Tag: Writer’s Life

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.

Jo Lambert on Creating a Sense of Place

Inspiration for Lyndbrook Hall

I love to celebrate authors who have connected with me over the years. Jo Lambert lives east of Bath, and she has written an impressive seven books. Books are a destination for readers, and Jo creates a powerful sense of place in her romantic suspense novels.  I invited Jo to tell me about the inspiration for the sense of place in her writing.

A SENSE OF PLACE – Pure imagination, reality or a little of both – what’s best for you?

Inspiration for the Black Bull

As an author it’s not only about developing the plot and creating the characters, it’s also getting the setting right.  Whether you are writing a psychological thriller or contemporary romance set in the city or the suburbs – or maybe like me, using a rural/small town community – creating the perfect backdrop can occasionally throw up some problems. That is why personally I’ve always found it easier to base my fictional locations on actual places.

My first novel When Tomorrow Comes was set in rural West Somerset.  For this I used my own experiences of village life.  Of course it’s not just using familiar places, it can also include buildings such as houses, pubs and hotels. They can all be used to help the writing process.   In Summer Moved On and Watercolours in the Rain, set in South Devon village of Lynbrook, The Bull Inn is actually based on a local village pub I still visit.  Similarly Lynbrook Hall is a real place about five miles away from the pub. It was for sale while I was writing and the on line estate agent’s photographs were a bonus in helping create my fictitious manor house.

Set in Cornwall Shadows on the Water is a story of family ties, lost love and tangled loyalties

My current novels are set in Cornwall. For A Cornish Affair, I used a hotel I’d seen while staying in Richmond. It was totally right for the one central to the book which sat on a cliff overlooking a small coastal fishing village.  And for my latest novel, Shadows on the Water, I’ve taken parts of Fowey and Dartmouth and blended them into the estuary town of Kingswater.

Inspiration for Tarwin House Hotel

Another useful aid is Google Map. In one of my novels my character was in Verona, a place I had visited several years before.  During her stay she had gone on walkabout in the city. Apart from The Arena and Juliet’s Balcony I had a very hazy memory of our day trip there.  Luckily Google Map came to the rescue.   It enabled me to ‘walk’ in her footsteps and describe the things she was seeing, giving the whole scene a far more authentic feel.

In the end, of course, it depends very much on individual preference. Some writers are happy to use their imagination while others set their stories in real places.  And then there are those like me who ‘borrow’, taking reality and remoulding it to suit the story they are writing.  It’s all about what works best for you really.

I also enjoy the freedom to create a new village based on places I have encountered in my travels. The place wraps itself around my characters and listens to their hopes, dreams and sadness. Jo Lambert has recently released Shadows on the Water. Set in Cornwall Shadows on the Water is a story of family ties, lost love and tangled loyalties. I look forward to visiting Jo’s destination.

Jo Lambert is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and the Society of Authors. She has been writing since 2008

More about Shadows on the Water

After the tragic death of her fiancé, Ava Warren is slowly rebuilding her life.  She has a supportive family, great friends and a job she loves, managing holiday letting company Estuary Escapes in her home town of Kingswater. Another relationship is the last thing she wants or needs. Until one evening she meets Alex Penhaligon.

Alex’s father Sam owns Heron’s Gate Vineyard and Alex has recently returned from California, where he has been working for the past five years.  A case of mistaken identity gets them off to a bad start. But discovering his error, Alex is anxious to make amends and soon persuades Ava that he’s not quite as arrogant as she thinks he is. As their friendship begins to turn into something much deeper, Ava wonders whether she can at last put the past behind her and make a new future with Alex.

But someone is watching.  A man who not only thinks Ava should be his but also holds a long term grudge against Alex.  And he’s determined to get his own way irrespective of the lengths he has to go to or who gets hurt in the process.

Social Media Links –
Website: http://jolambertbooks.com
Blog: http://jolambertwriter.blog
Twitter: @jolambertwriter
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jolambert185
Linkedin: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/jo-lambert-6 4644530
Instagram: jolambertwriter185

 

Please see all my guests’ posts at Mail from the Creative Community and also my website and blog at JessieCahalin.com.

A copy of my novel is available here.

Complex World of Sue Bentley’s YA Fiction

Meet Sue Bentley

Creative author of young adult fiction and builder of new worlds, Sue Bentley, is featuring on my blog today.  Her novel Second Skin is a fascinating exploration of world inspired by Native Americans.  Sue explores what happens when two races collide.  Jessie:  What inspired you to write Second Skin?

Sue: I found 500 Nations and Empire of the Summer Moon totally fascinating. The books made me think about the dynamics that happen when races collide; how complex the whole thing is and how tragedy so often follows. The visuals in the 500 nations were compelling and inspired me to wonder about the people I saw on those pages. It’s always been stories about individual people in impossible circumstances that intrigue, move me and get me thinking. So the genesis of Second Skin sparked when I read Empire of the Summer Moon, and met Quanah Parker, last great chief of the Comanche and mixed-blood son of the famous and tragic pioneer woman Cynthia Anne Parker.

I found 500 Nations and Empire of the Summer Moon totally fascinating

Jessie:  Tell us what happens in Second Skin

Sue: Second Skin is a stand-alone novel, currently number one in a new series entitled Bridge-of-Fire. The main character, Aledra, in one of a race of shapeshifters called The Drakkoni. While outwardly human in form, some of the Drakkoni harbour a secret. Like others of her race Aledra has a soul-double hidden deep inside her, and can switch between two-personas or skins, hence the title, Second Skin. The Drakkoni are the fierce and proud conquerors of a beautiful wild continent named Esra, and are hated by the oppressed indigenous people.

Jessie:  What do we need to understand about your main character?

Sue: There is a mystery surrounding Aledra’s birth which makes her different amongst her own kind. Young Lady Aledra Jewel-Wing, to give her full title, has been brought up on a remote farmstead and allowed to run wild. She’s a little selfish and has all the prejudice of her people for the conquered subjects over which they rule. As she experiences more of life she learns some hard lessons. At the beginning of the book, Aledra is making her first journey to the famed citadel of her people, where it’s planned she’ll live at court, with its pretty jealousies, suffocating rules and restrictions. But things go badly wrong and she’s left with no choice but to become a fugitive and run for her life.

One of my own mono prints, in which I saw two flaming moons. These also added a detail to my world building. Two moons rise above the continent of Esra, in Second Skin.

Jessie:  Your settings are always so vivid.  How did you construct the setting of your fantasy world of Esra?

Sue: When building the world for this book I wanted it to seem very different, but also familiar, a place we can all relate to. The landscape of Esra is vast and still largely untouched by farming or mechanisation, many people are nomadic.  The native people are made up of different tribes, each with spiritual and cultural links to three powerful main nations; a structure similar to that of Native Americans. In the narrative we experience Esra from the viewpoint of one young man from a single tribe. Jubal Craw, a young warrior of the Yupek tribe, is in hiding at the start of the book, having just witnessed the bloody slaughter of many of his people by a rogue Drakkoni warrior.

Jessie: How did you convey the conflict between two cultures?

Sue: There’s obvious conflict between the main characters, Aledra and Jubal, with their different experiences of growing up, their beliefs and unique world views. Their love, hates, motivations and prejudices mirror the larger conflict of their respective races and of people fighting for the same land. Exciting things happen at the interface between two colliding cultures, which is one of the things that inspired me to write Second Skin. There’s great potential for drama, love, and violence in misunderstandings!

Jessie: Is there any romance in the novel?

Sue: There is a strong thread of romance running through Second Skin, but maybe not in a conventional form. There are many ways of expressing love apart from the obvious fluffy-pink-hearts variety. I felt very emotional when I wrote some of the key scenes and I hope this comes through in the writing. My characters have some tough times with many obstacles to overcome, and some gritty and bloody moments. But there’s loyalty, tenderness, self-less action and moments of humour too, all of which I enjoy in the books I read.

Jessie:  Your novel sounds complex.  Who was your audience when writing Second Skin?

Sue: People sometimes ask if I have a particular type of reader in mind when I’m writing. I don’t, I write for myself. If I write the sort of things I enjoy reading, hopefully others will enjoy them too. My tastes in reading change with the seasons and with my mood, which is probably why I like to vary themes and settings. I read some contemporary novels, but my main passion has always been for historical novels, particularly set in Victorian times. If people enjoy one of my books, I hope they’ll simply think of it as a ‘Sue Bentley’ and want to read another title. Some other authors who write across the genres and successfully produce different novels all the time are Joanne Harris, Ken Follett and Tracy Chevalier, I enjoy their books enormously.

Jessie:  You are very creative and your story sounds unique.  What inspires your stories?

Sue: One thing continues to inspire me. Books, books, books. They have been there through good and bad times and even been my salvation when the writing well occasionally runs dry. I became hooked on reading at an early age and enjoyed becoming lost in the imaginary worlds of books. In some ways they seemed ‘safer’ than people – and a lot more interesting. The real world has always seemed a scary and complex place, making sense of it can feel overwhelming at times. It’s a mad and wonderful world and it’s easy to feel out of control. In my books I’m in charge – until I finish a novel and let it out to fly free into the world. Or to soar on high like a Drakkoni having shifted into their soul-double and spread their wings.

Jessie: Is Second Skin similar to We Other?

Sue: I began writing Second Skin while waiting for my previous novel, We Other, to be published. We Other is a modern reworking of a fairy tale, quite gothic and very dark in places. Second Skin is similar in that it contains magical beings – oh and is also really quite dark in places! I’ve been told by some readers that they’ve never read anything like it. Time will tell…

Second Skin is available worldwide in Ebook and paperback.

We Other now has a gorgeous new Anniversary book cover. It’s also available worldwide through Amazon.

Jessie:  Before you go, I have to ask you about the programme made about you by ITV.

Matthew Hudson – presenter/editor and Gary Mabee – cameraman/director.

Sue:  It’ll be shown during the 6pm ITV Anglia news programme. In essence it’s a ‘local girl made good’ story. I told them I was the most successful author you’ve never heard of! They loved my bookshelf containing copies of my books – translated into over 20 languages. We sat in my office for a cosy chat about how I began writing, and if I’d ever dreamed I’d write so many books and bring so much enjoyment to young readers in particular. (I hadn’t!) The best sort of interview is with a good presenter and a cameraman who know what they’re doing. These two were brilliant. All I had to do was get over my nerves and talk about myself – my favourite subject!

 

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.

Windmills of my Mind in Devon

For me, the thrill of chasing ideas is the most exciting element of the writing process.

Words can take us to any place and any time. I was delighted to discover words I wrote in my notebook during a summer holiday in Devon.  My thoughts were scattered on the page, so I picked them up, revisited my photo album and returned to a time when I suffered a creative drought.

Words let us travel to any place, any time and any season.

The heat stifled ideas and frazzled my creativity. I complained the holiday cottage was too dark for me to write.  After a few days, I worried my ideas had taken leave.  I blamed the environment because small windows trapped the darkness in the room, and I seemed to have reached a dead end with the story.

I found the ideal house for an author.

Entering A la Ronde, created by Jane and Mary Parminter, confirmed that the correct environment is essential.  My creativity opened again as soon as I wandered around the eighteenth century house.  I found the ideal house for an author.  Imagine a sixteen-sided house that allows you to follow the light around the house. Perfect!

In this house, I would be able to chase my ideas around and around in circles until I found the correct room to write.  Ideas travel around like the wheels of a windmill until I get them on paper and stop them circling.  Sometimes, I release ideas too early and they must be abandoned.  For me, the thrill of chasing ideas is the most exciting element of the writing process.

At Greenway House, Agatha Christie’s holiday home, I found out that she also enjoyed chasing ideas for her stories.

At Greenway House, Agatha Christie’s holiday home, I found out that she also enjoyed chasing ideas for her stories.  She spent time listening to conversations in hotels, researching and plotting.  She delighted in the process of developing her narratives but didn’t look forward to ‘sitting down and writing the darn thing’. Exploration of the garden of Greenway House did give my ideas more room to develop.  Sitting in Agatha Christie’s room, I met the anti-hero in my novel.

Since confessing my frustrations to my notebook, I have completed my second novel, Loving You (working title). I am using feedback from the RNA New Writers’ Scheme to control the ideas I chased across the page during a heatwave in Devon.  My RNA reader is currently sitting on my shoulder, shaking her head occasionally and pushing me to challenge my characters.

I have learned to move around the house in search of inspiration because working in one room inhibited my ideas. Moreover, I just need to get on and ‘write the darn thing’ and accept there will be times of frustration and many, many drafts of the novel.

 

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

A copy of my novel is available here.

Summer on a Sunny Island with Sue Moorcroft

Ideas come from all over. I began my new book, Summer on a Sunny Island, after visiting Malta with my brothers and sister-in-law for a service kids’ reunion.

To celebrate three years of Books in my Handbag Blog, I invited a special guest to join me. Sue Moorcroft was the first guest on my blog three years ago and is renowned for her captivating escapist fiction. I asked her about her latest novel, Summer on a Sunny Island, and where she finds her stories and characters. Get the kettle on, join us for a chat and let’s indulge in a short break to Malta where sparks are flying.

Jessie: When did you get your big break in writing?

Sue: Securing my agent Juliet of Blake Friedmann. She sold two books to Avon, HarperCollins and they got the first, The Christmas Promise, to #1 on UK Kindle in December 2016.

Jessie: Did you dream of becoming an author when you were a child?

Sue: Yes. I was six or seven when I realised someone created what went between a book’s covers and decided I’d like that to be me.

Jessie: Have you ever been tempted to chat to readers if you see them buy your book in the supermarket? 

Sue: I was once in W H Smith in St Pancras Station, talking to a friend where A Christmas Gift stood on the shelf. A lady picked up a copy. I froze but my friend said, ‘Would you like to meet the author?’ We chatted and took photos and members of staff joined in and another guy came up and said he knew me from columns I wrote for Writers’ Forum. It was a lovely experience. Ideas come from all over. I began my new book, Summer on a Sunny Island, after visiting Malta with my brothers and sister-in-law for a service kids’ reunion.

Jessie: You have written an amazing number of novels.  Where do you get your ideas from?  Are you constantly searching for characters?

Sue: I made Rosa’s mum and Zach’s dad army kids who’d lived on the island. Another spark was a sweet anecdote I heard about a celeb cook, which made me make Rosa’s mum a food writer. Zach’s troubled past comes from my memory of a guy at school. Part of Rosa’s from something that happened when I worked in a bank. I’m lucky to have a plotty head that weaves together things I remember/hear about.

Jessie: How many times do you draft a book before you send it to your editor?  How many rewrites do you go through before the book is ready to release into the wild?

Sue: Two or three drafts before I send the book in. Then comes a structural edit (probably another two drafts), a line edit and a copy edit. Sometimes two of these edits are combined into one.

An uplifting, happy read that will raise your spirits and warm your heart!

Jessie: Your novels always have distinctive settings.  Did you visit Malta before you wrote the latest novel, Summer on a Sunny Island?

Sue: I was brought up there for several years and return whenever I can. Last year, with Summer on a Sunny Island in progress, I visited four times! I wrote about a quarter of the first draft there, which was an enriching process.

Jessie: What are the themes and contemporary issues in Summer on a Sunny Island?

Sue: Characters standing at a crossroads in their lives; online gambling; young people pulled into the wrong crowd; family dynamics; negative equity traps; responsibility.

Jessie: The opening lines of your novels always hook me.  Please share the opening lines of Summer on a Sunny Island.

‘Rosa twirled her wine glass, trying to choose her words over the chatter and clatter of Gino’s pavement café and the rumble of traffic along the seafront road. Here in the busy area of Sliema, old buildings outnumbered the new and the promenade was filled with people selling harbour cruises to tourists. Rosa preferred Ta’ Xbiex, where she was staying, about a mile along the coast, with its traditional stone villas. Sliema’s air was punctuated by the sound of car horns but in Ta’ Xbiex you could sometimes catch the mellow sound of church bells rising into the blue sky above the boats bobbing on the sparkling sea.’

Jessie: I am so grateful to you for writing such great escapes.  What do you read when you want to escape? 

Sue: I read in the area I write – authors such as Jules Wake/Julie Caplin, Kathryn Freeman, Rhoda Baxter, Christina Courtenay – and romantic suspense such as Toni Anderson, Suzanne Brockmann and Linda Howard. I also love books on Formula 1!

Sue Moorcroft is a Sunday Times and international bestselling author and has reached the coveted #1 spot on Amazon Kindle.

Jessie: What message would you like to give to your dedicated group of readers?

Sue: THANK YOU. There are few things give me more pleasure than readers enjoying my books. And thank you, Jessie, for inviting me onto Books in my Handbag!

As an international bestselling author of escapist fiction, Sue Moorcroft is the perfect writer to visit my blog.  As I can’t travel, I fancy an escape to Malta because we need an ‘uplifting happy read’ at the moment.

Sue Moorcroft is a Sunday Times and international bestselling author and has reached the coveted #1 spot on Amazon Kindle. She’s won the Goldsboro Books Contemporary Romantic Novel Award, Readers’ Best Romantic Novel award and the Katie Fforde Bursary. Sue’s novels of love and life are currently released by publishing giant HarperCollins in the UK, US and Canada and by an array of publishers in other countries.

Her short stories, serials, columns, writing ‘how to’ and courses have appeared around the world.

Born into an army family in Germany, Sue spent much of her childhood in Cyprus and Malta but settled in Northamptonshire at the age of ten. An avid reader, she also loves Formula 1, travel, time spent with friends, dance exercise and yoga.


Website [www.suemoorcroft.com]
Blog [http://suemoorcroft.wordpress.com]
Facebook profile [Sue.Moorcroft.3]
Facebook author page [https://www.facebook.com/SueMoorcroftAuthor
Twitter  [@suemoorcroft]
Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/suemoorcroftauthor/] @SueMoorcroftAuthor
LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/suemoorcroft]

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.

Escape to a Medieval Castle with Ella Matthews

Ella Matthews lives and works in beautiful South Wales.

Do you fancy a trip to medieval Britain and an encounter with a warrior knight? If you do, then let me introduce to Ella Matthews who has just released Under The Warrior’s Protection. Ella is a member of my local Romantic Novelists’ Association writing group. I was keen to discover more about how her role as a commissioning editor prepared her to become an author for Mills and Boon.

Did you dream of becoming an author when you were a child?

When I was a child I wanted to be an actress. There are two problems with this: I’m very shy and I’m a terrible actor. I thought that writing books is what other people did, so although I loved reading it never occurred to me that I could be an author too.

You were a commissioning editor for many years.  Was it difficult to make the transition from editor to writer? What were the key pointers you had in mind when you started to write?

There is quite a lot of cross-over with my editor role and writing and because I was so immersed in the publishing world it was quite easy to transition from one to the other. As a commissioning editor you are always thinking of the commercial appeal of the books you work on and that was one of my focuses when I was putting my first manuscript together. I’d love to say that my experience as an editor made getting rejection letters easier because I know it’s not personal but sadly, that’s not the case.

‘A story filled with drama, danger and fabulous characters that had me hooked.’
Anna’s Book Blog

Under the Warrior’s Protection is set in the medieval period.  Why did you select this period in history and how do you research the era?

I find it quite hard to research the medieval period. There is so much that’s unknown so I try and make an educated guess based on the research I do (mainly visiting castles and reading lots of books). My biggest concern is that I miss something and a reader picks it up.

I picked this time period because I’ve always wanted to live in a castle and this is the closest I’m going to get.

How many times do you draft a book before you send it to your editor?  How many rewrites do you go through before the book is ready to release into the wild?

I go through a lot! I would say that, on average, I draft individual scenes about eight times before I’m happy with them. When I’ve finished the manuscript I will probably go through it another four times before I send it to my editor. Victoria will then get back to me with any changes she wants before it’s sent to a content editor who makes sure I haven’t written something crazy, like eating pizza at a medieval feast. After that, it’s the proofs and then finally it’s released into the wild.

The hero of Under the Warrior’s Protection is an influential Earl and his fortress is based on Caerphilly Castle.

Where do you get your ideas from?  Do you find perfect medieval heroes and heroines walking our streets when you are out and about? If yes, then please give us a delicious example.

Gosh this is a hard question! I had the idea for the first book in the House of Leofric series so long ago that I’ve forgotten where the idea came from. All the other ideas for my medieval books have come from writing the other books. So, I had the idea for Under the Warrior’s Protection when I met the heroine, Katherine in my first book. She was a minor character, who caught my attention. Her story unfolded in my head as I was standing by the photocopier at work.

I’m terribly unobservant and I sort of walk around in my own bubble, so I never get my heroes and heroines from real life. Quite a few of my heroes seem to have Chris Hemsworth’s physique though!

Your novels always have distinctive settings.  The latest book is set in a medieval castle.  Is it based on a real castle and did you visit medieval castles to inspire you?

The castle, which features in all the House of Leofric books, is based on Oystermouth Castle in Mumbles (well worth a visit when Swansea opens back up again!). The hero of Under the Warrior’s Protection is an influential Earl and his fortress is based on Caerphilly Castle. I’m lucky to live in Wales where there are a range of medieval castles to visit.

What is the biggest challenge when writing a historical novel? 

It has to be finding out the correct information. The medieval period lasted for several hundred years and so what was true at the beginning was not necessarily the case by the end. My novels tend to take place in the middle and I’m very nervous about the fiction not matching up with reality. That’s why my locations are fictitious and there are no real people from history in my novels. I might be braver in my next series!

What clothes do your characters own and are there any interesting, unfamiliar garments?

Clothing is another big challenge when writing medieval novels. When I started researching this time period I was surprised at just how colourful their clothing was. I think the women’s outfits aren’t wildly different to modern day women’s maxi dresses. My heroes tend to wear knight’s clothing because their everyday outfits were similar to the women’s and I don’t want to cause confusion.

Is your heroine, Katherine, a modern woman?  Introduce us to Katherine and tell us what she would think of the way women dress and behave today.

Until the start of my novel, Katherine has led a very restricted life under the confines of an increasingly violent mother. She craves adventure and stability. I think she would be thrilled by how women behave today. She’d particularly love the freedom to travel anywhere in the world. If she lived now I think she would be a marine biologist! I do think she would be shocked by the mini skirt, though!

Your novels are presented as wonderful romantic escapes.  What should readers expect to find in your novels?

Strong, confident alpha males and feisty, forward-thinking women who experience adventure and romance.

What do the readers say about your novels? 

‘A story filled with drama, danger and fabulous characters that had me hooked.’

Anna’s Book Blog

‘This story…is full of angst, humour, and passion. Prepare to be romanced by another great author who is going on my favourites list.’

The Eclectic Review

‘This couple’s story kept me entertained, engrossed and I loved them more, the further I read.’

Goodreads review

Ella Matthews lives and works in beautiful South Wales. When not thinking about handsome heroes she can be found walking along the coast with her husband and their two children (probably still thinking about heroes but at least pretending to be interested in everyone else). Ella Matthews lives and works in beautiful South Wales. When not thinking about handsome heroes she can be found walking along the coast with her husband and their two children (probably still thinking about heroes but at least pretending to be interested in everyone else).

 

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

A copy of my novel is available here.

Inspiration for a Tuscan Girl

I am honoured that Angela wrote a letter to explain the inspiration behind Tuscan Girl. Sit back and enjoy a writer’s tour of Italy.

Bestselling author, Angela Petch, released ‘Tuscan Girl’ last week.  I started to read the novel on a stormy Saturday night and awoke at dawn to finish the book.  Lost stories of war, hidden treasure and buried memories gripped me. As a writer, I wanted to learn how this talented author manages to weave such captivating stories. I am honoured Angela wrote a letter to explain the inspiration behind Tuscan Girl.  Sit back and enjoy a writer’s tour of Italy.

In the Tuscan Apennines, where I spend six months of every year, I can step out of our front door straight into wild countryside. Our area is less populated after post war exodus, when people left for work abroad and in big cities and so I come across many ruined houses along the mule tracks that crisscross our hills and valleys.

Each abandoned dwelling holds a potential story and my imagination goes into overdrive, trying to guess what might have gone on within these walls, now strangled with weeds.

Many of the old houses are being eaten up by old man’s beard

When I was seven years old, my father accepted a job in Rome as deputy head of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. They were formative years and I picked up Italian like a little sponge. I’ve wheedled out stories behind these houses by chatting to elderly friends and through my research. We are lucky to have the national archive of diaries in nearby Pieve Santo Stefano and I’ve spent hours poring over handwritten resources.

Bruno sitting outside the house owned by his son, who had just returned from collecting wild mushrooms.

One of my friends is Bruno Vergni, one hundred years old last January 13th. I met him seven years ago on one of my hikes. I stopped to chat as he pruned an apple tree and, to my huge surprise, he responded in English. He explained that he had been a POW in Nottingham, having been captured in Libya early in the war.

I researched more about Bruno’s war and he is now one of the main characters in “The Tuscan Girl” (albeit tweaked with my own ideas). He now lives with his son, but in my story I have placed him in one of the semi-deserted hamlets called Tramarecchia.

Pieve Santo Stefano holds Italy’s collection of diaries – a wonderful resource

A favourite walk is up to the beautiful Alp of the Moon, (1,400 metres). We stopped to picnic by a pile of stones and read a sign posted by the local partisan association.  Up here, in the summer of 1944, a group of young men planned their resistance missions. After researching and meeting a local historian, Alvaro Tacchini, more ideas for my book were gleaned.

An abandoned chapel, two houses on the outskirts of the village, empty because of a brothers’ squabble, the outline of a Medici fortress… all ruins waiting to be written about in future books.

Angela’s explanation connected me to Alba who treks around the remote Tuscan villages and rebuilds the ruins in her paintings.  She discovers ‘The paths…like arteries leading to the heart of new stories.’  I enjoyed treading these paths with Alba and look forward to more stories.

 

Please see all my guests’ posts at Mail from the Creative Community and my website and blog at JessieCahalin.com.

A copy of my novel is available here.

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.

Moments of Joy

The Tryo must have spent a lifetime perfecting their art and teasing out every single note.

Enchanted by a musical trio, we joined a crowd as they danced, swayed and tapped their feet to the beat.  The international language of joy spread across everyone’s face.

Situated next to the Roman Forum, musical notes suspended us in a moment.  The entertainers beamed at their audience’s response.  As I tapped my feet, I realised how few people placed money in the guitar case, and no one would part with ten euros to buy the compilation.   Many people expected the impromptu entertainment to be free.

The Tryo must have spent a lifetime perfecting their art and teasing out every single note.  I tried to imagine their stories.  Who were the loves of their lives?  How did they manage perform the music with such soul? As a gesture of kindness from a writer to musicians, I decided to pay the ten euros for the CD. The trio smiled again but looked a little surprised.  My action prompted a few others to buy the music.  I do believe that people had forgotten that we can’t always expect to be entertained for free.  Alas, other people continued to record the music on their phones and never looked up.  However, I did hear the happy clang of coins hitting the guitar as I walked away.

Here I am feeling happy in Delfryn Abbey (inspired by Tintern Abbey).

Listening to the CD at home takes me back to Rome and a moment that bonded a diverse group of people in the city of Romance. This weekend, I was suspended in another moment of joy when readers, across the world, paid ninety nine pence for ‘You Can’t Go It Alone’. My book climbed the charts, and I performed my happy dance.  I imagined the coins falling into my handbag ready for me to buy a coffee and another book.

Olivia, Rosa and Matteo’s Olive Tree Café and music venue.

I do wish I could gather the readers of my novel together, smile at them and say thank you to them for buying my words.  I would love to be able to invite the readers to the Olive Tree Café, in You Can’t Go It Alone, and ask Rosa, Olivia and Matteo to perform music for them.

Presenting You Can’t go It Alone

Wishing you all moments of joy.

 

Please see all my adventures at Handbag Adventures.

 

A Writer’s Jukebox in my Handbag with Jo Lambert

Which songs did Jo enter into her writer’s jukebox to evoke the emotions and inspire the tension in A Cornish Affair, her debut novel with Ruby Fiction?

Author, Jo Lambert, celebrates music in her regular blog feature Life Playlists.  Music is an inspiration for Jo, and during the writing process music helps Jo to tease out the emotions in her romance novels.  I imagine a vintage jukebox playing in the corner of her writing room.  Which songs did Jo enter into her writer’s jukebox to evoke the emotions and inspire the tension in A Cornish Affair, her debut novel with Ruby Fiction?

At its heart A Cornish Affair is romantic fiction but it’s also wrapped around a modern day saga.  Alongside the ‘will they-won’t they’ going on between Cat and Luke there’s a host of other things – murder and a cantankerous great aunt to mention just two.  But this book could never have been written without the music.  Like Jessie music has always been a huge part of my life and it’s played an important role in all my writing. With two exceptions, all my books have had their titles taken from songs.  And to help the writing process, I create a playlist of tracks; a musical backdrop to writing different scenes.

But Carrenporth is about to experience far bigger scandals than the return of Luke Carrack – and the secrets unearthed in the process will shake the sleepy seaside town to its core …

So this is in Jessie’s words a ‘Books in my Handbag Jukebox’ post.   A taster of the music I used for this particular novel.

TITLE TRACK

The Boys of Summer – Don Henley.   As this was the working title of the book, the song was a ‘must have’

ROMANTIC TRACKS

Emotional – Whitney Houston

Stay with Me Till Dawn – Judy Tzuke

CAT AND LUKE’S  BREAK UP

 Johnny Hates Jazz – Shattered Dreams

Hall and Oates – She’s Gone    

Jo’s playlist offers a clear insight into the narrative and the emotion. I wanted to discover more about this author.

 

In June 2018 Jo signed to Choc Lit. Her debut A Cornish Affair, set on the North Cornish coast, was published in June under their Ruby imprint.

Jo Lambert lives on the eastern edge of the city of Bath. In 2008 she published her first novel When Tomorrow Comes. This was the first of five books which became known as the Little Court series, following the lives and loves of four girls growing up in the 1960/70s in the West Country. In 2015 she published Summer Moved On, a contemporary romance set in South Devon. A sequel, Watercolours in the Rain followed in 2017.

In June 2018 Jo signed to Choc Lit.  Her debut A Cornish Affair, set on the North Cornish coast, was published in June under their Ruby imprint. She is currently working on her next coastal romance.
When Jo isn’t writing she reads and reviews. She also has an active blog – A Writer’s Journey.  She loves travel, red wine and rock music and takes the odd photograph or two. Jo is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and the Society of Authors

More about A Cornish Affair.

In the close-knit community of Carrenporth in Cornwall everyone knows everyone else’s business. Luke Carrack is only too aware of this. He’s been away for two years but nothing has changed – from the town gossips who can’t see past the scandal of his childhood, to the cold way he is treated by some of his so-called family.
The only person who seems to understand is local hotelier’s daughter Cat Trevelyan, although even Luke’s new friendship with her could set tongues wagging.
But Carrenporth is about to experience far bigger scandals than the return of Luke Carrack – and the secrets unearthed in the process will shake the sleepy seaside town to its core …

Social Media Links –
Website: http://jolambertbooks.com
Blog: http://jolambertwriter.blog
Twitter: @jolambertwriter
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jolambert185
Linkedin: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/jo-lambert-6 4644530
Instagram: jolambertwriter185

 

Please see all my guests’ posts at Mail from the Creative Community and my website and blog at JessieCahalin.com.

A copy of my novel is available here.

The Romance Novelists’ Association as my Shield

When Jessie Met Angela

A knight from the House of York

As a Yorkshire lass visiting Lancaster, I entered the city with trepidation.  Would I be safe?  Would I be welcome?  With my white rose hidden in my handbag, I approached Lancaster University and entered the magical world of the Romantic Novelists’ Association.

I exchanged my white rose for a pink lanyard, grabbed a black bag of bookish goodies and planned my battle for the day.  A wave of nerves washed over me when I saw my name listed on the one-to-one timetables.

RNA
Romantic Novelists’ Association is a shield protecting writers

With the ‘Sound the drums and trumpets’, the day commenced with a meeting of authors on the New Writers’ Scheme led by the wonderful Immi Howson.  Listening to the success stories of the NWS authors made me realise the Romantic Novelists’ Association is a shield protecting writers and giving us to tell our stories.   Writing can be a battleground and as many said, ‘we all have downs’, but with the support of the RNA one can survive ‘the slings and arrows’ of the process.

Encouraging smiles and greetings from fellow authors lifted my heart throughout the day. Lynda Stacey, my fairy godmother, prepared me for the first meeting.  Members of the South and West Wales Chapter offered constant support. Surrounded by the warmth of the writers, I calmed down and looked around for familiar faces.

When Jessie met Angela

But the ‘sound of drums and trumpets’ heralded again and a knight from the House of York pushed me towards a writing heroine, Angela Petch.  Her presence glowed in the room and I knew I would be safe from the ‘slings and arrows’ of my writing doubts. She handed me a notebook with ‘Dream big because dreams do happen’ written on the cover; these words started to ring in my ears for the rest of the day.  It was overwhelming to meet this lovely lady in person and snatch chat time between meetings.  Her kind words armed me with confidence, and I mused on how I felt as if I have always known Angela.

She handed me a notebook with ‘Dream big because dreams do happen’ written on the cover; these words started to ring in my ears for the rest of the day.

The one-to-one meeting with the industry professionals were enjoyable but too short.  My writing was praised, and I began to smile again.  It was a pleasure to introduce Pearl and Jim to new people, and I was delighted everyone loved naughty Doreen.

Being involved in the RNA is ‘a kinda magic’ that enables authors to slay the self-doubts and carve out a pathway towards achieving one’s dream.  All I can do now is wish on a star, edit, write and ‘dream big’.

 

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

A copy of my novel is available here.

Rum Cocktails with Janice Horton

‘The Backpacking Housewife’ travelling in Thailand with her backpack on.

I hadn’t expected to see a grey sky when I arrived in St Lucia.  Warm air blasted into my face when I stepped outside of the plane. Why had I tugged my jacket out of my tightly packed rucksack?  A large taxi transported me through the luscious landscape of the Caribbean. Blue sky dissolved the grey and sunshine chased away clouds. My eyes feasted on palm trees, banana plantations and snatches of rainforest.  Finally, the taxi driver parked in an open-air reception of a hotel, and he laughed that I didn’t have any luggage.  Janice spotted me instantly. Relaxed and tanned in her colourful dress, it was clear she was enjoying life in paradise. The bar was located beside the pool area, and tables were shaded with umbrellas constructed from palm trees.   A rum cocktail soothed my senses then chased away my jet lag.  I settled into the chair and kicked off my trainers.

The Backpacking Housewife

Jessie:  This rum cocktail is delicious.  It was a long, noisy flight.  What a relief to be here.  Tell me more about your novel, Backpacking Housewife. What is it about?

Janice:  Lovely to meet you, Jessie.  Take it easy, finish your cocktail and soak up the atmosphere.  You did look frantic when you arrived.  The Backpacking Housewife is a work of fiction but it’s also a travel adventure loosely based on my own travel experiences. It’s a story about an ordinary woman, who on finding her husband of 25 years in bed with her best friend, grabs her passport and handbag and heads out of the door to the airport.

Jessie: Wow.  The book sounds great.  I love the idea of leaving with a handbag and passport.  I love to travel light.  I expect the book was well received by the reviewers.

Janice:  Here’s some reviews on Netgalley. I’m so happy with the response and have lots of great reviews.  It is difficult to choose.

Janice and her husband love to travel.

“Lori’s story had me gripped throughout and I couldn’t get enough of her travel tales.” Linda B. “I highly encourage you to read this novel, which is loosely based on Horton’s actual life travelling with her husband. I wish I could be more like her.” Heather L.“What a fun book to read! For anyone who likes to travel, or who even thinks about travel, this is the book that will inspire you to really do it.” Deah H.

Jessie:  You must be delighted with your reviews. Please tempt me with an extract.

Janice:  “With the top off the coconut, he quickly grabs a bottle of rum from a supply box and pours a good glug of it inside. ‘There you go. A rum cocktail for the lady!’”

On a Long Tail Boat in Thailand

Jessie:   A fun extract to accompany my cocktail. It must have been a joy to write the book.  How did you feel when you had finished writing your book, and did you miss any of the characters?

Janice: To be honest, I was euphoric to have finished because I’d been writing to such a tight deadline. I’d been travelling in Asia when I was asked by Charlotte Ledger, Editorial Director at Harper Impulse, to write The Backpacking Housewife. Once I’d signed the contract, I knew I’d have to stop travelling for a while and settle down somewhere to write the book. My husband and I immediately applied for a housesitting gig in South West France. The assignment was to care for a beautiful chateau in the wine region and a handsome cat called Monsieur Smudge. It was there that I worked on the manuscript and where I battled not to be distracted from the enormity of my task by the beautiful house and swimming pool and bounty of French wine and cheese! And in the end, I will admit that I had grown very fond indeed of brave Lori, the heroine of the story, and was rather smitten with Ethan, the gorgeous hero.

Jessie:  I am so envious of you housesitting a chateau. I imagine you had the opportunity to dream up other stories.  I don’t know how you managed to avoid distractions.  Tell me, 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. 

Janice: Actually, if I can bend the rules a little, I would sincerely like any woman who dreams of travelling the world to read my book. I’d hope to inspire her through this story and through my own travel adventures so one day her dreams can come true.

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

Janice: I believe there’s two good reasons to have a copy of The Backpacking Housewife in your handbag (or beach-bag). 1) To read when an escape from real life presents itself. 2) As part of a relaxing sun-lounger on the beach or next to the pool with a cocktail summer holiday experience.

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

Janice: Write up author interview for Jessie Cahalin and Books in my Handbag Blog’

Jessie: What is the biggest challenge for an author?

Janice: To write the kind of book that people want to read and publishers want to publish.

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

Janice: Terry Pratchett famous said: ‘writing the first draft is just you telling yourself the story’. I try to keep this in mind while I’m writing the ever daunting first draft.

Writing desk in France – favourite writing place

About Janice

Janice Horton writes contemporary romantic fiction with a dash of humour and a sense of adventure. In 2014, as empty-nesters, Janice and her husband set off to explore the Caribbean. In 2015, they returned to the UK only to sell their material possessions in favour of travelling around the world.  Janice Horton is the person behind the travel and adventure website www.thebackpackinghousewife.com. Her current location is somewhere in the Caribbean. Janice’s exciting summer 2018 book release is from Harper Impulse ‘The Backpacking Housewife’. Look out for her bestselling romantic adventure novels ‘Bagpipes and Bullshot’ ‘Reaching for the Stars’ and ‘Castaway in the Caribbean’ – a #1 Kindle Bestseller shortlisted for the prestigious Love Story Awards.

What a pleasure to meet an author and a traveller.  Janice and her husband’s decision to sell material goods in order to travel is an inspiration.  Clearly, Janice loves the simple things in life, and I admire the way she grabs opportunities: life should be an adventure.  The Backpacking Housewife sounds like a good laugh!

Janice’s contact details:
Web: https://thebackpackinghousewife.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheBackpackingHousewife
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JaniceHorton
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janicehortonwriter

 

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

Meet the Coffee Shop Writer

Meet Jenny Kane / Jennifer Ash

I spent four hours in a department store and didn’t buy anything, not even a handbag, instead I shopped for characters.  Jenny Kane led a writing workshop for the RNA South Wales and West Chapter and inspired me to reconnect with the characters in my work in progress.  Former archaeologist and medieval historian, Jenny is a self-proclaimed accidental author. I was lucky enough to grab a coffee and time for a chat with Jenny, so I could tell you more about this lovely lady from Devon. 

Jessie:  Tell us more about Jenny Kane/Jenny Ash.

Jenny: I am workaholic, coffee drinking, author who writes her books from the corner of my favourite coffee shop, in Devon.

Jessie: How have you managed to build your brand as an author and sustain your success?

Jenny: The first genre I wrote was erotica. I didn’t mean to, and I certainly didn’t see that career coming, but for some reason I found myself composing scenes of smut.

After five years of kinky thinking, I decided to have a go at writing a story where everyone kept their clothes on. It was most liberating! To my surprise, that novel, Another Cup of Coffee, was well received.

With the writing market changing all the time, I’ve always been wary of putting all my eggs in one basket, and so, after writing eight granny friendly novels, I had a go at writing about my personal passion – medieval crime. Oh- and I write children’s picture books too.  I have three pen names.

Jessie: Do your pen names have different identities?

Jenny: As Jenny Kane I write contemporary fiction and romance, as well as children’s picture books.

As Jennifer Ash I write medieval murder mysteries (The Folville Chronicles) as well as audio scripts for ITV and Spiteful Puppet.

My first pen name was Kay Jaybee- only investigate her if you are over 18 and enjoy erotica.

Jessie: How did you manage to become the resident writer in Costa Coffee shop How wonderful!

Northmoor House: the writers’ residential retreat rub by Jenny and Alison

Jenny: I’ve always been a coffee shop writer. I get too distracted by things that need doing around the house if I attempt to write at home.  When a Costa opened in Tiverton, I started to write in there. I didn’t tell anyone what I was doing, but after I’d turned up every day for several months, the staff started to enquire, and soon I was part of the furniture. So much so, that they offered to hold a book launch for me when Another Cup of Coffee was published.

When I turned up for the launch, I found that I had a new table in the far corner of the cafe with a plaque on the wall, stating it was Jenny Kane’s Corner! I was speechless. I had corner- just like Winnie the Pooh!

I’ve sat and worked in that corner every day since. It’s lovely. Mostly I’m left alone to write, but it’s not unknown for folk to pop by for a chat or to have their books signed.

So far I’ve written 12 full length novels, 4 scripts and countless workshops and short stories at that table.

Jessie: Tell me about the writing workshops you offer.  How do you balance the workshops and writing?

Jenny: I’ve been teaching creative writing on and off for the past twelve years. However, 2 years ago, my friend and fellow writer, Alison Knight and I, pooled our resources and set up the creative writing business, Imagine.

We provide workshops for beginners and cover every element of fiction writing from character development to location building, plotting, short story writing and the skills you need to get your butt on a chair and make yourself write.

Our most popular courses are our life writing masterclass and the Novel in a Year workshop series. These run over a year, and take people from their first word, to preparation for submission to an agent or publisher.

I split my working day between writing (7am- 12pm) and prepping for workshops (12.30pm and 3pm). After that I go to work, before editing/proofing my students work in the evenings.

Jessie: Summarise your latest release in two sentences.

Edward’s Outlaw by Jennifer Ash is a murder mystery set in Rockingham Castle during the fourteenth century

Jenny: Edward’s Outlaw by Jennifer Ash is a murder mystery set in Rockingham Castle during the fourteenth century. Placed in the castle for her own protected, Mathilda Folville, finds herself playing detective in order to save her husband’s life and her family’s reputation.

Jessie: List a maximum of three quotes from the reviews that you have had. 

Jenny: For The Folville Chronicles by Jennifer Ash – “Ellis Peters meets Jean Plaidy… via Robin Hood.” (Review from Goodreads)

For Abi’s House by Jenny Kane – “Reading a Jenny Kane book is like opening a journal by a much loved friend. I’m spirited away into a world of warm, friendly and interesting people. To places that I not only want to visit but actually live in. Shops, cafés and pubs that I want to be my locals and life that I want to experience and be a part of. Abi’s House gives you all of these feelings and left me with a huge smile on my face and a glowing in my heart. More of this wonderfulness please!!” (Review from Amazon)

For Another Cup of Coffee by Jenny Kane – “‘This book is definitely my cup of coffee

Gosh, where to start with this review?!  The characters: you laughed with them, cringed, hated, wanted to shout at the book because you cared so deeply. Every character had their own story, and I loved that this was intertwined with Amy’s story, waiting to see how it panned out. Big round of applause for Kane for the characters on its own….Another Cup of Coffee itself: very realistic and a delight from start to finish. I felt like I was sitting on the outside looking in all the time, and I’d known this group of people for my entire life…. A timeless piece and one worth picking up big time. This book is definitely my cup of coffee (sorry, I had to). (Review from Bookmark That)

Jessie: Present an extract from your latest novel that will tempt a reader. 

A young woman of my build, with similar hair, has suffered a violent death in the room allocated to me.

(From Edward’s Outlaw – The Folville Chronicles Book 3)

“…A young woman of my build, with similar hair, has suffered a violent death in the room allocated to me. A room in which I was intended to be trapped under lock and key….”

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

Jenny: I also feel a little bereft when I finish a novel. It’s such an intense process. The character’s live in your head 24/7 for months. When I finished Edward’s Outlaw it felt particularly strange as it bought me to the end of an intense three book writing experience- (The Outlaw’s Ransom, The Winter Outlaw and Edward’s Outlaw – the first 3 books in The Folville Chronicles) The lead character, Mathilda, is someone I’m very fond of- I miss her now that I’m writing a different series (as Jenny Kane- name a secret as yet!)

Mathilda will be back however, as there is another story coming as part of The Folville Chronicles in 2020.

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

They’ll provide some much needed escapism- and make you smile.

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

Jenny: Check about the vinegar.

Jessie: What is the biggest challenge for an author?

Jenny: Not losing heart. It can take a long time to succeed, and even then the financial rewards are feeble. It can be very hard to stay positive when you’re surrounded by celebrities getting paid a fortune to write (often poorly) simply because they can cycle fast or once ate bugs in the jungle.

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

Jenny: Cut down on your adverbs. My work was awash with them at first. I hadn’t realised how much they were slowing my plots down.

Jessie: How do you support other writers and what common mistakes do fledgling authors make?

Jenny: Always be positive. Writers are usually full of self doubt (I know I am), so we need to encourage and support with time and kind words.

New authors often make the mistake of rushing the editing process- usually because they are so keen to get their work out into the wild. If in doubt- edit once more- and if you can afford it- pay a professional to do that last check for you.

Jessie: Tell me about the writers’ retreats you have organised.

Jenny: As well as workshops, Imagine runs a residential retreat at Northmoor House on Exmoor every October. This year the event runs from 7-11th October.

The week involves as much private writing time as you like, one-to-one mentoring from Alison Knight and myself (on request- no addition charge) and an evening with guest speaker, Kate Lord Brown.

The retreat price includes all meals and accommodation in an original Victorian house- complete with the original free standing baths! (Bring your own bubbles!)

You can find all the details at www.imaginecreativewriting.co.uk

Book soon – we’d love to see you there- but there are only 3 rooms left for 2019.

Imagine also provides day long Location Inspiration Days. These take place in a variety of stunning locations, where you are encouraged to use the setting to create your works of fiction.

Our next events are on 19th June and 11th Sept at the Old Farmhouse and Chapel, in Ashcott, Somerset. You can find details at www.imaginecreativewriting.co.uk

About Jenny:

Jenny Kane is the author of several contemporary fiction novels including, Romancing Robin Hood (Littwitz Press, 2018),  Abi’s House, (Accent Press, 2015), and the Another Cup of Coffee series (Accent Press, 2013).  As Jennifer Ash she writes the medieval mysteries, The Folville Chronicles, as well as audio scripts for ITV.

Jenny’s contact details:

Twitter
@JenAshHistory
@JennyKaneAuthor
@Imagine_Writing

Jennifer Ash https://www.facebook.com/jenniferashhistorical/
Jenny Kane https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100011235488766
Imagine www.imaginecreativewriting.co.uk
Jenny Kane and Jennifer Ash www.jennykane.co.uk

 

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

Please see here for a copy of my novel.

Detective Indie Author Investigates

Detective Indie Author Investigates

The Crime and Coffee Festival beckoned me to Cardiff Library to solve the mystery of writing and publishing. The workshop: Cut, Slash and Perfect promised to reveal more about the writing and traditional publishing journey.  As I passed the crime scene tape surrounding the bookshelves, I did wonder if any authors had been lost during the cutting, slashing and perfecting process. I went undercover to find out more about traditional publishing. Would I need an agent, and would I need a sharper pair of scissors?

The panel discussion with: Thorne Moore, Caroline Oakely and Judith Barrow. Has Judith spotted Jessie?

Authors, Judith Barrow and Thorne Moore, chatted with the editor, Caroline Oakley, of Honno Press about publishing. The entertaining chat provided food for thought for all authors who wish to publish their work.  As I listened, I captured some of the main points and discovered what makes editors cut and authors cry. The panel put me at ease, and I was able to remove my disguise as an indie author.

Introducing Caroline Oakley who is the editor at Honno Press

Caroline has worked in general trade publishing for over thirty years and has edited a number of award winning and bestselling authors. Caroline works for, Honno Press, an independent Welsh Women’s publisher in Wales.

Clues from the Editor

Caroline gave a balanced overview of publishing

Big publishers only work through agents.

A good editor is key to success for all authors

Agents often have useful contacts within the publishing world and deal with the contracts.  Care must be taken when selecting an agent because, as in all businesses, there are inefficient, self –styled experts, with little experience, out there. Google and search for those authors who write in your genre to find out the names of the agents who deal with your kind of book before submitting. You can approach independent and smaller publishers with or without an agent. Find out what this kind of publisher wants before approaching them.  Research their website; look at the work of the signed authors.  Take your time to select the appropriate one for your genre; consider how much advance that publisher pays, the amount of royalties for sold books you will get, your rights (such as audio and foreign rights for your work) and the terms and conditions of your contract. You must read the small print!

Don’t get disheartened with rejection letters sent to publishers.  Hope your manuscript reaches the publisher at the right time (by this I mean that it’s not a miserable Monday morning for them, or they’ve not had a quarrel with a partner or their family – or they’ve not had a week of wading through a pile of “not very good” manuscripts before they get to yours)– it is subjective.

Indie publishing has its challenges, but it gives you more control and you get all the profit.  The Indie author deals with every element of the process; from the writing to choosing the cover, the blurb formatting, publication and marketing. Traditionally published authors also are expected to promote and market. Indie publishing is time- consuming but as I said before, they do have complete control over their work.

The venue – Cardiff Library

Whichever publishing route you choose, you must get yourself an editor! Although time-consuming (and sometimes devastating!) you must go through the cut, slash perfect process.  A good editor will identify gaps, things that possibly don’t work in your writing, mistakes such as change of dates of characters’ birthdays or colour of eyes in different parts of the book, errors in time scale etc.. But will not tell you what to do, only point out those mistakes and suggest changes to make your work stronger.

It is advisable that every author, whether self-published or traditionally published, has a website, blog and social media accounts.

Introducing Judith Barrow:

Judith Barrow has published four books with Honno Press.  She writes historical family saga fiction. She has also self-published books and a collection of short stories of the minor characters in her trilogy.

What did Judith say about her publishing journey?

Judith Barrow and Thorne Moore are published by Honno Press

I love working with Honno Press.  The staff are friendly and accessible. As a writer you learn what you can and cannot get away with.  I have built up trust with the editor who I know has had a long and professional career in all genres. And, although  Honno Press also organises the front cover for the books, they have allowed me input to the final decision .

Working with Honno Press provides me with quality, professional editing.  I cry every time, I get the editor’s comments, but I know, in my heart, it makes the work better.  An editor will read your book line by line and give an overview. A good editor will ask the right questions but will not give you the answers. When you edit your work, you must keep your own voice.

I do not send my very first draft to an editor and probably have about ten revisions.  I ask my friend, who is an author, to give me an honest opinion on anything I have doubts about.  I am also a member of a writing group and we email sections of our books for discussion.  But do, avoid too much input from too many sources into your work as it can confuse you – have a small trusted network of writers.  Believe in yourself! The cut, slash and perfect stages involves a first general edit, as many more detailed edits then necessary to get the writing to its best, a line by line edit to weed out any noticeable mistakes and then a proof read by the publisher’s proof reader. Finally, it comes back to me for a last read to make sure all is correct. I do like this final stage; it does make me feel as though I have control over the end product to some degree.

Introducing Thorne Moore

Thorne had published three books with Honno Fiction and writes domestic noir and psychological fiction.  Thorne has self-published and works with two publishers.

What did Thorne say about publishing?

She has self-published short stories in order to market a published book.  The different publishers are relevant to the books promoted. Regardless of how the books are published, the author must have a good editor.

A writer needs an editor to stand on the mountain and look down on your work.  During the writing process the author becomes too absorbed to be objective.  Through the feedback from the editor, you learn to write.  The editor will locate your common mistakes then you will avoid these in subsequent drafts.

You do need a small critical group of friends who will give you constructive criticism.

Don’t worry about the reviews. Jane Austin has plenty of one star and two star reviews on Amazon.

Don’t give up!  I was rejected by Honno at first. In an interview with Thorne, she told me about the trials and tribulations of her publishing journey. This story of Thorne’s publishing journey will be published very soon.

A good editor is key to success for all authors: traditionally published and self-published need a good editor.  A good editor will identify gaps in your work and ask the right questions.  My editor forced me to ask lots of questions about my book and rework sections.  I learnt a great deal about my writing through this process. As a self-published author I have involved a professional editor, beta readers and other authors.  One must be careful of making new mistakes in a new edit – it is expensive to pay for all the various stages of the edit.  I understand the security of working with an independent publisher who provides an editor. The indie author has greater control of the book but must complete all stages of the process including the book cover and the marketing. In the end, all clues pointed towards the importance of a professional editor during the publishing process.  No matter how many times the author sharpens the scissors to cut, they still need an editor and dosh to pay for quality.   Clearly, this wasn’t an open and shut case and more investigation needed to be completed.

Clue of the Day

Narbeth Book Fair – see Judith, Thorne and Jessie!

Caroline suggested the market for the unreliable narrator in all genres will change. Like fashion in clothes, fashion in books also changes.  No one knows what will be the next ‘in thing’ for novels.

Judith Barrow, Caroline Oakley, Thorne Moore will all be at the Narberth Book Festival on 22nd September.

You can book individual session with Caroline Oakley of Honno Press for £35.  For more information visit the Narberth Book Fair website. Children’s writers can book sessions with Firefly Press.

 

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

 

Gilli Allan’s Buried Treasure

Buried Treasure is not always what it seems

Yippee! I found Buried Treasure hidden inside my blog.  Gilli Allan, author and artist, has written a novel entitled Buried Treasure and agreed to share an extract.  I invited her to tell you more about her latest release.  Apparently, ‘Buried Treasure is not always what it seems’…

Dear Readers,

I am delighted to present Buried Treasure.  The extract I’ve chosen is a flashback to the gathering after the funeral of “Uncle” Bill Sydney. The heroine Jane, a young teenager, is talking to her twenty-plus sister Rachel. Rachel is being typically high-handed and unsympathetic, and suggesting Bill’s wife, Mary, can now have the clear-out of her late husband’s ‘Sydney Collection’, that she’s always complained about. Although Bill’s father, their great uncle Alf Sydney, did unearth a Viking hoard from a field during the war, always referred to as his ‘Treasure’, it was confiscated, much to his disgust. The collection now consists of the far humbler antiquities dug-up over the years, from the Sussex farm, to which Bill added the curios he brought back after his national Service.

“… I promise you will not be disappointed. It is a very satisfying romance, to be sure, but as always with Gilli Allan’s stories, ‘Buried Treasure’ is about so much more than the relationship between two people….” Anne Williams

‘Uncle Bill’s been dead less than a fortnight,’ Jane reminded her sister. ‘And the collection’s not in her way. As far as I know, it’s still in her shed.’

‘He was a silly old fool. You were the only one really interested in it, or in the so-called treasure, for that matter.’

‘We were both thrilled when we first heard about it.’

‘We were children!’ 

‘It was an amazing find. And Bill was only young when it was dug up. No wonder it became a big event in his memory.’

‘Most of us grow up, but I can see you’re not planning to.  As for ‘The Sydney Collection’ … one day it will fall to you to sort it all out. I certainly don’t want a load of old stone-age tools, broken pottery and dirty coins…. Not to mention his “precious – s – s – s – s” !’ Rachel mimics the sibilant enunciation made famous by Gollum in the Lord of the Rings films. She twirls her index finger at her temple.

‘How can you be so…!’ Jane hated her sister’s disdainful tone, but it was true, the older he’d become the more Bill talked about the unearthing of the “treasure”, and since his father’s death he continually obsessed about the secret hidden artefact, never admitted to at the time of the treasure’s confiscation, that he claimed to have found.

‘You’ll have the pleasure of discovering that it was a delusion. Probably just as well he popped off when he did.’

Thank you for reading this extract.  It was fun selecting a short passage that might whet the appetite. If you choose to read my book, I very much hope you enjoy it.  And do please connect with me, leave a review or tell me what you think. 

Best wishes, Gilli x

Jessie:  Why did you select this extract?

Gilli: I chose this section as it’s the first occasion when one of the books mysteries is referred to – the notion that there might be something more valuable – perhaps an item of the Viking hoard – hidden amongst Bills rag-bag of oddities.

In Buried Treasure there is the intriguing backdrop of an old university, and a mismatched couple whose lives become entangled because each has an archaeological puzzle they need to solve.

Jessie:  Why should I place Buried Treasure in my handbag?

Gilli: As for why do I think you should pop Buried Treasure onto the ereader in YOUR handbag?  Well, I don’t think you should if you like your romance sugar-coated!  My writing engages with the more challenging aspects of life and relationships, often glossed over or ignored in mass-market romance.  In real life morality is not necessarily black or white. People are not neatly divided into heroes or villains. Sex is not always awesome – it can be awkward, embarrassing – even abusive – and it has consequences. And in Buried Treasure there is the intriguing backdrop of an old university, and a mismatched couple whose lives become entangled because each has an archaeological puzzle they need to solve.

Jessie:  How did you feel when you finished writing Buried Treasure?  Did you miss any of the characters?

Gilli: When I finished Buried Treasure my first feeling was relief; it was the hardest book I have ever written, but I found myself thinking about the characters long after.

Jessie:  Tell us a little about yourself.

Gilli: I am stubborn, persistent and slightly obsessional; if I wasn’t I wouldn’t have 6 published books to my name.

Gilli: I am stubborn, persistent and slightly obsessional; if I wasn’t I wouldn’t have 6 published books to my name.

Biography:

Living in Gloucestershire with her husband Geoff, Gilli is still a keen artist. She draws and paints and has now moved into book illustration.

She is published by Accent Press and each of her books, Torn, Life Class and Fly or Fall has won a ‘Chill with a Book’ award.

About Buried Treasure

Their backgrounds could hardly be further apart, their expectations in life more different. And there is nothing in the first meeting between the conference planner and the university lecturer which suggests they should expect or even want to connect again. But they have more in common than they could ever have imagined. Both have unresolved issues from the past which have marked them; both have an archaeological puzzle they want to solve. Their stories intertwine and they discover together that treasure isn’t always what it seems.

Reviews

“….credible, three dimensional, affecting characters […]  ordinary people doing and/or experiencing sometimes extraordinary things. Their respective loneliness, sadness and difficult back stories made this seemingly mismatched couple very appealing…” Anne Stormont.

“…[I] have the highest regard for this talented author.  The title intrigued me from the outset; who hasn’t at some time in their life dreamed of finding buried treasure?  I know I have, and found this treasure of a story deeply satisfying….”  Lyn Sofras  (The Manic Scroibbler)

“… I promise you will not be disappointed.  It is a very satisfying romance, to be sure, but as always with Gilli Allan’s stories, ‘Buried Treasure’ is about so much more than the relationship between two people….” Anne Williams

You can find out more about Gilli at:

Find my other books at LIFE CLASS, TORN and FLY or FALL or at:
https://accentpressbooks.com/collections/gilli-allan

Find me at:
http://twitter.com/gilliallan   (@gilliallan)
https://www.facebook.com/GilliAllan.AUTHOR
http://gilliallan.blogspot.com
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1027644.Gilli_Allan
https://romanticnovelistsassociation.org/rna_author/gilli-allan/

 

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

A copy of my novel is available here.

 

Writing Party

Cheers to the Romantic Novelists’ Association! Congratulations on 60 years.

Laptop, notebooks, sandwiches, party banners and sparkling wine crammed into my rucksack, I set off on my writing adventure in a department store. Rather than shopping for the latest bargains in store, I shopped for story ideas at a writing retreat in the community room of John Lewis Department Store. The writing retreat was organised by my local writing group.  Party fever to celebrate sixty years of the Romantic Novelists’ Association was scheduled for the middle of the day.

I was serious about writing.

I collected my writing fuel at the coffee shop before venturing through the store’s security.  When we walked through the corridors behind the store, I convinced myself we were about to board a plane.  On reflection, I am pleased we did not meet any pilots because the factory girls are easily distracted.  However, Pearl could have performed a stunning rendition of ‘Fly Me To The Moon’.

In a room aptly named the Discovery Room, we all braced ourselves for take-off into our own writing worlds. I panicked I would not be able to find any words. Nudged by the sight of authors working, I managed to get my imagination to take flight. I also deleted a character who had stowed away in one of the chapters.   Once aboard the writing retreat, I had to delve into my imagination and was not tempted to chat.

The final chapter of ‘Loving You’ awaited my attention.  Following edits, I realised my characters were not happy with their destinations.  They needed to find out more the secrets haunting them.  Armed with a huge notebook, I knew I had hidden the clues in there somewhere.

The writing party and words are in full flow for Jan Baynham.

There is a time to write and a time to relax. Before lunch, we celebrated sixty years of the wonderful Romantic Novelists’ Association. We marked the occasion with the party fever and shared sixty words from our romance novels.  It was great fun guessing who had written the extracts. On Valentine’s Day, I will share the photos and celebratory parcels of words from the writing group.

Guess who wrote the extract?

Since the writing retreat, I crafted more chapters of ‘Loving You’.  Jim and Pearl have offered gentle guidance and Doreen, one of the lively factory women, has gatecrashed a party.  The writing retreat kick started my final chapters, and the support of the other writers helped to build my enthusiasm.

More serious writers at work.

Many thanks to my lovely writerly friends from the South and West  Wales Chapter. I enjoyed attending the writing party and am now fizzing with words and ideas.  Without membership of the New Writers’ Scheme, I would not have enjoyed this wonderful opportunity.

Do you enjoy writing retreats, or do you prefer to write in a room of your own?

 

 

The Sunshine Blogger Award – Nominated by Patricia Furstenberg

The Sunshine Blogger Award empowers bloggers to celebrate other bloggers who are creative and bring positivity to the blogging community.

A nomination from Patricia Furstenberg for the Sunshine Blogger Award greeted me on a drizzly day in Wales. Patricia is a talented author and blogger and her kindness shines.

The Sunshine Blogger Award empowers bloggers to celebrate other bloggers who are creative and bring positivity to the blogging community. 

Having blogged for three years in March, I am thrilled to receive this accolade and my first award.  I never dreamed my blog would lead me to a global community of sunshine people. Connecting with people via my blog has gifted me with some lifelong friends and gives me such a warm feeling. 

Here are the 11 questions set by Patricia for her nominees, with my answers:

Share one thing about yourself that would surprise your followers. I have a terrible fear of heights and once tried to get off a ski lift when it was ascending.  I soon came to my senses when I saw how small the pine trees appeared from the lift.

Which do you prefer, mountain or sea?

The sea, the sea!  I always visit the sea when I need inspiration.  I like to let my mind wonder out to the horizon.  I love to sit in a pier coffee shop when the weather is stormy.

The sea, the sea! I always visit the sea when I need inspiration.

What is the highest / furthest point you travelled to?

I have managed to walk up Pen y Fan one step at a time.  We travelled to Singapore to stay with friends.  What an experience! Singapore is so clean and never stops. The food markets were vibrant.  I would like to return and then travel on to Australia.

You stand on a 1m high brick wall. Would you jump off or climb slowly?

I was once chased by a bull, made the leap of faith from a high wall and was absolutely fine.  I may try it again!

If you would only start your writing career now, where would you begin?

I would begin by writing career by making an application to join the RNA News Writers’ Scheme.  The support from the scheme is wonderful for a new writer.

Which animals you feel it represents you best?

I am like a loyal dog who values friendship and kindness, but sometimes I like to be let off the lead to roam free and explore new territory. And at other times I like to crash out in front of the fire and sleep.

Are you an early riser or night owl?

I do get up early but tend to have my writing inspiration in the evening, and I am certainly more creative when I have had lots of sleep.

Was writing your first choice as a career? If not, what was it?

Writing was always my dream, but I pursued a career in education.  I thoroughly enjoyed making a difference to children’s lives and inspiring their creativity. I am blessed to have the opportunity to pursue my own creativity these days.

What is your comfort food?

Yorkshire puddings are my comfort food and the best ones taste like sunshine to me.  The taste and smell takes me back to the lazy Sundays of my childhood.

Best way to relax and recharge?

I walk daily.  Walking untangles any plot niggles, let’s me spend time with my characters and energises me.

What is your favourite word?

At this time of year my favourite word is hygge.  The quality of cosiness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being is evoked in one simple word – hygge.  Though I am not sure I say this word correctly.

I also discovered this lovely quotation from The Book of Hygge.

“Just living isn’t enough,” said the butterfly, “one must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower.” -Hans Christian Anderson”
― Louisa Thomsen Brits, The Book of Hygge: The Danish Art of Living Well

Congratulations to the shiny sunshine people I have nominated

Blogging takes me to a happy place, and I love it when people join me.  Thus, it is fitting to acknowledge some sunshine friends by nominating them for the Sunshine Blogger Award.

My nominations:
Jena. C. Henry
Veronica Cline Barton
Angela Petch
Brigit Gallagher
Lizzie Lamb
Anne Williams
Jo Lambert
Judith Barrow
Shelley Wilson
Jan Brigden
Jan Baynham

Congratulations to the shiny sunshine people I have nominated.  I want you receive recognition for reaching out with your creativity and kindness.  I appreciate you may not have time to respond with a blog so do not feel under pressure.  I am happy for you to simply enjoy the glory and celebrate with coffee and cake.

If you choose to accept the Sunshine Blogger Award nomination, there are a few rules:

  • Thank the blogger(s) who nominated you and link back to their blog.
  • Answer the 11 questions the blogger asked you.
  • List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award in your blog post.
  • Nominate 11 new bloggers & their blogs. Do leave a comment on their blog to let them know they received the award and ask your nominees 11 new questions.

Here are 11 questions for my nominees:

Which three photographs would you present to capture your life?  Feel free to include these in this post if you can.

I believe laughter is one of the best tonics in life.  When was the last time you could not stop laughing?

Explain the last act of kindness you showed to a friend or stranger.

Do you prefer the winter sun or the summer sun?  Explain your response.

Describe your perfect Saturday evening.

What sorts of characters do you prefer to meet in novels?

Give one sentence of advice to yourself when you were sixteen.

Is there a friend from the past you would love to get in touch with and why?

What is your food heaven and food hell?

Share your favourite recipe.

If you could travel back in time where would you visit and who would you take with you?

 

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

A copy of my novel is available here.

Stolen Moments on the Spanish Steps

The gentle sun glowed on the Spanish Steps and caressed the nude tones of the buildings huddled together.

The gentle sun glowed on the Spanish Steps and caressed the nude tones of the buildings huddled together.  I paused.  The silhouettes shuffled in the streets below. Ancient bells chimed and clattered in a duel with electronic beeps.

I rested on the steps and shared the moment with the strangers.

I rested on the steps and shared the moment with the strangers.  Removing my sunhat, I retrieved my notebook from my rucksack.  The shining steps bathed in orange light tempted me to rest my legs.

‘Madam stand up please,’ demanded a woman dressed in a yellow jacket.

Words had dissolved into the shadows so I stood up to snap some photographs and hoped the light wouldn’t hide from the frames.  Part of the crowd, I waited for a space to capture impressions of the moment.

‘So sorry,’ I apologised when I nudged a couple of British women with my rucksack.

The women turned their back on me, closed the gap for my camera and removed phones from their pockets.  ‘For goodness sake, why does everyone try to steal our view?’

Ancient bells chimed and clattered in a duel with electronic beeps.

I grabbed their words before re-joining the scene.  And then a siren clawed at noise of lives tuning up for play.

Whispers fluttered playfully amongst the languages flowing down the steps towards the fountain.  A moped grumbled. Previously, I complained about the incessant noise of Rome but here it softened into a symphony.  Words now loitered on the shining cobblestones, so I picked them up with my pen.  I synchronised with the heartbeat of Rome and connected with the romance of the city.

A tunnel of perfume and the clomp of footsteps announced a woman with brownish orange hair coiffured tightly to her head like a helmet. The shadow of her late husband followed her.  Lovers sighed.  There were touches, glances and giggles. No one bought thorny red roses from the men trying to sell romance.

Ancient bells chimed and clattered in a duel with electronic beeps.

An arm moved around me.  ‘When we came here twenty years ago, you raced me to the top of the steps,’ said my husband, now tired of waiting for me to make notes.

We joined the silhouettes in the streets and searched for a restaurant.

 

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

A copy of my novel is available here.