Hi everyone!

Today I have the very great pleasure of bringing you an interview with Helen Bridgett as part of her The Heat Is On blog tour 🙂 I absolutely LOVED Helen’s first book, The Mercury Travel Club (I’ll add the link to my review at the bottom of this post), and The Heat Is On is firmly on my TBR list. 

Many thanks to Kelly at #LoveBooksGroupTours for arranging the following interview…..

 

For those who don’t know already, could you tell us about yourself and your book(s) please?

 

 

Hi there, my latest novel The Heat is On is the sequel to The Mercury Travel Club. They’re both comedies based around a group of friends – Angie, Patty and Charlie – who run the Travel Club and have fabulous chaos-filled adventures as a result. 

 

In this sequel, things seem to be going extraordinarily well for the gang; they’re expanding the business, Patty is back from her job as a cruise-ship singer and Angie is in love. It looks as if things simply can’t get better but then a new competitor opens up on the high street and starts to jeopardise everything. It’s time for these friends to show what they’re made of.

 

I started writing three years ago; I’d always wanted to write a novel so instead of all the usual diet and exercise resolutions that I would traditionally make and break at New Year, instead I made one promise – that I’d actually write. I planned to give the finished manuscript to my sister for Christmas and that’s what I did. Who knows – she might have preferred a box of home-made biscuits!

 

Where did/do you get your ideas from?

 

I have been to most of the places featured in the novels and so they do inspire some of the storylines. Now whenever I travel I find myself wondering what could possibly go wrong if Angie and Patty were here. I’m a great people watcher and I love to eavesdrop so the simplest of conversations can be exaggerated and turned into a story. There is inspiration everywhere if you look for it.

 

Are any of your characters based (however loosely) on anyone you know?

 

Yes – definitely although they’re often an amalgamation of a few people. Patty is loosely based upon an Auntie of mine whereas Angie, Charlie and Peter are completely fictional. When I visited Russia, I met an Aussie called Josie who I’m still in touch with so I used the name and nationality although the character is very different. Angie’s mum – who many people rate as their favourite character – is also great fun to write and she’s based on two people and they know who they are!

 

 

How do you pick your characters’ names?

 

I don’t really know, unless they’re based on real people (like Josie and Patty), they just either feel right or they don’t. I might write the first draft using one name but by the end, I simply know they wouldn’t be called that – I play with names and then one fits. I can’t imagine Charlie being called anything else.

 

Can you share your writing process with us, in a nutshell?

 

I usually know where it all starts and where it will end. I also have scenes based upon the travel adventures they’ll have and these have to add to the narrative somehow. I write most days and when I begin I just keep going until I’m 10-15k into the first draft, then I review it and plan where it is going. I use post it notes to keep tabs on what each character is doing and what I need them to do next. If I’m ever stuck, I walk the dog and simply think about what is happening, when I go to bed I plan the next day’s writing – the story tends to be with you every waking hour. On some days you wake up and delete everything you wrote the day before but you just keep going. 

 

Who are your top 5 favourite authors?

 

This is a really tough question and the answer would change depending on what I’m reading. I read very widely and always have done so the list would be eclectic.

I’m going to say:

Enid Blyton – for getting me into reading from the very start.

Emile Zola – for showing me how emotional writing could be

Armistead Maupin – for creating Mrs Madrigal

Marian Keyes – for always making me laugh

Erin Kelly – for the gothic mystery

 

If you could meet any author, who would it be and what would you ask them?

 

Again – a toughie as I’d want to have a good time rather than a very serious time so I’d give Marian and Erin a call and ask if they fancied a night on the town.

 

Were you a big reader as a child?

 

Yes – I was one of those kids who never had their nose out of a book.

 

When did you start to write?

 

I truly love the act of writing so have kept a diary since I was a child and I also wrote all those embarrassing childhood poems that parents love to reveal. I did a little scriptwriting before turning to novels and even if I weren’t writing professionally, I’d still be drafting something. I can’t imagine ever stopping.

 

If you could re-write the ending to any book what would it be and what would you change?

 

I might give Germinal a happy ending.

 

Is there a book you wish you had written?

 

Err – any multi-million pound best seller, that would be quite nice !! 

 

But no – I love reading and I am delighted to find something fabulous rather than wishing I’d written it. 

 

If you wrote an autobiography, what would your title be?

 

 A Sand Dancer’s Story – I can’t imagine ever writing an autobiography but I’m from a coastal town in North East England where locals are known as sand-dancers.

 

If you could invite any fictional character for coffee who would it be and where would you take them?

 

Ooh – I’d invite Mrs Madrigal and Mouse from Tales of the City and I’d want to visit them in Barbary Lane.

 

What are you working on right now?

 

I’m working on my fourth novel which again has a strong female lead but I’m trying out a switch of genre.

 

Tell us about your last release?

 

The Heat is On is the sequel to The Mercury Travel Club. It’s the next instalment in the adventures of Angie, Patty and Charlie. I can promise great laughs alongside a little insight into human nature. 

Each chapter is the title of a song and I had great fun deciding on them; you can try to remember the artist who sang them but I’ve also listed them at the back so you can cheat!

 

This book will simply make you feel better about life.

 

Do you have a new release due?

 

The ebook will be available on 5^th July and the paperback on 2^nd August.

 

What do you generally do to celebrate on publication day?

 

I do get quite nervous waiting to hear what people think of it but I have some fabulous friends and this year we’re simply meeting to raise a glass and read a couple of excerpts.

 

How can readers keep in touch with you?

 

I’d love readers to get in touch – I’m on twitter @Helen_Bridgett and my website in www.helenbridgett.com

 

Is there anything else you would like us to know?

 

Just thank you for inviting me along and I hope you enjoy The Heat Is On.

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, Helen 🙂 I can’t wait to read The Heat Is On!

And something extra from Helen, just for you…..

Difficulties & Strengths of writing the 2^nd book

 

I wrote The Heat Is On whilst going through the publishing process for the very first time and I’d say that was one of the biggest challenges. A debut novelist gets loads of suggestions for promoting the book and knowing no better, I tried to follow up every one. It didn’t leave much time for actually writing. Eventually I gave myself a telling off, calmed down and got on with it.

 

The joy of writing a sequel is that you already know and love the characters – Angie and Patty were still in my head, I love them to bits and I enjoy spending time with them. However, readers of The Mercury Travel Club also came to love them and wrote to me about their expectations for the characters – what they’d do next and what they wouldn’t do. I have had some hilarious conversations about them and they certainly do make it into this novel.

Favourite character

 

My favourite character to write is Patty, who is my protagonist’s best friend. She is the loud, lively one in the group; the one who always creates adventure and usually her fair share of trouble. She’s loyal and funny but has had her own share of heartache. With Patty, I feel I can write almost anything as she’d give it a go. Angie is more reserved and sensible and although she does some crazy things she always holds back a little. Patty just lets it rip. Readers have asked if she’s based on anyone and as with most characters, she’s based on a few people  but mainly on an Auntie of mine who I always saw as quite outrageous. Compared to Patty though, my Auntie is quite tame!

Synopsis

 ‘And have you booked in your vejazzler?’
‘My what?’
‘You can’t roll up with your grey wire wool when he’s expecting rhinestone!’

Angie Shepherd is back and this time she means business!

Life is perfect for Angie Shepherd. Her dreams of becoming an entrepreneur have come true, business is booming, and her best friend Patty is back in town. So when the opportunity of investing in a luxury hotel comes up, it seems like a no-brainer. It’s all going swimmingly until a rival travel agency opens up across the street. Before long, The Mercury Travel Club is undercut, double-crossed and in deep trouble. It’s time for Angie to up the stakes. But with costs mounting up, sales going down, and her personal life suddenly in freefall, can Angie and her friends weather the storm?

Witty and charming in equal measure, this feel-good novel shows that when the going gets tough, the tough definitely get going.

My review of The Mercury Travel Club…..

The Mercury Travel Club by @Helen_Bridgett @RedDoorBooks #BlogTour #BookReview

 

Hiya!

I have the pleasure of welcoming Helen Henderson to Chat About Books today 🙂

For those who don’t know already, could you tell us about yourself and your book(s) please?

I’m a former feature-story writer and correspondent, but my first love is fiction. The descendent of a coal-miner’s daughter and an aviation flight engineer, my heritage reflects the contrasts of my Gemini sign. This dichotomy shows in my writing which crosses genres from historical adventures and westerns to science fiction and fantasy. In the world of fantasy, I am the author of the Dragshi Chronicles and The Windmaster Novels.

Where did/do you get your ideas from?

The Dragshi Chronicles grew from a desire to fly. Of course, due to my father’s occupation, I was exposed to airplanes and their crews from an early age. Among the first words I learned were ADD, DELETE, and REPLACE. Adding numbers put the pages in their proper sequence and place. If you guessed the task being accomplished was updating a manual, you’re correct. I didn’t know what the information was but took pride in making sure all changes were done correctly. Something my father always verified.

Are any of your characters based (however loosely) on anyone you know?

I am not one of those authors who routinely pattern all their characters, or at least the main ones, after people they know. That said, the women of my heritage have served as the basis for several of the clan leaders in my early books. It might not be physical or even a personality trait. Homage might be paid them by use of their name, appropriately translated into Gaelic or the language of the land.

How do you pick your characters names?

Selecting a character’s name is not a simple, one-step process. Too many similar sounding names slows reading and can add confusion. The main characters usually tell me their names once the outline has begun. Secondary characters are more challenging. Baby name books are one resource while English to Gaelic dictionaries (or whatever language such as Chinese or Polynesian is appropriate) can provide a name based on the character’s occupation or personality.

Can you share your writing process with us, in a nutshell?

Writing process? Hmmmm. How to answer? Most novels start off with a statement of the hero’s journey and a few lines about the setting. My first draft is an outline where some scenes are actually complete with dialogue. As the storyline unfolds, there are less bullet points and more complete scenes, until the bullet points disappear completely.

Who are your top 5 favourite authors?

First up are Anne McCaffrey (Talent series, Tower and Hive series,) Barbara Hambly (Walls of Air series), Katherine Kurtz (The Adept series) and Lois L’Amour (the Sacketts.) Choosing a favorite to fill the final slot required thought. Should it be a contemporary author or someone I’ve met in person (or the virtual world.) Another problem is that favorites change. Books I love today are not necessarily the same ones from years past. So I’ll leave the fifth slot open for my next favorite author.

If you could meet any author, who would it be and what would you ask them?

First off, let me state I am not an introvert and would not do this in real life. But for the purposes of this question, I’d ask Anne McCaffrey, queen of dragons, for a review quote for my dragon shifter series.

Were you a big reader as a child?

I would not say I was a big reader as a child. I was a voracious one. Although I grew up in a rural area and the town library was only a small, one-room local library, the county replaced their small, in-town library with a large modern one. And back then farm and household auctions were popular. You might not have a wide variety of authors, but box lots of books for fifty cents or a dollar filled the void between visits to town.

When did you start to write?

If you include non-fiction, I’ve been a published author for XXX years. Yes the amount is blacked out on purpose. The total doesn’t include years writing computer programs, technical manuals, and the sundry forms that went with them. Although the manuscripts were tossed out during a clean-out several years ago, and the storylines are somewhat blurred, I do remember receiving rejection notices when I was in high school.

If you could re-write the ending to any book what would it be and what would you change?

No books, but two movies come to mind. In both of them, the hero died at the end. In one movie, after multiple fights in the gladiatorial ring, of rescuing friends, and setback after setback when trying to escape, the hero and heroine earned the right to freedom, but at the edge of the island, lava overtakes them. All their effort and hours of our time rooting for the characters to no avail. As to what would I’d change? Have the pair off the island. Even if they were bobbing on a piece of wood, they’d have a chance for life. In the other movie, a husband fought for his wife’s freedom from a medieval curse placed on her family when an ancestress was burned as a witch. He survives multiple attempts on his life and the reader is led to believe in doing so the curse was broken. He is holding her in his arms when she reaches behind the couch and pulls out a knife. The camera pans out as the knife plunges downward and you know she just killed him. I might be a romantic, and loyalty and heroism isn’t always rewarded in real life, but fiction allows us to escape that. While I don’t always demand a happily-ever after ending, when the hero has fought well and valiantly, I think he deserves to live.

If you wrote an autobiography, what would your title be?

Be Nice Or I’ll Kill You In My Novel. An alternative title would be Dragons, Swords and Wings: An Author’s Tale

If you could invite any fictional character for coffee who would it be and where would you take them?

It would be a toss-up between Honored Old One Llewlyn who is the twinned dragon soul of Lord Branin of Cloud Eyrie and Captain Jean Luc Picard of the Enterprise. The one would be taken to the top of a mountain for a dip in the lake and the other? Ten Forward of course.

Tell us a random fact about yourself.

Jersey born and bred, but am now having to get rid of my mid-Atlantic burr and develop a southern drawl.

What are you working on right now?

The working title of my current work-in-progress is Windmaster Legend. Set in the world of the Windmaster novels, it recounts the tale of Iol and Pelra, a pair of star-crossed lovers mentioned in the other books of the series.

Tell us about your last release?

My two latest releases are First Change: Legends From The Eyrie and Heart and Sand. First Change is a collection of three novellas and two short stories based in the world of the dragshi, humans who can take on the form of their dragon soul twin. Unlike the other books in the series, First Change involved different characters and eras in the world. They are stories of duty and honor, love and loss, happiness and despair. As with all such tales, some contain larger than life deeds. Others are the simple story of a man or woman doing what must be done, regardless of the cost. So while the other Dragshi Chronicles are romances with happy-ever after endings, the tales in First Change mimic real life and may—or may not—end happily ever after.

Hearth and Sand: Stories from the Front Lines and the Homefront is a tribute to those who have served in uniform and those they left behind. Set universes apart and separated by decades in time, the stories in Hearth and Sand reflect a continuity of service from the past to the present and into the world of tomorrow. The twelve short stories cross genre from contemporary to historical, and science fiction to poetry.

What do you generally do to celebrate on publication day?

First is housekeeping to make sure that an up-to-date hardcopy goes into the files, and that the production files are backed up to the cloud, thumb drive, and floppy. Then it is time for a glass of wine and to watch some television.

How can readers keep in touch with you?

I love to hear from my readers and I always invite them to join me on journeys to worlds of imagination. They can find me in the virtual world on my blog: helenhenderson-author.blogspot.com or at the following spots:

Facebook— https://www.facebook.com/HelenHenderson.author.

Twitter— https://twitter.com/history2write

Goodreads— http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/777491.Helen_Henderson

Is there anything else you would like us to know?

Despite me being their initial creator, my characters hate me during the short days of winter. Even if we’re at the part of the journey where they tell me the tale rather than me creating it, in the period between All Hallow’s Eve and Year’s End, I make their lives miserable. The characters get involved in sword battles (which they may lose), get captured, chained and thrown in dungeons, or suffer some other setback.

Thank you for having me. Being out and about in the virtual world is always fun, especially when we meet such nice people.

Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions, Helen 🙂

Windmaster Legacy

Don’t miss this beautifully written, powerfully evocative sequel. The magic of the fantasies Henderson weaves will stay with you forever. – Amazon Reviewer

Newly handfasted to the dark-haired archmage Lord Dal, Ellspeth and her husband escort his mother to her ancestral lands. While Dal searches for Bashim, a rogue mage, mercenaries under his control attack. Dal’s mother is severely wounded and Ellspeth is captured. Her sole hope for escape is Nobyn, an untrained wizard going through the throes of awakening magic. However, Nobyn is Bashim’s apprentice and under the mage’s total control.

Dal must make an impossible decision whether to rescue his wife, cure his mother, or thwart Bashim’s plans. More than who lives or dies is at stake. He might be able to live with his guilt over the death of a loved one, but could he survive killing the future of magic.

Buy on Amazon Kobo iTunes

 

Enjoy!

Hi all!

I have the pleasure of sharing a lovely interview with Bella Osborne today.

Happy Publication Day, Bella 🙂

Many thanks to Rachel @ Rachel’s Random Resources

Interview with Bella Osborne

For those who don’t know already, could you tell us about yourself and your book(s) please?

Hi Kerry, thanks for having me on your blog today. I’m Bella and I live in the Midlands with my husband, daughter and a cat who thinks she’s a dog. I write romantic comedies, which are about friendship, love and coping with what life throws at you. I’ve been shortlisted for the RNA Contemporary Romantic Novel of the Year award twice and seen my first three novels all feature in the Amazon Kindle top 100 chart. My fourth novel Coming Home to Ottercombe Bay is out now.

Where did/do you get your ideas from?

Absolutely anything can spark an idea. It could be something someone says, or an article in a magazine or a news item or I’ve even had one that started as a dream. I have a file where I jot down all my ideas and that currently stands at 16,500 words, so I always have a pot I can dip into. I often find that something will trigger an idea but if it starts to build on it’s own then I know it’s going to be one I’ll have to write.

Are any of your characters based (however loosely) on anyone you know?

I think some of my characters have certain traits that I’ve taken from real people but there’s nobody that is remotely identifiable as a whole person. Usually my main characters pitch up fully formed and I have to get to know them rather than building them.

How do you pick your characters names?

I love this part of the process. I need to get the right names for my main characters before I can really develop the story. The name needs to work with the character and feel like it fits their personality. Daisy Wickens is the heroine in my latest novel and she is a wild and free character, born to bohemian parents so the name Daisy felt like a perfect fit. I’m not as picky about minor characters, I have a list of names I like and sometimes I dip into this to get one that fits.

Can you share your writing process with us, in a nutshell?

I work with an idea in my head for quite a while. When I feel that it’s one that has legs I start jotting down notes and keep them in a folder. When I know enough I’ll draft up a synopsis. Then I write character profiles, adding celebrity photos to help me visualise them. Next I plot out the story using the three act structure. I write the first draft fairly quickly, before moving onto editing and then it’s over to my publisher.

Who are your top 5 favourite authors?

Jill Mansell, Katie Fforde, Milly Johnson, Agatha Christie and JK Rowling.

If you could meet any author, who would it be and what would you ask them?

JK Rowling. Assuming I could form a sentence, I’d ask her What’s your favourite biscuit? No, only joking. I’d ask her if there’s anything she’d do differently if she was about to start writing Harry Potter now, knowing what she knows. (Actually, I would probably ask her the biscuit question).

Were you a big reader as a child?,

Yes, at times I was and then at others I was outside climbing trees. It seemed to go in cycles.

When did you start to write?

I wrote at primary school where my stories got longer and longer and into secondary school where I could fill an exercise book with ease and it’s something I just continued to do. It wasn’t until 2013 when I decided that would be the year I set myself the challenge of writing a full length novel.

If you could re-write the ending to any book what would it be and what would you change?

Life of Pi. I loved that book but I didn’t like the end where everything is thrown into question as to whether it ever was the tiger on the boat. I would make it clear it was the tiger and I would also have the tiger look back at Pi before running into the forest earlier in the book because it’s so harsh that he doesn’t even give him a backward glance.

Is there a book you wish you had written?

Lots! Harry Potter, although I would then have missed out on the joy of reading it. I adore An Inspector Calls by JB Priestly and think this is a work of genius so that would be another one. Also more recently Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, because it has a beautiful balance of wit and poignancy.

If you wrote an autobiography, what would your title be?

It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time

If you could invite any fictional character for coffee who would it be and where would you take them?

Harry Potter and we’d go to Hogsmeade because it’s still all very real in my head.

What are you working on right now?

I am currently editing my fifth book which is partly an office based story and partly set around a private park in Birmingham. I’m also writing a Christmas story.

Do you have a new release due?

Yes. Coming Home to Ottercombe Bay is out on 28th June.

What do you generally do to celebrate on publication day?

The lovely people at Waterstones, Leamington Spa are letting me celebrate with them for the second time which is terrific. It’s so nice to share the evening with readers. I also treat myself to a charm for my Nomination bracelet and, who knows, maybe one day I’ll have written enough books to fill it up.

How can readers keep in touch with you?

There’s my website – http://www.bellaosborne.com. I’m often on Twitter find me @osborne_bella and I have a Facebook page here BellaOsborneAuthor

Is there anything else you would like us to know?

I love hearing from readers and a short review really is the best way to let an author know you liked their book.

Many thanks for having me.

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, Bella 🙂

Coming Home to Ottercombe Bay

Daisy Wickens has returned to Ottercombe Bay, the picturesque Devon town where her mother died when she was a girl. She plans to leave as soon as her great uncle’s funeral is over, but Great Uncle Reg had other ideas. He’s left Daisy a significant inheritance – an old building in a state of disrepair, which could offer exciting possibilities, but to get it she must stay in Ottercombe Bay for twelve whole months.

With the help of a cast of quirky locals, a few gin cocktails and a black pug with plenty of attitude, Daisy might just turn this into something special. But can she ever hope to be happy among the ghosts of her past?

Purchase Links

Amazon – http://mybook.to/OttercombeBay

KOBO – https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/coming-home-to-ottercombe-bay

Author Bio –

Bella has been jotting down stories as far back as she can remember but decided that 2013 would be the year that she finished a full length novel. She’s now written four romantic comedies and been shortlisted twice for the RNA Contemporary Romantic Novel of the Year.

Bella’s stories are about friendship, love and coping with what life throws at you.

She lives in The Midlands, UK with her husband, daughter and a cat who thinks she’s dog. When not writing she’s usually eating custard creams and planning holidays.

For more about Bella, visit her website at http://www.bellaosborne.com or follow her on Twitter – @osborne_bella

Social Media Links –

Twitter – @osborne_bella

Facebook – https://en-gb.facebook.com/BellaOsborneAuthor/

Giveaway –

Win signed copies of It Started At Sunset Cottage and A Family Holiday (Open Internationally)

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter link below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

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Good luck!

 

BIG SISTER

GUNNAR STAALESEN

Translated by DON BARTLETT

‘Staalesen continually reminds us why he is one of the finest of Nordic novelists’ Barry Forshaw, Financial Times

PI Varg Veum receives a surprise visit in his office from a woman who introduces herself as his half-sister, and she has a job for him. Her god-daughter, a nineteen-year-old trainee nurse from Haugesund, moved from her bedsit in Bergen two weeks ago. Since then no one has heard anything from her. She didn’t leave an address. She doesn’t answer her phone. And the police refuse to take her case seriously. Veum’s investigation uncovers a series of carefully covered-up crimes and pent-up hatreds, and the trail leads to a gang of extreme bikers and to a shadowy group, whose dark actions are hidden by the anonymity of the Internet. And then things get personal… Chilling, shocking and exceptionally gripping, Big Sister reaffirms Gunnar Staalesen as one of the world’s foremost thriller writers.

‘Chilling and perilous…’ The Sunday Times

‘Chandler with a Nordic twist’ Wall Street Journal

‘There is something dark and haunting about this novel that will test every sinew of your emotions’ Last Word Book Review

Many thanks to Anne Cater for arranging the following interview…..

Interview with Gunnar Staalesen…..

For those who don’t know already, could you tell us about yourself and your book(s) please?

My name is Gunnar Staalesen. I was born in Bergen, Norway, almost 71 years ago, and I have been a writer since I was 17. My first book, a novel, was published when I was 22. I am best known as the writer of a detective series about the Bergen PI Varg Veum, but I have written many plays and a huge trilogy about Bergen, Europe and the world in the 20^th century. I have just finished my 19^th book in the series about Varg Veum, to be published in Norway in September – and in the UK next year! My 18^th Varg Veum novel, Big Sister, is my latest title to be published in UK – by Orenda Books and the formidable Karen Sullivan.

 

Where did/do you get your ideas from?

I get my ideas from reading at least four newspapers every day, following the news on the radio or TV, listening to stories people tell me, and reading other writers’ books, watching films, going to the theatre … The ideas come from all these places.

 

Are any of your characters based (however loosely) on anyone you know?

Well, I guess some people might think they can recognise some of the characters in my books, but only, I think, because of the ways they look or behave. My characters come from my own head, and are only very loosely based on people I have met.

 

How do you pick your characters’ names?

I research place names in Norway, such as those of old farms, which are often the origins of many family names we use in our country. Then I find a first name that matches the family name and that is not too difficult to remember. I often change the names of my characters several times during the writing process.

 

Can you share your writing process with us, in a nutshell?

I start with an idea – a sketch. Then I write down a short synopsis and perhaps a list of who might be the central characters in the book. After that I start writing, more or less from chapter one and then move chronologically through the book. After the first version, my editor reads the script and gives me his or her comments, and then I rewrite the entire book once more. After that there are perhaps further comments, but nothing that means rewriting the script a third time. I take somewhere between six and nine months to write a new book.

 

Who are your top 5 favourite authors?

Well, I have many more than five, so it’s difficult to pick my favourites. In terms of crime fiction, I will choose Arthur Conan Doyle, Raymond Chandler, Ross Macdonald, Margaret Millar and the writing couple Sjöwall & Wahlöö.

 

If you could meet any author, who would it be and what would you ask them?

I would like to have a good chat with the married couple Ross Macdonald and Margaret Millar; I guess we would discuss how to create a good plot. I actually met Margaret Millar once, in the late 1980s when she came as a tourist to Norway, but we did not have time to get into the details of writing crime fiction.

 

Were you a big reader as a child?

Oh yes!

 

When did you start to write?

I started to write for fun when I was around 12, but began working seriously, with the ambition of becoming a real writer, from the age of 17.

If you could re-write the ending to any book what would it be and what would you change?

Out of the question, I believe. What is done is done. What is written is written.

 

Is there a book you wish you had written?

Hamlet is not a book, but I would have loved to have written it. The same for the most of the works of the writers mentioned above.

 

If you wrote an autobiography, what would your title be?

All Fiction.

 

If you could invite any fictional character for coffee who would it be and where would you take them?

I would go to the closest bar and share a couple of gimlets with Philip Marlowe. Coffee would come afterwards.

 

Tell us a random fact about yourself.

I have an herb garden at my cottage north of Bergen.

 

What are you working on right now?

I just finished my new book, Utenfor er hundene. The UK title will be Wolves at the Door.

 

Tell us about your last release?

Big Sister is an important novel in the Varg Veum series. Veum family secrets are uncovered, and Varg is seriously challenged when a half-sister he hasn’t previously met comes to his office and tells him who she is and why she is there.

 

Do you have a new release due?

As mentioned just above.

 

What do you generally do to celebrate on publication day?

I take my wife out for a good meal. There have been many of them over the years, as I have published more than 30 books in all – closer to 40, in fact.

 

How can readers keep in touch with you?

Follow my website, www.vargveum.no. Most of it is in Norwegian though. The best way to keep in touch with a writer is to read his books, I believe.

 

Is there anything else you would like us to know?

No thanks. I keep my secrets for myself.

 

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, Gunnar 🙂

Gunnar Staalesen was born in Bergen, Norway in 1947. He made his debut at the age of 22 with Seasons of Innocence and in 1977 he published the first book in the Varg Veum series. He is the author of over 20 titles, which have been published in 24 countries and sold over five million copies. Twelve film adaptations of his Varg Veum crime novels have appeared since 2007, starring the popular Norwegian actor Trond Epsen Seim, and a further series is being filmed now. Staalesen, who has won three Golden Pistols (including the Prize of Honour) and the Petrona Award, and been shortlisted for the CWA Dagger, lives in Bergen with his wife.

Check out the rest of the blog tour for reviews, and more, with these awesome book bloggers…..

Enjoy!

 

Many thanks to Rachel @ Rachel’s Random Resources.

Bound to Her Blood Enemy

Norman heiress, Matilda Comyn is desperate to escape her grasping guardian and reclaim her inheritance. After a lifetime of being let down by men, she wants to rule her lands on her own terms. She can’t escape without help and battles her mistrust when compelled to join forces with a Welsh spy.

Huw Ap Goronwy has a rival claim to Matilda’s castle and has sworn a blood oath against the Comyns. When his king rules they must marry, he struggles to reconcile his attraction with his need for revenge. But they must form a truce if they are to seize their castle.

Risking capture and death, they will only succeed if Matilda learns to trust, and Huw allows his love for Matilda to overcome his need for revenge.

Purchase Links

Amazon (UK): https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07D6FT4HH

Amazon (US): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D6FT4HH

The Wild Rose Press Catalogue: https://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/paperback-books/5938-bound-to-her-blood-enemy-paperback.html

Author Bio –

Tora lives in Shropshire in the United Kingdom. On childhood holidays her interest in history was fired by exploring castles in Wales and the Welsh borders, and she would make up stories about characters living there. When she started writing, it seemed only natural to turn to the settings that inspired her as a child. In her free time, when she can drag herself away from reading, she enjoys walking and cycling.

 Social Media Links –

Blog: http://www.torawilliams.uk/blog

Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/ToraWilliamsAuthor/

Twitter: @ToraWilliams1

 

 

It’s a pleasure to bring The Warrior With The Pierced Heart, by Chris Bishop, to your attention today 🙂

Published by

RedDoor Books

Many thanks to Kelly @ Love Books Group Tours

Synopsis:

In the second book in the exciting and atmospheric Shadow of the Raven series we rejoin novice monk turned warrior, Matthew as he marches ahead of King Alfred, to Exeter to herald the King’s triumphant return to the city, marking his great victory at Edington.

It should have been a journey of just five or perhaps six days but, as Matthew is to find to his cost, in life the road you’re given to travel is seldom what you wish for and never what you expect.

In this much-anticipated sequel Chris Bishop again deposits the reader slap-bang into the middle of Saxon Britain, where battles rage and life is cheap. An early confrontation leaves Matthew wounded, but found and tended by a woodland-dwelling healer he survives, albeit with the warning that the damage to his heart will eventually take his life.

Matthew faces many challenges as he battles to make his way back to Chippenham to be reunited with King Alfred and also with the woman he wants to make his wife. This is an epic tale of triumph over adversity as we will the warrior with the pierced heart to make it back to those he loves, before it is too late.

Pre-order…..

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Warrior-Pierced-Heart-Shadow-Raven/dp/1910453595/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1529782422&sr=8-1&keywords=the+warrior+with+the+pierced+heart

Check out the rest of the blog tour for reviews, and more, with these awesome book bloggers…..

Enjoy!

Many thanks to Ellie Pilcher at Canelo.

 

Title: The Cornish Village School – Breaking the Rules

 

Author Name: Kitty Wilson

 

Previous Books (if applicable): N/A

 

Genre: Women’s Fiction

 

Release Date: 11th June 2018

 

Publisher: Canelo

 

Cover Image: 

Book Blurb: Rosy Winter is definitely not looking for love

Following heartbreak, Rosy has rebuilt her life in the beautiful Cornish village of Penmenna. Now, headmistress of the local school, she is living by The Rule: no dating anyone in the village. Easy right? But Rosy Winter has a new neighbour, handsome gardener Matt.

In Penmenna for his new gardening TV show, this guy next door will do everything he can to persuade her to break her rule and win her heart. Meanwhile, Penmenna Village School is threatened with closure and it’s up to Rosy to rally the local community and #SaveOurSchool. Can she bring her worlds together and accept help from the most unlikely of sources? One thing’s for sure… she won’t be giving up without a fight.

This heartwarming romance is perfect for fans of Tilly Tennant, Holly Martin and A. L. Michael.

Links to Book:

Amazon (UK)

Kobo (UK)

Google Books (UK)

Apple Books (UK)

Author Bio:

Kitty Wilson has lived in Cornwall for the last twenty-five years having been dragged there, against her will, as a stroppy teen. She is now remarkably grateful to her parents for their foresight and wisdom – and that her own children aren’t as hideous. She spends most of her time welded to the keyboard or hiding out at the beach and has a penchant for very loud music, equally loud dresses and romantic heroines who speak their mind.

Author Social Media Links

Twitter: @@KittyWilson23

Extract…..

Chapter Six

Rosy opened one eye just the merest crack. The inside of her head had never felt quite so empty or so tender. Even moving a squillimetre on her pillow seemed to make her brain hurtle from one side to the other and hurt as it bounced.

Ow ow ow.

She decided that the best thing to do was just lie there, really, really still until it all passed. It was Sunday so it didn’t matter if it were hours rather than minutes. If she just lay here until she got really bored then the boredom would indicate that she was well enough to move. Problem solved.

She had read somewhere that NASA paid people to stay in bed for seventy days. Maybe if this morning went well she could join them in the summer holidays, top up her finances and see a bit of America. From a window, admittedly, but that was still more than she had seen up to this point.

Hmm, you could do all sorts in bed for seventy days. Keeping her head very still, and thanking God she had duck-feather pillows supporting her in cushioned heaven, she thought of all the books she would read and the ice cream she could eat during that time.

She could take up sewing or needlepoint – after seventy days she could probably have a wall hanging like those littered over Tudor castles and Renaissance palaces. People could come from miles and miles to see her work progressing and bid against each other furiously for each artisanal tapestry. Mind you, she’d have to be careful not to get the ice cream on them.

She was liking this idea the more it developed. What else could she do in bed all day? Whoosh! From nowhere and straight into her diminished and sore brain was an image of her new neighbour. Stop it! Imaginary Matt’s smile widened. To make things worse the camera eye of her brain started to pan down. No, no, no! She sat bolt upright and shook her head violently to try and disperse the image. That way madness lay!

Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow. His image was replaced by a bright white flashing and a spinning bedroom.

For goodness’ sake, she and Lynne had only drunk a couple of bottles last night. Bottles, ah! Rosy wasn’t a big drinker, partly because she had form for the world’s worst hangovers, but mainly because of her active decision after uni to always be aware and alert. Hence The Rule. And she did love The Rule.

But yesterday the combination of Perfect Hair and Matt, and her own godawful hell-date, meant alcohol had seemed like the best way forward. And Lynne was only too happy to help, so much so that they had sung ABBA’s whole back catalogue until the early hours when Lynne’s husband Dave decided to walk Rosy home.

Lying here hungover and trying to keep images of Matt, naked Matt, out of her head was not how she wanted to spend her day.

She was going to have to take more proactive action. Action that made a difference. Action like Emma Peel would take. Emma Peel was Rosy’s role model – a fearless, arse-kicking superspy that always had the answer, and did it all in heels (although Rosy would be quite happy to successfully arse-kick in plimsolls). Emma Peel would not have muddled the words to ‘Dancing Queen’ quite so tunelessly and then lain here the next morning just whimpering. No, what would she have done?

It would definitely involve a catsuit, but seeing that Rosy didn’t have one maybe some paracetamol would be a good start.

She rolled off her bed and onto all fours and padded to the bathroom – this seemed like the best way to do it this morning and had the plus of being dead Avengers-like. Once there, she winched herself up onto the sink and scrabbled in the cabinet to find painkillers. Standing properly now, she managed to knock back not just the paracetamol but threw some ibuprofen in at the same time. It was a medical emergency after all. Maybe whilst she was here she should brush her teeth, see if it was possible to do it without moving her head. Look, see, as soon as the pain diminished, today was going to be OK.

Just as she was finishing, there was a loud knock at the door. A very loud knock. Oh, Jesus, the last thing she needed now were visitors. Very, very slowly, muttering just a little bit, she headed down the stairs, pyjama-clad, to answer it.

Matt knocked again; he was sure she was in this time. Why was she taking so long? They weren’t exactly big houses. Beautiful but not big. And there had definitely been noises a minute ago, signifying she was awake.

Suddenly he wondered if that was kind of creepy. Had he turned into one of those guys that obsessed about their neighbours, listening to every sound and mapping every movement? Was his next step on the inevitable path to serial killerdom preparing a basement? Perhaps he should step away from the door right now so things didn’t escalate.

He’d give her one more minute and then head home. After all, it was quite clear what she – beautiful, sparky, single – would have been doing out last night when he had knocked and why she was now taking her time answering the door on a Sunday morning. Why was he blundering in here? This was madness and he was an idiot.

Mind made up, he turned to go before he embarrassed himself – just as the latch scraped and the door opened. Great! Now for his idiocy to be shown publicly. He turned and smiled, bracing himself for feeling foolish. Yet the sight of her made him glad he had come over. This was ridiculous.

‘Oh, hello.’ She slowly opened the door, and gave him a weak-looking grin and a ‘How are you? How can I help?’

Neither were an invitation in, he noted, but this was no surprise when he had just worked out what he had worked out. But still she looked so adorable in that little shorts set, all wrapped up in a dinky little printed package with hair that was very definitely tousled. It may not be today but maybe, one day, he’d be able to wake up to that exact smile, with that exact hair and that exact pyjama set.

But he was getting a bit ahead of himself. How did he even have time to think all of this? He needed to answer, stop staring and answer quickly. Preferably in a way that didn’t make him look like a pervert or the serial killer he was panicking about being just a few minutes ago.

‘Hi, I hope it’s not too early but I thought I heard you up and um… thought I should return your plate.’ He proffered said article and watched as she scrunched her eyes up tight and then moved her hand out very slowly and deliberately to take it.

‘Um, thank you, I hope you liked it.’

‘Oh God yes, it was delicious. I just thought you had better have it back.’ Christ! He was a stammering idiot, she was definitely going to think the worst of him. Where was cool confident charming Matt? The Matt that women swooned at – he knew it happened. He needed him back right now.

‘OK, good, right then.’ She smiled again and started to close the door.

‘Oh, just a minute.’ Matt stopped her. ‘I was just wondering, um, if you were free later. Maybe? What do you think?’

Momentarily he saw her eyes blink, almost suspicious. Was this an odd thing to do? Weren’t people super friendly with their neighbours in rural villages? Then her eyes went back to the full Rosy beam he had experienced yesterday morning, and the smile returned to her face.

‘Oh OK, well, um… er, yes. I’m just doing regular Sunday stuff. I’d invite you in but… um … well… I can’t at the moment.’

‘Oh, that’s OK, I wasn’t expecting to come in…’ Persevere, man! ‘I was just wondering if you were free because, um… I could really do with some help.’

That should work, and it was true, he did. Did that make him manipulative? Possibly. Or maybe just his inner alpha male was returning, returning to rescue the situation and move things on. Yes, he’d stick with that.

‘Ah, um, yes, I can be, this afternoon. What do you need?’ Rosy answered, just the hint of pink in her cheeks. Which was a change from the green that had been sweeping across her face seconds earlier.

‘Well, I was going to impose on your good nature, maybe ask if you could show me around. I’m completely new and I could do with a guide. Even the lanes around here are a nonsensical warren if you’re not local. It was just an idea. It’s all so beautiful, and it seems daft that I don’t really know where anything is. I mean, I’ve found the main street obviously, but, well, a little bit of local knowledge could really help me out.’ He shrugged his shoulders and smiled in what he hoped was a winning way. ‘Maybe we could eat too? You could show me the best local Sunday lunch, if you like, my treat obviously,’ Matt continued. She was smiling so he may as well cement the deal if he was in with a chance.

Suddenly Rosy started to wobble. A very strange expression passed across her face and the pink flush had gone, replaced again by the green. Had he gone too far, turning it from neighbourly favour to lunch date? Don’t backtrack, man. Stand firm.

‘Um, Rosy, are you OK?’

‘Yes, fine,’ she replied in a woozy not-fine-at-all way. ‘Umm, come knock for me at about one-ish, look, now is difficult, I can’t um… really talk. But just before one should be fine, come back then.’

And then with no further explanation she shut the door in his face.

Check out the rest of the blog tour for reviews, and more, with these awesome book bloggers…..

Enjoy!

Hi!

Today I have the pleasure of welcoming Sandra Danby to Chat About Books 🙂

Author Interview – Sandra Danby

Sandra Danby is a proud Yorkshire woman, tennis nut and tea drinker. She believes a walk on the beach will cure most ills. Unlike Rose Haldane, the identity detective in her two novels, Ignoring Gravity and Connectedness, Sandra is not adopted. Connectedness was published in May 2018.

 

Where do you get your ideas from?

Ideas come from everywhere, at any time, without warning. My problem is probably too many ideas. I dread forgetting one and always have a notebook and pen to hand; in my handbag for ideas on the move, and by my bedside for middle-of-the-night inspiration. I collect everything, particularly magazine cuttings, and take photographs of things I see [anything from an inscription on a gravestone to a road sign or an advertising hoarding]. My husband despairs of ever having space on our Sky box because I fill it with documentaries: over the last three years while I was writing Connectedness, the programmes were about art; now they’re about World War Two as I focus on my next novel Sweet Joy.

 

Are any of your characters based (however loosely) on anyone you know?

Not directly, no. But every writer steals stories and personality traits, sometimes on purpose, sometimes sub-consciously, that may be jumbled together to create a character. As I write twin timelines, I find it helpful when writing the historical strand to remember people I know and stories from those times; it helps to get a handle on attitudes, dress, activities. From that starting point, I write exercises in which I put my character into different situations and see how they react; in this way the character becomes their own person.

 

How do you pick your characters’ names?

I don’t have a conscious process. Somehow in the early stages of a novel’s creation, when I’m thinking ‘what if’, a name will attach itself. I am also conscious of the changing trends in names that shift from decade to decade, and try to avoid anything jarring.

 

Can you share your writing process with us, in a nutshell?

I’m currently writing Sweet Joy, third in the ‘Identity Detective’ series, and have had the premise clear in my mind for the last couple of years. After a phase of intense research – The Blitz, bomber planes and pilots, textile design in the Sixties, and country house museums – the plot and characters are becoming clearer. The next stage is to work through any undecided areas by writing exercises, trying out a few things. Once I’m happy that I have my characters nailed down, I start to write. My novels are dual timeline so I tend to write one timeline from start to finish, without touching the other; that helps keep the tone authentic. I have a master plot plan so I can control pace and tension and know when to drop in hints and confide secrets.

 

Who are your favourite top 5 authors?

Elizabeth Strout

Clare Morrall

Elizabeth Jane Howard

Jane Austen

PD James

 

If you could meet any author, who would it be and what would you ask them?

PD James. What was your system of plotting, laying clues and red herrings, and how did you keep track of it all? I have read the whole Adam Dalgliesh series and picked up many tricks on handling tension, keeping secrets, and gently misleading the reader to increase the tension. Did you use index cards?

 

Were you a big reader as a child?

Enormous! I was a proud member of the Puffin Club and was given my own bookshelf in the bedroom I shared with my sister so I could sort my books in alphabetical order. Perhaps I should have become a librarian! I gulped down all the classics plus Enid Blyton, Arthur Ransome, Henry Williamson, the Joy Adamson books about Elsa the lioness, and authors suggested by my mother including Mary Stewart.

 

When did you start to write?

I always wanted to write. I loved reading stories and wanted to write my own. As a child, I wrote stories and compiled my own magazines. Not surprisingly, I went on to study English, became a journalist then magazine editor.

 

If you could re-write the ending to any book what would it be and what would you change?

I was a romantic as a child and was so upset when Jo didn’t accept Laurie’s proposal in Little Women. So I would re-write the ending so they married and Amy went to live with Aunt March.

 

Is there a book you wish you had written?

My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout, such a heart-rending and personal account of a mother/daughter relationship. Economically and beautifully written, I read it in one sitting on a winter’s afternoon, drawn into the life of Lucy. She looks back, ostensibly telling the story of her nine-week stay in hospital and an unexpected visit by her mother, when in fact she tells the story of her life. Mothers and daughters, no two relationships are alike and no woman can make assumptions about another’s experience as either mother or daughter. Stranded in her hospital bed, Lucy remembers her childhood and tries to make sense of it.

 

If you wrote an autobiography, what would your title be?

I never would, as I enjoy making things up too much.

 

If you could invite any fictional character for coffee who would it be and where would you take them?

Mikel Blomqvist from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. He drinks pints of coffee each day in the Millennium Trilogy, so he would definitely need nice cake to dilute the caffeine. Perhaps afternoon tea at The Wolseley in London, one of my favourite treats.

 

Tell us a random fact about yourself.

I can swear in Spanish.

 

What are you working on right now?

Climbing into a Lancaster bomber at IWM Duxford and researching RAF slang during World War Two. It’s research for Sweet Joy, to make my bomber pilot authentic.

 

About ‘Connectedness’

TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD, ARTIST JUSTINE TREE HAS IT ALL… BUT SHE ALSO HAS A SECRET THAT THREATENS TO DESTROY EVERYTHING

Justine’s art sells around the world, but does anyone truly know her? When her mother dies, she returns to her childhood home in Yorkshire where she decides to confront her past. She asks journalist Rose Haldane to find the baby she gave away when she was an art student, but only when Rose starts to ask difficult questions does Justine truly understand what she must face.

Is Justine strong enough to admit the secrets and lies of her past? To speak aloud the deeds she has hidden for 27 years, the real inspiration for her work that sells for millions of pounds. Could the truth trash her artistic reputation? Does Justine care more about her daughter, or her art? And what will she do if her daughter hates her?

This tale of art, adoption, romance and loss moves between now and the Eighties, from London’s art world to the bleak isolated cliffs of East Yorkshire and the hot orange blossom streets of Málaga, Spain.

A family mystery for fans of Maggie O’Farrell, Lucinda Riley, Tracy Rees and Rachel Hore.

 

About the ‘Identity Detective’ series

Rose Haldane reunites the people lost through adoption. The stories you don’t see on television shows. The difficult cases. The people who cannot be found, who are thought lost forever. Each book in the ‘Identity Detective’ series considers the viewpoint of one person trapped in this horrible dilemma. In the first book of the series, Ignoring Gravity, it is Rose’s experience we follow as an adult discovering she was adopted as a baby. Connectedness is the story of a birth mother and her longing to see her baby again. Sweet Joy, the third novel, will tell the story of a baby abandoned during The Blitz.

 

Do you have a new release due?

I’m aiming to publish Sweet Joy in 2020 or 2021, which seems a long time away. It takes me three to four years to write each novel. I wish I could write quicker!

 

What do you generally do to celebrate on publication day?

Publication day is a strange experience. After being a huge red date in the diary for at least two years, the day dawns and looks like any normal day. On Connectedness’s publication day I spent the morning answering emails and social media messages of congratulations. In the afternoon I went for a walk in the woods, to clear my head and to allow in thoughts of Sweet Joy.

 

How can readers keep in touch with you?

Follow me at Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads and Pinterest, visit my website and Notes on a Spanish Valley blog, or visit my Amazon Author page.

An extract from ‘Connectedness’

Prologue

London, September 2009

The retired headmistress knew before she opened the front door that a posy of carnations would be lying on the doorstep beside the morning’s milk bottle. It happened on this day, every year. September 12. And every year she did the same thing: she untied the narrow ribbon, eased the stems loose and arranged the frilled red flowers in her unglazed biscuit-ware jug. Then she placed the jug on the front windowsill where they would be visible from the street. Her bones ached more now as she bent to pick them up off the step than the first year the flowers arrived. She had an idea why the carnations appeared and now regretted never asking about them. Next year, someone else would find the flowers on the doorstep. In a week’s time she would be living in a one-bedroom annexe at her son’s house in a Hampshire village. She walked slowly back to her armchair beside the electric fire intending to tackle The Times crossword but hesitated, wondering if the person who sent the flowers would ever be at peace.

 

1

Yorkshire, May 2010

The clouds hurried from left to right, moved by a distant wind that did not touch her cheek. It felt unusually still for May. As if the weather was waiting for the day to begin, just as she was. She had given up trying to sleep at three o’clock, pulled on some clothes and let herself out of the front door. Despite the dark, she knew exactly the location of the footpath, the edge of the cliffs; could walk it with her eyes closed. Justine lay on the ground and looked up, feeling like a piece of grit in the immensity of the world. Time seemed both still and marching on. The dark grey of night was fading as the damp began to seep through her jeans to her skin. A pale line of light appeared on the eastern horizon, across the flat of the sea. She shivered and sat up. It was time to go. She felt close to both her parents here, but today belonged to her mother.

 

Three hours later, she stood at the graveside and watched as the coffin was lowered into the dark damp hole. Her parents together again in the plot they had bought. It was a big plot, there was space remaining.

Will I be buried here?

It was a reassuring thought, child reunited with parents.

The vicar’s voice intoned in the background, his words whipped away by the wind. True to form, May was proving changeable. It was now a day requiring clothing intended for mid-winter, when windows were closed tight and the central heating turned on again. Or was it that funerals simply made you feel cold?

‘Amen.’

She repeated the vicar’s word, a whisper borne out of many childhood Sunday School classes squeezed into narrow hard pews. She was not paying attention to the service but, drawn by the deep baritone of the vicar who was now reciting the Lord’s Prayer, was remembering her first day at art college. The first class. Another baritone. Her tutor, speaking words she had never forgotten. Great art was always true, he warned, and lies would always be found out.

In her handbag was a letter, collected from the hall table ten days ago as she left the house for Heathrow and Tokyo. She had expected to return home to London but, answering the call from her mother’s doctor, had come straight to Yorkshire in the hope of seeing her mother one last time. The envelope, which was heavy vellum, and bore smidgens of gold and scarlet and the Royal Academy of Arts’ crest, was still sealed. She knew what the letter said, having been forewarned in a telephone call from the artist who nominated her. It was the official invitation. If she accepted, she was to be Justine Tree, RA.

 

Photos [all © Sandra Danby]:-

CN cover jpeg

Author jpeg

My Mourning Year is quite different to the books I generally read, but I was really intrigued by Andrew Marshall’s story. This is a very honest account of his struggle with losing the love of his life, Thom, at such a young age. We follow his story through his diary entries made at the time.

Grief affects everyone differently and I’m sure Andrew Marshall isn’t the first and won’t be last to ask ‘why is this happening to me?’ when confronted with the loss of a loved one. Some might think him a bit selfish at times considering he wasn’t the one facing the end of his life, but I think you’re bound to have a whole mix of emotions. How do you face life alone when you expected to be together forever? I can’t even imagine how I would cope if I lost my husband. It doesn’t bare thinking about.

A lot of the feelings Andrew describes are so similar to those my Mum has talked about since losing my step-dad at only 58 years old. There is just no justice in someone dying so young. No amount of time is ever enough when you love someone. Mum and Dave only had 12 years together. Mum never imagined she would be widowed at only 53 years old and her loss feels as raw (on some days) nearly 9 years on as it did at the time. On the flip side, my next door neighbour, John, lost his wife in February. She was 89 and he is 90. They were together for almost 70 years, married for 65, and although he’s very thankful for their long and happy marriage he still feels like they didn’t have enough time together. We always want more.

I found Andrew Marshall’s story completely compelling, painfully honest and moving. However much a death is expected it’s always a shock in the end and I really felt for him.

It is also quite uplifting in the end as he learns to live his life again. Grief is never easy and no two people grieve in the same way, but we all tend to cope eventually because we have to.

I’m looking forward to reading ‘The Power Of Dog’.

Via Amazon UK…..

In 1997 Andrew Marshall’s partner, and the only person to whom he had ever truly opened his heart, died after a gruelling and debilitating illness. Unmoored from his old life, and feeling let down by his family, Andrew struggled not only to make sense of his loss but to even imagine what a future without Thom might look like.

About the author…..

When my partner Thom died, I felt the only place that I could confess my feelings was my diary. Twenty years later, after sharing it with friends and work colleagues coping with a bereavement, I decided to share it with everyone. ‘My Mourning Year’ covers the year 1997/8. On the eve of the new millennium, I was feeling better, but my heart was still frozen. I knew something had to change but what? So I decided to get a puppy – even though I’d never had a dog before, not even as a child. ‘The Power of Dog’ is the story of how a puppy helped heal my grieving heart.

Although I’ve written eighteen self-help books, under the name of Andrew G. Marshall, I decided to publish this book as Andrew Marshall – partly so my regular readers did not get confused and thought this was another book of relationship advice and partly to acknowledge this was the private me.

Some background, I used to be a journalist (firstly in radio and more recently in newspapers and magazines). I still write the occasional newspaper feature and I’ve written several plays that have toured all over the UK and Eire. I trained as therapist thirty plus years ago with Relate and just over ten years ago, I wrote my first self-help title ‘I love you but I’m not in love with you’ which has sold 100,000 copies world wide. I now lead a team of therapists in London offering the Marshall Method (my style of couple counselling). In addition, I offer intensive therapy in Berlin

I am currently working on a third volume of memoirs.

 

Happy Friday!

Today I have a lovely interview with Jenny Morton Potts for you, as part of her Just blog tour.

Many thanks to Rachel @ Rachel’s Random Resources.

Interview with Jenny Morton Potts…..

For those who don’t know already, could you tell us about yourself and your book(s) please?

I’m a writer, a wife and mother. I put writer first deliberately, since it seems to most fully define me; like I’m of the writer species. I used to write literature (which I miss) and now I write thrillers (which I love too). I’m also doing memoir for a ballet dancer at the moment and working on another book which is a literary collaboration about the cello. It’s not nearly as dull as it sounds. You don’t need any knowledge of the cello (I personally have none, except I like listening to it) to enjoy the book. The same can be said for the ballet memoir. I just aim for cracking good reads.

Where did/do you get your ideas from?

I found a little box in the attic which has a dusty old label marked, ‘Fantastic ideas for novels’ and I just dip into that. No, I’m kidding. Ideas just come at me constantly, like one of those tennis ball machines. I could never create the time to write up and around all my ideas.

Are any of your characters based (however loosely) on anyone you know?

Not knowingly. There are a lot of things which happen to them which are real events from my life but no, I don’t use the people I know as characters. They are just too villainous; no-one would believe in them.

How do you pick your characters names?

I’m very fussy about my characters’ names. They have to feel perfect. And the syllables have to have the right balance from first name to surname. So that usually, if a character has a two syllable first name, they will have a one syllable surname, and vice versa. I am always scouring the world for names to use. One that I had my eye on recently is Wragg and another is Prayor. I like names like that which sound like solicitors. So they will probably be cropping up soon.

Can you share your writing process with us, in a nutshell?

No mystery. 9 to 5, pretty much. I don’t stop for breaks, just nip to the kitchen for tea. I don’t take any days off while I’m writing a book, no weekends. I will start off by re-reading the previous day’s work and editing that. (If I don’t, then I can’t clear my head of it. I’m a tidy, organised person; methodical.) Then I move onto fresh material. I keep all the work in folders on my laptop: marketing, synopsis, chapter headings, ideas (outlines, one liners, etc), cover. I have a cabin I write in but I could do it anywhere, and frequently do.

Who are your top 5 favourite authors?

E M Forster, E Annie Proulx, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Mary Dorcey, Kate Millett

If you could meet any author, who would it be and what would you ask them?

It would be Mary Dorcey and I’d say, ‘What can I do to persuade you to write another novel?’

Were you a big reader as a child?

Not huge. But I read quite grown up books. My family weren’t big readers and so I was never ‘introduced’ to books or encouraged to read. I just found some interesting ones kicking around and my tummy would turn over when I realised this clever, thrilling stuff was out there.

When did you start to write?

I was probably about nine. I wrote plays and produced, directed, performed them. I did this with all my friends and it was a treasured time. We were in hysterics constantly and it was a challenge to get through the performances.

If you could re-write the ending to any book what would it be and what would you change?

I would never change an ending to a book. I have never felt I wanted to. Even if it is disappointing, or incredibly sad, it’s what was intended.

Is there a book you wish you had written?

Oh God, almost everything I read. All of Margaret Attwood’s.

If you wrote an autobiography, what would your title be?

That’s a fab question. Something irreverent, I guess. Or some silly Victoria Wood quote which has no appropriateness at all, like ‘We shall have fog by teatime’.

If you could invite any fictional character for coffee who would it be and where would you take them?

I would probably take one of my own characters. I like them so much. Lucienne Langbrook, I think, who is in my new book, Just. She really needs a friend and I need to persuade her that she’s not nearly as uptight as she thinks she is.

What are you working on right now?

A memoir for a famous ballet dancer.

Do you have a new release due?

Yeah! My fabulous new thriller, Just!

What do you generally do to celebrate on publication day?

I lie low till sunset, then sip a glass of bubbly, trying not to panic about reviews.

How can readers keep in touch with you?

Readers are welcome to contact me in any way they wish. Email, Facebook, Twitter, coffee in a café.

Is there anything else you would like us to know?

I’m really good at super fiendish sudoku and I’m not a bad bridge player.

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, Jenny!

Kerry. x

My great pleasure, Kerry! Jenny x

Just

How far would you go to save a life?

On golden Mediterranean sands, maverick doctor Scott Langbrook falls recklessly in love with his team leader, Fiyori Maziq. If only that was the extent of his falling, but Scott descends into the hellish clutches of someone much more sinister.

‘Just’ is a story of love and loss, of terror and triumph. Set in idyllic Cambridge and on the shores of the Med and Cornwall, our characters fight for their very lives on land and at sea.

An unforgettable novel which goes to the heart of our catastrophic times, and seeks salvation.

Jenny Morton Potts on Amazon –

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jenny-Morton-Potts/e/B00OIYYVPY/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1527096532&sr=1-1

Author Bio –

Jenny is a novelist, screenplay writer, and playwright. After a series of ‘proper jobs’, she realized she was living someone else’s life and escaped to Gascony to make gîtes. Knee deep in cement and pregnant, Jenny was happy. Then autism and a distracted spine surgeon wiped out the order. Returned to wonderful England, to write her socks off.

Jenny would like to see the Northern Lights but worries that’s the best bit and should be saved till last. Very happily, and gratefully, settled with the family. She tries not to take herself too seriously.

Social Media Links –

http://www.jennymortonpotts.com/

https://twitter.com/jmortonpotts?lang=en

https://facebook.com/jennymortonpotts

https://www.goodreads.com/jennymortonpotts

Giveaway –

Win  5 x e-copies of Just by Jenny Morton Potts (Open Internationally)

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter link below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

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