My New Love

‘The Millennium Centre looked bold in its bronze armour…’ You Can’t Go It Alone by Jessie Cahalin

Storm Dennis raged in Wales, and I sought sanctuary in the Millennium Centre for an experience on my bucket list – my first opera.

The space age reception area of the theatre prepared me to be transported to the alien world of opera. ‘Beam me up, Mozart,’ I muttered as I waited for The Marriage of Figaro to begin.  Convinced I would need to abscond from the three and a half hours marathon during the interval, I planned the best route for the exit.

The space age reception area of the theatre prepared me to be transported to the alien world of opera

My great uncle, a coal miner from Barnsley, was a great fan of opera and blasted out the music on his gramophone.  I never met Great Uncle Jimmy but of family legend deemed him eccentric for a Barnsley lad. Always amused by an opera loving miner in the family, I had to discover if one could inherit this passion.

Opera seduced me with the very first note.  The poetic actions of the performers showed me the way into the narrative. And the incredible harmonies of the signing convinced me that my Level 2 seat was in heaven.  Performers blended their actions and singing and taught me the emotional language of an operatic performance.  Suspended in the drama, I hardly looked at the subtitles.

Inside the theatre before the performance

For three hours, I felt as if I was able to interpret the Italian language that seemed perfect for the expression of the emotions.  Wow!  I now understand that Uncle Jimmy would enter a trance like state to escape the darkness and toil of his life under the ground.  And I know he warned my late father, ‘Don’t go down the pit, lad.’

There were layers and layers of humour and then emotions.  I do not think I blinked throughout the entire performance because I could not miss one single detail of this musical tapestry.  I loved the way the opera tested loyalty and love and relationships, but I was not prepared for the wonderful comedy.

I am in love with opera

To me the final scene seemed to be an expression of joy and happiness when everyone found their equilibrium.  I reached in my handbag for water to ease the emotion in my throat.  I couldn’t believe it!  The curtain call arrived too soon.  It couldn’t possibly be the end because I hadn’t heard Figaro’s Aria – the tune I’d attempted to warbled for months before this experience.  Where was it?  Well, now I realise this is in the Barber of Seville.  A perfect ending for me as I will have to return to watch the Barber of Seville later in the year.

I am in love with opera.  However, I’m unsure if this love is passed down through Uncle Jimmy, my father’s uncle.  My mother also attended the opera for the first time and adored it too.  I have found a new love!

“I speak of love awake I speak of love in my dreams, To the water, the shadows, the mountains, To the flowers, the grass, the fountains.” Mozart, The Marriage of Figaro.

 

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

A copy of my novel is available here.

Home is Where the Heart is

Morley in the seventies. Nothing much has changed apart from the cars parked on the roadside. Photo from David Atkinson Archive, Morley Memories.

Hiraeth is a delicious Welsh word as it captures that nostalgic longing for home. As a Yorkshire lass living in Wales, I often yearn for Morley, a town in Leeds, where my family still live. Yet I also feel at home in certain places in Wales that connect to the spirit and soul of place I long for. Maybe it’s the spirit of the industrial past that connects me to South Wales.

Morley is a large town in West Yorkshire that was constructed from the blood, sweat and tears of coal and textiles. The stone buildings of Morley are crooked and leaned towards me with whispers of secrets. I always identified a beauty in the urban landscape of home and feel so happy when I return to visit my family. There is a community spirit in Morley and people will always chat and make me laugh.

I imagined Jim driving along this road in his Zephyr. The photo is from Wales online and is captures Cardiff fifty years ago.

Last year, I stumbled on some newspaper photos of Cardiff in the sixties and seventies and the people huddled together chatting connected me to a familiar community spirit and evocated a nostalgia. When imagining the people’s stories, I met Pearl and Jim, characters from my novel, Loving You (working title), searching for their dreams in a fictional Welsh town near to Cardiff.

Photo of the Welsh factory woman in the sixties is from BBC News in an article written by Gwyneth Rees, BBC Wales News

Pearl is a seamstress who dreams of becoming a singer. Jim is a car mechanic who yearns to be an artist. Secrets about Pearl’s late father thrive in Aberynys as people still gossip about him. Pearl and Jim’s dreams push them together and pull them apart. Pearl is immersed in a community, but Jim is a loner. Both characters are shaped by their lives in Aberynys and want to escape in different ways. Pearl’s friends in the sewing factory are influenced by the people my grandmother brought to life for me when I was a child, and their sense of humour is both northern and Welsh. Of course, a colourful cast of characters also barged into the book, and my fictional town of Aberynys is a port which was also influenced by visits to Barry Island, Cardiff Bay and the Valleys.

This photo of the Valleys inspired Aberynys.

Aberynys is the nostalgic place in my heart: a place built on stories I listened to when chatting to folk in Yorkshire and Wales. I created a place name with lyrical Welsh words: Aber is the Welsh word for estuary and ynys means island. Aberynys is a montage of my life experiences and a place that makes folk dream their dreams. Loving You remains one of my works in progress as I just love to visit the place in my heart where I can seek sanctuary from what is happening to us all at the moment.

Which place do you call home and is this different to place you live in now?

 

Please see all my adventures at Handbag Adventures and My Writing

Delving into the Dark Past with Thorne Moore

Author, Thorne Moore stays for a chat

Following Thorne’s presentation at the Cardiff Literary Festival, we made our way to a department store café for a chat.  Shoppers drifted home as we walked through the Cardiff.  The sunshine slowed us down as we strolled towards the department store.  We ordered Americanos and sat in the corner of the café. Thankfully, the store’s air conditioning meant a cooler temperature inside.  We took time to sip the coffee and take in the atmosphere.

Jessie:  I love your name – Thorne. Tell me more about your name.

Thorne:  Okay, yes, my parents put Barbara Frances on my birth certificate. Why they did so I don’t know, because they have never used either name. At home I was called Sue. So, when I came to write, I couldn’t figure out which name to use. Sue was too personal, and Barbara was too official, used by headmasters and bank managers. But I was deeply involved in family history research (long before the internet made everything easy), and one place I visited in London had a visitors’ book where I could record family names I was interested in. I put “Thorne” as it was my mother’s Pembrokeshire family, and a few weeks later I received a letter addressed to “Dear Thorne.” I thought, perfect! Especially as I had a customer who insisted on calling me “Barb,” which I HATE, so I thought a thorn is a barb. And it was a nicely unique name. There can’t be many Thorne Moores around… except, when I first Googled me, (writers do, you know) I came across one startling entry – a plan to drain Thorne Moor. I wasn’t ready for that.

Jessie:  When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?

Thorne:  I’ve always loved writing.   The headteacher tried to persuade me to be a lawyer, but I didn’t want to absorb myself in legal language.  I studied history at Aberystwyth University.  The library, where the archives were located, faced the sea, So I used to stare at the sea and imagine my stories.  My stories have always distracted me, and I have mountains of them in the house.  I became a librarian and surrounded myself with stories.  I had a notion, I would be able to dream up stories between stamping books.  Librarians do far more than I had anticipated.

Long Shadows

Jessie: Tell me about your publishing journey.

Thorne: I was sending manuscripts off to publishers for years (back in the day when you could just send manuscripts to publishers). Then I got serious and found an agent. I’d written A Time For Silence and she liked it. She offered it around and found a publisher who liked it. In fact loved it. Loved it so much she was passing it on to the editor for a second opinion. The editor also loved it. My agent told me to have my pen ready to sign the contract and… instead, the publisher asked if I had any other books. Well, I had just about finished another and was working on a third. The publisher didn’t fancy the sound of either. Did I have any others? My agent pleaded with me to come up with something. I had, that week, heard an item on the news that had triggered the possibility of a new story in my head, so I explained it in a line or two. The agent passed it on and the publisher said “Yes, brilliant, tell me more.” My agent asked if I could come up with a full synopsis. A tall order, as it had merely been an idea floating in my head a day before, but I worked on it and she sent it off. “Yes!” said the publisher. “That’s exactly what we want. Can we see the full book please?” My agent was going to explain, in exasperation, that I hadn’t even started it yet, but I asked her to tell them to be patient and I’d do it. I did. I wrote Motherlove. I managed it in about 3 months, and it needed some tweaking and smoothing, but I did it. My agent was impressed. Just to remind the publisher what we’d been talking about, she sent them the synopsis again. The publisher replied “No, we don’t fancy this.’ At this point, publisher, agent and writer all parted company, thoroughly irritated with each other. I went on to submit A Time For Silence to Honno.  Initially, it was rejected but a different editor accepted it.  This confirms how subjective the whole business is and no one should give up.

Dilapidated Pembrokeshire Mansions that inspired the setting

Jessie:  What is your latest book about?

Thorne:  Long Shadows is about the history of a decaying mansion.  The stories in the mansion are set in the fourteen century, seventeenth century and Victorian era.  Each era is presented as a separate novella.

Jessie:  What inspired you to write the book?

Thorne:  There were many abandoned mansions in Pembrokeshire.  I used to walk through the grounds of one house and imagine the lives that had happened there. I wrote Shadows, which is about one such mansion and how my present-day character, Kate, can sense dark shadows of events that have happened there in the past. Long Shadows explains those mysteries, so it gives me the opportunity to look a t the history of a house and its occupants over many centuries

Llys y Garn 14th Century

Jessie:  Has the book received good reviews.  I note you have gained hundreds of reviews for your books over time.

Thorne:  Yes, people have enjoyed the narrative and the drama. Let me read you some reviews:

“Totally had me hooked from page one… Highly recommended if you love a good psychological thriller” – Brook Cottage Books

“I devoured this book. Beautifully written, frighteningly real” – Chill with a Book

“A compelling blend of mystery and family drama with a gothic twist… The author’s ability to create an atmosphere is exceptional” – Judith Barrow

“Thorne Moore is a huge talent. Her writing is intensely unsettling and memorable” – Sally Spedding.

Jessie:  Did you find it difficult to walk away from your characters?  Is there a character you missed?

Thorne:  Well, that’s a difficult one as there are some horrible characters.  Angharad from the 14th century is the most pleasant character because she never gives up and goes for a slightly unusual conclusion.

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

Thorne:  I don’t know, let me think.  Well, with three novellas to choose from you could dip in and out of the book, and each one is in a different style, with a different theme and a very different conclusion. And it might encourage you to read Shadows too.

Jessie:  I am not familiar with domestic noir.  What is it? 

Thorne: I don’t write police detective novels, or traditional whodunnits. I write about the effects traumatic events like crimes have on ordinary people, whether as victims, perpetrators or survivors. Effects that can last through generations. It’s about the why, not the how.

Jessie:  Please read an extract of your novel to give me a sense of the style:

Thorne:  The extract is from the start of the 17th century novella, called “The Witch,” and it’s the story of Elizabeth Powell, who has just been born in the house, though her father doesn’t know it yet. 

A cacophony of cawing and the sky above Llys y Garn was suddenly black with rooks. An omen? Devereux Powell frowned. He had no skill in interpreting omens, although his head was well equipped for other matters. Matters of money and business were his domain, not superstition and devilry.

  Hinges creaked as the door of his chamber opened. His mother stood before him, in her Presbyterian black, tall, unbowed by age, her eyes as watchful as they had ever been, though time had withered her flesh and greyed the hair under her white cap. Superstition and devilry incarnate. If there were an omen in the flight of rooks, she would know it.”

Jessie:  What is the last sentence in your notebook?

Thorne:  I don’t have a notebook.  I tend to plot family trees and dates.  I write the story and adapt as I go along. But, if no one tells me to stop I would rewrite the story forever.

Jessie:  What is the best advice you have been given as a writer?

Thorne:  CUT!  I go with the flow and don’t like to interrupt my ideas. I go back and chop. For instance, my editor told me I needed to tone down one character, who was too pantomime. I realised she was quite right, so I looked at him again and decided to cut him out entirely. A much better idea. He was just getting in the way with unnecessary confusion.

Llys y Garn is a rambling Victorian-Gothic mansion with vestiges of older glories.

Jessie: Do any of your characters misbehave?

Thorne:  As the characters become three dimensional, they behave differently to how I expect.  One man, in Motherlove, for example, would not behave according to my expectation.  I had to rewrite the scene according to how he told me he would behave,

Jessie: What are the obstacles you face when writing in your genre?

Thorne:  Recently, I was writing a book, The Unravelling, set in 1966 and in 2000.  I had no trouble remembering exactly how it was to be a child in 1966, but 2000 was an entirely different matter. You’d think it wouldn’t be so different to today but it was. A character was trying to trace someone, and yes there was internet, but no broadband. It was all dial-up modems. People used Yahoo and Altavista, not Google. There was Friends Reunited but no Facebook. I had forgotten when the technology that we take for granted had developed.

Jessie: What is next for you?

Thorne:  I am organising the Narbeth Book Fair with Judith Barrow at the moment – in its 7th year, I think.  I am tweaking one book and have a whole new idea that I am itching to get on with. Don’t stop me now, I’m having a good time.

Who would you like to read your books?  This could be someone famous, a member of your family or someone who has passed away?

Thorne:  I want everyone to read my books.  However, it would be great if the Guardian reviewed my books. Maybe one day…

Thorne is witty and full of fun. I enjoyed speaking with her and finding out about her writing journey.  She has written for decades but remained determined to tell more stories.  It is amazing how she wrote stories years ago and is beginning to rework them.  I am in awe of someone who has so many stories in her head; no wonder she found it difficult to concentrate when studying historical documents.

Thorne Moore was born in Luton and graduated from Aberystwyth University with a degree in history and from the Open University where she studied law. She now lives in Pembrokeshire, which forms a background for much of her writing, as does Luton. She writes psychological mysteries – domestic noir – and her first novel, A Time for Silence, was published was in 2012 followed by Motherlove and The Unravelling. She has also brought out a book of short stories, Moments of Consequence. Her most recent novel, Shadows, was published by Endeavour in 2017. Thorne is a member of the Crime Writers’ Association.

Llys y Garn 19th Century

About Long Shadows:

Llys y Garn is a rambling Victorian-Gothic mansion with vestiges of older glories.

It lies in the isolated parish of Rhyd y Groes in North Pembrokeshire. It is the house of the parish, even in its decline, deeply conscious of its importance, its pedigree and its permanence. It stubbornly remains though the lives of former inhabitants have long since passed away. Only the rooks are left to bear witness to the often desperate march of history.
Throne Moore’s Long Shadows: Tales of Llys y Garn comprises a trio of historical novellas that let us into secrets known only to these melancholy birds.

The Good Servant is the story of Nelly Skeel, loveless housekeeper at Llys y Garn at the end of the 19th century, whose only focus of affection is her master’s despised nephew. But for Cyril Lawson she will do anything, whatever the cost.

The Witch tells of Elizabeth Powell, born as Charles II is restored to the English throne, in a world of changing political allegiances, where religious bigotry and superstition linger on. Her love is not for her family, her duty, her God or her future husband, but for the house where she was born. For that she would sell her soul.

The Dragon Slayer tells of Angharad ferch Owain in the early decades of the 14th century. Angharad is an expendable asset in her father’s machinations to recover old rights and narrow claims, but she dreams of bigger things and a world without the roaring of men. A world that might spare her from the seemingly inevitable fate of all women.

In these three tales the rooks of Llys y Garn have watched centuries of human tribulation – but just how much has really changed? If you enjoyed the kaleidoscopic sweep of David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas you will appreciate Long Shadows.

 

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

 

Creative Inspiration at Octavo’s Bookshop

A vast, grey building stood proud amongst other worn buildings.

Cardiff Bay discarded its gloss, as I walked through an alleyway to reach Octavo’s Bookshop and Bar. A vast, grey building stood proud amongst other worn buildings.  A large bar dominated the entrance to Octavo’s Bookshop and Bar. Confronted with: a coffee machine, rows of cakes, books and a selection of alcoholic beverages, I had found heaven. Seating was placed in every area of the shop thus combining reading and socialising.  I couldn’t decide whether to install myself in one of the lazy reading areas or sit at a table.

I had found heaven

A table near a shelf of gifts for writers beckoned me.  Having ordered my Americano, I read the lunchtime menu and selected A Tale of Tuna Cities: a tuna melt.  The blank page of my notebook glared at me. I attacked it with a confessional statement: ‘I need to start another story’.  Time to move on from debut novel.  ‘Where do I begin?’ I asked my notebook.

Pearl’s letter to Jim appeared on my notebook. I have sent my characters out into world, but they haunt me. Remnants cornices, the bar and size of the rooms prompted me to visualise Pearl in this place during the seventies.

Where do I begin?’ I asked my notebook.

Sat at a battered table, she removed her red gloves and started to tug at the beer mat.  Her sleeves soaked rested in a puddle of beer.  Though she waited to find out more details of the audition, she thought of Jim reading her letter.

A familiarity about the place transported me into Pearl’s world. I couldn’t get Pearl out of my head.  I had to find out more about the history of the place.  I felt certain the building must have been a pub at some time in the past; a sense of history nudged my imagination.

I searched for a seventies photo of Bute Street and it looked familiar. Indeed, the street looked exactly like the place Pearl visited in my book.

I discovered the building is the oldest surviving building in what was known as Tiger Bay. Tiger Bay was also the home of the wonderful legend – Shirley Bassey.  Originally, the location of Octavo’s Bookshop was the Bute Dock Hotel.   I searched for a seventies photo of Bute Street and it looked familiar.  Indeed, the street looked exactly like the place Pearl visited in my book.  I could hear Pearl’s footsteps echoing down the alleyway, as she searched for her B&B. I stumbled on the place I created for my book, and Pearl asked me to go back and tell her story in another novel.

Octavo’s Bookshop is a welcoming, calm bookish environment that invites the customer to linger, read and create

Before paying, I looked around the shop and spotted a poster telling me ‘We are on the same page’, perhaps this was another message from Pearl.  On leaving, I received a new bag and a gift, because I spent over five pounds. Octavo’s Bookshop is a welcoming, calm bookish environment that invites the customer to linger, read and create.  I had a wonderful time exploring the books on offer.  The staff are proud and enthusiastic about the bookshop.

Handbag clasped at my side, I strode with confidence from Octavo’s Bookshop and back to Cardiff Bay. My literary travels often take me down numerous side streets and alleyways that echo with past lives.  Two young men stubbed out their cigarettes before commencing a conversation. Darkness lingered in the alleyway and puddles.  Looking ahead, I refused to shiver.  A seventies mini pulled up, and I spotted Jim, Pearl’s husband.

Jessie’s novel ‘You Can’t Go It Alone’

‘On opening the car door, Jim called, ‘Pearl.’ A passing truck muffled his voice.  Heavy traffic prevented Jim from crossing the road for a little while.  Jim peered in each alleyway.  Then he heard the clip, clipping of heels on the pavement.  Distant echoes stopped.  Where had Pearl gone? He increased his pace.  Loud voices echoed.  As he got nearer, he recognised Pearl’s voice, but it was shrill and ugly and strangled with fear.’

 (Extract: You Can’t Go It Alone)

Maybe, Cardiff Creative Quarter inspired me.  Who knows?  The calm, bookish atmosphere certainly inspired me to retreat to my characters’ world.

Meet Pearl and Jim on Being Anne’s Blog

https://beinganne.com/2018/07/back-to-the-70s-you-cant-go-it-alone-by-jessie-cahalin-booksinhandbag-feature-giveaway/

More About my debut novel:  You Can’t Go It Alone

Love, music and secrets are woven together in this poignant, heart-warming narrative.

Set in a Welsh village, the story explores the contrast in attitudes and opportunities between different generations of women. As the characters confront their secrets and fears, they discover truths about themselves and their relationships.

The reader is invited to laugh and cry, with the characters, and find joy in the simple things in life. Listen to the music and enjoy the food, as you peek inside the world of the inhabitants of Delfryn.
Let Sophie show you that no one can go it alone.

Who knows, you may find some friends with big hearts…

Jessie Cahalin

About Jessie

Jessie is word warrior, bookish blogger and intrepid virtual explorer. She loves to entertain with stories, and is never seen without her camera, phone, notebook and handbag. Fellow authors have deemed her ‘creative and quirky’ and she wears these words like a blogging badge of honour.

Having overcome her fear of self-publishing, she is now living the dream of introducing the characters who have been hassling her for decades. Her debut novel, You Can’t Go It Alone, is a heart-warming tale about the challenges women still face in society. The novel has light-hearted moments and presents hope. As C. S. Lewis said, ‘We read to know we are not alone.’

Connecting with authors via her Books in my Handbag Blog is a blast. She showcases authors’ books in the popular Handbag Gallery and has fun meeting authors in her virtual world. Communicating with her authors still gives Jessie a creative buzz.

Jessie Cahalin hails from Yorkshire but lives in Wales with her husband. She loves to travel the world and collects cultural gems like a magpie. She searches for happy endings, where possible, and needs great coffee, food and music to give her inspiration.

 

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

A table for two and a notebook

On arrival at Restaurant James Sommerin, we ordered a good Pinot Noir. We noted that the ambiance was calm, staff attentive and the other guests were very well attired.

Feeling relaxed, in our jeans and T shirts, we discussed the merits of the food; each dish looked elegant like a work of art.  Much to my husband’s dismay, I started to make notes about the food.  The guests on the neighbouring table were intrigued by the notebook.  Clearly, I wasn’t a restaurant critic as I was wearing jeans.   We sipped more of the wine that was so beautifully flavoured with summer fruits that it could have been a soft drink.

The delicious food improved with each course.  Buoyed by this tasting experience, I was determined to write an analysis of each dish. I scribbled furiously between each morsel and took photographs of the dishes.  More delicious wine was poured into a glass that could happily home several goldfish.

Alas, I cannot read the scribbles in my notebook.  Throughout the notebook, I had repeated the words ‘great textures’ and ‘explosion of flavour’ albeit in various styles of handwriting. ‘Desert’ was underlined enthusiastically. Did I go to the Sahara to eat pudding? Other words were incomplete and I hope that they didn’t run off onto the beautifully laundered table cloth.  I circled ‘black pudding’ purée several times because I didn’t have my highlighter pen. I do remember that I was offended by the puréed texture but I am a northerner.

Undeterred by the black pudding, I did note down Picasso’s poetry on a plate.  Obviously, Pinot Noir should come with a cliché warning on the label. Mysteriously, the notebook has splashes of wine and food inside of it but I will keep it as a tribute to the Picasso chef.

James Sommerin is a chef and an artist.  The restaurant was like a theatre of food and next time I will dress up for the occasion. The food was so good that I can forgive the corruption of the black pudding texture.  I will wish on a star for the restaurant!

 

 

Please see my blog at jessiecahalin.com

Spotlight on the Lovely Anne Williams

Meet lovely Anne Williams in 1958

Anne Williams is a shining light in the bookish community and is a best friend to authors, bloggers and readers.  Her kind and generous spirit is remarkable, and it is no wonder she has won many awards.  I was intrigued to know more about Anne and what inspired her love of reading.  Having invited Anne to my Bloggers’ Café, we settled down for a good chat about her childhood memories, reading and her life in Cardiff.  We shared a pot of tea for two and a generous plate of Welsh cakes.  We chatted for hours and she gave me some tantalizing facts about her life.

Jessie: Anne you work tirelessly to support authors, and we don’t know what we would do without your support.  I’d like you to relax, have a cuppa and tell us more about yourself.  Tell us about your childhood in Bangor and your fondest memories.  Do you speak Welsh?

Anne: Lovely of you to say so, Jessie – while it’s lovely to be able to give authors my support and a bit of exposure, it’s got more to do with the fact that I just love books and reading, and love talking about them whenever I get the chance!

The view from her parents’ house in Port Dinorwic

I actually come from a small village between Bangor and Caernarfon: in those days it was called Port Dinorwic (it’s where they used to load and ship the slate from the quarry), but it’s now been renamed Y Felinheli. I don’t speak Welsh, sadly – although my dad came from the village, my mum was from Swansea and an English-speaker, so we never spoke Welsh at home. I can understand conversations though, translate things into English and watch the occasional programme on S4C.

My memories are all about family really. We lived in a converted schoolhouse until my O-level year (that’s what people took before GCSEs!), when we moved to mum and dad’s new-build dream house, overlooking the Menai Straits. I had a brother, Nigel, who was eight years younger than me – and was the constant pain little brothers often are (very sadly, he died a few years ago from a heart attack – by then, we were friends again). After we moved house, all I can really remember is an awful lot of studying – I desperately wanted to read English at university (I got there!) and to spread my wings a little.

Jessie: Did your parents inspire your love of reading?  If not, who did inspire the beginning of your reading journey?

Anne loves the quote from Maya Angelou – “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Anne: My mother’s always been a reader and taught me to read and enjoy books before I started at the village school aged 3 (maybe I was a bit of a prodigy!). I remember us having floor to ceiling bookshelves in the alcoves in the lounge: I read the books, my brother used them as a climbing assault course. And then I had my library ticket and can remember looking forward to choosing my five books a week into my late teens. I was always the child who preferred to sit in the corner with a book rather than get involved in the rowdy stuff – I was also painfully shy, and I think the books were a bit of an escape (and they probably still are!).

Jessie: You told me you lived in Cardiff thirty years ago.  What was Cardiff like three decades ago.  Where did you like to go? Were there lots of bookshops? What advice would you give to your younger self living in Cardiff?

This is the Cardiff that Anne remembers

Anne:I went to university in Hull, did my growing up and really didn’t want to go back to a small village – and I didn’t have to because I joined the Civil Service and they posted me to Cardiff. I was in my twenties, remember – reading took a bit of a back seat (the need to dissect and analyse had dampened my book enthusiasm a little) while I got on with having fun with friends and discovering the opposite sex. I don’t remember book shops – at that time, I was keener on music and searching out vinyl, and there was a great shop on the Hayes (long gone) where I spent many happy hours. I spent a lot of time in and around the Chapter Arts Centre in Canton – at that time it was a pretty amateur set up, but a great place to see obscure art-house films, wander the gallery, eat vegetarian food (rather exotic at the time!) and to meet friends in the bars. There were the many clubs and bars too, of course – a couple of hours’ sleep was plenty then, and the hangovers weren’t as bad. It was the era of the New Romantics, and I do remember a few outings to the Casablanca in the Docks – and the many places where you could get happy hour cocktails (not a modern phenomenon). Advice? I wouldn’t have listened anyway…!

Jessie: You visited Cardiff recently.  How has Cardiff changed?

Anne sat in this coffee shop in Cardiff Bay. This place is very different to her memories of the Docks in the era of the New Romantics.

Anne: While all the landmarks are still there, it’s really changed beyond all recognition. The city centre I remember is no more, totally swallowed up by that enormous shopping centre – but it was nice to see that the quirky arcades have been cared for and are still full of those fascinating little shops and cafes. Docklands was a bit of a no-go area back in the 80s, and that’s certainly changed – and I very much liked the new waterfront development. They always say you shouldn’t go back though, don’t they?

Jessie: Do you miss Wales now that you live in Yorkshire?

Anne: I haven’t lived in Wales since the mid-80s – I lived in Wigan, worked in Manchester, for over ten years before I moved here. I visited North Wales regularly when my parents still lived there, but never had a hankering to return. I guess home is anywhere you can be happy, and I haven’t regretted for an instant making Yorkshire mine.

Jessie: I am in awe of the number of books you read and the quality of your reviews.  How do you balance reviewing and blogging with the rest of your life? How long does it take to review a book?

Anne: Thank you! When I was still working, I’ll admit it was difficult – I have the greatest admiration for bloggers who can balance life, work and blogging – and I only took things up a gear after I retired. There was a time when it seemed to have become my new full-time job: I’ve eased off a little with the need to care for my mother, and three or four posts a week now feels about right. My reviews take ages, if I’m honest – I’m a bit of a perfectionist and want every review to be as good and complete as I can make it. I probably spend four mornings a week writing posts, and then a little more supporting others on Twitter, being sociable on-line, and doing the necessary admin. The reading’s no hardship – I’m not really much of a TV watcher so I read in the evenings and in bed and can sometimes manage an occasional treat of an afternoon.

Jessie:What makes a good review?  Do you have a review structure, or does it depend on the book and your inspiration?

Anne:I don’t really know what makes a good review, but I do seem to have accidentally landed on a shape that works for me, and hopefully for others. I rarely tell the story – I get annoyed when I find myself doing so, because the author does it so much better. And I’m quite paranoid about spoilers – totally unforgivable, and not really that difficult to avoid. My reviews are really just my personal reaction to a book: I’ll mention whatever I particularly liked (and sometimes things I liked less), but the emphasis is always on how a book made me feel. And the only reviews you’ll ever see on Being Anne are of books I’ve enjoyed – I don’t enjoy everything, but then I stop reading and pick up another.

Jessie: You must receive lots of books in the post.  Where do you store all the review copies you receive? 

Anne: Do you know, I actually don’t receive that much book post these days – I’ve asked the publishers I work with to stop sending them. My eyesight is worsening with age, and I find it so much easier to read on my kindle – but don’t ask me how many books are in my kindle library! Although a lot of the books I read are gifted or downloaded from netgalley, I can’t resist buying even more – probably at least twice as many as I receive. I had my bedrooms decorated last year, and decided I needed to do something about my 4000+ unread books, spread over half a dozen bookshelves. Most went to the library, and some to charities, and it really didn’t hurt (much) – I now have just one (large) bookshelf for my signed copy collection.

Jessie: Besides reading, what other hobbies do you have?

Anne: To be honest, I don’t really have other hobbies. I enjoy theatre, cinema, concerts (of all kinds, with a newly found love of classical), museums and galleries, and visit as often as I can – but everything else I do tends to be book and reading related, including running a real-life book club. For the last couple of years, I became an almost full-time carer for my mum, who has vascular dementia: now she’s being far better cared for in a home, I visit or take her out every other day, but I’m just getting used to the idea of having “spare time” again, and really must do something about revitalising my social life! I also always used to go on two major holidays a year – US, South America, Africa, the Far East – but that’s been just impossible recently. For now, I’ve decided to explore the UK a little – three book-related stays already planned for this year, and a few more I need to get round to sorting out.

Jessie: If you wrote a book what genre would you write in?  Have you got any characters hassling you to tell their story?  What names would you give you the leading characters?

Anne: I did have plans, didn’t I? I don’t think it’s ever likely to happen – and if it doesn’t, I don’t think I really want it enough. Genre-wise, I think it’d be women’s fiction – maybe romance, perhaps with some travel included, and definitely with older characters. But I’ve never really come up with a story that’s made me enthusiastic to develop it further – and I’ve definitely never got anywhere near coming up with names!

Jessie: Finally, is there a famous quotation about reading that resonates with you? 

For instance, I often quote C.S Lewis:

‘We read to know we are not alone.’

Anne: Not really about books and reading, but I do love the quote from Maya Angelou – “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” And that works pretty well for books too, doesn’t it?

Anne has been nominated for an award at the Annual Bloggers Bash Awards.  Voting closes on 24th April at 9pm.
https://annualbloggersbash.com

Anne’s Blog
http://beinganne.com/

 

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

A copy of my novel can be found here.

 

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.