Golden Chapter and Buried Dreams

Chrissie has two books in a fabulous handbag. The Barn of Buried Dreams is featuring here.

Chrissie Bradshaw is a romantic novelist, and I have had the pleasure of meeting her twice at Romantic Novelists’ Association events.  She has written two contemporary stories about family relationships and secrets.   Her books are in the Handbag Gallery, and Jena spotted the books in a snazzy handbag. It’s time to hand over to the lovely Jena. C. Henry for our monthly Golden Handbag collaboration. As always, Jena will review the opening chapter.

I am happy to share a Golden Chapter from Jessie Cahalin’s Handbag Gallery with you about a story that is part contemporary romance and part family saga. Both of those genres are favorites of mind and I couldn’t wait to get to know the family in this book. Author Chrissie Bradshaw’s first book was Jarful of Moondreams: What secrets are ready to spill out? That book (a stand-alone) was also a family drama that focused on hopes and dreams. Doesn’t every life need hope and dreams? Let’s learn more about the buried dreams in Chrissie Bradshaw’s latest book:

The Barn of Buried Dreams: When will they see daylight?

Here is Chrissie with Lynda Stacey at the RNA York Tea. They are discussing the merits of the Handbag Gallery.

The cover of this book is charming and happily welcomes us to the beautiful Northumbrian countryside. For those, like me who don’t know their Great British geography, Northumbria is in the northeast of the country.

The opening chapter of this book introduces us to the Douglas family. Erin and Heather Douglas are young adult sisters. Their Mum has recently suffered a stroke and still needs care at home.

Erin and Heather are struggling. Erin has moved home from London to help their Mum. She had to leave behind her budding career in the acting world and her fiancé Damien, also an actor. Now, she watches tv with her Mum and misses her London life.

Heather is heavily pregnant, and juggles a day’s work, a husband, toddler and home on a few hours sleep. She lives in the same area as their Mum, but it’s hard for her to make time to help Erin with the carer responsibilities. Heather can be a bit sharp and bossy, but she’s really just worried and tired.

Neither young woman is sure what they want or what they should do. (Only Bracken the dog seems content.) Both young women stay awake at night thinking about their problems. Until one day, when something shows up that is very clear.

“Two stark lines….the test couldn’t be clearer. Erin and Damien had a wedding to plan.” Except, Erin senses a growing distance between her and Damien.

I’m sure many of us have struggled in similar ways- trying to balance career, motherhood, frail parents, and relationships. All that is enough to handle, without an unexpected pregnancy added to the mix.  The first chapter gives us a sympathetic look at Erin and Heather. Author Chrissie Bradshaw gives us some striking word pictures.

“Erin’s stage career was drifting away like an unattended beachball, bright and enticing but moving further and further out of her reach.”

Haven’t you felt like that at times- that your joy is so close, and yet so far? And how about this line?

“Damien, hormones, mum, career- all fought for pole position in her racing thoughts.”

Wow, I know that one made a big impact on me. In just a few words, the author created the feelings and moods that I have struggled with during challenging times through the years.

The first chapter leaves us getting to know the sisters and their mother and liking and caring about the three of them. Can the sisters help one another to face their fears, dust off and revive those dreams and find joy in life? Can they find their hopes and the happy life that is pictured on the cover of the book? I hope this Golden Chapter review encourages you to read more and find out!

It’s time to hand over to the lovely Jena. C. Henry for our monthly Golden Handbag collaboration.

Once again, Jessie Cahalin has welcomed me to her Barn of Handbags, I mean the Handbag Gallery. She has so many books that will give us all plenty to dream about. Thanks Jessie, and thanks to author Chrissie Bradshaw. I was quite taken with this month’s selection, The Barn of Buried Dreams, and I’d like to discuss it with you in the comments, whether you’ve read the book, or would like to read it. Here’s some questions to get us started.

  1. I’m sure many of you have juggled challenges like the two sisters in the book. Any thoughts or advice for us?
  2. Did you, or do you have a dream? Did it come true or did you make a new dream?
  3. I really liked the metaphors and the similes in this first chapter. What do you think?

 Biography- Chrissie Bradshaw

Meet Chrissie Bradshaw

Chrissie, 2016 winner of the Romantic Novelist’s Elizabeth Goudge writing trophy, is a seasoned tea drinker and a tenacious trainer of her welsh terrier, Oscar.

THE BARN OF BURIED DREAMS, a contemporary story about two sisters who are struggling after the death of their mother, is her second novel and is out now as an ebook and a paperback.

Chrissie has always loved match-making a book to a reader. Writing the kind of book she loves to read takes this a step further. When Chrissie is not writing or reading, you will find her walking Oscar on the beach, trying to avoid the gym and spending time with her family and friends.

Chrissie enjoys tweeting to readers on @ChrissieBeee
Her instagram account is chrissie_bradshaw_author
Her blog is www.chrissiebradshaw.com
and she has a Chrissie Bradshaw author page on Facebook.

She would love to hear from readers.

 

Please see all Jena’s Golden Chapters and my website and blog at JessieCahalin.com.

A copy of my novel is available here.

Real folk in One Hundred Tiny Threads

I urge you to read One Hundred Tiny Threads

Judith Barrow’s ‘One Hundred Tiny Threads’ reawakened my reading addiction.  I stretched on a Devon beach, during a heatwave, but sat in Lancashire during 1911. Vivid figurative language moved me from the colours of a Monet painting to a Lowry painting.

One Hundred Tiny Threads is the prequel to Judith’s Howarth family saga but was the perfect book to begin with.  Bill was trapped down the mine and the explosion deafened me.  I stood in the dark, grimy streets as the ‘knocker-upper’ tapped on the Winifred’s window. I forgot the heat of the sun as ‘frost patterns covered the panes of the windows’.  ‘The clatter of clogs’ on the cobbles turned my head to the dark streets and ‘the feeling there was a shadow lurking around the corners’.

A life beyond the grocer’s shop counter ruled over by Winifred’s domineering mother.

Despite shivering with Winifred, I found warmth in her friendship.  Winifred presented me with an honest account of a woman’s plight during the beginning of the last century.  Her rebellion against her dominant mother placed me firmly on Winifred’s side.  I was driven mad to discover Winifred’s mother’s secret; I could not fathom her bitterness. Barrow demonstrates why Winifred needs to befriend Honora, a suffragette, and why she finds comfort in Conal’s arms.  Every strand of the characters’ backgrounds is woven into their actions and responses.

I stretched on a Devon beach, during a heatwave, but sat in Lancashire during 1911. ‘The clatter of clogs’ on the cobbles…

I felt for Winifred.  Her naivety and love for Conal present tender moments.  How I ached for Winifred’s happy ending.  The narrative wrenches the heartstrings and punches your senses, but the strands of the plot are taught and well structured. But there is no time to mollycoddle the characters: there’s ‘nowt’ you can do as the characters face life, love and loss. I advise you set time aside and listen to the characters’ voices and let the gritty drama unfold.  The dulcet tones of the Lancashire people rattle your emotions with the powerful dialogue. Be aware of Ethel who makes the ‘air seem rancid with hostility.’

The artfully woven narrative is populated with real folk: ‘good Northern stock’.  I couldn’t abide the hardship yet couldn’t stop reading.  I found myself thinking about the characters when not reading.  The folk got under my skin.  Barrow is not afraid to introduce some horrible people and conflict.  I loathed Bill because he is a hard-faced, rotten man.  Yet, I was forced to explore the motivation for his character.  It was most annoying to feel empathy for Bill. I wanted to banish him from the book and leave him to rot in a dark alley. Barrow made me understand the motivation for this bloke’s actions. 

‘…all they wanted was equality in voting’

Winifred was isolated from her mother Ethel and inhibited by the era but wanted to shake off the corset of stifling expectations.  Ironically, Winifred’s mother inhibits her more than her father.  Barrow demonstrates how women like Ethel were trapped by their own boundaries and expectations: fear of society’s rejection isolates those who have dared to follow their hearts.  Women such as Winifred who dared to articulate the inequalities of women in normal settings:

Women such as Winifred paved the way for the birth of the modern woman. 

‘…all they wanted was equality in voting; to be able to have as much as their husbands, their brothers, their fathers.’

The Suffragette Movement, World War One and the Irish War of Independence are threaded into the fabric of the novel.

Barrow squeezes every drop of empathy from her reader, because she explores the complex psychological motivations of the characters.  It is testimony to Judith Barrow that she creates such powerful characters.  The rhythms of the characters’ words are combined with the ebb and flow of the narrative to produce a phenomenal drama of epic proportions.  I am delighted there are more books to read in this family saga.  However, I am fearful for Winifred’s plight in the remaining novels. shh – don’t tell me what happens.  I am not sure Winifred has made a good choice of husband, but he does believe Winifred ‘was the one woman to keep him on the straight and narrow.’  Narrative perspectives of Winifred and Bill provide clever contrast in life experiences. The basis for their relationship is dynamic, yet I sense some threads will fray in the other books. Florence said, ‘men will have their way’; I hope this is not an omen.

The Suffragette Movement, World War One and the Irish War of Independence are threaded into the fabric of the novel. Hard times exasperate the loneliness suffered by the characters.  I urge you to read One Hundred Tiny Threads to find out more about the texture of these characters’ lives – you won’t be disappointed.

Judith Barrow, author

Connect with Judith at:

Website: https://judithbarrowblog.com

Find out more about Judith at:

Twitter: @judithbarrow

 https://www.facebook.com/judith.barrow.3

Please see all my book reviews at Books In Handbag and my website and blog at JessieCahalin.com.

Forget Sparkling Happy Ever After with Sue Bentley

I dare you to read this book.

Forget the sparkling happy ever after of fairy tales when you enter the world of We Other by Sue Bentley.  I dare you!  Trade in the beautiful fairy dust for dark energy. Inhabit the shadows of the forest and satisfy yourself with the occasional chink of light.  Is this the real life of faeries?  Do they really exist on the edge of darkness? We Other challenged me to ask these questions.

I was shocked that this sinister world resonated with me.  Sue Bentley connected with my childhood fears yet managed to explain it.  Oh, my goodness, such intricate plot spinning.  You’ll be caught up in the web once you let yourself believe in another world that exists between good and evil. 

Don’t be afraid to enter the world of We Other and the flesh-eating faeries

Don’t be afraid to enter the world of We Other and the flesh-eating faeries.  You will be safe with Jess.  Let Jess’s story guide you into the world where shadows hover on the edge of reason.  There is depth to this fantasy and guidance for teenagers who are searching for their identity. Jess undergoes a metamorphosis and finds her wings.  Do you remember finding your wings as a teenager and learning to fly out there in the real world? Did you wear armour over your true identity?  Through fantasy, Bentley explores teenage identity and a battle with harsh family life. The book has many layers of meaning to explore so dive in.

Inhabit the shadows of the forest and satisfy yourself with the occasional chink of light.

This genre of book is a first for me, as I had abandoned fairies in dusty old books long ago.  We Other is something different.  Despite the narrative twisting and turning in my stomach, it captured me an evoked my imagination.   I savoured each imagining and lingered in the world of Jess.  There is a haunting intensity in every sentence.  I now know why my subconscious is always dubious of letting me go into the woods.  Having read We Other, I am a believer.  Are all animals and humans real or are they faery-kind?  Who knows?  Be careful of what magical, sinister creatures lurk in the hedgerow.

Let Jess’s story guide you into the world where shadows hover on the edge of reason.

‘Faery and the world of humankind occupy the same space. Made of different fabrics, they overlay each other.  The barriers can only be crossed by those who know.’

This explanation captures the mysterious essence of the book, but if you read We Other then you will experience this philosophical explanation for yourself.  I adored the complexity of Jess and the way she coped with the stark challenges of poverty and her mother’s alcoholism: her life is ‘harsh and joyless’.  I was equally charmed by the mesmerising encounters in the world of faery.  The complex narrative is grounded in the beautiful relationships between the characters.  Read the book and it will ‘feel like something physical, spreading tendrily through your mind.’ Sue Bentley weaves an ‘other worldly’ tale and leaves questions stranded in your mind.  I challenge you to spend time ‘mortalwise’ and faerywise when ‘time moves to a different tune’. When reading the book, a plague of dragonfly and midges hovered over my garden and this made me think about what they might be according to Bentley’s explanations.

Sue Bentley

‘Something in the air gathered around her and crackled faintly.  There was an internal gathering…’ Beware the sinister spirits when you enter the Dark Court.  I guarantee you will get lost in this story. When I visited ‘fingers of light stole through the branches of an ancient wood.’

Please see all my reviews at Books in Handbag and my website and blog at JessieCahalin.com.

Eat, Read and Be Merry in Romania with Patricia Furstenberg

Patricia posting As Good As Gold

Let’s eat read and be merry with Patricia Furstenberg as she presents ‘As Good As Gold’: an exciting book of poetry celebrating the simple things from a dog’s perspective. Patricia is a prolific writer of children’s fiction, and I wanted to find out more about the author. I have invited Patricia to talk about her culture and heritage through food. 

Whenever I write a children’s book, part of me travels back in time to my native Romania and the magic of childhood. For the lucky ones, childhood means endless joy and discoveries, unconditional love and food – food indulgences, *ahem*

Bucharest, the capital city, was nicknamed The Little Paris at the beginning of the 20th century

Romania is a magic land with rich traditions, its culture and history influenced by the significant nations surrounding it. Throughout the centuries Romania had to deal with the Turks, the Prussians, the Russian, while gladly accepting the French culture (Bucharest, the capital city, as nicknamed The Little Paris at the beginning of the 20th century). All this happened while still retaining a strong hold onto our Latin roots. Because the Romanian language is deeply rooted in Latin, therefore is very close to Portuguese, Spanish, Italian and French.

Here’s a look at my favourite childhood dishes.

Chicken Schnitzel with mashed potatoes – a proof of our Prussian influence.

Chicken Schnitzel with mashed potatoes – a proof of our Prussian influence. You have to visit places such as the medieval town of Sighisoara to understand what this dish is and where it comes from.

Pancakes, prepared in Romania like the French crêpes, are best enjoyed in one of the many coffee shops adorning Bucharest’s quaint streets of Lipscani area. Once you are full you have to pop in the amazing bookshop of Carturesti.

Plum dumplings (Gombots), a Hungarian influence from Arad and Sibiu

Plum dumplings (Gombots), a Hungarian influence from Arad and Sibiu, the towns of my countless childhood holidays.

I simply have to mention the Turkish coffee, the type of coffee I grew up with. It was a rite of passage being allowed to watch the coffee pot simmering on the stove. Drink this while chatting with a friend on the smooth, sandy beaches of the Black Sea.

I simply have to mention the Turkish coffee, the type of coffee I grew up with.

Sometimes, when you want to return to a place dear to your heart and travelling is not an option, choose a culinary tradition, indulge your taste buds and revitalise those neural synapses formed long ago.

 

 

 

As Good As Gold – A dog’s life in poems

As Good As Gold

As engaging as a tail wag
Celebrating the simple things in life as seen through the eyes of our old time favourite furry friends, “As Good as Gold” is a volume of poetry revealing the talent and humour we always knew our dogs possessed.

Dogs are full of questions, yet they are famed sellers of innocence especially when it comes to explaining their mishaps and often foolish effervescence through ponderings such as “Why IS a Cat Not Like a Dog”, “As Brown as Chocolate”, “Silver Stars and Puppy Tail” or, best yet, “Dog or Book?”

A book with an enormous heart for readers of all ages, it includes 35 poems and haiku accompanied by expressive portraits of our canine friends.

About Patricia Furstenberg

Patricia Furstenberg came to writing through reading. She always carries a notebook and a pen, although at times she jots down her ideas on the back of till slips or types them on her phone.

The medieval town of Sighisoara

Patricia enjoys writing for children because she can take abstract, grown-up concepts and package them in humorous, child-friendly ideas while adding sensitivity and lots of love. What fuels her is an exhilarating need to write and… coffee: “How many cups have had this morning?” “None.” “Plus?” “Five cups.”

Between her books you can find the beloved Joyful Trouble, The Cheetah and the Dog, Puppy, 12 Months of Rhymes and Smiles.

Hungarian influence from Arad and Sibiu, the towns of my countless childhood holidays

She is a Huffington Post contributor and pens the Sunday Column for MyPuppyclub.net as well as dabbing in freelancing. After completing her Medical Degree in Romania she moved to South Africa where she now lives with her husband, children and their dogs.

Contact Patricia at:
http://Author.to/PatFurstenberg
Author Website: http://alluringcreations.co.za/wp/
Huffington Post SA http://www.huffingtonpost.co.za/author/patricia-furstenberg/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PatFurstenberg
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PatriciaFurstenbergAuthor
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patriciafurstenberg

Book available at:
Amazon UK OR https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07BZ5WTLK
Amazon US OR https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BZ5WTLK
Amazon Canada OR https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07BZ5WTLK
Goodreads OR https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39783075-as-good-as-gold

 

Please see all my extracts and excerpts at Book Extracts and my blog at JessieCahalin.com.

 

Alison May: Romance Fiction Rocks

I want the RNA to continue to be brilliant in all the ways it already is – supportive to new writers, friendly, welcoming and a real voice for professional commercial authors.

As a Leeds lass, I had to discover more about the dynamic Yorkshire woman who is Chair of the Romantic Novelists’ Association.  I invited Alison May to chat about the RNA and her writing. 

Jessie:  It is wonderful to finally meet you.  Tell me, who is Alison May, the writer?

Alison:  I’m a total control freak (which is helpful for writing novels – you basically get to invent a whole world and be god of it). If it was socially acceptable, I would live on toast and chocolate the whole time. And I have an uncontrollable tendency to take on one thing more than I have time to do – at the moment that one thing is ‘being Chair of the RNA’ so quite a big time-consuming thing!                             

Jessie: Chair of the RNA is a prestigious role and such an honour. What does your role as Chair of the RNA involve?

Alison: Essentially everything that goes wrong is my fault, and everything that goes well is down to the brilliant and inspirational management committee and volunteer team I have around me. On a practical level being Chair involves, hosting RNA events, chairing management committee meetings, representing the RNA at industry events and meetings, and, responding to whatever crises come up unexpectedly. And the start of 2020 has brought more crisis that any of us was expecting, so at the moment I’m mostly working on ways that we can respond to the Covid-19 outbreak and lockdown and support our members virtually.

And I also write collaboratively with Janet Gover under the penname, Juliet Bell. Juliet writes stories inspired by misunderstood classics…

Jessie:  What is your vision for the RNA?

Alison:  I want the RNA to continue to be brilliant in all the ways it already is – supportive to new writers, friendly, welcoming and a real voice for professional commercial authors. I want to see us develop the education and professional development opportunities we provide for our members. I want the RNA to be a critical friend to the publishing industry – it’s great for us to build close ties with romantic fiction publishers, but it’s also vital that we remember that we’re an author focussed organisation and authors’ interests and publishers’ interests overlap but aren’t always precisely the same.

I’d also like to see us become more inclusive. At the moment, like much of the publishing industry, we can be a bit white and straight and middle class. It’s really important to me that writers who have been under-represented in publishing know they have a place within the RNA.

Mostly though I want authors of romantic fiction to be proud of their genre and of what we create. There can be snobbery around commercial fiction, especially around commercial fiction that is often written and read by women. I am simply not at home to those sorts of attitudes. Romantic fiction rocks.

All That Was Lost is my most recent title writing solo as Alison May though.

Jessie: What are the essential ingredients of a great romance?

Alison: People who want to be together and a really good reason they can’t be.

Jessie: Why did you join the Romance Novelists’ Association and what has it offered you?

Alison: I joined the RNA in 2011 as a member of the New Writers’ Scheme. The NWS gives unpublished authors a critique on their novel in progress, but also means that you can attend RNA events as a member. In that first year I went to conference and the Winter Party and joined my local chapter. The conference was a two day whirlwind knowledge dump of a huge amount of stuff about how publishing works that would have taken years to learn without the RNA. Since then the RNA has become my village. Writing is incredibly solitary. A support network of people who get the emotional ups and downs of writing and publishing is essential. And I think the RNA provides the very best support network there is.

Jessie:  It’s obvious you are a perfect ambassador for the RNA.  I love the fact that it has become your village as I feel the same way.  I am impressed you have written six books.

Alison: I’ve actually written 8 (I think!) – some of them were novellas though so are published separately and together which makes counting tricky! And I also write collaboratively with Janet Gover under the penname, Juliet Bell. Juliet writes stories inspired by misunderstood classics – most recently, The Other Wife, which was inspired by Jane Eyre. All That Was Lost is my most recent title writing solo as Alison May though.

Jessie:  Capture All That Was Lost in one sentence.

Alison: One lie – told for a lifetime. What would that do to the girl you used to be?

Jessie: Can you tempt me with an extract from the book?

Alison: She’s stylish, but never threatening. She could be other mother of the bride at an elegant country wedding … but she’s not. She’s Patrice Leigh, the woman who’s built a fifty year career on the claim that she can talk to the dead.

Jessie:  Wow!  The final sentence evokes mystery.  What did the readers say about the novel?

Alison:  I am delighted with the responses.  Readers really connected with the subject and the characters and loved the humour.

‘I love the touches of humour Alison writes into what is, in essence, a very sad tale.’

‘I am not going to forget Patience/Patrice any time soon. She is one of the most original characters in any novel I’ve read recently.’

‘I loved this book – couldn’t put it down. It was thought provoking and I am still thinking about it many weeks later.’

Jessie: How did you feel when you had finished writing your book, and did you miss any of the characters?

I think the characters, especially Patrice, from this book have stayed with me more than any other book that I’ve written. I don’t miss them exactly. I definitely don’t think I’ll ever write a sequel but they’re all still there inside my head.

Jessie: Who would you like to read your book and why?  This could be another author, someone famous, a friend or a member of your family.  Perhaps it could even be a friend or family member that has passed away.

Alison: The person I most want to read this book is Jack Thorne. He’s a playwright and screenwriter and I’m a huge fan of his work from The Cursed Child to National Treasure and lots of other things beside. I have a recurring fantasy where he reads All That Was Lost and adapts it for TV and I believe that if I mention this enough in interviews and online it might one day happen! (If I’m allowed a second person I also have a very similar recurring fantasy about Lin Manuel Miranda and a Broadway hip hop musical version.)

Jessie: What is the last sentence written in your writer’s notebook?

Alison: ‘If you change Alice back to Anna you can reuse the Annabel line.’

And it’s true. I can.

Jessie: What is the best advice that you have received as a writer?

Alison: ‘Work out what your dream is and follow it.’ Once you get to the point of having a completed manuscript there are a lot of people who will tell you that you ‘must have an agent’ or that ‘looking for an agent is a waste of time and you should self-publish’ or whatever else might have worked for them. And that’s fine but the right option for them might not be the right option for you, so work out what you really want and pursue that first.

Jessie: What do you when you are not writing?

Well at the moment a lot of my time is spent on RNA projects, but asides from that and writing, I also run a novel-writing tutoring and mentoring business. That means I work one-to-one with authors and also offer manuscript critiques and teach group workshops and lead residential retreats. I LOVE teaching. It’s basically my happy place. And I’m super-proud like a mother hen of all my past students. I have three shelves above my desk. One has my own published books on it, but the other two have books by former students. Those shelves are my absolute pride and joy!

When I’m not teaching, writing or working on RNA stuff, I love baking and reading and sleeping. Sleep is really excellent.

Alison joined the RNA as a member of the New Writers’ Scheme in 2011 and won the Elizabeth Goudge Trophy in 2012.   All That Was Lost is the sixth novel, but she also writes as Juliet Bell, in collaboration with Janet Gover.  Alison also runs writing courses and is currently offering virtual Book Doctor appointments on a ‘pay what you choose’ basis.  I am impressed with her innovative approach to supporting others at this challenging time. 

Contact details and book links:

You can find out more about me at www.alison-may.co.uk, on twitter and Insta @MsAlisonMay and on facebook – www.facebook.com/AlisonMayAuthor

You can find all my books at www.alison-may.co.uk/books and buy All That Was Lost.

 

Please see all my author interviews at My Guests and my website and blog at JessieCahalin.com.

A copy of my novel is available here.

Forgotten Dutch history concealed in my handbag

Imogen Matthews 

 

Imogen Matthews was born in Rijswijk, Holland, to a Dutch mother and English father, the family moved to England when Imogen was very young.

Imogen contacted me and asked me to review her novel.  She told me that The Hidden Village is an ‘intriguing historical fiction’ based on historical facts that have remained hidden in Holland.  My interest was piqued when she told me that she ‘needed to tell this WW2 story for the people of the hidden village.’  Obviously, the novel is on my Reading List but I wanted to find out more about the author and the book.

I was delighted to welcome Imogen Matthews to my Chat Room.  She is the first author to visit the completed room.  I was a little alarmed when she greeted me with, ‘Dag!’ but explained that it is Dutch for hello.

Imogen came into the Chat Room wearing a navy biker jacket over peach-coloured culottes and strappy navy sandals.  Of course, she had brought an enviable bag for the occasion and it was an elegant mushroom tote bag.

She requested a black Americano and brought some Dutch “koekjes” (biscuit) called “krakelingen” – lovely crisp flaky biscuits topped with sugar and cinnamon.

She said, ‘In Holland, you always get a “koekje” with your coffee and I miss that in England!’

How is Dutch culture different to British culture?

The Dutch have a word “gezellig” that is an emotion we don’t have a word for. So you can make your house “gezellig” by having lots of table lamps and tealights (strictly no overhead lights). A sociable meal with friends and family is also “gezellig”. My mother also used to say it was “gezellig” whenever I used to pop over for coffee. The Danes have stolen a march on this idea with “hygge”, but I can assure you that I’ve been using “gezellig” long before “hygge” became fashionable!

Imogen is an engaging, lively and positive personality and this reassured me that the narrative voice in her book would also be appealing.  It was obvious that her determination has served her well as a writer.  She cares passionately about the hidden Dutch history and this made me want to read on for the sake of the lost voices.

Tell me about The Hidden Village

Set in WW2 Holland, deep in the Veluwe woods, The Hidden Village is a story about survival, hope, despair, and ultimately, love, as a community pulls together to build a purpose-built village to shelter those persecuted by the Germans. The lives of young Sofie, Jan and Liesbeth become entwined with devastating consequences for their futures.

Tempt me with an extract from the novel

“It was the smell of a cigarette that stopped him in his tracks. A man wearing a grey belted coat stepped out from behind the tree. ‘So’, he said, grinding his cigarette with his boot.”

Why did you decide to digress from your usual genre of novel?

This was a story I felt I had to get down, so when I’d finished I felt pleased I’d told a story that so many people won’t have known anything about.

Imogen Matthews

What do the reviewers say about your novel?

Sensitively written. “From the first chapter you are engaged with the characters and I even found myself warning them when they were due to be raided – OUT LOUD! Sensitively written, with a page-turning plot, this is a wonderful new book from Imogen.” Ms E. Holmes-ievers

I couldn’t put it down. “This skillful blend of fiction within the factual events happening to many at those times, holds you till the end. I couldn’t put it down, nor did I want to until the final page.”  Gilly Cox

Highly recommended. “Though the subject matter is tough, there are lighter moments and the book rattles along at a good pace. The varied cast of characters, especially the younger ones, keeps your interest. Highly recommended.”  Clarky

How did you feel when you had finished writing your book, and did you miss any of the characters?

It left a big hole as I’d spent so long on the book and I realised just how attached I’d become to my characters.

So yes, I miss my characters lots! I miss Sofie’s feistiness and determination not to let her life change by hiding away from the Germans. And I miss her best friend Liesbeth, who sticks by Sofie through thick and thin, even though she also has to make her own big sacrifices. I even miss the enigmatic Henk, the head woodman, who’s instrumental in getting the hidden village built, but struggles with his loyalties. I particularly miss Jan, who’s always getting into scrapes but is only trying to help others and do good. He goes through so much that I just want to give him a big hug and tell him that everything will turn out alright.

It is obvious that you are genuinely attached to your characters and care about them – this always bodes well for the reader.

Who would you like to read your book and why?  This could be another author, someone famous, a friend or a member of your family.  

I’d love Anita Shreve to read my book as I’m a great fan of her writing. She has a great ability to say so much in so few words. Her book Resistance, set in German-occupied Belgium, is brilliant and inspired me when I started working out the plot for my book.

Why should I keep your book in my handbag?

Because it’s so gripping that you won’t want to leave it out of your sight!

What is the last sentence written in your writer’s notebook?

I’ve been writing for years and have notebooks all over the place, so that’s a hard one. I guess it’ll be something along the lines of “to be continued.” That sums up how I feel about writing -I’ve always got something more to say.

What is the biggest challenge for an independent author?

Getting noticed. You have to work really hard to get people to find your book as the competition is increasing all the time. I self-published my first book Run Away by Alex Johnson (my pen name) in 2012 and got a great response quite quickly and lots of reviews. Then in 2014 I published the sequel The Perfume Muse and it was already much harder. For The Hidden Village I was fortunate to find Amsterdam Publishers, who have been enormously helpful in helping to navigate the many pitfalls when launching a book.

What is the best advice that you have received as a writer?

A writing tutor once said that you should write every day, however little and however bad you might think your writing is. She also recommended writing before doing anything else first thing in the morning as it’s so easy to get distracted by other things and then never get down to it. I took her advice to heart and sometimes I only write 100 words a day, but these words do add up and eventually you can see you have written a book. Of course, that’s when the hard work starts, but you’ve built the framework which gives you the confidence to keep going.

Tell me a little more about yourself.

I live with my husband in Oxford and love to go on runs, walks and cycle rides in the beautiful surrounding countryside. I love cooking Moroccan and Middle Eastern inspired food, particularly Ottolenghi and Persiana recipes. A favourite is lovely crumbly tahini cookies.

Tahini Cookies (from Jerusalem) by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamiimi

130g caster sugar

150 unsalted butter, at room temperature

110g light tahini paste

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

25ml double cream (you can sub this with milk)

270g plain flour

1tsp cinnamon

200 degree C/180 degree C Fan/Gas Mark 6

Put sugar and butter in mixer bowl and with a beater attachment work for 1 minute at medium speed. Add tahini, vanilla and cream, then the flour and work for a minute till a dough comes together. Transfer to a work surface and knead till smooth.

Pinch off 20g of dough and roll between your palms into a ball. Squash down onto a baking sheet (no oil necessary) and use the back of a fork to flatten and make a prong pattern. Sprinkle each cookie with cinnamon. Make sure the cookies aren’t too close together as they do spread a bit.

Into the oven for 15-17 minutes till golden brown.

Turn onto a wire rack to cool and try and resist eating them when hot! Yum!

I pressed Imogen to let me have the recipe!

 

Please see all my interviews on My Guests and see my blog at jessiecahalin.com

Are you ready for a real Game of Thrones? – 1066

Real Game of Thrones

Are you ready for a real Game of Thrones?  Glynn Holloway’s debut historical novel: ‘1066: What Fates Impose’ is now available.  I asked the author to explain why a reader should delve into his novel.

Dear Readers,

I am delighted to present, 1066: What Fates Impose, a novel about the fall of Anglo-Saxon England.

William the Conqueror

The extract I have chosen is from the opening chapter, which shows William the Conqueror on his deathbed. The dying king is filled with guilt and haunted by the horrors he inflicted on the English.

The reason I picked this extract is because it has a lot of impact. I felt I needed this, and also, I think the guilt he feels on his death bed and the consequences he feels he will have to face in the afterlife, poses the questions at the beginning of my novel:

Did William really think he had a claim to the English crown?

How much responsibility did he accept for the deaths of tens of thousands?

If you want those questions answered, and a lot more besides, put my novel in your handbag. If you do, you’ll be in possession of a book filled with: family feuds, court intrigues, papal plots, assassinations, loyalties, betrayals, a love triangle and a battle or two. Everything, in fact, that made living in the eleventh century such fun.

With Best Wishes

Glynn Holloway

Extract

1066 What Fates Impose

With the very last of his strength he raises his head to look around the room. There are his sons, the bishop, his brother and . . . ‘Oh God, oh God Almighty. No not him! Not now!’

His eyes bulge as he is gripped by terror. Before him, unseen by the others, stands a blood drenched warrior, tall and proud as an oak, fresh from the battle field, his lank and sweat soaked hair hangs down his shoulders, his once handsome face made ugly by an eyeless socket. As though to steady himself, he leans on his battleaxe, resting his hands on its iron head. He stares impassively at William with his single eye, blue and deep as the ocean, a stare mead all the more intense by its singularity.

William has seen him, or thought he had seen him, a number of times over the years glimpsed in crowds or spotted in enemy lines, but never has he seen him so clearly, so close and for so long as he does now.

‘Have you come for me?’ he asks.

A trace of a smile appears on the face of the apparition, who turns, swinging his axe over his shoulder as he does so, before stepping, with a swift backward glance, silently out of the room.

Hopelessness descends on the king; his temperature rises, and he feels hot again. He wants to break free from the heat, but escape is impossible. Was he like a pagan king of old to be consumed by fire?

The is hot, black and silent.

End of extract

About 1066 What Fates Impose

England is in crisis. King Edward has no heir and promises never to produce one. There are no obvious successors available to replace him, but quite a few claimants are eager to take the crown. While power struggles break out between the various factions at court, enemies abroad plot to make England their own. There are raids across the borders with Wales and Scotland.

Harold Godwinson, Earl of Wessex, is seen by many as the one man who can bring stability to the kingdom. He has powerful friends and two women who love him, but he has enemies who will stop at nothing to gain power. As 1066 begins, England heads for an uncertain future. It seems even the heavens are against Harold.
Intelligent and courageous, can Harold forge his own destiny – or does he have to bow to what fates impose?

Jessie:  What do the reviewers say?

‘An extremely promising debut – highly recommended’. Steve Donoghue – Historical Novel Society

‘A Brilliant and Entertaining Novel of the Events that led to 1066.’  Glenn Cook – Vine Voice – Amazon Hall of Fame – Top 100 Reviewer

‘Excellent and Gripping Story.’ Avid Reader – Amazon Hall of Fame – Top 50 Reviewer

Jessie:  How did you feel when you had finished writing the book, and did you miss any of the character?

I was pleased that I’d actually managed to finish it; there were times when I thought the day would never dawn. I did miss some of the characters, particularly King Harold and Earl Godwin.  completing my novel felt a bit like saying goodbye to friends I knew I’d never see again. Harold and Godwin won’t appear in any sequel but there are other characters who will put in an appearance, one of them I’d quite like to never hear of again, but that’s the price of a good villain I suppose.

Glynn Holloway

About Glynn Holloway

G K Holloway lives in Bristol with his wife and two children. After reading a biography about Harold Godwinson, he studied the late Anglo-Saxon era in detail. When he had enough material to weave together facts and fiction he produced 1066 What Fates Impose. 

http://www.gkholloway.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/G-K-Holloway-219766941394283/
@GlynnHolloway

 

Please see all my extracts and excerpts at Book Extracts and my website and blog at JessieCahalin.com.

 

Dylan Thomas, No Sign Bar and my Followers

No Sign Bar: Dylan Thomas’s watering hole.

Nobody followed me to the No Sign Bar, Swansea – a regular haunt of Dylan Thomas.  Seated next to the window, I searched inside of my handbag for Collected Stories by Dylan Thomas. I found ‘The Followers’, a ghost story, hidden inside the anthology.

A ping from my phone confirmed a signal, but I ignored the emails. I sat in the bar Thomas renamed the Wine Vaults.  I read the opening lines of the story, but there was no sign of the beer I had just ordered.  Without anything to quench my thirst, there was nothing I could do apart from read on.  Between words, I felt compelled to search for two pairs of eyes outside of the window, but there was no sign of anyone.

Seated next to the window, I searched inside my handbag for Collected Stories by Dylan Thomas.

Outside the window, ‘the rain spat and drizzled past the street lamps’. No one wore ‘squeaking galoshes, with mackintosh collars up and bowlers and trilbies’. Alas, the ‘rattle of bony trams’ was silenced long ago. Only the swish of car tyres, hum of engines and slamming of car doors filled the silence on the streets.  Gazing at the decaying red window frames, I did not see ‘a young man with his arm around a girl’. Instead, I glimpsed a young couple hand in hand dashing across the road while there was a break in the traffic.  Outside, there was a mass of coloured jackets and everyone wore jeans, leggings or trousers.  No one looked inside the tatty building. They didn’t seem to care that Dylan Thomas had once frequented this watering hole.

Dylan Thomas (1914-1953). This famous Welshman wrote poems, short stories and scripts for film and radio, which he often performed himself.

Reading the short story, I pursued the followers, as they scurried through the alley.  Inside, No Sign Bar, I could smell the old musty wine cellar.  No one was responsible for the spontaneous spark of colour in the open fire. The pitted floorboards had been battered by tired and drunken feet for centuries. Words echoed around cavernous room. Perhaps, these were the words that inspired Dylan Thomas’s story ‘The Followers’: his only ghost story.  And I heard the rise and fall of the Welsh accent that probably escaped into the pages of Thomas’s mind, as he imagined the story.   I read the final sentence, ‘And we went our separate ways.’ I departed.

Artist’s impression of the ancient Salubrious Passage. Thomas renamed it Paradise Alley in The Followers

Near to Paradise Alley, I heard a voice echo.  ‘Spare some change, madam?’ The homeless soul was clutching a synthetic, fleece blanket.  His watery, bloodshot eyes regarded me as he rolled himself a cigarette.  I spared him fifty pence, but this wouldn’t even buy him a beer. He caught the meagre offering with a grateful nod that punched my conscience.

‘Have you seen Leslie?’ mumbled the man. He looked at my handbag as I retrieved more change.

I nodded.  ‘Only bread and jam in my handbag,’ I declared.

I heard the distance tapping of footsteps and turned around

I ran to the car park. The rain drizzled until diluted my memory of the bar. I heard the distance tapping of footsteps and turned around. Thankfully, there was no sign of anyone following me. Checking Twitter, I did note I had two more followers.

No Sign Bar and The Followers

No Sign Bar is believed to be Swansea’s oldest pub and dates to 1690.  The wine cellars date back to the 15th century.  The name ‘No Sign’ originates from legislation of licencing when public bars had to have a recognisable sign.  This building was not public house and did not require a sign, hence was later given the name ‘No Sign’ to announce its presence!

Dylan Thomas Collected Stories

Dylan Thomas frequented No Sign Bar, as a young man. No Sign Bar is featured as the Wine Vaults in Dylan Thomas’s story, ‘The Followers’.   Salubrious Passage, next to the bar, is referred to as Paradise Alley in the short story.  I recommend you read The Followers, Dylan Thomas’s only ghost story.  I first encountered this story at the age of fourteen and enjoyed revisiting the prose while seated in Thomas’s old haunt.

Here are useful links if you wish to visit Swansea and find out more about the writer, poet and playwright.

http://www.dylanthomasexperience.co.uk/
http://nosignwinebar.com/dylan-thomas-history-no-sign-bar-swansea/
https://www.swansea.gov.uk/dtc
http://www.5cwmdonkindrive.com/guided_tours.php
http://www.dylanthomaswales.org.uk/

 

Please see all my adventures at Handbag Adventures and my website and blog at JessieCahalin.com.

 

A book from another world in my handbag

It is great to challenge ourselves with new genres, and ‘We Other’ is a dark fairy thriller. According to reviewers, ‘We Other’ is a magical novel to inspire the imagination. ‘In the book you will meet faeries you would never want to meet on a dark night,’ explained, the author, Sue Bentley. Intrigued, I asked Sue to address her readers, and tell us more about her novel.

 

 

Dear Readers – I am delighted to present We Other.

In this extract we meet Jess Morgan, a loner who doesn’t fit in and has few friends. Her life is about to change in ways she could never have imagined.

I chose this extract to introduce Jess, whose story this is. She’s feisty, difficult and street-wise – with good reason – but she’s vulnerable too, with a good heart.

The reader should be tempted to place my book in their handbag because it’s a complex and rewarding read, with many twists and turns which will keep them guessing.  I’m rooting for Jess and I hope you will too, once you get to know her.

Best wishes and I hope you enjoy the extract. Happy reading!

Sue Bentley

 

Words from the book…

And then looking through the opening into the final gallery, Jess caught sight of a large painting hanging by itself. Her breath quickening with excitement, she walked rapidly towards it.

There was a small crowd of people in front of the painting. She could only glimpse details through the shifting bodies, but she knew it was the one. She hung back, wanting to prolong the moment when she stood face to face with that figure wrought from shadows. Leave me alone with it, she thought. Go away. All of you.

Oblivious to the air around her tingling and shimmering, in a way that was beginning to feel familiar, she stared at the painting. As she moved forward, time seemed to shift into slow motion. A slew of sound echoed hollow and discordant in her ears as every person standing in front of the painting turned in a single movement. They looked at Jess with glazed eyes, before drifting sideways in a single body, moving as if in the steps of some tightly choreographed dance, and melting from the gallery.

Everyone else had somehow left too, she realised. She could see people strolling around the other galleries through the archways. But here, she was alone. In the sudden stillness Jess caught her breath. The painting was revealed to her in its entirety. Or as she thought oddly, it revealed itself to her.

She was not disappointed by what she saw.

More about the book…

Jess Morgan’s life has always been chaotic. When a startling new reality cannot be denied, it’s clear that everything she believed about herself is a lie. She is linked to a world where humans – ‘hot-bloods’ – are disposable entertainment. Life on a run-down estate – her single mum’s alcoholism and violent boyfriend – become the least of her worries. Drawn into a new world of rich darkness, she finds herself torn between love, family and a growing sense of a new, powerful identity.

Strapline for the book – Fairies you never want to meet on a dark night.

What the reviewers say…

‘Darkly delicious. Lights the blue touch paper and runs away.’ Peter J Goodchild

‘Absolutely magical. Compelling story and gorgeous writing.’  Freda Warrington – award winning author of 21 fantasy novels

‘Give yourself time. You won’t want to put this down.’ Ruth Webster

More about Sue…

Sue Bentley is fascinated by English Folklore, the extraordinary in the everyday and the darkness that hovers at the edges of the light.

Sue says…

Louis Armstrong says it best – ‘the bright blessed day and the dark sacred night’ You can’t have one without the other.

I always enjoyed ‘real’ fairy tales – not the sanitised Disney versions. For example, in some versions of Cinderella – the ugly sisters snip off their toes to be able to cram their feet into the glass slipper.

I was that kid in a class of pink tutus who was dressed as a vampire bat. I never wanted high-heeled dancing shoes, I wanted sturdy boots to go tramping around forests looking for the shapes of goblins in the trees.

As for characters – Goody, Goody is all very well, but it can get boring. We all love the ‘bad’ characters who do doubtful things – they’re much more fun to write about.

I am intrigued by Sue’s exploration of the ‘darkness that hovers on the edge of light’ and wonder what she presents to the reader in ‘We Other’.  The extract evoked my imagination, and I wanted to know why Jess ‘wasn’t disappointed’.  This novel sounds as if it will challenge the boundaries of the imagination, as it has done for the reviewers.

 

Please see all my extracts at Book Extracts and my blog at jessiecahalin.com.

 

Another Chapter of my Writing Adventure

Meet the members of RNA South Wales and West Chapter meeting.

Desperate to fall in love, my characters have been demanding my attention for months.  They tease me with the knowledge I am writing a manuscript for the RNA New Writers’ Scheme.  I’ve been travelling back to the seventies with my book folk, Pearl and Jim et al, and we’ve had fun, tears and tantrums.  Pressing pause on the lives of Jim and Pearl, I attended the RNA South Wales and West Chapter meeting.

I discarded my writing clothes and magic slippers.  Resisting the temptation to visit Narnia in my wardrobe, I hunted down a skirt, lamb’s wool jumper and shoes.  Pearl was a little concerned about the choice of footwear and wanted me to wear suede knee length boots.  I shrugged at her concern because I felt the writer should be in charge for once.

It was a joy to meet a group of writers who had also emerged from their writing caves.   I discovered that there was a Norwegian writer, a writer of erotic fiction, a family saga author and romantic suspense author in our midst.   I didn’t ask which characters they’d locked in their caves back home, or if they’d left their companions in a good place.

Sue, an employee of House of Fraser, took us on a journey through the decades of the store that started life as Howells

The writers adjusted to daylight and ordered drinks before the speaker arrived.  Sue, an employee of House of Fraser, took us on a journey through the decades of the store that started life as Howells.  We learned of the Howells family and the changing face of the store.  The stories led us behind the scenes of the store to meet with the resident ghosts of Howells’ past.  As our imaginations travelled down the hidden subterranean corridors of the attic rooms, we were introduced to a woman dressed in grey and a man in a top hat.  The woman in grey chiffon danced in Jan Baynham’s imagination and will no doubt arrive in one of her stories.

My characters continued to knock on my imagination throughout the meeting.  I have since discovered that Evonne Wareham has a very effective way of dealing with petulant characters.  This is the kind of advice I need to keep me on track.  I am sure I saw the man in a top hat sitting at our table during discussions.  He wandered through my imagination and into the café where he barged Pearl and Jim out of the way.

It was fascinating to observe the way a wall of the old chapel is embedded into the store.

After the meeting, the man in the top hat led me to the site of the former chapel where the shoe department is now located. It was fascinating to observe the way a wall of the old chapel is embedded into the store. New stories and new characters created a fog in my mind.

As the handbag lady writer, I couldn’t help wishing I could nip back in time one hundred and fifty years to grab a vintage bag for the Handbag Gallery.  I would like to chat with Mrs Howells to discover which book she would like to place in the gallery.  I am sure I could also persuade Mr Howells to sell books in handbags.

The RNA Chapter marked a new chapter in my writing career.  I learned that I need to press pause on a chapter of my book occasionally. Leaving the writing cave gives my imagination a boost, and I am excited at the prospect of getting to know this group of local authors and hope to find out more about their characters.

Take a look at Jan Baynham’s experience of the meeting at:

http://janbaynham.blogspot.com/

 

Please see all my adventures at Handbag Adventures and my website and blog at JessieCahalin.com.

My novel is available here.

Meet an explorer of the dark corners of history

Annabel Fielding

 

 

 

 

 

Annabel arrived at my Chat Room in the middle of September.   The autumnal feeling was already in the atmosphere, and I was tempted to light a fire.  Annabel was wearing black jeans and a loose blue blouse, clearly indicating that she is not yet prepared to say a decisive farewell to summer.  Her handbag was slightly bulky – spacious enough to fit in all the possible gadgets and tools of trade, including, perhaps, an odd typewriter.

She was feeling rather tired after a long journey.  Inspired by Annabel’s interest in tea, I had been to a specialist shop, in Bath, to buy some tea.  Annabel approved of my quirky 1930s teapot and a vintage tea strainer.  Apparently, the Winter Mixture tea was perfect.  I served the tea with some shortbread biscuits.  I added stem ginger and lemon to the shortbread and the flavour worked perfectly with the tea.

Jessie:  The front cover of your debut novel looks intriguing.  Tell me more about your book. 

Annabel:  Three very different women get caught up in the political struggles of the 1930s, in three very different ways. The novel is about the allure of fascism, the allure of love, the power of art and the art of climbing to power.

Jessie:  What prompted you to write the book, and what genre does it fit into

Annabel:  I’d say it’s a cross between historical fiction and an LGBT novel. I can say it was inspired by the period dramas that followed in the wake of Downton Abbey (I think we all remember that craze!), but in a sort of twisted way. I had this desire to explore the darker side of the world they’ve showed, to dissect all the political conflicts they only hinted at.

Jessie:  How do you manage to combine a career in PR with writing?

Annabel:  Actually, I can count myself to be incredibly lucky, as most of my duties allow me to work from home and to generally keep flexible hours. Honestly, I cannot imagine how I would have kept up otherwise – scribbled during lunch breaks, probably!

Jessie:  It is such a challenge to release a debut novel.  What response have you had from the reviewers so far?

“A captivating, stylish… historical novel about the polite society, dangerous affairs … political intrigue and espionage in London in the 1930s.’ Christabel, Goodreads

“So well researched and written, this exciting time in Britain (pre-WWII) is brought life in this lively novel. ” Polly Krize, Goodreads

“A fantastic story line and wonderfully written, the plot is well thought out and a brilliant LGBT tale”. Charlotte McGlinchey, Goodreads

Jessie:  It seems as if you have researched the plot thoroughly and developed an intricate plot.  Read me a short extract from the book to tempt the reader.

‘It was as if Hester was once again cycling down the hill and feeling the wind roaring in her ears; only this time the brakes were broken, and the map was lost, and the landscape around her was full of dangers”.

Jessie:  It sounds like the character is having a difficult time here.  Can you provide a little context?

Annabel:  She is under a kind of double pressure here. She is drawn into a turbulent affair with a woman… I could have ended the sentence here, as we are talking about a respectable, salt-of-the-earth, small town girl in the 1930’s; but that’s not the end of it – she is drawn into a turbulent affair with a woman, who has her own dark secrets and a continents-spanning political agenda.

Jessie:  How did you feel when you had finished writing your book, and did you miss any of the characters?

Annabel: I’d say it was a mix of relief and regret. Parting with Lucy was especially painful. I missed her terribly in the months to come, the shadows in her heart and her glorious way of making trouble..

Jessie: Who would you like to read your book and why?  This could be another author, someone famous, a friend or a member of your family.

Annabel: I would have loved to hear Sarah Waters’ opinion on it. Her Tipping the Velvet was a revelation for the nineteen-years-old me.

Jessie:  Would your book appeal to fans of Sarah Waters?

Annabel:  I hope so! I have always loved her mix of sensuality, unparalleled historical atmosphere and social commentary.

Jessie: Why should I keep your book in my handbag?

Annabel: That way you’d be able to get your daily dose of hot jazz, bias-cut gowns and interwar intrigue while on the Tube.

Jessie: What is the last sentence written in your writer’s notebook?

“Into the coming storm”.

Jessie:  Is this a note for another book?  Tell me more!

Annabel:  I would be glad to say so – but, alas, my new book is still in the research phase! This from one of my drafts for the epilogue.

Jessie: What is the biggest challenge for an author?

Annabel: For me it was to piece the intricacies of the plot together. After I was done with that, the actual writing process came surprisingly easy.

Jessie: Did you have beta readers and an editor?

Annabel:  Yes, I had good fortune to have as my editor the lovely Clio Cornish at the HQ Digital. She was a tremendous help for me, especially when it came to improving my plot flow or character development!

Jessie: What is the best advice that you have received as a writer?

Annabel: Probably to disregard the romantic ‘tortured artist’ archetype and work out methods that would cause me as little torture as possible. In my case, it was dedicating enough time to careful research, detailed outline and scene-by-scene planning.

 More about Annabel…

Annabel Fielding graduated from the University of Arts London with an MA in Public Relations. She is a PR assistant by day and a novelist by night. Being a self-professed history geek, she dedicates her free time to obscure biographies, solo travel and tea. She also posts a mix of book reviews and travel photos on her blog at http://historygeekintown.com“. 

Annabel has always been unique.  She read The Iliad in primary school to prove everyone wrong.  She is obsessed with the dark corners of history and wants to bring them to life in her novels.  From an early age, Annabel liked to explore the world – prefect for a writer!

The Art of Food

‘I’m going to try a different approach with this,’ he said. ‘We call them fantasy shots?’

In response to my request for foodie extracts, Susan Willis presented me with something that wasn’t quite what it seemed.  I marvelled at the glorious pictures of food, but there wasn’t any recipe or cooking.  Feast your eyes on the extract from The Girl in the Dark.  Find out what is simmering in the kitchen.

Extract

Kim arranged six of the Chantenay carrots.

When Kim carried coffee into the room they all busied themselves preparing for the shoot. Thankfully, her mind was occupied with preparing the carrots and green beans to look as appealing as possible, rather than staring at Alex. He looked even more attractive prowling around the room with the big camera in his hand. Editorial still shots of the vegetables were first taken on a plain black background. Kim arranged six of the Chantenay carrots with their green tops uppermost into an attractive pile all facing in the same direction. She looked at Alex, who smiled and asked her to slice one lengthways and balance it on top of the pile.

‘We need to make it look sweet and tender,’ he muttered. ‘I’m loving the bright orange colour on the black background, and I’m thinking of whizzing them around with water droplets.’

Kim blanched the green beans to help to keep the green colour bright

Kim agreed and began to pile the green beans with their trimmed ends uppermost in an attractive pile on a wood board. She smiled at Alex, as if to say she was on the same wavelength, in fact, one step ahead. Kim blanched the green beans to help to keep the green colour bright and they worked out a design scattering the cut ends on a white cloth. By the time Alex had finished cropping and working his magic on the computer, they looked amazing.

He stood beside Kim chatting while she trimmed the cauliflower for the overhead shot. ‘I’m going to try a different approach with this,’ he said. ‘We call them fantasy shots?’

Kim could feel his hot breath on the back of her neck and her knees trembled – she was having fantasies of her own, but they didn’t include cauliflowers!

About the Novel

The Girl in the Dark

The Girl in the Dark is the latest Grip Lit novel from Susan Willis. A thrilling romantic suspense story that will keep you turning pages long into the night.

When Kim goes to old friend, Sidney’s, photography studio to start a new food styling contract she meets his new assistant, Alex. Kim is catapulted from her mournful existence into an explosive romantic relationship with Alex. Sidney, however, is wary. He thinks, there’s something not quite right about Alex, and urges caution.

Will Kim look back and wish she’d listened…

Susan Willis

Susan Willis is a published author of three novels, and five novellas’. She lives in the North East of England surrounded by family and friends. Following publication of a love story about a chef and her boyfriend, she wrote more foodie-based love stories and wove them into her first novel, ‘Yes Chef, No Chef’.

Now Susan has ventured into romantic suspense with her latest novel, The Girl In The Dark.

Set in her home town of Durham City, this storyline is not a who done it thriller, but, a psychological page-turner which she loved writing. We can only hope the heroine hasn’t put her trust in the wrong man?

Best of luck to Susan with this novel.

I had never really considered the role of a food stylist until I read this extract.  When I take photographs of food for tweets and posts, I tend to photograph exactly what I have cooked.  Food is all about the taste for me.  However, recipe books are probably bursting with these creations.  

Have you ever followed a recipe from a cookbook and realised your creation looks nothing like the photograph?

 

Please see all my extracts and excerpts at Book Extracts and my website and blog at JessieCahalin.com.

 

New 2020 Vision

I can see clearly now the blurring has gone.

It is almost 2020 and I have discovered I do not have twenty twenty vision.  I can see clearly now the blurring has gone. It turns out that my Kindle companion was a way of coping with my less than perfect sight, and I have astigmatism.  Joy of reading a physical book has been revived for me.  To look at the front cover, blurb and mark my favourite pages is a luxury I had forgotten.

I will take a step at a time and negotiate the paths no matter how difficult they are.

I am currently drinking in the stories of the books but without picking up my review notebook.  Maybe this is because I can see the words now and don’t need to break from the strain of reading.  It is wonderful not to suffer the terrible migraines that previously impacted on my day.  And I know why I was constantly complaining about the way the light reflected on my book or keyboard.

Now I have clearer vision, I intend to reread a printed version of my work in progress. I will read it without a review pen in hand and think about weaving in some secrets.  I am attempting to consume my work in progress as a reader viewing the novel for the first time. Whilst on handbag leave ideas have been popping and bubbling, and I hope they come into focus.

For the time being, I am abandoning the kindle for the book so will need a considerably bigger bag.

I must admit I also rather like my glasses as a new accessory.  Books in Handbag with Glasses could be a new direction for me.  I’ve also spied an opportunity to shop for snazzy glasses cases.  For the time being, I am abandoning the kindle for the book so will need a considerably bigger bag.  However, I must confess I am not getting along very well with the varifocals as they make me a little dizzy.  I need to focus on one thing at a time.

I will take a step at a time and look forward to the destination.

My vision for 2020 is to write, write, write and to look ahead.   I have no specific resolutions. Adventures will come into focus as the year unfolds.  I will take a step at a time and negotiate the paths no matter how difficult they are.  I look forward to you all joining me on my adventures and feel privileged to have your company.

“The horizon leans forward,
Offering you space to place new steps of change.” -Maya Angelou

Wishing you all a Happy New Year, and the strength to let your dreams unfold and surprise you.  I will leave you with Maya Angelou’s advice:

“The horizon leans forward,
Offering you space to place new steps of change.”

 

Please see all my Handbag Adventures and my blog and website at JessieCahalin.com.

A copy of my first novel is available here.

Hilarity in my handbag

Patricia Feinberg Stoner is presenting an extract of her award winning book. ‘At Home in the Pays d’Oc’ is the funniest book I have read this year: I am still recounting her anecdotes at dinner parties. Forget ‘Victoria’, someone should serialise this book for the Sunday night audience – we all need a laugh!

It is an honour to hand over to, the wordsmith, Patricia Feinberg Stoner. 

 

Dear readers,

I’m so pleased to be able to share At Home In the Pays d’Oc with you.  In this extract I’ve chosen the moment when, after a long search, my husband and I first set eyes on what was to become our home in the Languedoc.  It’s my abiding memory, even after 30 years, and I still feel the lift of excitement I felt that day.  I was sure then, and I am sure now, that when I first walked into the dusty, red-flagged kitchen, the house opened one eye and said ‘Well, you took your time getting here.’

Why read At Home in the Pays d’Oc?  Look at the state of the world!  If we are all going to hell in a handbag, then wouldn’t it be nice to have something light-hearted to offset the doom and gloom?   I hope this book will encourage everyone to follow their dream and see where it takes them.

I hope you enjoy this tale of our adventures, and that the book brings you something of the sunshine and fun and laughter that our sojourn in the Languedoc brought to us.

With all good wishes

Patricia Feinberg Stoner.

Extract:

Jean-Jacques, the estate agent, turned right, drove up a narrow street between ancient houses, turned the corner and stopped. We got out of the car. On the corner of the church square and a road so narrow you could have spanned it with outstretched arms, stood the ugliest house I had ever seen.

It was clearly old, very old. It was clearly cobbled together out of what had been two houses. It rose slab-fronted from the street, acres of decaying, yellowish crépis (plaster) bisected by sundry phone and electricity cables. A ridiculous stone staircase flanked by a stunted tree rose ungracefully to a pocket-handkerchief front terrace littered with debris and encrusted with cat droppings.

I stopped dead in my tracks. ‘Ohmigawd’ thought Himself to himself (as he told me later), ‘we’ve just bought a house.’

Why?  There were prettier houses. There were certainly prettier villages – Morbignan in those days was, to put it politely, a little run-down. What made me fall so immediately, so irrevocably in love with this house in this village?

Did I see possibilities in the tree?  In years to come it would grow so high that it could be seen on Google Earth.

Was I enchanted by the steps, crumbling and lichen-dappled though they were? Did I foresee their future when, cleaned and decorated with pots of scarlet geraniums, they would prompt visitors to exclaim ‘What a lovely house!’?

Who can tell?  All I can say is, the heart wants what the heart wants.

More about this ‘tale of accidental expatriates’…

This is the story of how a small brown and white spaniel turned the lives of two English holidaymakers upside down.

Patricia and her husband Patrick are spending the summer in their holiday home in the Languedoc village of Morbignan la Crèbe. One hot Friday afternoon Patrick walks in with the little dog, thinking she is a stray. They have no intention of keeping her.

‘Just for tonight,’ says Patrick. ‘We will take her to the animal shelter tomorrow.’ It never happens. They spend the weekend getting to know and love the little creature, who looks at them appealingly with big brown eyes, and wags her absurd stump of a tail every time they speak to her.

On the Monday her owner turns up, alerted by the Mairie. They could have handed her over. Instead Patricia finds herself saying: ‘We like your dog, Monsieur. May we keep her?’

It is the start of what will be four years as Morbignanglais, as they settle into life as permanent residents of the village. “At Home in the Pays d’Oc” is about their lives in Morbignan, the neighbours who soon become friends, the parties and the vendanges and the battles with French bureaucracy.

It is the story of some of their bizarre and sometimes hilarious encounters:  the Velcro bird, the builder in carpet slippers, the neighbour who cuts the phone wires, the clock that clacks, the elusive carpenter who really did have to go to a funeral.

‘At Home in the Pays d’Oc‘ has won a Five Star Book Award from One Stop Fiction.  Here is a flavour of the other reviews:

Part memoir, part travel book, wittily written and engaging, At Home in the Pays d’Oc is so much more than ‘how to live in a foreign country’.  Despite being penned anecdotally, it flows with the rhythm of a good novel. Ingenue Magazine

The author, Patricia, in this captivating book, takes the reader on a voyage of discovery, a celebration of the years she and her husband spent enjoying their French home.  Susan Keefe, Living in France

What I most admire about the couple’s story is their attitude to life in another country. (While Many expats are the “Little Englanders,” the Stoners make a real attempt to integrate into the social system of their adopted village.  Kathleen Lance, One Stop Fiction

Patricia is passionate about humour, food and writing; she loves all dogs and some people.  She has written: ‘At Home in the Pays d’Oc’, ‘Paw Prints in the Butter: A Clowder of Comical Cats’ and ‘The Little Book of Rude Limericks’. Her writing is witty, entertaining and a joy to read.

Patricia is releasing her ‘Little Book of Rude Limericks’, on 15th November.

Read my review of ‘At Home in the Pays d’Oc’ or visit Patricia in my Chat Room.

Join Patricia’s blog for her latest news and mewsings.

paw-prints-in-the-butter.com

 

Please see all my  Book Extracts and my blog at jessiecahahlin.com.

 

Something ‘Broken But Not Lost’ in my handbag

Broken

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ivy Logan is presenting the cover reveal of her gripping young adult romance, ‘Broken’.  It is a coming of age romance of sacrifice and love. As I am unfamiliar with this genre, I asked Ivy why I should place her supernatural fantasy adventure in my handbag.

Here is Ivy’s explanation:

Talia, my heroine, belongs to a time when there were no handbags. But for the modern reader, a handbag is all about a woman on the go with so much to do, places to go, things to achieve.

Broken is so apt for the modern reader, who is on the move, as you can pick up the at any time and find sanctuary in another world.  The novel will draw you into a magical world where women are not perfect, but love gives them the power and the courage to fight dragons. We all face dragons, in real life, for the love of our families.

Talia is fragile, has been hunted and has lost her entire family to an ancient curse. As an independent woman, she doesn’t need a prince to protect her, only to love her.  She has learned the best lesson in life- take a stand and face your nemesis head on.

This book offers young girls a female hero who believes in, her family, love and friendships. Although a fantasy, this book has a significant message.  Broken is the portrayal of a strong woman who deals with violence, bullying, grief and sacrifice.

Talia may live in a fantasy world, but like any girl in modern society, she has her own problems and insecurities to overcome before she is strong once again.

It is intriguing the way Ivy has presented an inspirational message in the story. Ivy weaved her magic and had me hooked on her clever tale, and I read the blurb to discover more…

The dark shadow cast by an ancient prophecy shatters an innocent family, but all that is broken is not lost.

Unaware of her supernatural legacy, half blood sorceress Talia has a unique childhood. Although protected by the love of her parents, Talia is instructed in the art of combat by her mother, Caitlin, a powerful sorceress of the Heichi clan.

When Talia’s family’s worst nightmare comes to pass, her protected life spins out of control. Everything she believes in and everyone she loves is cruelly snatched away and Talia is forced to flee the attentions of a mad king.

Choosing a path of retribution devoid of love and friendship, Talia comes to learn that love can be received even if it is not sought.

‘Broken’ is a tale of Talia’s coming of age, reuniting with her family, and seeking vengeance. Most of all, it chronicles, Talia’s rise from the ashes and how she finds herself again.

Set against a background of time travel and supernatural forces, read Talia’s epic saga of love, sacrifice, and discovering the hero within.

Once the magic spell of the blurb had been cast, I asked Ivy to present some magic words from the story…

Caitlin finally saw a way out of her torment. She had been born a guardian and it was now time to don the mantle again. She had to protect her little family.  She and the cursed child must be separated from each other. If they were not together, the prophecy could not come to pass.

But how does a mother choose? Choosing between her children seemed implausible and unthinkable, but for the sake of her family, she had to do it. She had to know which child lived under the shadow of the curse.

In little Joshua, who was so innocent and without guile, Caitlin saw Michael and the peace and calm he brought to her life. In Talia, she saw an image of herself, the strength, the promise of power, and unfortunately, the pain it could bring. Talia was the half blood; the prophecy predicting Caitlin would betray the Heichi on account of her child had to be related to Talia.

‘Broken Not Lost‘ is yet to receive reviews.  However, the prequel, Origins – Legends of Ava, has received wonderful reviews and this bodes well for the release of the novel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

What do the reviewers say about the prequel to Broken, titled, Origins –The Legend of Ava?

‘What an introduction! It just leaves you hungry for more. Ivy Logan knows how to build a beautiful scenario even if it is a tragic one. The taste of her mythology is a fresh one. I can’t wait to read more.’ Selene Kallan

‘I have just had the pleasure of reading this short story and prequel to Broken; book one of The Breach Chronicles. The author has introduced the reader to a world where supernaturals live on earth and the complications that this can bring. In this story we meet Ava and the Heichi sorceresses and what a gripping start to the story it is when tragedy and subsequent decisions surrounding this, creates unease among the supernatural. This is a story you must read and it has left me wanting more. I hope it isn’t too long before Broken is released so that I can find out what happens next.’ Ann Walker

‘Picture the opening scene… The beautiful yet unassuming girl, the bad boy rebel… A budding romance. Without giving too much away, they don’t feature all that long in plot. This novel starts as it means to go on, it take all those YA tropes and lets you know that isn’t going to happen here.
I’m genuinely excited to read more of this story. The world being built is rich and new. I’m an artist and I’m already itching to bring to life on paper. The characters are, for lack of a better word, human. Flawed in a real sense that allows you to emphasize with them. The multi perspective way the story is presented allows for a 360 view of events. A very important factor to this introductory piece. I can’t wait for the next installment!’ Faith Summers

‘Ms. Logan has done a great job of setting up the premise for Broken, Book 1 of the Breach Chronicles. The characters are well described, their emotions jumping off the page, and all beautifully worded. I’m looking forward to reading the first installment of the series as this prequel peeks my interest to the epic saga that is to follow.’ Jacky Dahlhaus

 

 

Broken is Book 1 of The Breach Chronicles.   The cover evokes intrigue and Ivy’s writing has the magical quality required for this genre. I believe the readers will not leave this fantasy world until they are reassured that all is ‘Broken But Not Lost’.  This is Ivy’s debut novel and I wish her all the best with her magical adventures!

 

Please see my blog at jessiecahalin.com.

 

Virginia Woolf and Social Media

‘As a woman my country is the whole world.’ Three Guineas, Woolf

My country is the world. There are no borders, no passports and no countries in the world of social media; only portals to other people’s imagination and musings.

In Three Guineas, Virginia Wolf wrote, “As a woman I have no country. As a woman I want no country. As a woman, my country is the whole world.”  And via social media, I have connected with writers from all over the world.  My endless stream of consciousness travels around the world through: tweets, my blog and Facebook posts.  People of the world open the virtual door to peek at a representation of my world, and I can walk over the threshold to visit their thoughts.

“A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction.”

I weave in and out of articles, thoughts, pictures and moments of others. Everyone is documenting stories from their own viewpoint with unique and shared images.  I have the liberty to hop aboard someone’s narrative then return home to my own world.  Social media allows me to explore the texture of other people’s lives to search for inspiration.

A writing room of my own, connected to the world.

Like Virginia Woolf, I have a room of my own, but I have the company of a computer connected to the world.

While contemplating this brave new world, I wondered if Virginia Woolf would have engaged in social media.

Owing to the power of social media, I could knock on the virtual door of an internationally acclaimed Woolf scholar. Professor Maggie Humm wrote this in her email:

Waiting for Snapshots of Bloomsbury

“I think Virginia might well have used social media. She did write for Vogue with a photo of herself; did photograph from the age of 15 (I included over a hundred of these in my  Snapshots of Bloomsbury); spoke on the BBC several times and enjoyed seeing a range of films from The Bengal Lancer to newsreels.”

Maggie Humm’s eloquent response made me feel as it I was speaking to Virginia Woolf, in cyberspace.

Snapshots of Bloomsbury

Snapshots of Bloomsbury   showcases the photographs of Virginia Woolf and her sister, Vanessa Bell.   Humm’s commentary provides a critical insight into Woolf’s world and ‘the culture and artistry of the period’. Virginia Woolf represented her intimate world in photographs, decades before we became attached to our mobile phones. Now, this is a book I would be proud to own, but I will place it in my battered briefcase. Snapshots of Bloomsbury needs to be enjoyed in the physical rather than digital form.  However, I can’t help wondering what images and words Woolf would have chosen to share via social media.   If only, I could invite Virginia Woolf to my Chat Room.

 

Please see all my adventures at Handbag Adventures and my website and blog at JessieCahalin.com.

 

Christmas Eve in Delfryn

The tangled vine around the door of Vine Cottage is laden with fairy lights.

It’s Christmas Eve in my fictional village of Delfryn, and you’ve arrived in front of a row of quaint cottages made of Welsh slate. A garland of holly and pine is artfully arranged above the doors of the three cottages.  The tangled vine around the door of Vine Cottage is laden with fairy lights. No one answers the door, so you decide to check the address stored on your phone. Reaching into your pocket, you find an envelope marked ‘Christmas Turkey Recipe’.

Once you are inside Vine Cottage, Sophie makes you some hot chocolate with a hint of cinnamon, ginger biscuits and marshmallows.  She returns to the pile of presents, wrapping paper and bows. ‘I’ve got so much to do,’ she complains.

Reaching into your pocket, you find an envelope marked ‘Christmas Turkey Recipe’.

Jack searches through recipe books and asks you, ‘Do you have a failsafe recipe to cook tomorrow’s Christmas dinner?  I’ve bought a free range turkey from Delfryn Farm but haven’t had time to perfect a recipe.’

You realise the magical significance of the envelope found in your pocket.  ‘There’s a recipe inside of this envelope,’ you soothe then hand over the envelope.

This will take around 4 to 4 ½ hours.

Ingredients

  • Turkey 3-4 kg (including giblets)
  • Bottle of dry white wine or sparkling white wine
  • Variety of fresh herbs (such as Thyme, Rosemary, Sage, Oregano, Marjoram, Bay Leaves) – 3 handfuls
  • 4 Juniper Berries
  • Pinch of Saffron
  • ½ pack of butter (leave out at room temperature before using)
  • 1 pack Bacon (225g) – preferably streaky
  • 2 lemons
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Beef Dripping / Fat or Goose Fat
  • Water
  • Potatoes for Roasting (such as Maris Piper, King Edwards) – approx. 1kg for 4 people
  • Variety of Root Vegetables (such as Parsnips, Carrots, Squash, Sweet Potato, Swede, Turnip) – approx. 1kg for 4 people
  • Wholegrain Mustard – couple of spoons
  • Cornflour – 2 or 3 teaspoons

Method

  • Take the turkey out of the fridge at least an hour before cooking
  • Remove the giblets from the cavity of the turkey and place in a pan with 2/3 wine. Add a handful of the herbs (no need to chop), the Juniper Berries and the Saffron, some salt and pepper. Put on a slow simmer. May need to top up with water as it dries out.
  • Peel and chop up the root vegetables and place in a large baking tray (needs to deep enough to take juices that will come out of the turkey).  Chop up a handful of herbs quite finely and add these, the remaining wine, juice of 1 lemon, salt and pepper. Then add some water to just cover the vegetables.
  • Chop up the remaining herbs and mix in with the softened butter
  • Pre-heat the oven to 165 C / 325 F / Gas Mark 3 (with a fan) or 180C / 350 F / Gas Mark 4 (without a fan)
  • Take the turkey and gently prise the skin slightly apart from the meat (but do not remove it). Take the herb butter and spread it between the meat and the skin as far as you can. This will help to keep the turkey moist whilst cooking.
  • Then take the rashers of bacon and spread over the top of the turkey. This will help to protect and baste the turkey further.
  • Place the turkey onto the tray of vegetables and cover with aluminium foil and place in the oven and cook for approx. 3 hours (A larger turkey will be at least ½ hour longer)
  • After approx. 1 ½ hours, whilst the turkey is cooking, peel and chop up the potatoes for roasting. Place the potatoes into a pan, cover with water, add salt and bring to the boil. Boil for around 15 minutes or until the potatoes start to break up slightly. Strain them and leave to dry out for a few minutes.
  • Whilst the potatoes are boiling add the beef dripping or goose fat to a roasting tray and put in the oven. Heat the oven to 220 C / 425 F / Gas Mark 7.
  • After 2 ½ hours, you will need to remove the foil and the bacon, so that you can brown the turkey skin
  • When the potatoes have dried, and just after the foil has been removed from the turkey, remove the hot roasting tray with beef dripping or goose fat from the oven and add the potatoes. Stir well to coat the potatoes and return to the oven. Ideally the potatoes will break up slightly, but don’t worry if they do not. This adds lots of crispy bits. Cook for about an hour or until golden brown and crispy at the edges.
  • Remove the turkey when cooked, cover with foil and rest for half an hour.  To test the turkey, pierce the turkey and check that the juices are clear. Add any juices that come from the resting turkey to the sauce (there may be a lot!). N.B. The potatoes should still have ½ hour to cook.
  • Strain off the liquid from the turkey and roast vegetables and place in a large frying pan.
  • Strain the stock from the giblets and add it to this pan.
  • Add the remaining wine, some grated peel from the final lemon and the juice of that lemon.
  • Boil the sauce rapidly and reduce it down. Taste the sauce to see if reduced enough. If it tastes watery or weak, leave to reduce longer. Skim any fat off the top and put aside in a bowl (to use later or discard). Put in into a jug to serve.
  • Mix the cornflour with a few teaspoons water and add to the sauce to thicken it, stirring well whilst doing it. Add the mustard to the sauce. Add some extra pepper.
  • Serve

Once you are inside Vine Cottage, Sophie makes you some hot chocolate with a hint of cinnamon, ginger biscuits and marshmallows.

This recipe is a gift from Delfryn. Thank you so much for stepping into Delfryn and my blogging world. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to my lovely readers and friends.  May your dreams come true in 2019.  In the meantime, happy reading and writing. Thank you for your support and friendship! You are all bright stars shining as I continue my writing adventure and it wouldn’t mean anything without your kind words.  So let’s raise our glasses to kindness this Christmas and New Year.

 

Please see all my food related posts at Writing on a Plate and my website and blog at JessieCahalin.com.

Norwegian Summer Island with Natalie Normann

Meet Natalie in one of her favourite coffee shops.

I met the ancestor of a Viking and she is very friendly.  Alas, she didn’t arrive in Cardiff in a longboat, but she did have stories to tell me about her beautiful Norway.  It is my pleasure to introduce you to Natalie Normann, a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association (RNA), who resided in the South Wales and attended the local writers’ group.  Natalie will release Summer Island in September and it is set in Norway.  I always love travelling to other countries via books and wanted to discover more.

Jessie:  Natalie, I’m sad you have returned to Norway and won’t be in the local RNA meetings.  It’s nice to have some time to chat.  Tell me, have you missed Norway and what did you love the most about Wales?

Natalie: I fell in love with Wales and Cardiff the first time we were here which was two years before we moved. There’s so much fascinating history – even Norwegian history! I’ve already used some of what I learned, in my current historical romance series, by moving the characters to Cardiff in 1919. I had great fun with that. Also, I was surprised and pleased at how friendly people are in Wales. I’ve made great friends and I hope to get back. Next time I’ll either drive myself or hire a driver so we can explore more of Wales.

Jessie:  I’m so impressed you have secured a publishing deal with One More Chapter. What is Summer Island about?

Natalie: Summer Island is about taking the time to find out what makes you happy in life.

Summer Island is about taking the time to find out what makes you happy in life.

Ninni is recovering from a bad break-up and the island is her favourite place in the world. It’s where she goes when she needs to take a break.

Jack is a chef at a posh restaurant in London. He finds out  that his biological father has left him a farm on a Norwegian island. At first he thinks it has to be an internet scam, he’s never met his father, but when he quits his job over an argument with his boss, he decides to go and see what this is all about.

Jessie:  What inspired you to write this book?

Natalie: I have a thing for islands. I love them. Norway is always praised for the fantastic mountains and the gorgeous fjords, but we are actually one of the countries in Europe with most islands. People have lived on them for generations and it’s a way of life.  I wanted to see if I could capture some of what makes summers in Norway special and the island is perfect for that.

Harbour view at Utsira island, outside Haugesund. ‘I wanted to see if I could capture some of what makes summers in Norway special and the island is perfect for that.’

Jessie:  Give us an insight into the setting and why you think we should all visit Summer Island?

Natalie: Summer Island is the kind of place you wish you  could go to when your heart is broken. A place to heal, even. Everything is so busy these days and on an island things slow down. You have time to think and just be. Right now, when we all have to isolate and we are more or less in lockdown everywhere, an island seems like the place you want to be. I wouldn’t mind, myself.

Present a 35 word extract from your novel that will tempt a reader.

‘And here I was thinking Norwegians were so hospitable,’ Jack said, clearly enjoying himself. He made no sign of leaving.

‘You’ve read the wrong guidebook, I’m afraid.’ Ninni pulled the computer closer to her.

Jessie: Which characters would you like me to meet the most on Summer Island and why?

Natalie: That’s a tough question. I’m fond of all of them. Maybe Alma. She’s the heart of the island, the one who keeps everything together. She grew up in a time when the men; the fathers, husbands and sons, went away at sea for months at the time, even years, and women stayed home to take care of the homestead and the family, handle the finances and whatever challenges they had to face.  Alma is tough and kind, she doesn’t put up with anything, and shows her love by feeding people she cares about. I like her.

Traditional pier and buildings at Utsira.

Jessie: Did any of your characters misbehave when you were writing the book?

Natalie: Not misbehaving, but some of them certainly surprised me. I didn’t have them all ready before I started to write, so some characters was unexpected. Like the hippies, for example. They just showed up one day while I was writing something else.

Jessie: Who would you like to read your book and why?  This could be another author, someone famous, a friend or a member of your family.  

Natalie: Family and friends have mostly read it already,. I would love if it Milly Johnson read it. I picked up her book «The perfectly imperfect woman», to read on the train to my very first Romance Novelist Association conference. This was my first Milly Johnson book and I decided to read it because there was a Norwegian in it. I loved it, and when I met her in the lunch line at the conference we chatted, I asked her to sign my copy, and she was funny and friendly. Made me less nervous about the whole conference. And also, I know she loves Norway.

Jessie: Why should I keep your book in my handbag?

Natalie: I think if you want a break from the stress and worries, it can give you that. I hope so.

Jessie: What is the last sentence written in your writer’s notebook?

Natalie: I have several of those, usually one for each project. On the most recent it says: research Foundation doctors.

Jessie: What is the biggest challenge for an author?

Natalie: To finish that first draft, so that you have the confidence of having a whole story. Then what you need is perseverance. Stick with the writing. And when I say that, I mean finish the manuscript, do the revisions, the editing, the submissions and even when it seems there’s nothing happening, keep going. There are some writers who write a book, gets it published and becomes an overnight success. For most writers, it’s a long game. And the only way to be writer and to be a better writer, is to write.

Jessie: What is the best advice that you have received as a writer?

Natalie: My first editor told me this. She bought my first short story and wanted me to polish it, rewrite, actually. She told me that what I feel when I write is what the reader will feel when they read it. I try to remember that, so that if I’m bored when I write, I know readers will be too. It also helps when I really don’t want to ‘kill my darlings’, but I know I have to.

Natalie used to be a translator of fiction and non-fiction. She studied literature and history at Uni, and used to read romance novels in the hallways. It was frowned upon by her professors and the other students, of course. She loves to travel and she has lived in Spain, England and Wales – and hope to go back soon. I really do hope she can return to Wales very soon as the Cardiff group of writers ( Cariad Chapete) miss her and her lovely sense of humour.  I can’t wait for the release of her novel Summer Island and have already preordered it. 

Your contact details and book links

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NatalieNormannAuthor
Twitter: @NatalieNormann1
Instagram: natalienormann
Pinterest: https://no.pinterest.com/natalienormann3

 

Please see all my author interviews at My Guests and my website and blog at JessieCahalin.com.

A copy of my novel is available here.

Meet the Judges of the 2020 Joan Hessayon Award

‘I’m looking for a book that’s a satisfying and uplifting read.’ Rhoda Baxter
‘I’ll be looking to be swept away by gorgeous writing and a plot that pulls me back to the book…’ Thorne Ryan

The Romantic Novelists’ Association (RNA) has announced the 2020 line-up for its prestigious Joan Hessayon Award for graduates of the New Writers’ Scheme. I am delighted to celebrate the wonderful contenders for the award and introduce the judges. Rhoda Baxter is an author of contemporary romance and Thorne Ryan is Commissioning Editor for Hodder and Stoughton. I am honoured the judges chatted with me about what they will be looking for in a winner.

RNA Joan Hessayon Award

Jessie: Rhoda, it is lovely to welcome you to my blog again. Please introduce yourself to the readers.

Rhoda: I write romantic comedies about people who make me laugh. I also write multicultural women’s fiction under the name Jeevani Charika. My books have been shortlisted for various awards.  I am currently the chair of the Authors North events committee of the Society of Authors.

Jessie: How has the RNA supported your writing career?

Rhoda: I joined the RNA back in the day when you still had to send submissions out in the post. When I first joined, I was completely star struck and intimidated. Everyone was so helpful and kind I soon relaxed. I went through the NWS scheme and was a Joan Hessayon contender myself, many years ago. With the first contract, I became a member of the Society of Authors and went on take a voluntary role there. When I was offered the chance to be a judge and help strengthen the ties between the RNA and the Society of Authors (where I’m the chair of Authors North committee), I couldn’t say no.

Zoe Allison, Ruth Kvarnström-Jones, Sharon Ibbotson, Stefania Hartley, Nina Kaye and Rosemary Goodacre

Jessie: What is the Joan Hessayon Award? 

Rhoda: The Joan Hessayon Award recognises those authors whose debut novels have been accepted for publication after passing through the Romantic Novelists’ Association New Writers’ Scheme. Each year 300 places are offered to unpublished writers in the romantic fiction genre. As part of the scheme, they can submit a complete manuscript for critique by one of the Association’s published authors as well as attend RNA events which offer opportunities to meet and network with publishers, agents and other published authors. The Joan Hessayon Award is generously sponsored by gardening expert Dr. David Hessayon OBE, in honour of his late wife, Joan, who was a longstanding member of the RNA and a great supporter of its New Writers’ Scheme.

Jessie: What do you like best about the RNA?

Rhoda: I should say something erudite here, but all I can think of is that I love the social aspect of it. I found my tribe in the RNA. The parties are invariably great fun. It’s such a relief to talk to people who don’t think it’s weird to have imaginary people running around in your head. It’s also nice to be among people who give the romance genre the respect it deserves.

Laura Bambrey, Kirsten Hesketh, Kathleen Whyman, Maggie Richell-Davies, Lynn Johnson and Lucy Keeling

Jessie: What will you be looking for in a winner?

Rhoda: I’m looking for a book that’s a satisfying and uplifting read. I love to see great dialogue and characters that feel so real that I think about them long after I’ve closed the bool. I have to say, the standard of entries is very high and the books I’ve read so far have all been really good. It’s going to be hard to choose the winner.

Jessie: Thorne, welcome to Books in Handbag Blog. Can you tell me something about yourself.
Thorne: I started my career in the Contracts department at Hachette UK in 2015 before moving over to Editorial, which I immediately knew was where I was meant to be. I am now Commissioning Editor, Women’s Fiction at Hodder & Stoughton. I like books that give me ‘all the feels’, and have a particular fondness for ones that make me cry.

Melissa Oliver, Mairibeth MacMillan, Jacqueline Rohen, Jan Baynham, Emma Jackson and Fiona Woodifield

Jessie: Why do publishers value the RNA and the Joan Hessayon Award?

Thorne: Organisations like the RNA and prizes like the Joan Hessayon Award are vital to publishers and authors alike. As Milly Johnson said in her wonderful speech at the RNA awards evening earlier this year, romantic novels are often viewed in general society as somehow less important or less worthy than other types of fiction, which is so frustrating for those who love it and see it for what it really is: great stories told really well by very talented people. The RNA is a haven from that narrow-mindedness, providing authors and readers of romantic fiction with a place where the thing they love is truly celebrated. It also provides invaluable practical support to its members. With regards to prizes such as the Joan Hessayon Award, they give authors the recognition they so thoroughly deserve – and of course that’s great for both authors and publishers alike, because if a book wins a prize then we can shout about it from the rooftops and hopefully bring more readers to that book and the genre in general. Overall, the RNA provides authors and publishers with an invaluable community, and prizes such as the Joan Hessayon award provide moments to celebrate what is bringing everyone in that community together.

Jessie: What will you be looking for in a winner?

Well, I was going to say, ‘Just a really good book!’ but all of them will of course be brilliant if they’ve made it to the shortlist! I tend to look at various components individually (plot, characters, writing etc.) and give them a mark out of ten, then add them up for an overall score. Even if you feel like you loved all the entries and couldn’t choose between them, it’s surprising how quickly this method can break through that and show you your true favourite. But in general, I’ll be looking to be swept away by gorgeous writing and a plot that pulls me back to the book whenever I have to put it down. Basically, anything that’s going to make me go all tingly!

Annette Hannah, Stephanie Harte and Victoria Garland

This year’s debuts show the wide range of stories encompassed by the romance genre.

The full list of contenders for 2020 is:
Zoe Allison, Impervious, Totally Bound
Jan Baynham, Her Mother’s Secret, Ruby Fiction
Laura Bambrey, The Beginner’s Guide to Loneliness, Simon & Schuster
Victoria Garland, Finding Prince Charming, DC Thompson
Rosemary Goodacre, Until We Meet Again, Hera
Annette Hannah, Wedding Bells at the Signal Box Cafe, Orion Dash
Stephanie Harte, Risking It All, Aria
Stefania Hartley, Sun, Stars and Limoncello, Totally Bound
Kirsten Hesketh, Another Us, Canelo
Sharon Ibbotson, The Marked Lord, Choc Lit
Emma Jackson, A Mistletoe Miracle, Orion Dash
Lynn Johnson, The Girl from the Workhouse, Hera
Nina Kaye, The Gin Lover’s Guide to Dating, Orion Dash
Lucy Keeling, Make it up to you, Choc Lit
Ruth Kvarnström-Jones, Halleholm – Lovisas Choice, Printz Publishing
Mairibeth MacMillan, The Viking’s Cursed Bride, Tirgearr
Melissa Oliver, The Rebel Heiress and the Knight, Mills and Boon Historical
Maggie Richell-Davies, The Servant, Sharpe Books
Jacqueline Rohen, How to Marry Your Husband, Arrow
Kathleen Whyman, Wife Support System, Hera
Fiona Woodifield, The Jane Austen Dating Agency, Bloodhound Books

If you click on the contenders, you will discover more about the books and the authors. All of the contenders have placed their books in the Handbag Gallery. The Award will be announced on 5th September 2020 in an online presentation.

 

Please see all my author interviews at My Guests and my website and blog at JessieCahalin.com.

A copy of my novel is available here.

Meet the wordsmith ‘with a keen sense of the ridiculous

Patricia Feinberg Stoner 

 

 

 

The wonderfully witty author of At Home in the Pays d’Oc arrived on a perfect summer’s day. Purdey, HRH the Dog, also accompanied Patricia.

My esteemed guest admired the scones that I had baked for the occasion. Purdey was not amused so decided to take a nap. The scon / scohne debate lasted until Purdey awoke from her slumber in my favourite armchair.

Patricia had brought some pork pies as a tribute to my northern roots and a limerick to mock my obsession with handbags.  The limerick below is now proudly displayed on my website. Apparently, Patricia is writing a book of limericks

Our Jessie’s bit of a wag:
She doesn’t think reading’s a drag.
Her authors, excited
To be so invited
All send her their books for her bag.

Patricia hopes that ‘the Little book of Rude Limericks’ will be out in time for Christmas.  Her illustrator has gone missing…

After much hilarity, tea and scones were abandoned for a good bottle of Picpoul de Pinet. It was a hoot to listen to Patricia’s anecdotes about her experiences and I could have listened to her all day.  Finally, we managed to get back on track commence the interview.

Jessie: Summarise At Home in the Pays d’Oc in two sentences.

Patricia: A humorous memoir that is largely, but not entirely, based on fact. It’s the story of how my husband and I became expatriates in the south of France for four years – without really meaning to.

Jessie:  Your book is probably the funniest book that I have ever read and everyone should read it.  What do others say about your reviews. At first, Patricia was hesitant to share the reviews until I insisted. 

‘Laugh-out-loud funny, always engaging, a great read.’  Ingénue Magazine

5.0 out of 5 stars.  What a delicious book! Patricia’s telling of Himself – and Herself’s – life in the Pays d’Oc is so well written. Funny in places, poignant in others, and exasperating too sometimes, as they deal with their new life in southern France. A joy to read.  Elfyn Morris, Amazon

‘Patricia writes with a warm engaging tone, great to read if you fancy an escape in the sunshine. A very enjoyable read – highly recommended!’ TJ Green, NZ book reviewer

Jessie: Read an extract from your book that will tempt a reader.

When I first met my husband, he announced casually, quite early on in the relationship, that he didn’t like France. ‘Well,’ I thought, ‘this will not do.’ I decided to change his ways.

Jessie: How did you feel when you had finished writing your book?

I felt a mixture of things.  Relief, of course, at having finally finished it.  But a little sadness too.  I had been living with these stories for a decade:  they started out life as a series of sketches for a French property magazine.  Turning them into a book brought back some wonderful memories, and quite a bit of laughter.  I had lots of stories left over, so I immediately started planning the next book.

Jessie:  I do hope that you write a sequel.

Patricia: It was suggested I should write ‘At Home in West Sussex’, which is where I live now.  After some initial excitement, I decided this was a non-starter.  I have returned to France instead and am writing a collection of short stories provisionally called ‘Morbignan Tales’.

Jessie: Have the people in your book read your novel, and did they recognise themselves? 

Patricia: My best friend recognised herself instantly when I called her ‘the acquisition queen’.  Luckily, she saw the funny side.  A lot of the people in the book are French, though, and I doubt if they will have read the book.  Apart from my lunatic neighbour I think I have been kind about everyone:  the book is written with a lot of affection.  And I hope to goodness no-one will think it is patronising or condescending, as some other books about living in France can be.

Jessie: Who would you like to read your book and why?  This could be another author, someone famous, a friend or a member of your family. 

Patricia: That’s a poser.  Language barrier aside, I’d be happy if some of my neighbours from the village read it, and I hope it would make them laugh. In particular I’d like M. Alibert, who took a chance on us and let us have Purdey, to know she is well and happy and still with us at the ripe old age of 15.  It would be quite nice, too, if the BBC came knocking…

Jessie: Why should I keep your book in my handbag?

Patricia Feinberg Stoner

Patricia: Look at the state of the world!  If we are all going to hell in a handbag, then wouldn’t it be nice to have something light-hearted to offset the doom and gloom?

Jessie: What is the last sentence in your writer’s notebook?

Patricia: I have a thing called the Owl Book.  I’ve had one since I started work on a local newspaper back in the dark ages – the first one just happened to have an owl on the cover and the name stuck.  I write in everything that happens:  thoughts, phrases that might come in useful, limericks and also memory-jogging stuff like groups I’ve joined and review copies I’ve sent out.  The last note I made was ‘A Dog Called Useless’ which is a reminder to re-think the title of my next book…

Jessie: What is the biggest challenge for an independent author?

Patricia: The fact that you can never, never stop promoting.  There are some wonderful exceptions, such as Ingénue magazine which is immensely supportive, but on the whole it is extremely difficult to get publicity for an independently published book.

Jessie: What is the best advice that you have received as a writer?

Patricia: Well, it’s a bit tongue in cheek, but when I first started work I as a journalist I had a wise old news editor who once looked at one of my more fanciful pieces and remarked ‘Never spoil a good story for the sake of a few hard facts.’  I interpret this as being true to the spirit of what happened, rather than the letter.

About Patricia… 

It was wonderful fun to interview Patricia.  She has an instinctive dry sense of humour and is warm and engaging like the narrator in At Home in the Pays d’Oc.

Patricia is a words person:  she loves reading, writing and dogs (and some people).   She can be lazy, though:  like a lot of writers she will do anything – even housework – to delay sitting down at the keyboard.  She has a keen sense of the ridiculous and is prone to compose daft limericks at the drop of a hat.

I sincerely hope that the BBC will make a series out of the warm-hearted, funny and poignant book.  Alternatively, Patricia should go on a theatre tour to perform her limericks, present anecdotes and engage with the audience.

Please meet all My Guests and see my blog at jessiecahalin.com