covers several square miles.

What's your favorite month of the year? Why? The Ides of March. Roman Emperor Julius Caesar came to a sticky end then, in 44 BCE, around the middle of the month, when its a full moon. The word comes from the Latin, Induare, meaning to divide, and the full moon rising marked the middle of the month in the Roman Calendar. So it wasn’t a particularly good day for Julius Caesar, and the whole horrible thing was immortalised by Shakespeare in the play of the same name. Around the same time comes the Spring Equinox, when the day and night are of equal length.

What is your favorite place to go in your city? Link to Camino—a medieval adventure Once the tallest structure in the world, Lincoln Cathedral was built starting in 1072AD and took 20 years to complete. It is a fabulous and awe inspiring structure, commanding the skyline for many miles. I can see it from our neighbouring village, which is around 20 miles away. One of the true majestic buildings worth visiting in the UK. Back in the time of my last novel in the 13th Century, it must have been like seeing a miracle.

What's the first impression you want to give people? Camino on Amazon—click here! Honestly! I don’t bite! I try to be friendly but it doesn’t always come across that way. Perhaps I spend too much time on my own, and it takes a while for me to reengage with another human being. I don’t do small talk or social pleasantries, or gabble away to fill the void. Like the Finns, silence is golden. I have a sense of humour but my funny bone got chewed on by a small dog as a child, and it grew back a funny shape.

What book are you reading right now? I’m reading two at present: Camino, Marcus Goldworthy and Company of Liars, Karen Maitland. The first is my own novel and the second is another medieval story about the Great Plague. Since I’m currently writing another medieval romp, I tend to immerse myself in the period I’m writing about. Both depend heavily on research, since neither of us as writers were alive in the Middle Ages. Accuracy is important as someone reading will always know a little more about the period than us and delight in showing us our anachronisms.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? Click here for my free Reader Club I’ve visited a few places and even lived away from England for several years. They all have their charms, be it the climate or the economy, but I always return to England. I freely admit that sometimes my relationship with England gets a bit sour and difficult, but we always seem to patch it up. With a few exceptions it is still a safe place to live: no gun culture, no war zones and no carnivorous predators.

What's the coolest thing you've ever found (and kept)? The Battle of Málaga, or Battle of Vélez-Málaga, took place during the War of the Spanish Succession between an Anglo-Dutch fleet and a Franco-Spanish naval force on 24 August 1704. Thank you Google. I can never remember the facts properly. Those are the dry crusty bits of information. Here’s the interesting bit: Bock in the noughties I was living in Southern Spain, having retired and generally just bumming around getting up to mischief. said mischief usually involved long parties at the weekend.

Why I Chose to Write Camino Walking the Camino de Santiago gave me an extraordinary insight into the mindset of the medieval pilgrim. Many of the route’s cathedrals, churches, and hostels still stand as living witnesses to centuries of faith and endurance. To feel the weariness, the aching feet, the uncertainty of finding shelter, and the quiet joy of companionship — these experiences are timeless on the pilgrim road, and they shaped the spirit of my novel, Camino. The idea began while I was writing my travel journal, Walking Towards Myself.

What part of your routine do you always try to skip if you can? If I had unlimited wealth I would pour money into developing a grass that grew to a couple of inches then stopped. That’s me in the pic, on the mower 18 years ago, having unsuccessfully avoided cutting the grass. It takes an hour to do, even on the ride-on, longer if I use the walk-behind one. Some find it therapeutic, I just find it tedious. Over the years I have managed to return a good bit of the lawn to its natural state of a meadow.

Who is the most famous or infamous person you have ever met? Well, here I am, the most infamous person I’ve ever met, my alter ego Marcus Goldworthy. Born nearly a thousand years ago in the early Middle Ages, I’m the original Highlander. In my current incarnation I have walked this earth for 70 years now, and it won’t be too long before I will reincarnate again. This time round I must admit I’ve seen some pretty startling changes in the world. Our access to knowledge and communication are growing exponentially with the dawn of the computer age, which this is.

What is good about having a pet? Here’s my personal trainer, available 24/7, always full of enthusiasm and boundless energy. Fees are reasonable too, one square meal a day, couple of treats, and the occasional bone. Just out of interest if you’ve looked at the picture closely, that’s a massive stack of cardboard egg boxes. If you have chickens, then you can never have enough egg boxes. The daily workout carefully created by my canine personal trainer involves two long walks, during which upper body exercises are carried out such as throwing a tennis ball and tug of war.

Name the most expensive personal item you've ever purchased (not your home or car). These two beauties are one of the most expensive things I’ve ever bought. A pair of Yanigasawa TWO10 Saxophones. The pair cost more than my first house to buy in 1978. A true pro sax, they take the punishment dished out doing live gigs. They are made to be played and I can’t give them enough praise! In the picture is an alto and a tenor. The bigger one is the tenor. I’ve played many saxes over the years, but these are simply the best money can buy.

What podcasts are you listening to? Despite being reasonably computer literate, I struggle to keep up with modern jargon. This is a blog, so I’m told, but what defines this as a blog, that as a podcast or something else as a vlog I couldn’t say. So I turned to google: Looks like it’s a pre- recorded radio show then, on a fixed or series of topics audio only. My life is now complete. So next, I wondered what a vlog is and what makes that different to a blog.

What was your favorite subject in school? I didn’t need to think about the answer to today’s prompt for long. I went to several schools as my family moved around the UK, seven in fact. It was a wonder I got any consistent education. The one thing I enjoyed was the music lessons. The level of involvement varied immensely, some had fantastic facilities, others were barely adequate. As a tot, I started on recorder, and around 10 years old I got my first clarinet. I played clarinet all the way through school, from jazz to classical, Chris Barber to Mozart..

How do you manage screen time for yourself? I’ve never thought about how long I spend looking at one device or another. Sometimes I will have three devices open simultaneously, especially if I’m writing notes on a research subject. I’m retired, so I’m time rich on a daily basis, even if long term my time is reduced compared to a twenty-something person. I don’t watch TV, the odd 10 minutes perhaps. Most of my time it’s I phone or MacBook. I’ve never thought about how long I spend on my phone or laptop.

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Do you need time? Of course I need more time! Look at me! I’m an old codger! One foot in the grave. Victor Meldrew. A wrinkly! We’re called all these and much more. We’re a sub-species everyone’s afraid of because everyone will be in exactly the same spot as us—eventually. So where did I cross the threshold into this category of the undead, a member of the Zimmer Brigade? I can only think it’s when I got my State Pension at 65. I’m now inconsequential, incompetent and incontinent. Largely ignored and helped across the road, I spend many hours trying to show that I still have a brain and can contribute to society.

What will your life be like in three years? Three years time, at seventy years old is something I don’t think about. As I get older, planning for the future becomes less important. A hundred years ago life expectancy was roughly fifty to sixty years, and globally about thirty five. So I know that in three years time I will be nearer the UK average for life expectancy of currently eighty one years. My family has a good record health-wise, so I may squeeze a few more years out, who knows?

Invent a holiday! Explain how and why everyone should celebrate. Or Alien Invasion Day, when we celebrate all things alien. We know you’re out there—show yourselves! Everyone dresses up as what they perceive an alien will look like. There will be fancy dress competitions and weird modes of transport. Flying saucer races, alien food and cookery bake-offs. Naturally, this is the time that a real alien invasion would take place. They could move unimpeded and unnoticed into key positions and ZAP! Gotcha! So on AID day, how can we protect ourselves from alien invasion?

Book overview On the road to Santiago, every soul hides a secret—and some will kill to keep it. Spain, 1230 AD — A journey of faith. A trail of blood. When Friar Guillaume de Morlaix flees Avignon under accusation of heresy, he takes with him his novice companion, Rashid ibn Tariq, a former Saracen convert torn between two worlds. Their path leads west across war-torn Christendom toward Santiago de Compostela, along the sacred road known as the Camino. But on this pilgrimage of penitents, not all sins are confessed. A woman, Ysabel de Castelnau, joins their company, offering her services as a guide, and Guillaume finds himself entangled in a web of deceit and murder.

Now in paperback ! What are your favorite websites? I started writing around a year ago. It all started with the journal I’d kept when I walked the Camino Frances In Spain. I enjoyed expanding that simple diary into a full length book, so I wrote a Science Fiction next, two, in fact. Then, I went back to my beloved Camino but as a Franciscan Friar called Guillaume, and CAMINO was born. My love of the Middle Ages is expressed in what will be several novels I expect. My natural interest in the thousand years of European History stretching from 500 to 1500 is now given free rein!

I’m proud to announce the release of “Camino” by myself Marcus Goldworthy on Amazon Kindle and Kindle Unlimited! The paperback will follow very soon! I have a proof copy in my hand which needs a few tweaks for those who like a physical book.

Is there an age or year of your life you would re-live? For me, my forties would be the best years, I was my own boss, wealthy and pretty fit. I never realised how lucky I was at the time, I lived life to the full and did things many only dream about. Yes, looking back that was my best time. A specific year could be about 42 for a specific year, but anytime in my 40’s was pretty cool. All in all, when I reflect on my life, there’s only one regret, that I never went to University and pushed my mind to its fullest capacity.

What historical event fascinates you the most? I’m fascinated by medieval history, it spans a long period of time and was also known as the Middle Ages. From the 5th to the 15th centuries just about covering it from a historian’s point of view. That thousand year period saw many changes in the way of life of Europeans. 90% of us lived as peasants, rurally. What defined the period varied from country to country, but was marked by significant events in their history. The most commonly given starting point for the Middle Ages is around 500, with the date of 476 first used by a historian called Bruni.

What's something you believe everyone should know. Common sense, everyone should have this, but sadly it is being bred out of us. Fire burns, a knife is sharp, ice is slippery. How do we know these things? Often by experience or witnessing another poor person find out the hard way: burnt, cut or falling over. We learn lessons to unwritten rules by experience. Being allowed to experiment as a child teaches us to evaluate risks and learn from poor decisions. Climb a tree, you may fall. Run too fast you may trip over.

What does it mean to be a kid at heart? One of the things that keeps me young is a curious nature. I’m always looking at things and wondering either how they work or why they’re like they are. The best thing ever is Google, you can find out anything with the click of a button or swipe of a finger. Now we have an AI to consult too. I’ve just started a course on studying Artificial Intelligence, it will give me a few credits towards a Degree in Computer Science.

You have three magic genie wishes, what are you asking for? Too easy! This is a no-brainer! 1: Unlimited Wishes! 2: Be a better Entertainer. 3: Be a better writer. Is that cheating? I didn’t see a rule book anywhere so have I just beaten the system? Nonetheless, it’s just a bit of fun. There are dozens of things I could ask for: Youth, old friends back, a Baritone Sax. (I keep asking for a Bari sax, someone will gift me, one day!) I think on a global wish scale, that World Peace would be nice.

Describe a family member. Every so often a family will produce a wonderful individual who is nothing like the rest of us. A black sheep. Uncle Sid was one. I am the current one. Uncle Sid taught me about alcohol, art and music. He grasped all the things in life which the rest of my family would consider unimportant. I think he was some sort of professional designer. His artwork is scattered throughout the family in the guise of tea-trays and coasters. I had some of his dubious book collection, it was infinitely more interesting than the school library’s offerings: Norman Mailer, Dennis Wheatley, great reading for a 10 year old….

Vintage Dancing! We dusted the band off and went out to play for some Swing dancers! What a great time we had! Day time gigs are really popular!

What is your favorite form of physical exercise? I enjoy a nice walk! Further the better. I’ve done a few good ones, the Camino de Santiago Camino Frances, 800kms. Offa’s Dyke, 285kms. Tour de Mont Blanc, 175kms. These days, walking Lily is my excuse for getting out in the fresh air and getting a few miles in! Twice a day we do a couple of miles across the fields. I’m 70 years old and honestly believe that daily walking has kept me fit and healthy so far. I used to run, long distance, half marathons, full ones and Ultra Marathons too, but my knees started to complain about 10 years ago, so rather than continuing to wreck them, I quit running.

How much would you pay to go to the moon? I only blogged to the moon 3 days ago! I don’t want to go again this week. It’s not a case of how much would I pay, it’s more like; been there, done it, once is enough. I wasn’t particularly impressed to be honest, nice view of Planet Earth, but it was too cold and no atmosphere……joke. So the answer to how much would I pay? Nothing! Nada! Nobody else has paid so far. They’ve all been professional astronauts paid by NASA I presume.

What alternative career paths have you considered or are interested in? Nearly a year ago I sat down and finally put pen to paper and wrote of my adventures from 20 years ago in Spain . I never thought that I would be writing a novel, let alone a series of books! Now, with the biological clock ticking, I’m rushing to beat the grave and get as many ideas as possible shared with you! So on the 1st November my latest work is released: CAMINO. A novel set in 13th Century Spain on the Camino Frances, the pilgrim trail to Santiago.

What food would you say is your specialty? I love a bowl of soup! Yesterday I met a friend for lunch, we had soup: Carrot and Coriander. For dinner that evening I enjoyed homemade Spicy Pumpkin soup. There’s so much that it’s the same again this evening! Heinz soups must have a picture of me in the boardroom as I eat or drink so much of it. The Mulligatawny Soup production line must groan under the intense pressure of providing enough to satisfy my voracious soup appetite for my favourite variety.