Do you like my new crown? I thought I’d wear it for this royal celebration.
It’s time for an almost royal welcome for Veronica Cline Barton. Having found a gold tiara to accessorize with Jena’s latest addition to her Golden Chapter, I’m ready to meet Veronica Cline Barton’s characters and offer a genteel curtsey. On second thoughts, I think I’ll sit back and listen from the comfort of my throne. Has anyone seen Jena? Ah. I see her walking along the red carpet. Is she wearing a crown?
Sorry I’m late. I’ve been searching for the next chapter in our Golden Chapter story. Do you like my new crown? I thought I’d wear it for this royal celebration. I’ve recently made friends with many of you in the UK, so I chose The Crown for Castlewood Manor for my Golden Chapter Review. A charming heroine with American and English roots, a stately home, a titled gentleman, and a cozy mystery- sounds Golden to me!
The Crown for Castlewood Manor
The blurb for Castlewood Manor begins, “The English ancestral manor of Cherrywood Hall is ready to compete for selection in an upcoming British TV period drama series.” I know what you are thinking- sounds like Downton Abbey! Yes it does, but I was put in mind of a different TV show, The Patty Duke Show which was an American sitcom that aired from 1963 to 1966.
The premise of the show involved the hijinks of Patty, a rambunctious American teen, and her refined identical cousin from the UK, Cathy. Both girls were played by Patty Duke and as they say, hilarity ensued. The bouncy theme song included these memorable lines,
OK, I will now close my “golden age of tv handbag” and get to the First Chapter Review of The Crown for Castlewood Manor by Veronica Cline Barton.
The first chapter, Beaches of Malibu, August, is fun and well-written as we meet the heroine of the book, Gemma. She gives us a succinct summary of her life:
“My name is Gemma Alexandra Lancaster Phillips, and I’m a twenty-seven-year-old California girl, born and bred. I was newly awarded my PhD. I have an American Lancaster family and an English Lancaster family.”
Aha! And as we soon learn, the British side of the family needs Gemma’s help. A Marquess and a stately home, Castlewood Manor are involved. (In addition to almost-royalty on the English side, Gemma’s Ma-ma is a successful American film star.)
The latest book in the series; The Crown for Castlewood Manor – Deadly Receptions
We are also treated to an intro to the California nature of our girl Gemma. Whether she is dining at an upscale Malibu bistro, confronting a misbehaving boyfriend, or howling at the moon, Gemma wants to make her own mark. But does she really know what awaits her at Castlewood Manor?
Sounds like a golden beginning to an intriguing cozy mystery. (Or cosy, for my British friends.) Gemma is smart, beautiful and lively, with a tinge of self-doubt. Get to know Gemma and her English cousins!
Victoria Cline Barton’s Golden Handbag
Many thanks to Jessie Cahalin for letting me browse her Handbag Gallery. If you have read The Crown for Castlewood Manor, we’d love to hear from you in the comments. Haven’t read the book? Then let’s discuss it! Here are some questions to get us started.
Have you visited a stately home in America or the UK? Do you have a favorite?
Are you good at solving cozy mysteries as you read them?
I liked Gemma’s attributes. What makes a good protagonist?
A beautiful, moving letter arrived in my mailbox. Angela Petch sent me a letter she had penned to her late friend, Olga. Inspired by her friendship with Olga, she has composed a glorious seaside adventure about two heart-warming, hilarious characters called Mavis and Dot. Mavis and Dot will be released on 14th November. Proceeds from sales of the fun novella will be donated to a cancer charity. It is my privilege to share Angela’s moving letter with you.
Dear Olga,
Instead of thinking too much about what I’m going to write to you, I’ll just dive in. Otherwise I’ll get maudlin and I only want to remember you with smiles.
When you stayed with us in Italy and you were already ill, in about five minutes you painted a water colour of tomatoes we were about to eat for lunch. It still hangs in Il Mulino.
Call me silly, but each Christmas I still pull out your beautiful home-made cards. When you stayed with us in Italy and you were already ill, in about five minutes you painted a water colour of tomatoes we were about to eat for lunch. It still hangs in Il Mulino.
You were talented. I laughed my head off when you were kind at my attempts – remember the day you held an art class and I tried to sketch your free-range chickens? They wouldn’t keep still, and I scribbled them out. Everybody thought I’d produced abstract art, when it was my temper. I can’t draw, but I write. And when I sent you my first Mavis and Dot story, you sent me an illustration. It’s in the front of Mavis and Dot, dedicated to you. (I’ve added Wendy Whiting’s name. She died of cancer a couple of months ago. You would have liked her – she was a painter too.)
Olga and Angela all dressed up: a special friendship.
We were Mavis and Dot when we went on our charity shop hunts – struggling up high streets with our goodies in various towns around Suffolk where we both lived, hamming it up. Our children were young, and it was an escape for us to have these days out. I hope you like the adventures I’ve given our two personae. In the novella, you do your art, but as a life model; we find a hideous bargain or two… do you remember that sketch we did together at your summer party, when we dressed up as Mavis and Dot, entering stage with our winter overcoats and shopping trolleys? And ending up doing a strip tease. We were dressed in huge plastic bags of a particular bargain store we used to haunt. Whenever I hear Shirley Bassey’s “Big Spender”, I smile at the memory.
And when I sent you my first Mavis and Dot story, you sent me an illustration. It’s in the front of Mavis and Dot, dedicated to you
We both loved days at the seaside. Once, with daughters in tow, we embarrassed them by stripping to our undies and jumping in to the waves; their shocked cries of “Mummm” encouraged us further.
Anyway, that’s all for now. I’ll finish with a poem I wrote at a party held in your honour not long after you left us. Big hugs and I hope you enjoy Mavis and Dot.
And we were there.
September sun warmed stubbled, Suffolk fields The sky leant down and kissed the earth with warmth; Woodsmoke spiralled up with laughs and squeals and times remembered. Everyone shared, linked memories of A girl who was there.
Not there to sit inside the tepees That cocooned the lovers, friends and young; Not there to dance upon the beer-stamped floor, To music coaxed from eager, nervous hands.
She may have slipped in quietly To welcome us with summer’s long-lost rays Or been the breeze that fanned the brazier’s picture flames And gently shook her father’s tree…
But she was there In stories of her kindness and her gifts; And she was there In daughters’ eyes or silhouette or turn of phrase. In ideas whispered to the man she loves, Who magicked them to being. And she was there because she always is And always shall be. How could she not?
And we were there.
Call me silly, but each Christmas I still pull out your beautiful home-made cards.
The wonderful friendship is conveyed in Angela’s magical words. Angela is a wonderful lady and her words brighten my day: her sensitivity and humour are amazing. She has a very special place in my heart, because I blogged my very first review about one of Angela’s novels. Since reading Now and Then in Tuscany, Angela has become one of my favourite authors. I would not have discovered Angela without my own accidental blogging adventures. I can’t wait to share my review of Mavis and Dot very soon.
Since getting to know Angela, I have followed her writing journey. She has published numerous stories in People’s Friend and is about to embark on her second publishing deal.
A warm slice of life, funny, feel-good, yet poignant. Introducing two eccentric ladies who form an unlikely friendship. Meet Mavis and Dot – two colourful, retired ladies who live in Worthington-on-Sea, where there are charity shops galore. Apart from bargain hunting, they manage to tangle themselves in escapades involving illegal immigrants, night clubs, nude modelling, errant toupees and more. And then there’s Mal, the lovable dog who nobody else wants. A gently humorous, often side-splitting, heart-warming snapshot of two memorable characters with past secrets and passions. Escape for a couple of hours into this snapshot of a faded, British seaside town. You’ll laugh and cry but probably laugh more.”This book is quirky and individual, and has great pathos…[it] will resonate with a lot of readers.” Gill Kaye – Editor of Ingenu(e). Written with a light touch in memory of a dear friend who passed away from ovarian cancer, Angela Petch’s seaside tale is a departure from her successful Tuscan novels. All profits from the sale of the books will go towards research into the cure for cancer.
“…Clever, touching and powerful writing… Embark on a series of adventures with Mavis and Dot but prepare yourself for a rollercoaster of emotions.” Books in my Handbag.
More from Angela
I live in the beautiful Italian Apennines for several months each year. Such an inspiring location.
My love affair with Italy was born at the age of seven when I moved with my family to Rome where we lived for six years. My father worked for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and he made sure we learned Italian and visited many places during that time.
Later on I studied Italian at the University of Kent at Canterbury and afterwards worked in Sicily, where I met my husband. His Italian mother and British father met in Urbino in 1944 and married after a war-time romance.
I wanted to write “Tuscan Roots” not only for my amazing mother-in-law, Giuseppina, but also to make people aware of the courage and hospitality shown by families of our Italian neighbours in our corner of war-torn Tuscany.
This is my first novel and is a story about ordinary people who lived through extraordinary times. (Please note it is a revised version of “Never Forget”). I have just been signed by BOOKOUTURE for a two-book deal and one of these will be a slight re-write of “Tuscan Roots”. I am so proud to be a part of this publishing “family”, as they describe themselves.
A sequel to this book was published at the end of April 2017. “Now and then in Tuscany” features the same family that appeared in “Tuscan Roots”. The background is the transhumance, a practice that started in Etruscan times and continued right up until the 1950’s.
My research for both these novels has been greatly helped by my kind Italian, country friends, who have vivid memories of both the Second World War and the harsh times they endured in their childhoods.
Italy is a passion but my stories are not always set there. My next book is about two fun-loving ladies of “a certain age” who live by the seaside in Sussex and get up to all kinds of adventures. Watch out for Mavis and Dot! They will be launched on December 1st 2018 at St Paul’s Centre, Worthing, West Sussex.
Discovering an author’s writing journey always intrigues me. I met inspirational Lesley Field at the Romance Novelists Association Tea. Lesley gave me the courage to pursue another adventure for my own characters. It is an honour to present Lesley’s story.
Every journey starts somewhere and mine started with a cup of tea, a magazine and a short story I’d just read. I thought, I could do that.
I had the pleasure of meeting Lesley Field at the RNA Tea.
A short while later I came up with a story-line, sat down at the laptop and started to write. It was supposed to be a short story but it soon became more. In May I was in our local Smith’s and there was a lady doing a book signing. I hovered, as one does, and eventually plucked up the courage to approach. She asked if I wrote so I told her about the book I had finished and submitted to Mills and Boon. I asked if this was her first book, she kindly told me no, it was her 18th. That was my foot in mouth moment. It turned out the lady was Val Wood, Hull’s answer to Catherine Cookson. She gave me a lot of lovely tips and said to let her know how matters progressed. A rejection came from Mills and Boon, I had no idea of what publishers required back then. I e-mailed Val Wood to let her know. She told me not to give up and to keep submitting.
Val Wood gave me a lot of lovely tips and said to let her know how matters progressed.
About 6 weeks later I received an e-mail from Val inviting me to attend the next meeting of her Romantic Novelists Association Chapter, The Flying Ducks. I learned about the New Writers Scheme (NWS) and managed to get on this in January 2013. By this time I had written a further contemporary novel, so submitted this for critique. When the critique arrived I thought, well this is it. If they say its rubbish I know I can’t write. But they didn’t. I had a very good critique, and the reader commented I had the tenacity to succeed.
So, I could write contemporary, but could I write historical? I sat down and had a go. I submitted that book to MuseItUp publishing and in 2014 received a contract from them. That novel, “Dangerous Entrapment,” was shortlisted for Historical Novel of the year 2016 by the RNA.
Saunders-Lies and Deception is set in Banff in the heart of the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
You may wonder what happened to the first novel I wrote in 2012. Well, in 2013, while on a coach tour in America, the plotline for a sequel to that book came to me. In fact it wouldn’t leave me alone. So I wrote that. Then a third plot line came along. I now had three books in a series, which is my Saunders series. The first book, “Saunders Lies and Deception,” was published in May 2018.
With 4 books published and 4 more contracted, my journey continues…
Biography
Lesley Field is an award nominated author of Romantic Novels and should not be confused with any other writer of the same name.
Lesley lives in North Yorkshire, often described as “God’s own county.” Before retiring she spent her working life pursuing personal injury claims. Now at a time when she should be thinking of early nights and cocoa, she finds herself writing somewhat “hot” novels. Her first published novel “Dangerous Entrapment” was her first historical novel. She also writes contemporary novels which are usually based in Canada, which she calls her “heart home.” Having achieved publication so soon after starting to write she hopes that, “Dangerous Entrapment,”(1st book in the Duchess in Danger series) is just the beginning.
About Lies and Deception
This is the background for “Saunders-Lies and Deception” and the adventure that inspired the writing journey
Set in Banff in the heart of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. A magical place in the winter and a hub for tourists in the summer. Come and meet the Saunders family. With prestige and money you would think they had everything, but a dark secret lies hidden, a secret that is about to be uncovered, and the lies and deception will change the family forever. Follow Sarah and Jeff’s journey in Book 1. Sarah had everything, a handsome loving husband, a young son, then suddenly it was all snatched away. Defeated by outside forces, she made a new life for herself. But never forgot the life she once had. Risking everything if she was discovered, she returned to Canada, and crept back into Banff like a thief in the night. The last person Jeff thought to see was Sarah, but walking down the aisle at his son’s wedding, he saw the one person he had never expected to see again. When his eyes met hers shock quickly turned to anger. Tracking her down was easy, then he had one question. Why? The answer was not what he expected, nor one that he could believe. Or could he? He was everything she once wanted, and he gave her everything she needed. Except one thing, trust. Could she believe what he said now? Could she risk being hurt again? Can the lies and deception be overcome? Book 1 in the Saunders Series, “Saunders-Lies and Deception.”
This historical saga of an extraordinary Australian pioneer family continues into a new generation
I have been idle for two days and it is Rosemary Noble’s fault. I travelled from innocence to experience with her character, Sadie. She had my ear as soon as I walked into this thrilling family saga. This hard-hitting, realistic document of challenging times deals with: propaganda, inequality, domestic violence and loss. Insight into Australia and England placed me in the centre of the historical periods.
Strategic juxtaposition of Sadie’s life during World War One Australia and World War Two Grimsby is brilliant. Noble explores how our experiences make us react in the future thus providing depth to Sadie’s character. Wounded by past troubles, Sadie makes decisions that made me want to sit her down and give her advice. Tempting questions hang artfully in each chapter of this novel. The trajectory of the plot is driven by the intense drama: the action never stops.
A photo of Sadie (she is the standing bridesmaid). This is the only one I have. She is a bridesmaid for her brother, Joe and his wife, Olive. Grandma Jane is sitting next to her. (I found this photo on the author’s website).
I moved from the air raids and community spirit in Grimsby to Sadie’s privileged life in Australia. Neither the ‘uninterrupted sky changing from purple to cobalt’, nor the ‘endless grey skies’ of Grimsby can shelter Sadie from the harsh reality of life. In her innocent years, she is brainwashed by war propaganda then learns about the impact on people as she moves through her life. Sadie is raised to ‘obey your father until you marry then obey your husband.’ Like her contemporaries, the social straightjacket causes Sadie pain. Noble shows the inequalities between men and woman at the turn of the century and contrasts it with changing attitudes in post Second World War Britain. Historical events, attitudes and politics are artfully woven into the narrative fabric of the novel.
Chateau Yering as it is today
Details of a wealthy life in Australia at the turn of last century intrigued me. I lingered on the verandas and looked at the ‘rich grassland and vineyards as far as the eye could see, framed on by majestic mountains.’ I admired Sadie’s wardrobe of beautiful clothes but realised her wealth and over-protection of her father made her more vulnerable. At every turn, I felt empathy for the young Sadie who is isolated by her ignorance. ‘Her marriage seemed like a distant dream and her husband merely an actor in it’, and I wanted to chat with Sadie. Noble explored love so beautifully in the novel. There is an enchanting, exciting love story, as Sadie learns what real love means.
The wiser, experienced Sadie charmed me. I sat with her as she waited to discover if her sons would return safely from the RAF. Noble takes the reader into the heart of air raids in Grimsby. The air raid provides a backdrop to the inner turmoil Sadie suffers, and all these emotions are vividly connected to experiences of the past. Events in post-World War One Australia were shocking. An intelligent, powerful and deeply moving novel from Rosemary Noble.
About the Book
An astonishing tale, spanning continents, where truth is stranger than fiction. This historical saga of an extraordinary Australian pioneer family continues into a new generation.
Sadie is brought amongst the vineyards of the Yarra Valley whilst her work-obsessed father reaps riches from the boom years before the Great War.
With post-war depression looming, Sadie’s only option is to flee from her disastrous marriage, seeking refuge in Cleethorpes, a small seaside town in northern England.
Years later, when her sons are in RAF Bomber Command, she receives a letter from her long-lost brother which forces her to confront the past and her part in her family’s downfall.
Can old wounds be healed?
Will she find new love?
Will this second war destroy everyone she saved?
Rosemary Noble is the author of Sadie’s Wars and the Currency Girls Trilogy. This is her favourite writing spot.
About Rosemary
Rosemary worked as a college and university librarian and has a life-long love of social history and reading. Researching family history led to an interest in Australia where Search for the Light ends and provides the setting for the sequel, The Digger’s Daughter. A third book in the Australian series, Sadie’s Wars, is now available.
Rosemary is a member of Arun Scribes Creative Writing Group and a member of CHINDI (Network of Independent Authors). Her third book, Ranter’s Wharf is set in England during the first half of the nineteenth century. In odd moments, she writes flash fiction for Paragraph Planet and Drabble.
At Home in the Pays d’Oc made me giggle, and I was delighted to experience more divine comedy in a bundle of short stories. Do you fancy a tipple of laughter? I can thoroughly recommend ‘Tales from the Pays d’Oc’ – what a treat!
Patricia’s Tales from the Pays d’Oc are tasty morsels of France spiced with other cultures. I peeped into the worlds of Morbignan and St Remy les Cevennes via Patricia’s giggling goggles and it appealed to my nosy nature. How I enjoyed the ‘babble of accents’ from: French, Dutch, German, Swedish and English inhabitants. The ‘gossip fest’ tempted me throughout the stories. Amusing and poignant observations are thrown in for good measure. For instance, I learned that ‘serious drinking won’t begin for an hour’ at ten o’clock.
Story: The Poet, the Thief and the Indian Prawn. Snatched the prawn from his plate almost in mid-air and hit the ground running
Oh, how I waited impatiently, in the café, for the news. Who was dead? What happened? I even found myself adding details and was taught a naughty lesson. Gossip was the only temptation to move me away from the market. I drooled as ‘the fruit stalls spilled a cornucopia of cherries and strawberries and peaches, their scents voluptuous and enticing in the heat.’
I may have also been tempted by the character of Karl who is personified by the ‘big, butch vehicle’. Hilarious! Alas, we owned one of those ‘high – falutin’ ‘Bland Rovers’, so he may not have approved. The ending of the story made me laugh and laugh. Patricia blends the humour so skilfully that I am in awe – again!
Story: Oops! The nearside front wheel slithered into thin air and they lurched to a stop.
Armageddon Falls carried me along the flow of the narrative. The author is skilled at building simple details of the characters, hinting at conflict and absorbing the reader in the dialogue. She manages to demonstrate how people would bemuse the French inhabitants. I felt certain the author would teach the Americans a lesson. How can an artist declare, ‘when you’ve seen one vine, you’ve seen them all’?
All the characters are vibrant, and I love the way the style of each story reflects the personalities. Sheer genius in every single morsel of these bite size temptations. The enigma of the ‘boy in the pool’ is beautifully conveyed. Who is he? The mystery of the summer visitor combined with the mystery of the boy in the pool is brilliant.
Story: A-sitting on a Bench Sitting on the bench they have their measure of the place, but don’t expect to gossip with this crowd if you are ‘anglais’
The dog named ‘Useless’ who becomes a Greek goddess is great. I loved this dog! Moreover, I wanted to eat the truffle omelette on my snow-covered patio. Indeed, animals are also wonderful, intelligent characters in the collection of stories.
Let’s not forget the eccentric French characters who throw themselves into: truffle hunting, boar hunting, village fetes, food, parties’ wine and, of course, amorous liaisons. French culture is explored, dissected and presented on a plate. The villagers are stubborn and reluctant to change but sometimes surprise you. There are amusing, everyday incidents, but as you weave in and out of the characters’ lives, you get to meet them several times. The ‘good ol’ boys’ are a constant presence throughout the stories. Sitting on the bench they have their measure of the place, but don’t expect to gossip with this crowd if you are ‘anglais’ like Henry or even a Parisienne. You could listen to Josephine, the town crier, and find out how she is taught a lesson. Perhaps you’d like to join the Saturday Club to discover why the ‘swing doors flung open, and on a roar of “Ou est -il donc?”’ Has Kiki been up to his ‘old tricks’ or are you in the middle of a western? Beware of the raging woodman! Admire, the author’s wonderful turn of phrase and stand back when Paulette grabs ‘a fistful of blonde hair with a struggling, protesting eighteen-year-old attached.’ Discover how Patricia manages to rub a little salt into the wounded pride of the various characters. No one escapes her witty observation.
Story: Cheeky ‘… and don’t come back!’
Morsels of Morbignan are ‘tres amusant’. Each story made me declare: ‘Ah, or ‘Je vois’ or ‘oh la la’. The author transported me over the English Channel and made me think in schoolgirl French (minus the accents). Desperate for the denouement of each tale, I burnt a stew, but it was an excuse to open a bottle of French wine. These stories would make a perfect Sunday evening TV series.
Cheers, Patricia! I can’t wait for more tempting morsels.
About Patricia
Patricia Feinberg Stoner began her career as a graduate trainee with the Liverpool Daily Post.
Quickly discovering she was a terrible reporter, she switched to feature writing and since then her career has revolved around the written word, as a journalist, advertising copywriter and publicist. For many years she was international press officer for Granada Television, leaving to set up her own publicity business, The Good Word.
Once a dyed-in-the-wool Londoner, Patricia now lives in West Sussex with her husband Patrick, also a writer. She is a member of CHINDI independent authors.
Her first book, ‘Paw Prints in the Butter’, is a collection of humorous verse about cats, sold in aid of WADARS, a local animal rescue charity. She followed this with ‘At Home in the Pays d’Oc’ which, she says, is the story of two accidental expatriates in the south of France. The book won a Five Star Book Award from One Stop Fiction.
November 2017 saw the publication of Patricia’s third book – ‘The Little Book of Rude Limericks’. Despite the title, she warns that not all of the limericks in the book are rude: in fact, some are perfectly polite. However, there are exceptions.
Her latest book revisits the Languedoc with a collection of short stories: ‘Tales from the Pays d’Oc‘. In its pages you will discover what Matthieu was doing in the olive tree, who stole the Indian prawn and who rescued two hapless Americans at Armageddon Falls.
