Blog Tour - A Little Birdie Told Me…
It’s 1988. The era of young love, with Scott and Charlene melting hearts in Neighbours, and a new princess for the Royal Family. With Bros, Madonna and Wet Wet Wet in the charts, and children hoping for Ghostbusters’ toys in their stockings.
But it’s not all fun for Belinda. If her life was a board game, she’s losing at snakes and ladders. Once she’d been working her way up one of those ladders but, thanks to her snake-like polytechnic lecturer, she’s toppled from the rungs. Now she works in an old people’s home, where her chief duties involve cleaning toilets and emptying commodes.
At least her lovely colleague, Joe, offers excitement in her otherwise dreary life. But Belinda can’t believe he'd be interested in someone like her. Not when her pretty friend, Tracey, only has to glance at a man to have him fall for her.
But just when it seems things are looking up for Belinda, the residents’ precious possessions start to go missing. Then she witnesses a disturbing incident and doesn’t know what to do. Luckily, Belinda has Joe to guide her – until she discovers that he’s hiding a secret, one that forces her to make an agonising decision.
Will she continue to hide in the shadows, never speaking out – or will she put her future on the line to stand up for what is right? After all, she’s caring for a generation that's lived through two wars. Now it’s time to fight for them.
Purchase Links
UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Little-Birdie-Told-intriguing-heartwarming-ebook/dp/B08TZV5385/
US - https://www.amazon.com/Little-Birdie-Told-intriguing-heartwarming-ebook/dp/B08TZV5385/
A CARING LIFE
Apart from the eighties being a time to reminisce over for so many people, the inciting incident which led to A Little Birdie Told Me… being set in a care home, was something I saw happen. During my late teenage years, I worked over the summer in two care homes. One was a longer stint after leaving one college and deciding to go back to another.
I’ve often wondered if the warden in charge of the first care home put me on toilet and commode duty to ‘encourage’ me back into education. Either way, it made me decide that I didn’t want to spend my life scrubbing toilets – although it’s strange how the wheel of life turns, and that is what I do now as a B&B owner.
This home – then a residential home – would have been classed as excellent, with trained nursing staff to look after the residents’ medical and personal care needs. The residential workers were primarily there to clean and serve the residents in the morning and at mealtimes, which involved eating with them too. One of my memories from this time centres around the residents coercing me to fill my plate, although I was trying hard to diet.
Years later, my daughter did work experience in a care home and entertainment was a priority for the residents, with outings and afternoon bingo sessions, amongst many things. It was only when she spoke about her two weeks at a modern care home that I realised that I didn’t recall any activities when I worked in the two homes.
The following year, I spent part of my summer holidays working in another care home. This one had a very different policy to the first. The young, untrained care workers had to take on the personal care of the residents. We didn’t eat with the residents and didn’t form any relationships.
I don’t recall much, apart from one incident, where I was asked to undress a resident with dementia. As I unbuttoned her cardigan, she started rebuttoning it. This went on for some time before the senior residential worker came in to find we’d got nowhere. She took over and slapped the lady’s hand away, remonstrating with her.
She didn’t bruise the resident. The resident clutched her hand but didn’t cry. But it was shocking to see an elderly lady being treated so badly. And, no, I didn’t raise the alarm, as I was made to feel that I’d caused the incident by allowing it to reach this stage.
I left soon afterwards. One of my colleagues said I’d let them all down, when they could have recruited someone who’d stay the distance. I should have voiced my upset then. Not just about this, but the lack of dignity for the residents. But at seventeen I had no confidence. An excuse? Yes. But it’s the truth. Of course, I’d blow the whistle now without hesitation. I’ve done similar things since to help people.
This is why the main character, Belinda, had to grow within – to have faith in herself and what she was doing – before she could help other people. Because it takes an awful lot of courage to stand up for what is right. I have that now. I wish I’d had it then.
Sharley Scott is the author of the Devon Seaside Guesthouse novels – Bedlam & Breakfast and B&Bers Behaving Madly – and the Maddie Meadows series.
Sharley is a guesthouse owner in South Devon. She is thankful to have been blessed with lots of amazing and kind-hearted guests, who are nothing like some of the fictional characters featured in the Devon Seaside Guesthouse series.
The Two Lives of Maddie Meadows – and its sequel The Gift of a Rose – portray the life of a working single mum. Some of the mischief Maddie's little one, Josh, gets up to will be familiar to all parents. In real life, Sharley has carried out the threats she made to her son decades ago and now gets her own back him by telling tales to his girlfriend (some of the incidents in the books are inspired by him), although he returns the favour by recounting utterly embarrassing stories about his mum.
Sharley's latest novel ‘A Little Birdie Told Me…’ is being published in February 2021. This book goes back in time to the late eighties: a time of fun music, interesting fashion, strange hairstyles and no internet or mobile phones. Fancy having to talk to each other! (Says the author who frequents Facebook too often).
W ith that in mind, Sharley can be found on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/SharleyScott3/
Or follow Sharley on Twitter: @SharleyScott
Social Media Links –
https://www.facebook.com/SharleyScott3
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