• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Chandler's Ford Today

  • Home
  • About
    • About Chandler’s Ford
    • Chandler’s Ford War Memorial Research
  • Blog
    • Blogging Tips
  • Event
    • Upcoming Events
  • Community
    • Groups
    • Churches
    • Schools
    • GP Surgeries
    • Leisure
    • Library
    • Charities
      • Eastleigh Basics Bank
      • Cat & Kitten Rescue in Chandler’s Ford
    • Fair Trade
      • Traidcraft stalls in Chandler’s Ford
    • Chandler’s Ford Parish Council
  • Contact
    • Subscribe
  • Site Policies
  • Site Archive
    • Site Archive 2018
    • Site Archive 2017
    • Site Archive 2016
    • Site Archive 2015
You are here: Home / Arts / Introducing Myself – Nicola Slade

Introducing Myself – Nicola Slade

December 13, 2016 By Nicola Slade 10 Comments

I write mystery novels set in and around Winchester – and sometimes even in Chandler’s Ford!

Chandler’s Ford has been home since 1981 when we moved here from Surrey for my husband’s new job. I come originally from Poole and my husband comes from Oxfordshire. When we moved here our son was twelve and went to Thornden, followed in due course by his sisters: our elder daughter who was ten when we moved here and went into the top year at Hiltingbury Juniors, and the younger one, who was five, who started school at Hiltingbury Infants.

Author Nicola Slade from Hampshire.
Author Nicola Slade

Our house was brand new and when we moved in we found a carpenter still hanging the back door, a plumber working on the boiler and a telephone engineer in the attic! Luckily they finished their jobs before bedtime!

North and South Millers Dale were still building sites for the most part and the two elder children loved exploring and soon discovered the stream in what is now the Flexford Nature Reserve.

North Millers Dale, Chandler's Ford, in 1982. Image by Nicola Slade.
North Millers Dale, Chandler’s Ford, in 1982. Image by Nicola Slade.

I always wanted to be a writer, from the time I was about six and realised that books were made up inside people’s heads! My first ever published work was a set of stories for the children’s page of the Scottish magazine, The People’s Friend. I was twenty-two and was paid the princely sum of £2 a story. In the 1980s I was Brown Owl of the 5th Chandler’s Ford Brownies, based in the temporary building in the car park of St Martin’s in the Wood, and I wrote stories for the Brownie Magazine.

Later I won a short story competition in Family Circle and for some years I wrote for women’s magazines. At the same time I was writing novels – and failing to get them published! Eventually, Scuba Dancing, a romantic comedy – the seventh novel I’d written – was accepted and was published in 2005.

Since then my published novels include three Victorian mysteries set in the fictitious village of Finchbourne – that’s Otterbourne thinly disguised, and three contemporary mysteries set in and around Winchester.

The Art of Murder by Nicola Slade.

My latest novel, The Art of Murder, published in September, is the third in my series featuring retired headmistress, Harriet Quigley, and her clergyman cousin, Sam Hathaway. Murder Fortissimo, Harriet’s first adventure is set in ‘Chambers Forge’ (which might sound slightly familiar) and features a very unusual murder weapon. A Crowded Coffin, her second outing, has a murder in Winchester cathedral, and the new book takes place almost in the shadow of the cathedral.

My books are available on Amazon and in public libraries.

To find out more about me, do check out my blog, Histories and Mysteries: Nicola Slade’s Winchester Mysteries, and my website, Nicola Slade. I’m always happy to do talks to social groups and writing circles.

Books by Hampshire author Nicola Slade.
Books by Hampshire author Nicola Slade.

Never miss out on another blog post. Subscribe here:

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google
  • Email

Related posts:

Further Adventures of a Fantasy Author Adventures of a Fantasy Author – Richard Hardie Interview Part 2 Richard Hardie: “So You Want to be an Author?” Sharing the Joy of Libraries Hampshire Library Consultation: Have your Say
Tags: blogging, books, education, interview, library, literature, local interest, publishing, reading, writing

About Nicola Slade

I'm a writer, with seven books so far, all traditionally published. There are three books in my historical series and three in the contemporary one, as well as a romantic comedy. All my books are set in and around Winchester.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Gopi says

    December 13, 2016 at 6:49 pm

    We are privileged to live in Chandler’s Ford which has so many published authors.

    Reply
    • Nicola Slade says

      December 13, 2016 at 7:12 pm

      We live in the middle of so much history, no wonder we write!

      Reply
  2. Allison Symes says

    December 13, 2016 at 7:01 pm

    Hello, Nicola. Always good to welcome another writer.

    Reply
    • Nicola Slade says

      December 13, 2016 at 7:13 pm

      Hi Allison, thanks for the welcome.

      Reply
  3. Richard Hardie says

    December 13, 2016 at 8:45 pm

    It’s amazing how many published authors and writers live in such a small area. It’s good to get to know you, Nicola.

    Reply
  4. Janet Williams says

    December 13, 2016 at 10:13 pm

    I’ve started to feel a house party (or a mystery party?) with all Chandler’s Ford writers together would be a great idea. But is there a big enough room? There are quite many of us!

    Reply
  5. Mike Sedgwick says

    December 14, 2016 at 2:36 am

    Hi Nicola. Looking forward to some pithy contributions in CFT.

    Reply
  6. Karen Stephen says

    December 14, 2016 at 9:45 pm

    Hi Nicola, great to hear more about your books. We met (you might recollect) at a book event we were holding at Bay Leaves to promote Secret Lives of Chandlers Ford. We’ve now published volume 2. It’s wonderful to connect with so many local writers. There must be something in the air that enthuses us all and gets the creative juices flowing. Hope to meet up with you soon.

    Big thanks to Janet for her wonderful work on the blog and bringing the community together.

    Reply
    • Janet Williams says

      December 14, 2016 at 11:27 pm

      Thank you for your kind words, Karen.

      I use my years of blogging skills that I’ve learnt on WordPress to help provide this platform. I knew that there must be like-minded, passionate people around in where we live, and we just need to find them. The most efficient way is through writing and online publishing.

      After 3 years we have seen friendship flourishing, wonderful stories are being shared, and more people are talking, writing, commenting, and sharing.

      Thank you to all of you who are a big part of this website. Thank you WordPress!

      Reply
      • Nicola Slade says

        December 15, 2016 at 9:11 am

        Thank you everyone for such a warm welcome and to Janet for providing us with a local platform. And yes, of course I remember you, Karen. Congratulations on your second anthology.

        Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Search

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to Chandler's Ford Today blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Archives

Top Posts & Pages

999, 111, 101, 112? Emergency Numbers You Must Know
Judging a Book by its Cover - Part 1
101 Things to Put into Room 101
Home
101 Things to Put into Room 101 - Part 7 - The Final Leg
A walk in a park
Hook Road Hutments and My Family by Peter Russell - Part 1
My Favourite Short Walk - Itchen Navigation from Bishopstoke to Allbrook
Blog
Part 4 - 101 Things to Put into Room 101

Categories

Tags

arts and crafts books Chandler's Ford Chandler's Ford Today Chandler’s Ford community charity Christianity Christmas church community creative writing culture Eastleigh Eastleigh Borough Council education entertainment event family fundraising gardening good neighbours Hiltingbury Hiltingbury Road history hobby how-to interview Joan Adamson Joan Adelaide Goater local businesses local interest memory Methodist Church music nature news reading religion review social storytelling theatre travel Winchester Road writing

Recent Comments

  • Allison Symes on Judging a Book by its Cover – Part 1
  • David Lamb on Judging a Book by its Cover – Part 1
  • Allison Symes on Judging a Book by its Cover – Part 1
  • Jim Bates on Judging a Book by its Cover – Part 1
  • Allison Symes on Story Types
  • Jim Bates on Story Types

Regular Writers and Contributors

Janet Williams Allison Symes Mike Sedgwick Rick Goater Doug Clews chippy minton Martin Napier Roger White Andy Vining Gopi Chandroth Nicola Slade Wellie Roger Clark Ray Fishman Hazel Bateman SO53 News

Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal by Joan Adelaide Goater

Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal by Joan Adelaide Goater

Growing up in Chandler’s Ford: 1950s – 1960s by Martin Napier

Growing up in Chandler’s Ford: 1950s – 1960s by Martin Napier

My Memories of the War Years in Chandler’s Ford 1939 – 1945 by Doug Clews

My Memories of the War Years in Chandler’s Ford 1939 – 1945 by Doug Clews

Chandler’s Ford War Memorial Research by Margaret Doores

Chandler’s Ford War Memorial Research by Margaret Doores

History of Hiltonbury Farmhouse by Andy Vining

History of Hiltonbury Farmhouse by Andy Vining

My Family History in Chandler’s Ford and Hursley by Roger White

My Family History in Chandler’s Ford and Hursley by Roger White

Do You Remember The Hutments? By Nick John

Do You Remember The Hutments? By Nick John

Memory of Peter Green by Wendy Green

Memory of Peter Green by Wendy Green

History of Vickers Armstrongs (Supermarine) Hursley Park by Dave Key

History of Vickers Armstrongs (Supermarine) Hursley Park by Dave Key

Reviews of local performances and places

Reviews of local performances and places

Copyright © 2021 Chandler's Ford Today. WordPress. Log in

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.