Blog Tour ~ Sweet Breath of Memory by Ariella Cohen..

Jaffareadstoo is delighted to be hosting today's penultimate stop on the 

Sweet Breath of Memory Blog Tour

Published  by Kensington Publishing June 2016

A little bit of blurb...

With its tree-lined streets, vibrant downtown and curbside planters of spring bulbs, Amberley, Massachusetts, seems a good place for Cate Saunders to start over. It's been two years since her husband, John, was killed in Iraq and life has been a struggle. Her new job as a caregiver doesn't pay much, but the locals are welcoming. In fact, Cate has barely unpacked before she's drawn--reluctantly at first--into a circle of friends. 

There's diner-owner Gaby, who nourishes her customers' spirits as well as their bodies; feisty Beatrice, who kept the town going when its men marched off to WWII; wise-cracking MaryLou, as formidable as Fort Knox but with the same heart of gold; and, Sheila, whose Italian grocery is the soul of the place. As Amberley reveals itself to be a town shaped by war, Cate encounters another kindred spirit--a Holocaust survivor with whom she feels a deep connection. When revelations about John's death threaten Cate's newfound peace of mind, these sisters-in-arms' stories show her an unexpected way forward. And Cate comes to understand that although we suffer loss alone, we heal by sharing our most treasured memories.

My thoughts...

What a treat it's been to spend the last few days in the fictional Massachusetts town of Amberley and to get to know a group of ladies who I would dearly love to call my friends. The warm and supportive nature of their friendship oozes with every word that this talented debut author shares with her readers.

From the very start of the novel I was drawn into the story of Cate, a war widow, who has troubles aplenty, but who is not used to sharing her feelings, that is, until she steps into Gaby's diner and gets enveloped by a group of women who are determined to unlock Cate's secrets. Taking a menial role as a care giver doesn't give Cate much in the way of income but what it does, is introduce her to people, who in the largest scheme of things, offer her a lifeline, and the means of getting her own life back on track.

Using warmth and wit, the author paints a wonderful picture of a supportive community who cherishes its inhabitants and yet, as secrets start to be revealed within the town, Cate as a burgeoning writer gets herself the story of a lifetime and at the same time discovers more about the value of friendship and also, much more about the heartbreak of loss.

Combining multiple stories and time frames isn't easy but this author moves effortlessly between past and present, taking the reader from the comfortable reality of small town New England, to the horrors of the Holocaust in 1945. Whilst at the same time providing a story which is rich in meaning and alive with a wonderful sense of time and place, all of which all combine to make Sweet Breath of Memory a real joy to read from beginning to end.

Best read with …An apple crisp with pistachio ice cream and a rich expresso

About the Author

Connect with the author on Twitter @ariella_cohen and on Facebook 

Amazon UK

Amazon.com 

My thanks to the author and publisher for their invitation to join in with this blog tour

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The author in my spotlight is...Valerie-Anne Baglietto

I am delighted to welcome to Jaffareadstoo the author

Valerie-Anne Baglietto

Hello Valerie-Anne and thank you for being my author in the spotlight today....

Tell us a little about yourself and what got you started as an author?

I was born in Gibraltar, but my family moved to England when I was three. My grandfather and great-grandfather were writers, and I don’t remember a time when I haven’t written myself, although those early ‘books’, stapled together by the nearest available adult, weren’t exactly complex. But I did illustrate them! The one I recall most vividly was a story about a little boy whose mother's nose was long and spiral-shaped. Over twenty years later, my first published novel – the rom-com THE WRONG SORT OF GIRL – won the Romantic Novelists' Association New Writer's Award. But my writing career coincided with the beginning of married life, and once babies and post-natal depression came along, my writing took a back seat for a few years. Recently, I’ve been working on contemporary fiction with fairy tale elements, and my latest, FOUR SIDES TO EVERY STORY, was shortlisted in the 2105 Love Stories Awards. I’m also the bossiest member of the Novelistas: a group of friends and writers based in North Wales, including the popular authors Trisha Ashley and Anne Bennett. We get together regularly for mutual support, while overdosing on cake and coffee, and we also have our own blog, Novelistas Ink.

 

Amazon UK

Where did you get the first flash of inspiration for Four Sides to Every Story?

The inspiration for a novel with that title came to me on a train to Cardiff early in 2012, although I had no idea who exactly the four narrators were going to be. I always intended it to be a modern romance with a magical thread running through it, though, and I liked the idea that not all the narrators would be reliable, which would keep readers on their toes.

What came first – the idea or theme, the plot, place or characters?

The idea and the theme came first, and sprang from the title. I wanted to show how one plot can be viewed from a number of distinct perspectives. Like a bowl of fruit being drawn by four artists with varied styles. At the end of the day it’s the same bowl with the same fruit in it, but when the artists are finished you can guarantee you’ll have four very different paintings.

Your book is a mixture of romance, magic and fairy tale – explain to us a little more about the plot without giving too much away.

It’s essentially a love story, but not related solely from the hero and heroine’s viewpoints. Being a fairy tale, I brought in a fairy godmother, although much younger and less theatrical than the sort we’re used to. And although I had a ‘wicked’ stepmother in the plot, I used the outlook of an innocent stepchild as my fourth narrator. In spite of how it may sound, it’s very much a modern story, based in a picturesque, fictional village in Cheshire. It’s not set in a distant fairy tale land in some undefined era, it’s much more relatable to our own contemporary existence – even if the fairy godmother has no idea how to work an iPhone. There are no puffs of pink smoke, or wand-waving, or sprinkling of fairy dust to bring the hero and heroine together. It’s more the sort of match-making you’d find in Jane Austen’s EMMA, but the magic is there, woven subtly through the story. Oh, and there’s a twist. A massive one.

How do you plan your writing, and are you a plotter, or a see where it goes kind of writer?

Something in between, I’ve found. When I start work on a new project, I have a beginning, and I usually know where I want to end up, with a few important scenes along the way. I feel restricted if I plot too much. I really need a book to flow organically as I write. Saying that, I usually have a timeline (an old calendar that hasn’t been scribbled in works well for this) because it’s very easy to mess that up – I speak from experience!

What is your definition of writing Heaven and writing Hell?

I’m not sure if my answer is quite what you were after, but I did give it some thought and I wanted to be honest.

I think it’s wonderful that more writers than ever have the opportunity to get their work in front of a reader nowadays. With the boom of digital publishing, small presses and print on demand, there are so many avenues open to us, and we have the chance to experiment and push our writing in directions that might not have been available to us previously (writing Heaven). Larger publishers react to trends, but not all readers want to consume the latest crop of whatever’s ‘hot’. Authors can interact with readers directly now, and there’s the opportunity for more diversity because of that, if we choose to take it. But at the same time, this has led to the market rapidly becoming saturated, and for some authors, writing is just a hobby. This inevitably means there are fewer fulltime writers able to make a reasonable living.

For me, storytelling has been my profession for twenty years. I’ve studied the craft, and I continue to study it, and I work hard and persistently. But at times, it can be the most frustrating and demoralising of occupations (writing Hell), because so many people feel they can do it without any training or apprenticeship, and without much effort. For instance, I wouldn’t start plumbing in a sink; I have no idea what I’m doing. Or wiring an electrical socket. I could learn – maybe! – but that would take time. Yet there are people out there who pick up a pen and think that’s all it takes to call themselves an author, and there’s something disrespectful about an attitude like that.

(Rant over – sorry, Jo!)

Its not a rant at all, Valerie -Anne - glad to have your opinion...

And finally - how can readers find out more about you and your writing?

Well, it would be lovely if anyone did want to find out more, and hopefully I haven’t put anyone off! I enjoy interacting with other writers and readers on social media. You can find me here: Facebook and here: Twitter @VABaglietto, and I’m on Instagram as well: @valerieannewrites. I also have a website: www.valerie-annebaglietto.com, where you can contact me directly via email.

Before I go, I’d just like to say thank you, Jo, for having me here on your blog. I appreciate the opportunity, and I hope my answers haven’t bored anyone. My kids would be yawning by now, but I can’t use them as a gauge. I could probably tap dance in wellies wearing a sequined tutu, and I’d still be dull old Mum!

Huge thanks to Valerie-Anne for taking the time out of her busy schedule and for her insightful answers to my questions. It's been a real pleasure to have your company on the blog today.

Four Sides to Every Story is available on Amazon Kindle

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Blog Tour ~ The Plumberry School of Comfort Food by Cathy Bramley

Jaffareadstoo is delighted to be part of the Plumberry Blog Tour

As part of this exciting blog tour to celebrate the launch of The Plumberry School of Comfort Food, the author, Cathy Bramley is answering a different question from a series of questions each day.

The interview was conducted by Zarina  from Page to Stage Reviews  @zarinatweets

Here you will find the first questions on the tour:

Q.1 : Page to Stage Reviews

Q.2 : Linda's Book Bag

Q.3 : Alba in Bookland

Q.4 : Laura's Little Book Blog

Cathy , welcome to Jaffareadstoo and thank you for answering today's question.

Which female author(s) inspire you and why?

Lots of women spring to mind: Julie Cohen, Milly Johnson, Jill Mansell, Carole Matthews, but the two names which really stand out for me are Katie Fforde and Miranda Dickinson.I have such a fondness for both these fabulous women. Of course, they are best-selling authors and their books are consistently wonderful stories, but what makes them so inspirational is their generous support for new and aspiring writers. Whether it be a ‘congratulations!’ tweet on publication day, a quote to go on the front cover, or a kind word at an event, Katie and Miranda go out of their way to be inspire us lesser mortals to greater things. They also both have more practical ways of supporting new writers: Miranda runs WriteFoxy events and Katie awards one lucky writer annually with the Katie Fforde bursary through the RNA.

All about the book..

Verity Bloom hasn't been interested in cooking anything more complicated than the perfect fish finger sandwich, ever since she lost her best friend and baking companion two years ago.

But an opportunity to help a friend lands her right back in the heart of the kitchen. The Plumberry School of Comfort Food is due to open in a few weeks' time and needs the kind of great ideas that only Verity could cook up. And with new friendships bubbling and a sprinkling of romance in the mix, Verity finally begins to feel like she's home.

But when tragedy strikes at the very heart of the cookery school, can Verity find the magic ingredient for Plumberry while still writing her own recipe for happiness?

Amazon UK

More about the author can be found on her website, find her on Facebook or follow on Twitter @CathyBramley

Thanks to Cathy and Transworld for the invitation to be part of this tour and please do visit the other stops on the tour which runs until Saturday 9th July.

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Review ~ The Madam by Jaime Raven

AvonMay 2016

A bit of book blurb..

Scars might fade but the memories don't…

Three years and eleven months. That's how long Lizzie Wells was banged up inside Holloway prison for, serving time for a crime she didn’t commit. 

Six months. That's how long it took Lizzie to fall in love with a woman inside the prison. Scar, who might just have reason for her name.

Now Lizzie is finally free, the duo embark on a search to find those who framed Lizzie and sent her down for cold blooded murder.

My thoughts ..

On her release from prison, Lizzie Wells hits the ground running as she is determined to discover just who framed her for a murder she didn't commit, and more importantly why the perpetrators have been allowed to cover their tracks so convincingly. Armed with nothing more than the occasional knife, and their determination, Lizzie and her feisty companion Scar, delve into the murky world of the Southampton's criminal elite. It's a dark and dangerous world of deals and subterfuge, places where murder, loyalty and vengeance go hand in hand, and where getting on the wrong side of someone can lead to untold disaster.

I found The Madam all quite believable and even though there were times when I wanted Lizzie to slow down and think a little more carefully, I think part of the excitement, for me, came from never knowing what she was going to do next. Scar is the perfect calm counterfoil to Lizzie's impetuousness and together they make a great couple.

The plot develops really quickly and it’s very easy to go along with the story as it unfolds. Both Lizzie and Scar are exciting characters; they each have their own faults and failings but each have an undeniable strength and courage when it comes to facing down their enemies. The plot is fast and furious with never a dull moment and there's a gritty, realistic edge which is so essential to a dark and dirty crime story. There is swearing and graphic violence, so if this type of story upsets you, then it's not going to appeal.  I think this author’s works sits comfortably alongside the likes of Julie Shaw, Kimberley Chambers and Martina Cole, so if you’re a fan of gritty crime, then this will, probably, appeal to you.

Overall, the author has written a believable story and has given the characters great personalities. I even liked some of the bad guys. The twist in the tale is plausible and in a way, I think that the ending lends itself to a continuation, and maybe even a series, as I can well imagine Lizzie and Scar getting inadvertently drawn into more dark and gritty investigations.

Best read with...A glass of champagne and... a packet of cheese and onion crisps...

More about The Madam here 

Amazon UK

My thanks to the author for sharing The Madam with me.

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Sunday WW1 Remembered

During the recent commemoration of the Battle of the Somme, I was reminded, by one of the television presenters, that over 350,000 people visit the Thiepval Memorial every year and possibly, that number, due to the public interest in the Somme centenary, is set to rise during 2016.

It is only right and proper that visitors continue to make, what is in effect, a pilgrimage to this most poignant of war graves, in order to pay their respects to the war dead. However, battle field tourism is not a new concept and soon after the Great War ended, tourists were already visiting the war sites as early as 1919. Most of the visitors wanted to see the places where their loved ones fought and died, whilst others, were simply curious to see the battlefields of Northern France for themselves.

I began to consider how the soldiers who survived the war felt about war tourists tramping over the blood and bones of the battlefields, and in my research, I found this poem, written, with poignant foresight, in 1918, by Philip Johnstone.

High Wood

Ladies and gentlemen, this is High Wood,

Called by the French, Bois des Fourneaux,

The famous spot which in Nineteen-Sixteen,

July, August and September was the scene

Of long and bitterly contested strife,

By reason of its High commanding site.

Observe the effect of shell-fire in the trees

Standing and fallen; here is wire; this trench

For months inhabited, twelve times changes hands;

(They soon fall in), used later as a grave.

It has been said on good authority

That in the fighting for this patch of wood

Were killed somewhere above eight thousand men,

Of whom the greater part were buried here,

This mound on which you stand being ...

Madame, please,

You are requested kindly not to touch

Or take away the Company's property

As souvenirs; you'll find we have on sale

A large variety, all guaranteed.

As I was saying, all is as it was,

This is an unknown British officer,

The tunic having lately rotten off.

Please follow me - this way ...

The path, sir, please,

The ground which was secured at great expense

The Company keeps absolutely untouched,

And in that dug-out (genuine) we provide

Refreshments at a reasonable rate.

You are requested not to leave about

Paper, or ginger-beer bottles, or orange-peel,

There are waste-paper baskets at the gate.

Philip Johnstone, 1918

This poem is attributed to British lieutenant, John Stanley Purvis, who wrote under the pseudonym of Philip Johnstone, and who was invalided out of the army after been wounded during the Battle of the Somme. Following the war he returned to Cranleigh School in Surrey where he had previously taught. He then took holy orders and at the age of 50 he settled in York. Here he gained an international reputation as the translator of the York Mystery Plays and was awarded the OBE for work on the York Minster archives. He died in 1968.

High Wood, in the Somme area, is still frequently visited by tourists. It is, by all accounts, an eerie place that still contains, by conservative estimate, the remains of some 8,000 German and British soldiers who were killed in action there.

I've visited the war graves of Northern France and seen for myself how lovingly these areas are tended by the CWGC. The cemeteries are emotionally charged areas, places of peace and quiet reflection. They are the everlasting reminders of what we lost on the battlefields of Europe, and beyond, and no-one who visits these lasting memorials cannot fail but be visibly affected by what they see and experience there.



The Commonwealth War Grave Commission commemorate 1,700,000 men and women of the Commonwealth forces who fought and died in two world wars.

The 20 Books of Summer Challenge..

#20booksofsummer

Cathy at Cathy 746 has a yearly challenge to read twenty books over the summer months starting on 1 June 2016 and running until 5 September 2016, and this year, I’ve decided to join her.

I'm always up for a bookish sort of challenge and as I need to clear some space on my book shelves I thought that this was a good challenge to get involved in. I'm not sure that I'll achieve the 20 books challenge but it's worth a try and in order to keep me motivated I'll be joining in with the rest on Twitter using the hashtag #20booksofsummer.

Astray by Emma Donoghue



I'm not usually an active reader of short stories but, occasionally, when I feel in the need for something lighter and less intrusive, I do enjoy dipping into well written short stories which bring something a little different to the table. Astray has been on my book shelf since it was first published and initially, I started to read the stories one by one, but then, as always, with so many other books to read, I read a couple of stories and then put the book back on the shelf, and promptly forgot about it.

Reacquainting myself with the book for my 20 Reads of Summer challenge has been like entering into a wonderful literary world. Fourteen cleverly adapted true stories, each with a little bit of a fictional edge, and which collectively take you on a journey through time, from Victorian London to Cape Cod. All give a fascinating insight into human frailty and intrepid enterprise.

I enjoyed some stories more than others, but what I found most fascinating was how all the stories, although not inter-related in any way, all blend seamlessly together to form a cohesive whole.

Books read in my 20 Reads of Summer Challenge

Origins of Love by Kishwar Desai
The Emperor of Paris by  C S Richardson
On Rue Tatin by Susan Loomis
The Glovemaker by Stacia Brown
Astray by Emma Donoghue

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WW1 Reading..

These two books couldn't be more different in the structure of their content and yet, they are amongst the most powerful WW1 books I have ever read.

If you only read two books that feature WW1

Then let them be these...

Harper Colins
2006

Told in the voice of a young soldier, the story follows 24 hours in his life on the front line during World War I, and captures his memories as he looks back over his life.

Virago
2014

In 1914 Vera Brittain was twenty and, as war was declared, she was preparing to study at Oxford. Four years later her life - and the life of her whole generation - had changed in a way that was unimaginable in the tranquil pre-war era.

'Testament of Youth', one of the most famous autobiographies of the First World War, is Brittain's account of how she survived the period; how she lost the man she loved; how she nursed the wounded and how she emerged into an altered world.

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